River King Purple Tiger stood in midair, his eyes flashing. His opponent was clearly a denizen of the river in the form of a young man, but judging by his aura, he’d yet to acquire his true name. Yet now, he’d slain two of River King Purple Tiger’s most capable subordinates with ease, and he’d even forced Old Man Lu to the ground. His abilities were unquestionably startling. But the strangest part was the young man’s boldness.

Where did he get the courage to act like this in my territory?

“Master, his name is Wang Zhiwu, and there’s clearly something suspicious about his background!” Old Man Lu said in a quavering voice.

Wang Zhiwu? River King Purple Tiger and his companions exchanged glances. They couldn’t help but furrow their brow. Since when was someone like that in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City?

“Daoist Brother, numerous tough customers have come to the city of late. All of them are after the Key to Endless Tribulations. This guy came here hiding his origins. He’s likely after it, too,” transmitted one of the River Kings.

River King Purple Tiger was instantly solemn. As a River King of the city’s criminal underbelly, he naturally had an incomparable information network.

Of late, numerous experts of unknown origins had indeed entered the city, including River Emperors!

When this occurred to him, River King Purple Tiger suppressed his murderous intent and said, “Fellow Daoist, I don’t know why you’re here, but please tell me if I offended you.”

Su Yi initially assumed that a grand battle was about to break out, but when he saw this, he changed his mind.

“What, you don’t recognize me, Purple Tiger?” As he spoke, Su Yi silently activated Seizing Destiny. His whole body instantly surged with overflowing power. His presence transformed, and a windstorm raged in the depths of his pupils.

River King Purple Tiger shook from head to toe, his expression shifting. “You... You’re River King Whistling Moon!?”

The crowd stirred. River King Whistling Moon!?

There was only one person who went by that title: River Emperor Winged Dragon’s most capable subordinate.

Su Yi kicked Old Man Lu away, then said calmly, “That’s right. You’re not entirely blind after all.”

As he spoke, he hovered in midair, and an illusory figure much like a Kui Ox appeared behind him. It was as majestic as a mountain, with black wings fully ten thousand meters long. Blood-red lightning floated over the surface of its body.

This was River King Whistling Moon’s true form.

River King Purple Tiger’s heart shook. He couldn’t help but gasp, lower his head, and clasp his fist. “You honor us with your presence. Please forgive this junior for not going out to welcome you!”

The other three River Kings each greeted him in turn.

Someone might well have managed to impersonate River King Whistling Moon’s appearance, but there was no faking that aura, as it was the manifestation of his true name. It was thus immediately obvious that this was the true Whistling Moon River King!

It was no wonder he dared barge in alone. With River Emperor Winged Dragon behind him, even the Four City Lords would treat him politely!

Su Yi silently withdrew the illusory figure floating behind him and reined in his aura. He said calmly, “I can’t be bothered to explain our earlier misunderstandings. Ask Old Man Weng later.”

River King Purple Tiger hurriedly nodded his head. “This junior is endlessly thankful for your mercy. I have absolutely no intention of pursuing the matter any further. If you aren’t averse, please join us in Endless Waves Hall!”

He waved, and the vast numbers of river denizens sealing off the area left.

Su Yi subtly inclined his head. “I didn’t come here to defeat you, Purple Tiger. If you show me consideration, I’ll give you face, too.”

He was being quite domineering, and he spoke with an air of lofty superiority, but no one found it strange. After all, River Emperor Winged Dragon’s position was far loftier than most other River Emperors.

As his subordinate, River King Whistling Moon was similarly famous for his tyrannical, overbearing nature. The River Kings would have found it stranger if he’d been polite to them.

“This way please, Your Excellency!” River King Purple Tiger led the way personally. The others followed.

Su Yi put his hands behind his back and sauntered after them. He wasn’t the least bit worried that they’d see through his disguise. If he wanted to, he could have even used River King Whistling Moon’s natal divine ability.

It was just a pity that, as wondrous as Seizing Destiny was, he couldn’t access River King Whistling Moon’s memories. Without those memories, a single wrong word could easily provoke suspicion. Were that not the case, Su Yi wouldn’t have had to worry about how to gather information in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City. He could have just found a few of River Emperor Winged Dragon’s subordinates and asked them.

Fuck that bastard Wei E! A fatty sheep? Seriously? He just delivered a god of death straight to our door! Old Man Lu inwardly cursed Wei E out. He longed for nothing more than to hunt him down and kill him on the spot.

When they reached Endless Waves Hall, River King Purple Tiger invited Su Yi to sit in the centermost seat, while he and the three other River Kings sat to the sides.

“Your Excellency, might I ask why you’re here?” River King Purple Tiger asked tentatively.

It was truly strange. He’d never interacted with River King Whistling Moon. There was certainly no bond of any kind between them. Yet now, he’d shown up out of the blue. River King Purple Tiger couldn’t help but worry.

