Chapter 1194 - A Smack

Su Yi furrowed his brow.

With his current cultivation base combined with the power of Profound Ruin, he could eradicate Heavenly Longevity Realm Custodians.

But against a Oneness Realm World King, the gulf between their cultivations was beyond enormous.

Still, Su Yi wasn’t exactly panicked. He’d experienced countless life-and-death trials in his past life, and he’d overcome his share of waves.

After inheriting the memories and experience of the Temple Master, a predicament like this couldn’t possibly shake his heart.

If it came down to a fight to the death...

It would be his enemies who died!

“I can give you an opportunity to make amends for your crimes.” The distant Jin Chi caressed the flat of the Demon-Shaking Executioner's Blade. He said casually, “Offer up the secrets of reincarnation, kneel, and repent. If you do, you can naturally leave with your life.”

This statement left both the Heavensdeath Demon Empress and Meng Changyun shocked and furious.

This Enforcer is after the secrets of reincarnation too!

The Crane Fairy’s eyes dimmed. She could already guess what had happened; the First Custodian was using the secrets of reincarnation to lure Jin Chi into action!

The deaths of Wei Heng and his companions weren’t the least bit important to them.

“Su Yi, an opportunity to live lies before you. Well? Why aren’t you kneeling in gratitude and offering up the secrets of reincarnation yet?” the distant Yuan Mu said gravely.

Old Man Stargazer stroked his beard, his expression flat. “According to the rules, you must die. However, so long as you’re willing to repent, we can make an exception for you within the bounds of the rules.”

The atmosphere was stifled, tense, and suffocating.

The situation left even the Heavensdeath Demon Empress and Meng Changyun in despair. Both felt a chill in their hands and feet.

All eyes were on Su Yi. Everyone was watching to see what he decided.

However, Su Yi merely brushed off his clothes and said casually, “It seems I’ll just have to re-establish the rules of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals.”

Everyone was stunned.

Only Meng Changyun gasped. He instantly understood.

When Su Yi killed Shan Ning, he said that if the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals viewed him with enmity, he’d just have to shatter the pre-existing order and replace the rules with his rules!

Now, Su Yi had brought it up again. He had unquestionably made up his mind to slay every enemy in his path!

Clang!

The boundless, low hum of a sword rang out. Su Yi’s aura abruptly transformed, his eyes like cold twin abysses. His tall, upright figure surged with sword intent, and his imposing presence soared.

“He’s.... He’s still being stubborn!?” Yuan Mu found this hard to believe.

“They call this stubbornly refusing to see the light. His death is unworthy of pity.” Old Man Stargazer shook his head, his eyes full of pity. Enforcer Jin Chi is right in front of him. The outcome is already certain. Even another Oneness Realm World King would surely perish!

“Killing you would be letting you off too easily.” Jin Chi smiled. “First, I’ll shatter your pride! And cripple your cultivation! We’ll see if you dare remain tight-lipped then!”

He stepped forth, the glittering golden Demon-Shaking Executioner's Blade rumbling in his grip. Its hum was like the roar of a demonic god, and it shook both heaven and earth.

Su Yi didn’t waste time talking. He gripped that streak of sword qi and stepped forth to meet his foe.

A grand battle was on the verge of breaking out!

But it was then that a rain of the light of the Laws surged beneath the dome of heaven, manifesting a lifelike spirit sparrow.

“Jin Chi, receive your orders!” the spirit sparrow said without the slightest ripple of emotion.

This sudden development caught everyone off guard.

Su Yi furrowed his brow. He recognized the sparrow; it was the same one who’d given him his first Dark and Gold Token, thereby making him a trial-taker.

“Don’t tell me... Is it an order from an Officiant?” The Crane Fairy seemed to realize something, and her eyes widened in disbelief.

An Officiant!

Mysterious and incomparably transcendent existences!

Rumor had it that in ancient times, the Officiants had served at Venerate Flooding Heavens’ side. They were the venerate’s strongest combat servants!

But prior to this incident, the Crane Fairy had taken this as a mere rumor. She even doubted that the mysterious Officiants were still alive.

The reason for her doubt was simple. Despite the passage of countless years, the mysterious Officiants had never once revealed themselves!

“An order? Don’t tell me...” Old Man Stargazer and Yuan Mu looked at each other, both bewildered and uncertain.

There was no doubt about it. Just like the Crane Fairy, they’d both picked up on a few clues.

Even Jin Chi’s handsome face shifted erratically. He seemed caught entirely off guard, and as if he’d realized something. He froze, rooted to the spot.

A moment later, he took a deep breath, put away the Demon-Shaking Torture Knife, and clasped his fist at the spirit sparrow. “Might I ask what orders the Officiant has for me?”

An Officiant!

The title went off like a clap of thunder in the hearts of Old Man Stargazer, Yuan Mu, and the Crane Fairy. All of them were visibly stunned.

It really was an order from an Officiant!!!

Beneath the dome of heaven, light flowed around the spirit sparrow’s wings, which it beat in midair.

Whap!!!

Jin Chi took a slap to the face.

The crisp sound echoed throughout heaven and earth.

The slap left Jin Chi’s cheek red and swollen. His hair was a mess, and he staggered back, almost falling out of the sky.

Everyone gasped.

What’s going on?

Jin Chi found this similarly difficult to believe. “What’s the meaning of this, Emissary?”

The sparrow said without the slightest ripple of emotion, “That slap was a gift from the Officiant. Do you appreciate his kindness?”

