Chapter 3026 - The Sovereigns’ Surprise
The currents churned as destructive power swept forth.
The upheaval following this strike rippled for a long time before fading away, and the indistinct, boundless abyss gradually receded.
Only the Book of Destiny remained in Su Yi’s grip, scattering a rain of light.
He stood there, then exhaled. Waves of pain coursed through his entire body. His fight with Ying Qi had left him riddled with wounds, some of them quite serious.
But none of his injuries bothered him in the least. He was just delighted that his heart had broken through!
Ying Qi had teased Su Yi for seeing him as a whetstone even when covered in injuries. He thought that Su Yi was overestimating himself.
In truth, Su Yi was using Ying Qi as a whetstone, but for his heart, not his swordsmanship.
He’d spent the past few months in seclusion in the Golden Frost Forbidden Zone, refining countless Divine Heart Bugs, but his heart’s cultivation had reached a bottleneck. He could advance no further.
All of this led him to conclude that any further time in seclusion would be a waste. He needed to seek out an opportunity to break past his bottleneck.
His battle with Ying Qi had plunged him into grave peril, and he’d paid a grievous price, but he’d successfully seized the thread of opportunity he needed.
Thus, he broke through, leading to his ultimate victory.
When Su Yi thought back to the details of their battle, his eyes glinted with mockery. He actually tried to detect my heart’s weaknesses. How could he have known I’d already ignited my Natal Heart Lamp and begun an all-encompassing transformation?
If Ying Qi hadn’t tried that, he might have been able to struggle a while longer. He might have even seized an opportunity to escape. But he just couldn’t help himself, leading to a backlash that rendered him helpless to even struggle. Now, he’s trapped in the Abyss of Ceaseless Destiny for good.
Still, there’s no denying that Ying Qi was terrifying. If not for the Book of Destiny, I wouldn’t have been any match for him.
Su Yi set aside his scattered thoughts, then scanned the area and found the fallen Medallion of Past Karma.
He reached for it, pulling it into his grip, but he didn’t stop to examine it. Instead, he gazed into the distance.
......
A treasure ship hovered on the surface of the River of Destiny. Several Heavenly Sovereigns’ clones and avatars were waiting on board.
“They’ve started fighting,” said Heavenly Sovereign Wen, standing by the railing and peering into the river’s depths. Profound light flashed in the depths of his gaze, as if he could see the scenery below.
“I’ve got to say, I think highly of that Ying Qi person,” said Heavenly Sovereign E. “He’s capable, intelligent, and even-keeled, but there’s no hiding the ruthlessness deep in his bones.
“Su Yi is in no position to call for reinforcements, so the biggest variable is the Book of Destiny,” said Heavenly Sovereign Ling. “Fortunately, the Negative Karma Destiny Demons and Destiny’s Chosen are fated rivals. He understands the Book of Destiny far better than us, and he’s prepared thoroughly to defeat Su Yi. He... might really be able to surprise us!”
Even as the Heavenly Sovereigns conversed, they paid close attention to the disturbance beneath the River of Destiny.
They’d conducted secret negotiations with Ying Qi not long ago, and they were waiting here in accordance with their agreement. If Su Yi somehow fled the River of Destiny, the Heavenly Sovereigns would be here waiting for him.
It was a fact to say that there was nowhere for Su Yi to run!
“What a shocking commotion!” Heavenly Sovereign Changhen exclaimed.
Meanwhile, the other Heavenly Sovereigns noticed that the surrounding waters were suddenly tumultuous. Waves rose and fell, and the current was thrown into disarray.
The battle was taking place deep in the River of Destiny, yet the aftershock had reached the surface. It was obvious how fierce the battle must be!
“Get ready. We have to take Su Yi down the moment he appears!” said Heavenly Sovereign Wen, eyes flashing with murderous light.
The Heavenly Sovereigns now saw Su Yi as a threat. If they could eliminate him now, they could stamp out that threat once and for all.
“It’s a pity, but the moment we enter the River of Destiny, we’ll effectively sink into the mud. The hostile environment will severely deplete our strength. Were that not the case, I’d love to dive in and witness Su Yi’s death firsthand!” Heavenly Sovereign Changhen sighed.
As they conversed, the Heavenly Sovereigns’ hearts shook. They immediately steered their boat into the air and away from the River of Destiny.
Practically simultaneously... Boom!
The surrounding ten thousand miles of water caved in as a massive whirlpool took shape.
No. Were someone to gaze down on the river from high, they wouldn’t see a whirlpool, but rather, a bottomless abyss.
A terrifying suction emanated from the abyss, as if it were intent on pulling all of creation into itself.
The suction reached the treasure ship, making it sway violently beneath the Heavenly Sovereigns’ feet.
They exchanged glances, startled looks on their faces. Without hesitation, they steered the ship, bringing it higher once more.
It was only after they’d left the area around the abyss completely that they escaped that terrifying suction.
