Chapter 2961 - Linking Arms and Celebrating With a Heavenly Sovereign

The first thing they saw was a boundless, resplendent river of stars, but what followed was all the more wondrous. As the celestial current flowed, it condensed into Daoist robes.

The man wearing them wore his hair in a topknot. He was a middle-aged man with skin as smooth as jade.

As he emerged from the rift in the firmament, his presence swept outward, but the Heavenly Aberrant Hidden Realm seemed to struggle to withstand it. The whole place shook as if about to collapse.

The middle-aged man facepalmed, as if realizing that this wouldn’t do, then quickly withdrew most of his aura.

Just as he expected, the hidden realm no longer shook. Only then did the middle-aged man sigh in relief and smile.

Meanwhile, both the Aberrant experts and the cultivators of the Heart-Tempering Sword House looked stricken. All of them realized that the middle-aged man was a Heavenly Sovereign!

And not just any Heavenly Sovereign. This was the famed top Demonist cultivator of the Eternal Heavens Domain, an unparalleled elite from the Blackwater Celestial Capital, as well as the founder of the Taiwu Sect.

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan! Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming’s expression darkened. His expression was grimmer than ever before.

Once, a long, long time ago, he’d fought several Heavenly Sovereigns, including Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan.

But Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming would never have guessed that such a powerful foe would suddenly descend upon the Heavenly Aberrant Hidden Realm.

Why would a Heavenly Sovereign, the famed leading Demonist expert, show up in our territories today of all days?

As the crowd was overcome with astonishment, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan gazed at the peak of Heavenly Aberrant Mountain, then laughed. “Little Brother Su, it’s been a while since we parted ways in the Blue Peak Continent. We finally meet again!”

As his voice rang out, he took a step forward, then appeared on the peak, right in front of Su Yi. He looked Su Yi up and down, then said, “It’s been a few years, but you’re even more impressive than when I last saw you. How deeply gratifying!”

The crowd stirred, all of them stunned. Only now did they realize that Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan, this dazzling, famous Demonist expert, had come here for Su Yi!

Su Yi just stood there. On the surface, his expression remained steady, but he was inwardly quite surprised, too. Why did this old man come looking for me? Is he perhaps after Great Sorrow?

As Su Yi’s thoughts raced, he sighed, too. “I won’t lie to you, dear brother. Even now, I think back to our shared time in the Huaihuang Empire and sigh with emotion. Seeing you now, I feel as if I've been unexpectedly reunited with an old friend in lands far from home.”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan burst into laughter. “As the old saying goes, life is full of unexpected reunions. Our meeting today was indeed an act of fate!”

The crowd watched this lively exchange of pleasantries, their hearts coursing with emotion.

Lu Ye and the others couldn’t help but feel confused. Since when was our founder on such good terms with Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan?

Meanwhile, Meng Che and the other Aberrant higher-ups felt chills course down their spines. He and Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan are talking like equals. Is that young sword cultivator’s background really so impressive?

Even Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming was surprised. Fellow Daoist Su really isn’t simple. He’s actually acquainted with that ruthless old bastard Ku Xuan?

“Hm? Something seems not quite right here.” Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan frowned and scanned the area, taking in the vestiges of battle and the wounds on the Aberrant experts’ bodies. There was no hiding them.

“Did the Aberrants provoke you, little brother?” Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan asked gravely. “Want me to step in on your behalf?”

The Aberrants all looked stricken. Their hair stood on end.

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming furrowed his brow. “Come on, Ku Xuan. Do you really think I’m already dead?”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan snickered, his gaze playful. “Tell me, then, you old barbarian. Can you stop me all on your own?”

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming’s expression darkened, but just as he was about to say something, Su Yi smiled. “There’s no grudge between me and the Aberrants. What happened earlier was just a misunderstanding, and we’ve already laughed it off. There’s no need for you to concern yourself with this, Ol’ Brother.”

Inwardly, he found the situation quite strange. Why is Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan trying to get on my good side? When I left the Blue Peak Continent, he was still infuriated by the loss of Great Sorrow and the Divine Hunt Edict!

“Oh,” said Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan. He smiled. “That makes sense. Given your methods, you really don’t need my help.”

In other words, in his eyes, none of the Aberrants were worthy or capable of opposing Su Yi, Xuan Ming included!

This was obviously intended to flatter Su Yi, but the Aberrants’ hearts filled with displeasure. Still, Ku Xuan was a Heavenly Sovereign, so they had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Su Yi waved dismissively. “Ol’ Brother, I can tell you’re trying to flatter me. Why not tell me why you’re here?”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan scanned the crowd, then laughed. “I’m here with absolutely wonderful news! I’ll tell you all about it once you’ve finished up here.”

Absolutely wonderful news? Su Yi blinked in surprise.

But before he could give the matter any further thought, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan said, “Take your time. I’ll be waiting for you outside the Heavenly Aberran Hidden Realm.”

