Chapter 2551 - The Lady Daoist, Still Waters

A current of destructive power swept outward, blanketing heaven and earth.

In that moment, the old Daoist’s expression shifted dramatically, but it was too late for him to do anything.

Su Yi’s strike had done more than just destroy his hidden killer weapon. That destructive current was similarly terrifying beyond measure.

That was what made the aftermath seem so terrifying.

Su Yi wasn’t concerned with any of that. The moment the aftershock spread, he arrived beside Hu Taizhong.

What he saw left him speechless; Hu Taizhong had fainted, and he was now sprawled out on the ground, unaware of everything happening around him.

But Su Yi had at least confirmed that he was still alive. It was enough.

Hm?

Su Yi seemed to sense something. He abruptly raised his head.

A bronze lamp suddenly lit up beneath the dome of heaven, casting misty, ethereal light.

But as soon as the lamp appeared, the entire stretch of heaven and earth seemed completely sealed.

Even the aftershock of the battle froze in midair, advancing no further.

The black-robed man broke out in cold sweats; had the aftershock proceeded even just ten feet further, it would have struck him and the girl in yellow!

“The Heavenless Lamp!” The old Daoist inwardly sighed in relief. He knew who’d gotten involved.

“It’s that lamp.” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose.

When he met God Emperor Taiyu of Five Lightning Temple, he witnessed the Heavenless Lamp’s power. He knew that Hong Taiyu also had a treasure called the World-Refining Bell, and it too was incomparably wondrous.

Silence fell over heaven and earth.

The Heavenless Lamp’s glow and the frozen aftershock of battle gradually faded away.

“Keep going.” Su Yi looked at the old Daoist. He could tell that the old man still had strength left.

The old Daoist’s brow furrowed, and his eyes flashed with divine radiance. “Aren’t you afraid of becoming irreconcilable enemies with Five Lightning Temple if you keep going on like this,?”

Su Yi took a step toward him. “Weren’t you the one who said that there was already no room left to smooth things over?”

The old Daoist’s expression shifted erratically. That was true, but how could he possibly have known that his opponent was none other than the legendary greatest sword cultivator in the God Domain?

“Wait, Fellow Daoist!” A tranquil female voice emanated from inside in the Heavenless Lamp. “All of this was just one big series of misunderstandings. Please, calm your fury and show mercy on us all.”

The image of a lady Daoist emerged from the Heavenless Lamp accompanying this voice.

The woman was tall and thin, elegant and serene, with her hair tied into a bun. She wore plain, warm gray Daoist robes without the slightest embellishment, but she had a natural beauty about her, like a hibiscus flower in bloom.

She was, however, obviously an avatar of will. Her whole body was misty and ethereal.

“Martial Aunt!”

Against Su Yi’s expectations, the old Daoist clasped his fist and greeted her like a junior when he saw her.

Su Yi pondered briefly, then understood.

She’s probably one of ‘Those Who’ve Entered the Chamber,’ a False Eternal!

Otherwise, she’d have no need to send an avatar of will.

“Junior Brother Taiyu told me about your meeting several years ago, and he quite admired your courage and breadth of spirit. Seeing you now, you indeed live up to your reputation,” said the woman, her hand now holding the Heavenless Lamp aloft.

She walked through the air, stopping not far from Su Yi, then clasped her fist in greeting. “This humble Daoist is known as Zhi Shui, or ‘Still Waters.’ I’m a second-generation disciple of Five Lightning Temple. Greetings, Fellow Daoist.”

Still Waters.

She was as beautiful as still waters, and she had a heart as tranquil as still waters, but no matter how still water seemed, currents flowed beneath the surface!

This title was a perfect match for the woman’s tranquil, extraordinary demeanor.

Su Yi said casually, “We met briefly, and just once. There’s no bond between us. There’s no enmity, either, but today, Five Lightning Temple and I came into conflict. How do you propose we resolve this grudge?”

The lady Daoist fell briefly silent. “Five Lightning Temple offended you first, Fellow Daoist. Now that we’ve recognized you, we naturally won’t take things too far.”

The old Daoist furrowed his brow. How could he have failed to realize that Martial Aunt Zhi Shui was trying to negotiate for peace?

The man in black looked uncertain, too. He’d never even considered that Ancestor Zhi Shui would show up, only to try and smooth things over instead of punishing Su Yi!

“Very well.” Su Yi let out a breath of turbid air. “In light of my acquaintanceship with Hong Taiyu, I’ll let this end here.”

The lady Daoist said apologetically, “Fellow Daoist, please don’t take offense. Junior Apprentice Brother Taiyu left the hidden realm in the pit half a month ago. If he were here, this would never have happened.”

Su Yi was stunned.

Hong Taiyu went to the pit, too?

“I have no interest in holding anyone accountable.” Su Yi shook his head slightly. “Enough. This is over. Farewell.”

With that, he lifted the unconscious Hu Taizhong off the ground and walked into the distance.

“Please wait, Fellow Daoist.” Zhi Shui suddenly said, “If I’m not mistaken, you’ve come to the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity to visit the world in the pit too, right?”

“That’s right,” said Su Yi.

