Chapter 2015: Apologies!

The raging waves churned, and thunder boomed. The entire Chaotic Skies Watershed was thrown into chaos and upheaval. It was perilous and terrifying.

Yet four figures had appeared at the periphery of these treacherous waters.

One was a middle-aged Daoist in fiery robes. His hair was tied into a Daoist topknot, and he had a Bagua mirror carved out of a black tortoiseshell on his back. He carried a fly whisk.

The second man in beast skins whose hair and beard were disheveled. He was broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, and his skin was the color of copper. He was about ten feet tall, and he carried a white bone spear.

The third was a mature, dignified woman in a feather dress. Her features were exquisitely beautiful, and her skin was as fair and smooth as lamb suet.

She stood atop a vicious bird that looked like a Great Peng, except that its face was like a hideously contorted mask. Its black wings were like enormous clouds blotting out the sun, and its entire body was swathed in stingingly bright, baleful black light.

The fourth and final person was a slender young woman in white. She stood in front of the others, her face obscured by a conical hat with a veil attached to it. Only her smooth lower jaw was visible.

When Su Yi glanced over, he couldn’t help but look surprised, and his gaze paused on the middle-aged Daoist.

At the same time, the middle-aged Daoist turned his head to look at Su Yi.

Whoosh!

A flash of golden light shaped like the character “十” appeared in his eyes, like criss-crossed blades cleaving through the sky and intimidating the soul.

Su Yi’s gaze was perfectly calm, without the barest ripple of surprise.

The imposing power within that strike assailed his soul—or rather, tried to. It was immediately neutralized, and ultimately did no more harm than a gentle breeze carressing Su Yi’s face.

Wu Lingchong, however, let out a muffled grunt of agony, and he felt a piercing pain in his soul. His heart shook.

But at a critical juncture, Su Yi grunted coldly.

Boom!

To Wu Lingchong, that cold grunt was like a magic invocation. It suppressed and shattered the power assailing his soul with ease.

“Ee?” In the distance, the middle-aged Daoist couldn’t help but exclaim, “Interesting.”

As he spoke, the golden light in his eyes faded.

Meanwhile, the woman in the feather dress, the man in beast skins, and the woman in the veiled conical hat looked over, startled.

Each wore a different expression on their face, and they put enormous pressure on Wu Lingchong. His expression immediately shifted.

This was because all of them, from the woman in the feather dress to the man in beast skins, had terrifying auras far beyond the bounds of the Three Stages of the Great Realm!

The only exception was the veiled young woman. Her aura was inscrutable and mysterious, and it didn’t draw attention.

Fortunately, the three of them quickly retracted their gazes.

“Did they hurt you?” asked Su Yi.

He could tell that the middle-aged man had done that on purpose. It might have seemed like he was just gazing at them from afar, but in truth, his gaze was full of omnipresent power. It shook and intimidated Wu Lingchong, throwing his mind and spirit into disarray!

Wu Lingchong shook his head and transmitted, “Daoist Brother, those people are far too dangerous. They obviously aren’t in the Great Realm!”

“Mm,” said Su Yi. “The woman in the conical hat aside, two of them are demigods, and one is a false god."

A false god!

These were experts who’d stepped into the Divine Dao, but who hadn’t manifested Godheads. They were stronger than demigods, but they were considerably weaker than true Lesser Gods.

The main issue was that without Godheads, they couldn’t condense or control Divine Laws. False gods differed from true gods in that when they proved their Daos and achieved divinity, the Epoch Laws they refined were incomplete.

Wu Lingchong quivered, then transmitted, “I think I know who you’re talking about. The false god is that middle-aged Daoist, right? He’s most likely ‘Ol’ Fiend Thunder!’ One of the most infamous and unparalleled monsters of the River of Epochs!

Ol’ Fiend Thunder was prominent expert of the heretical path famed throughout the River of Epochs. He’d been active for years, and he was famous for his insidiousness and ruthlessness.

There was no doubt about it. The two Demigods Su Yi spoke of were his companions, the woman in the feather dress and the man in beast skins.

Add the woman in the conical hat to the mix and, as small as this lineup might have seemed, it was strong enough to explore the River of Epochs freely. Most Great Realm experts would have paled at the mere thought of them!

“Come on, let’s have a closer look,” said Su Yi. He was already rising from his wicker chair and directing the Sword of Proximity closer to the Chaotic Skies Watershed.

Wu Lingchong froze, stunned. A ludicrous idea suddenly occurred to him.

Don’t tell me Daoist Brother Su wants to fight Ol’ Fiend Thunder?

At the same time, Ol’ Fiend Thunder and his companions noticed Su Yi and Wu Lingchong’s approach. Their expressions instantly shifted.

“I wouldn’t have thought those two would deliver themselves to us of their own volition,” the man in beast skins said with a grin.

The woman in the feather dress glared at him. “For now, don’t do anything reckless.”

They’d discovered Su Yi and Wu Lingchong earlier, and they could tell at a glance that the Sword of Proximity wasn’t simple. They suspected it was an Epoch Treasure!

All of them were enormously tempted, but out of caution, they didn’t rush to attack. Instead, they pretended they hadn’t noticed anything, all the while secretly discussing their approach.

But against all expectations, before they’d even finished hashing out a plan, Su Yi and Wu Lingchong approached of their own volition. The four of them couldn’t help but be startled.

Do those two plan to throw themselves into our net?

