Those calm, deep black eyes gradually filled with streaks of dark red. Coupled with the silver hair being blown around by the wild winds, it was as if he was a devil who had succumbed to his inner demons. The will that felt injustice toward his fate, his luck, and all the pressures he had endured—the will that defied even Heaven suddenly erupted!
A formless current wrapped itself around Su Yu. The Heavens were rumbling. The lightning roared in fury. A strange pressure descended from the Heavens! It was as if the very Heavens were alarmed, trying to suppress this ungodly will!
"What a powerful rebellious spirit, to be able to invite Heaven's will!" the master of the Phoenix Cabinet said, then lost her voice in shock as she looked at the changing sky. Her expression was incredibly serious.
Mu Tianfang also looked over, feeling the pressure from the Heavens. With her skin crawling, she said, "Teacher! What is happening here? Who is exerting this pressure? Who else is there in the Heavens?"
The master of the Phoenix Cabinet looked at the horizon, her gaze flickering violently. "No one. This is the will of Heaven! This world is big, but it cannot be bigger than Heaven! Be it the various islands or the Zhenlong Continent, every fighter must submit to Heaven. Any who dare oppose Heaven will suffer the suppression of Heaven!"
Heaven… Mu Tianfang's shock was not alleviated. Was there really a Heaven in this world?
"The power of a fighter exceeds the average human," said the master of the Phoenix Cabinet. "The nine levels of the Martial Paths, the Seven Levels of Holy Kings, the Seven Levels of Dragon Realms, the Five Levels of the Immortal Realm… one would grow stronger with every step, even able to stand up against the power of Heaven. If one were to advance further, they would be able to stand toe to toe with the Heavens, freeing themselves from the boundaries of Heaven and Earth and disrupt the natural laws. Thus, the will of Heaven does not allow a person who surpasses the Immortal Realm to exist. Every time someone like this appears, they suffer heavenly punishment!"
Mu Tianfang muttered softly, "But Yin Yu is not Immortal Realm Level Five. How could he be breaking through the Immortal Realm? Why is he facing the pressure of the Heavens?"
The master of the Phoenix Cabinet gravely said, "There is another way to escape the boundaries of the Heavens, and that is… the Divine Decree! When the Divine Decree becomes strong enough to disrupt the flow of Heaven, one would invite the wrath of Heaven. Su Yu's Divine Decree not only reached the Divine Grade, but he also incorporated his own learnings! It looks like he is about to break through the hurdle and achieve the level of Pure Divine Decree!"
If the Divine Decree were too powerful, it would defy the laws of Heaven and would definitely invite the wrath of the Heavens!
Mu Tianfang was even more confused. "Pure Divine Decree… But Feng Xian also incorporated her own learnings and reached the level of Pure Divine Decree. Her words and actions are all incredibly pure. Why did she not receive any heavenly punishment?"
The master of the Phoenix Cabinet stared at Su Yu, her eyes filled with admiration. "That is because the learnings he incorporated are that of rebellion! It is a rebellion that even the Heavens are cautious about! The Pure Divine Decree of Feng Xian is incredibly pure and did not disrupt the order of the Heavens, but Su Yu's is incorporated with a will that wishes to defy Heaven! No one knows what the resulting Pure Divine Decree would be."
What sense of injustice must a person be bearing in order to give off a rebellious intent feared even by the Heavens? Mu Tianfang was deeply moved. She was witnessing a moment in which a person was most desolate—most overcome by grief and despair.
Su Yu's halted Divine Decree had finally reached a new breakthrough. Su Yu could detect that his Divine Decree had been lacking something when he had cultivated it at the Forgotten Pavilion. Now that he was at the lowest point of his life, Su Yu finally understood what his Divine Decree was lacking.
What he was lacking was his own will!
His Divine Decree had been born by the mural of the elder's Heavenly Finger. Even if it had evolved to be completely different, it was ultimately unable to free itself from being a mere imitation. No matter how strong it was, it was merely someone else's Divine Decree; thus, reaching the Divine Grade was the limit. Now that his thoughts were expanding and becoming clearer, Su Yu finally understood why his Divine Decree had reached a standstill. It lacked his own will!