With that, he turned to leave, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Everyone felt a massive weight lift from their shoulders. The pressure of a Heavenly Sovereign was truly terrifying. Even after Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan suppressed his aura, his mere presence was enough to put enormous pressure on them.

When the crowd next looked at Su Yi, their gazes had shifted inscrutably. He just conversed with a Demonist Heavenly Sovereign as an equal. How many in this world are capable of enjoying such treatment?

Soon, the promised banquet began. The experts of the Heart-Tempering Sword House and the Aberrant Race were all in attendance.

As frustrated and dispirited as the Aberrants were, they forced themselves to smile and be polite.

Today had been a crushing defeat, and they’d suffered heavy losses, to the point that the Aberrants could no longer raise their heads in front of the experts of the Heart-Tempering Sword House.

In stark contrast, the experts of the Heart-Tempering Sword House were in an excellent mood. All of their accumulated resentment had vanished.

Their founder had fought alone, yet he’d suppressed the entire Aberrant Race. Who wouldn’t have found that satisfying?

Wu Qing, meanwhile, was already busy discussing the matter of apologies and compensation with several of the Aberrants.

Against Wu Qing’s expectations, there was no need for him to make any conditions. Chief Meng Che offered generous compensation of his own accord, so generous that it caught Wu Qing off guard.

It was to the point that he was even a bit embarrassed to accept it.

Su Yi and Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming sat together in the only seats of honor.

When the topic of the Eternal Key came up, Xuan Ming sighed, his voice a bit unwilling. “I don’t know what kinds of mysteries and secrets the key hides either.”

Su Yi understood. After all, if Xuan Ming had learned the key’s mysteries a long time ago, he would never have given it away.

“I just know that this treasure is extraordinarily ancient. It’s been passed on since the Primordial Era, and I acquired it during the Devastation. It’s used to open an Eternal Gateway.”

Su Yi listened quietly. He knew that there were Eternal Gateways throughout the River of Destiny, and that all of them hid enormous secrets. They were among the greatest good fortune available on the River of Destiny, the type that could only be happened upon by chance.

And Eternal Keys were used to open Eternal Gateways. Each key corresponded to just one gate!

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming’s gaze was suddenly complicated. “As I’m sure you’ve heard, Fellow Daoist, we Aberrants faced a cataclysm during the Devastation. Our race was practically wiped out. And I suspect that cataclysm was connected to that Eternal Key!”

Su Yi couldn’t help but be surprised.

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming’s voice was low and grim. “Prior to the cataclysm, we were in the middle of a Dharma Assembly, performing a sacrifice to our ancestors. All of us had gathered before the sacrificial altar in our ancestral grounds.

“We activated the altar’s formation, summoned all of our ancestors’ Heroic Souls, and ignited the Flame of Sacrifice. Our goal was to use the fire’s radiance to illuminate the void of time and space and locate the Totems of the Twelve Progenitors lost during the Primordial Era.”

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming suddenly paused, as if worried that Su Yi wouldn’t understand, then explained the sacrificial ritual in detail.

Aberrants were different from other races and had their own system of cultivation. Their cultivation techniques and bloodline legacies were all connected to the Totems of the Twelve Progenitors!

In other words, the totems were each emblazoned with one of the most ancient, supreme legacies of their race.

However, all twelve had been lost during the Primordial Era, and they’d never been seen since.

To ensure the continuation of their legacy, once every ten thousand years, the Aberrants would do everything in their power, expending vast sums of resources to perform a ritual sacrifice.

During these rituals, they ignited the Flame of Sacrifice to illuminate a portion of the Primordial Era from across time and space. When they did, the twelve totems would reappear!

At each such sacrifice, the Aberrants would pray, sense the totems, and glean insight into their legacies and mysteries.

After finishing his explanation, Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming sighed. “During this particular ceremony, we succeeded in igniting the Flame of Sacrifice, but the Totems of the Twelve Progenitors had only just come into view when a cataclysm befell us.”

Indescribable agony appeared on his face. “It was like black rain from beyond the heavens, but the rainwater contained unimaginably destructive power. Practically everyone died beneath that strange downpour, no matter their cultivation.

“I saw it all with my own eyes! I watched as my clansmen cried out and writhed in agony, then died in despair...”

Xuan Ming took a deep breath and forcefully suppressed his grief. After a lengthy pause, he continued, “I was spared because of that mysterious Eternal Key!

“I’ve always watched over it and carried it on my person. Before the cataclysm befell us, I clearly sensed a strange fluctuation emanating from the key. Its surface emanated an unearthly red luster, as if a blood-red eye had opened. It was the first time in my life I saw it react to anything!

“But it seems its reaction invited catastrophe. The resulting cataclysm practically destroyed our entire race!”

Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming raised and drained his cup, then fixed his gaze on Su Yi and revealed yet another secret.

“Fellow Daoist, you don’t know this yet, but the key reacted for the second time when I first met you in the God Domain!”