Chapter 3070 - The Untethered Boat

The far reaches of the Sea of Fate were covered in endless tribulation clouds. The cloud cover was so thick that it pressed down on the surface of the water.

A mysterious black boat floated through the clouds.

During the early days of the Primordial Era, they called it the Untethered Boat.

People were like untethered boats drifting along, their destiny uncertain and unpredictable. They had no way of knowing where the current would take them.

Cultivators saw the Untethered Boat as the physical representation of the secrets that let one transcend destiny. Those who boarded it could slough off destiny’s shackles and reach the end of the River of Destiny!

Of course, that was just a rumor.

According to True Progenitor Shi Yin, the Untethered Boat really did hide the secrets of overcoming destiny. However, this sort of transcendence didn’t bring people to the Far Shore of Destiny, but rather, to the Source of the River of Destiny.

Prior to the outbreak of the Battle of Rulers, True Progenitor Shi Yin was fortunate enough to lay eyes on the Untethered Boat. He watched with his own eyes as someone stepped onto it, only to vanish inexplicably!

It seemed that those who set foot on board the boat were instantly transported to another world.

It wasn’t that they died; one of those who boarded the ship left a soul lamp behind. Had he died, the lamp would have gone out. But the lamp didn’t go out, and many years later, he returned to the Sea of Fate. ℯℯ𝑙.

However, his life force had run dry, and he was too weak to explain what had happened to him. All he managed to say before he died was, “Those beneath the Heavenly Sovereigns must not investigate the Source of the River of Destiny. To do so means certain death!”

This incident increased True Progenitor Shi Yin’s certainty that the secrets of the Untethered Boat were connected to the Source of the River of Destiny.

The Untethered Boat was like a portal to the Source of the River of Destiny. Those who set foot on the boat were instantly whisked away!

Su Yi suddenly recalled his first incarnation’s heart devil’s warning that he shouldn’t investigate the Source of the River of Destiny prior to becoming a Heavenly Sovereign!

He also thought of the Struggle for Heavenly Fate and the experts of the Far Shore who’d left in search of the Source of Destiny.

The Untethered Boat’s connection to the Source of the River of Destiny was entirely outside Su Yi’s expectations.

“Of course, I’ve never set foot on the Untethered Boat personally, so I have no idea just how many secrets it hides,” said True Progenitor Shi Yin, his voice melancholy. “Not just anyone can board the Untethered Boat. Back then, not even the mighty Sovereign Venerate Yi could approach it.

“I had the opportunity, but I had misgivings. I dared not step onto the boat lightly, but my hesitation cost me a rare, irreplaceable opportunity...”

“Why did you hesitate?” asked Su Yi.

True Progenitor Yin Shi’s voice was low and bitter. “I was afraid! I was afraid that if I went to the Source of the River of Destiny, I’d never return. I feared that without me, the Chaos Fiends’ order would break down, and that once they’d scattered, the Primordial Divine Court would annihilate them...

“But by the time I’d gotten my preparations in order and steeled myself to board the Untethered Boat, the Battle of Rulers began.

“During that battle, I faced lethal danger. In the end, I drew upon the full extent of my power, using a secret technique to seal and imprison myself in the Cauldron of Fate. Only then did I manage to cling to life.

“But that’s also why I’ve been reduced to a lowly prisoner. I’ve struggled for countless years, but I still cannot break free of the Cauldron of Fate...”

His voice was full of sorrow.

Su Yi finally understood what had happened.

But before he could ask any further questions, True Progenitor Yin Shi revealed the biggest secret yet. “Senior, the key to boarding the Untethered Boat is actually hidden in the Cauldron of Fate!”

Su Yi couldn’t help but gasp. He finally understood why Heavenly Sovereign E was so dead set on acquiring the Cauldron of Fate.

It had little to do with the lost Eternal Throne. No, he was really after the Untethered Boat!

It was no wonder he and the other Heavenly Sovereigns had gone so far as to use Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan to set a trap.

To Heavenly Sovereign E and the people backing him, the Cauldron of Fate was far, far more valuable than an Eternal Throne!

“This is no secret. Sovereign Venerate Yi and I fought the Battle of Rules to seize the Cauldron of Fate. Both of us were after the Untethered Boat,” said True Progenitor Shi Yin, sharing everything he knew without holding back.

“As for why the opportunity is hidden in the Cauldron of Fate? It’s actually quite simple. Both the cauldron and the Untethered Boat originate from the Sea of Fate’s boundless tribulation clouds,” said True Progenitor Yin Shi. “I was fortunate enough to acquire the cauldron and learn its secrets.

“Of course, the Cauldron of Fate has more to it than that. It’s a secret chaos treasure comparable to an Eternal Throne in its own right, and it contains a supreme power of the Laws that points directly to destiny, the Edict of Lifelessness! One of the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will!”

Su Yi was flabbergasted. It was as if a bolt of lightning had suddenly cleaved through the fog of doubt.

It all made sense now!

Back in the Great Aberrant Ruins, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan told him the secret of the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will.

A rumor had been circulating since the Primordial Era. They said that the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will hid one of the taboo mysteries of the Source of the River of Destiny. Anyone who grasped this mystery could reach the Source of the River of Destiny, which in turn meant an opportunity to grasp the most perfect, complete Laws of Destiny!

