Su Yi was slightly stunned.
This guy... was trying to recruit him?
Wang Zhuo smiled and said, "Of course, Young Master Su might find this abrupt. To show my sincerity, I can guarantee two things."
He raised one finger and said, "First, if you join the force I belong to, I can ensure that the Su family in the Jade Capital City will no longer dare to trouble you."
Then he raised a second finger and continued, "Second, I can guarantee that not only will you have the opportunity to embark on the path of the Elemental Dao cultivation, but you will also receive personal guidance from a Grand Spiritual Dao cultivator!"
"With your foundation, talent, and the guidance of a Grand Spiritual Dao cultivator, it is not impossible for you to step onto the path of the Spiritual Dao in the future."
After speaking, he smiled and drank a cup of wine. "This is my sincerity. Please consider it, Young Master."
He was courteous, confident, and eloquent, and he believed that it would be difficult for any martial artist present to remain unmoved.
After all, this was Wang Zhuo's guarantee!
Unfortunately, he miscalculated one thing.
For other martial artists in the Great Zhou Dynasty, knowing the numerous accolades and prestige that Wang Zhuo, the master of the Tianxing Academy, possessed would likely make it hard for them not to be tempted.
But Su Yi... he didn't even know about Wang Zhuo's various titles.
Even if he did, he would dismiss them with a snort.
Su Yi tapped his fingers lightly on the table in front of him and said, "Do you want to hear the truth or not?"
Wang Zhuo smiled and said, "Young Master Su, please speak your mind. I am all ears."
Su Yi spoke indifferently, "In my eyes, what you call sincerity is a joke."
"A joke?" Wang Zhuo's smile disappeared, and he furrowed his brows. "Please enlighten me, Young Master."
Su Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Since I came to the Jade Capital City, I intended to resolve the grievances between the Su family and me. Do you think I would be worried about the Su family plotting against me? That's the first point."
Su Yi sneered, "As for the so-called guidance from a Grand Spiritual Dao cultivator, such a character isn't even qualified to meddle in my cultivation."
Wang Zhuo's smile faltered for a moment. It seemed that Su Yi's disdainful words had caught him off guard.
After a brief silence, he sighed and shook his head. "Su Yi, it's a good thing to be young and spirited, to be full of confidence, and to possess unknown opportunities. But after hearing your words, why do I feel that you are even more ignorant about Grand Spiritual Dao cultivators than I imagined?"
Su Yi remained indifferent and didn't bother to explain any further.
Wang Zhuo drank another cup of wine and smiled, "Here's the deal, Young Master Su. If you are interested in joining the force I belong to, feel free to voice your requests. Whatever I can promise, I will fulfill."
Clearly, he was too lazy to argue with Su Yi about how terrifying Grand Spiritual Dao cultivators were. He probably thought that even if he explained, the other party wouldn't understand, considering how young Su Yi was.
Su Yi asked, "How did you find me?"
Wang Zhuo's eyes gleamed with amusement as he replied, "Don't you know, Young Master Su, that ever since news spread that you would be leaving Gunzhou City for the Jade Capital City on the fourth day of the fourth month, the attention of numerous major forces in this world has been focused on you?"
Su Yi calmly said, "But no one should know which route I took to the Jade Capital City."
"No, someone does."
"Who?"
"The Ten Directions Pavilion."
Wang Zhuo smiled faintly. "From the moment you left Gunzhou City, a group of 'Swift Sparrows,' nurtured by the Ten Directions Pavilion, has been monitoring your every move from thousands of zhang above the ground."
"These Swift Sparrows are extremely spiritual and can act in coordination. Wherever you go, your whereabouts will be known to the people of the Ten Directions Pavilion in the first instance. Then, they sell this information at an exorbitant price to those who want to know your whereabouts."
With a somewhat pained expression, he added, "In order to meet you as soon as possible, I paid a staggering five hundred third-grade spirit stones."
"The Ten Directions Pavilion..."
A flicker of depth flashed in Su Yi's eyes.
He hadn't expected that this mysterious power, known for its access to information, would take advantage of his journey to the Jade Capital City to make a fortune by selling his whereabouts!
It was as if they were acting as scouts for his enemies, no matter where he went, as long as someone could afford the price, they could find him in the first instance!
"Young Master Su, you can see that even the Ten Directions Pavilion is helping your opponents. This journey to the Jade Capital City is bound to be filled with danger."
Wang Zhuo spoke softly, "But if you join the force I belong to, all these dangers will be as fleeting as clouds."
However, Su Yi couldn't help but smile and said, "No, I actually think this is a good thing."
Wang Zhuo was taken aback and asked, puzzled, "A good thing?"
"To be honest, I have been contemplating on this journey, what if those opponents who want to kill me can't find me?"
Su Yi's expression was calm as he continued, "But with the help of the Ten Directions Pavilion, I can rest assured."
Pausing for a moment, he continued, "However, it is malicious of the Ten Directions Pavilion to profit from selling my whereabouts. I will settle this account with them when the opportunity arises."
