“Mother, please calm down. Don’t let your anger damage your health.” Su Boning looked at his mother in concern.

You Qingzhi’s eyes were hollow, as if she’d lost her soul. The shock had left her utterly dispirited.

“Earlier, for the sake of disposing of Su Yi, the little beast, I requested aid from the family. Your cousin, You Xinglin, and Li Changning were the first to come to my aid. The result? Both fell prey to that little beast.”

You Qingzhi muttered, “Now, he’s killed even your second uncle. How can I not blame myself? Going forward, how am I to face my clansmen?”

Her tone was bitter and downcast, and her voice was hoarse.

When he learned what had happened on Nine Millet Mountain, Su Boning’s heart filled with alarm and indignation too, but he now had no choice but to suppress it and focus on comforting his mother.

“Mother, the heavens haven’t fallen. Don’t forget that we still have Father! There’s no way he’ll let that bastard Su Yi off!” Su Boning gnashed his teeth.

“Your father…” You Qingzhi’s hollow gaze shifted slightly. She was instantly energized, like a drowning woman grasping at straws. “That’s right! Your father is still here. With his methods, never mind killing Su Yi; if he wanted to, he could effortlessly dominate the entire Great Zhou!”

“Come on! Let’s go see him!” With that, You Qingzhi rose and walked outside.

Dominate the entire Great Zhou? Is Father really that amazing? Su Boning was inwardly a bit confused.  

He was Su Hongli’s son, but even after all these years, he had no idea what level Su Hongli’s strength had reached. All he knew was that ten years ago, his father’s name had once shaken the entire country. They said he was the most mysterious of the Ten Great Xiantian Martial Ancestors, and just like Hong Shenshang, he was honored as one of the Twin Ramparts of the Great Zhou.

As for the rest? Su Boning had no clue.

But from his mother’s words, Su Boning keenly picked up on something. It seemed that his long-secluded father was most likely even stronger than his uncle, You Tianhong!

……

Verdant Parasol Courtyard.

Su Hongli rubbed the spot between his eyes as he looked at the furious, grief-stricken You Qingzhi. He couldn’t help but laugh, “You thought you were clever, didn’t you?”

It was just a few words, but they were like a knife, stabbing You Qingzhi right in the heart.

She quivered from head to toe, her face pallid. “Hongli, I was acting in the Su Family’s best interests. You… How can you chastise me like this?”

As she spoke, she burst into tears, which made her look even more desolate and bereft.

“You did this for the Su Family?” Su Hongli said coldly. “No, you did this because you were jealous. You were jealous that my unworthy child, Su Yi, was stronger than Boning. You were worried that I’d change my mind and accept the unfilial wretch, or worse, make him my heir instead. Am I right?”

You Qingzhi’s entire body went rigid, and her expression shifted erratically. 

“Go on.” Su Hongli had no interest in any further conversation, so he waved her away.

You Qingzhi’s heart surged with intense bitterness. She defiantly raised her head and met her husband’s gaze. “Hongli, all I want to know is this: just how do you plan to dispose of Su Yi? All I want is a clear answer!”

Su Hongli’s brow furrowed slightly, but in the end, he suppressed his displeasure and uttered just one word: “Death.”

His tone was so flat that there was no discernable trace of emotion.

However, although it was just one word, You Qingzhi smiled. She felt as if a massive boulder had been lifted from her heart, and she relaxed completely.

She wiped the tears from her face, then turned and left.

Su Hongli watched her leave. He couldn’t help but shake his head. “Don’t tell me my attitude wasn’t obvious enough already?”

It seemed his interest was waning.

The Daoist elder said lightly, “Concern leads to emotional turmoil. The Fourth Lady of the House has lost both her nephew and her elder brother to Su Yi; it’s understandable that she’d forget herself.”

Su Hongli waved dismissively; he had no interest in lingering on the subject. “Daoist Brother, tell me your analysis of the battle.”

The elder fell briefly silent, then said, “The boy is terrifying indeed.”

“Terrifying?” When he heard that word coming from the elder, Su Hongli’s brow furrowed slightly. “Might you explain in further detail?”

The elder thought back to the battle on Nine Millet Mountain, and pondered out loud, “I imagine that whatever we saw, Su Yi didn’t mind us seeing. What truly fills my heart with dread is whatever strength he’s still hiding.”

He paused to gather his thoughts, then continued, “He’s in the Grandmaster Realm, yet he already has divine sense, mastery of the charm of the Dao, and he controls spiritual Dao Light. Furthermore, his attainments in the Dao of the Sword far surpass Earthly Immortals. I recognized these powers in him, one by one.

“I trust that the state preceptor, Shi Fengliu, Lonely River, and the others picked up on them too. However, I dare say with certainty that none of them could discern just how much power Su Yi has left in reserve.

“But then, if that were all it was, it wouldn’t matter. Who doesn’t keep a few cards in reserve?”

Su Hongli nodded, his expression tranquil. “Please, continue.”

The elder’s eyes flashed. “But Su Yi is different. He’s breaking through too quickly! When he left the Imperatorial Provincial Capital, he was only a second-level Grandmaster. Less than twenty days have passed, but he’s already a peak fourth-level Inner Furnace Realm cultivator!