In other words, the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will were the key to the mysteries of the Source of the River of Destiny!

Why was it that carrying the Cauldron of Fate enabled one to board the Untethered Boat that led to the Source of the River of Destiny?

Simple! It had to be because the Cauldron of Fate contained the Edict of Lifelessness!

That was the only explanation that confirmed the connection between the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will and the Source of the River of Destiny.

And it was common knowledge that the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will were originally from the Nine River-Stabilizing Steles in the upper reaches of the River of Destiny!

All of this served to prove the inextricable connection between the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will and the Source of the River of Destiny!

That went for the connection between the Untethered Boat and the Cauldron of Fate, too!

Su Yi went on to consider several other matters.

Back in the Blue Peak Continent’s Huaihuang Empire, he acquired the Divine Hunt Edict. Later, he acquired the Nine Luminaries Edict in the Literati Continent’s Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone.

Some time later, in the Sword-Testing Tower, the Primordial Sword Devil, the incarnation of the former Heavenly Sovereign Wanjiang, gave him the Ashes of Spirit Edict.

Then, not long ago, he acquired the Myriad Facets Edict carved on the Negative Karma Destiny Demons’ Medallion of Past Karma.

That meant he already had four of the nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will!

Now, it turned out that yet another was hidden in the Cauldron of Fate, the Edict of Lifelessness. If he grasped it, he’d have mastered five out of nine!

Even if he searched all of history, it was unlikely that he’d find more than a few others capable of matching this feat.

This unquestionably implied that he was getting closer and closer to the mysteries of the Source of the River of Destiny.

Su Yi went on to ask a few more questions.

True Progenitor Shi Yin could tell that he’d successfully piqued that supreme being’s interest, and his spirits soared. He eagerly answered every question Su Yi asked.

Su Yi was gradually starting to understand why the Sea of Fate was so full of mysteries, dangers, perils, and secrets.

All of it could be traced back to the early days of the Primordial Era, but so much time had passed that few alive today were privy to these secrets.

Su Yi couldn’t help but celebrate to himself. It’s fortunate that I ran into this True Progenitor Shi Yin. It would have been extraordinarily difficult to learn all this on my own.

“Right,” said Su Yi. Something had suddenly occurred to him. “To the best of my knowledge, the power of Past Karma is under the Negative Karma Destiny Demons’ control, so why does that power exist in the Sea of Fate?”

True Progenitor Shi Yin was now even more astonished. “To think you knew this secret, Senior! And here I thought no one in the present day knew about the Destiny Demons in such detail...”

Su Yi asked with great interest, “What made you think that?”

True Progenitor Shi Yin said, “In the early days of the Primordial Era, we Chaos Fiends were at odds with the Primordial Divine Court, while the Destiny Demons faced off against Destiny’s Chosen.

“However, they suffered a grisly fate. The mysterious Destiny’s Chosen personally suppressed them, sealing their entire race in the deepest depths of the River of Destiny. The Destiny Demons effectively vanished from this world, never to appear again.

“They called it the Battle of Silent Annihilation. They say that not even the oldest among the Negative Karma Destiny Demons were a match for Destiny’s Chosen. At the time, this incident caused an enormous commotion.

“After all, the Negative Karma Destiny Demons live to kill, and they prove their Dao through destruction. Their foundations were terrifying, especially in the River of Destiny. There, they were like rulers.

“Who could have imagined that Destiny’s Chosen, a lone man, could suppress their entire race?

“It’s just a pity that even after the curtain fell on the Battle of Silent Annihilation, no one knew Destiny’s Chosen’s true identity. He was like a legend of unknown origins. He appeared out of nowhere, then vanished into the churning river of history.

“Still, the Battle of Silent Annihilation made his name echo throughout the world. Everyone knew of him.

“Back then, I visited the River of Destiny and tried to meet with the mysterious, transcendent Chosen of Destiny. Unfortunately, I never succeeded.”

True Progenitor Shi Yin let out a long, wistful sigh.

He didn’t know it, but these secrets had left Su Yi stunned. So, Xiao Jian appeared during the Primordial Era. That was when the Battle of Silent Annihilation took place!

Even True Progenitor Yin Shi of the Chaos Fiends admired him deeply, but had no idea of his origins!

This made Su Yi certain that there was something seriously strange about Xiao Jian. Rather, he was hiding some sort of enormous secret.

After all, Xiao Jian was Jiang Wuchen’s reincarnation, but Jiang Wuchen had begun his cultivation around the end of the Devastation...

How could Xiao Jian, their mutual third incarnation, have appeared in the early days of the Primordial Era, long before Jiang Wuchen was even born?

Something obviously wasn’t right here!

Su Yi could just barely understand Xiao Jian having used the Book of Destiny to seize hold of a mystery of the heavens and live on after he should have died.

But how could he possibly have been alive during the early days of the Primordial Era, before Jiang Wuchen was even born?

It seemed far too unreasonable.

Su Yi suspected that turbulent spacetime hadn’t just saved Xiao Jian when he should have died; he’d turned back time to enter a long-bygone age and returned to the Primordial Era!

Su Yi’s heart shook. He was vaguely starting to understand.

Xiao Jian had seized a mystery of the heavens, living on in another fashion by hiding at the far end of the Path of the Ancient Gods, the embodiment of the River of Epochs’ past!