Su Yan walked through the Divine Capital's streets, Zhu Chanchan's hand in his. He'd considered visiting the Yuan estate — but the thought of Yuan Rusi made his heart race, and then her face shifted into Veyon's, and he forced the image away.
By the Luo River, a group of young nobles approached. A pale-faced youth bowed deeply. "King of Yao, I am Cui Yongzhi of the Cui family. This is the Zhu family's Miss Zhu Hongjian. And this scholar is Yuan Yunkong, descendant of Yuan Tiangang."
Su Yan nodded to each. When he reached Yuan Yunkong, his expression hardened. "Elder Qi, the sword case."
Yuan Qi spat out the Yuan Tiangang Sword Case. It trembled, opened with a clatter, and seven sword-qi streams flew out, dancing around Yuan Yunkong in joy.
Then they retracted. The case snapped shut and landed at his feet.
"Your ancestor saved my life in the Wangxiang Platform," Su Yan said. "He told me this case would find his kin. Now it's found you."
Yuan Yunkong seized it, overjoyed. "King of Yao, may I speak freely?"
Su Yan's gaze swept over Cui Yongzhi and Zhu Hongjian. "Probably not."
Yuan Yunkong ignored him. "The Cui and Zhu families' elders are dying. As juniors, we should ease their burden. Since you possess immortal flesh and have opened the Mud Pill secret, why not share your body?"
Zhu Chanchan's heart chilled. "How do they know about my medicine already? Are there Heavenly Demons in this city?"
Su Yan replied evenly, "If you had money, should you give it all away?"
"I only ask you to benefit the Cui and Zhu families," Yuan Yunkong snapped. "My ancestor saved you. This small favor is too much?"
Su Yan's face darkened. He walked past, tugging Zhu Chanchan along.
Yuan Yunkong roared and activated the sword case. A sword-qi stream shot at Su Yan's back.
Su Yan didn't turn. He caught the qi between two fingers. It swirled there, obedient.
Yuan Yunkong paled. He tried to recall it — nothing.
Su Yan flicked. The sword-qi reversed, shredding Yuan Yunkong's clothes to fluttering scraps.
"Yuan Tiangang has descendants like you." Su Yan waved farewell to the case. "On the first day of the third month, Su Yan of Jiangjia Village in Lingling left home. Killed gods and men all the way here. I played at being a gentleman for a few days. Stifling."
He raised his voice. "Nobles of the Divine Capital! If you want immortal flesh, pay with your lives!"
"Excellent!" Cui Yongzhi laughed, rising into the air. A rainbow light — his Inner Realm manifestation — spread behind three grotto-heavens. He struck like a whip. Stone slabs exploded upward in a river of debris.
Su Yan punched. Stars swirled in the darkness before him, shattering the rainbow.
Cui Yongzhi met the blow with both hands. Blood poured from his eyes and nose.
Zhu Hongjian charged. A sword-qi stream intercepted her. She summoned wind and fire — the Zhu family's divine art — but the sword-qi tore through her shoulder, severing her arm.
Su Yan's qi transformed into a hundred-zhang Ba Serpent, coiling around her and smashing her head-first into Cui Yongzhi's skull.
Two flowers of blood bloomed.
"Murder!" Yuan Yunkong screamed.
Su Yan walked on, his back wreathed in dragon-serpent qi.
A man in purple appeared across the river. Four Yellow Court grotto-heavens spun behind him. "Country bumpkin. I'm Lu Dingtian of the Lu family. Today I claim your flesh!"
The river exploded. Water dragons leaped.
Su Yan crouched, activated the Eight Yuan Tones. Strange dao-sounds shattered every technique. Lu Dingtian vomited blood, organs pulverized, tumbling down the street.
Su Yan kept walking. Bodies piled in the Luo River.
From the Shi estate's heights, Shi Jingtang watched with Shi Beihuang.
"Only the younger generation can move," Shi Beihuang said. "The elders can't risk it. Not after yesterday."
"Then I'll go." Shi Jingtang's eyes burned. "I've opened the Bubbling Spring secret and cultivated qi arts. Taking him will be easy."
"Wait." Shi Beihuang watched ten more Shi cultivators rush out. "Cui Dongli, Zhu Hongyi, Gao Xingqian, Chai Wuyong — all the young elites are moving. Li Tingshu, Wang Yixuan too. You're not avenging anyone. You're competing."