“Fellow Daoist, as I’m sure you’re aware, every time someone like Su Yi rises to another level, his combat strength is sure to evolve to a shocking degree. From this, I can predict that by the time the fourth rolls around, he’ll have already reached the fifth level of the Grandmaster Realm! 

“At the peak of the Inner Furnace Realm, the five elements are fully realized, and they circulate as one. His cultivation, physique, and soul will all undergo an unimaginable metamorphosis.

“That in turn means that Su Yi will be far stronger than he was today, when he killed You Tianhong.” The elder sighed. “And those are only the variables I could deduce.”

Su Hongli fell silent. “That really is an unpredictable variable. Was there anything else worth noting?” His tone was calm as ever, but there was a hint of solemnity on his brow.

When he heard that Su Yi killed You Tianhong, surprise rippled through Su Hongli’s heart. Even he had to admit that he’d underestimated Su Yi’s strength.

Only now did Su Hongli see the “unworthy descendant” he’d loathed for over a decade in a new light. He could no longer simply dismiss him.

It was a rather strange feeling.

Imagine a monkey that, to date, had done nothing but jump around, only to suddenly reveal enough power to overturn the heavens. It was surprising, but more than that, it left others with no choice but to restrain their earlier contempt and loathing. Monkey it may be, but you’d still have to treat it seriously. 

The Daoist let out a long sigh. “I suspect that Su Yi has an extremely terrifying secret treasure on him!”

“So that’s really the case? He has a… secret treasure on him too?” Su Hongli’s eyes flashed with a strange light.

His use of the word “too” provided ample food for thought.

The elder’s expression was suddenly grave. His gaze was distant as he thought back to the duel. “When he fought You Tianhong, I attempted to capture a trace of his aura, then use the Celestial Compass to see what I could deduce…”

Su Hongli immediately looked interested. 

The Celestial Compass!

This was an extremely mysterious, ancient treasure.

So long as you could find even a trace of something’s aura, you could use the compass to perform various divinations. This enabled you to discern the source of the aura’s secrets and true nature. It was highly mystical.

Although no one knew it, over the years, the elder had used the power of the Celestial Compass to make numerous deductions on Su Hongli’s behalf, uncovering countless deeply-hidden secrets!

From this, they’d learned much about the Great Zhou’s Eight Great Yao Mountains, as well as the impending Radiant Epoch. They’d also resolved numerous cultivation-related doubts.

It was no exaggeration to say that the Celestial Compass was an unparalleled treasure!

“Daoist Brother, why aren’t you saying anything?” Su Hongli’s eyebrows shot up. He could tell that something was a bit off about the elder’s expression.

“Fellow Daoist, please take a look for yourself.” The old man grimaced and took out a round, smooth bronze object that looked like a compass. It was a treasure mottled with the vicissitudes of life.

The treasure’s surface was engraved with moons, suns, and stars, as well as totems of flowers, birds, bugs, and fish. The rim was inlaid with detailed glyphs, while a blood-red spirit pearl was in its center, like the pupil of an eye.

When activated, the totems and glyphs would surge with an inscrutable and mysterious formation diagram, like a pattern of stars. It was extremely subtle and profound.

Whatever truths and mysteries the compass determined were reflected in the pupil-like, crimson spiritual pearl at its center.

This was the Celestial Compass.

The blood-red spirit pearl and its center was called the Celestial Pearl.

But now, a hairline fracture had appeared on the surface of the Celestial Compass!

When he saw this, Su Hongli’s pupils constricted. His habitual mask of calm finally cracked.

It seemed he was stunned. He couldn’t believe his eyes!

It was extremely rare to see such an expression on the head of the Su Family’s face; he could no longer keep his cool.

The atmosphere was instantly tense and heavy.

After a long time, Su Hongli finally calmed himself down. He rubbed the spot between his eyes and said, “You’re saying that whatever treasure the boy’s carrying, it’s strong enough to stop even the Celestial Compass?”

The Daoist elder nodded. “That seems to be the case.”

“It seems I really did underestimate the unfilial whelp.” Su Hongli’s eyes flashed, his gaze heavy and deep. “But I truly don’t understand. Where did his treasure come from? Don’t tell me…”

He suddenly thought of something, and his expression instantly darkened. His aura turned utterly cold and terrifying.

The elder’s eyelids twitched, and he said, “Fellow Daoist, do you suspect it’s a treasure Ye Yufei left Su Yi?”

“I can’t think of any other possible explanation.” Su Hongli took a deep breath, his gaze imposing. “I’ve long since wondered about this. Given her temperament, how could that bitch not have left anything in reserve? Yet even after she dropped dead, I couldn’t find anything of note among her possessions. Now, it seems whatever cards she left behind are in my unworthy son’s hands!”

This was a rare display of anger, in stark contrast with his typical ease and utter composure. His face brimmed with incomparably terrifying murderous intent.

“Fellow Daoist, please remain calm. For now, that’s only conjecture,” urged the elderly Daoist.

Su Hongli took a deep breath. Suddenly, he turned and stared directly at the old man. “Daoist Brother, the power my unfilial son has displayed is such that I can no longer afford to disregard him. You’d best prepare yourself.”

Beneath the weight of Su Hongli’s gaze, the old man visibly stiffened, and his expression shifted erratically.

A long time passed before he finally nodded and said in a low voice, “Fellow Daoist, rest assured. I knew this day would come sooner or later, and I’ve long since prepared for it.”