NOVGO.NET Chapter 2231 - Devouring and Refining Divine Flame
Chapter 2231 – Devouring and Refining Divine Flame
At this point of the conversation, the atmosphere suddenly grew stifled.
Su Yi continued drinking, unperturbed, but he said no more. Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye, meanwhile, was obviously thinking about something.
They’d already laid everything out in the open. Faint hints had been mapped and explored. All questions had been answered.
Some time passed before Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye broke the uncomfortable silence. “Why not attack, Fellow Daoist?”
Su Yi pondered briefly, then said, “There’s still room left to talk things over.”
It was true that Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had targeted and interfered with him earlier, but he didn’t hate the man.
Ultimately, they were just on different sides. In Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s shoes, he wouldn’t have made concessions either. There’s no way he would have given the Blazing Sundial to another after fusing his very life into the treasure.
Besides, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had only recently done him a favor at the Mountain Guardian’s request.
But against Su Yi’s expectations, the Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye shook his head. “No, one of us must die today.”
“Why?” Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye laughed. “My life has long since become one with the Blazing Sundial. If you gain enlightenment into the Flame of Supreme Emergence, you’ll gain true mastery over the Blazing Sundial. Do you really think I’ll lower my head to you?”
Su Yi understood. Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had effectively become the spirit of the sundial. If he wanted control over the Blazing Sundial, he’d have to force Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye to submit.
But how could a lofty, dignified expert like Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye agree to that? He’d rather die than lower his head!
It was an intractable problem.
That is, unless he gave up on the Flame of Supreme Emergence, or had means of separating Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye from the Blazing Sundial.
For a time, Su Yi couldn’t help but sink into silence.
But Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye laughed airily. “You needn’t hesitate, Fellow Daoist. Just use your power of reincarnation to seal the Blazing Sundial’s source power. You’ll be able to erase me with ease.
“Then, you can refine the Blazing Sundial and make it fully your own. With its power, you’ll have no trouble sensing the Flame of Supreme Emergence.”
Su Yi couldn’t help but ask, “Are you willing to accept that outcome?”
It was just a few words, but they were like a knife in Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s heart. His expression shifted erratically, but in the end, he laughed and shook his head. “At my peak, I longed for nothing more than mastery over the Flame of Supreme Emergence and to place my other foot firmly onto the River of Destiny. That way, I’d be able to truly transcend the God Domain and establish an Eternal Dao!
“But the cataclysm that brought the end of the Age of Supreme Emergence shattered my hopes.
“As I told you earlier, I have an unshakeable obsession with the Flame of Supreme Emergence, but as I’m sure you can also see, I never acquired it. It’s one of the cruelest fates in this world.
“But you still don’t understand. The Flame of Supreme Emergence is the very thing that put me in this pitiful state!
“Because the Cataclysm of Supreme Emergence… was caused by the Flame of Supreme Emergence.”
His expression was utterly bitter and bleak. “I longed for it, and I could see it close at hand, but I not only couldn’t acquire it… it destroyed my body and reduced me to a glorified artifact spirit. Fate… truly plays games with the lives of men!”
Su Yi suddenly recalled a certain saying: “A heart burdened by obsession will only be weighed down by it.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye was unfortunate indeed. He’d earnestly pursued the Dao, but it was the very Dao he pursued that destroyed him!
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye smiled in acceptance. “But after clinging to life in degradation all these years, I finally understand. Everything has its cause. My misfortune wasn’t pre-ordained. Rather, I brought it upon myself due to my own desires.
“Ultimately, when I used the Blazing Sundial to stand over the world, I stepped onto a path I could never realize.
“Thus, I poured all of my effort into training my two disciples.
“Qing Niu might seem fierce and barbaric, but in truth, his heart is the closest to the Dao, unfettered by distraction thoughts. His flaws are obvious, but it’s his very straightforwardness that keeps him from straying from the right path.
“And as you saw earlier, Hong Li’s talent, foundations, and intelligence would be enough to dazzle any era she appeared in. Her only flaw… is that she’ll have to bear the corresponding karmic tribulations. I’m afraid she’ll suffer badly.”
When he spoke of his two disciples, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s expression softened, and his voice contained hints of pride.
To Su Yi, it sounded like he was making arrangements for his disciples after his death.
When he saw that Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had more to say, Su Yi smiled and interrupted him. “If this is really a final farewell, there’s no need to say all that.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye was stunned.
A man’s last words were valuable. It was rare to encounter someone like Su Yi, a fellow Daoist he could really talk to, and it was hard to avoid ruefulness. He’d said things others might see as unbefitting of his status.
He would never have guessed that Su Yi simply wouldn’t want to hear it.
Su Yi said, “I have a solution that might resolve this deadlock, but I’d need your help.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye looked stunned. “Please explain, Fellow Daoist.”
Su Yi didn’t even pause to think. “It’s simple. Use the power of the Blazing Sundial to attack me with the Flame of Supreme Emergence.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye looked bewildered. “Huh?”
Su Yi returned the Blazing Sundial and urged him on. “Be quick about it.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye looked at the Blazing Sundial, then at Su Yi. His gaze had already shifted.
