It was also on this early morning of the first day of May.
Su Hongli received a confidential report—
King Ge Changling of the Swallowing Sea had left Tianqing Mountain and arrived in the Yujing City.
Looking at the report, Su Hongli fell silent for a long time before snorting and murmuring to himself, "After lurking and biding your time for so many years, Ge Changling, you couldn't resist meddling in the end, could you?"
...
Songfeng Villa.
A knock on the door echoed through the air.
Before long, Fang Yuan hurriedly arrived and reported to Su Yi, who was having breakfast, "My Lord, King Ge Changling of the Swallowing Sea has come to pay his respects."
Su Yi was taken aback and said, "Please let him in."
Not long after, Fang Yuan led in an old man dressed in a worn-out robe.
The old man had a lean face, white temples, clear lake-like eyes, and held a snowy white feather fan. He exuded an aura of tranquility and leisure.
It was indeed King Ge Changling of the Swallowing Sea!
A legendary figure who had already made a name for himself thirty years ago.
"I am Ge Changling, I have the honor to meet Daoist Su," the old man greeted with clasped fists and a smiling demeanor.
Su Yi nodded and said, "You mustn't be here because of the several Pure Yang Fire Peaches I took from you back then, right?"
Ge Changling chuckled and replied, "I'm surprised that Daoist still remembers that small matter. However, I didn't come for that this time."
Su Yi gestured to a nearby seat and said, "Please have a seat."
Seeing this, Fang Yuan tactfully went to brew tea.
After Ge Changling sat down, Su Yi pondered for a moment and said, "Before discussing matters, there is something I would like to consult with you, Daoist."
Ge Changling was taken aback and said, "Please speak."
Su Yi asked, "I heard that you entered deep into the Qingteng Demon Mountain in the past and brought back a stone tablet containing a mysterious prophecy. I'm wondering if you still have that stone tablet in your possession?"
Ge Changling nodded and said, "I sealed that tablet within Tianqing Mountain. If Daoist wishes to observe it, you can come to Tianqing Mountain anytime and find me."
Su Yi replied, "I'll express my gratitude in advance, Daoist. Once I have resolved the matters of the Su family, I will visit you."
Ge Changling smiled and suddenly asked, "May I ask, how do you view the Otherworld and the cultivators who come from it?"
Su Yi answered, "If you're referring to the world beyond the Cangqing Continent, then I must admit my knowledge is limited. As for those Otherworld cultivators... it's simply a matter of friend or foe, and I have no particular opinion."
This response puzzled Ge Changling, and he pondered for a moment before saying, "Can I understand that you hold no bias against Otherworld cultivators?"
Su Yi raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is this question of great importance?"
Taking a deep breath, Ge Changling said, "In three days, you will be going to the Su family. But in your heart, I'm afraid you still have many doubts about the death of your mother, Ye Yufei. Such matters, Su Hongli is destined not to tell you. Therefore, after careful consideration, I deemed it necessary to make this trip."
Su Yi felt surprised, his gaze fixed on Ge Changling. After a while, he said, "Please tell me more."
Ge Changling sighed lightly and said, "I don't know why Su Hongli treated your mother the way he did, but there are some things I can tell you."
His eyes filled with reminiscence, "Back then, when Su Hongli first went to the Dark Luo Demon Mountain, he invited me to go with him and agreed that if we discovered any opportunities, we would split them equally."
"Su Hongli possessed the 'Little Universe Disk,' which could deduce the truth and secrets hidden in many mysterious auras. It was extremely mystical."
"And I, on the other hand, possessed a treasure called the 'Heaven-Thieving Umbrella,' which could turn danger into safety when faced with a fatal threat."
"We were well-prepared, and the journey to the Dark Luo Demon Mountain was smooth without any accidents."
"It was only when we reached the depths of the Dark Luo Demon Mountain that we encountered some extremely eerie and terrifying things. Strange black divine lights shot up into the sky, transforming into a horrifying scene akin to the depths of hell. Through Su Hongli's deduction with the 'Little Universe Disk,' we learned that it was the 'Dark Luo Aurora!'"
"Afterwards, we followed the direction of the Dark Luo Aurora and arrived at a mysterious underground abyss. There, we faced constant life-threatening dangers. If it weren't for the Heaven-Thieving Umbrella in my hand, we would have died countless times."
As he spoke, deep fear and trepidation flickered in Ge Changling's eyes. Even after so many years had passed, recalling the dangers they had faced back then still filled him with fear.
Su Yi didn't expect that Su Hongli had ventured into the Dark Luo Demon Mountain accompanied by King Ge Changling.
Seeing Ge Changling stabilize his emotions, Su Yi asked, "What about that sword mound you mentioned? Can you provide more details?"
Ge Changling nodded and said, "The sword mound spans nine zhang in diameter. It is constructed entirely of a mysterious black jade, and its surface is covered with a layer of intricate and dense rune formations. With our cultivation at the time, we couldn't comprehend it at all. Those formations were too profound and constantly changing, making it impossible to reproduce."
