Chapter 1207 - The Third Officiant Makes Trouble!
“You wouldn’t understand even if I told you,” said Su Yi. He put away the bronze box.
He planned to investigate the skeletal hand’s mysteries further after proving his Dao and becoming a World King.
“I wouldn’t understand?” The spirit sparrow was furious, but there was nothing for it.
Before long, misty light surged forth, holding Su Yi aloft and carrying him down the path of trials.
The sparrow beat its wings and followed shortly after.
An unknown amount of time later.
Su Yi suddenly found himself standing before a black divine mountain shrouded in a chaotic aura.
The divine mountain was tall and steep, its slopes piercing the clouds. A magnificent waterfall of chaos energy poured down.
Upon closer inspection, several dozen stone steles stood upon its slopes. All were shrouded in chaotic mists, and they came in and out of view.
“This is the fourth testing ground, the Mountain of Wondrous Fate!” The spirit sparrow appeared out of nowhere. “There are thirty-six legacy stone steles upon this mountain. In ancient times, the legendary experts under Venerate Flooding Heavens’ leadership each left their legacies here.”
“Every last one is a supreme legacy of the ancient era. Only those blessed by fate can obtain them!”
The spirit sparrow’s voice carried a hint of ruefulness. “Alas, over the years, no other trial-taker has ever managed to reach this place.”
Su Yi gazed up at the towering black mountain. “Is Venerate Flooding Heavens’ legacy on the Mountain of Wondrous Fate too?”
The spirit sparrow didn’t even pause to think. “Yes! However, his legacy isn’t emblazoned on a stone stele. Rather, it’s fused with the Laws of the Mountain of Wondrous Fate.”
Su Yi nodded. “How am I to undergo trial?”
Suddenly, an aged, indifferent voice rang out. “This trial is a test of fate. If you are not fated to succeed, forcing it will come to no avail. For those chosen by fate, success will take no effort at all.”
An elder emerged from the chaos mists at the foot of the mountain.
He was bony and dressed in hemp. His long white hair was tied into a Daoist topknot. The most striking thing about him was the bright red sword case he carried!
As he appeared, a formless, dignified air spread outward.
Su Yi’s eyes narrowed. A Cosmic Enlightenment Realm old monster!
The sparrow was instantly obedient and respectful. “Trial-Taker, this is the Third Officiant. A long time ago, he followed Venerate Flooding Heavens. He was the most powerful sword cultivator under his command!”
The sparrow paused, then added, “The Third Officiant oversees the fourth trial.”
Su Yi instantly understood.
He thought back to when he received a Divine Chaos Lifeform, the Dark and Gold Fortune Vine, upon taking first place on the Divine Mountain of Perceiving the Profound. The spirit sparrow told him that were the Third Officiant to see this, he would be so jealous that he’d be tempted to kill him and seize his treasure.
The Third Officiant the sparrow spoke of had to be this old man in hemp.
“Sparrow, step back,” the hemp-clad elder said indifferently, his gaze entirely emotionless.
“Yes.” The sparrow obediently retreated to the sidelines.
Then, the old man turned his gaze toward Su Yi.
It was as if the cold, sharp edge of a sword were right up against his throat. Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.
“Trial-taker, from the moment you entered the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, I’ve watched your every move,” said the elder, his gaze cold and firm. “There’s no need for me to hide it, either. I don’t think well of you at all. In fact, if not for Venerate Flooding Heavens’ rules, I would have killed you a long time ago.”
The sparrow froze, stunned, as if in disbelief.
“Oh?” said Su Yi. “And why is that?”
“You don’t need to know the reason,” the hemp-clad elder said expressionlessly. “I’ll give you two choices.”
“You can choose to block three strikes of my sword. If you succeed, you’ll pass this trial, and you can proceed to the Mountain of Wondrous Fate to select a legacy of the Grand Dao.”
Here, the sparrow couldn’t help but interject, “Esteemed Officiant, isn’t that... a bit unfair?”
The hemp-clad elder glanced coldly at the sparrow. “I’ve been ordered to oversee this place, and I’m acting in accordance with the rules. How could you accuse me of unfairness? Do you really think that just any old trial-taker is worthy of the legacies left here by Venerate Flooding Heavens and his legendary experts?”
The spirit sparrow was instantly at a loss for words. It lowered its head, not daring to meet the Third Officiant's gaze.
Although Su Yi wasn’t sure why the old man viewed him with such enmity, how could he fail to realize that he was being treated differently?
“Old Peacock, acting in accordance with the rules is fine, but you cannot let your emotions dictate your behavior.” A soft sigh rang out, and a dark-robed man with graying temples appeared out of nowhere.
The spirit sparrow said, “Trial-Taker, this is the Second Officiant. Earlier, he was the one who stepped in to resolve the unfair treatment you faced earlier in the outer ring.”
Su Yi instantly understood. There’s no doubt about it. The Second and Third Officiants disagree about how to treat me!
“Men aren’t made of wood. Who can be truly free of emotion? Even you, a sparrow manifested of the Laws, have learned to imitate the seven emotions and six desires of living beings. You too possess a hint of spirituality,” the hemp-clad elder said indifferently. “Furthermore, I’ve already been forthright. I don’t think well of this trial-taker at all, and I’ve never disguised my distaste or enmity.
“Despite this, out of consideration for Venerate Flooding Heavens’ rules, I’ve never overstepped. Otherwise, do you really think he would have made it here alive?”
