With the intense shaking of the floating palace, the tables and chairs on the ninth floor terrace tilted and overturned. Dishes and wine jugs flew and shattered, filling the air with crashing and cracking sounds.
"Take cover!"
"What the hell is happening?"
Exclamations filled the air.
People hurriedly stood up, scrambling to find shelter and escape. The scene was chaotic for a while.
Almost immediately after the violent tremor of the floating palace, Zhang Duo, quick as a cat, arrived beside the youth in the purple robe, shielding him behind him. His eyes scanned the surroundings, brimming with sharpness.
Su Yi and the others had already stood up, stabilizing their figures. They frowned as they looked at the sudden turn of events.
What had happened?
By now, the sky had darkened, and nightfall was approaching. It was impossible to see clearly from this ninth-floor terrace what the floating palace had collided with.
"Roar~~~"
Suddenly, a series of monstrous roars and howls of savage beasts echoed, exuding a fierce and violent aura.
Following that, from the first to the fifth floor of the floating palace, cries of panic could be heard.
"Oh no, all the imprisoned savage beasts have escaped! Run!"
"Who the hell opened those cages?"
"Run!"
...The clamor of cries filled the night.
Occasionally, there were also piercing screams, as if someone was being chased by the savage beasts!
These scenes made everyone on the ninth floor panic and pale with fear.
Everyone knew that this floating palace held eight hundred savage beasts captive!
If they all escaped, just imagining the situation was enough to make one collapse.
"How could such a thing suddenly happen..."
Yuan Luo Xi's face was filled with seriousness.
Cheng Wuyong said in a deep voice, "Miss, rest assured. With Zhang Yiren and his subordinates' strength, dealing with those savage beasts alone shouldn't be difficult."
"I'm afraid it's not as simple as the savage beasts attacking."
Huang Qianjun sighed heavily.
This clearly indicated that someone intentionally opened the cages holding the savage beasts. Their intentions were malicious!
Su Yi rubbed his bamboo staff with his fingers, glanced at the panicked crowd nearby, his expression as calm as ever, without saying anything.
"Miss Yuan, rest assured. With me here, I won't let everyone suffer from the consequences!"
At this moment, the youth in the purple robe approached, smiling as he tried to reassure them. He appeared extremely calm.
"This kid sure talks big!"
Huang Qianjun silently sneered to himself.
Yuan Luo Xi furrowed her brows slightly and said, "Thank you, but in my opinion, it is most important for the young master to protect himself first."
The youth in the purple robe smiled gracefully and said, "In the past year, I have experienced countless dangers. What is this small situation before me?"
"To speak bluntly, if I can't resolve this unexpected event, then everyone on this floating palace will likely be unable to escape this calamity."
He smiled again and added, "Of course, such a thing will not happen."
Huang Qianjun was taken aback for a moment before understanding the meaning behind the words. He couldn't help but laugh. Was this guy saying that he himself was the most powerful existence on the floating palace?
He couldn't help but glance at Su Yi beside him, only to see the latter's calm and indifferent expression, as if he wasn't even listening to what the youth in the purple robe was saying.
Huang Qianjun couldn't help but think, "Look, this is the state of my brother Su. He can't be bothered with you at all!"
At this moment, everyone keenly noticed that the floating palace beneath their feet had stopped shaking and was now stably resting on the Dacang River.
However, the roars of the savage beasts continued to echo through the night like thunder, accompanied by chaotic screams coming from different areas of the floating palace.
This made everyone's expressions grow serious.
Fortunately, they were on the ninth-floor terrace, and it would be difficult for those savage beasts to reach them in a short period of time.
Suddenly, a man in a battle robe rushed up to the ninth-floor terrace and hurriedly arrived by the side of the youth in the purple robe. He whispered something in the youth's ear.
Afterward, the youth in the purple robe commanded, "Tell them not to worry about my safety. After you join them, go help Zhang Yiren and his subordinates hunt down the savage beasts and quell this chaos as soon as possible."
"Yes!"
The man in the battle robe cupped his hands in acknowledgment and left.
"This is another tough opponent at the later stage of the Gathering Qi realm!"
Cheng Wuyong narrowed his eyes.
But the youth in the purple robe smiled and said to Yuan Luo Xi, "I have received news from my subordinates. They said that some thieves just now opened the cages holding the savage beasts. Zhang Yiren and his men are currently taking action, and I have also sent my subordinates to assist. I believe it won't take long to resolve this turmoil."
He spoke confidently and calmly.
However, at that moment, Su Yi suddenly spoke, "We should leave."
As he spoke, he had already taken a step forward.
Leave at this moment?
Yuan Luo Xi, Huang Qianjun, and Cheng Wuyong were momentarily stunned. Although they were puzzled, they quickly followed suit.
The youth in the purple robe's expression stiffened, and he felt somewhat displeased. He had been taking the opportunity to engage in a lively conversation with Yuan Luo Xi, but to his surprise, Su Yi suddenly decided to leave!
If it were just one person leaving, it would be one thing, but he was also taking Yuan Luo Xi and the others with him.
This made the youth in the purple robe lose face, and he couldn't help but coldly rebuke, "There is a monster crisis happening on the floating palace, and yet you want to leave now. How foolish! Moreover, you seek your own death and drag others along. How selfish are you!?"
He was furious, emitting an aura of someone accustomed to being in a higher position.
