Chapter 1244 - The Blue Demon Bird
The mists up ahead were dense, and numerous stars flickered in and out of view, like eyes opening and closing in the darkness.
A boat flew through it all.
Su Yi now stood at the head of the boat, holding a jug of wine and drinking with relish.
In his life as the Temple Master, he'd visited the Dark Sea of Stars.
It wasn’t to seek out good fortune, but rather, to seek out the entrance to the Divine Kingdom of Illusions!
The Divine Kingdom of Illusions was one of the seven great forbidden zones of the stars.
Rumor had it that it was a kingdom the Divine Realm had left behind.
Other rumors said that it was a home that demonic gods had built in ancient times.
Even now, no one knew just what the so-called Divine Kingdom of Illusions looked like.
This was because this unknown forbidden ground only existed in rumors. No one had ever truly ventured in!
Back then, the Temple Master successfully located the entrance to the Divine Kingdom of Illusions.
Unfortunately, a taboo power sealed off the entrance. It was full of terrifying waves of time and space, which prevented the Temple Master from advancing any further. He never got to see the Divine Kingdom of Illusions' true appearance.
“Fellow Daoists, this old man greets you.” Suddenly, a benevolent-looking old man in white appeared in the distant mists.
He smiled and bowed, then said warmly, “The surrounding area is under my lord’s jurisdiction. If you wish to pass through...”
Before he could finish, Su Yi interrupted, “Do you want to collect a toll?”
The white-robed old man looked at Su Yi admiringly. “You’re clever indeed, Fellow Daoist. In that case, I won’t waste words. My lord has always emphasized fairness, so all you have to do is offer up half of your treasures each.”
Meng Changyun said expressionlessly, “And if we refuse?”
The old man in white was nothing but smiles. “My lord’s territory covers thirty thousand miles and includes three worlds. His subordinates number in the tens of thousands. If you wish to proceed in peace, you’d be best off cooperating.”
He’d only just said this when numerous figures appeared in the distant mists, all of them reminiscent of malevolent gods. Their murderous intent filled their surroundings.
The white-robed old man chuckled and clasped his fists. “Please do the right thing, fellow Daoists!”
The right thing? Meng Changyun almost laughed. This bastard is a bandit, so he should act like one, so why spout all that nonsense about fairness? It’s truly ridiculous!
But Meng Changyun knew that such things were commonplace in the Dark Sea of Stars.
These were lands of darkness, turmoil, and upheaval. Yao and demons ran rampant, and thievery was commonplace. There were no rules or order to speak of.
“There’s miasma on all sides, and they’re glaring hideously at us. It’s obvious these aren’t good people,” laughed Su Yi. “It seems to me that ‘the right thing’ would be killing them all. After all, they say that saving even a single life does more good than building a seven-story pagoda.”
Off in the distance, the white-robed old man’s benevolent smile disappeared, and the depths of his gaze surged with bloodthirsty light. “So, you insist on doing this the hard way?”
Kcch!
Su Yi stretched out his finger and flicked the air.
A lotus of radiant holy Buddhist fire bloomed, then fell onto the white-robed old man.
Boom!
Buddhist fire blazed and burst forth, setting the white-robed old man ablaze.
A terrified shriek rang out. “No——!”
The white-robed old man transformed into a massive, fully hundred-plus-foot boar. Its entire body emanated blood-colored light and baleful mists, and its aura was monstrous and fierce.
But beneath the mighty Buddhist flames, the boar’s skin and flesh split, leaving it riddled with holes as it shrieked like a dying pig.
In the blink of an eye, the massive, hundred-plus-foot-long boar yao disintegrated into ash and dissipated.
Off in the distance, the horde of figures reminiscent of malevolent gods broke out in cold sweats, turned tail, and fled.
Their ranks completely fell apart.
Meng Changyun couldn’t help but sneer. “Nothing but a pack of motley riffraff.”
“Let’s go,” said Su Yi.
The road ahead was calm, with no waves or upsets.
Even so, Meng Changyun keenly detected numerous people following them.
Furthermore, the more time passed, the more numerous they became!
“Young lord, it seems we’ve disturbed the dark forces that occupy this place,” Meng Changyun said softly.
“Dark forces?” Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh dryly. “They’re nothing but a pack of crooks who only dare wander the Dark Sea of Stars.”
He’d only just said this when a coarse voice boomed like thunder off in the distance, “Was it you two who killed my emissary?”
The surrounding voice trembled, and baleful mists surged as a mountain of bone fully ten thousand feet tall approached them.
Tens of thousands of yao cultivators clustered around the massive mountain of white bone. Their momentum was enormous, and their ranks blanketed the surrounding area.
A tall bald man with a martial bearing sat on a throne atop the peak of the white bone mountain.
His eyes were jade green, and his muscles were knotted and firm. He had a necklace of skulls around his neck, and his entire body emanated blood-colored light and a monstrous, baleful aura.
“A World King-level yao cultivator?” exclaimed Meng Changyun.
There was no doubt about it. The bald man seated atop the mountain of white bone was the earlier white-robed elder’s lord, as well as the overlord of the entire area.
“Actually, he’s a Blue Demon Bird,” Su Yi said casually. “The beast’s timing is actually quite good. On the road ahead, he can serve as our mount. That’ll intimidate the riff raff, preventing the blind and foolish from making any further trouble.”
With that, Su Yi shot out of the flat boat and toward the distant mountain of white bone.