Incorporating his own will was the only way to make the Divine Decree his and to arrive at the next realm of the Divine Decree: the Pure Divine Decree!
Yun Yazi had once said that the Divine Grade was merely the lowest tier of the beginnings of the Divine Decree. This meant that Su Yu had successfully taken the next step in the Pure Divine Decree!
Shaking the mortal shell would make one purer, and Su Yu's Divine Decree had experience a transformation from mortal to pure. One was an emulated Divine Decree. The other was a Divine Decree filled with his own rebellious intent.
Su Yu's mind was clear with millions of thoughts pertaining to Heaven and Earth. The confusion he had once had about the Divine Decree was now naturally sorted out.
But even as Su Yu gained new insights into his Divine Decree, an ungodly force of will forcefully disturbed him, waking him up from his ethereal state. This will was overbearing—as vast as Heaven and Earth. Before it, Su Yu could not defend himself, and he was forcefully being ejected from his cultivation.
At the same time, a loud roar came from the boundless Heavens: "Heaven's order cannot be disrupted. God's authority cannot be questioned…"
The vast sound spread across a million miles of mountains and rivers! It was Heaven deciding everything from another realm. It was the ancient will of Heaven giving a warning. Across those million miles, every fighter stood dazed. When the voice of Heaven passed them, they all felt incredibly minuscule.
It was as if the owner of the sound could have turned them into dust with but a thought. Every forest and river turned silent. The wild winds between trees in the forest stopped abruptly. Demonic beasts chasing each other stopped and shuddered. Rivers stopped flowing, turning silent. The ocean was peaceful, its huge waves dying down. It was as if time and space had stopped. It was as if Heaven and Earth were silent.
The Zhenlong Continent, the vast ocean, and every corner of the Earth contained the vast voice of the Heavens. It was a warning to Su Yu. It was a warning to every living creature on Earth. Any fighter that defied Heaven would be eliminated!
Everyone on the continent was shocked.
******
The central continent, headquarters of the Empire of Darkness.
Atop the peak of a mountain that pierced through the clouds, a lone, stern man stood. He had his hands behind his back, standing on the clouds. His feet were above the vast land, and over him was a boundless sky. It was as if everything in this world was ruled by him!
His black robe billowed without any wind, moving like the clouds, making his muscular figure even more overbearing.
"Heaven's wrath has descended," he said. "A rebel has been born! He is not alone!" That stern face had a look of satisfaction. "He needs some help."
His fierce, piercing eyes shot out a bolt of divine light. The light was blinding, releasing a power capable of destroying the world!
The bolt of light pierced through 10,000 miles of clouds till it reached deep in the Heavens! At that moment, the vast, boundless sound suddenly stopped, as if it had just sustained a powerful attack.
Heaven and Earth went back to normal. Rivers flowed once again, and the living creatures turned back to normal. He could stop Heaven's voice with just a gaze!
Who was he? He stood above the human realm and looked down on every creature on Earth, going against Heaven!
******
At the Forest of Darkness.
A reverend sat cross-legged atop an ancient mountain, surrounded by a colorful fog. The nine-colored divine light enveloped his body, covering his aura.
But beneath the mountain, millions of demonic beasts shuddered. At the front was an Immortal Realm Level Five Peak demonic beast emperor, a divine bird! It crept beneath the reverend in the nine-colored divine light, unable to stop shuddering. It was as if this nine-colored reverend controlled all of life.
Rumble—
The vast voice of Heaven billowed forward. The nine-colored reverend opened his eyes. A bolt of divine light shot out, causing millions of demonic beasts to roar in alarm.
The nine-colored reverend looked at the sky, his voice ancient and unfeeling, similar to the voice of Heaven as he said, "All rebels will be exterminated by Heaven!"
At this moment, the sound of Heaven suddenly stopped.
The nine-colored reverend looked at the central continent, cold and unfeeling. "You changed Heaven's will by yourself and disrupted the order of the Heavens! I will personally kill you!"
Creak—
The nine-colored light flickered as the nine-colored reverend disappeared from where he stood.
******
At the venue of the Phoenix Cabinet.
