Chapter Thirty-Seven: Strike!

"Are you Su Yang?" the Third Prince asked, looking down at Su Yang with an arrogant air.

"I am Su Yang. And who might you be?" Su Yang met the Third Prince's gaze with eyes as piercing as torches. He had no acquaintance with anyone from the Great Xia Empire, and naturally, he did not recognize the man before him.

"I am the Third Prince of the Great Xia Empire!" the prince declared, his tone haughty.

"Oh? So it is Your Highness the Third Prince. Please forgive my ignorance for failing to recognize you," Su Yang replied. Although surprised, his response was merely perfunctory.

"How audacious! You dare not kneel and pay your respects upon seeing the Third Prince?" a voice barked from an old eunuch standing nearby. A surge of powerful pressure was directed at Su Yang.

Su Yang remained expressionless and composed, entirely unmoved. He replied slowly, "My apologies, but I am a simple man and do not subscribe to the ways of the court. I, Su Yang, only kneel before those who have shown me kindness. I hope Your Highness will excuse me."

The Third Prince’s mouth twitched at these words. Never in his life had he encountered someone so arrogant. Even formidable masters would usually kneel and offer salutations out of respect for his father, the Xia Emperor. Yet this Su Yang dared to be so rebellious. Had his father not explicitly ordered him to recruit the young man, the Third Prince’s temperament would have led him to have the old eunuch strike him down long ago.

"Hahaha, no need for such formalities. Although I am the Third Prince of Great Xia, I am, like all of you, merely a cultivator," the Third Prince said with a faint smile.

Li Beiye, who had been terrified by Su Yang’s words, was stunned. He had not expected Su Yang to be so reckless—daring to disregard the Third Prince so blatantly? It was incredible. Fortunately, the Third Prince seemed to be in a good mood and did not take offense, or the consequences would have been dire.

"May I ask, is Your Highness waiting for me?" Su Yang asked bluntly.

"Yes, that is correct. I have been waiting for you for over two days," the Third Prince replied with a smile.

Ignoring the prince, Su Yang walked over to Li Beiye, helped him up, and brushed the dust from his clothes. "City Lord Li, are you alright?"

Li Beiye was unaccustomed to such treatment from Su Yang, especially with the Third Prince present. He said awkwardly, "I am fine. Do not worry about me."

The Third Prince watched them, his expression remaining unchanged, a smile still gracing his face. Under his signal, the other black-clad figures holding Li Shanshan released her and vanished from the hall. Su Yang could sense that these individuals possessed extraordinary aura, likely at the Divine Martial Realm. As for the old eunuch beside the prince, he was undoubtedly even more formidable. It was truly the Great Xia Empire; even a minor prince was surrounded by so many experts.

"And what business does Your Highness have with me?" Su Yang asked, looking back at the Third Prince.

"Su Yang, I know your background and have heard of your affairs. It is truly unexpected that the reputable Su family ended up in such a state because of the Wang family. It was my oversight to have trusted Wang Lang’s words, though fortunately, he has met his just deserts. Your ability to defeat Wang Yiyi was quite a surprise to me," the prince said calmly.

"If you have something to say, please be direct, Your Highness. My affairs with the Wang family are hardly a matter for you to concern yourself with," Su Yang said, unwilling to dance around the issue.

"Very well. Since you prefer plain speaking, I shall not dally. To be frank, my father highly values your talent and wants you to work for the Great Xia Empire. If you agree, you shall be the City Lord of Yebie City, and the Su family will be royalty. Furthermore, we will send guards to protect your parents. What do you say?" The Third Prince picked up his teacup and took a sip, looking as though he had already secured victory.

Su Yang remained calm. He knew the Third Prince must have investigated his background and knew the whereabouts of his parents. The offer was indeed tempting, but Su Yang had no desire to be a lackey for the empire, nor was he interested in the position of City Lord.

Just as he was about to refuse, the Third Prince spoke again. "I also know that you bear a blood feud with Wang Yiyi. She is now a personal disciple of the Moon-Gazing Sect Master, with access to endless resources. Given her talent, she will soon become the successor to the sect. How will you ever manage to take your revenge then? Join the Great Xia Empire, and my father will cultivate you with all our resources. With our foundation, we are in no way inferior to the Moon-Gazing Sect. Only then will you have a fair chance at a duel. Think carefully, Su Yang. Opportunities like this come only once. Once missed, they are gone forever."

The prince set down his cup and smiled at Su Yang. Inside, however, Su Yang remained unmoved. Such words were only meant to fool the foolish. Would a massive empire truly exhaust all its resources to cultivate an outsider? Did they take him for a simpleton? Besides, everyone knew that the succession struggles within an empire were brutal and treacherous; he might end up dead before he knew it. He would be better off joining the Profound Heaven Sect and starting as a common disciple.

Li Beiye, seeing the generous terms offered, worried that Su Yang might actually be swayed, and feared for his daughter's future.

But Su Yang simply smiled faintly. "I am grateful for the Xia Emperor’s high regard and thank you for your kind invitation, Your Highness. However, I am a commoner, accustomed to my freedom and ill-suited for constraints. As for my business with Wang Yiyi, that is not for Your Highness to worry about. I shall resolve it myself! Once again, my thanks."

Su Yang’s response exceeded everyone’s expectations. The hall fell into absolute silence. The smile on the Third Prince’s face gradually turned cold. "Su Yang, do you know the consequences of defying the Emperor’s will?"

"I do not know, nor do I wish to. But I feel that with the Great Xia Empire’s profound foundation, you hardly need an outsider like me to intervene, do you? I trust Your Highness will not make this difficult," Su Yang said, remaining as light as a breeze.

"How bold! Do not think that possessing a special bloodline gives you the right to be so insolent. I shall take your life myself!" The eunuch, Zhao, launched another attack. Like a phantom, he appeared before Su Yang and struck out with several palms. The surge of spiritual energy was astounding.

Su Yang had been prepared. The moment Zhao moved, he activated his Supreme Blood. Golden light enveloped his body, and he vanished from his spot. Zhao was stunned to miss his target; he was a master of the Divine Martial Realm, and dealing with a boy at the Three Profound Realm should have been as easy as crushing an ant. How could Su Yang dodge his attack so easily?

Following Zhao’s strike, the black-clad figures reappeared from thin air, each wielding a shimmering longsword radiating potent spiritual energy—clearly middle-grade spirit weapons. Five shadows, five swords, five directions—they struck simultaneously, leaving no angle of escape.

Just as they were about to strike, a powerful aura of combat burst forth, sending all five shadows flying. "What is this?" Su Yang scoffed. "The master isn't even anxious, yet his dogs have started to bite?"