Chapter 2900 - The Key Transforms
Firelight swept throughout heaven and earth.
A single strike left Lu Shi badly injured. River Ancestor Shen Xiao and the others couldn’t help but find this surprising.
They’d all left the palace, and they now stood in the air and watched the battle from a great distance.
“Restrict!” An infuriated roar rang out, and the red-robed Harbinger of Tribulations, Lu Shu, attacked once more. With a swing of his sleeves, a prison rose out of the earth and surrounded Lu Shi on all sides.
Lu Shu took a step forward, arriving outside the prison. His hands formed a seal, and countless tribulation lights shot out of the prison’s walls, descending upon Lu Shi like a tidal wave or avalanche.
Lu Shi instantly put River Emperor Winged Dragon into his sleeve, then bellowed and launched a counterattack.
Kaboom!
Li Shouhu’s avatar expanded until it was ten thousand feet tall. It gripped its spear and swung it through the air.
With every strike, a new swath of tribulation light shattered, tearing the prison apart.
But with Lu Shu controlling the prison, it repaired itself instantly, giving rise to more and more murky gray tribulation light. It surrounded Lu Shi thoroughly.
Lu Shi’s face was ashen. He was inwardly so frustrated that he wanted to cough up blood. He’d thought that Li Shouhu’s avatar would be enough to ensure his victory. With Li Shouhu’s help, he could seize the Key to Endless Tribulations, slaughter Su Yi, and take all of his treasures and good fortune, including the Book of Destiny, the Epoch Spark, and the power of reincarnation.
While he was at it, he’d kill River Ancestor Shen Xiao and the others, too.
He could never have imagined that the suppressed Harbinger of Tribulations would ruin all of his plans!
Now, the red-robed man was targeting him in a frenzy of retribution. How could Lu Shi not be frustrated and angry?
He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why the red-robed man was targeting him specifically. Was it for the Key to Endless Tribulations? Or because of River Empress Peacock?
Did that bastard Su Yi trick me again? This thought rose unbidden to Lu Shi’s mind. Despite himself, his heart clenched.
Boom!
The battle raged with even greater intensity. Lu Shi dared not let his mind wander. He had no choice but to fight with all his might.
Li Shouhu’s avatar was the greatest card at his disposal, but this power was ultimately external. Moreover, assuming it fought at full power, it would last ten minutes at most before dissipating.
In other words, if he didn’t resolve this predicament within ten minutes, the consequences would be unimaginably dire!
“Die!” Outside the cage, the former River Ancestor Lu Shu attacked in a red-eyed frenzy. He was completely different before; it seemed he’d been thoroughly provoked
Off in the distance, River Ancestor Shen Xiao witnessed the entire battle. He couldn’t help but wipe cold sweat from his brow. He’s just too terrifying! If not for my worthy younger brother’s intervention, River Ancestor Lu Shu would have killed me by now!
“Brother Su, wasn’t letting that guy go effectively releasing a tiger onto the mountain?” Wang Zhiwu transmitted hurriedly. “He might kill Lu Shi, but who’s to say he won’t turn around and kill us afterward?”
Su Yi responded with no outward change in expression, “What are you worried about? You have hidden cards too, don’t you?”
Earlier, when Wang Zhiwu took out the Book of Legends, Su Yi saw that it was down to its last page. That meant that he could only use it one more time before it was completely destroyed.
But what really surprised Su Yi was that when Wang Zhiwu took out the Book of Legends, the long-dormant heart devil in the rusted sheath suddenly called out to him. “Quick, stop him!”
Su Yi didn’t understand why, but he reacted immediately, stopping Wang Zhiwu before he could activate the last page.
Inwardly, he was quite surprised. He didn’t understand just what it was that had startled the heart devil like that.
Su Yi recalled the portrait on the final page of the Book of Destiny. It depicted a distinctive-looking man with youthful features. His eyes shone with the vicissitudes of countless years.
He was dressed in Daoist robes, and his feet were bare. A bamboo hairpin held his long black hair in a loose topknot, revealing his smooth, jade-like forehead.
Most striking of all were the celestial bodies floating over his shoulders: one blazing sun and one radiant moon.
He carried the sun and moon as if supporting all worlds on his shoulders!
He’d left a deep impression on Su Yi largely because the heart devil in the rusted sheath had reacted so strongly to him.
Don’t tell me there’s something unusual about that Book Soul? Su Yi wondered, but this was no time to ask questions.
The battle was about to reach its most critical juncture. No matter who won, they were in for trouble. Su Yi naturally had to remain on guard.
“My worthy younger brother, might you tell me if you’ve figured out a way to leave the Cave of Obsession?” River Ancestor Shen Xiao transmitted.
Su Yi responded calmly, “Rest assured, Daoist Brother. We’ll naturally be able to leave once we’ve resolved the crisis at hand.”
River Ancestor Shen Xiao inclined his head and sighed. “I’ve faced numerous perils in my day, but this is by far the most dangerous. To tell the truth, I’m no longer the least bit interested in the Key to Endless Tribulations. It’ll be enough if I can leave this place alive.”
This was a River Ancestor, a being comparable to a Heavenly Sovereign, yet now, he showed a rare hint of dejection and exhaustion.
