Chapter 2009 - The Heavenly Gods’ Envoy

“You must indeed pay the price for aiding and abetting evildoers,” said the woman in black, Rui Liu. She was visibly on guard. “Does that response please you, sir?”

Su Yi nodded. “And what about you? Must you pay too?”

Rui Liu’s heart clenched. “I didn’t offend you earlier.”

“Ah, but you spoke rudely to my companion.” Su Yi gestured to Wu Lingchong. “How about this? Kowtow before him, and I’ll let bygones be bygones. You’ll be free to leave.”

Wu Lingchong froze, stunned, his heart churning with emotion and his expression complicated. He would never have guessed that Su Yi would stick up for him. He was trying to help him vent his anger!

Rui Liu’s beautiful face was instantly unsightly, and her eyes blazed with fury. “Sir, there’s already a grudge between you and Longevity Palace. Surely you don’t want an enmity with my Celestial Purity Pavilion too?”

Su Yi suddenly took a step forward. His hands formed a seal, and he pressed down on the air.

Bang!!

Rui Liu was forced to the ground, her knees slamming into the earth. Then, as Su Yi’s fingers pressed down, her forehead gradually lowered to the ground.

Shame, fury, and terror were written all over her face as she cried out, “Kill me if you must, but don’t humiliate me. If you’ve got the balls, just kill me!”

Su Yi laughed, then lowered his hand. “When I conduct my affairs, I make clear distinctions between friends and foes. Your crimes don’t warrant your death, so you’re free to leave.”

Rui Liu crawled to her feet, her face ashen as he turned and left without a word.

Su Yi didn’t stop her. He could tell that her heart was full of resentment and that she wouldn’t simply let this go.

But he didn’t care.

“If you let her go, the Celestial Purity Pavilion is sure to seek revenge against you!” Wu Lingchong rushed over to warn him.

Su Yi said casually, “The Blazing Sun Demon Monarch died on account of a woman, and he dragged his subordinates to the grave with him. If the Celestial Purity Pavilion nurses a grudge over this, they’re welcome to die on account of a woman too.”

With that, he swept his gaze over the crowd. All of them felt like criminals awaiting sentencing.

“You can escape death, but not punishment,” said Su Yi. “Leave your treasures behind. Then you can go.”

The leaders of Fire Crow City’s various factions felt a massive weight lift from their shoulders; all of them knew they’d just had a close brush with death. They hurriedly agreed, took out their treasures, and scurried off.

The Divine Replenishment Furnace got to work taking inventory of the spoils, while Su Yi returned to Fire Crow Divine Palace. Wu Lingchong followed him.

𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Once inside, Su Yi took out his wicker chair, sprawled out, and watched the meditating little monkey.

Before the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch appeared, the little monkey sensed the power of a god’s soul within the statue, and it was eager to devour it.

Now, the soul power left within the statue had become the monkey’s dinner. As it digested, radiant divine light flowed over its soft fur. It was obvious that the monkey had benefited considerably, and it was undergoing a shocking transformation.

“Brother Su, seems to me that we’d best leave Fire Crow City sooner rather than later,” suggested Wu Lingchong. “Word of what happened here is soon to spread, and experts of Longevity Palace could show up without warning. It’s even possible that experts of the Celestial Purity Pavilion will come looking for us...”

“Enough,” said Su Yi. “If you’re that bored, go into the city and gather information. I’ve only just arrived in the River of Epochs, and I need to grasp the situation here as soon as possible.”

Wu Lingchong laughed bitterly. “Very well.”

He rose, then turned and left the hall. Su Yi, meanwhile, started taking divine medicines to recover his strength.

No one could explore the River of Epochs for days on end. Everyone needed to stop to rest. Fortunately, the River of Epochs was home to numerous outposts like this one.

Time slipped by. Two hours later, the little monkey suddenly opened its eyes.

Its fur shone with misty light, and an unbelievable strange phenomenon appeared reflected behind it. It was as if it had suddenly sprouted two additional heads and four new arms.

Factoring in its original head and limbs, it now had three heads and six arms!

The natural Dao Marking at the center of its forehead lit up with a mysterious whirlpool of light.

Immediately afterward, its bones and tendons creaked, and its body expanded. Its blood and qi churned like raging tidal waves.

A long time passed before all of these strange phenomena faded away.

The monkey had grown considerably, going from three feet to four. Its fur was shiny and lustrous, and when its golden eyes took in its surroundings, they were utterly fierce and unfettered.

Su Yi watched it all from the wicker chair. He couldn’t help but be rueful.

It really is a Xiantian Divinity born of a chaos source.

“Chee chee! Chee chee!” The monkey clutched its stomach as if dying of hunger.

Su Yi couldn’t help but rub his forehead. The monkey’s transformation was shocking, but it was also a bottomless pit—and it only consumed treasures imbued with divinity!

“Here.” Su Yi tossed some divine medicine to the monkey and did some quick mental calculations.

I’ve got to make the little imp start hunting for its own food soon. Otherwise, it’ll bleed me dry!

He’d only just thought this when a heaven-shaking impact rang out.

“Everyone in Fire Crow City, listen up!” A dignified voice rang out, booming like a thunderclap throughout the city skies. Everyone in the city stopped what they were doing and gazed at the city gates, their hearts quivering in their chests.

They weren’t sure when, but black mist had appeared at the city gates, so vast as to blanket the sky and blot out the sun. It was like a dark cloud hanging over the city with shocking force and momentum.

