Free Web NovelChapter 2862 - River King Whistling Moon
During his year in seclusion, Su Yi’s cultivation base advanced by leaps and bounds, soaring from the early stage of the Divine Wandering Realm to the late stage.
This rate of advancement was shocking and unheard of, even before factoring in Su Yi’s incomparably firm foundations in the Grand Dao. Even he was surprised by this rate of progress.
But the thought of how many cultivation resources he’d burned through made his heart ache.
During his three years in the Literati Continent, he’d gathered an enormous abundance of cultivation resources, especially in the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone. He’d collected too many trophies to count, their combined value simply inestimable.
But now, he’d used them all up. He even wound up opening some of the Falling Star Stones, all to gather just a few more cultivation resources.
Unfortunately, even after all that, he couldn’t progress his cultivation base any further. He’d run into a bottleneck in his cultivation.
Fixating on speed would only ruin things. It had been less than two years since he’d broken into the Divine Wandering Realm, but he’d already reached the late stage. This speed was already extraordinary.
Any faster and he risked shaking his foundations in the Grand Dao.
Now that he’d fused with Jiang Wuchen’s Dao Imprint, Su Yi knew that every step a cultivator took on the Path of Eternity had to be taken with the utmost caution. Nothing could go wrong. Any missteps, and a cultivator was doomed never to reach the Heavenly Fate Realm.
On top of all that, Su Yi’s path was highly extraordinary. He sought the Dao within himself, so he was naturally even less willing to risk complacency.
Su Yi could have just chosen to remain in seclusion. He could have taken this time to temper his powers of the Grand Dao or fuse with Jiang Wuchen’s legacies of the Dao of the Sword. All of that was sure to take a great deal of time and effort.
However, after a long period of stillness, Su Yi wanted to go out and explore the world. He wanted to see the Spirit Treasure Celestial City and try to gather enough power to satisfy the Book of Destiny.
He could sell off the treasures he didn’t need and buy new cultivation resources while he was at it. If he found precious treasures seldom seen in the outside world, all the better.
This was the world beneath the River of Destiny. Who knew how many mysterious, unknown treasures existed here?
And the Spirit Treasure Celestial City was one of its most prosperous settlements. He was all but certain to find unique products of the River of Destiny.
Thus, the moment Cen Xinghe arrived, Su Yi decided to set course for the Spirit Treasure Celestial City!
“Grandfather, listen to this first!” Cen Xinghe said frantically before laying his business with River Empress Peacock out in the open.
Su Yi’s brow furrowed.
“We can’t just leave,” said Su Yi, immediately reaching a decision. “Moreover, since trouble’s come calling, we cannot remain bystanders.”
Had River Empress Peacock remained a bystander when the white-robed monk, a Heavenly Sovereign, threatened him? No, she hadn’t, and at the time, they weren’t even acquainted. She’d stepped in entirely out of consideration for the Star Toad.
Now, she was in trouble. Su Yi couldn’t remain a bystander just to avoid bringing trouble onto himself; that would be far too disloyal.
“But that’s what River Empress Peacock wanted...” Cen Xinghe started to object.
Su Yi shook his head. “You can leave. I won’t stop you.”
Cen Xinghe looked stricken. He said hurriedly, “Grandfather, you’ve truly wronged me! I’m no craven clinging to life. Rather...”
But Su Yi had long since started toward the exit.
The Star Toad was waiting outside. Su Yi asked directly, “Are you going to try to persuade me not to get involved, too?”
The Star Toad froze, then grimaced. “Destiny’s Chosen, the ol’ peacock and I are dear friends. We’d die for each other. If there were even a thread of hope of saving her, there’s no way I’d remain a bystander, but the crisis she’s invited is far, far too great. If we insist on getting involved, we’ll surely...”
“I’m going to save a life, not to throw my life away,” said Su Yi. “Don’t even try to dissuade me any further!”
It was then that a little girl appeared out of nowhere. She said solemnly, “I’ll do as you say, Master. Where you go, I go.”
Su Yi smiled. “That’s how it ought to be. Of course, I understand Cen Xinghe and the Star Toad’s concerns. They just don’t want anything to happen to me.”
He looked at them, then said, “But if anything happened to either of you, even if you poked a hole through the heavens, I wouldn’t just stand back and watch you die. Do you understand now?”
The Star Toad quivered from head to toe, waves of emotion coursing through his heart. He set aside his reservations and said with the utmost seriousness, “I understand!”
Cen Xinghe looked ashamed of himself. “Grandfather, your loyalty knows no bounds. I’m far inferior, but I’m willing to contribute my meager strength and fight alongside you!”
Su Yi smiled and pointed at Cen Xinghe. “Don’t call me ‘Grandfather’ anymore. It’s deeply unsettling. Anything else will do.”
Cen Xinghe scrunched up his face. “Grandfather, are you saying you don’t recognize me as your grandson anymore?”
Innocence sent the incorrigible, shameless Sin Soul flying with a kick. Cen Xinghe crawled to his feet, inwardly disconsolate.
Su Yi couldn’t be bothered with him. He just said directly, “Star Toad, you lead the way. We’re going to the Spirit Treasure Celestial Capital to gather information.”
Word of the Peacock Empress’s enmity with the Winged Dragon Emperor had surely spread by now, and the Spirit Treasure Celestial Capital was the greatest, most prosperous city in the area. Its population was enormous. They’d surely find worthwhile leads there.
“Destiny’s Chosen, you’re human. If you go to the Spirit Treasure Celestial Capital, I’m afraid you’ll invite unwanted attention,” warned the Star Toad.
Su Yi took out a talisman and refined it. His presence instantly shifted.