"Constantly changing rune formations? In that case, when you arrived there, the great formation on the nine-zhang sword mound was actually in a state of operation, which was extremely dangerous."
Su Yi made a deduction.
Ge Changling's eyes shimmered with a different light as he said, "Indeed, however, both of us were captivated by the nine ancient swords sealed on the nine-zhang sword mound. Each sword had a completely different style, aura, and color."
"Some swords were translucent white, radiant like the scorching sun. One glance at them made you feel like you were in a mountain of flames, unbearable heat scorching your soul with a sense of fear."
"Some swords were pitch black, as cold as ice, causing your mind to plunge into the abyss of the Nine Hells at first sight. A bone-chilling coldness spread throughout your body, leaving you in utter despair."
"Some swords..."
"In short, those nine ancient swords were all unparalleled treasures, causing both Su Hongli and me to be ecstatic, believing that it was an extremely rare opportunity."
Su Hongli immediately began breaking the formation using the 'Little Universe Disk,' while I protected him with the Heaven-Thieving Umbrella."
After spending an entire month deducing, we finally managed to glimpse a faint 'way out' from the nine-zhang sword mound. However, an accident occurred just as Su Hongli was about to take action."
Terrifying killing intent emanated from the sword mound, causing the nine ancient swords to resonate and slash towards Su Hongli and me at the same time."
At that moment, I didn't even have time to react, let alone use the Heaven-Thieving Umbrella to resolve the crisis."
In that extremely critical moment, a tremendous power fluctuation surged from the blood-colored vortex, transforming into blood-colored divine rainbows that forcefully suppressed the nine ancient swords."
Su Hongli and I managed to escape from the brink of death, drenched in cold sweat. It was at this moment that we saw a woman walking out of the blood-colored vortex..."
Ge Changling's eyes filled with a trance-like color. "She was so beautiful, surrounded by radiant light, like a fairy."
At this point, his expression became complex as he looked at Su Yi and said, "Friend, you probably have guessed that the woman was your mother, Ye Yufei."
Su Yi nodded, his expression as calm as ever, but his heart was far from calm.
This news was too astonishing!
His mother, Ye Yufei, was actually from a different realm!
And according to Ge Changling's words, when Ye Yufei crossed the spatial barrier, she did not rely on the method of "Cocoon of Dao" to possess someone else's body!
There was only one possibility—
At that time, Ye Yufei probably possessed a treasure powerful enough to resist the force of the spatial barrier, or she herself displayed an extraordinary technique related to the laws of space!
Ge Changling continued, "After your mother appeared, she warned us that within the nine-zhang sword mound, there was a tremendously dangerous sword that neither I nor Su Hongli could touch."
"It was also at that time that we learned that it was your mother who had previously saved our lives."
"Su Hongli was unwilling to leave just like that, so your mother comforted him and casually bestowed upon him a secret cultivation technique, saying that by practicing this technique, he would be able to embark on the true path of cultivation."
"To my surprise, it seemed like she sensed my envy, and she also bestowed upon me a cultivation technique."
Ge Changling sighed, "Even now, when I think back to those days, I can't imagine how there could be someone as kind and beautiful as your mother in this world."
"No, she was like a fairy, inspiring genuine admiration. In her presence, I felt like a devout believer, not daring to harbor the slightest disrespect."
"After that encounter, your mother left the Anluo Demon Mountain with us. In the following days, we traveled the world, and your mother often guided Su Hongli and me in our cultivation."
"But I never expected..."
Ge Changling's expression fluctuated, "Several years later, Su Hongli won your mother's heart, and they quickly got together..."
His voice carried a strong sense of disappointment and gloom.
Su Yi furrowed his eyebrows and interrupted, "There's no need to mention these things."
Ge Changling immediately snapped out of his reminiscence and looked slightly ashamed. "I apologize, I lost my composure."
Su Yi waved his hand. "Just focus on the matters related to my mother's suffering."
Ge Changling nodded and said, "Back then, shortly after your father deposed your mother, I learned about it and was furious. I immediately stormed into the Su family to get some answers."
"It was also at that time that I keenly noticed a change in Su Hongli. He had lost his former modest and gentle nature, becoming cold and ruthless."
"He told me that it was your mother who had made him like that, claiming that your mother, as an outsider from a different realm, harbored ill intentions. If it weren't for their past relationship, he would have killed your mother long ago instead of merely imprisoning her in the Cold Palace."
Su Yi's pupils slightly constricted as he asked, "And what about you? How do you view this matter?"
Ge Changling's expression flickered with a mix of resentment and unrelenting anger. "Of course, I don't believe it!"
"Putting aside the fact that your mother saved the lives of Su Hongli and me at the bottom of the abyss in the Anluo Demon Mountain, with her kind nature, how could she possibly harm Su Hongli?"
As he spoke, his hair stood on end, no longer concealing the pent-up resentment that had accumulated in his heart for many years. His face became dark and terrifying.