Chapter 2337 - The Butcher

Su Yi could tell at a glance that the River Child wanted to cling to him, so he didn’t hesitate to kick him off his leg without the slightest politeness.

Thud!

The River Child’s butt slammed to the ground, but he didn’t care in the slightest. He just scratched his head and smiled foolishly. “What a wondrous kick! You used just the right amount of force, and it was crisp and direct. It was just enough to knock me to the ground without hurting me in the slightest. Truly wondrous!”

Wan Zitian didn’t know what to say to that. “...”

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. When a strange, terrifying character like the River Child acted shamelessly, it was the biggest headache of all.

“Hold tight to that umbrella and leave immediately!” Su Yi gestured to the black umbrella. “So long as you don’t cause trouble, you’ll have no need to fear divine punishment.”

That was the Umbrella of Tribulations, one of the Nine Mysteries of Chaos. It could obscure the mysteries of the heavens and hide the River Child’s aura completely.

The River Child was frantic. He said pitifully, “Fellow Daoist Su, no, Your Excellency Su, no, Grandpa Su! I beg you, let me come with you! I promise to do whatever you say, no matter what!”

He knew that someone of his disposition was sure to get into trouble, and if he ran into a real opponent, the Umbrella of Tribulations wouldn’t be enough to hide him.

Staying by Su Yi’s side was the safest, most reliable approach.

“I know nothing of the outside world. I’m just a pitiful child leaving home for the first time. What if I run into evil people? I’ll be finished!” said the River Child, weeping and dribbling snot. He looked as pathetic as could be.

But Wan Zitian struggled to hold in laughter.

What bad person could possibly hurt you?

Liuxiang Hen was a Nine-Tribulation Master God, and you crushed him to pieces!

Still, there was no denying that the River Child was a master of puppy-dog eyes. He could weep on command, and he was completely shameless.

He’d tricked even Liuxiang Hen and the other old-timers earlier. All of them had taken him for an unassuming little kid.

But that only made Su Yi even more certain that he couldn’t keep the River Child around; someone like him was sure to invite trouble, and Su Yi had more than enough trouble already. Who knew how many obstacles he’d have to overcome with a harbinger of disaster like the River Child by his side?

“If you keep refusing to leave, don’t blame me for taking the Umbrella of Tribulations back,” Su Yi said staunchly.

The River Child stiffened, then crawled to his feet. He took one last pitiful, aggrieved look at Su Yi, then gripped the umbrella and left.

That tiny figure with the massive black umbrella faded into the distance, looking utterly forlorn.

Even Wan Zitian found it hard to take. “Brother Fuyou, the River Child might be strong, but he’s never explored the outside world before. Why not keep him with you for a while?”

The River Child came to an abrupt stop and pricked up his ears.

Su Yi said calmly, “Why worry about a child as old as him? He’s survived since the Age of Supreme Emergence. Giving him the Umbrella of Tribulations was already an act of the utmost compassion.”

“Come on, let’s go.” With that, he turned and left.

When Wan Zitian saw this, he made no further attempts to persuade Su Yi. He just followed him.

The River Child pouted, let out a long sigh, then left on his own.

......

A treasure ship shot through the air.

Su Yi rested languidly on deck, using his arms as a pillow. His whole body relaxed.

“Brother Fuyou, what do you plan to do next?” asked Wan Zitian.

“What do I plan to do...? Su Yi shook his head. He’d originally planned to lie low in Qingwu Divine Court and wait for the Dark Days of Legend.

But no amount of planning could account for everything. First, there’d been the battle at Skybright Mountain, then the battle at Cloudy Heights Temple. In the end, Qingwu Divine Court had realized his identity, ruining his plans of lying low there.

After that, it was straight to the Severed Heavens Demon Court. He’d barely had any time to breathe before rushing off to the Ruins of Supreme Emergence.

It was just one thing after another. There were too many waves and too many variables. Everything felt out of his control.

Now, Su Yi wanted to take his time to relax thoroughly, then explore for a while, heedless of the passage of time and worldly strife. He needed time to settle back into himself.

When Wan Zitian heard what he was thinking, he sighed, “It’s true. It’s been just a few short years since you returned to the God Domain, but far too much has happened, and your enemies have been leading you around by the nose this entire time. It really hasn’t been easy for you.”

He paused, then said, “Then take some time to relax and go where you want to go.”

“What about you?” asked Su Yi. “What are your plans?”

Wan Zitian’s spirits soared. He said eagerly, “I’m going to refine that Flying Light Grass and make contact with the River of Destiny!”

He’d successfully acquired Flying LIght Grass on this trip to the Ruins of Supreme Emergence. All he had to do now was go into seclusion and refine it.

Su Yi promptly made a decision. “Very well. Let’s find a city—any will do—and eat and drink to our heart’s content. Then, we can go our separate ways!”

“Alright!” Wan Zitian smiled and agreed.

But a moment later, his smile vanished. He rose, his eyes flashing like lightning as he gazed into the distance.

The dome of heaven was clear, blue, and dotted with white clouds.

An extremely tall figure stood amidst the sea of clouds. He was dressed in worn-out, undying robes, and he wore a conical hat. His left arm was missing, and the empty sleeve waved about in the wind.

He carried a black coffin on his back.

The treasure ship came to an abrupt stop.

