Chapter 2007 - The Celestial Purity Pavilion

The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch sank into a lasting daze before he finally dared to believe that this was real.

Finally, he laughed. “And here I was just casually testing him. Who’d have thought the fool would actually fall for it?”

Yuchi Jia chimed in from the sidelines, “Perhaps this ‘dauntless dragon’s’ skill has emboldened him. He might simply not believe that Fire Crow Divine Palace is home to lethal danger.”

The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch rubbed his jaw, pondered for a while, then made a decision. “In that case, there’s no need to wait three more days. Let’s attack tonight!”

Yuchi Jia’s heart shook. “Your Excellency, his origins are suspicious, and we’ve yet to uncover his limits. If we attack now, it’s possible—”

The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch laughed and waved. “A long, long time has passed since I first settled in the Fire Crow Watershed, but I’ve never seen anyone leave Fire Crow Divine Palace alive. Have you?”

Yuchi Jia shook his head. “I haven’t.”

“It’s good to be cautious, but excessive caution is just cowardice!” The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch said with confidence, “Relax. Beneath the god level, all who enter Fire Crow Divine Palace perish beyond a doubt!”

He’d settled in the Fire Crow Watershed as a representative of Longevity Palace primarily to oversee the mysterious Fire Crow Divine Palace. It was just that very few others knew of this.

......

Fire Crow City had no distinction between night and day, as there was no dome of heaven. Only the chaos-like void hung overhead, stretching as far as the eye could see.

The endless void was a place not even gods could reach.

When traversing the River of Epochs, there were two ultimate taboos: rising into the void, and sinking into the river.

Rising meant eternal exile in the void of outer space, where one’s body and soul would wither and wane.

Sinking meant oblivion amidst the aura of the epochs, the end of one’s life, and with it, one’s Dao.

...

Fire Crow Divine Palace

Wu Lingchong had already swept the formerly dusty great hall twice, leaving it completely spotless.

A ninety-foot divine statue stood at the center of the hall.

The statue depicted an imposing man in red robes. His eyes blazed like flames, and he held a blazing sun aloft in one hand, while the other formed a seal. A Fire Crow unfurled its wings behind him, as if piercing the blue dome of heaven.

An altar was laid out before the statue, but its surface was mottled, and its incense burners had toppled.

Even the statue was covered in a thick layer of dust.

Su Yi stood before the divine statue, examining it closely.

Aside from the statue, altar, and incense burners, Fire Crow Divine Palace was completely empty. There was no furniture at all.

Thus, Wu Lingchong sat on the ground in a corner near the entrance. He was completely silent; it seemed he had a lot on his mind.

Suddenly, the babbling of a monkey broke the silence.

Wu Lingchong’s heart shook, and he turned his head to look. He wasn’t sure when, but a child-sized little monkey had appeared in front of Su Yi.

It was highly distinctive looking, with sleek fur bathed in an air of chaos. Its golden eyes blazed like torches.

And it emanated a heart-palpitating, unparalleled, ferocious majesty.

“What on earth is that?” exclaimed Wu Lingchong.

The monkey suddenly turned its attention toward him. Wu Lingchong felt suffocated beneath the weight of its intense golden gaze. The monkey seemed like it could devour his soul just by looking at him!

Wu Lingchong jumped in fright.

But then, the monkey flashed him an impish grin and looked away. It pointed at the divine statue and babbled, seemingly trying to communicate something.

Su Yi stood there, listening attentively in silence.

Wu Lingchong felt strange.

Don’t tell me the monkey discovered something? That’s Evil God Fire Crow’s divine statue. It’s been here since before Fire Crow City was built.

They say that Evil God Fire Crow was a powerful lifeform born of the River of Epochs, the hegemon of this watershed. He slew numerous experts who entered these waters.

Rumor has it that Evil God Fire Crow left to continue his cultivation in the God Domain a long time ago. There are also rumors that Evil God Fire Crow met with a strange tribulation and perished here. If so, Fire Crow Divine Palace is his final resting place.

But then, all of these are mere rumors. None have been confirmed. All I can say with certainty is that over the years, everyone who entered Fire Crow Divine Palace in search of good fortune has inexplicably vanished!

That’s why Fire Crow Divine Palace has long been considered the most perilous forbidden ground in the city. Not even the mightiest of Great Profound Stage experts dare take a single step inside.

Wu Lingchong wasn’t sure whether he’d die here or not, but after a while, he could no longer think about all that. Now, all he could think was,

I’m a lofty Great Profound Stage expert, a seasoned explorer of the River of Epochs. How could I have sunk so low as to become this guy’s errand boy... Worse, it seems I’m slowly coming to accept my new lot in life.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps from outside the palace. Wu Lingchong’s heart shook, and he immediately looked toward the source of the sound.

There, he saw a beautiful woman in a colorful skirt with a black top. She was approaching from afar, an old-fashioned sword case at an angle on her back.

“What? Why are you here?” Wu Lingchong shot to his feet, his face suddenly incomparably overcast and unsightly.

His brow knit with irrepressible fury.

“Don’t worry. I’m not here for

you,”

laughed the woman.

She stood outside the palace, blatantly disregarding Wu Lingchong to focus on Su Yi, who stood before the divine statue.

