Chapter 2418 - Pushing Harder and Harder

A bet?

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “What kind of bet?”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie smiled. “Simple. You go into battle and fight one of our experts. We’ll release one captive for every battle you win.

“If you lose, the bet will end, and all of you will be finished.”

Luo Yao and the others’ hearts sank. Their expressions darkened.

You call that a bet? That’s just blatant bullying!

After all, who here doesn’t know that Su Yi is just a Greater God? Only they could suggest something so shameless!

Su Yi frowned, too, but before he could respond, Demon Emperor Chi Nie said, “Of course, in the name of fairness, neither side can use external items, much less external power! If you break the rules, we’ll kill a hostage!”

Wen Qingfeng roared, “Could you be any more shameless?”

This went beyond mere bullying. It was completely outrageous. They were trying to use all manner of rules to restrict Su Yi!

Demon Emperor Chi Nie said coolly, “You’re welcome to refuse our bet, but if you do, we’ll execute every last one of our prisoners right in front of you!”

Everyone’s hearts shook, and their expressions grew increasingly unsightly. There was no disregarding a threat like that!

“What say you?” Demon Emperor Chi Nie looked at Su Yi. The others had inquisitive looks in their eyes, too.

“Daoist Brother, you absolutely cannot agree to that!” Luo Yao took a deep breath and said staunchly, “Their captives’ Dao Hearts have surely crumbled, and their conditions are likely as wretched as Tian Jing’s. I’m also absolutely certain that they’ve been invaded by Formless Heart Demons, just like Ol’ Mo!”

Her allies’ expressions shifted. Who could have failed to realize this? It was just that even knowing that, they couldn’t possibly just stand back and watch as their brothers-in-arms were executed!

Luo Yao’s decision seemed heartless, but rationality told them that this was the wisest course of action.

Wen Qingfeng gnashed his teeth, his expression ashen, and said, “That’s right. The moment they were taken captive, they ceased to be the men and women we knew and trusted. Now, they’re... enemies taken over by Formless Heart Demons!

“Even if we save them, they’ll be traitors who’ve lost their awareness and sense of self. You absolutely cannot accept their terms!”

The others spoke up too, one after another. All of them tried to stop Su Yi from accepting this blatantly unfair gamble.

Su Yi shook his head. “I can agree to your bet, but I have conditions.”

His allies were instantly frantic. They hurriedly tried to dissuade him, only for Su Yi to wave for silence.

Demon Emperor Chi Nie’s eyes flashed. He laughed, “I’ll naturally agree to your terms so long as they’re reasonable.”

Su Yi said calmly, “If I demanded that you release all the hostages immediately, I’m sure you’d refuse, so how about this? Release one hostage before each duel.”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie shook his head. “No. You have to fight us before we release anyone.”

Su Yi’s gaze was instantly cold and intense. “In that case, go ahead and kill the hostages immediately.”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie was stunned. Then, he laughed derisively. “Do you really think we’re too scared to kill them?”

He stretched out his hand and grabbed.

Bang!

A figure appeared out of nowhere. Demon Emperor Chi Nie was forcing him to his knees.

This was none other than Ol’ Mo!

Except that now, he seemed like a completely different person. He knelt there respectfully, his gaze awed and pious, like a loyal old dog kneeling by its master’s feet!

The sight filled Luo Yao and the others’ hearts with agony, grief, and fury.

Su Yi remained as calm as ever, except that his gaze was increasingly icy.

“Didn’t you say that those invaded by Formless Heart Demons have long since become traitors?” Demon Emperor Chi Nie said playfully. “Very well. Let me help you kill the traitors!”

“Try it if you dare!” said Su Yi icily.

Bang!

Demon Emperor Chi NIe pressed down, crushing Ol’ Mo’s skull like a watermelon and splattering fresh blood.

Luo Yao and the others’ hearts clenched at this bloody spectacle. All of them were furious.

Fury surged at the depths of Su Yi’s gaze. It was on the verge of boiling over.

“Don’t worry. His soul is fine,” Demon Emperor Chi Nie said with a laugh. “Furthermore... he’s got to thank me for not destroying him in a single slap!”

Ol’ Mo’s soul knelt there on the blood-soaked ground and said respectfully, “You’re absolutely right, Your Excellency! You granted this old servant his life, and his life and death are entirely in your hands!”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie threw back his head and laughed uproariously.

The entire Outsider Celestial Demon Army burst into uproarious laughter. To Luo Yao and the others, the sound was like countless knives thrust into their hearts.

The kneeling Ol’ Mo seemed like a completely different person. When they looked at him, they felt indescribably frustrated, horrified, and grief-stricken.

None of them could have imagined that even a peak Nine-Tribulation Master God like Ol’ Mo would be rendered so helpless after a Formless Heart Demon invaded him. He couldn’t resist in the slightest. No, he was like a slave. He’d completely lost his sense of self!

“Those who humiliate others will be humiliated in turn. If you think doing this makes you look tough, go right ahead and continue,” Su Yi said calmly. “But I promise you that if anything happens to Ol’ Mo, not one of you will escape this place alive.”

He spoke calmly, without the slightest ripple of emotion. It was as if he were simply describing an inevitable fact.

But the Outsider Celestial Demons didn’t take this threat the least bit seriously. On the contrary, they burst into uproarious laughter.

Demon Emperor Chi Nie frowned. When he took in the flat, emotionless look on Su Yi’s face, an indescribable sense of unease welled within his heart.