Zhi Shui took out a jade slip and passed it to Su Yi from afar. “This contains information regarding the world in the pit. It won’t be too late to decide whether you go or not after you’ve read it.”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. The implications left ample room for thought.

He immediately started reading. It wasn’t long before his brow furrowed.

The world at the bottom of the pit was indeed strange and dangerous. It had only appeared in the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity.

At the time, Five Lightning Temple, Heavenly Yao Tower, and the Everlasting Palace were immediately alerted, and all of them sent their experts to investigate.

But no matter how many people went to investigate, all who entered the hidden world vanished. No one could contact them.

Even now, not one of them had returned.

Not long ago, High Elder Hong Taiyu had left to explore the world in the pit, and he too had vanished ever since.

Of late, the entire temple had been paying attention to every movement near the pit, and they’d discovered that it wasn’t just their allies;

everyone

who entered the pit vanished.

All of this made the world in the pit seem extraordinarily mysterious, perilous, and dreadful.

“Do you understand how dangerous the world in the pit is now, Fellow Daoist?” asked Zhi Shui. “Go there recklessly, and it’s highly likely that you’ll never return, so this humble Daoist felt the need to warn you.”

Su Yi returned the jade slip, then said, “Does that mean that even now, no one knows what’s hidden in the world at the bottom of the pit?”

“That’s right.” A look of worry appeared on Zhi Shui’s face. “When Junior Apprentice Brother Taiyu left, he brought numerous secret treasures with him. Furthermore, we agreed that he’d contact me once every three days.

“But even after all this time, I’ve yet to receive word from him. I suspect that he’s either trapped, or... that he’s already...”

The old Daoist and the man in black couldn’t help but gasp. Both of them looked stricken.

Su Yi rubbed his brow, then laughed. “Thank you for the warning. Now I’m more interested in the pit than ever.”

Zhi Shui was stunned. Her bright eyes gazed intensely at Su Yi. “If you do visit the pit, might you help me investigate Junior Apprentice Brother Taiyu’s whereabouts?”

She stretched out her finger and tapped. The Heavenless Lamp shot forth, then floated in front of Su Yi. “I’m willing to lend this to you. It’s an Undying Treasure, but it contains a remnant of my will. If you run into danger, it can lend you a hand!”

Su Yi just glanced at the Heavenless Lamp, then shook his head. “You’d best hold onto it. As for Hong Taiyu... I’ll naturally keep an eye out for him.”

With that, he strode off without another word.

Zhi Shui was stunned. She silently took the lamp back and sighed.

“Martial Aunt, did you perhaps let Su Yi go so that he could help you track down Martial Uncle Taiyu?” asked the old Daoist.

Ancestor Zhi Shui shook her head. “No. Given Five Lightning Temple’s current power, we couldn’t possibly have kept him here.”

The old Daoist was stunned. He clearly found this hard to believe.

“Don’t forget what happened to Ravening Wolf Daoist Court,” said Ancestor Zhi Shui.

The old Daoist looked stricken. He fell silent.

“Just what caused this incident, anyway?” Zhi Shui’s gaze shifted to the woman in yellow and the man in black.

Both of them tensed, but they dared not hide it. They laid the whole situation out in the open.

After hearing the full story, Zhi Shui’s gaze landed on the Xiezhi-like beast.

The beast lay on the ground, badly injured, but it seemed to sense that this didn’t bode well. It said in a quavering voice, “Ancestor, not long ago, the sect leader commanded that everyone who trespassed in Five Lightning Temple’s territories was to be put to death. This old servant was just following orders!”

Zhi Shui fell briefly silent. “This wasn’t your fault, nor was it Fellow Daoist Su’s. The problem was with that command. An order like that might be able to keep the riffraff away, but it can also lead to incidents that implicate the entire sect.”

Her gaze shifted to the old Daoist. “Go meet with the sect leader. Hopefully today’s lesson will prompt him to reflect on his actions.”

“Understood!” the old Daoist solemnly assented.

......

Six hours later.

Lightning flashed deep within the dark clouds blanketing heaven and earth.

The further Su Yi went into the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity, the more desolate and bleak the landscape became, and the more oppressive the atmosphere.

When Hu Taizhong awakened him from his unconscious state, he almost thought he was in the Underworld.

A calm voice rang out. “You can leave.”

Hu Taizhong was stunned. Then, he came to his senses.

I... I’m not dead!

He shot to his feet and saw Su Yi standing on a distant boulder, hands behind his back as he gazed into the distance. His blue robes fluttered in the wind.

“Your Excellency, you... you aren’t going to kill me?” he stammered.

There was no shortage of people who burned bridges after crossing them or slaughtered donkeys after riding them. Hu Taizhong found it hard to believe that Su Yi would really just let him go.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

“What good would killing you do me?” Su Yi shook his head slightly. “Take care of yourself. We’re deep enough in the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity that leaving alive won’t be easy.”

With that, he leaped into the air.

The jade slip Zhi Shui had shown him earlier contained a map of the pit. By now, Su Yi was already almost there. He’d arrive within an hour!

Naturally, Su Yi didn’t need Hu Taizhong to guide him any further.