Chapter 950: Putting on the Airs of a Senior

The Sea of Bitterness was most dangerous at night.

Ordinarily speaking, even Emperors dared not venture out to sea under the cover of darkness.

Yet now, a battle of Emperors raged on the open ocean!

And they’d obviously been at it for quite some time!

Were that all, it wouldn’t have been enough to surprise Su Yi.

Because on the Sea of Bitterness, there was no order to speak of. Combat and slaughter were commonplace, and they weren't limited to simple struggles over good fortune.

Grudges, robbery, backstabbing—all manner of brutal scenes played out here.

It was no exaggeration to say that even if an inheritor of a peak orthodoxy died here, their faction had little hope of discovering the killer.

That aside, throughout its history, the Netherworld’s heretics and demonic cultivators had viewed the Sea of Bitterness as a blessed ground for cultivation.

Because in this boundless stretch of ocean, there was no need to worry about offending anyone. In a confrontation, the stronger party survived.

What truly surprised Su Yi were the two combatants. The purple-robed man manipulating fire and lightning was in the mid-stage Profound Serenity Realm. Furthermore, Su Yi recognized him immediately: the Thunderflame Demon Sovereign, Wang Chonglu!

His true form was that of a Ba Serpent, an unmatched vicious creature. He had innate control over lightning and divine flame, and he was proud and unfettered by nature.

Every time he fought and killed an opponent, the old fiend had to take the time to brag about his past accomplishments. Then, after his opponents lost themselves to terror and despair, they could only watch helplessly as he sent them on their way.

Notably, the Thunderflame Demon Sovereign was one of the Seven Devils of the Sea of Bitterness, just like the old butcher, Shang Tianque!

The Thunderflame Demon Sovereign’s cultivation used to be inferior to the old butcher’s, making him the weakest of the Seven Devils of the Sea of Bitterness.

But now, he was already a mid-stage Profound Serenity expert!

But then, it makes sense. The old butcher’s heart demons fettered him for thirty-six thousand years, preventing his cultivation base from improving. It was inevitable that Wang Conglu would catch up to him,

thought Su Yi.

But Su Yi knew that the old butcher had recently freed himself from his mental shackles, and that his past thirty-six thousand years of accumulations would let him break through with ease. Before long, he’d step smoothly into the late-stage Profound Serenity Realm!

However, Su Yi paid more attention to Wang Chonglu’s opponent!

The old man in black was, shockingly, a Jailer controlling the Laws of Heavenly Prayer!!

An expert of the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm’s Nine Heavens Pavilion had appeared on the Sea of Bitterness. How could Su Yi not be surprised?

The Jailers of the Nine Heavens Pavilion all had Profound Illumination Realm cultivation.

The old man in black, for instance, was a late-stage Profound Illumination Emperor.

However, the Laws of Heavenly Prayer were heaven-defying enough to let him fight Wang Chonglu!

This was unquestionably terrifying.

“The fifth Executioner, Mo Chuan, appeared before the City of the Wrongfully Dead’s tombstone. Now, a Jailer has appeared above the Sea of Bitterness. Don’t tell me that the forces of the Nine Heavens Pavilion have already started infiltrating the Netherworld?” Su Yi’s eyes flashed. “I’m afraid the Netherworld King has already arrived in the Sea of Bitterness too. What will happen if she sees Jailers here?”

The Netherworld King was originally a Warden of the Nine Heavens Pavilion! Her position transcended the Executioners, so she was naturally far beyond mere Jailers.

However, the Netherworld King had already broken the fetters of the Grand Dao Oath she’d sworn in the Nine Heavens Pavilion, and she was full of hatred for her sect.

Given the circumstances, it would naturally be quite interesting if she encountered members of the Nine Heavens Pavilion.

As Su Yi pondered, he stood atop the Unsinkable Boat, gazing at the battle raging beneath the distant dome of heaven. He had absolutely no intention of intervening.

He wasn’t familiar with Wang Chonglu.

In his past life, even the old butcher amounted to a defeated general in his eyes, and Wang Chonglu was inferior to him.

However, Su Yi could tell that although Wang Chonglu was covered in wounds and looked miserable, he’d seized the advantage.

The Jailer was already at the end of his rope. If not for the overly heaven-defying power of the Laws of Heavenly Prayer, he would have long since been defeated.

“Profound Illumination and Profound Serenity are a realm apart, but the Laws of Heavenly Prayer were nonetheless enough to heavily injure an old devil like Wang Chonglu. It’s truly impressive,” Su Yi sighed to himself.

He’d really never seen anything else like this Law of the Grand Dao. Strictly speaking, this power was like a calamity of the Grand Dao. It was full of a destructive aura reminiscent of the might of heaven, and it was utterly terrifying.

Were the mid-stage Profound Serenity Wang Chonglu up against the Executioner Mo Chuan, he likely wouldn’t have even had time to struggle. The Executioner could have killed him nigh instantaneously.

Suddenly, Wang Chonglu’s contemptuous laughter resounded beneath the dome of heaven. “Throughout my life, I’ve taken the heads of over a hundred Emperors, and I’ve almost never lost. Even the Netherworld’s peak orthodoxies treat me with respect, honoring me as the Thunderflame Demon Sovereign!”

His voice boomed throughout the night sky, like a dragon’s roar. It shook the ocean’s surface, stirring up waves.

Then, the tall, stalwart Wang Chonglu seized the old man in black by the throat, his gaze contemptuous. He’d completely suppressed his opponent.