The crowd was silent as they listened to the warning of Heavens. Many of them shook in fear. Even a person as powerful as the master of the Phoenix Cabinet could not help but shiver, her eyes filled with an indescribable fear.
Shen Kong gasped, his gaze filled with a deep fear as he stared at Su Yu. Just what kind of person was he doing battle with? His rebellious intent could invite Heaven's suppression! Shen Kong was lucky that Heaven's suppression quickly brought Su Yu out of the terrifying transformation.
Su Yu looked at the Heavens, his eyes filled with an immeasurable killing intent! His path to the Pure Divine Decree had been interrupted by Heaven.
"Is it a crime to be alive?" Su Yu roared to the sky. "I, Yin Yu, only wish to live peacefully. Why must you force me into a corner?"
It did not matter if he had experienced many hardships; he was fighting for his life and was breaking through the barrier of his Divine Decree in an attempt to survive. But Heaven had shown itself to block his path to the Pure Divine Decree, blocking his chances of survival! Why were the Heavens so hateful, so disgusting, so evil?
"I do not believe and am not willing!" said Su Yu. "Don't try to suppress me by your will alone!"
Su Yu did not compromise. Instead, his rebellious intent grew deeper. His dark red, bloodshot eyes shot out a boundless rebellious intent.
"If Heaven is going to forsake me," he said, "I would rather become a demon!"
The words "become a demon" shocked everyone, even shooting past the clouds and spreading to the Heavens! It was as if the crowd was witnessing a member of the human race turning into a demon after being pushed into despair by Heaven's suppression!
"Divine Decree, show yourself!" said Su Yu.
The veins in Su Yu's neck pulsed, his face turning red. His dark red, bloodshot eyes shot out an immense, cold light!
Buzz Buzz—
Crack—
Purple lightning and white frost were released from his skin simultaneously. His Divine Decree was mainly made up of ice and lightning.
"I am going against Heaven's will and making the road to the Pure Divine Decree show itself! Go!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
Heaven and Earth trembled. Su Yu's body was also trembling violently, his throat letting out a roar of pain. It was as if something was tearing his insides apart! That was the Divine Decree—the Divine Decree of ice and thunder!
Whoosh—
A light sound rang out as the ice and lightning escaped from Su Yu's body, turning into two balls of light that took to the skies. Heaven had suppressed him, but he was insistent on going against its will, obtaining the Pure Divine Decree under the witness of Heaven!
At that moment, from high in the skies, came the roar of lighting. Su Yu's actions had angered the Heavens.
Su Yu let out a loud roar. "I will not stop as long as I have a breath within me! Divine Decree, regain purity!"
At that moment, Heaven and Earth rumbled. Two unearthly eyes appeared in the boundless sky! One was deep purple, filled with a mysterious glow. The other was icy white, filled with a spiritual, divine glow.
The two giant eyes hung in the sky, looking down on humanity. It was as if those were the eyes Heaven used to observe the world. This scene shocked everyone! Was Su Yu's Divine Decree robbing the eyes of Heaven and replacing them with his own—taking the role of Heaven to keep surveillance on the world?
Just how rebellious was he? How far would he go against Heaven's will?
Rumble—
A boundless, furious roar came from the sky. Su Yu had infuriated the ruler of the other realm.
Rumble—
A formless vortex descended. A simple, ancient pagoda slowly descended from the vortex from the Heavens!
Rumble—
The ancient pagoda descended, shaking the entire world! Furious waves crashed in the vast ocean. Every living creature was shivering with a sense of horror straight from their souls. The Zhenlong Continent, the vast ocean—every corner of this world slipped into a strange pressure. It was as if the ancient pagoda could destroy this world!
A vast voice came from within the ancient pagoda. "When a rebel appears, every method to exterminate him shall be deployed! His cycle of reincarnation shall be destroyed if he dares to rebel against Heaven!"
The crowd looked over. Atop the ancient pagoda, within the destructive aura, sat a youth in ancient robes, his eyes closed. Beside him was a destructive divine sword pierced into the ancient pagoda.
The unparalleled sword glowed with an unmatchable killing intent. A mere glimpse of it made the crowd feel that they had died a million times. That was a sword capable of destroying the world!