When they looked back, they saw a miraculous sight. The surrounding ten thousand miles of water had transformed, as if a massive black hole had formed on the surface of the river.
The air above the black hole contorted and collapsed. Time and space were thrown into disarray, manifesting all manner of unbelievable, terrifying phenomena.
The waters around the black hole were thrown into chaos. The waters were lifted into the air, flowing backward and up, like mountains rising out of the surface of the river, growing higher and higher, grander and grander...
In the end, the waters around the black hole transformed into several mountains condensed out of the water of the River of Destiny, each towering into the heavens!
It was such an unbelievable sight that even the Heavenly Sovereigns were astonished. All of them found it unbelievable.
What’s going on here?
But before they could wrap their heads around it, the towering mountains collapsed in unison and vanished into the depths of the black hole.
Boom!
Chaotic torrents flowed into the air, rumbling like thunder.
The entire stretch of water descended into destruction and turmoil, filling the air with endless mist.
A long time passed before the enormous abyss gradually faded away, but the waters of the River of Destiny still churned as if boiling.
“Did you notice that the aura of destiny in the surrounding waters... is sparser than before? As if it’s been devoured?” Heavenly Sovereign Wen said suddenly.
The current was full of the terrifying power of destiny.
But now that Heavenly Sovereign Wen had pointed it out, the other Heavenly Sovereigns noticed that the current’s power was indeed sparser than before!
It was like diluted ink; still there, but duller.
No one knew what had caused this.
But the River of Destiny was boundlessly vast, its current ceaseless. It wasn’t long before the surrounding waters returned to normal.
It was as if everything that had happened had been but a dream.
But it was then they heard a soft, subtle cracking noise ring out.
Heavenly Sovereign Wen looked down, then saw that the blood-red talisman in his hand had split and disintegrated into powder.
His expression shifted. Something happened to Ying Qi!
The other Heavenly Sovereigns noticed. All of them sank into silence
This result was completely outside of their expectations.
They still recalled the moment Ying Qi gave Heavenly Sovereign Wen the talisman. He’d spoken lightly, airily, and with complete confidence, insisting that even if the worst came to pass, he’d escape with his life.
He’d left them the talisman to reassure them, saying that it would break if something happened to him.
Now, it had done just that. That meant he’d lost!
“An unparalleled expert of the Destiny Demon Race died, just like that?” murmured Heavenly Sovereign Wen after a lengthy silence. “Does that mean that Su Yi is... already strong enough to threaten our lives?”
The other Heavenly Sovereigns’ eyelids twitched.
Ying Qi had been most at home beneath the River of Destiny. There, he was strong enough to defeat both River Ancestors and Heavenly Sovereigns!
Yet he had lost despite fighting beneath the River of Destiny. Who could possibly have failed to realize the implications?
Heavenly Sovereign E said staunchly, “Given Su Yi’s strength, there’s no way he could have defeated Ying Qi. His success was undoubtedly thanks to the Book of Destiny!”
The Book of Destiny!
The Heavenly Sovereigns’ eyes narrowed. Just what kind of unbelievable powers are hidden in that famed taboo treasure?
Heavenly Sovereign E continued, “I can say with certainty that the Book of Destiny is only effective against the denizens of the River of Destiny. We have nothing to fear from it.”
Heavenly Sovereign Changhen furrowed his brow. “But if even Ying Qi lost, doesn’t that mean that Su Yi is effectively invincible so long as he remains in the river?”
Concerned looks appeared on the other Heavenly Sovereigns’ faces. If Su Yi hid in the River of Destiny until he became a Heavenly Sovereign, he’d be an enormous latent threat!
“According to Ying Qi, the spacetime barrier around the Silent Annihilation Forbidden Zone has cracked. Sooner or later, the entire Negative Karma Destiny Demon Race will break free and enter this world,” said Heavenly Sovereign E. “That means that Su Yi won’t be safe even if he hides in the River of Destiny.”
“Distant waters cannot put out nearby fires. We ought to concern ourselves with how best to prevent Su Yi from becoming a Heavenly Sovereign!” Heavenly Sovereign Changhen said gravely.
Everyone knew that now that Ying Qi had been defeated, their only hope of defeating Su Yi was to force him to leave the River of Destiny!
Only then could the Heavenly Sovereigns join forces to kill him.
“Then let’s act in accordance with our earlier plans and send our subordinates to hunt down the survivors of the Heart-Tempering Sword House. Meanwhile, we’ll announce our intention to target the Taiwu Sect to the world!” said Heavenly Sovereign Wen, his gaze decisive. “I refuse to believe that Su Yi will remain in hiding after hearing that!
Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan was the founder of the Taiwu Sect, and Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan and Su Yi were allies.
When Su Yi heard that they were targeting the Taiwu Sect, there was no way he’d stay safely tucked away in the River of Destiny.
The Heavenly Sovereigns pondered briefly, then agreed.