Chapter 978: Divine Might Heavenly King

Li Yi, the Divine Might Heavenly King, was not the type to sit and wait for death; if anyone wanted him dead, he had no qualms about sending them to their grave instead—and with the Knife Coin as his trump card, where in the Heavenly Realm could he not go? Yet he did not rush to turn hostile; he wanted to know what Ji Du truly intended.

If Ji Du merely wanted him to die, he wouldn’t have come alone—he’d have brought a host of Heavenly Generals to capture him long ago.

Ji Du now laughed: “Tai Yi, I have no intention of sending you to your death. I’ve secured you an opportunity. You know hiding won’t solve anything. When the Realm Vessel stops, your ticket expires—even if you refuse to disembark, we’ll still force you off.”

“And the Rakshasa clan is waiting for precisely this moment. Do you understand?”

Li Yi remained silent, listening as Ji Du continued.

Ji Du went on: “I want you to step forward voluntarily so I can resolve this matter honorably. The Rakshasas want you dead—your appearance gives them exactly the opening they need.”

“On the Realm Vessel, there is a secret realm called the Realm of Life and Death, used to settle disputes among passengers. When conflicts arise and cannot be resolved, they may enter the Realm of Life and Death for private combat—only the living may exit.”

Li Yi now understood. After a moment’s thought, he said: “You want me to enter the Realm of Life and Death and fight the Rakshasas?”

“Precisely,” Ji Du said. “In the Realm of Life and Death, you only need to face Rakshasa warriors of your own realm. If you fight outside, you’ll have to face the Rakshasa Heavenly King—something you’d surely prefer to avoid.”

“The captain has thought of a clever plan: let me die in the Realm of Life and Death, and this problem vanishes,” Li Yi said with a slight shake of his head.

Ji Du immediately replied: “Tai Yi, I’ve seen you fight—you’re strong. If you win five battles against the Rakshasas, we’ll recruit you into the Vessel Guard, letting you stay aboard the Realm Vessel indefinitely until you choose to leave.”

“If you win ten battles against the Rakshasas, no matter where you go, the Divine Might Heavenly King himself will escort you. As for what comes after—that’s up to your destiny.”

“Such is the rule of the Heavenly Realm: only the strong deserve to live. If you’re weak, we can’t help you—but I believe winning five battles won’t be difficult for you.”

Winning five battles meant long-term protection aboard the Realm Vessel, shielding him from the Rakshasas’ pursuit—this was indeed a favorable offer.

Li Yi suspected that both Heavenly Kings had already negotiated terms, each making concessions.

The Vessel Guard wanted to use his hand to eliminate several Rakshasa Heavenly Generals; if he died, the matter ended, and the Vessel’s authority remained unchallenged.

After all, entering the Realm of Life and Death was voluntary—no one coerced you. If you died, you had no grounds to complain.

If Li Yi kept winning, shaming the Rakshasas and inflicting heavy losses, the Divine Might Heavenly King aboard the Vessel wouldn’t mind extending a favor—whether recruiting him or escorting him away, either outcome would earn praise.

Either way, they gained nothing to lose.

“Tai Yi, you have one hour to decide. After that, I’ll leave, and the Vessel Guard will have no further involvement,” Ji Du added as Li Yi pondered.

Li Yi glanced at him. Though the man had his own agenda, one thing he said was true: fighting a Rakshasa Heavenly General was better than facing a Rakshasa Heavenly King.

Winning five battles meant a chance at survival—it sounded decent enough.

True, he could flee with the Knife Coin.

But why not kill a few Rakshasas before leaving? His spells were newly formed—he needed Rakshasa Heavenly Generals to hone his edge. If he refused now, he’d offend not just the Rakshasas but also the Vessel Guard. Then he and the Dragon Maiden Yushang might be stabbed from behind in the Still Waters Secret Realm and forced to kill themselves.

It seemed he had a choice—but he truly had none.

He was already entangled in the struggle between two great powers; extricating himself wouldn’t be easy.

“I understand. I accept the Realm of Life and Death. Are there any rules?” Li Yi said.

Ji Du smiled slightly, then added: “For Heavenly General-level combat: one-on-one. No weapons or armor allowed. No borrowing power from Heavenly Kings. That’s all.”

“No weapons or armor?” Li Yi’s expression turned odd.

The Rakshasas must have learned he possessed the Heavenly King weapon, the Nìlín Battle Armor, hence this demand.

And the ban on borrowing Heavenly King power—this was surely the Vessel Guard’s stipulation.

After all, a powerful cultivator could seal a Heavenly King’s strike within another’s body and unleash it at a critical moment—simple enough.

With these rules set, his battle against the Rakshasas would rely solely on his own true strength—no cheating allowed.

“Tai Yi, if you have other conditions, speak up. I’ll do my best to accommodate,” Ji Du said, noticing Li Yi’s hesitation.

Li Yi replied: “I have no other demands. But I’m short on silver. If the opponent adds a prize, that’d be ideal. Winning a battle shouldn’t be free—how much is a Heavenly General’s life worth?”

