Chapter 2574 - Just Let Me Handle It

That strange, inscrutable chanting rang out, shaking heaven and earth.

The Heaven-Swallowing Toad Ancestor sat cross-legged, his expression wracked with agony and his whole body quivering uncontrollably.

It wasn’t just him. Zhi Shui, Hong Taiyu, and the others’ hearts and souls faced an indescribable onslaught.

Suddenly—

Bang!

One of the figures atop the hill, a man in red Daoist robes, suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. He toppled over backward and tumbled down the slope, then coughed up blood, his face pale and translucent.

Startled cries rang out.

“This is bad!”

“Quick, suppress it!”

“Hurry!”

...The patriarchs of Five Lightning Temple looked stricken. All of them struggled with all their might to keep the fragment under control.

The Five Lightning Firmament Furnace shook violently. It wouldn’t be able to suppress the page-shaped Fragment of Heaven’s Will much longer!

Heaven and earth shook violently. Divine mist rose from the slopes, and firelight interwove.

The patriarchs fought with all their might, unleashing various divine abilities to keep the fragment and furnace under control.

Su Yi stood in the distance, watching thoughtfully. He was trying to gauge the distance between False and Half-Step Eternals.

Among the patriarchs, only two, the middle-aged Daoist and the tall old man, were False Eternals. In other words, they’d stepped into Eternity, but they’d yet to establish Eternal foundations in the Grand Dao.

The middle-aged Daoist was strong. Images of lions, tigers, auspicious light, cranes, and pine trees rose on his ink-black robes, all of them imbued with the aura of Eternity.

When he attacked, the images seemed to come to life, manifesting wondrous and strange phenomena. They added to his strength, making his momentum incomparably terrifying.

He’s already mastered the power of Eternity. Even his Daoist robes are imbued with the charm of Eternity, but he couldn’t establish Eternal foundations. How terrifying will he become if he manages to reach the River of Destiny, overcome the Tribulation of Destiny, and establish Eternal foundations?

Su Yi had no way of knowing.

But the tall old man with the black crown of seven stars was even fiercer. When he attacked, lightning condensed into stars, and electricity flashed, emanating shockingly destructive energy fluctuations.

Su Yi couldn’t help but remember Fiend Lord Lei Jue, one of the experts he’d fought in the Heaven-Combating Hidden Realm.

Lei Jue had controlled a supreme Law of Lightning, and he was even stronger than a typical Half-Step Eternal.

But the old man was even stronger than Lei Jue, not because his Laws of Lightning were stronger, but because he’d stepped into Eternity, and his every movement was full of limitless, Eternal, unshakeable might!

The difference between him and the Half-Step Eternals was even starker.

Su Yi had now gained a deeper understanding of the difference between “Those Who’d Knocked on the Door,” “Those Who’d Crossed the Threshold,” and “Those Who’d Entered the Chamber.”

“Knocking on the door” was equivalent to having found a road to Eternity. Experts who achieved this were stronger than Nine-Tribulation Master Gods. These included people like Gu Huaxian, the old hunchback, and Jiao Mu.

“Those Who’d Crossed the Threshold” were Half-Step Eternals.

False Eternals, “Those Who’d entered the Chamber” but hadn’t yet established Eternal foundations, were even stronger!

If they wanted to shed the “false” in their title, they had to proceed to the River of Destiny and survive the baptism of the Tribulation of Destiny. Only then could they establish Eternal foundations.

Boom!

Over on the hill, a massive impact rang out, and several of the still-seated patriarchs were sent flying. Some grunted in agony, while others bled from the corners of their mouths or let out desperate cries.

“Dammit! Why is this Fragment of Heaven’s Will going crazy all of a sudden?” someone roared in fury.

“It really is strange.”

“Retreat for now. We can’t keep the fragment under control. If we try, the whole back mountain will be destroyed!” the middle-aged Daoist in ink-black robes said gravely.

He’d long since risen to his feet, his hands forming seals as he suppressed the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace with all his might.

However, he was obviously pushing himself, and his face was pale.

“Junior Apprentice Brother Taiyu, get our fellow Daoists out of here. Hurry!” Zhi Shui rose, then leaped onto the hill, stretching out her jade-like hands to help the others keep the fragment in check.

Shocking Eternal energy fluctuations emanated from her tall, graceful figure.

Su Yi nodded to himself.