In the end, he laughed and said, “Very well. I can give you face just this once and agree to your condition.”

With that, he pointed at Su Yi, then said to Ol’ Mo’s soul, “Go on. All of them are awaiting your return.”

Ol’ Mo kowtowed. “I shall assiduously carry out your orders, Your Excellency!”

He rose, then shot toward Dao-Seeking City. The moment he faced away from Demon Emperor Chi Nie, his eyes went hollow, and his expression went from “pious devotee” to “wooden puppet.”

He really did seem like a puppet, helpless to do anything but obey Demon Emperor Chi Nie’s every word.

The sight of their old friend in such a state filled Luo Yao and the others with grief and agony.

Ol’ Mo is in such bad shape. Even if he comes back, so what? One word from Demon Emperor Chi Nie, and he’ll just do whatever he’s told!

When Ol’ Mo’s soul drew near, Su Yi broke his silence and ordered, “A’Yao, imprison him for now.”

Luo Yao nodded, then did so. Ol’ Mo didn’t struggle or resist. He just stood there woodenly as she imprisoned him. He didn’t even say a word.

All of this filled the others’ hearts with horror.

Nothing remains of Ol’ Mo but his soul. Is it... even still possible to save him?

“Su Yi, it’s time for you to enter the battlefield!” said Demon Emperor Chi Nie, his eyes flashing like lightning.

Su Yi said calmly, “That was just my first condition. I still have two more.”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie froze. A moment later, his expression darkened. “Are you playing games with me!?”

His voice boomed throughout the entire area.

Su Yi said calmly, “You can use hostages to threaten me, so why can’t I set a few conditions of my own?”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie pointed to the figures suspended from the torture racks and said grimly, “Are you sure you want to watch them all die before your very eyes, one by one?”

“If they die, all of you will die, too,” said Su Yi. “Are you sure you want to try it?”

“Try it, then!” Demon Emperor Ming Ye said coldly. “I refuse to believe a mere Greater God like you can kill us all!”

The other Emperor-Level Demons spoke up too, one after another. Each spoke firmly, their voices full of murderous intent.

Su Yi wasn’t the least bit moved. He just gazed calmly at Demon Emperor Chi Nie.

They’d put the pressure on right from the start, using all kinds of methods in a bid to force him to accept their conditions. They wanted him to have no choice but to go along with their arrangements.

Unfortunately for them, such methods had never been effective against Su Yi. They were trying to put pressure on him, but couldn’t he put pressure on them, too?

In the end, it simply came down to who was more ruthless.

Furthermore, Su Yi was incomparably certain that they wouldn’t have initiated this bet out of nowhere if they hadn’t prepared thoroughly first.

Thus, Su Yi had no intention of passively following their script. Instead, he planned to seize as much initiative as he could. He needed to get the situation under control even if it meant that the bet couldn’t go through!

This was a standoff. The moment he shrank back, compromised, showed weakness, or caved in the face of his enemies’ threats, he’d find himself at a disadvantage.

The reverse was also true. The more domineering he was, the easier it would be to ruin his enemies’ plans and force them to make concessions!

Just as he expected, after a moment’s silence, Demon Emperor Chi Nie said gravely, “Tell me your other two conditions. If they aren’t unreasonable, I’ll naturally agree.”

The other Emperor-Level Outsider Celestial Demons instantly fell silent. Without exception, their brows furrowed.

Their attempts to put pressure on Su Yi had failed!

Su Yi was refusing to follow their script. Worse, he’d seized back some measure of control despite his disadvantage!

This infuriated them, but more than that, they couldn’t help but take it seriously. After seeing Su Yi’s domineeringness firsthand, they didn’t dare to underestimate him.

But then, they’d never really dared to underestimate this opponent.

Their earlier pressure and provocations were simply an attempt to probe Su Yi’s limits. Had Su Yi hesitated, even in the slightest, they would have seized the opening to push harder and harder!

Alas... Su Yi didn’t give them the opportunity.

When Luo Yao and the others saw this, they sighed in relief.

“Here's my next condition,” said Su Yi. “In each bout, I get to decide my opponent! Rest assured: I wouldn’t sink to bullying ants beneath the Emperor-Level in a one-on-one duel.

Ants? Bullying?

The Outsider Celestial Demons beneath that level glowered. All of them felt deeply humiliated.

But not one of them dared to argue. In truth, all of them knew that realistically, only the Emperor-Level experts could fight Su Yi.

“No way!” Demon Emperor Chi Nie said firmly. “You cannot decide who we send into battle!”

It wasn’t just a problem of initiative; it would give Su Yi too many choices and opportunities. How could Demon Emperor Chi Nie possibly have agreed to that?

They could just barely accept the first condition, but the second condition was completely out of the question!

“How about this?” said Su Yi. “You can choose your pool of combatants, then I’ll choose my first opponent from them. If I lose, it’ll all be over. If I win, I’ll keep choosing my opponents until the end of our bet. How about it?”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie frowned and said coldly, “You made such an unreasonable demand, only to turn around and make a down to earth offer. If I’m not mistaken, this is what you really wanted all along.”

Su Yi’s gaze was deep and inscrutable as he gazed at Chi Nie. “You’re the ones who suggested this bet, and I’m sure you think your victory is assured. Don’t tell me my humble conditions are enough to ruin your plans?”

Su Yi paused, then said, “Or was this ‘bet’ just a ruse to cover up your true intentions?”

Demon Emperor Chi Nie’s eyes silently narrowed.