Heaven and earth were overcast. The atmosphere was stifling and oppressive.

Lu Shi had managed to escape death, and he now stood coldly to the sidelines, a hint of unwillingness on his brow.

He knew that Su Yi was unlikely to escape death, but the thought of Su Yi dying by someone else’s hand was hard to take.

But that ultimately didn’t matter. It was the Monarch of Endless Tribulations and the old monk in worn-out robes that he had to be cautious of.

The aura emanating from them was far too terrifying!

Lu Shi had no idea who these people were, but he could say with incomparable certainty that they were far stronger than Heavenly Sovereigns.

They were likely experts who’d long since broken the shackles of Destiny and reached its Far Shore, just like his backer, Li Shouhu.

River Ancestor Shen Xiao, Wang Zhiwu, and the others were all under terrifying suppression. It was utterly suffocating. None of them dared to try anything reckless, as their instincts told them that if they did, they’d die beyond a doubt!

The former River Ancestor Lu Shu stood there, head lowered in silence.

He was the only one who knew who these two were, but because of that, he knew that he had no place in this conversation. Even if he wanted to help Su Yi, he couldn’t open his mouth.

As the Monarch of Endless Tribulation’s clear, youthful voice echoed throughout heaven and earth, all eyes converged on Su Yi.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations had been straight and to the point. He hadn’t hidden anything, either, yet he spoke with a heart-palpitating sense of oppression.

Anyone else here would have already caved beneath the pressure. They’d have lowered their heads and offered up the Book of Destiny.

But Su Yi did nothing of the sort. He didn’t make any concessions of any kind.

Instead, he shook his sleeve, and an unconscious form toppled to the ground.

The group recognized him at a glance. This was Wei E, the spineless, useless river denizen that Su Yi had insisted on taking with them. He’d made a real fool out of himself in the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone.

His companions had found it strange. They didn’t understand why Su Yi would keep Wei E of all people around.

But now, when they saw this, they seemed to guess something. Their eyes widened in disbelief.

“My life and death don’t matter to you, but what about his?” said Su Yi, gazing directly at the Monarch of Endless Tribulations.

The monk was stunned. He couldn’t help but take another look at Su Yi. He could sense that Su Yi was highly unusual and shrouded in mystery.

Normally, the monk would have been able to see through a Heavenly Sovereign at a glance, let alone a Divine Wandering Realm sword cultivator, yet some mysterious, taboo power prevented him from examining Su Yi in detail.

And the monk certainly hadn’t anticipated that Su Yi would take out Wei E.

“Just as I thought. This kid figured some stuff out.” The Monarch of Endless Tribulations froze, stunned, then sighed. He looked at Su Yi. “This was outside of my expectations, but it’s likely due to the Book of Destiny. That’s how you managed to sense my wisp of soul’s unusual qualities.”

Su Yi didn’t deny it.

His encounter with Wei E in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City might have seemed like a coincidence, but from Su Yi’s perspective, that wasn’t the case at all.

Numerous people had been tailing him. All of them saw him as a fatty sheep, but Su Yi disregarded them all.

Only Wei E managed to pique his interest. This was naturally no mere coincidence or fortuitous encounter.

“You’re saying that you guessed that he was somehow connected to me?” The Monarch of Endless Tribulations finally seemed somewhat interested in Su Yi.

“I wouldn’t go that far,” said Su Yi. “Rather, it was his bodhisattva pendant that piqued my curiosity. Here I was, under the River of Destiny, yet a river denizen carried a mysterious Buddhist pendant on his person. Moreover, I could sense that a mysterious presence was sealed inside it. It’s only natural that it drew my attention.”

The monk in worn-out robes couldn’t help but exclaim, “Not even a River Ancestor could have sensed the pendant’s presence. How did you manage it?”

It would have been obvious to anyone that the monk was stunned.

Su Yi just took a sip of wine and said nothing, but the monk looked thoughtful. He thought back to Su Yi’s earlier battle with Lu Shu’s heart devil and the divine abilities of the heart he’d used, then roughly guessed how Su Yi had managed to sense the pendant’s extraordinary qualities.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” said Su Yi, gazing at the Monarch of Endless Tribulations.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations smiled and admitted it directly. “Wei E is indeed important to me. After all, he’s the incarnation of a wisp of my soul. That pendant he carries was given to him by the monk, and it contains his sealed memories and awareness. That’s how he wound up in such a state.”

The crowd was stunned. None of them had anticipated that someone as useless as Wei E would have such shocking origins!

But then, the Monarch of Endless Tribulations said, “But if you think taking him hostage makes you worthy of negotiating with me, you’re completely, utterly mistaken.”

Su Yi said calmly, “You’re wrong. Your horizons are ultimately quite limited. I disdain resorting to such petty tricks to threaten people.”

He tossed Wei E to the Monarch of Endless Tribulations from afar. “Wei E is a wondrous person. I realized a long time ago that there was something strange about his origins, but I’ve never had any intention of exploiting him.”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations froze, uncharacteristically silent.

A hint of a smile appeared on the monk’s steely face. “Such breadth of spirit is rare indeed.”

Su Yi pondered briefly, then said to the monk, “I can roughly ascertain that you have an extraordinary connection with River Empress Peacock, but that’s a separate matter entirely. I don’t expect my connection to her to change your attitude toward me.”

