Chapter 2329 - The Cruelest Fate of All

The Blazing Sundial stood tall. All was silent on all sides.

After a moment’s silence, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye said, “I once controlled the Blazing Sundial, and I used it to borrow the power of the Flame of Divine Emergence. I, more than anyone else in this world, understand how terrifying and taboo the Flame of Supreme Emergence really is.”

He let out a self-deprecating sigh. “Look at my wretched state. As I’m sure you can tell, I... played with fire and got burned!”

He was one of the Three Celestial Venerates of the Age of Supreme Emergence. He was far beyond even other Nine-Tribulation Master Gods.

However...

When the cataclysm that ended the Age of Supreme Emergence descended, he was nonetheless trapped, clinging to existence in the Blazing Sundial. It was easy to imagine how terrifying the Cataclysm of Supreme Emergence had been.

Su Yi took out a jug of wine and had a sip. “Forgive my boldness, but just what is your current situation?”

“My physical body has been destroyed,” said Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye. “All that remains is a wisp of soul origin attached to the Blazing Sundial.”

Su Yi’s gaze focused.

“Earlier, the Mountain Guardian said he thought you were the only person with a real shot of controlling the Flame of Supreme Emergence, but I disagreed. This is why,” said Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye. “It’s too taboo! The slightest misstep can lead to doom!”

Su Yi rubbed his forehead and put the jug of wine away. “I still want to try.”

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye instantly fell silent. After a while, he finally said with exasperation, “I knew I wouldn’t be able to persuade you. Very well. If you’ve prepared, go right ahead.”

Su Yi nodded, then took a step toward the Blazing Sundial.

Twelve beast skins took to the sky, transforming into totems of the twelve animals of the zodiac.

Boom!

The still, unmoving Blazing Sundial instantly started rumbling.

The twelve totems instantly blurred into beams of light and fused into twelve demarcations of the Blazing Sundial. Dazzling flames of temporal light surged from its surface, searing hot.

Su Yi, meanwhile, confidently stepped forward, his fingers forming seals. He stretched out his palms and raised them into the air.

Weng!!

The roughly ten-foot Blazing Sundial emitted a strange rumbling, then shrank down to the size of a fist and landed in Su Yi’s palm.

In the process of overcoming the twelve hidden realms, Su Yi had acquired all twelve chapters of the secret method to control the sundial.

He was now seizing control of the Blazing Sundial, a divine chaos treasure!

As soon as he did, a wondrous sensation flooded into his heart. Everything around him shifted. Temporal light flashed by, the stars revolved, and he found himself drifting along a boundless flood of temporal power.

What lay at the end of the flow of time?

No one knew, not even the gods. Even the most ancient of tomes had nothing to say on the matter.

Su Yi, however, felt as if he were racing toward the far reaches of time.

An unknown amount of time later, he saw that in the end, everything gave way to darkness!

Endless darkness. It was as if he’d gone blind—no, it was as if he’d lost all connection to his senses. He felt nothing at all.

Did a void lay at the far end of the flow of time? Or endless darkness?

Su Yi didn’t know. All he felt was the overwhelming pressure of the endless darkness. It was intent on engulfing him. This feeling of seeing and sensing nothing at all was enough to make people give in to despair.

Su Yi suddenly realized that he’d run into real danger this time. A lethal threat had arrived silently and without warning!

He didn’t hesitate to control the power of the Blazing Sundial.

Except... it didn’t respond. The darkness was like an endless abyss. He could do nothing to dispel it.

Trapped in its center, it was as if everything stood still. He was trapped in an endless void.

What shocked Su Yi most of all was that even the Whip of Supreme Emergence was useless!

Here in the darkness of the void, all powers were ineffective.

The feeling of an impending lethal threat grew stronger and stronger in Su Yi’s heart. It was as if an unknown threat lurked in the darkness, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. A moment later, he fell silent.

Time slipped by.

No, here in the darkness, he couldn’t even sense the passage of time. Everything had fallen strangely still.

“Impressive!” After a while, Su Yi sighed deeply.

Horrifyingly, although he spoke, he produced no sound.

But Su Yi didn’t mind. He just said self-deprecatingly, “I’m already trapped. Why not seize the opportunity to strike?”

No one responded.

Su Yi’s voice made no sound, either. It was as if he were talking to himself, yet unable to make any noise.

He said no more. He couldn’t see or sense anything, but he was certain that he held the Blazing Sundial. The moment he let go, this strange darkness and stillness would vanish.

But he couldn’t let go even if he wanted to.

Because his heart and body were trapped here. He couldn’t even sense anything; he certainly had no means of tossing the sundial away.

It was all just too strange and sinister.

Anyone else, no matter their cultivation base, would have struggled to stay calm. Even those with staunch Dao Hearts would have struggled frantically with all their might.

But Su Yi didn’t. His instincts told him that a lethal threat was close at hand. The moment his heart wavered, it would strike!

