Chapter 2243 - Life or Death: You Choose

That sword sheath slashed through the air as if a child had waved a tree branch about at random.

A black line suddenly appeared in the three hundred thousand feet of sky in front of Su Yi.

If heaven and earth were a sheet of white paper, the black line divided it in two, right down the midline.

If heaven and earth were a chessboard, the black line marked the boundary between the two players’ sides.

How terrifying were the full-force attacks of a Master God? Even heaven and earth showed signs of an imminent collapse.

But when they clashed with that horizontal black line, an unbelievable scene followed.

The black line silently devoured the pelting rain of all types of divine radiance and destructive power!

It didn’t produce the slightest ripple or make the slightest noise. It just silently devoured everything. The Master Gods’ attacks were like water vanishing into an abyss.

Heaven and earth were like a chessboard.

On that side of the line, heaven and earth collapsed, and currents of destructive power swept outward. On this side of the line, everything was calm and still.

It was just a demarcating line, yet it blocked every last one of the Nine-Tribulation Master Gods’ attacks.

But then, it wasn’t really a demarcating line. It was merely a sword gash.

One swing of that worn-out, practically decaying sword sheath, and a natural barrier formed, devouring everything!

“No——!” A shout full of terror and despair rang out.

The speaker was Shao Yunke. He’d taken out a Dao Sword earlier, but now, a giant, invisible hand had seized it, pulling it uncontrollably closer to that black dividing line.

Then, it too vanished without a trace.

Immediately afterward, startled, enraged shouts rang out.

“Dammit!!”

“Give it back to me!”

The other Master Gods who’d attacked just now panicked, too. All of their sabers, fly-whisks, treasure towers, spears, and other divine treasures had been devoured by that mysterious sword mark!

Their connection to their treasures had been severed too, and all of them suffered the resulting backlash. Some coughed up blood, while others paled, staggered backward, grunted in agony, or trembled from head to toe.

This strange, unsettling scene immediately startled everyone present.

“What terrifying power!!” Master Gods Yun He, Tian Huang, and Severed Heavens gasped.

They’d been prepared to attack just now, too. Their goal was to catch Su Yi off guard and capture him in a single attempt.

They would never have guessed that Su Yi could effortlessly neutralize the joint attack of nine Nine-Tribulation Master Gods in a single, casual strike!

“This...” The Dipankara Buddha and the Angler’s pupils constricted.

That sword mark was incomparably strange. It really seemed to have cleaved open heaven and earth, splitting the natural order of the surrounding area!

Any attack that drew near it would vanish from the face of the planet and enter another world altogether.

Even Divine Priestess Celestial Rains and the Heaven-Swallowing Toad Ancestor realized how terrifying this sword mark was, but they were more excited than scared. Both of them knew that Su Yi was the key to winning this chess match.

If anything happened to Su Yi, it would mean they’d lost! Fortunately, Su Yi hadn’t disappointed them.

“You blocked it, just like that!?” Divine Corpse Blood Robe and Si Ming were unwittingly stunned. Both were left wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

Nine Nine-Tribulation Master Gods had joined forces. Their combined power was enough to make any of them give in to despair.

Yet Su Yi had neutralized their combined onslaught with a single swing of a sword sheath. It was unquestionably far too unbelievable.

Over on Skybright Mountain, Xi Ning, Xi Jingshan, and the other Xi clansmen felt as if they’d just had a close brush with death.

Had those attacks descended upon them in full force, all of them would have died, and Skybright Mountain would have been wiped from the face of the God Domain!

Fortunately, none of that came to pass.

“Did he just cleave through the natural order in a single slash and tear open a spacetime rift?”

“How terrifying!!”

“Where did that sword sheath come from?”

...Beyond the battlefield, the hidden onlookers gasped. They’d been eyeing the situation hungrily, just waiting for an opening, but now, they’d obviously been startled.

“He tore open time and space in a single slash? But this is the God Domain! Not even Undying divine treasures can do that!”

Over on that unassuming little hillock, the black-robed Di E roared in an uncharacteristic loss of composure, “That sheath has to be a taboo treasure! And no ordinary taboo treasure at that!!”

In the god domain, the Laws of the natural order were so firm that even Master Gods struggled to truly tear through spacetime!

Otherwise, those old-timers of other eras would have left their spacetime forbidden zones and entered the present-day God Domain a long time ago. If it were so easy, why wait all this time?

Yet now, Su Yi had used a sword sheath to tear a rift through time and space, effectively opening a portal to another spacetime! It was for this reason that the nine Nine-Tribulation Master Gods’ attacks silently vanished.

Who wouldn’t have been surprised?

That slash severed the natural order of heaven and earth, opening a spacetime rift. The nine Nine-Tribulation Master Gods’ attacks effectively struck another world. How could they possibly have damaged Su Yi in the slightest?

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

“You tried to steal a chicken, only to lose the rice you tried to bait it with. You brought this upon yourselves!” The old man threw back his head and laughed.

Su Yi had done more than just neutralize his enemies’ attacks. That sword gash had even devoured their Undying Realm weapons! This was an absolutely enormous loss.