Wang Zhuo listened and was completely dumbfounded, remaining silent for a long time.
He had thought that by inviting Su Yi to this banquet and offering the conditions he did, given Su Yi's current dangerous situation, he would surely accept his invitation.
But who would have thought...
It was completely different!
Su Yi asked, "By the way, can you tell me about the force you belong to?"
Wang Zhuo steadied his mind and smiled brightly, "If Young Master Su agrees to join, I will tell you everything."
Su Yi asked, "What if I refuse?"
Wang Zhuo gazed at Su Yi for a moment and sighed softly, "I hope Young Master Su won't refuse. Think about it seriously. To be honest, you're young and blessed with great opportunities. Your future is limitless. I really don't want to see you buried in this desolate wilderness."
With that, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy and oppressive.
The lazy black cat on Wang Zhuo's shoulder also raised its head, its ethereal blue eyes coldly staring at Su Yi.
Su Yi smiled and said, "Let's give it a try?"
Wang Zhuo fell silent.
After a moment, he sighed lightly and said, "Why bother? Young Master Su, do you know that there is an ambush surrounding Longqiao Relay Station? There is a Grandmaster of Formations at the Fifth Stage of the Martial Progenitor Realm, an expert in assassination at the Innate Martial Progenitor level, and..."
Before he could finish, Su Yi stood up and calmly said, "Let's get started."
Wang Zhuo drank another cup of wine, lightly patting the black cat on his shoulder, and lamented, "What a pity..."
Crash!
His figure suddenly vanished like an illusory light and disappeared from the chair.
Following that, the lamps in the hall extinguished one by one, plunging the magnificent palace into darkness.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Deafening roars resounded as towering flames surged around the hall. They were accompanied by wind, thunder, lightning, and a suffocating aura.
In an instant, the grand hall turned into a raging inferno. Wind, thunder, fire, and mist, the four types of power, transformed into destructive attacks, covering the solitary Su Yi sitting there.
"Just a trivial micro-scale formation."
A scornful smile appeared on Su Yi's lips.
From the moment he entered this grand hall, he had seen through the fact that the twenty-four lamps arranged inside were all components of a formation.
Including the red carpet on the ground, the layout of the long table, and even Wang Zhuo's seat, everything concealed its own mysteries.
During the conversation with Wang Zhuo, Su Yi had long seen through everything about this grand formation.
With his thoughts running, he had already stood up, and with a flick of his finger...
Swish!
A translucent and radiant green sword energy shot out, slashing at one of the lamps dozens of zhang away.
Bang!
The lamp exploded.
A surging torrent of flames, resembling a waterfall, barely reached three feet in front of Su Yi before abruptly dissipating, turning into fragments of light and disappearing.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Next, Su Yi flicked his ten fingers, and one after another, green sword energy rose up, crisscrossing in the darkness. In different sequences, they cut towards different lamps.
After doing all this, Su Yi didn't even look back. He turned and walked towards the exit of the grand hall.
Behind him, there was a series of explosive sounds as the lamps were shattered by the sword energy.
The thunder, storms, malevolent mist... all formed by the formation, dissipated one after another behind Su Yi, like receding tide.
Within the span of three finger snaps, the grand formation set up in the hall collapsed with a bang.
And Su Yi, with a relaxed demeanor, pushed open the door and walked out.
...
Outside, heavy rain poured, and the world was dim.
Over ten zhang away from the Longqiao Relay Station, Wang Zhuo gently stroked the black cat in his arms, his gaze fixed on the darkened building in the distance. He couldn't help but sigh, "Such a remarkable young man, I really don't want him to die..."
Standing next to Wang Zhuo was a towering and powerful giant, holding an umbrella to shield Wang Zhuo from the pouring rain.
The giant himself was completely exposed to the rain, allowing it to wash over him.
With a grin, the burly giant said in a deep voice, "My Lord, if we don't kill him, someone else will. In that case, why not take advantage of the opportunities he carries?"
"Opportunities..."
Wang Zhuo's eyes flickered as he sighed, "People die for wealth, birds die for food. The ancients were indeed not wrong."
As he spoke, he turned his head to look at the other side, where a spirited and slender old man stood.
"The 'Little Thunderfire Formation' set up by Brother Yongming is quite impressive. In my opinion, even if it doesn't kill Su Yi, it should be enough to severely injure him," Wang Zhuo commented.
The slender old man wiped the rain off his face and modestly said, "My Lord, you overpraise me. My understanding of formations is just superficial."
Although he spoke modestly, a sense of pride could be seen between his eyebrows.
Just at this moment...
"Superficial? From what I see, this formation is so crude that it can't even be called superficial."
Accompanied by a calm voice, Su Yi's tall figure calmly walked out of the distant building, under the astonished gaze of Wang Zhuo and the others.
First, he opened the oil-paper umbrella and then stepped into the pouring rain, heading towards Wang Zhuo and his companions.