Chapter 1974: Divine Venerate Xi Yue’s Intentions

Clang——!

The Sword of Proximity shook violently as the Thunder Execution Spear swept outward, sending Su Yi flying.

Divine Venerate Luo Heng took a step forward and attacked once more.

Electric power ran rampant around him, pouring down like a waterfall. His entire being emanated grand, imposing majesty, and his spear moved of its own accord, obviously sentient. Wherever it pointed, nothing could stand in its way.

Su Yi fought back with all his might, but he was repeatedly forced back, and his wounds rapidly piled on. Divine Venerate Luo Heng’s avatar of will was obviously far stronger than Jiang Tai’e!

“Are you still certain that Su Yi can win?” asked Divine Venerate Xi Yue.

Xi Ning pursed her lips and said nothing. Su Yi really was struggling to fight back, and the sight of his rapidly accumulating injuries made Xi Ning’s heart clench.

“Die!” Divine Venerate Luo Heng bellowed and swung the Thunder Execution Spear furiously.

It was as if tribulation lightning were pouring down from the nine heavens. Its destructive aura was so immense that it shattered the surrounding one hundred thousand feet of sky.

Everyone looked stricken. Even Su Yi’s eyes silently narrowed. This was a potentially lethal strike! There was no avoiding it, either.

Su Yi sighed to himself.

But… I really don’t want to use the Sword of the Nine Hells.

But he had to use it. There was no other choice. This wasn’t a fair duel, nor was this a game. He was up against a god’s avatar of will, one who’d cast aside all reservations to destroy him. There was naturally no need for Su Yi to hold back at a time like this.

Boom!

A moment later, the Sword of Proximity rumbled and boomed, erupting with monstrous, chaotic sword light. It contained a portion of the terrifying, inscrutable aura of the Sword of the Nine Hells, and it destroyed that lethal flood of tribulation lightning almost instantaneously.

Clang!!!

The Thunder Execution Spear shook violently, its wails shaking the heavens as that terrifying chaos sword qi sent Divine Venerate Luo Heng flying.

Deathly silence ensued. Even the birds ceased their song.

This turnaround left everyone stunned, including Divine Venerate Xi Yue. Her beautiful eyes widened, and shock was written all over her face.

“You…” Divine Venerate Luo Heng was horrified. That strike had been simply too terrifying!

“Again.” Su Yi leaped forward and swung the Sword of Proximity.

Divine Venerate Luo Heng swung the Thunder Execution Spear to defend himself, but he was like a mantis trying to block a chariot. The spear was sent flying from his grip, and he was sent flying backward. He flew several thousand feet before just barely managing to stabilize himself.

His avatar of will was thrown into disarray and showed signs of an imminent collapse.

“How did he become so strong all of a sudden?” Divine Venerate Xi Yue asked in an uncharacteristic loss of composure.

“Bastard!” Divine Venerate Luo Heng roared, his eyes bloodshot as he attacked Su Yi with all his might.

But before he’d gotten far, Su Yi sent him flying once more, like an axe through rotten wood. Startling gashes tore open all over Luo Heng’s body.

The onlookers’ scalps went numb with fright. Su Yi was just too tyrannical and too terrifying. He fought with such ferocity that Divine Venerate Luo Heng couldn’t even fight back!

“I hate that my true body cannot be here. Otherwise, I could crush you like an ant, you heretic!” Luo Heng’s hair was disheveled, and he gnashed his teeth so hard that they almost broke.

Su Yi laughed dryly. “What’s the point in saying all that nonsense? If I were at the same level of cultivation as you, you wouldn’t even be worthy of dying beneath my sword!”

Boom!

He leaped forward, swung the Sword of Proximity through the air, and slashed furiously.

Divine Venerate Luo Heng blocked with all his might, but it was ultimately in vain. One of his arms was hacked off.

His expression darkened, and his rage bordered on madness. “I’m no more than an avatar of will. Even if you destroy me, my true body will be fine. You, however, are sure to perish in the Epoch Battlefield, heretic!”

“Nothing but the impotent rage of a weakling.” Su Yi shook his head. “You’re even placing your hopes on other people. You’re a god, yet you’ve fallen this far. How tragic.”

In terms of bearing and demeanor, Divine Venerate Luo Heng was far inferior to Jiang Tai’e.

Clang!

The clear, impassioned hum of a sword swept forth was more, bringing chaos energy with it.

There was no way for Divine Venerate Luo Heng to dodge. The Sword of Proximity’s most wondrous application lay in its ability to disregard distance. Even the ends of the earth were close at hand.

When its sword qi descended, all Luo Heng could do was block with all his might.

Alas, it was more than he could take. Beneath the crowd’s astonished gazes, Divine Venerate Luo Heng’s avatar of will instantly split and scattered into a rain of light.

In the last moments before his avatar's destruction, he only just barely had enough time to roar in fury and unwillingness.

Clang!

Su Yi put away the Sword of Proximity. Its hum still echoed through the air.

The crowd was too overcome with shock for words. A god’s avatar of will had been destroyed, just like that! How could anyone accept such a thing so easily?

“Aigh...” Luo Tiandu let out a deep sigh as he fell into a daze. His chest was full of stifled frustration and fury, but he wasn’t sure who he was supposed to be angry at.

Fortunately, his great uncle had merely lost an avatar of will. Had this been Luo Heng’s true body, Luo Tiandu likely would have broken down on the spot.

“So, his killer weapons were that terrifying…” Divine Venerate Xi Yue was stunned too.

She was here as an avatar of will too, and her avatar wasn’t any weaker than Luo Heng’s had been. But after witnessing this battle, her heart palpitated with fright.