But Su Yi understood why. The threats they’d encountered in the Cave of Obsession were enough to threaten the lives of even River Ancestors. Of course, River Ancestor Shen Xiao was afraid!
“My worthy younger brother, I’ll follow your orders going forward. Even if you send me into a mountain of blades or a sea of flame, I won’t refuse!” River Ancestor Shen Xiao said solemnly.
And indeed, he meant it. They’d faced at least three potentially lethal crises since entering the Cave of Obsession. Each time, he would have been doomed if not for Su Yi.
The first was their battle with River Ancestor Lu Shu’s three heart devils.
The second was when they were trapped in that towering cage as the red-robed Harbinger of Tribulations attacked them.
And this was the third crisis. Lu Shi had attacked out of nowhere and posed an enormous threat.
In every instance, it was Su Yi who’d turned the tide at a critical juncture. Getting saved even once was an enormous blessing, let alone three times in a row.
By now, River Ancestor Shen Xiao had completely cast aside his initial preconceptions of Su Yi, and he was deeply grateful. When he called Su Yi his “worthy younger brother,” he did so with the utmost sincerity.
Besides, he knew that Su Yi was their only hope of leaving the Cave of Obsession alive. Knowing that, how could he possibly have any wicked intentions?
“That’s quite considerate of you, Daoist Brother,” Su Yi said casually. “Should the need arise for you to die in battle, I absolutely won’t hold back.
This wasn’t the least bit polite, but River Ancestor Shen Xiao smiled nonetheless. He could tell that Su Yi now took him for one of his own.
He broke into a gratified smile. “Excellent!”
As they conversed, a fierce battle raged in the distance. Lu Shi was badly wounded, his situation precarious.
Li Shouhu’s avatar still stood behind him, but it was far dimmer than before.
Suddenly, Lu Shi bellowed, “Stop! Any more nonsense, and I’ll destroy the Key to Endless Tribulations!”
Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he swung his sleeve. River Emperor Winged Dragon reappeared, only for Lu Shi to seize the five-colored feather before he could react.
Outside the cage, the former River Ancestor Lu Shu looked stricken, and he decisively stopped his attacks. He said gravely, “Give me the Key to Endless Tribulations, and I’ll spare your life!”
Lu Shi’s eyes flashed. “I can agree to that, but first, you must agree to do something for me.”
The red-robed Harbinger of Tribulations roared, “You dare try to haggle with me?”
“Earlier, Su Yi suppressed and imprisoned you,” said Lu Shi. “Don’t you want revenge? My conditions are simple: kill Su Yi and his companions, and I swear to return the Key to Endless Tribulations!
River Ancestor Shen Xiao, Wang Zhiwu, and the others almost launched into a series of curses. That fucker Lu Shi is just too much!
“And how am I supposed to trust you?” asked Lu Shu, obviously much calmer.
Lu Shi lifted River Emperor Winged Dragon and said, “What if you take him as a hostage?”
River Emperor Winged Dragon was instantly gobsmacked. Even if you’d hit him over the head, he would never have guessed that Lu Shi would sell him out like this!
“Lu Shi, it’s obvious that you’re just trying to borrow another’s hands to kill us while you escape,” Wang Zhiwu said with a cold laugh. Although he addressed Lu Shi, these words were really addressed to Lu Shu.
Lu Shi disregarded him, but Lu Shu’s expression shifted erratically.
But then, River Emperor Winged Dragon looked up and glared, his eyes bloodshot. “Lu Shi, I was a fool to have ever cooperated with you. If that’s how you’re going to treat me, I’ll just destroy the Key to Endless Tribulations!”
Lu Shi couldn’t help but furrow his brow. He said coldly, “The Key to Endless Tribulations is in my hands. How could you possibly destroy it?”
He’d only just said this when his expression shifted. River Emperor Winged Dragon had destroyed his own life source. His body was now ablaze.
“Lu Shi, you’re sure to die an unsightly death!” As River Emperor Winged Dragon’s resentment-filled last words rang out, his body disintegrated into ash.
This development came as a complete surprise to everyone present.
But before they could react, something else unexpected happened.
The five-colored feather that Lu Shi had seized from his former ally shone with intense radiance, and an indescribably terrifying, calamitous power surged forth.
Lu Shi panicked and tossed the feather away without hesitation.
However, much to his horror, as the feather lit up, its surging tribulation light flowed along his palm and invaded his body. Try as he might, he couldn’t get rid of it.
“Noooooo! What the hell is going on?” Lu Shi cried out. He didn’t feel any pain or discomfort, but the sight of the five-colored feather’s tribulation light surging into his body made his heart quiver. This was the terror of the unknown.
He struggled like mad, attacking with all his might in a bid to stop what was happening.
But it was to no avail.
The light continuously invaded, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Even Li Shouhu’s avatar was helpless!
This strange scene left the distant onlookers unsettled. None of them knew what was going on.
Outside the prison, Lu Shu found it strange, too. He did nothing, however. He just stood there and watched with rapt attention, his expression filled with agony.
Suddenly, he gazed into the dome of heaven and shouted hysterically, “The little peacock is your disciple! Why did you just watch her die without trying to save her?”
Su Yi didn’t hesitate to transmit a warning to the others. “You have to be careful!”