He wouldn’t give his enemy the opportunity.

He just continued speaking in silence, utterly unperturbed. “If you stop now, I can leave you a chance at life. If I have to attack you, this is sure to end with your death.”

He still made no sound, and the dark void remained silent. No one responded.

Su Yi shook his head, then no longer hesitated. This time, he used the power of reincarnation to power the Blazing Sundial.

An unbelievable scene followed. The seemingly endless darkness suddenly burned like boiling oil over a raging fire.

Crunch! Crack!!

A sound of sudden collapse rang out, and countless spatial tears tore open throughout the darkness.

The eerie stillness broke, and Su Yi’s senses instantly returned. He could see the rifts in the endless darkness, and the wisps of temporal light seeping out of them.

It was as if he’d been trapped in an airtight building, only for the walls to crack, letting the light of the heavens chase away the darkness!

Boom!

Su Yi continuously poured the power of reincarnation into the Blazing Sundial, and the darkness finally split and exploded with a bang.

A rain of light scattered, and the scenery returned to normal.

Su Yi was still standing in Sundial City, just where he’d been standing earlier. He hadn’t shifted positions in the slightest.

The Blazing Sundial still buzzed in his grip. The dense, mysterious power of reincarnation covered it completely.

The only thing different from before was that now, a figure stood not far away from him.

He was a gaunt old man in long, wide-sleeved black robes. He wore a Daoist headdress, and he looked ancient and worn by the passage of countless years.

His figure was indistinct, and he was swathed in wisps of temporal divine radiance. His aura was terrifying and imposing.

He was currently gazing intently at the power of reincarnation enveloping the Blazing Sundial, his expression conflicted.

“This... is the power of reincarnation?” the old man said hoarsely.

There was no doubt about it. This was Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye, those apprentice siblings’ master, and one of the three rulers of the Age of Supreme Emergence!

“That’s right.” Su Yi inclined his head. “You arranged for your disciple, Hong Li, to fight me because you wanted to see its mysteries for yourself. What do you think of it?”

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye sighed. “Had I known how wondrous the power of reincarnation was earlier, I might well have directly admitted defeat.”

Su Yi shook his head. “No, you wouldn’t have.”

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye looked stunned. “Why do you say that?”

“Given even the slightest chance, someone like you is sure to try to turn the tables. There’s no way you’d lower your head of your own accord,” said Su Yi.

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s expression shifted slightly. After a while, he sighed. “We only just met. I would never have guessed that you’d be the person to understand me best.”

Su Yi laughed. “That’s not true. We’ve already met many times, haven’t we?”

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye laughed bitterly. “Indeed, nothing escapes your notice. You sensed some of the truth back in the twelve hidden realms of the Blazing Sundial.”

Su Yi said nothing.

Earlier, he’d wondered why the twelve Realm Guardians of the Blazing Sundial, mere manifestations of the treasure’s source power, all had a distinct air of humanity about them.

Why did all of the Realm Guardians warn him to give up? Why did they insist he was going down a road of no return? And how did they all find out immediately whenever he acquired another Realm Guardian’s scroll?

All of it seemed out of the ordinary. Su Yi had long since pieced some of the hints together and reached a conclusion.

The twelve Realm Guardians had to be under Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s control!

That was the only explanation. After all, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had monopolized the Blazing Sundial since the Age of Supreme Emergence.

In other words, the Blazing Sundial belonged to Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye. How could he possibly be willing to let Su Yi seize control of it?

It was much like how there was absolutely no way that Su Yi would give anyone else the opportunity to seize the Sword of the Nine Hells.

This principle was easily understood, but sometimes, when you were right in the thick of it, even simple things were easily overlooked!

After a moment’s silence, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye said, “Fellow Daoist, if you understand that, there’s no need to hide it any further. It’s as you said earlier. Given even the slightest opportunity... No, even if there is no opportunity to be found, there’s no way I’d just stand back and let you achieve your aims.”

As he said that last part, his voice filled with determination.

Su Yi inclined his head. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye sighed. “I used the Blazing Sundial to prove my Dao and reach the pinnacle of the God Domain. I had one foot on the River of Destiny! Back then, I was like a ruler. I could gaze down upon all of creation!

“But there was one thing I couldn’t let go...” Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s expression filled with bitterness. “I spent my whole life contemplating the mysteries of the Flame of Supreme Emergence, but by the time the Cataclysm of Supreme Emergence arrived, I’d still yet to truly master them.

“I still had to use the Blazing Sundial to borrow the power of the Flame of Supreme Emergence...

“My goal was so close, and I could borrow its power, but try as I might, I could never truly make it my own!

“How... could you possibly understand how that feels?”

Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye shook his head, his voice hoarse and tinged with fury. “I could see the light of hope, but I couldn’t seize it. Nothing in this world... could be crueler than that!”