C12 Nose to the Sky

Yang Yuqing!

Su Mo recognized the middle-aged man approaching him immediately.

He was the Sect Master of the Essence Returning Sect, a formidable practitioner at the Dragon Transforming Stage.

What truly astonished Su Mo was Yang Yuqing's rapid advancement; back when he was with the Omen Sect, his cultivation level was merely at the first change of the Dragon Transforming Stage. Now, he had soared to the peak of the second change!

Even though Su Mo was only at the God Bridge Stage, he understood the immense difficulty for a Dragon Transforming Stage warrior to elevate their cultivation by a single tier—it was like scaling the heavens!

Yang Yuqing's swift rise to the peak of the Dragon Transforming Two-change could only be attributed to the assistance of several experts from Purvavideha, without a doubt.

"Sect Master, save me!"

Upon spotting Yang Yuqing, Zhao Hai, who seemed to have found a lifeline, pleaded urgently, "He has slain Liang Soong and Lin Hao. Sect Master, I implore you to seek justice for me. This villain must be apprehended!"

"Being foolish occasionally is tolerable, but to persist in such folly is why you remain trapped at the Other Shore Stage."

Yang Yuqing gently shook his head and advised, "Be wiser in your next life. There are some people you simply cannot provoke."

Snap!

When it came to ruthlessness, Yang Yuqing's actions were far more extreme than Su Mo's.

He became a blur, and right before Su Mo and Shen Muxi, he snapped Zhao Hai's neck, blood spraying forth.

"Young Hero Su, are you satisfied with my actions?"

With a dismissive kick, Yang Yuqing sent Zhao Hai's body tumbling away and inquired with a light smile, "As our honored guest, if there's anything you find unsatisfactory, please speak freely. I will do everything in my power to accommodate your wishes."

"I am satisfied, though I must say the Essence Qi in the Essence Returning Pool is somewhat lacking. Sect Master Yang, could you possibly replenish it for me?"

Without sparing a glance at Zhao Hai's body, Su Mo deftly steered the conversation elsewhere.

Currently, only two and a half characters of 'Heaven Devouring Devil Pot' were illuminated, with the third character, 'Devil', yet to be fully lit.

Su Mo's preliminary estimate suggested that the amount of Essence Qi needed to activate the 'Devil' character would likely equal the sum of what he had consumed before.

Since Yang Yuqing had broached the subject, Su Mo was certainly going to inquire further.

"The matter of the Essence Qi can wait. For now, Young Hero Su, would you accompany me to the Martial Arts Practice Field? There are some individuals there who wish to meet you."

Yang Yuqing had strategized his approach to Su Mo well before arriving at the hall.

Regardless of Su Mo's demands, he intended to escort him to the martial arts field to meet with the formidable figures from Purvavideha.

At present, it seemed that only the might of Purvavideha's experts could possibly overawe Su Mo.

Even with Blade Sovereign arriving from the Blade God Hall, bolstered by Purvavideha's elite, he remained undaunted.

"And if I refuse?"

Su Mo stowed the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot and his broken blade, giving Yang Yuqing a wry smile.

"I would hope Young Hero Su doesn't put me in a difficult position."

Yang Yuqing's tone was firm yet respectful, with an underlying note of coercion.

Yang Yuqing's confidence stemmed from having relayed the events at the Omen Sect to Purvavideha's powerful warriors.

These experts looked down on Su Mo's master with disdain.

The disparity among those at the Immortal Platform Stage was vast.

Devil Sovereign Di Shitian had only recently ascended to the Immortal Platform Stage; any seasoned warrior at that level could defeat him.

Thus, to Purvavideha's stalwarts, Su Mo's master posed no threat.

Furthermore, their visit to the Essence Returning Sect was twofold: they were responding to an invitation, and they had detected the emergence of a new Immortal Platform Stage powerhouse in Uttarakuru.

The reasoning was straightforward.

They aimed to either bring Blade Sovereign back to Purvavideha or, more accurately, to seize him.