“You’re seeking death!” someone bellowed.
A crowd of yao cultivators charged at Su Yi, but he couldn’t even be bothered to look at them.
Boom!
Their attacks might have seemed terrifying, but they went up in a puff of smoke before even getting close to Su Yi.
Su Yi, meanwhile, floated gently to the peak of the mountain of white bone.
The massive bald man shot to his feet. He could sense that something wasn’t quite right here.
He exclaimed, “You’re...”
But before he could finish his sentence, Su Yi slapped him on his bald cranium.
Bang!
The massive bald man fell onto his butt, seeing stars. His mind buzzed, and he was struck completely dumb. Where... where did this guy come from?
He was a mighty World King-level yao cultivator. He didn’t actually wield all-encompassing authority in the Dark Sea of Stars, but he was still a mighty yao king.
Yet now, a young man of unknown origins had smacked him down just like that!
Deathly silence descended upon the area surrounding the white bone mountain.
The tens of thousands of yao cultivators were wide-eyed and tongue-tied. His Lordship.... Was slapped, just like that!?
“You will serve as my mount on the road ahead. Be good and cooperate, and I’ll spare your life,” Su Yi said casually.
“You want me to be your mount!?” The massive bald man’s face flushed red with anger and shame.
Since becoming a World King, when had anyone dared humiliate and slander him like this?
“I’m a World King, yet you dare insult me...” The bald man’s face filled with ruthlessness, but just as he was about to object...
Whap!
Su Yi slapped him on the back of his skull once more. “Agree, or refuse. Make your choice.”
The bald man was struck dumb.
Here in the Dark Sea of Stars, it had always been him bullying and threatening others. When had anyone ever threatened him like this?
But when he met Su Yi’s gaze, he instantly felt as if he’d been plunged into an endless abyss. His hair stood on end, and he felt an intense, suffocating pressure.
He dared say with certainty that if he refused, Su Yi would kill him beyond a shadow of a doubt!
“Your Excellency, please calm your fury!”
Thud!
The bald man knelt, his head hitting the ground as he called out in a quavering voice, “Becoming your mount is good fortune worth more than eight lifetimes of accumulated karmic merit!”
Throughout the surrounding area, everyone was struck dumb.
The tens of thousands of yao cultivators were in uproar. Our lord has always acted without reservation, gazing contemptuously upon all others. How could he kneel so quickly!?
“You’re right about that,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he stomped his foot.
Boom!
The massive mountain of white bone collapsed.
Throughout the surrounding area, the dense army of yao cultivators exploded into ash, offering no more resistance than paper.
The bald man’s head broke out in cold sweats.
How could he dare hesitate? He swayed, transforming into a thousand-foot vicious fowl.
His wings were vast enough to cover the clouds, and he was surrounded in dazzling, blood-colored flames.
This was a Blue Demon Bird, a type of ferocious yao that wandered the depths of outer space. They were capable of swallowing entire landscapes in a single gulp.
“Your Excellency, if you please!” the Blue Demon Bird said respectfully.
Su Yi and Meng Changyun promptly sat upon the Blue Demon Bird and proceeded ahead.
Along the way, just as they expected, nothing unexpected happened.
Even when they ran into a few short-sighted crooks, the sight of the Blue Demon Bird serving a mount had them turning tail and fleeing. None dared to linger.
Along the way, Su Yi heard the distinctive sound of the pawnshop’s Heart-Inquiring bell once more.
However, neither Meng Changyun nor the Blue Demon Bird could hear it.
Despite this, against all of Su Yi’s expectations, the Blue Demon Bird suddenly asked, “Your Excellency, are you perhaps looking for that Mysterious Pawnshop?”
“You know about the pawnshop too?” Su Yi exclaimed.
“Roughly four hundred years ago, that pawnshop appeared in the Dark Sea of Stars. In the years that followed, numerous old monsters of the Dark Sea of Stars became its customers, receiving enormous benefits.”
The Blue Demon Bird said at top speed, “Only World Kings know about this. Unfortunately, my cultivation base is insufficient, and I’ve yet to have an opportunity to enter.”
His voice sounded regretful.
“Your cultivation is insufficient?” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. When did the pawnshop’s rules for selecting its customers change?
In the past, the pawnshop was open to those chosen by fate, regardless of cultivation!
The Blue Demon Bird explained, “Your Excellency, the pawnshop only accepts World Kings above the Heavenly Longevity Realm.”
Su Yi was increasingly surprised.
He’d known for a long time that the pawnshop had extraordinary origins. Furthermore, its madwoman of an owner had suspicious origins herself, and she was in possession of all manner of unbelievable and strange treasures.
Like the Heart-Inquiring Bell, the Scales of Judgment, and the Starry Abacus. These were its three core treasures, and all of them were unique divine objects!
Even with the Temple Master’s experiences to draw on, the Pawnshop of the Heavens wasn’t simple.
After all, it was just a pawnshop, yet it could shuttle between space, wandering the various worlds. That was unbelievable already.
He would never have guessed that when the pawnshop appeared in the Dark Sea of Stars, it would only accept Oneness World Kings and higher as customers!
“Back then, the old pawnbroker said that madwoman left the Wilds four hundred years and ventured into outer space to do business with the Jailers.”
“So why... has the Pawnshop of the Heavens appeared in the Dark Sea of Stars?”
One question after another flooded into Su Yi’s mind, piquing his curiosity.
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