Chapter 3138 - A Personal Invitation from Su Yi

Seven days later, in the Divine Wandering Continent. Limitless Palace.

Yang Lingxiao stood alone outside the gates, dressed in white, his sword on his back. “Disciple Yang Lingxiao of the Heart-Tempering Sword House has come on the founder’s orders to deliver an invitation to the esteemed Heavenly Sovereign Wen, founder of your sect!”

Limitless Palace ruled the Divine Wandering Continent. They were a Heavenly Sovereign faction known throughout the Eternal Heavens Domain. Naturally, their ancestral grounds were incomparably enormous. The foundations of a ruling faction were on full display.

Yang Lingxiao would never have guessed that he’d one day be sent here as a messenger, much less that he’d be delivering an invitation to a Heavenly Sovereign.

All he felt was excitement. There was no fear in his heart.

When he announced his intentions, uproar ensued in Limitless Palace.

Yang Lingxiao was only in the Divine Wandering Realm. Limitless Palace naturally didn’t attach much importance to him. What really surprised them was that the founder of the Heart-Tempering Sword House had sent a messenger out of nowhere to deliver some sort of invitation.

It was far too unexpected. Many of the sect’s higher-ups were startled.

“The sect leader has commanded that you give us the invitation. You can just stand outside the gates and wait for news!” said one of the disciples guarding the gates, his eyes cold and stern.

Yang Lingxiao took out the invitation and passed it to the disciple from afar. Then, he turned to leave.

“Stop right there!” someone bellowed. “Who said you could leave?”

Yang Lingxiao came to a halt, but he didn’t even turn his head. “I can come and go as I please. What need is there for me to ask permission from Limitless Palace?”

“You’re courting death!” A group shot out of the gates, all of them seething with murderous intent as they surrounded Yang Lingxiao on all sides.

“You’re just a survivor of the Heart-Tempering Sword House. Who gave you the guts to act wantonly outside our gates?”

“You stand right there and wait. Take even one more step without permission, and I’ll see you dead!”

The Limitless Palace experts glared, their gazes not the least bit friendly. They were staring at Yang Lingxiao as if he were prey just waiting to be slaughtered.

Yang Lingxiao laughed coldly. “If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and attack me. See if I so much as furrow my brow!”

With that, he walked off, disregarding their threats completely.

“You’re the one who insisted on doing this the hard way. I’ll have you kneel before me, you little wretch!” A middle-aged man in black suddenly stepped forth to force Yang Lingxiao to the ground.

But it was then that a terrifying pressure swept forth, suppressing the middle-aged man instead.

Everyone was startled.

A moment later, they saw their founder, Heavenly Sovereign Wen, standing in their midst. None of them knew when he’d gotten there, but a deathly silence instantly descended over the area. The atmosphere was stifled and oppressive.

Yang Lingxiao kept walking. Even now, he didn’t turn to look. It was as if he had no idea that a Heavenly Sovereign was watching him.

Heavenly Sovereign Wen called out to him, “Has Su Yi really set a date to reopen the Heart-Tempering Sword House, and has he really invited me to attend the ceremony?”

His voice emanated from afar.

Yang Lingxiao froze mid-step, unable to lower his foot. It was as if he’d been sealed in place. He couldn’t access even the barest hint of his strength.

But he didn’t lose his composure. He just said solemnly, “Our founder wrote the invitation personally. He naturally isn’t playing games.”

Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s brow furrowed. “Go back and tell Su Yi that I’ll be sure to be there!”

The power restricting Yang Lingxiao abruptly vanished. He shook his shoulders, then continued. Even now, he never looked back.

Heavenly Sovereign Wen, meanwhile, was overcome with astonishment and confusion. That same day, he plans to have Lu Ye and Luo Yan prove their Daos and become Heavenly Sovereigns together. How could Su Yi possibly just give two Eternal Thrones away?

The most surprising part was that Su Yi was bold enough to give them advance notice and even invite him to attend.

It was then that Heavenly Sovereign Wen received a message from Heavenly Sovereign E. “Daoist Brother Wen, did you get an invitation from Su Yi, too?”

Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s eyes narrowed. So, it’s not just me. He sent a similar invitation to Heavenly Sovereign E. Does that mean the other Heavenly Sovereigns were invited, too?

Heavenly Sovereign Wen instantly realized the severity of the situation.

Indeed, it was just as he thought. That same day, Heavenly Sovereigns E, Ling, Changhen, Wuxu, and Yaoguang each received a handwritten invitation from Su Yi.

......

Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court.

The Threelives Buddha sat cross-legged beside a lotus pond, reading a sutra. Out loud, he said, “Su Yi has returned to the Eternal Heavens Domain openly. That must mean he has the foundations to contend with Heavenly Sovereigns. He wouldn’t dare to act this way otherwise.”

He sighed softly. “This really is his style. His conduct is just like his sword, unassuming when hidden in his sheath, but when he draws it, his sharpness is always on full display.”

The aged Chu Shanke stood beside him. “Heavenly Sovereign E suggested that I lead the forces of the Primordial Divine Court into battle, then help them set up a trap for Su Yi outside the Blackwater Celestial Capital."

He looked at the Threelives Buddha. “Do you think that’s feasible, Fellow Daoist?”

The Threelives Buddha slowly set down his sutra, then shook his head. “Why target the Blackwater Celestial Capital? They’re simply trying to threaten the Taiwu Sect to force Su Yi to accept their challenge. Their plan might seem simple, direct, and effective, but in truth, it’d put us at a disadvantage.”