A solemn look appeared on Wan Zitian’s face. “I didn’t realize you were still alive, old man.”

He wasn’t sure when, but Su Yi had gotten back to his feet. When he saw the one-armed man in the distance, his eyebrows rose.

During Li Fuyou’s time exploring the God Domain, there was a legendary, unparalleled saber cultivator. He fought all across the God Domain, and practically none could oppose him.

His saber had taken the heads of even Nine-Tribulation Master Gods, and he’d killed until the heavens trembled.

No one knew his name, so they called him the Butcher.

To the world’s saber cultivators, the Butcher was a supreme expert of their path. They honored him as a Supreme Venerate of the Saber!

The one-armed man with the conical hat and the black coffin was none other than the Butcher!

“Li Fuyou, I’m glad you’re still alive.” The Butcher gazed at him through the sea of clouds, lifting his conical hat to reveal his coarse, aged features.

“Are you here for revenge?” Su Yi asked softly.

Although almost no one knew it, a long, long time ago, this supreme saber cultivator had lost to Li Fuyou.

It was also Li Fuyou who’d severed his arm!

“No, I’m here for the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing.” The Butcher approached from afar. “I need a good saber to cleave through the threshold of the River of Destiny, and the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing is perfectly suited for the job.”

As he drew near, the sea of clouds split and collapsed, and an oppressive, terrifying pressure swept outward.

The originally clear blue skies abruptly dimmed.

“Ludicrous! The Skywalking Monk, Mo Ye of Cloudy Heights Temple, had the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing all this time. Why not simply seize it from him?” Wan Zitian’s brow furrowed. His robes billowed around him, and his sword intent rumbled and boomed.

“Because Mo Ye is the Dipankara Buddha’s martial nephew, and I owe the Dipankara a favor.” The Butcher stopped several thousand feet away, then took off his conical hat and tossed it away, letting his tangled, unruly hair flutter in the wind.

“But it’s different now.” His eyes flashed like the edge of a saber. “There’s no further need to concern myself with that!”

“So it was the Dipankara Buddha who told you that the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing had fallen into my hands?” asked Su Yi.

“That’s right.” The Butcher said forthrightly. “I know he wants to use me to defeat you, but that doesn’t matter. Once this has been resolved, I will no longer owe anyone any favors!”

Wan Zitian’s expression darkened.

The Dipankara Buddha really is behind this!

And there’s no denying that the Butcher has a grudge with Brother Fuyou, and an irreconcilable one at that!

“So that’s it.” Su Yi nodded. “I can understand that.”

“I’ll fight him!” Wan Zitian shot forth, his sword intent rising into the heavens. Terrifying sword force enveloped the distant Butcher.

The Butcher shook his head. “You’re no match for me.”

He’d only just said this when....

Clang!

The impassioned hum of a saber rang out.

Heaven and earth abruptly darkened, and a perfectly straight gash appeared, cleaving through the mountains and rivers as if they were made of tofu.

And at the far end of that gash...

Bang!!!

A massive impact rang out.

Wan Zitian was forced several hundred feet back, a bloody gash on his shoulder. It was so deep that even his bones were visible.

The Butcher, meanwhile, stood there, hands empty, firm as a mountain. He hadn’t even budged.

Wan Zitian frowned. “Have you already touched the threshold of the River of Destiny?”

“That’s right.” The Butcher nodded. “After losing to Li Fuyou, two of my three souls were destroyed. However, thanks to my misfortune, I gained enlightenment and grasped the truths of ‘supreme strength in ultimate simplicity, and all Daos converging into one.’ My cultivation ultimately rose instead of falling, and I grasped a hint of the essence of the River of Destiny!”

Wan Zitian had a complicated look on his face. He’d sought out Flying Light Grass in hopes of finding an opportunity to touch the threshold of the River of Destiny.

He would never have guessed that the Butcher, once an expert of the same level, would beat him to it.

Even Wan Zitian had no choice but to admit that the Butcher was a terrifying figure.

To the best of his knowledge, after Li Fuyou destroyed two of his three souls, the Butcher was practically crippled. He fell from the pinnacle of the God Domain and hit rock bottom.

Who could have imagined that the next time they met, the Butcher would be far stronger than at his former peak?

“Step aside. I’m not here to kill you,” the Butcher said calmly. “You can’t block my saber anyway.”

This time, Su Yi finally spoke up. “Step aside, Ol’ Wan. Don’t worry; he can’t hurt me.”

Wan Zitian fell briefly silent before doing as he was told.

Su Yi, meanwhile, walked up to the head of the boat and faced the Butcher directly. “What’s in that coffin on your back?”

“Nothing whatsoever.” The Butcher fell briefly silent before saying, “In all my eyes of cultivation, I suffered just one major loss, and it was by your hand. That defeat has since plagued me like a demon of the heart.

“Thus, I made this coffin for you. Once I’ve killed you, I’ll bury you inside it and sever my heart devil once and for all!

“But if you give me the Blade of Heaven’s Loathing, I can show mercy.”

His gaze was increasingly calm and heavy. His expression was as unwavering as the waters of an ancient well, with no sign of either joy or sorrow.

Wan Zitian’s pupils constricted.

“You prepared that coffin for me?” Su Yi was briefly stunned, but then he laughed. “I can already say with some degree of certainty that you won’t be able to sever that heart devil of yours.