"Let's go then. I'm curious to see what you have in mind."

Su Mo stepped forward, leading the way to the Essence Returning Sect's arena, with Shen Muxi closely in tow.

Watching Su Mo's retreating figure, Yang Yuqing's lips curled into a sly grin as he murmured, "First, let's test the extent of Su Mo's capabilities. Ideally, they'll both emerge weakened."

Yang Yuqing was anything but impulsive.

For years, he bided his time, secretly forging alliances with the powerhouses of the Eastern Divine Region to seize control of the Essence Returning Sect.

Now on the brink of success, he knew he had to tread carefully to avoid any slip-ups.

A single misstep could lead to a lifetime of regret, a lesson Yang Yuqing took to heart.

...

At the Essence Returning Sect's arena, all eyes turned to Su Mo as he made his entrance.

With a rustle, he surveyed the scene.

The Martial Arts Practice Field was filled with familiar faces.

Ling Xuzi, elders from the five major sects, along with the Sect Master and Vice Sect Master, were all lined up on either side.

Yet, at this moment, the six elders at the Dragon Transforming Three-change stage weren't the ones shining the brightest.

At the heart of the field, atop a raised platform, stood three men and two women. The men were in their forties or fifties, while the women appeared to be in their twenties.

The men's cultivation levels were all at the Dragon Transforming Five-change stage, and the women were at the Second Layer of the Dao Palace, in the Divine Sea Realm.

The Dao Palace's Third Layer consisted of the First Layer of Mystery, the Second Layer of the Divine Sea, and the Third Layer of the Heavenly River!

Being able to reach the Second Layer of the Dao Palace by the age of twenty signified genius status in the Eastern Divine Region.

"Are you Su Mo?"

The young woman in pink, looking Su Mo up and down with a haughty air, demanded, "Now, immediately contact your master and the Blade Sovereign to come and accept their punishment."

"Something's not right."

Su Mo paid no mind to the woman in pink, sensing an underlying threat.

His keen spatial awareness picked up a slight tremor in the void above the field as he arrived.

Those capable of concealing themselves in the void likely possessed cultivation beyond the Immortal Platform's First Layer, possibly even at the Second Layer.

"The outlook is grim."

With a subtle shift in his gaze, Su Mo calmly stated, "My master is at the Immortal Burying Mausoleum, and my junior brother, the Blade Sovereign, will arrive shortly. If you wish to meet them, please wait a moment."

"Immortal Burying Mausoleum?"

The woman clad in pink was unfamiliar with the Immortal Burying Mausoleum, but the middle-aged man beside her, who had reached the Dragon Transforming Five-change stage, showed a flicker of concern. Stepping forward, he spoke with gravity, "The Immortal Burying Mausoleum is the Abandoning Continent's taboo zone, accessible only to those who have reached the Third Layer of the Immortal Platform. What exactly is your master's level of cultivation?"

"I'm not entirely sure about my master's level of cultivation," Su Mo replied with feigned casualness. "But he did mention he'd return after obtaining something from the Immortal Burying Mausoleum."

Buzz! Buzz!

The words of Su Mo sent a surge of thought through the powerful cultivator concealed in the void. Even he was not free to come and go from the Immortal Burying Mausoleum at will. In fact, setting foot in there was tantamount to a near-certain death!

"You don't scare me," Su Mo declared, his acting and poise impeccable. "By the way, Sect Master Yang mentioned you were looking for me for a specific reason. What might that be? Are you intending to apprehend me for some alleged wrongdoing?"

"Wrongdoing? You're hardly worth the effort!" snapped the woman in pink, her impatience palpable. Ignorant of the mausoleum's dread, she was incensed that Su Mo, a mere Divine Bridge Realm cultivator, could remain so composed before her. It was maddening!

Her anger unabated, the woman in pink haughtily demanded, "You waste of the Abandoning Continent, summon your master and the Blade Sovereign immediately to face their punishment. Your delay has cost me time, and for that, your life is of little consequence!"