A Great Unity Stage cultivator was heaven-defying enough to fight Divine Venerate Luo Heng. That was shocking enough. Yet now, that same shocking figure had a taboo and mysterious trump card. Who wouldn’t have been afraid?

“See, Great Aunt? Fellow Daoist Su won.” Xi Ning sighed in relief. She felt as if a massive weight had lifted off her shoulders, and she thoroughly relaxed.

Divine Venerate Xi Yue frowned. Inwardly, she griped,

Was there really any need for you to tell me that? You think I'm blind? Are you trying to anger me to death!?

Su Yi, meanwhile, walked up to Luo Tiandu, undid his seal, and asked, “Do you want to avenge your great uncle?”

Luo Tiandu grimaced. “He just lost an avatar of will, that’s all. I never even considered getting revenge.”

Su Yi smiled and patted him on the shoulder. “You’re you, and he’s himself. I understand the difference. Even if the Luo Family opposes me down the line, I’ll remember who’s my enemy and who’s my friend.”

This wasn’t intended to be comforting. He was simply making his position clear!

Luo Tiandu sighed deeply, then nodded. He understood the clan’s situation. When he first came to the Immortal Realm, it was the clan that tasked him with annihilating Su Yi.

Were it at all possible to avoid, Luo Tiandu would never want an enemy like Su Yi. However, he understood how fixated some of the clan’s gods were on destroying him, including his great uncle, Luo Heng.

There'd be no dissuading them!

Su Yi then turned and approached Divine Venerate Xi Yue. This instantly drew the crowd’s attention.

Divine Venerate Xi Yue frowned. “What? Don’t tell me you want to fight me next?”

Xi Ning’s heart clenched, and she looked at Su Yi in concern. She understood his disposition far too well; there was nothing he wouldn’t do.

“Don’t misunderstand,” said Su Yi. “You are, after all, Xi Ning’s senior. Even if you don’t give the monk face, you have to give the Buddha face. How could I possibly attack you?”

“Then what do you want?” asked Divine Venerate Xi Yue.

“There’s something I must ask you,” said Su Yi. “As Xi Ning’s senior, why did you force her to bring you to me? Now that we’ve met, it’s time you shared your intentions.”

Xi Ning was just about to say something when Divine Venerate Xi Yue interrupted. “Let me speak.”

She then stared intently at Su Yi. “It’s simple. Our Xi Family doesn’t see you as a heretic like the other gods, and we refuse even the slightest involvement with you. Thus, going forward, I urge you to quit pestering A’Ning!”

Her tone and expression were harsh.

Xi Ning’s beautiful face shifted. “Great Aunt, Fellow Daoist Su has never ‘pestered’ me. You’ve misunderstood! Also, Fellow Daoist Su and I are just friends. How could you put it like that?”

“A’Ning, you’re the divine daughter of the Xi Family,” said Divine Venerate Xi Yue. “You ought to understand that if you get involved with Su Yi, you won’t just implicate yourself. You’ll implicate the entire family. Who could bear the consequences of that?”

Here, her gaze and tone softened, and she sighed. “Anything else, and I’d respect your will, but no matter how hurt or aggrieved this makes you feel, I absolutely cannot agree to this!”

Xi Ning’s beautiful face paled. After a moment’s silence, she said, “And if… and if I insist?”

Divine Venerate Xi Yue said firmly, “I won’t let you act as you act wantonly!”

Xi Ning silently clenched her jade-like fists, her beautiful face utterly bleak.

But Su Yi just laughed. “Your great aunt’s words might be unpleasant to hear, but she isn’t wrong. It’s just as I said earlier: most of those in the Epoch Battlefield are targeting me. If you travel with me, you’re sure to get swept into this mess.”

Xi Ning couldn’t help but say, “But that’s different. I’m not the type to forget a kindness. How could I cut ties so heartlessly?”

Su Yi smiled, straight from the heart, “No need to worry about that. Our bond is precious due to our mutual understanding. Even the king of the heavens could forget about driving us apart!”

“You…” Divine Venerate Xi Yue glared daggers at him.

Su Yi waved for silence. “Don’t interrupt me.”

“....” Divine Venerate Xi Yue’s ample chest heaved with fury.

Does this kid really think that defeating Divine Venerate Luo Heng’s avatar of will means that he can freely order me about?

But Su Yi disregarded all that. He just smiled at Xi Ning and said, “Listen to me and travel with your great aunt. No matter what trouble I run into, don’t get involved. That way, I’ll be able to rest assured.”

Xi Ning sank into a daze. She was obviously unwilling to agree.

Divine Venerate Xi Yue laughed coldly. “Since you know what’s good for you, I don’t mind warning you that several Master Gods’ avatars of will have already entered the Epoch Battlefield. They’ve come, in part to acquire supreme Epoch Fragments for their divine children, and in part to destroy you!”

Su Yi ignored her. He only had eyes for Xi Ning. “Of course, if

you

run into anything you cannot resolve on your own, be sure to tell me. Do you remember what that spearwoman said? Even if I take a blade for you, it’d only be right. Perhaps this is destiny.”

Xi Ning took in Su Yi’s smile. Her heart churned with emotion. “I don’t care about those fleeting and ethereal karmic threads. You needn’t worry about them either. I just know…”

Here, she trailed off and said the rest through a transmission. Her tone was soft yet determined. “I just know that meeting you and getting to know you was an enormous stroke of good fortune!”

Seth's Thoughts

Su Yi is paraphrasing what Lin Jinghong said in chapter 1955.

“You needn’t be so polite with him,” Lin Jinghong said to Xi Ning out of nowhere. “Even if he takes a blade for you, it’d be only just and proper.”