Indeed, just as I thought. She might look as tranquil as still waters, but she’s obviously a False Eternal too!

“Fellow Daoist Su, hurry!” Hong Taiyu called out frantically. He wanted to lead Su Yi and the Heaven-Swallowing Toad Ancestor away as soon as possible.

The battlefield was already in chaos. Several of the patriarchs were injured, and the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace rumbled, boomed, and struggled without end.

The formations covering the back mountain shook violently, swaying as if about to collapse. They seemed they might crumble at any moment.

As Hong Taiyu spoke, the middle-aged Daoist, one of the False Eternals, broke into hacking coughs, staggered back, and almost fell.

“This good fortune is too great for us. Five Lightning Temple is not destined to enjoy it!” sighed the tall old man, a dejected look on his face.

The moment the Dark Days of Legend began, they used the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace to seize that Fragment of Heaven’s Will, but they’d yet to suppress it even after all this time. Worst of all, it was causing enormous trouble.

“Fortune and disaster go hand in hand. That’s always been the case. It’s nothing to despair over!”

“Argh!”

“Let’s just give up.”

“We... have no other choice...”

The patriarchs were obviously frustrated and unwilling, but there was nothing for it. This good fortune was too much for them. If they couldn’t control it, it would only lead to disaster.

That’s why they said that fortune and disaster went hand in hand!

“Fellow Daoist Su, you...” Hong Taiyu suddenly froze, stunned. He’d been just about to lead Su Yi and the Heaven-Swallowing Toad Ancestor when he saw Su Yi take a step forward.

He was headed toward the hill!

All of the patriarchs noticed instantly, and all of them were stunned.

“Fellow Daoist Su, don’t get any closer!” Zhi Shui’s expression shifted and she immediately called out a warning.

The hill was thoroughly enveloped by the patriarchs’ collective power, all of it devoted to maintaining control over the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace. Anyone who drew closer now would be killed instantly!

“Didn’t you invite me here to help you with this very problem?” Su Yi laughed, then walked over. “Relax, all of you. Let me handle this.”

As he spoke, he stretched out his hand.

A wisp of misty, inscrutable chaos flame lit at his fingertips.

This seemed to provoke the Fragment of Heaven’s Will in the furnace. It instantly erupted with terrifying energy fluctuations.

Boom!!

A heaven-shaking impact rang out, and Zhi Shui, the middle-aged Daoist, and the other patriarchs were sent flying.

Startled cries rang out.

The Five Lightning Firmament Furnace broke free of their control, rising into the sky with dazzling divine radiance.

This is bad!!

Everyone looked stricken.

It’s going to escape!

But then, Su Yi raised his hand and pressed down on the air.

Boom!

The escaping furnace came to an abrupt halt, trapped firmly in place, unable to even budge.

“This...” Everyone gaped in disbelief.

The Five Lightning Firmament Furnace was their sect-protecting supreme treasure, and it contained a mystical, unfathomable Fragment of Heaven’s Will!

Earlier, a whole group of old-timers had worked together just to contain the furnace, and by extension, the fragment inside it. They couldn’t make the fragment their own.

Yet now, someone had effortlessly suppressed it!

The disparity was enormous. Who could believe it so readily?

“Come here.” Su Yi beckoned, and the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace instantly gave up the struggle. All the fire left it, and it obediently flashed through the air and silently landed in Su Yi’s palm.

Everyone’s expression shifted, their eyes widening with astonishment.

S-seriously?!

“That’s too fucking weird!” grumbled the Heaven-Swallowing Toad Ancestor.

Just hearing that strange chanting had almost thrown his Dao Heart into chaos, and he’d felt a strong sense of impending crisis.

Yet now, Su Yi had directly dominated the source of the chanting!

And he’d done it so easily, too!

“I... I can’t even imagine...” Hong Taiyu laughed bitterly. He was too astonished to even speak coherently.

At their ages, what strangeness

hadn’t

he and the other old-timers experienced?

But this development struck them to the core. They felt as if their very hearts were under attack.

The patriarchs on the hill were the most affected.

They’d been forced back, their hearts full of dejection. Who could imagine that Su Yi would turn the situation around with such casual ease?

When they looked at Su Yi standing atop the hill, holding the Five Lightning Firmament Furnace aloft, their expressions were conflicted. Waves of emotion swept through their hearts, and their gazes were hard to read.

How... exactly did he pull that off?