“....” The crowd didn’t know what to say to that.

Jin Chi’s face filled with shame and indignation. That slap had left his reputation in shambles!

But in the end, he held back, gnashed his teeth, and said, “I’m grateful!”

This left everyone stunned.

He’d been slapped, and now they wanted him to be grateful for it?

Just what kind of person was this Officiant to be so domineering?

A moment later, the spirit sparrow beat its wings and slapped Jin Chi once more, leaving him seeing stars. Blood sprayed from his mouth and nose, and he let out a muffled grunt of pain.

Old Man Stargazer and Yuan Meng’s minds practically went blank.

Again?

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress and Meng Changyun were both baffled.

Don’t tell me the Officiant knows what’s happened here, and he’s using this method to punish Jin Chi?

“And what’s that supposed to mean, Emissary?” Jin Chi was so angry that he almost wanted to die. His eyes were completely red.

𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

The slap hadn’t hurt much physically, but it was far too humiliating.

The spirit sparrow’s voice was just as cold as before. “The Officiant said that if you remained ignorant of your mistakes, I was to slap you again, and to keep going until you cleared your head.”

The crowd’s hearts shook as they came to their senses.

Jin Chi seemed to realize something. His body stiffened, and he said hurriedly, “Emissary, I realize what I’ve done wrong! I shouldn’t have left the secret origin grounds without permission!”

Whap!

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he took yet another slap to the face.

His face was as red and swollen as a pig's and smeared with blood. His hair was disheveled, and his features were entirely unrecognizable. He looked utterly miserable.

To the point that the onlookers almost wanted to laugh...

“Why? Why’d you slap me this time!?” Jin Chi shouted, completely bewildered.

The first time he was slapped, he expressed his gratitude.

The second time he was slapped, he admitted to his mistakes.

So what was the deal with the third slap!?

The spirit sparrow said, "The Officiant said that once you admitted to your mistakes, I was to slap you once more to make sure you remembered this lesson.”

“I...” Jin Chi’s jaw dropped, but then, he sank into silence.

But against all expectations, he took yet another slap. His entire face was bleeding, and his nose had caved in. He looked like he was on the verge of collapse!

What is it this time!?

Even Su Yi was a bit stunned.

Are these slaps... intended for me to see?

“The Officiant says that this slap is intended to uphold Venerate Flooding Heavens’ rules, and that if this happens again, he won’t let you off,” said the spirit sparrow.

Jin Chi took a deep breath and wiped the blood from his face. “Emissary, please report back to the Officiant and say that I’m fully aware of what I’ve done wrong, and that there absolutely won’t be a next time.”

“You can leave,” said the spirit sparrow.

Only then did Jin Chi dare believe there wasn’t yet another slap coming. He inwardly sighed in relief and clasped his fist. “Understood!”

He then glanced at the distant Su Yi, turned, and left.

The moment he laid eyes on Su Yi, the depths of his gaze blazed with hatred and murderous intent. Su Yi saw it, too.

“Stop right there,” said Su Yi. “Did I say you could leave?”

This declaration left everyone present flabbergasted.

Even the sparrow couldn’t help but take another look at Su Yi.

“???” Jin Chi was so furious he almost laughed. “What do you want?”

His heart was full of hatred. If the sparrow hadn’t come with orders from an Officiant, he’d have squashed this puny trial-taker to death!

But now, he could only endure.

“Slap yourself across the face, and I’ll let you leave,” Su Yi said casually.

“You...” Jin Chi was enraged, and his eyes surged with murderous intent.

But then, the spirit sparrow said softly, “Do it.”

Jin Chi was flabbergasted and overcome with disbelief. “Emissary, are those truly the Officiant’s orders?”

Old Man Stargazer and Yuan Mu looked at each other with increasing bewilderment. Their hearts churned.

Why... would an Officiant insist on such a thing?

Could that trial-taker really be more important than Enforcer Jin Chi?

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress and Meng Changyun’s minds went blank. They simply couldn’t wrap their heads around what was happening.

“His Excellency the Officiant says that it is sometimes necessary to compensate those we’ve wronged,” said the spirit sparrow. “Now, you ought to compensate Su Yi.”

Jin Chi felt so stifled that he almost coughed up blood.

How could this happen? Just what is the Officiant thinking?

Su Yi couldn’t help but find this surprising too. And here he was just planning to seize this opportunity to humiliate Jin Chi and trample all over his dignity. He wanted to see what choice Jin Chi would make.

Who’d have thought that this mysterious Officiant was willing to let Jin Chi humiliate himself if it meant quelling this conflict?

When the spirit sparrow saw that Jin Chi wasn’t moving, it said coldly, “Are you... defying the Officiant’s will?”

Whap!

After a moment’s silence, Jin Chi ruthlessly slapped himself across the face.

The sound was crisp and clear.

A moment later, he turned and left.

Everyone could see that Jin Chi was furious to the extreme and brimming with hatred!

Su Yi made no attempt to stop him. He was a man of his word, and he wouldn’t renege on an agreement. His only regret was that had he known this would happen, he would have made Jin Chi slit his own throat...

It wouldn’t have been so simple as a mere slap.

Of course, Su Yi didn’t really think Jin Chi would kill himself, and he disdained using an Officiant’s prestige to realize his goal of killing Jin Chi.

Meanwhile, Jin Chi left, but the spirit sparrow remained.

Its gaze turned toward Old Man Stargazer and Yuan Mu.

It said nothing, but the Custodians’ expressions shifted, their hearts on tenterhooks.