Chapter 98: Disappointment

As he spoke, Su Yi's heart stirred. Indeed, this method could be attempted...

With that thought, Su Yi took up the white mask in his right hand. Immediately, a formless soul perception force emanated quietly and poured into the mask.

Yet what left Su Yi somewhat astonished was that after the soul perception force touched the white mask, no special reaction occurred. The mask lay silently in his grasp, and he encountered no situation akin to the previous one. Unwilling to give up, Su Yi continued scanning and searching the mask with soul perception, but nothing abnormal happened.

"Could it still be worn on the face?" He frowned, murmuring to himself in perplexity.

After hesitating for a moment, Su Yi gritted his teeth and resolved to take the risk and try. His right hand trembled with tension as he slowly placed the mask upon his face. Just as it was about to settle, Su Yi's throat convulsed involuntarily, and he swallowed hard, revealing lingering fear in his expression.

The instant the mask adhered to his face, a faintly chilly sensation came from the contact point. Su Yi's body trembled slightly. Then, his mind concentrated as he began to sense for any abnormality. Just as he had anticipated, as long as no soul force was injected into it, wearing the mask on his face would cause no trouble whatsoever.

Through the two narrow slits on the mask, Su Yi casually glanced around the room and realized his vision was indeed obstructed. Drawing on this observation and his soul perception, he could infer that if this mysterious white mask belonged to a master, that master must be a powerful soul expert capable of knowing all that occurred around through soul perception. Otherwise, relying solely on these two narrow slits for sight would be unbearably laborious.

He drew in a deep breath, his eyes stern as he gathered his focus. Soul force immediately spread forth and permeated the mask. Then, a fierce attracting force suddenly manifested, surging like a tidal wave along Su Yi's soul perception and forging a firm connection with his own soul force!

Su Yi, who had mentally braced himself, was momentarily taken aback. He hurriedly concentrated his attention, focusing intently to prepare for any potential situations. Just as Su Yi assumed such a posture as though confronting a formidable enemy, he suddenly felt the evil soul within his body react intensely. Although it lasted only an instant, Su Yi mysteriously perceived it.

There was indeed a reaction! Su Yi's heart secretly rejoiced, and his pulse quickened for a moment. Then, recalling his precarious position, he suppressed those thoughts and channeled his full strength to confront whatever changes lay ahead.

To Su Yi's surprise, after concentrating for some time, nothing transpired. The previous sensation of being trapped in a void and emptiness did not reappear. It was as if he had merely donned the mask. This puzzled him—what accounted for the reaction on the first try but none on the second?

The white mask now seemed weightless, adhering tightly to Su Yi's face. Su Yi rose with it on, walked about the room, but felt no abnormality. This outcome filled him with a vague sense of disappointment, deflation, and melancholy, as uncomfortable as if his full-power strike had missed its mark.

After experimenting for a while and confirming nothing occurred, Su Yi sighed inwardly. Since no clues had been uncovered, there was no point wasting more time on it. Forget it? Just as Su Yi was about to helplessly abandon his investigation into the mysterious white mask's unusual qualities, he suddenly recalled something—

Could this mask still be removed as easily as before?

He remembered that last time, when Su Yi had tried to remove the mask, lacking a method had made it difficult. Attempting direct removal would hurt like extracting the soul. Only after first withdrawing the soul perception linking the mask to his body could he do so easily. But all this rested on past experience. Now the mask seemed altered in ways Su Yi did not understand. Would the old method still apply?

At this thought, Su Yi's palms grew slightly damp with anxiety. What if he could not remove it?

He exhaled, calming himself. Su Yi's eyes focused sharply, mind fully concentrated. The next moment, he abruptly retracted the released soul perception force. As the soul perception was withdrawn, the white mask slid off his face as if without support.

"Hah..." Su Yi breathed a sigh of relief. He caught the white mask in both hands, thought briefly, and finally placed it helplessly in his bosom. Then he collapsed onto the soft bed.

"Never mind, rest first. We'll deal with anything tomorrow..."

...

Time flowed quietly. The long night gradually vanished in slumber, and the next day dawned.

The next day, daylight had broken. Warm sunlight bathed Su Yi's small dwelling, dispelling the chill from the previous night. For a moment, his humble house seemed warm and cozy, evoking a comforting, sunny feeling.

Standing outside, feeling the pleasant warmth on his skin and breathing the fresh air, Su Yi felt refreshed and invigorated. The trial martial arts competition had ended, and the notion of leaving Changling City had been relayed by Tuoben to Maya. Although other matters remained, Su Yi's mood was now far lighter.

Glancing toward the rear mountain, Su Yi pondered briefly before deciding not to cultivate at the pool's edge. He had already mastered what needed to be trained. To advance, other opportunities would be required. This was one reason he wished to depart.

Following the path, Su Yi slowly made his way to the auction house's central district. Work had already begun, and even from afar, the bustling noise reached him. It was likely because of Maya that everyone had grown excited. After all, who did not hope for such a powerful figure to stand guard, bringing peace, pride, and enthusiasm... various emotions in equal measure.

As Su Yi mused, a small group of guards approached from the opposite direction. Upon closer inspection, the leader was Duan Shi, whom he recognized, and Lin Tie was among them. Su Yi's gaze shifted to a beautiful figure beside them—the maid Lan'er.

Seeing Su Yi, each guard's expression shifted abruptly. Their eyes were either wary or complicated as they regarded him. What had transpired in the trial yesterday had become the city's hottest topic of conversation. Though Maya's spotlight had eclipsed Su Yi's, the shock he had caused them was no less significant!

It seemed that Su Yi's defeat of Ouben Yu and last time's defeat of Di Yuan were comparable, yet Su Yi's methods had grown far more ruthless. Di Yuan, an ordinary guard, was different; Ouben Yu, sole heir of Ouben Mountain, had been reduced to a crippled state with shattered limbs before everyone's eyes!

Such disregard for the Ouben family's reputation was decisive! Since he dared strike Ouben Yu, what of these guards? Some guards who had once opposed Su Yi felt their hearts chill. Ke Yue's fate lingered in their minds, and for a time, they dared not meet Su Yi's gaze, fearing he would interpret it as hostility...

"Duan Shi, you appear to have become captain of the guard team?" When the distance closed, Su Yi looked at the other and smiled.

"Yes, the order arrived today. Indeed, I was promoted to captain. And... Di Yuan, due to his hand injury, temporarily serves as vice captain. However, there's little for him to do now—mainly recuperation..." Glancing at Su Yi before him, Duan Shi sighed inwardly. Learning of his breakthrough to a fighter had already seemed unbelievable. Unexpectedly, his strength proved sufficient to defeat Di Yuan in one blow, and yesterday he had heard of training his body... Yet regardless, Su Yi had once more become the strongest member of the guard team!

Just as he had been in the past!

(Fourth update! Seeking flowers and collections for support!)

The Peak of Martial Dao Chapter 98: Disappointment Update Complete!