Elder Puyi, the senior of Xingya Academy, hesitated for a moment and telepathically asked Mu Xi, "Young Master, what do you think of this Su Yi?"
Asking through telepathy was undoubtedly a way to prevent others from overhearing.
Mu Xi pondered for a moment, his voice tinged with helplessness as he replied, "Even though it's hard to accept, I have to admit that he is unfathomable, and I cannot compare to him."
Speaking with a touch of emotion, he continued, "Looking at the entire Da Zhou, it's unlikely to find many individuals who can be mentioned in the same breath as this monstrous figure..."
After a brief silence, Puyi telepathically asked again, "Do you think, Young Master, that our Xingya Academy can take this opportunity to establish some friendship with Su Yi?"
Mu Xi glanced at the other party and said, "It would be excellent if that were possible. However, achieving that step would be difficult. Unless you, Puyi, can represent Xingya Academy, lower your stance, and prove your own value, perhaps you can barely gain Su Yi's recognition."
Puyi nodded and didn't say more.
He also realized that it would undoubtedly require great effort and energy to establish a connection with a youth like Su Yi, who seemed like an immortal banished to the mortal realm. It might even be unlikely to gain Su Yi's approval in the end.
After all, despite Su Yi's youth, he possessed an extreme arrogance within him. To obtain his friendship, it would probably require a suitable opportunity.
Before long, Su Yi's figure soared out from the rift.
The conversation among the people came to a halt, and they instinctively stood up, moving forward to greet him.
"I knew Su Gongzi would be safe. Fortune favors the virtuous," Sheng Jiujun exclaimed with a hearty laugh.
"Friend, have you made a breakthrough?" Ning Yihu couldn't help but be surprised when he saw Su Yi's aura.
Su Yi still exuded that ethereal and indifferent temperament. If it weren't for Ning Yihu's incredibly sensitive soul power, allowing him to perceive the subtleties that ordinary people couldn't detect, it would be difficult to discern his cultivation level with just the naked eye.
A breakthrough?
At those words, Mu Xi, Puyi, and the others were all moved.
This undoubtedly meant that the seventeen-year-old youth in front of them had surpassed the constraints of Qi Gathering Realm and stepped into the realm of a Grandmaster!
And when they thought about his unbelievable abilities even when he was in the Qi Gathering Realm, how terrifying would his strength become now that he had entered the realm of a Grandmaster?
"For me, breaking through is not difficult. What's difficult is the foundation I've built on the path of cultivation," Su Yi casually remarked.
His words implied that he had indeed made a breakthrough.
This caused turmoil within the hearts of the people once again.
And Ning Yihu thought for a moment, flipped his palm, and produced a green bead, handing it to Su Yi, saying, "This is a Spirit Nurturing Bead. It has some marvelous uses in refining the essence of the organs. Consider it a gift to congratulate you, fellow cultivator, on your successful breakthrough into the realm of a Grandmaster."
Everyone couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
This was definitely a grand gesture!
You should know that the Spirit Nurturing Bead was a rare treasure, listed among the scarce fourth-grade spiritual materials, and it was extremely beneficial for tempering the essence of the organs in the realm of a Grandmaster.
In the Da Zhou Empire, such treasures couldn't be obtained without hundreds of top-grade spiritual stones!
Su Yi was also taken aback but quickly looked deeply at Ning Yihu and said, "Good, I'll accept this gift. Thank you."
After speaking, he raised his hand and stored the green bead in his storage pouch.
With this treasure, it would greatly save him a lot of cultivation time during the first stage of the Grandmaster realm!
Seeing Su Yi accept it, Ning Yihu couldn't help but smile.
As early as when they were in Gunzhou City, she had perceived that Su Yi was only one step away from the realm of a Grandmaster. Therefore, she had prepared this Spirit Nurturing Bead in advance.
And seeing Su Yi readily accept this treasure, she felt that her effort in preparing this gift in advance was not in vain.
"Su Gongzi, this is a fourth-grade spiritual herb that I accidentally obtained several years ago. It has some marvelous effects in consolidating the cultivation in the realm of a Grandmaster. Please accept it as my sincere congratulations on your successful breakthrough," Sheng Jiujun said, taking out a palm-sized jade box from his sleeve and handed it over with both hands.
Su Yi was surprised. He naturally noticed that both Ning Yihu and Sheng Jiujun had obviously prepared their respective gifts in advance.
Taking the jade box and opening it, he saw a piece of ink-colored Lingzhi mushroom, as thick as a thumb and the size of a baby's palm, emitting a fragrant medicinal scent.
This was the Ink Jade Lingzhi, with at least a hundred years of maturity. It was extremely valuable and not much inferior to the Spirit Nurturing Bead given by Ning Yihu.
"You've given it some thought."
Su Yi put away the jade box and nodded at Sheng Jiujun.
Sheng Jiujun immediately smiled and said, "As long as Su Gongzi likes it."
Puyi, Chen Zheng, and the others were momentarily dumbfounded. Who couldn't see that both Ning Yihu and Sheng Jiujun had planned their gifts in advance?
It was precisely because of this that they realized even someone as powerful as Ning Yihu and Sheng Jiujun had already begun to spare no effort in seeking Su Yi's friendship!
