Immortal Lord Zhang Lin’s words echoed throughout heaven and earth.

The other Immortal Lords looked ill at ease, and many of the spectators standing atop the Seventh Gate of Heaven lowered their heads in shame.

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. This was exactly what he’d been worried about!

If Zhang Lin alone thought like this, well, he was just one person. If everyone thought that way, who’d be willing to risk themselves on the battlefield? Who’d fight on behalf of the Immortal Realm?

The City of Ten Thousand Stars was an important border fortress at the forefront of the Seventh Gate of Heaven’s line of defense. How could they possibly have opened it up to the general public?

How could just anyone be permitted to enter, much less open gambling dens and exploit the participants in the Immortal-Demon Deathmatches for entertainment and profit? This behavior was absolutely despicable; they deserved to die ten thousand times over!

But although some people were ashamed, even more were completely dismissive!

“Cowardice is cowardice. Quit making excuses!” shouted a spectator in ornate robes.

“That’s right. If you’re afraid, just slit your own throat and be done with it. At least that way, you won’t sully the Immortal Realm’s reputation!”

“You’re an Immortal Lord, yet you’re shrinking back at the last minute. You’re embarrassing us in front of our enemies. Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Senior Yu Sheng didn’t say anything. Who are you to speak so impudently?”

Many of the spectators on the city walls furiously chastised Zhang Lin for his cowardice. They mocked and jeered him without the slightest politeness.

Zhang Lin’s face was ashen with anger. He was so angry that he laughed. “See? Even scum like that thinks I should risk my life to fight for them.”

The other Immortal Lords weren’t at all happy either. Zhang Lin’s words had moved them. All of them felt aggrieved and stifled.

They’d come to this deathmatch prepared to die. Who’d have thought that to the spectators, this was just a spectacle? They were even gambling over who lived and died!

It was simply sick and depraved!

The demons, meanwhile, took all of this in. They couldn’t help but burst into uproarious laughter.

“Enough!” Garrison Master Shen Qingshi’s expression darkened. He glared at Zhang Lin and said, “According to the rules, you cannot back out after agreeing to participate. If you do, the punishment is death!”

The entire area was deathly silent. All eyes were on Zhang Lin.

A hint of mockery tugged at Zhang Lin’s lips, as if he were incomparably disappointed. “If I die, I die. No matter what, I refuse to fight for that riffraff. I said it already: they aren’t worthy!!”

His voice was full of staunch conviction. His resentment and anger would have been obvious to anyone!

The atmosphere was stifled and oppressive.

Outside the Seventh Gate of Heaven, Demon King Yin Xiaotian was losing patience. “Don’t waste our time. Kill him quickly, then send someone else to their death!”

Garrison Master Shen Qingshi took a deep breath, but just as he was about to order Zhang Lin executed, Su Yi rose. “Wait! I’ll fight in his place.”

“You?” Shen Qingshi frowned. What kind of stunt is this little Universe Realm Immortal trying to pull?

A clamor of voices arose.

“Isn’t that Su guy a Universe Realm Immortal? He seriously wants to fight on Zhang Lin’s behalf? He’s simply sick of living!”

“Hah! He looks hot-blooded, but in truth, he’s just a complete idiot!”

“I’m quite curious. What’s a Universe Realm Immortal like him doing here anyway?”

…The crowd boiled over. Everyone was chastising and jeering Su Yi for stepping forth.

It had been much the same when Su Yi and Pei Jinghong first arrived. Countless people had made fun of them.

Now, when the Immortal Kings saw Su Yi step in to fight on Zhang Lin’s behalf, they furrowed their brow in displeasure.

Pei Hongjing couldn’t take it anymore. He shot to his feet and said coldly, “This was my decision, and I swear on my life that Fellow Daoist Su is strong enough to contend with Immortal Lords. If my words prove false, I’ll offer you my head on the spot!

“Does anyone still object?”

His words echoed throughout the surrounding area.

A Universe Realm Immortal who can fight Immortal Lords? That’s simply heaven-defying!

The crowd was flabbergasted. They almost suspected they were hearing things.

But Pei Hongjing was putting his life on the line. They were still suspicious, but they could only accept it for now!

Meanwhile, the demons were in uproar too. All of them were startled.

“A Universe Realm Immortal capable of contending with Immortal Lords? Excellent! Let the boy fight, then. I’ll be curious to see just what kind of unrivaled genius he is,” said Demon King Yin Xiaotian. His voice boomed throughout the surrounding area.

The other Demon Kings had strange looks on their faces too.

A Universe Realm Immortal capable of fighting Immortal Lords? That’s simply shocking! Even among the nine great demon races, there’s no one as heaven-defying as that!

But then, we still don’t know if any of this is true.

The eyes of one of the Demon Kings glinted coldly. He said softly, “Let’s assume this is true. In that case, we have a unique opportunity. We absolutely have to get rid of him during this Immortal-Demon Deathmatch to prevent future problems!”

“That’s right. A latent threat of that level must be removed! I most certainly don’t want an unrivaled expert capable of threatening us to appear in the Immortal Realm’s ranks!”

The other Demon Kings conversed amongst themselves, their words dripping with murderous intent.

If he could fight Immortal Lords as a Universe Realm Immortal, how strong would he be after reaching greater heights of the Immortal Dao?

He represented an enormous potential threat to the demons of the Spirit Domain!