The youth in the purple robe had long learned from the guards about Su Yi's background, knowing that Su Yi was just a son-in-law who had married into the small city of Guangling, with only the cultivation level of Transference Blood Realm.
The only commendable thing might be that a few days ago, this young man had won the first place in the Dragon Gate Grand Competition.
However, in the eyes of someone like him, such minor achievements were not worth caring about.
Therefore, only in the face of Su Yi would he dare to reprimand him with confidence.
Yuan Luo Xi and the others' faces changed slightly.
But Su Yi remained calm and said, "To be frank, with you here, this is actually the most dangerous place. Perhaps you have already guessed why this monster crisis happened tonight."
"What do you mean?"
The youth in the purple robe's face darkened, and a chill flashed in his eyes. Just a few words seemed to have hit upon his concerns.
Yuan Luo Xi and the others couldn't help but be astonished. Had Mr. Su already sensed something?
"Fortune or misfortune is self-made. You better take care of yourself."
Su Yi shook his head and was about to take a step forward.
However, the man in the gray robe, Zhang Duo, blocked his way and said with a cold gaze, "Young man, it's not too late to clarify your words before you leave!"
His threat was palpable.
Cheng Wuyong immediately stepped forward and said in a deep voice, "Friend, it's just a verbal dispute. There's no need to be so aggressive. Let's all take a step back and not go too far!"
Zhang Duo ignored him and kept his gaze fixed on the youth in the purple robe.
The youth in the purple robe became somewhat annoyed and stared at Su Yi, saying, "If it weren't for Miss Yuan's sake, I wouldn't bother stopping you from leaving. Since you insist on seeking death, you can go alone, but it's best not to involve others!"
"It's none of your business whether we seek death or not," Huang Qianjun sneered.
"Outrageous!"
Zhang Duo's face darkened, about to say something, but the youth in the purple robe impatiently waved his hand and said, "Fine, let them all go. I've never seen someone so ignorant! Miss Yuan, rest assured, with me here, I guarantee that this is the safest place!"
But Yuan Luo Xi also shook her head and said, "No, I want to go with Mr. Su as well."
She paused for a moment and added, "Young Master Zhi Li, as someone who has experienced similar lessons, I advise you to calm down and think about why Mr. Su said what he did instead of getting angry without reason. Anger will only lead to wrong judgments."
Her words carried a serious tone.
Because she had once experienced a similar lesson, her words came from the bottom of her heart.
However, the youth in the purple robe was dumbfounded, almost unable to believe his ears. A great sense of absurdity welled up within him.
The esteemed Miss Yuan of the Yuan family was willing to choose to go with a Transference Blood Realm youth to their deaths, rather than believe in his words?
And even... she advised him to calm down and contemplate the words of this "Mr. Su"...
In an instant, the youth in the purple robe couldn't help but burst into laughter out of extreme anger. It was the first time he had been lectured in such a manner, especially by a beautiful young girl whom he greatly admired!
What infuriated him the most was that he was being lectured by someone he held in such high regard, a beautiful young girl!
In the end, the youth in the purple robe seemed to lose interest, let out a long sigh, and said, "I thought Miss Yuan, as a member of the Yuan family, would be different from ordinary people, but I never expected her to be so short-sighted. Very well, all of you can leave."
A feeling of loneliness and being misunderstood surged within him.
The people of Yunhe County, even the young lady of the Yuan family, had limited perspectives. They had no idea of the esteemed existence they were facing at this moment!
His willingness to offer them protection was already a fortunate event that others dreamed of. Ironically, they were completely unaware...
How foolish!
Since they wanted to seek death, let them go.
With this in mind, the anger in the youth in the purple robe's heart subsided.
Su Yi was unaware of the many changes in the youth in the purple robe's mood during this short period of time.
But even if he knew, he wouldn't care in the slightest.
In his eyes, the more extraordinary the identity of the person marked with the Soul Marking technique, the greater the trouble!
However, when they arrived at the stairs leading down, they were blocked by someone.
"Everyone, please retreat obediently, or else don't blame us for being impolite."
A middle-aged scholar-like man appeared in the shadows below the stairs, seemingly out of nowhere. His cheeks were gaunt, his sunken eyes flickered with sharp light, and his right hand rested on the hilt of his sword. His aura was as cold as the harsh winter wind.
Behind him, a group of figures stood, numbering more than ten. Each exuded a menacing aura, filled with the scent of blood and ruthlessness.
Upon seeing this, Su Yi couldn't help but sigh softly. "We're still a step too late. It seems we can no longer rely on Zhang Yiren and the others to quell the turmoil on the ship in a short time."
Yuan Luo Xi, Cheng Wuyong, and Huang Qianjun's hearts sank as they sensed the unfavorable situation.
It seemed that tonight, there were not only monsters but also thieves taking advantage of the chaos!
"Mr. Su, what do you think..." Yuan Luo Xi was about to ask if they should force their way through.
But Su Yi casually replied, "Let's go back. The current situation is such that no matter where we go, trouble will inevitably find us. Instead of that, it's better to wait here and let the situation unfold while we remain at an advantage."
As he spoke, he turned back along the original path.
The others followed suit.
The middle-aged scholar was momentarily stunned, as he hadn't expected Su Yi and the others to be so obedient.
Soon, he sneered and shook his head, realizing that they weren't as formidable as he had thought. They were just a bunch of cowards.
And when the youth in the purple robe saw Su Yi and the others turning back, he was also taken aback. Then a cold smile curved his lips, and his eyes became filled with amusement.