Puyi secretly gritted his teeth, took out a precious treasure he had cherished for many years, and smiled as he handed it over, saying, "Su Gongzi, I didn't bring many good treasures with me on this trip, but I have a small item that is quite appropriate. I hope you'll like it."
It was a small white jade gourd, only three inches tall, and crystal clear.
A hint of surprise flashed in Su Yi's eyes as he said, "Could this be a spiritual weapon?"
Puyi smiled and said, "You have a keen eye, young master. This gourd is called 'Jade Sprout.' It was obtained by a predecessor from our Xingya Academy during an exploration of the Green Vine Demon Mountain. It was discovered in a ruined place and has its own internal space for nurturing spiritual weapons."
Everyone's hearts trembled. This was a rare treasure!
However, Su Yi shook his head and said, "No merit, no reward. You should keep this treasure for yourself."
Puyi became anxious and said, "Young master, you saved our lives earlier, which was like rescuing us from a desperate situation. How can such a great favor be compared to a small gourd? I implore you to accept it!"
With that, he bowed respectfully and presented the small white jade gourd with both hands.
"Su Gongzi, this is also Elder Puyi's sincere intention. If you don't accept it, he might have trouble sleeping and eating in the future," Mu Xi said with a smile.
Su Yi frowned slightly and said, "When I saved you, I didn't expect you to feel indebted to me. Moreover, if I were to accept this treasure, wouldn't I be taking advantage of you? Let's not discuss this matter further."
With that, he walked towards a nearby altar and said, "Please wait, everyone. I will reseal this formation."
As his words echoed, he rose into the air, his ten fingers dancing as he began to manipulate the forbidden formation formed by the 108 altars.
Seeing this scene, Puyi's expression fluctuated, feeling bitter in his heart.
He had never expected that his proactive gesture of giving a grand gift would be rejected like this...
Jiang Tanyun and Lu Changfeng, who had originally intended to give gifts as well, immediately abandoned the idea when they saw this. They looked at each other, feeling helpless in their hearts.
In terms of their relationship with Su Yi, it would undoubtedly be even more difficult to make amends for their previous arrogance.
Mu Xi walked forward and transmitted his voice to Puyi, saying, "I told you before, someone as proud as him can hardly be won over by mere external objects."
"The reason he accepted the gifts from Ning Yihu and Sheng Jiujun is because these two have already gained his recognition."
"As for you, you didn't have much interaction with him before. By taking the initiative to give him a gift like this, what do you think he would think?"
"As the saying goes, offering excessive kindness is either for selfish motives or theft. Your actions just now were a bit abrupt."
Mu Xi sighed softly. "Besides, do you really think a small spiritual weapon can win his favor?"
Puyi was stunned and couldn't help but feel ashamed and self-deprecating. "Young Lord is absolutely right. I was too hasty in this matter."
Mu Xi shook his head and said, "Let's not dwell on that."
In reality, Mu Xi was also feeling quite conflicted internally.
In the past, wherever he went, he was the center of attention and the focus of everyone's gaze.
But now, with Su Yi's appearance, he, the youngest non-royal king of the Great Zhou Empire, had become a supporting role among this group of people.
What made him even more conflicted was that just a moment ago, he also had the thought of whether or not to give Su Yi a congratulatory gift...
This subtle mentality undoubtedly meant that, when facing Su Yi, Mu Xi subconsciously had a desire to form a good relationship with him.
Realizing this, Mu Xi couldn't help but feel a wave of embarrassment in his heart. Could it be that he was really going to be convinced by that guy?
Boom~~
On both sides of the fissure, the 108 altars roared and operated, their rumbling resembling thunder as a brilliant and dazzling torrent of symbols emerged.
Under the astonished gazes of the crowd, they witnessed the enormous crack in the ground gradually closing up, bit by bit.
In the end, there was no trace left.
If viewed from the sky, one would notice that the 108 altars, which were originally arranged on both sides of the fissure, had now transformed into a formation, standing in a complex arrangement resembling the pattern of the Eight Trigrams.
Then, with a wave of Su Yi's sleeve.
Boom!
The 108 altars sank into the ground, disappearing from sight.
Su Yi's figure then gently landed.
"Friend, what's the significance of doing this?" Ning Yihu stepped forward and asked.
Su Yi casually replied, "By rearranging this formation, although it will shorten the duration of its existence, it will be enough to ensure that within five years, it can suppress the barrier of the underground space and prevent cultivators from another world from crossing over."
"Just five years?" Ning Yihu was startled.
Su Yi said, "If we don't do this, within three years, the barrier of the space will break through this seal and manifest itself."
"By then, I'm afraid countless cultivators from the outside world will set their sights on this place, considering it a spatial node, and cross over. If such a thing happens..."
At this point, Su Yi shrugged his shoulders. "I'm not afraid of anything, but the Great Zhou Empire is destined to be plunged into immense turmoil and chaos."
The hearts of the crowd trembled, and their expressions changed.
Only now did they realize the severity of the problem!
Compared to that, Su Yi personally taking action to further seal this place undoubtedly meant delaying such a calamity for another two years.
"Friend, in your opinion, why do the cultivators from the other side of the space barrier come to the Cangqing Continent? What exactly are they plotting?" Ning Yihu couldn't help but ask again.
The others also pricked up their ears, as this was the very question that puzzled them.