A massive human face appeared in the churning black clouds. Its eyes shone like celestial bodies, its beard and mustache flowed like a waterfall, its nose was like a mountain, and its enormous mouth was like a chasm.

“An envoy of the Heavenly Gods of the Kingdom of Lasting Light!”

Some of the old-timers recognized the face, and they gasped.

What on earth happened, for an envoy of the Heavenly Gods to come in person?

“The envoy of the Heavenly Gods...?” Wu Lingchong was busy gathering information when he saw the massive face in the black clouds. His heart shook.

This was an envoy of the nine Heavenly Gods of the Kingdom of Lasting Light, a terrifying existence. Apparently, the envoys of the Heavenly Gods had all reached the demigod level of power!

The Heavenly Gods saw their envoys as mere messengers, but the inhabitants of the River of Epochs’ various outposts dared not look down on them!

How many years has it been? An envoy of the Heavenly Gods has appeared. Don’t tell me that something happened to alert the Kingdom of Lasting Light?

As Wu Lingchong pondered, the enormous face in the clouds spoke once more. “The Nine Great Heavenly Gods have issued an order. The man named Su Yi is hereby proclaimed a wanted criminal!

“Anyone who offers information regarding him shall, once the information has been verified, be admitted to the Kingdom of Lasting Light to continue their cultivation!

“Anyone who captures him alive will be rewarded generously by the Nine Great Heavenly Gods. Furthermore, this reward shall include an opportunity to ascend to the God Domain and continue their cultivation there!”

The entire city was in uproar.

“Who is Su Yi?”

“I haven’t heard of him. Have you?”

“Whoever he is, all nine of the Nine Great Heavenly Gods have jointly declared him a criminal. Whoever he is, I’m sure... he’s an utterly terrifying existence!”

“What a waste of breath. Were that not the case, how could he have alerted the Nine Great Heavenly Gods?”

After the envoy finished his decree and the first wave of uproar died down, a beam of golden light shot out of the clouds, reflecting a portrait in the air. It depicted a young man in blue with his hands behind his back. He stood in the air, gazing contemptuously into the dome of heaven. Although he seemed leisurely and relaxed, his bearing revealed hints of contemptuous, tyrannical pride.

...A clamor of voices arose on all sides. The masses didn’t recognize the young man in blue, but the leaders of the city’s various factions certainly did.

“It’s him!”

“Oh, so it’s that guy who killed the Blazing Sun Demon Monarch.”

The leaders of Fire Crow City’s factions all recognized Su Yi. Their hearts shook, and their expressions shifted. Their hearts shook, and their expressions filled with uncertainty.

The same thought rose unbidden to all of their minds: “Should we report this to the envoy?”

Wait.

He’s

the criminal wanted by the Nine Great Heavenly Gods of the Kingdom of Lasting Light?

Wu Lingchong’s eyes bulged.

Over the years, he’d never once heard of the Nine Great Heavenly Gods issuing a joint bounty request like this. It was unquestionably shocking!

Furthermore, the thought that

he

was traveling alongside such a wanted criminal threw Wu Lingchong into a daze. His heart filled with uncertainty.

What should I do? Do I seize this opportunity to flee? Can I draw a line between myself and him?

Meanwhile, outside of the city, that enormous face spoke once more in a voice that boomed like thunder.

“If you uncover any leads, you can report to Longevity Palace, Heaven’s Reliance Tower, Endless Void Temple, or the Celestial Purity Pavilion!

“Anyone who dares help the criminal hide shall be executed alongside their entire lineage!”

The voice shook the clouds.

Countless people gasped.

The leaders of the city’s factions were conflicted. Only they knew that the wanted criminal, Su Yi, was currently in Fire Crow City!

But reporting to the envoy of the Heavenly Gods would be enormously risky. If Su Yi discovered them, they’d lose their lives, and they risked implicating their entire factions.

But if they didn’t report and the Nine Great Heavenly Gods found out that Su Yi had appeared in the city, that would

implicate their sects and loved ones too

All of them felt conflicted and unsure of how to respond.

“His portrait has been posted in front of the city!”

The clouds surged. Having said his piece, the enormous face was just about to leave.

But then, a voice rang out. “Esteemed Envoy of the Heavenly Gods, please wait!”

A woman in black shot into the air, arrived in the skies over the city, and bowed in greeting.

“This junior is called Rui Liu. Earlier, the criminal Su Yi threatened and humiliated me. He’s hiding here!”

Gasps rang out throughout the city.

“That bitch!” Wu Lingchong gnashed his teeth.

Su Yi spared her life earlier. Who’d have thought she’d take this opportunity to stab him in the back?

The city’s higher-ups, meanwhile, sighed in relief. Now that a cultivator of Celestial Purity Palace had stepped up, there was no need for them to feel conflicted!

“Oh, is that true?” The enormous face was obviously stunned, and his eyes flashed with imposing divine radiance.

“This junior is a disciple of Celestial Purity Palace. I swear on my life!” Rui Liu said with a bow.

“Excellent!” The face smiled. “You’ve achieved enormous merit, and you shall be rewarded generously!”

Rui Liu smiled. There was no hiding her delight.

She would never have guessed that she’d run into such a wonderful opportunity just as she was about to leave Fire Crow City. She could borrow the envoy’s hands to get revenge on Su Yi,

and

receive a generous reward in the process.

Two birds, one stone!