Chapter 2313 - The Five Great Sources

“Kneel!”

Wan Zitian swung his sword and attacked.

Clang!!

A heaven-shaking impact rang out. Divine radiance scattered, and the already badly injured Liuxiang Hen staggered back, then fell onto his butt.

That terrifying sword force had almost shattered both of his arms!

Most dangerous of all, a whip of divine punishment seized the opportunity to strike. Blood splattered, and he no longer had the strength to fight off Wan Zitian.

Wan Zitian naturally wouldn’t pass up on such a perfect opportunity. He suddenly leaped forward, then seized Liuxiang Hen by the throat.

“Don’t kill anyone!” the Mountain Guardian hurriedly called out.

But his warning was entirely extraneous. Had Wan Zitian wanted to kill Liuxiang Hen, a single slash would have been more than enough. There’d have been no need to seize him by the throat.

“Brother Yun He, save me—!!” Liuxiang Hen shrieked and struggled with all his might.

Bang!

A moment later, Wan Zitian seized him by the throat and smashed his head against the ground.

His face burst open like a blooming peach blossom, splattering fresh blood in all four directions.

Gasps arose throughout the crowd.

The other old-timers tried to save Liuxiang Hen, only for Su Yi to use the whips of divine punishment to force them back.

“That kowtow wasn’t loud enough. Do it again!” Wan Zitian gripped Liuxiang Hen’s throat, lifted his head like a brick, and was just about to slam it into the ground once more when...

Boom!

Suddenly, terrifying majesty swept throughout the area.

The entire Celestial Capital trembled, and the skies collapsed on all sides.

An arc of silver light shot through the air like a spear and descended upon Wan Zitian. Its speed was utterly shocking.

At a critical juncture, a whip of divine punishment appeared out of nowhere and slammed into the silver spear.

But then, much to the onlookers’ shock and horror, that silver arc exploded with unsurpassed power, shattering the whip of divine punishment!

The silver arc continued toward Wan Zitian, its strength entirely undiminished!

Wan Zitian sensed the danger, seized Liuxiang Hen, and used him as a shield. Liuxiang Hen freaked out. His eyes bulged in their sockets.

The power of that silver light was far beyond the bounds of the Undying Realm. It was terrifying beyond measure.

Liuxiang Hen was a Nine-Tribulation Master God, but even he couldn’t help but feel overcome with helplessness and despair.

But against all expectations, the silver light stopped three feet away from him and advanced no further. A moment later, it vanished completely, then landed in the hand of a distant figure.

Only then did the crowd notice that an extremely indistinct, ethereal figure had appeared beside Master God Yun He.

He was dressed in long robes, and his long hair hung loose. He was tall and thin, but no one could see his features clearly.

A stream of silver talisman markings flowed around him, emanating an immeasurable, Eternal aura.

Although his figure was extraordinarily indistinct, when he stood there, he had a contemptuous, prideful air, the unsurpassed majesty of one who’d transcended the world!

Everyone stiffened, their hearts and bodies quivering with irrepressible dread. It was as if they weren’t looking at a person, but rather, the ruler of the Dao of Heaven!

The Nine-Tribulation Master Gods were startled too. All of them reached the same conclusion:

An Eternal!!

Boom!

When the indistinct figure raised his hand and pressed down on the air, Su Yi suddenly found himself under terrifying suppression.

His pupils silently constricted, and he grunted coldly, then circulated the power of the Epoch Spark and directed the Supreme Emergence Source Power of the Celestial Capital with all his might. Only then did he neutralize that terrifying pressure.

But the injured Master Gods still managed to seize this opportunity to move further away.

“No wonder you activated my Eternal Avatar, Yun He. So, you were under the suppression of Supreme Emergence Source Power,” said that ethereal figure, his voice echoing throughout the entire area like the boundless ringing of a bell.

“I’m ashamed. We’ve embarrassed ourselves in front of you, Dao Venerate.” Master God Yun He inclined his head in greeting.

Practically simultaneously, the Mountain Guardian hurried forward to greet this new arrival with the utmost solemnity. “Long time no see, Dao Venerate Lu.”

A deathly silence descended over the area.

Everyone’s heart shook as they guessed who this ethereal figure was—

Dao Venerate Lu Shi! An existence who’d stepped onto the River of Destiny in the earliest days of the God Domain’s history!

Wan Zitian silently approached Su Yi, then transmitted, “That’s most likely just a portion of Dao Venerate Lu Shi’s will. If this turns into a fight, let me go first!”

His expression was utterly grim. Lu Shi’s avatar of will might have been ethereal and indistinct, but his majestic power was far too great. It was as if the incarnation of heaven had descended into their midst!

“No need for that,” Su Yi said calmly. “A wisp of will, that’s all. What harm can it do?”

Wan Zitian was gobsmacked.

Brother Fuyou seriously dares to disregard the avatar of an Eternal?

Su Yi didn’t explain, but back in the River of Epochs, he and the River Lord had discussed the Eternal Realm before.

According to the River Lord, before the Dark Days of Legend arrived, forces of the River of Destiny wouldn’t be able to interfere with the God Domain’s affairs by force.

That went for their avatars of will, too.

If they tried, they would inevitably suffer a backlash.

The River of Lord had stepped onto the River of Destiny a long, long time ago. There was no way he’d be mistaken about something like that.

That was why, the way Su Yi saw it, as unimaginably, terrifyingly strong as Lu Shi’s avatar of will was... if he went all out, he might well have a chance at victory!