When Su Yi saw this, the corners of his lips twitched imperceptibly.

It was just as he’d thought. Despite the passage of tens of thousands of years, this old devil still had his bad habit of bragging before he killed his opponents. He hadn’t changed at all.

“Without that calamitous power of the Grand Dao, a Profound Illumination cultivator like you would be no more than a clay chicken or porcelain dog to me!”

Wang Chonglu’s entire body blazed with fire and electricity. His imposing presence was appalling, and his contempt was too great to express in words.

Boom!

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, Wang Chonglu tightened his grip. A dazzling surge of purple lightning and fire poured down, instantly reducing the old man in black to ash.

Wang Chonglu then brushed off his clothes, more prideful than ever.

But when he realized that the only thing his defeated opponent had left behind was his serpentine long spear, Wang Chonglu’s expression darkened. He was a bit beside himself with anger.

“Dammit! Wasn’t that bastard a bit too broke…? I really lost out big time.”

Although he said this, he reached out and put the spear away.

Then, he swept his gaze across the area and locked onto the Unshakable Boat in the distance. “Well, little guy? Seen enough yet?”

As he spoke, he blurred into a streak of light and landed gently on board. His eyes flashed like cold lightning as he looked Su Yi up and down.

“Are you scared out of your wits? Why aren’t you saying anything?” Wang Chonglu laughed coldly. “Relax, I wouldn’t lower myself by making trouble for a shrimp like you.”

Su Yi’s eyes shone with strange light, and he was just about to say something when Wang Chonglu said calmly, “Don’t just sit there in a daze. Take me to the City of Eternal Night. When we get there, I’ll make it worth your while.”

Su Yi nodded. “Sure.”

Wang Chonglu smiled in satisfaction. “Smart kid. Excellent. Quick, let’s be on our way.”

Suddenly, his chest heaved, and his face flushed red. He whipped around and coughed violently into the water.

Fresh blood poured from the corners of his mouth.

His proud, contemptuous bearing deflated like a popped balloon, and he instantly seemed much weaker. His face was pale and translucent, and his brow looked utterly exhausted.

Su Yi could tell at a glance that the old devil was severely injured; the Laws of Heavenly Prayer had obviously devastated his internal organs, blood, and qi.

“Just what kind of power was that bastard using? It’s simply too strange and insidious…” Wang Chonglu wiped the blood from his lips, his face full of bewilderment.

But then, he looked at Su Yi and barked in displeasure, “What the hell are you looking at? Quick, get this ship moving!”

Su Yi laughed, but didn’t argue with the old devil. He simply did as he was told.

Whoosh!

The Unsinkable Boat soared through the waves and further into the darkness-shrouded Sea of Bitterness.

Wang Chonglu sat cross-legged, took out some pills, and started recovering.

Su Yi sat at the head of the boat, not far away, drinking on his own.

“Little guy, do you know who I am?” Wang Chonglu asked suddenly, his cold gaze turning toward Su Yi.

He’d realized that this young man in blue was a bit too calm and composed, as if he didn’t even know what fear was.

He couldn’t help but find this strange.

After all, even the Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivators of peak orthodoxies ought to have realized how terrifying an existence he was after witnessing his battle with the Jailer.

Even if they weren’t scared out of their wits, they ought to at least be nervous and uneasy.

But this young man in blue didn’t seem the least bit scared.

Su Yi said distractedly, “Who doesn’t know the Thunderflame Demon Sovereign Wang Chonglu, one of the Seven Devils of the Sea of Bitterness?”

A smug grin tugged at Wang Chonglu’s looks. “I wouldn’t have guessed it, but your eyesight’s quite good, kid. However…”

His gaze was suddenly dark and sinister. “Aren’t you afraid I’ll kill you and seize your Unsinkable Boat?”

Su Yi laughed. “I most certainly don’t believe someone like you would do something so despicable and shameless.”

Wang Chonglu was stunned, but then, he laughed and said with pride, “You’re right! This old man has wandered the Sea of Bitterness for a long, long time. I’ve killed too many to count, and my hands are stained with blood, but I’ve never once made trouble for a small fry like you.”

Here, his expression softened. “I can tell that your background is extraordinary, and that you’ve seen the world before. Your seniors must have placed high hopes on your shoulders, or there’s no way they would have entrusted a treasure like an Unsinkable Boat to you.”

Su Yi smiled, but didn’t linger on the subject. “What are you going to the City of Eternal Night for?”

Wang Chonglu waved the question away. “It has nothing to do with you, so don’t ask. If you get mixed up in this, I’m afraid your scrawny arms and legs will shatter beneath the weight of it all.”

Here, he burst into another fit of hacking, violent coughs, and his face contorted with agony.

He dared not speak any longer. Instead, he controlled his breathing, calmed his mind, and focused on treating his wounds.

However, just four hours later, he opened his eyes once more. He stared intently at Su Yi for a moment, then said, “Little fellow, might you do this old man a favor?”

Su Yi asked in mild surprise, “What favor?”

𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

“It’ll take at least three days to reach the City of Eternal Night. If anything unexpected happens during these three days, I’ll do everything in my power to ensure your survival.” Wang Chonglu took a deep breath, an uncharacteristically solemn look on his face. “In exchange, deliver this jade slip to the City of Eternal Night, to the watchman who lives near the southeastern wall.”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “The Timekeeper?”

Wang Chonglu couldn’t help but exclaim, “Kid, you actually know about that old-timer!?”