Meanwhile, on the Cloudy Dome Immortal Platform, Garrison Master Shen Qingshi gazed coldly at Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist Pei vouched for you, so I’ll permit you to participate in the Immortal-Demon Deathmatch, and I won’t pursue your blatant rule-breaking in fighting before your turn.”

Here, his tone grew stern. “But if you perform badly, even if you die in battle, I’ll carve your name on the Seventh Gate of Heaven’s Pillar of Shame!”

There was no doubt about it. He was still suspicious of Su Yi’s abilities.

Su Yi completely ignored him. Instead, he walked up to Zhang Lin and said, “Bear this in mind. The people you’re angry at cannot represent even the entirety of their own factions, much less the entire Immortal Realm.”

Zhang Lin was stunned.

But before he could respond, Su Yi left the platform and drifted onto the battlefield outside the Seventh Gate of Heaven.

It was just past noon, and the skies were bright and clear.

Su Yi stood there alone, blue robes swaying around him. He was instantly the center of attention.

“Does he really have the heaven-defying strength to fight Immortal Lords?”

The experts of the Immortal Realm found this difficult to believe.

“Brother Pei, is Fellow Daoist Su really…” Madam Xiangyun started to ask.

But before she could finish her question, Pei Hongjing cut her off. “The show is really about to begin. Let’s just watch and see what kind of delightful surprise Fellow Daoist Su brings us!”

His voice was full of eagerness and excitement. This was the moment he’d been waiting for all this time!

Madam Xiangyun sensed his emotions. She smiled and nodded.

Can he… really fight Immortal Lords? If that’s true, it’s simply extraordinary… Yu Shen gazed at Su Yi’s tall, upright figure. She too was eager.

Everything was silent and still.

The moment Su Yi arrived on the battlefield, he swept his gaze across the demon experts. “Who wants to die first?”

His tone was calm and casual, yet utterly forceful and contemptuous!

But his words only provoked a burst of uproarious laughter.

“Haha! The kid sure is aggressive!”

“A Universe Realm Immortal is as paltry as an ant, yet he dares bark at us? I can’t help but recall a saying they use in the Immortal Realm. He’s like an ant trying to shake a tree! Ridiculous!”

The Demon Kings laughed too.

All of the Demon Nobles were ready and raring to go.

“Allow me. I swear to crush him in a single strike!” someone said with a hideous laugh.

“No, allow me. After what he just said, we ought to extract his tendons, skin him alive, and scatter his ashes to the wind!”

“Let’s all stop arguing. I was supposed to fight next!”

The Demon Nobles were all arguing over who got to kill Su Yi!

But Su Yi wasn’t at all concerned. He said flatly, “How about you all attack together and save me some time?”

“???”

Regardless of camp, everyone was flabbergasted, to the point that they almost suspected they’d misheard him. Is that really something a Universe Realm Immortal should say?

Who’d have dared believe that Su Yi would be so domineering even against Demon Nobles who struck fear in the hearts of Immortal Lord-level combatants?

Even Garrison Master Shen Qingshi and the other Immortal Kings were dumbstruck. They couldn’t help but exchange glances.

“Jin Wugen, go see what that kid’s made of. If he’s nothing but talk, kill him slowly,” Demon King Yin Xiaotian said coldly.

Kill him slowly? What does he have in mind? Images of Su Yi being trampled and tormented rose unbidden to the crowd’s minds.

“Got it!” A coarse voice shook heaven and earth as a tall, stalwart Demon Noble entered the battlefield.

His skin was like molten bronze, and his hair was golden. His features were steely, and his eyes blazed like torches. The aura emanating from him was monstrous and appalling. He was like a demon god straight out of the ancient past!

Boom!

The wind and clouds dispersed, and the skies shook.

The aura emanating from Jin Wugen wasn’t at all inferior to Chi Feng’s, and Chi Feng had managed to badly injure Yu Sheng!

Many of the Immortal Lords looked stricken. There was no doubt about it; the demons of the Beyond hadn’t underestimated Su Yi. They’d sent one of their strongest fighters!

Jin Wugen flashed Su Yi a sinister grin. “Listen up, you little wretch. First, I’m going to break your legs. Then, I’ll tear off your arms. When I’m done with that, I’ll crush your skull beneath my feet!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, his tall, stalwart figure shot forth like a dazzling bolt of golden lightning. He tore through the skies as he swung his palm at Su Yi.

Boom!

An enormous golden hand, fully ten thousand feet across and swathed in appalling demonic light, slammed down. It was like an enormous net filling the skies; there was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

Countless hearts quivered just looking at it.

But Su Yi didn’t flee.

He stood there unmoving, save for a swing of his sleeves.

Boom!

That ten-thousand-foot golden hand exploded into a rain of light, offering no more resistance than paper.

The charging Jin Wugen’s pupils constricted, and his sinister smile froze in place.

But before he could react, Su Yi reached for him from afar.

It was a casual, understated gesture, light and airy, seemingly without the slightest force.

But as tall and stalwart as Jin Wugen was, he was like prey in a cage as Su Yi pulled him right toward him!

Bang!!

Su Yi flipped his palm, and Jin Wugen was slammed ruthlessly to the floor, scattering fragments of rock and creating a massive crater.

He was a peak expert among Demon Nobles, yet he seemed as pathetic and fragile as a clay chicken or porcelain dog!