At the riverbank, Su Yan crushed a group with Myriad Mountains Bow to Mount Jiuyi. He roared: "Yuan Qi!"
A hundred-zhang serpent swept past, sword-qi coiling around his scales, shredding everything.
The riverbank cleared.
A great nuo master attacked, five heavens open. Su Yan met him with Tribulation From Heaven. Yuan Qi bit the master's wrist. The man convulsed, flesh rotting, and died.
"Another technique revealed," Shi Beihuang murmured. "Don't waste their sacrifice."
Shi Jingtang nodded, fists clenched.
Su Yan gasped. His qi was draining. He channeled everything into his Mud Pill secret.
A thunderclap in his mind. The second Mud Pill grotto-heaven opened.
He didn't stop. Myriad Mountains Bow to Mount Jiuyi blasted into his Crimson Palace. The second crescent-moon grotto-heaven blazed open.
His primordial spirit leaped. Gate-Breaking stage, third heaven.
A pleasure boat drifted downriver. Inside, a woman in red cradled a pipa. "King of Yao, shall I ferry you?"
Su Yan wiped blood from his face. "Why not."
He leaped aboard with Zhu Chanchan. Inside, the woman in red smiled, her red dress pooling on the floor.
"I am Zhu Hongyi." Her eyes flicked to Zhu Chanchan, then Su Yan. "I've wanted to visit, but affairs kept me busy."
"I should have visited you. Too much trouble."
She plucked the pipa. Each note wove into Su Yan's body, chaining his soul. Tighter. Tighter.
Zhu Chanchan blinked. "Soul-locking technique? Girl, you're good."
Zhu Hongyi played faster. "Then let me take first credit!"
She spun, shattered the cabin roof, and laughed. "King of Yao, you're caught in my net!"
Su Yan sat motionless.
She tugged the strings. "Soul, come out!"
Nothing.
Shi Jingtang struck from the side, one palm at Zhu Hongyi, one at Su Yan. "The flesh belongs to the Shi family!"
Su Yan raised his hand. Their palms met. Shi Jingtang vomited blood, his cultivation completely suppressed.
Su Yan stood. "Played well. Keep playing. I need to kill someone."
Zhu Hongyi's invisible strings pulled at Su Yan's soul. She couldn't budge it. Su Yan leaped ashore, dragging her along against her will.
He tossed a vermillion gourd at Shi Jingtang's feet. "You gathered souls for your ancestor's wicked art. Correct?"
"How did you —"
Shi Jingtang fled toward the Shi estate.
Su Yan followed, unhurried. Zhu Hongyi floated behind him, still strumming desperately.
Zhu Chanchan trotted alongside. "Why don't you drop the pipa?"
Zhu Hongyi wouldn't abandon her treasure. She floated higher, teeth gritted.
At the Shi estate gates, Shi Jingtang screamed, "Elder! Elder! He's the one who burned the ancestor!"
Su Yan drew the stone axe. All his qi flooded into it. A sea of blood manifested behind him — ancient beasts and divine demon corpses rising, roaring.
The axe fell. The gates shattered. The blood-sea crashed into the estate, buildings collapsing.
Shi family nuo masters died before they could escape.
Zhu Chanchan grinned at the floating Zhu Hongyi. "He broke that axe. I fixed it with two punches. Impressive, right?"
"Who are you?"
"Me? I forged treasures for the Zhou Heavenly King."
A roar shook the estate. Eight grotto-heavens opened — Shi Beihuang, trying to kill Su Yan.
Su Yan summoned Pure Yang Fire and blew. The flames engulfed Shi Beihuang.
"Monster?" Su Yan's voice was cold. He flicked his finger. The bell shot from his brow.
"You don't know how terrible I am in monster form."
He seized the bell's nose and swung. The bell-tone shattered Shi Beihuang to dust. The fire consumed what remained.
The bell trembled. Something had pushed it beyond its limits — something other than Su Yan's will.
*Is his sealed memory awakening?*
Outside the city, the three elders watched, sighing. The white-robed old man checked his yellow paper. "Too late. Too late..."
Then characters appeared: "Go to the Heavenly God Hall. Fetch the demon-suppression seal talismans. By imperial order."