“It really has been a long time.” Lu Shi’s avatar let out a rueful sigh. “I still recall the last time I was here. Your mistress was still there then, and she and I laughed, chatted, and discussed the Dao for forty-nine days straight.

“Now, I’ve returned as a mere avatar of will, and your mistress is nowhere to be found.”

It sounded like he was reminiscing, but his words shook the crowd’s hearts. None of them had known that the Mountain Guardian, the spirit of the Divine Dao Fortune Stele, had a mistress! Much less one that had discussed the Dao with Dao Venerate Lu Shi!

The Mountain Guardian said in a low voice, “My mistress told me that you were a wondrously capable, first-rate expert, and that his time discussing the Dao with you left a deep impression on her.”

Lu Shi smiled, then suddenly asked, “Then let me ask you this. Just where did that mistress of yours go?”

The Mountain Guardian visibly tensed in response. He lowered his head, then said, “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Lu Shi fell briefly silent. “Actually, I’ve known all along that although your mistress recognized me as a ‘fellow Daoist’, she didn’t acknowledge me as ‘someone of the same path.’”

His voice was tinged with ruefulness.

The Mountain Guardian said hurriedly, “Dao Venerate, you’re mistaken! My mistress...!”

Lu Shi smiled and waved dismissively. “No need to explain. That’s between me and your mistress. She and I know the truth.”

The Mountain Guardian instantly fell silent.

Many of the onlookers keenly sensed that the Mountain Guardian’s mistress and Dao Venerate Lu Shi weren’t simply “old friends”!

Lu Shi, meanwhile, set that matter aside and turned his attention toward Su Yi. “Congratulations, Fellow Daoist.”

Everyone was stunned once more.

Even Su Yi, who raised his eyebrows and asked, “Why congratulate me?”

“Supreme Emergence Source Power is one of the Five Great Sources of the present epoch civilization,” explained Dao Venerate Lu. “If you trace them back to their source, all Grand Daos of the God Domain are derived from one of the Five Great Sources.

“The Five Great Sources are like the origins of the Grand Dao in the God Domain, the root of the Laws, and the foundations of the natural order!

“Mastering even just one of them means an opportunity to rule the epoch civilizations of the present day!”

Everyone who heard this was astonished. Their hearts shook.

The Five Great Sources! The origins of the Grand Dao! Acquiring one gave you the potential to rule the epoch civilizations of the present day!!

And Su Yi had just acquired Supreme Emergence Source Power, one of the Five Great Sources! Who wouldn’t have been astonished?

“That is why I congratulated you,” said Dao Venerate Lu Shi. “You acquired Supreme Emergence Source Power before the Dark Days of Legend even arrived. Later... you’re sure to reach the pinnacle of the heavens, and you’ll have no need to fear failing to become the ruler of the epochs of the present day!”

The way everyone looked at Su Yi instantly shifted.

“Brother Fuyou, that old-timer is trying to flatter you to death! Whatever you do, don’t take it to heart!” Wan Zitian’s voice suddenly reached Su Yi’s ears.

Su Yi’s eyes narrowed. He’d realized that, too.

Someone of Lu Shi’s status had no need to explain the nature of Supreme Emergence Source Power in front of the crowd, yet he’d gone and done so anyway.

His goal was to reveal this to the public. When word spread throughout the God Domain, Su Yi would find himself the target of countless arrows!

But Su Yi wasn’t worried about that.

Countless people in the God Domain were already targeting him on account of the Epoch Spark and his power of reincarnation. Adding Supreme Emergence Source Power to the mix wouldn’t change a thing. Who cared if everyone found out about it?

But then, the Mountain Guardian cleared his throat and said, “I can tell that you value Fellow Daoist Su highly, Dao Venerate Lu, but please, forgive my rudeness: Fellow Daoist Su has only mastered a tiny portion of Supreme Emergence Source Power. His mastery is far from complete.

“And incomplete Supreme Emergence Source Power isn’t enough to let him establish himself as the ruler of the epochs of the present day.”

The crowd was stunned.

Incomplete?

Su Yi, however, understood.

It might seem like the Mountain Guardian is diminishing my accomplishment, but in truth, he’s trying to save me from disaster.

“Also...” The Mountain Guardian was just about to say more when Lu Shi interrupted him.

“Enough. I know you’re worried that others will target Su Yi, but there’s no hiding an extraordinary existence like him.

“After all, who doesn’t know that he’s the legendary figure who mastered reincarnation? Even some of the old-timers of the River of Destiny know his name!”

He spoke with so much emotion that those who didn’t know better would have assumed he was complimenting Su Yi.

But those who understood the situation felt their hearts quiver. Lu Shi was basically telling them that it wasn’t just the experts of the God Domain who were targeting Su Yi.

Even some of the Eternals of the River of Destiny were after him! Who wouldn’t have been astonished?

But then, Su Yi asked, “Are you done talking yet?”

His voice was full of blatant, undisguised impatience.

The crowd’s hearts shook. None of them could imagine how Su Yi could be so domineering even now.

But Lu Shi just laughed and thought nothing of it. “Please wait a moment longer, Fellow Daoist.”

He turned, then looked at Master God Yun He. “You really shouldn’t have used my avatar of will this time.”

It was just one sentence, calmly delivered, but Master God Yun He’s heart sank.

“Dao Venerate, please, don’t blame us. We... really had no choice!”