Timeless Assassin - Chapter 1163 No Free Meals

(Onboard A Su Clan Flagship, Su Yang’s POV)

The moment news regarding Kaelith’s death spread across the Rainbow Stream, the Su Clan immediately recognized the value of the opportunity before them, as they deployed Su Yang personally toward the Eternal Garden to secure as many Moonshine Flowers as possible for the clan.

Unfortunately for them though, unlike the Cult, the Su Clan did not possess mastery over dimensional tunneling.

And because of that limitation, even traveling at maximum speed through conventional methods still took them nearly a day and a half to finally arrive near the Eternal Garden’s region of space.

However by then, they were already too late.

*FZZZT*

Almost simultaneously, electronics flickered violently throughout every Su Clan ship present within the fleet, as warning sirens blared briefly while several control panels temporarily lost power.

“What the hell?”

One pilot muttered in alarm while stabilizing the flagship’s controls hurriedly.

Meanwhile, within the command chamber, Su Yang immediately narrowed his eyes.

Because unlike the panicking crew around him, he understood instantly what just happened.

This was a warning.

A deliberate one.

Someone powerful enough to overwhelm the entire fleet effortlessly had intentionally released only enough aura to stop them without causing direct casualties.

And the fact that such a being even bothered issuing a warning instead of immediately exterminating them meant only one thing.

The person waiting ahead recognized the Su Clan enough to show restraint.

“Kill the engines immediately,” Su Yang ordered calmly, as his expression turned serious.

“Every ship stops moving right now.”

The surrounding officers immediately obeyed without hesitation.

“Sir?”

One commander asked nervously.

“Are we under attack?”

Su Yang slowly shook his head.

“No,” he replied quietly.

“If this was an actual attack, we would already be dead.”

A heavy silence spread across the chamber hearing those words.

“Magnify the Eternal Garden,” Su Yang ordered next, as several operators quickly redirected the flagship’s visual systems toward the distant floating divine land.

The image sharpened gradually.

And eventually, one solitary figure became visible standing near the cliffs overlooking the ocean.

The moment Su Yang recognized the man, his eyes widened slightly.

“Leo…”

He muttered softly.

Across the bridge, several officers immediately became visibly tense hearing that name.

Because after the events of Planet Satoru, there was no longer a single major power within the Rainbow Stream that dared underestimate Leo Skyshard anymore.

Especially after he personally killed Kaelith.

“This is not an enemy we can engage militarily,” Su Yang declared firmly, as he crossed his arms while continuing to stare toward the projection screen.

“That warning shot earlier was him being merciful.”

One elder beside him frowned.

“So what do we do now, Young Master?”

Su Yang remained silent for several moments before eventually sighing.

“Prepare a single landing pod,” he ordered calmly.

“I’ll go talk to my friend personally.”

Several officers immediately looked uneasy hearing that suggestion.

“Young Master, with all due respect, this is dangerous,” one advisor warned cautiously.

“Leo Skyshard is no longer merely the leader of the Cult Of Ascension, he’s now a God killing conqueror.”

Su Yang simply chuckled hearing those words.

“For you…. Yes. But for me, he’s still my friend….”

Su Yang said, as a few minutes later, a small capsule pod detached itself from the Su Clan flagship before slowly descending toward the Eternal Garden below.

Inside the pod, Su Yang quietly observed the floating divine world growing larger and larger through the transparent front display.

And honestly…

Even from a distance, the Eternal Garden looked breathtaking.

Golden trees shimmered beneath sunlight.

Silver rivers reflected the skies beautifully.

While entire mountain ranges seemed covered in glowing vegetation unlike anything found elsewhere within the Rainbow Stream.

“Damn…”

Su Yang muttered softly.

“No wonder Kaelith never wanted to leave this place.”

He muttered, as eventually, the pod touched down near the outer cliffs of the Eternal Garden.

*HISSS*

The hatch opened slowly, as Su Yang stepped outside before immediately feeling warm mana dense energy brush against his skin gently.