“A disadvantage? How so?” Chu Shanke couldn’t help but ask for clarification.

The Threelives Buddha sighed inwardly. He couldn’t help but feel as if he were playing the lute for a cow. I’m afraid Su Yi is the only person in this world who truly understands me. There’s no need for me to explain anything to him. The barest hint is enough for him to grasp my meaning.

Unfortunately, it’s so often your enemies who understand you best. In the end, one of us must die.

He took a moment to steady himself, then said, “For one thing, Fellow Daoist Su has never feared threats. For another, that he dared walk openly into the Blackwater Celestial Capital and leave with Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan proves that he isn’t afraid we’ll target the Taiwu Sect.”

The Threelives Buddha slowly turned his gaze toward Chu Shanke. “Su Yi is different from before. If you threaten the Taiwu Sect, can’t he just turn around and target the Heavenly Sovereigns’ factions in turn?”

He paused, then said, “That you failed to grasp those three reasons proved that, while you and the Heavenly Sovereigns see Su Yi as a powerful foe, your understanding of him is severely lacking!

“It’s only by knowing yourself and knowing your enemy that you can come out ahead. A sloppy plan like that won’t be enough to defeat Su Yi. Worse, it’ll only invite disaster. That would be... most unwise!”

Chu Shanke’s brow furrowed; he clearly wasn’t convinced. “Including me, there are four Heavenly Sovereigns in the Primordial Divine Court ready to participate in this battle. Combined with Heavenly Sovereign E and the others, how could we possibly fail to defeat Su Yi?”

The Threelives Buddha fell silent. If such an "absolute advantage" in strength were enough to defeat Su Yi, I would never have spent so many years fighting him and his past incarnations.

Yet it seems obvious that, while Chu Shanke and the other Heavenly Sovereigns act like they’re taking Su Yi seriously, they understand far too little about him!

But before he could say anything, someone dashed over from afar. “Buddha, the founder of the Heart-Tempering Sword House sent a messenger to deliver an invitation. He says it’s for you.”

The Threelives Buddha blinked, stunned, then accepted the invitation. His brow instantly furrowed, his expression suddenly full of uncertainty.

Chu Shanke was stunned. He couldn’t help but say, “Is that invitation really Su Yi’s handiwork?”

The Threelives Buddha stared at the handwriting. There was no denying that it was beautifully written. Every stroke had the force of wind and lightning, yet it flew across the page as smoothly as a beam of light. The ink bled through the page, lending the text a solemn, imposing air.

But it was the invitation’s contents that really stunned the Threelives Buddha, to the point that he found it rather difficult to believe.

After a while, he murmured, “It seems that Su Yi... wants to end things with us once and for all...”

As he spoke, he passed the invitation to Chu Shanke. Soon, he, too, was stunned. “Has he gone insane? If not, how could he do something so ridiculous?”

The invitation said that in two weeks’ time, Su Yi would reopen the Heart-Tempering Sword House in the Unfettered Continent, on Snowy Gale Mountain. That very day, he’d have two of his disciples, Lu Ye and Luo Yan, prove their Daos and become Heavenly Sovereigns.

And the Threelives Buddha had been invited to watch the ceremony!

Chu Shanke found the idea utterly absurd, to the point that it just didn’t seem real.

Numerous Heavenly Sovereigns were dead set on killing Su Yi. Now, he’d only just returned to the Eternal Heavens Domain, but he was already proclaiming his intention to rebuild his sect—and he’d even invited all his enemies to watch. How insane was that?

No, it wasn’t just insane. It was indescribably stupid!

But Chu Shanke noticed that the Threelives Buddha’s expression was strangely solemn. He couldn’t help but ask, “Fellow Daoist, don’t tell me you think Su Yi’s made a wise decision here?”

The Threelives Buddha sighed and shook his head. “I wouldn’t call it ‘wise,’ but his spirit is truly unparalleled. There’s no one else like him.”

He slowly closed the invitation and slipped it into his sleeve. Then, he rose, gazed at the lotus-filled pond, and whispered, “This time, he wants to risk everything to end things with us once and for all!”

A moment later, he shook his head and frowned. “No, he wants to overturn the table and give us no further room to maneuver!”

“It’s that serious?” Chu Shanke exclaimed.

The Threelives Buddha sighed. “I’ll just ask you this. Could you refuse such an invitation?”

Chu Shanke instantly realized what he was getting at. “It’d be difficult. No, never mind refusing; it’d be hard to resist the urge to rush over and destroy the two would-be Heavenly Sovereigns’ hopes immediately!”

The Threelives Buddha inclined his head. “That’s right, and that’s the true crux of the matter. If Su Yi’s disciples successfully become Heavenly Sovereigns, what faction beneath the heavens will be any match for the Heart-Tempering Sword House? Who... could possibly tolerate such a thing?

“All of his enemies, no matter who they are, are sure to go and try their utmost to stop him, regardless of whether or not they received an invitation!” The Threelives Buddha’s eyes flashed, his voice deep and cold. “We might be Heavenly Sovereigns, but there’s no way our clones will be enough to stop him. We’ll have to go in the flesh and use every means at our disposal!

“That’s what makes this plan of his so ruthless. He wants to seize this opportunity to end things with all of us at once! Even knowing what he’s up to, we have no choice but to play along!” The Threelives Buddha sighed. “Impressive, Su Yi! You're openly inviting us to our deaths. What unparalleled boldness!”