First Immortal of the Sword-Chapter 2078 - Death By Staff

The Staff of Divine Punishment!

Both the Chief and Third Libationers looked stricken.

Long ago, the three libationers maintained law and order in the City of the Beginning with the Mirror of Acuity, the Staff of Divine Punishment, and the Drum of Injustice.

The Mirror of Acuity judged right and wrong. When unexpected variables or unjust accusations arose, the Drum of Injustice resolved it.

And the Staff of Divine Punishment was, as the name implied, responsible for issuing punishment!

The three divine artifacts kept each other in check. The Mirror of Acuity restricted the Staff of Divine Punishment, the Staff of Divine Punishment checked the Drum of Injustice, and the Drum of Injustice limited the Mirror of Acuity.

But now, the Mirror of Acuity was missing, but the Staff of Divine Punishment could still restrict the Drum of Injustice. That made it the mightiest divine artifact in the City of the Beginning!

Even the Greater Gods gasped. The staff was extraordinarily dangerous. Even they sensed an enormous threat.

Outside the city lord’s manor, the crowd noticed that when Qin Wenxiao gripped the Staff of Divine Punishment, the skies suddenly darkened. The heart-palpitating power of the Laws surged forth, coursing through the skies like electricity.

The Staff of Divine Punishment’s aura alone was enough to make the skies change color. It was obvious how terrifying the mightiest weapon in the City of the Beginning was.

Luo Xuanji’s starry eyes focused. She could tell at a glance that this was a Taboo Treasure!

“Su Yi, your crimes are unforgivable, and you refuse to repent even in the face of death. In accordance with the rules of the City of the Beginning, you are to be put to death by the staff as an example to the rest!” Qin Wenxiao said coldly.

With the staff in hand, he was like a ruler presiding over divine punishment, and his imposing presence enveloped the entire area. He was about to issue final judgment upon Su Yi!

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, Qin Wenxiao raised the Staff of Divine Punishment and struck Su Yi.

The Chief Libationer’s pupils constricted, and the Third Libationer looked stricken.

The Greater Gods were all ready and waiting to clean up Su Yi’s corpse.

Luo Xuanji took a step forward and raised her hand into the air.

Outside the city lord’s manor, the crowd held their breath. They could already picture Su Yi’s bloody demise.

Su Yi just stood there, his hands behind his back, not moving in the slightest. His eyes shone with a hint of mockery.

A moment later... boom!

A massive impact rang out, and the Drum of Injustice erupted with endless light.

At the same time, the Staff of Divine Punishment rumbled and boomed. Blood-red talisman markings shot forth, and it suddenly wrested itself free of Qin Wenxiao’s hand.

Crunch!

Qin Wenxiao’s fingers broke with a spurt of blood.

His eyes widened, and he gazed at the Staff of Divine Punishment in disbelief. He would never have guessed the treasure would break free of his control at a critical juncture!

This sudden, unexpected development caught him completely off guard.

Then, the Staff of Divine Punishment rumbled, boomed, and slammed into Qin Wenxiao with a burst of blood-red light.

Bang!!

Qin Wenxiao was forced to the ground, his flesh torn open. He shrieked like a slaughtered pig, his face contorted with agony as he writhed uncontrollably on the ground.

The crowd was dumbstruck, and their hair stood on end. What’s going on!?

And here everyone had thought they were about to watch Su Yi’s execution. Who could have imagined that in the blink of an eye, the staff would suppress Qin Wenxiao instead?

The turnaround was so sudden and shocking that the crowd’s eyes practically popped out of their heads.

When they heard Qin Wenxiao’s agonized shrieks, many of the onlookers shook from head to toe, their hair standing on end.

It was just too brutal!

This was the lofty Second Libationer of the City of the Beginning, someone even gods viewed with trepidation, yet now, here he was, suppressed by his own treasure. His flesh was torn open, and he was convulsing on the ground as if he were having a seizure. It was to the point that the crowd almost dared not believe it.

The Chief Libationer broke out in cold sweats. The Drum of Injustice awakened, and even the Divine Punishment Staff is behaving in unexpected ways. I’m sure... this has to be Su Yi’s doing!

“It’s simply... too unbelievable...” The Third Libationer’s eyes widened. He’d never seen anything like this happen before!

“How is this possible?” The Greater Gods’ faces were ashen. All of them were enraged.

And here they’d been waiting to clean up Su Yi’s corpse and seize his powers of reincarnation and the Epoch Spark. This development completely ruined their plans.

“See? Even the Staff of Divine Punishment can’t stand to see any more of this,” said Su Yi.

The crowd’s eyelids twitched. By now, how could anyone have failed to realize that Su Yi had come prepared?