“I’m here because of some things that happened recently,” Su Yi said casually.

River King Purple Tiger was stunned. He pondered briefly, then said, “Forgive this junior’s foolishness. Might I ask what specifically you’re here for?”

Su Yi glanced at him. “What do you think?”

It was just one light, airy sentence, but River King Purple Tiger’s whole body tensed. He felt intense pressure bearing down on him. The other three River Kings tensed, too. All of them were infamous throughout the Spirit Treasure Celestial City. They were rulers of its underworld. But compared to River King Whistling Moon, they weren’t even worth looking at!

“Then allow this junior to guess.” River King Purple Tiger took a deep breath. “It’s true that a lot has happened in the city of late. For whatever it is that has drawn your attention and warrants a personal visit, it must be extraordinary.”

He paused, then probed, “Are you perhaps here to gather information about the Key to Endless Tribulations?”

The Key to Endless Tribulations? What the hell is that? Su Yi wondered, but it wouldn’t do to ask. He just subtly nodded his head. “That’s indeed part of why I came.”

The Purple Tiger Mountain King inwardly sighed in relief. He was now certain that the Whistling Moon King was here on behalf of River Emperor Winged Dragon. And River Emperor Winged Dragon was obviously taking note of anything involving the Key to Endless Tribulations.

“To tell the truth, Your Excellency, we’ve gathered here today to discuss the key,” said River King Purple Tiger. He took out a jade slip, then respectfully set it beside Su Yi. “This contains some of the information we’ve received of late. Please, have a look.”

Su Yi took the slip and started reading.

Of late, dark currents had flowed beneath the surface of the Spirit Treasure Celestial City. It seemed a storm was brewing. And all of this was because of the Key to Endless Tribulations.

River King Purple Tiger’s subordinates occupied the city’s dark underbelly, and they were extremely well-connected. Still, the information recorded in the slip was so disorganized that Su Yi had to comb through it for a while before figuring out what the Key to Endless Tribulations even was.

It was an unparalleled stroke of good fortune connected to the Abyss of Endless Tribulations! Whoever found it effectively had a key to the abyss.

The part that surprised Su Yi the most was that it was River Empress Peacock who’d first found clues to the key’s location. A thousand years prior, she and several other River Emperors convened a secret meeting in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City. In it, they discussed how to go about finding the key, as well as how they’d explore the Abyss of Endless Tribulations afterward.

But then, something went terribly wrong. River Empress Peacock slew River Emperor Winged Dragon’s son, establishing a deep grudge between them. Su Yi had heard about this from the Star Toad, but he’d had no idea that the secret meeting was about the Key to Endless Tribulations.

According to the jade slip, River Empress Peacock revealed during the meeting that the key was hidden somewhere in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City. Moreover, the other participating River Emperors unanimously confirmed it. But even now, no one had ever managed to locate it. All they could say for certain was that it was somewhere in the city, and that River Empress Peacock had leads.

When Su Yi saw that, he finally understood why River Emperor Winged Dragon was so dead set on seeking revenge against River Empress Peacock. It was simple. She’d killed his son, yes, but more than that, she was the only one who knew how to find the Key to Endless Tribulations!

When Su Yi learned that, he finally understood why River Emperor Thousand Hands and River Emperor Bai Ye were working with River Emperor Winged Dragon. It was undoubtedly because of the Key to Endless Tribulations!

That aside, some of the other leads recorded in the slip caught Su Yi’s attention. For instance, three days prior, someone suspected of being one of River Empress Peacock’s clones was spotted in the Spirit Treasure Celestial City’s Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone.

The Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone was the only forbidden zone in the city, as well as its most dangerous area. It stood on the southwestern edge and covered everything within a three-thousand-mile radius. The Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone was full of terrifying, malevolent, turbid energies. It was beset by tribulations year-round.

When night fell, it turned into a true hellscape. Countless terrifying evil spirits emerged, and the air was full of the wails of vengeful ghosts. It was unsettling to the extreme.

Everyone knew that the Spirit Treasure Celestial City was built on the bones of a River Ancestor from the Primordial Era. Rumor had it that the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone was built where his heart had once been. Those turbid, malevolent energies were likely what remained of the fallen River Ancestor’s heart power!

Whether the rumor was true or false, no one had dared venture into the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone since the city’s founding. Even River Emperors risked having their bodies destroyed and their true names shattered—and that’s if they were lucky. If they were unlucky, they’d die completely, never to return!

According to the jade slip, the suspected clone of River Empress Peacock was killed by a group of River Emperors not long after being spotted in the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone. When she died, all that remained was a single peacock feather.

Thus, everyone suspected that the Key to Endless Tribulations was hidden somewhere in the Abhorrent Evil Origin Zone. Otherwise, why would River Empress Peacock send a clone there?