This was the Hidden Dao Talisman that Lu Hongpao had seized from Madam Qingyi in Rosy Dew Pavilion. These talismans were the secret legacy of the Blissful Heavens, the greatest assassin’s guild in the Eternal Heavens Domain. They could do more than just hide one’s presence; they could also let one blend in undetected.
Simply by activating the talisman, he could pass as a denizen of the River of Destiny, much like the Star Toad. The shift affected even his powers of the Grand Dao, so he had no need to fear exposing himself if he revealed his strength.
The Star Toad’s eyes lit up. “What kind of treasure is that? How wondrous!”
Su Yi didn’t explain. He just asked, “Is there anything I should know before we leave for Spirit Treasure Celestial City?”
The Star Toad pondered briefly, then said, “Just make absolutely certain not to reveal the Book of Destiny.”
Su Yi nodded, and the group promptly headed toward the entrance to the Five-Colored Hidden Realm.
But before they’d gotten far, an old woman blocked their path. This was one of River Empress Peacock’s servants, Yun Zhi. She was the one who’d gotten Su Yi settled into his current residence.
“Your Excellency Star Toad, my mistress commanded that you not leave without permission. If you want to leave, you must wait until next month,” Yun Zhi said frantically.
The Star Toad glared. “A month from now, the ol’ peacock might already be dead! Step aside!”
Then, without giving her any chance to argue, he led Su Yi and the others away.
Yun Zhi watched them leave, the frantic look on her face fading away, replaced with icy calm.
“If you’d remained here, the source energies of the Five-Colored Hidden Realm would have protected you a while longer, but you just had to go and throw your lives away.” A sinister arc tugged at her lips. “In that case, you’re on your own!” ƒreewebɳovel.com
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Su Yi and the Star Toad were the only ones to exit the Five-Colored Hidden Realm, as Su Yi put Innocence and Cen Xinghe away.
After all, one was a Celestial Demon from the Void, while the other was a Sin Soul. As extraordinary as they both were, this deep beneath the surface of the River of Destiny, every inch forward was incredibly difficult, and they risked death at any moment.
Su Yi slipped the Book of Destiny into his sleeve. Even though it didn’t leak any of its aura, its mere presence was enough to let Su Yi traverse the current unaffected.
“Destiny’s Chosen, go ahead and ride on my back,” said the Star Toad, returning to his true form, a snow-white toad the size of a millstone. “There are one hundred and thirty thousand miles of water between the Spirit Treasure Celestial City and us. Even if I use a divine ability to direct the water, it’ll take a full day to get there, but rest assured. On my back, the journey will be as smooth as can be. You can go ahead and rest.”
Su Yi didn’t refuse. He leaped onto the toad’s back, sat down, and crossed his legs.
The toad instantly blurred, quick as a bolt of lightning. He effortlessly shuttled through the current, so fast that it seemed downright unbelievable. No matter how harsh the current, it could do nothing to slow him down.
“Could I help River Empress Peacock if I could use the Book of Destiny?” Su Yi transmitted along the way.
“Of course you could!” said the Star Toad, his spirits soaring. “If you could control the book, you could learn the true name of any mighty cultivator of the River of Destiny at a glance. They say that with that information, you can easily decide whether we live or die!”
“But I still can’t open the Book of Destiny.” Su Yi shook his head.
The Star Toad was inwardly disappointed, but out loud, he said, “Destiny’s Chosen, rest assured. Even if you can’t save the ol’ peacock, I trust that she won’t blame us. She... has never liked to cause trouble for other people. She naturally won’t resent our failure to save her.”
“I know that,” said Su Yi.
River Empress Peacock left to settle a personal grudge, but she didn’t forget to instruct them to prepare to flee if need be. How could Su Yi not respect someone like that?
“Right, when we reach the Spirit Treasure Celestial City, don’t call me ‘Destiny’s Chosen’ anymore,” said Su Yi.
“Got it,” said the toad.
But then, his millstone-sized body froze in place, and he suddenly dodged to the side.
Boom!!!
A terrifying current exploded. Firelight swept forth in all directions, stirring up waves and practically sending the toad flying.
Su Yi felt the impact, too. He immediately stood, then gazed into the distance.
Beyond the turbulent, raging current, he saw a swarm of strange and powerful river denizens, over one hundred in total.
It seemed they’d been waiting here.
Their leader was a monstrous being the size of a mountain. He was shaped almost like a Kui Ox, but he had a pair of ten-thousand-foot black wings. His head was the size of a house, and stingingly bright, blood-red electricity coursed over his body.
“Damnit! What’s that old bastard doing here!?” the Star Toad exclaimed, then transmitted to Su Yi, “Your Excellency, the old ox is one of the River Kings serving under River Emperor Winged Dragon. His title is Whistling Moon, and he’s infamous for his monstrous strength.”
“Mm,” said Su Yi. By now, he understood that the title “River King” referred to those who’d acquired their true names.
But some were much stronger than others. The mightiest of the River Kings were comparable to the Heavenly Monarchs of the Eternal Heavens Domain, but most were more like Immeasurable Realm Dao Lords. The weakest were at most comparable to Silent Realm experts.
But River King Whistling Moon was obviously extraordinary. He was comparable to a top-notch Heavenly Monarch!
Worse, they were beneath the River of Destiny. If they fought here, not even the mightiest Heavenly Monarchs of the Eternal Heavens Domain would be a match for River King Whistling Moon!
Su Yi silently closed his grip on the Book of Destiny, which had opened just a crack.
Suddenly, a nigh imperceptible hint of cold, clear air flowed from its surface.