“Well Allrightttt,”

Su Yang muttered while looking around with genuine admiration visible across his face.

“This place is insane.”

Then finally, his gaze landed upon Leo standing nearby.

For several moments, Su Yang simply stared at him silently.

Because although Leo still looked mostly the same outwardly, something about him felt completely different now, as though the burden resting upon his shoulders had fundamentally changed him as a person.

Still, despite that feeling, Su Yang eventually smiled before walking toward him confidently.

“My man,” he greeted casually, as he extended one hand forward.

Leo stared toward the offered hand briefly before eventually shaking it.

However, unlike Su Yang’s warmth, Leo’s handshake felt noticeably restrained and controlled, as though he was greeting an important political figure rather than an old friend.

“So the rumors were true after all, huh?” Su Yang muttered, as he shook his head slowly.

“You really killed the Eternal Sovereign. Honestly man, if someone told me this back during the academy days, I would’ve thought they completely lost their damn mind.”

Leo chuckled softly hearing that.

“Yeah, well, the Cult and Kaelith had a lot of unfinished history between them. It had to be done,” Leo replied quietly, as his eyes shifted briefly toward the distant ocean.

Su Yang nodded slowly hearing that answer.

Then after glancing around the Eternal Garden once more, he finally got to the actual reason behind his visit.

“Well,” he began casually, as he scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“I originally came here planning to plunder a bunch of Moonshine Flowers before another major power reached this place first. But since you already beat everyone to it, how about helping an old friend out a little?”

Leo sighed deeply hearing those words, as immediately, Su Yang sensed the atmosphere around them changing.

“Listen to me carefully, old friend,” Leo began calmly, as his tone became significantly more authoritative than before.

“Our friendship is real, there’s absolutely no doubt about that.

If one day you genuinely needed my help, I would cross half the universe to stand beside you in battle without hesitation.

But when it comes to matters involving the Cult and the Su Clan, I am the Cult Master, and you are the Young Master of the Su Clan. Official matters and personal relationships cannot be mixed together.”

The warmth from earlier disappeared completely from Leo’s voice while he spoke, as Su Yang’s expression gradually stiffened hearing that response.

Meanwhile, Leo slowly pointed toward the distant cliffside nearby.

“If you’re looking for proof regarding how much the Cult sacrificed to claim this place, then look over there,” Leo said calmly, as Su Yang turned slightly before noticing Soron’s grave resting quietly near the ocean cliffs.

“It’s not just him either. Generations of Cult citizens sacrificed their lives so we could finally stand where we are today.

The Eternal Garden was never some random territory for us. It was one of the symbols of everything stolen from the Cult during the Great Betrayal.

So no, there isn’t a single Moonshine Flower here that I can casually hand over for free.”

Su Yang frowned upon hearing that.

“Even for the Su Clan? Even for me, your old friend?” he questioned seriously, as Leo nodded immediately in response.

“Even for the Su Clan…. And yes, even for you.” Leo replied calmly.

“However, I’m not Kaelith. I’m not insecure enough to monopolize power simply because I fear competition.

If the Su Clan wants Moonshine Flowers in the future, then I’ll be happy to sell them to you at the right price.

Just send the Cult a proper proposal.

We can negotiate resources, military cooperation, trade agreements, strategic partnerships, territory exchanges, or whatever else your clan is willing to offer.

But understand one thing very clearly, Su Yang. From this day onward, there will only be one entity controlling the supply of Moonshine Flowers throughout the universe.

And that entity shall be the Cult Of Ascension.”

A heavy silence followed those words.

And for several long moments, Su Yang simply stared toward Leo quietly.

Because standing before him now no longer felt like standing before the academy rival he once knew.

Nor did it feel like speaking to the cold assassin from a few years ago.

Instead, it genuinely felt like speaking to the ruler of a rising empire.

And somehow, that realization unsettled Su Yang far more than he expected.