That strange sword marking vanished from heaven and earth. It was as if nothing had ever happened.

But who’d have dared to pretend that nothing had happened? When the crowd next looked at Su Yi, their gazes had shifted, and their expressions were full of bewilderment.

The old-timers' hearts and minds quivered, especially when they next looked at the roughly foot-long, rusted sword sheath.

What kind of terrifying, taboo treasure is that?

“I’ll give you an opportunity. Leave immediately, and I won’t pursue this any further,” Su Yi said calmly.

This light, airy sentence made many of the old monsters’ hearts shake. This time, they sensed an altogether different flavor.

“If that sword sheath of yours is so strong, why not seize this opportunity to just kill us all?” Master God Tian Huang said with a cold laugh. “Could it be that with your current strength, you won’t be able to use it much longer?”

Many of the others’ expressions shifted inscrutably at the idea.

Su Yi laughed and said, “You’re right. With my current power, it’s hard to display this treasure’s true power. That said...”

He looked directly at Master God Tian Huang. “If this really comes to a life-or-death struggle, it might cost me dearly, but you’re certain to pay a far, far heavier price!”

“I don’t believe it!” Shao Yunke said coldly. “I just know that so long as Li Fuyou has the strength left to fight, there’s no way he’ll back down! So if you retreat now, it’ll mean you’ve hit your limit!”

Many of the old monsters familiar with Li Fuyou couldn’t help but nod. It was true. Back then, when Li Fuyou fought on the Boundless Battlefield, he never shrank back or made concessions, not even when only a wisp of his soul remained!

Yet now, Su Yi, Li Fuyou’s reincarnation, had suggested that they let things end here. Who’d believe it?

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh dryly. “You think you’re clever, but since you’re here on the chessboard, you’re just pawns in the eyes of those outside it. I’m choosing to relent, not because I’m too afraid to kill you, but because I don’t want to waste my energy on mere pawns like you.”

The gods’ expressions filled with uncertainty.

Su Yi’s words weren’t exactly alarmist, as the old-timers all knew that there were indeed countless eyes watching from the shadows!

If they really got locked in bloody combat, both parties would get injured. That would only benefit the people lying in wait!

“Life or death. Choose for yourselves.” Su Yi drew his fingertip across the sword sheath and swept his gaze across the crowd. “I’ll just ask you this. Will you retreat, or not?”

Master God Yun He and the others hesitated. There was no denying that witnessing the sheath’s terrifying power came as an enormous mental blow. Their hearts were full of dread.

Moreover, they were all from different orthodoxies. It might have seemed like they were working together, but in truth, they were in no way united. They couldn’t possibly advance and retreat side by side. All of them were afraid that they’d die and become someone else’s stepping stone.

Thus, they hesitated. None of them dared to act rashly.

But they weren’t willing to just give up, either.

For a while, they just stood there, staring each other down.

The atmosphere was as oppressive as could be.

Su Yi’s contemptuous, domineering bearing made all of them raise an eyebrow.

He’d been domineering right from the start. He was just one person, but he’d firmly controlled the direction of this chess game, anticipating his enemies’ moves before they made them and defeating their hidden cards, one after another.

Now that he’d offered to let things end here, his enemies couldn’t help but take their time to weigh the advantages and disadvantages.

His abilities and courage left countless onlookers sighing with astonishment.

Was Su Yi making concessions?

No. After weighing the pros and cons, he’d just decided to give his enemies a choice!

If Su Yi hadn’t had so many powerful methods at his disposal, who’d have concerned themselves with anything he said?

“Hmph!” Suddenly, a cold snort resounded throughout heaven and earth. “What pawns? What chess pieces? With this lofty one here, how could anyone else swoop in and run off with the benefits?”

This was Di E’s voice. It was utterly dignified, and it boomed throughout the surrounding area, shaking the hearts of all who heard it.

“The boy is already a beetle in a jar or a bird in a cage. His fortune has run out. If we don’t seize this opportunity to capture him, I’m afraid... we won’t get another chance like this.

“Attack immediately, and kill him, no matter the cost! If anyone dares shrink back, don’t blame this lofty one for getting even with them later!”

Master God Yun He and the others’ expressions shifted. The worried looks on their brows vanished, and their whole bodies surged with murderous intent.

But then, another voice rang out, this one aged and hoarse. “Di E, our bet is still underway. There’s no way this old man will let you renege on our bet, let alone intervene in this.

“Fellow Daoist Su, you needn’t concern yourself with Di E’s threats. This old man has only a few years left to live. I’ll help you hold Di E back even if it kills me!”

Boom!

The crowd was in uproar.

Many of them were only just now realizing that another secret confrontation had been underway outside the chessboard.

Su Yi naturally knew who the players were. One was Di E, while the other was naturally Si Ming’s master, the “old man who refused to die.”

“Hah? If I really go all out, how could you possibly be a match for me, old man?” Di E sneered.

His voice boomed throughout heaven and earth once more.

“Do as I told you. Hurry up and attack him!”