That youth had his eyes closed all this time, as if he were an ancient corpse. But his body released a terrifying aura never before seen in the Zhenlong Continent. Looking at him, the crowd imagined that every living creature would be killed the moment he opened his eyes.
Whoosh—
A destructive aura suddenly descended.
The heavenly eyes that Su Yu conjured suddenly flickered, rapidly turning dull.
Crack—
Without any resistance, the heavenly eyes, which were not yet fully formed, shattered. At the same time, the destructive energy redirected toward Su Yu, seeking to turn him into dust.
Shen Kong was shocked by the ancient pagoda, that youth, and that destructive divine sword. But Su Yu's death coincided with his wishes.
Dying at the hands of Heaven, Shen Kong said in his heart, you would have no regrets!
What kind of honor was it to die at the hands of Heaven?
Su Yu looked at the destructive energy and the ancient pagoda, his rebellious intent unrelenting.
"If there is an afterlife," he said, "I would definitely destroy the Heavens!"
His mighty words turned into a sword of rebellion, charging up into the sky as it pierced through the clouds. He was not going to submit, even if it meant death!
But just at this moment, a divine light pierced through the Heavens, flying past the continent, flying past time and space as it shot toward them!
Creak—
The destructive energy descending toward Su Yu was instantly destroyed. At the same time, the divine light shot toward the ancient pagoda.
Rumble—
The earth-shaking ancient pagoda was violently trembling! A furious roar came from within the vortex. The ancient pagoda was being slowly absorbed back into the vortex as if retreated!
The nameless vortex vanished quickly, the skies regaining clarity. The ancient pagoda was sent retreating! The punishment of the Heavens was interrupted!
Who was it? Who could make the Heavens an enemy and force them to retreat? But no matter who it was, Su Yu was saved!
Seizing the opportunity, Su Yu looked up and let out a furious grunt. "Divine Decree, regain purity!"
Buzz, buzz, buzz—
The heavenly eyes that had disappeared showed themselves once again. This time, there was no ancient being from the Heavens to stop it as it rapidly took on a physical form. A moment later, it formed a pair of eyes as it previously had in the sky—giant eyes that spanned 10,000 miles! One purple and the other white, looking down on the land as it released a destructive power! They hung behind Su Yu, accentuating his slender figure, making him look like the lord of the world!
At this moment, it was as if Su Yu had become the Heavens that could control anything!
"Hehe… Hehehe…" Su Yu looked at the sky as he laughed. His laugh was raspy but had a piercing quality, landing in everybody's hearts.
Many people swallowed hard, their hearts full of shock and fear. This new version of Su Yu was scary—as horrifying as a demon! The cultivation of the Pure Divine Decree was a success! It harbored his rebellious will, forcibly breaking through despite Heaven's suppression!
Su Yu let out a raspy laugh, his tone insolent. "My life belongs to me. If a human wants to stop me, I will battle that human! If Heaven wants to stop me, I will battle Heaven!"
His silver hair, bloodshot eyes, and rebellious will were like he was a demon that had been released on Earth!
After laughing for a long time, Su Yu lowered his head. The 10,000-mile-wide heavenly eyes in the sky followed Su Yu's eyes, slowly shifting. It was ghostly and alarming, shocking everybody present.
"Shen Kong," he said, "it is time to end the animosity between us."
Shen Kong's body was trembling as he looked at Su Yu and at the heavenly eyes behind him. He felt a mixture of fear and surprise.
Escape! he thought.
Shen Kong did not hesitate. He turned to escape! He could not face off against the eyes that even Heaven could not suppress!
Creak—
A ripple of light flickered, and Shen Kong's body vanished, entering the Eternal Mask. It was a space he had created for himself. Unless the medium-grade divine artifact was destroyed, there was no way to injure Shen Kong.
Su Yu's expression was calm, his bloodshot eyes releasing a faint killing intent. He let out a faraway voice.
"Divine Heavenly Eyes!"
Rumble—
Heaven and Earth shook. A bolt of destructive energy not weaker than the ancient pagoda circled around the heavenly eyes.