“My name is Rui Liu, and I’m from Daytime City’s Celestial Purity Pavilion. Greetings, Fellow Daoist,” the woman in black clasped her fist and said in a crisp, clear voice.

“If you have business with me, then state it. I dislike pleasantries,” said Su Yi, his back to the grand hall. He didn’t turn even around to look at the woman either, so she couldn’t see his face.

His arrogance and rudeness made her beautiful eyebrows knit, but when she recalled her mission, she suppressed her displeasure. “Fellow Daoist, you’re currently surrounded, and you’ve offended the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch of Longevity Palace. You’re effectively the common enemy of everyone in Fire Crow City. I’m afraid you have little hope of leaving here alive.”

Su Yi stood there, ignoring her completely. He didn’t react in the slightest.

The woman in black felt as if she were talking to herself, and her frown deepened. She took a deep breath, then continued, “But if you’re willing to join us, I guarantee we can resolve the crisis at hand and get you out of Fire Crow City safely!”

Wu Lingchong couldn’t help but laugh. “Ridiculous! What makes you think we’re surrounded or in peril? I’ll have you know that we entered Fire Crow City of our own accord. And your Celestial Purity Pavilion needn’t concern itself with the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch’s threats!”

The woman in black glanced coldly at Wu Lingchong. “Wu Lingchong, don’t blame me for not warning you. You know better than anyone what happens to those who interfere in the Celestial Purity Pavilion’s affairs.”

Wu Lingchong’s expression shifted. In the end, he sank into silence.

“Well? Have you decided to join our Celestial Purity Pavilion?” The woman in black looked at Su Yi once more.

“You can leave,” Su Yi said flatly. He never so much as turned to look at her.

The woman had come to offer reinforcements, only for Su Yi to slam the door in her face. This left the woman in black deeply embittered.

She couldn’t help but try again. “Fellow Daoist, do you have any idea what it means to win the Celestial Purity Pavilion’s favor?”

She suddenly gestured to Wu Lingchong.

“He’s

in the Great Profound Stage, but despite numerous attempts, he was repeatedly rejected from the Celestial Purity Pavilion for the simple reason that he was unworthy to join us.”

Wu Lingchong’s face was instantly incomparably unsightly. He roared, “Rui Liu, surely you of all people know why I couldn’t join Celestial Purity Pavilion?”

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Rui Liu said expressionlessly, “It’s just an example. Also, you’d best speak politely. Would you believe me if I said that a single word from me would be enough to get you exiled once more, with no place left for you in the Fire Crow Watershed?”

“You...” Wu Lingchong’s eyes bulged.

It was then that Su Yi, who was still faced away from the doorway, said calmly, “Want me to kill her for you?”

The woman froze in apparent disbelief.

Wu Lingchong shook his head. “Don’t. You’ve already irrevocably offended Longevity Palace. If you offend the Celestial Purity Pavilion on top of that, you’ll only make your situation even worse.”

He sighed, then looked at the woman in black. “Leave. You aren’t welcome here!”

Finally, the woman in black could no longer repress her displeasure. “Very well. I’ll be curious to see just how you plan to fight the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch three days from now!”

She turned and was about to leave when her delicate frame stiffened.

A grand procession was approaching from afar. Its leader was none other than the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch!

Four commanders followed shortly after, plus over a hundred of their subordinates and the leaders of Fire Crow City’s various factions!

The distant Blazing Sun Demon Monarch laughed and said, “There’s no need to wait three days. I’ll end this ‘dauntless dragon’ who refuses to do things the easy way here and now!”

With that, he glanced at the woman in black. “Does the Celestial Purity Pavilion plan to get involved?”

The woman shook her head. “Kind words cannot dissuade those determined to throw their lives away. I won’t spoil your mood, Fellow Daoist.”

The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch burst into laughter, then looked her up and down with unrestrained interest. “Then I’ll just have to ask you to step aside and watch, Fellow Daoist Rui Liu!”

The woman in black moved further away.

Wu Lingchong, meanwhile, was overcome with nervousness, and his heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He never, ever, ever would have guessed that the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch would come looking for them so soon!

Furthermore, their enormous lineup suggested that they were intent on ending things, once and for all.

“‘Kind words cannot dissuade those determined to throw their lives away?’ I agree completely.” Meanwhile, Su Yi finally turned away from the divine statue and faced the crowd.

He looked at Wu Lingchong and chuckled. “You’ve always felt ill at ease working for me, so allow me to show you why I don’t take anyone here the least bit seriously.”

“....” Wu Lingchong didn’t know what to say. He grimaced, but inwardly, he grumbled,

You’re saying whatever pops into your head even now? Come on... No matter how hard you boast, you’re doomed.

“You ‘don’t take us the least bit seriously?’” The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch burst into laughter.

“This guy sure is brazen to ridiculous extremes,” said Shan Ruoqin with a smile. She’d come too, and when she looked at Su Yi, it was as if she were looking at a corpse.

In truth, she’d come here because she wanted to see how Su Yi died with her own two eyes.

“You’re right, Ma’am.” Yuchi Jia chimed in with a smile.

Earlier, he’d been humble, tentative, and reserved in front of Su Yi. Now, he seemed like a completely different person. When he looked at Su Yi, his gaze was impudent, jeering, and tinged with pity.