If the power of reincarnation sealed the Blazing Sundial, it would seal his remnant soul, too. His life and death would be entirely in Su Yi’s hands.
But now that Su Yi had given him the Blazing Sundial, he’d freed Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye and given him the power to fight back!
This was unquestionably dangerous for Su Yi, yet he’d done so anyway, and he didn’t seem the least bit concerned!
How could Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye not feel shaken? He sighed to himself, It’s no wonder the Mountain Guardian thinks so highly of Fellow Daoist Su!
……
Moments later, the Blazing Sundial shook in Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye’s palm. Temporal firelight shook forth, illuminating the sundial’s surface. The needle rapidly spun through its twelve demarcated sections.
Boom!
The entirety of Sundial City was thrown into upheaval.
Everyone gathered outside to listen to Wan Zitian tell tales of Su Yi was startled.
“What’s happening?”
“This…” The stalwart young man, Qing Niu, exclaimed, “This is bad! The Blazing Sundial is fully activated. Don’t tell me that Master plans to use the Flame of Supreme Emergence to kill Fellow Daoist Su?”
What? Wan Zitian instantly looked stricken.
Master Cloud Refiner and the others, however, had strange looks on their faces. They’d anticipated this development on their way here, so they weren’t exactly surprised.
After all, how could someone like Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye possibly give up the Blazing Sundial lightly?
“Master…most likely wouldn’t have done that…” Hong Li furrowed her brow. Only she felt that her master’s behavior seemed out of character.
Before the others could give the matter any further thought, intense light erupted over Sundial City.
It was like the rise of an incomparably brilliant, blazing sun, illuminating the originally overcast landscape.
No, it was as if heaven and earth had caught ablaze. The sky contorted, and the air flow was instantly searing hot.
A sentence rose unbidden to Wan Zitian’s sea of consciousness: heaven and earth became a furnace, and nature a blacksmith. With Yin and Yang as their coal, all things were like copper beneath the smith’s hammer!
Here, heaven and earth were a furnace and the Grand Dao was fuel. Together, they refined all things!
“The Flame of Supreme Emergence!!” Master Cloud Refiner exclaimed.
The cataclysm that marked the end of their age was started by the Flame of Supreme Emergence.
That was a disaster they’d never, ever forget, a nightmare carved into their very bones! Thus, when they saw this familiar power erupt once more, an instinctual sense of impending crisis filled their hearts.
Furthermore, all of them knew that the only person in Sundial City capable of controlling the Flame of Supreme Emergence was Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye!
They didn’t even need to think to know what had happened. He was attacking Su Yi!
“Master must want to destroy Su Yi completely.” Qing Niu gasped.
Hong Li pursed her lips but remained silent. She felt that something strange was afoot; this just wasn’t in line with how her master did things.
Then, the group watched as something unbelievable happened.
It was as if giant, invisible hands had drawn the incomparably radiant power of the Flame of Supreme Emergence away, pulling it back into the city. Then—
It vanished completely!
All of the light vanished, and all was still.
The landscape was overcast once more. Only the burning skies and searing heat proved that all of that had really happened.
The group exchanged glances. What’s going on? Was the Flame of Supreme Emergence suppressed? Wouldn’t that mean that Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye… lost?
Master Cloud Refiner and the other old monsters’ hearts shook. Their expressions finally shifted. If that were true… it would make Su Yi far, far, far too terrifying!!
“Master…” The young man, Qing Niu, opened his mouth to speak, but he was momentarily overcome with uncertainty.
“No need to panic, Senior Apprentice Brother. Given Master’s abilities, there’s no way anything happened to Master,” Hong Li said softly.
Only Wan Zitian sighed in relief. He had a strong premonition that his Brother Fuyou would be just fine!
Meanwhile, within Sundial City, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye stood there in a daze. He gazed intently at Su Yi, as if he were staring at an unbelievable monster.
Earlier, he’d borrowed as much of the power of the Flame of Supreme Emergence as he possibly could.
At first, he’d been hesitant to do as Su Yi told him and strike to kill.
Who’d have thought that… before he could make his move, a mysterious power would erupt from within Su Yi’s body and devour all of the Flame of Supreme Emergence!?
Then, Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye watched helplessly as the Flame of Supreme Emergence flowed into Su Yi’s body. It was an unbelievable sight.
Because…
Any other Nine-Tribulation Master God, even a peak expert of his age like Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye, would never have dared to touch the Flame of Supreme Emergence, let alone devour this taboo, tyrannical power or take it into their body.
This was no different from playing with fire; try it, and you were sure to get burned.
Yet for some inexplicable reason, Su Yi was perfectly fine!!
Time slipped by,
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye keenly sensed that Su Yi was more than just unharmed. No, he seemed like he’d yet to get his fill; he was even licking his lips.
This… this… What kind of monster is he!?
Even a supreme expert like him couldn’t help but feel dumbstruck.
Su Yi seemed to be feeling something, and his expression was radiant and full of eagerness. “I have a strong premonition that this will help me grasp the mysteries of the Flame of Supreme Emergence!
“Fellow Daoist, might I trouble you to attack again? It’d be great if you could use a bit more firepower this time, though.”
Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye didn’t even know what to say.
That wasn’t enough to sate your appetite!?