“Let’s get a feel for their abilities and backgrounds first. It won’t be too late to attack after we’ve done due diligence,” said the middle-aged Daoist, Ol’ Fiend Thunder.

Meanwhile, Su Yi and Wu Lingchong were almost upon them and getting closer and closer.

Ol’ Fiend Thunder and the others were unwittingly stunned.

Before they could respond, Su Yi said calmly, “This is our first meeting, and there’s no grudge between us, yet you attacked us with your eyes. Don’t you think you ought to give us an explanation?”

Ol’ Fiend Thunder and the others exchanged glances. They almost couldn’t believe their ears.

This guy dares demand an explanation from us?

The veiled woman in the conical hat couldn’t help but turn and re-evaluate Su Yi. She seemed startled.

Wu Lingchong, meanwhile, tensed. He would never have guessed that Su Yi would demand an explanation from a false god! He was just… far too domineering!

“An explanation?” Ol’ Fiend Thunder smiled as he looked Su Yi up and down, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Young man, what kind of explanation are you looking for?”

The man in beast skins and the woman in the feather dress looked at him strangely, as if they were evaluating prey that had delivered itself to them of its own accord. Their gazes were full of mockery.

“I disdain to make trouble for you, but…” Su Yi gestured to Wu Lingchong. “You must apologize to him.”

The group instantly burst into uproarious laughter.

Interesting! This young man obviously has no idea who we are. This is fearlessness born of ignorance!

Ol’ Fiend Thunder couldn’t help but grin. “It’s been a long time since I last wandered the River of Epochs. Perhaps that’s why now even kids like you dare to order me about.”

His voice was dripping with mockery.

Su Yi said calmly, “There’s no grudge between us, so I gave you the opportunity to apologize. Remain stubborn, and I’ll kill you where you stand!”

The group’s smiles faded. Ol’ Fiend Thunder’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flashed.

The atmosphere silently grew stifled.

Suddenly, the woman in the conical hat said, “Our business comes first. Let’s avoid anything that could lead to trouble. Besides, you really were in the wrong earlier.”

Her voice was raspy and soft, with a hint of unique magnetism.

Ol’ Fiend Thunder’s eyelids twitched, and he snorted coldly. “Do you really want me to apologize to him?”

“Don’t you think you ought to?” The woman looked up and stared intently at Ol’ Fiend Thunder. “If you delay our business, I won’t fulfill my end of our bargain.”

Ol’ Fiend Thunder’s expression darkened, and his eyes surged with fury and murderous intent.

But just when everyone assumed he’d fly into a rage, he laughed. “You’re right, lass. I was rude earlier.”

He then flippantly clasped his fist and said to Wu Lingchong, “I humbly request your understanding, Fellow Daoist!”

Wu Lingchong was silent.

A False God is apologizing to me? How… How should I respond? What response would seem toughest?

But before Wu Lingchong could respond, Su Yi said flatly, “Your attitude was off. Do it again.”

“You…” Ol’ Fiend Thunder’s eyes glinted with unconcealed coldness, and his murderous intent overflowed. The woman in the feather dress and the man in beast skins scowled too.

The woman in the conical hat said, “It’s an apology, that’s all. What’s the harm in it? Must you delay our business before you’re satisfied?”

Ol’ Fiend Thunder’s face alternated white and green, but after a moment’s hesitation, he took a deep breath, suppressed the murderous intent building in his chest, and apologized once more. “I was truly rude to you earlier, and I humbly request your understanding.”

Wu Lingchong could clearly sense the false god’s anger. Still, the sight of him apologizing a second time was deeply, deeply satisfying. He forced himself to feign calm, then gave a reserved wave. “Just don’t do it again.”

“Hah!” Ol’ Fiend Thunder laughed, but his smile was extraordinarily unsettling.

Su Yi smiled too, then said casually, “You ought to celebrate the decision you just made. Had you refused, you’d already be dead.”

“Enough. Fellow Daoist, you should hold your tongue, too.” The woman in the conical hat glanced at Su Yi coldly. “I saved you once, but I can’t necessarily save you a second time. Rein it in a little, and stop inviting disasters upon yourself.”

Then, she pointedly disregarded Su Yi and looked at Ol’ Fiend Thunder. “You can begin.”

“Got it!” Ol’ Fiend Thunder plucked the Bagua mirror off his back and flung it. It instantly lit up with dazzling light, illuminating the entire stretch of sky.

Kaboom!

The Bagua mirror shone in midair, paving a resplendent path of golden light through the raging waves of the Chaotic Skies Watershed. It led deeper inside.

The woman in the conical hat was the first to step onto this golden road. Ol’ Fiend Thunder and the man in beast skins hurried after her.

The mature beauty in the feather coat, however, turned and smiled at Su Yi. “Have you perhaps come to the Chaotic Skies Watershed to visit the City of the Lost, too?”

“Indeed,” said Su Yi. He saw no need to hide it.

The mature beauty laughed. “How about we travel together?”

“We can’t!” said the woman in the conical hat. “We have important business to attend to. How could we let outsiders get involved?”

The mature beauty in the feather dress laughed. “But with their abilities, visiting the City of the Lost will mean all but certain doom. If we bring them with us, we can help them. Consider this doing a good deed.”

Su Yi immediately put away the Sword of Proximity and led Wu Lingchong onto the road of golden light. “I’ll just have to thank you, then.”

He was so crisp and direct that the woman in the conical hat didn’t even have time to refuse.

The mature beauty was stunned too.

Is this guy… seriously not at all afraid of us?