The dark-robed man furrowed his brow. “You ought to understand that he’s the first trial-taker to ever overcome the third trial, and the first to arrive at the Mountain of Wondrous Fate!”
Here, he stared intently at the hemp-clad elder, his voice slow and emphatic. “Don’t tell me you’re seriously going to vent your hatred on an innocent trial-taker just because you resent the Infernal Monarch of the Netherworld for not helping us resist that mysterious catastrophe?”
His voice already contained a hint of anger.
When Su Yi heard that, he couldn’t help but be stunned. What does the Infernal Monarch of the Netherworld have to do with any of this?
The hemp-clad elder’s face didn’t so much as ripple with emotion. “We’ve argued about this countless times over the years, and neither of us has ever managed to convince the other, so... let’s just act in accordance with the rules.”
Here, he pointed at the nearby dark-robed Officiant, his gaze cold. “I oversee this trial, so step aside. Otherwise, you’ll be violating the rules!”
“You....!” The dark-robed man was obviously furious.
However, before he could say anything else, the hemp-clad elder turned to look at Su Yi. “I’ve already explained your first choice. Your second choice is to withdraw of your own volition, become a Servant of the Dao, and protect the Sea of Chaos. If you do, you’ll no longer have to fear anything unexpected happening.”
The dark-robed elder was instantly enraged. “Old Peacock, if you do this, can you really face your Dao Heart? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten! Venerate Flooding Heavens had you oversee this place because, as a sword cultivator, he thought you’d never do anything to let your Dao Heart accumulate dust! He thought you’d never do anything so shameless! But now, you’ve gone and...”
But the elder interrupted him here. “I know better than you whether or not my Dao Heart has accumulated dust. Worry about your own behavior. If you interfere with this trial any further, you’ll be breaking Venerate Flooding Heavens’ rules.”
The dark-robed man was so furious that smoke billowed from the seven apertures of his face. He longed for nothing more than to roll up his sleeves and give this stubborn old-timer a good pummeling.
But in the end, he held back.
“I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you.”
The dark-robed man turned to look at Su Yi. He let out a long sigh, looking utterly frustrated. “This old peacock bears a grudge against those who control the power of reincarnation.”
A moment later, his expression turned solemn, and he said seriously, “But rest assured. No matter what choice you make, I promise not to let anything happen to you.”
He spoke with staunch conviction.
Off in the distance, the hemp-clad elder furrowed his brow, but in the end, he said nothing.
However, Su Yi just laughed dryly and said, “I’ve never entrusted my life and death to others’ promises.”
The dark-robed man froze, stunned, then grimaced. He subconsciously took these words as an expression of anger.
“You can make your choice now,” the old man said expressionlessly.
He stood there alone, a red sword case on his back, his entire body emanating cold, austere murderous intent. He made no attempt to disguise his cold distaste for Su Yi.
The atmosphere was stifled and tense. Even the sparrow was silent, as if ashamed. It lowered its head, not daring to look at Su Yi.
Su Yi brushed off his clothes and said, “I’m not interested in either option.”
How could he possibly care about the legacies of the Grand Dao on the Mountain of Wondrous Fortune?
The dark-robed man and spirit sparrow were both flabbergasted. The hemp-clad elder was obviously surprised too. “You plan to admit defeat and leave the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals?”
Su Yi shook his head. “No, I want to visit the Sea of Chaos. According to what the sparrow said earlier, my results in the earlier trials are already enough to let me cultivate in the Sea of Chaos. Or does that no longer apply?”
The spirit sparrow glanced guiltily at the old man, then steeled itself and said, “It still applies! Because according to Venerate Flooding Heaven’s rules, anyone who takes first place in a trial can proceed to the Sea of Chaos to cultivate.”
“What do you say to that?” Su Yi looked at the old man.
The old man said coldly, “According to the rules, those who give up without even trying are stripped of all good fortune they received as a trial-taker. That is to say, if you admit defeat now, all of your prizes shall be confiscated!”
Su Yi couldn’t help but be surprised. He looked at the sparrow. “Truly?”
The sparrow nodded with great difficulty.
The man in dark robes sighed. “Fellow Daoist, how about you attempt the trial? Even if you fail, your current accomplishments are more than enough to let you proceed to the Sea of Chaos to cultivate.”
He felt as if he couldn’t quite face Su Yi.
Su Yi smiled. He finally understood. If I want to cultivate in the Sea of Chaos, I have to make a choice first.
He whispered, “I have no interest in those legacies of the Grand Dao, but now, it seems this is the only choice I can make.”
His gaze turned toward the old man in hemp clothes. “I have no need for your promise of three strikes. Let’s just fight until we determine victory and defeat.”
The man in dark robes was stunned.
The spirit sparrow’s eyes widened.
A Profound Unity Emperor wanted to duel a Cosmic Enlightenment World King?
How insane was that!?!?
The hemp-clad elder froze in a rare display of bewilderment. Finally, he subtly inclined his head. “Your courage is admirable.”
My courage is admirable? Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh at this appraisal. His sleeves billowed around him as he stepped forth.
He couldn’t be bothered to waste any more time talking.
Boom!
His cultivation base rumbled and boomed. Indomitable sword intent fused with the mysteries of reincarnation, then permeated his surroundings.
That forceful, unparalleled bearing and majesty shook the clouds on all sides.
Everyone turned to look at him!
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