Are You Afraid

Until the sun rose high in the sky, Su Luo stood up.

“Well then, goodbye.”

“Mm, goodbye.”

As usual, after a plain and simple farewell, Su Luo left.

Li Siyi watched the direction Su Luo had gone, feeling a trace of reluctance. But there would always be chances to meet again—no need to be too sad.

Su Luo didn’t go anywhere else, heading straight for the Shattered Bone Abyss. The story was over, and there was no point wandering around. His own recliner suited him best.

Truthfully, after experiencing so many cycles of rebirth, he had little interest in the outside world anymore.

But as he sped back, someone blocked his path.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the ‘Sword of Annihilation’ Su Luo,” Luo Ta said with a grin.

Beside him stood an old man, cautious and meticulous—Sui Changsheng.

Both were members of the Heavenly Demon Sect.

“Something the matter?” Su Luo asked.

“Nothing too important,” Luo Ta said, his eyes narrowing slowly. “Just wanted to take—”

“No.” Sui Changsheng swiftly raised a hand, covering Luo Ta’s eyes. “The Left Envoy has a mission for us.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Su Luo replied.

Naturally, Su Luo recognized these two.

Luo Ta was an exceptional young titleholder among the Heavenly Demons, already at the late-stage Nascent Soul realm despite his youth. With just a blink, invisible slashes would strike—unpredictable and deadly.

Sui Changsheng, true to his name, had lived a long life and was an extremely cautious man.

But Su Luo didn’t remember them appearing here in the original timeline.

“Let’s talk while we walk,” Sui Changsheng suggested.

Truthfully, he hadn’t thought this through. Their original mission was to kill Su Luo.

He didn’t know why the Left Envoy had given such an order, but it didn’t matter. If the Left Envoy personally commanded it, they just had to carry it out.

“Our mission this time is to attack Woodroot City. We need your assistance.”

This was all a lie, something Sui Changsheng had made up on the spot.

“Is that so?” Su Luo showed no reaction, quietly following behind them.

As they traveled ahead, Luo Ta used an advanced sound transmission technique to speak to Sui Changsheng.

Old Sui, what’s going on? I never heard about this.

Attack Woodroot City? Their objective was supposed to be killing Su Luo behind them!

I know. I wanted to finish Su Luo quickly too, but the moment I saw him, I felt fear.

Hah! When aren’t you afraid? You’re always so timid. Every mission with you takes forever—endless preparations, never decisive.

Sui Changsheng wasn’t angered by the accusation of cowardice. Instead, he replied confidently, Yet every mission succeeds, and I’m still alive.

Fair enough. Luo Ta couldn’t argue with that. So this Su Luo is tough? I don’t see it. Never heard of any impressive feats from him either.

Just because you haven’t heard of them doesn’t mean they don’t exist. If you clean up well, no one will ever know.

Sui Changsheng understood this deeply—he was the type who preferred leaving no traces behind after misdeeds. It saved a lot of unnecessary trouble.

He was no longer a young man chasing fame and fortune.

So, what’s the plan?

Let’s observe first. I trust my instincts.

Are we really going to Woodroot City? What a hassle.

What’s wrong with that? We can gauge his strength and then decide. Seeing is believing.

Tch. Luo Ta scoffed but reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, Su Luo sighed inwardly from behind.

How boring.

He’d thought they had some intriguing scheme and was willing to play along.

But this? A dull, half-baked plan. I’m done.

Su Luo suddenly stopped. “You do realize I can hear you, right?”

The two halted as well, but they hadn’t expected Su Luo to overhear their conversation.

Their sound transmission was high-level—someone of Su Luo’s strength shouldn’t have been able to intercept it.

“No need to wonder. Your goal is to kill me, right?”

Sui Changsheng laughed awkwardly. “Nonsense! You must have misheard.”

“Fine by me. Go ahead, make your move.” Su Luo’s tone was fearless.

“You jest! We’re fellow sect members. Let’s just head back—we’ll call off the Woodroot City mission.”

Su Luo didn’t like that answer, but someone else hated it even more.

“No.” Luo Ta refused outright. “We should’ve attacked from the start. Wasted enough time already.”

“Luo Ta!”

“Old Sui, stay out of my way—or I’ll kill you too.”

Luo Ta turned, his murderous glare locking onto Sui Changsheng. He meant it.

Sui Changsheng: …

He probably thinks he looks cool right now. But he’s about to die.

Su Luo remarked, “Not to interrupt, but listening to elders isn’t a bad habit.”

“How amusing. Are you implying I’m inferior to you?”

Luo Ta narrowed his eyes.

Invisible blades shot toward Su Luo—not just unseen, but razor-sharp, capable of cleaving through anything.

Su Luo blocked with an ordinary sword, but it soon shattered.

“Heh. ‘Sword of Annihilation’? What a joke. Your blade is useless.”

Luo Ta didn’t need to blink repeatedly to attack—that would’ve been unsightly. A single blink unleashed a storm of blades, overwhelming as tidal waves.

“As I thought… boring.”

Su Luo drew another sword and swung once.

A monstrous wave of sword Qi devoured everything.

Luo Ta’s eyes widened—death loomed closer with each passing second.

Dignity forgotten, he blinked frantically, unleashing endless invisible slashes.

But no matter how many he released, Su Luo’s sword Qi couldn’t be stopped. Worse, it absorbed Luo Ta’s attacks, growing even stronger!

Dodge? Impossible.

Luo Ta was sliced apart.

In his final moments, he finally understood the meaning behind “Sword of Annihilation”—a single strike that erased all in its path.

Su Luo casually tossed aside the broken sword and turned to Sui Changsheng.

Sui Changsheng’s expression was grave. He’d expected Su Luo to be strong, but this strong?

Yet he also muttered in frustration, Stupid. This is why I hate the young—reckless, never careful enough.

He’d seen too many talents greater than his own. But in the end, he was the one still alive.

The world of cultivation brimmed with geniuses, but only those who survived to the end were truly the strongest.

This, he believed without doubt.

Sui Changsheng shook his head. “The mission’s failed. Well then… goodbye.”

He turned to leave, already giving up on killing Su Luo. He was no foolhardy man.

Su Luo called out, “Did I say you could go?”

Sui Changsheng didn’t look back, speaking with confidence. “You’re smart. Avoiding this fight benefits us both. Besides, I’m not guaranteed to lose.”

Su Luo smirked. “Are you afraid?”