The monk pondered briefly, then said, “Then what do you plan to do, my young friend?”

Su Yi said directly, “The Book of Destiny was left to me by a friend. I absolutely cannot give it to either one of you. If you’re dead set on seizing it, you’re welcome to try it. If you win, the Book of Destiny is yours.

“But if I win...” Su Yi pointed at Wang Zhiwu, River Ancestor Shen Xiao, and the others. “All I ask is that you let them leave this place safely.”

Lu Shi was flabbergasted. Where on earth does he get the confidence to talk to these two terrifying existences like that?

Meanwhile, waves of emotion coursed through Wang Zhiwu, River Ancestor Shen Xiao, and the others’ hearts. They, too, hadn’t anticipated that Su Yi would consider their safety even in the face of such grave peril.

The former River Ancestor Lu Shu sighed to himself. No wonder the little peacock was willing to risk a backlash just to tell Su Yi to leave. It’s hard not to admire someone with such breadth of spirit.

A hint of softness appeared on the monk’s steely face. “If you let me borrow the book, you can achieve that goal with ease. There’s no need to resort to such extreme measures.”

But the Monarch of Endless Tribulations laughed. “Monk, can’t you see that Su Yi is confident? There’s a reason he dares to defy us!”

Uncharacteristic admiration appeared on his face. “Out of respect for your courage, I don’t mind letting you try it. Even if you lose, so long as you give me the Book of Destiny, I’ll let you and your friends leave this place alive!”

The monk nodded.

Lu Shi’s heart clenched. What the hell? You’re just taking the Book of Destiny? You aren’t going to kill Su Yi? What the hell are you thinking? Don’t you realize that you’re just ‘releasing the tiger into the mountains’?

“Let’s try it, then.” Su Yi took out the Book of Destiny and extracted the Key to Endless Tribulations, which he tossed to the monk. “No matter who wins, I hope you won’t let anything happen to River Empress Peacock.”

The monk accepted the Key to Endless Tribulations, then clasped his palms together. “A moment’s kindness is enough to become a Buddha. Your breadth of spirit is extraordinary indeed, my young friend.”

Su Yi just smiled and pointed into the dome of heaven. “How about we fight up there?”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations and the monk exchanged glances, then nodded. In truth, they could suppress a junior like Su Yi with a snap of their fingers.

However, Su Yi’s spirit and comportment were utterly extraordinary, to the point that both supreme existences deeply admired him. Thus, they’d decided to give Su Yi a chance to fight.

And an opportunity to lose cleanly and openly!

Su Yi blurred into a beam of light, shooting through the sky and arriving beneath the dome of heaven.

The sky was covered in tribulation clouds and dense fog. Everything was covered in a calamitous aura, unsettling to the extreme.

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations and the monk appeared shortly after, one to the east, the other to the west. The three of them formed a triangle formation.

The others watched the standoff from afar.

Su Yi stood in the churning sea of clouds, his robes swaying around him, and flipped his palm. The Book of Destiny floated into the air.

Then, he gestured to his two opponents. “If you please!”

He was really dueling these two terrifying, mysterious existences!

The Monarch of Endless Tribulations blinked, then shook his head. “I’ll fight you first, one-on-one. It’s only fair!”

The monk inclined his head. “Attack without reservation. I guarantee that he won’t kill you!”

Su Yi smiled, then raised the Book of Destiny into the air.

Boom!

Overflowing, unstoppable power surged out of the first page of the Book of Destiny, enveloping Su Yi completely.

This was the power of Divine Wrath.

Except it was far stronger and far more terrifying than when Su Yi had used it before!

Practically simultaneously, a clamor of voices arose within the Book of Destiny.

“That’s the power of Xiao Jian’s imprint!”

“I just knew it! Xiao Jian might be dead, but his imprint remains!”

“Strange. How could that kid possibly use the power of Xiao Jian’s imprint?”

Suddenly, Mo Hanyi’s voice rang out. “Back then, that scholar Xiao Jian took the Book of Destiny from the Abyss of Endless Tribulations. Naturally, he ought to be the one to end this ancient enmity.”

As this clamor of voices rang out, the first, second, and third pages whooshed, then surged with mysterious, unknown chaos power.

As Su Yi held the book, his presence silently shifted, rising higher and higher. All the while, he was bathed in the dreamlike, ethereal power of Destiny’s Wrath.

Within his sea of consciousness, the third Divine Chain of the Sword of the Nine Hells quivered.

It was the one that represented Xiao Jian’s Dao Imprint!

The crowd watched as Su Yi transformed into someone else entirely. He now had the bookish air of a scholar, and he was bathed in the profound power of destiny. When he looked around, he seemed to gaze over the ages, facing the past and present with calm composure.

The monk froze, stunned, then sighed. “So, it’s Fellow Daoist Xiao Jian. The Book of Destiny really is too wondrous for words.”

The Monarch of Endless Tribulation’s eyes flashed with divine radiance as he stared intently at Su Yi. When he sensed Xiao Jian’s familiar aura, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “Every cause has an effect. Fate gives, and fate takes away. Back then, you were the one who interfered in our conflict and seized the Book of Destiny. Now, it’s thanks to you that this ancient conflict will finally draw to a close. How truly interesting!”