Ji Du paused, then understood Li Yi’s meaning. “I see. This won’t be hard. I’ll arrange it. If everything’s settled, two hours from now, I’ll send someone to fetch you to the Realm of Life and Death.”

Li Yi said nothing, only nodded.

After the matter was settled, Ji Du departed quickly.

As the nine-zhang-tall secret realm gate closed, the Dragon Maiden Yushang frowned: “Tai Yi, this is too dangerous. You shouldn’t have agreed. You should’ve delayed and sought an opportunity to leave the Realm Vessel.”

“Can we leave now?” Li Yi asked. “Ji Du found us—so could the Rakshasas. Both sides simply don’t want this to escalate, so they settled on a compromise.”

“Whether I live or die doesn’t matter to them. What matters is ending this matter.”

The Dragon Maiden fell silent. She understood: this was a power struggle between two factions, far more complex than it appeared. Yet it was fortunate the Realm Vessel’s backing was strong—if not, someone else would’ve bound Li Yi and handed him over to the Rakshasas long ago.

“If you fight the Rakshasas, be wary of their royal bloodline. The ones we encountered were ordinary Rakshasa Heavenly Generals. Their royal Rakshasas are the most terrifying.”

She added this warning again.

Royal Rakshasas? Li Yi’s expression shifted: “Like the difference between mixed-blood and true dragons?”

“Greater than that,” said the Dragon Maiden Yushang.

“Understood,” he nodded slightly.

They might be strong—but Li Yi wasn’t necessarily weaker. To fear before fighting was a grave mistake.

“I’ll prepare. Then I’ll go. Wait here,” Li Yi said, then slipped away. He didn’t go far, but secretly contacted Hua Qing.

“Stop sleeping. We’re fighting. Aren’t you, the Great Emperor Hua Qing, going to offer some advice?”

Hua Qing’s voice sounded immediately: “You’ve already decided. What’s there for me to advise? If you can’t win, run—you’ve got the Knife Coin, what do you fear?”

“Besides, using this chance to hone yourself is good. As for the rest—don’t worry. The Rakshasa Heavenly King won’t dare strike you openly. The Vessel’s Heavenly King will watch them. Go fight.”

“I hope so,” Li Yi said. “Will my Purple Lotus in my Primordial Spirit be detected?”

“No. I’ll conceal it. Unless they’re a Heavenly Emperor, they won’t sense a thing,” Hua Qing said. “But your Purple Lotus is no ordinary thing. After its transformation, it’s now a Celestial Treasure of immense value. Never show it to anyone—especially not in the Heavenly Realm—or you’ll invite trouble.”

“I already have plenty of trouble,” Li Yi said. “Enough. It’s settled. I’m leaving. Sleep on.”

He spoke no more to Hua Qing after that.

This matter was vital— Guanhuliangrenshengsi . With the former Heavenly Emperor’s oversight, he felt more at ease.

Soon.

The secret realm gate was knocked again.

This time, a stranger, a Heavenly General, arrived. But the Dragon Maiden Yushang recognized him—he’d been with Ji Du before, a member of the Vessel Guard.

“Tai Yi, I’ve been sent by Captain Ji Du to escort you to the Realm of Life and Death,” the Heavenly General said.

Li Yi arrived riding a cloud of auspicious energy, fully prepared. He merely nodded: “Please lead the way.”

“This way,” the Heavenly General said politely, gesturing ahead.

Li Yi and the Dragon Maiden Yushang followed close behind.

The Heavenly General took a hidden route—no one crossed their path. Soon, they reached a peculiar secret realm gate.

The gate was crimson as blood, unbreakable, radiating thick malevolence—its surface soaked in the blood of countless powerful beings over countless years.

Yet the Heavenly General did not lead them inside. Instead, he opened a smaller side gate.

As the door opened, Li Yi sensed many powerful auras. The most intense was a Heavenly King presence—standing in the heavens, his terrifying aura like an endless ocean crashing down, making breathing difficult.

“A Heavenly King—not just any Heavenly King. His aura surpasses that of the Li Tianwang I encountered before by several times,” Li Yi thought sharply.

He hadn’t realized how vast the gap could be within the same realm.

“Report, Heavenly King: Tai Yi has arrived,” the Heavenly General bowed deeply before the figure.

“Tai Yi? A fine name—echoes the Dao, grand in scope. Such a name would be wasted if you never ascend to Divinity,” a deep voice echoed, laced with amusement. “I am the Divine Might Heavenly King. Ji Du must have mentioned me.”

Li Yi and the Dragon Maiden Yushang both bowed.

In the next instant,

a towering figure appeared suddenly not far from them. He wore magnificent robes, stood nearly four meters tall, his eyes dark gold, and behind him, thunder intertwined like a coiling dragon around his body.

Clearly,

from appearance and form, this Divine Might Heavenly King was not human—he was a Heavenly Clan member.

“I’ve settled matters with the Rakshasa king. For every battle you win, they give you two jin of Nine Heaven Divine Water—plenty of silver. Whether you have the strength to take it is up to you,” the Divine Might Heavenly King said with a smile.

“If you win them all, I’ll give you a special reward. Won’t let you make the trip for nothing.”

(End of Chapter)