It was just that no one could have anticipated that divine artifacts like the Staff of Divine Punishment and the Drum of Justice would cry out at injustice on his behalf!

The crowd outside the city lord’s manor was in uproar.

“Are you behind this?” hissed Second Libationer Qin Wenxiao, his face contorted and hideous. He’d been forced to the ground, and he couldn’t get back up.

“You’re mistaken. Both divine artifacts judged right and wrong for themselves, then decided to step in to help me clear my name.” Su Yi took a sip of wine. “Third Libationer, tell me: according to the rules of the City of the Beginning, if a Chief Libationer perverts power for his personal gain and abuses his position to harm those within the city, how is he to be punished?”

“This...” Third Libationer Lie Xingqu froze. “No libationer has ever committed such a crime before, but it seems to me that libationers must be punished in accordance with the city’s rules, too!”

“No, that wouldn’t be appropriate,” said Su Yi. “If you ask me, a libationer who abuses the rules to hurt others must be punished more severely than a typical criminal.”

Qin Wenxiao roared in fury. “Who the hell do you think you are? Who are you to sentence me?”

He was obviously frantic, and he couldn’t be bothered to consider the rules. He bellowed, “Let me tell you, the rules of the City of the Beginning are mine to interpret! No one can proclaim me a criminal, no matter who they are!”

Bang!

The Staff of Divine Punishment descended, crushing Qin Wenxiao into a meaty pulp. Throughout his body, countless bones snapped.

The ground was smeared red with blood!

It was like a silent rebuttal. The staff was telling Qin Wenxiao that the city’s rules were not his to decide!

The crowd sank deeper into silence. The atmosphere was stifled and oppressive.

Ren Beiyou and the other Greater Gods frowned. They could tell that this didn’t bode well. freēwēbnovel.com

“Su Yi, your wanton ambition has led you to control the Drum of Injustice and Staff of Divine Punishment in secret. You deserve to die for this!” Qin Wenxiao gnashed his teeth. “It’s not too late for you to change course. Carry on like this, and none of the fellow Daoists gathered here will let you off. My ancient Qin Family won’t spare you either!”

His hatred was readily apparent!

“Rest assured that I have no intention of breaking the city’s rules,” Su Yi said casually. “I won’t participate. I’ll simply leave your punishment up to the staff.”

Weng!

The staff buzzed as if sentient, then surged with terrifying murderous intent.

“Everyone, don’t tell me you’re going to just stand back and watch?” Qin Wenxiao called out and looked at Ren Beiyou and the Greater Gods.

But the Greater Gods averted their gazes, and none of them said anything. All of them looked uncertain.

“You...” Qin Wenxiao roared in fury and was just about to say something when the Divine Punishment Staff slammed into him.

Bang!

Numerous gashes tore open all over Qin Wenxiao’s body, and soon, he’d practically been pummeled flat. He lay on the ground, an indistinct, shrieking meaty pulp.

Countless onlookers gasped, and chills coursed down their spines.

The staff’s taboo, terrifying power was obvious to everyone. It could draw upon the Laws of the City of the Beginning.

Even the Greater Gods sensed an enormous threat!

It wasn’t over, either. The Staff of Divine Punishment swung once more.

Bang!

Qin Wenxiao’s body broke completely.

His soul had only just escaped his body when the Staff of Divine Punishment struck yet again, almost shattering it!

“Su Yi, the Qin Family won’t forgive you for this. They won’t let you escape!!” Qin Wenxiao’s soul shouted with hatred and resentment.

Bang!

A moment later, the Staff of Divine Punishment rumbled, then smashed Qin Wenxiao’s soul to bits.

The Second Libationer of the City of the Beginning had been completely destroyed, both body and soul! Beaten to death before a crowd!

From beginning to end, he was helpless to even struggle. This only made the staff’s terrifying power all the more readily apparent.

“This is what they call refusing to repent even in the face of death,” said Su Yi, shaking his head.

The gods’ expressions shifted, and their hearts churned with emotion.

“Do you think his death was unjust?” Su Yi looked at the Drum of Injustice.

Boom!

The drum beat, and a line of text rose into the air. “His death was justly deserved, as it was only by dying that he could help clear your name, Your Excellency! His death was both warranted and satisfying. The righteousness of the heavens is on full display!”

“....” Many of the onlookers had a strange sensation that, as righteous as the drum sounded, it was like a meek, humble servant in front of Su Yi.

The drum beat, and yet another line of text appeared. “But the unjust accusations against you have not yet been fully wiped away, Your Excellency. The criminal had accomplices, and they too must be punished. Only then can we display the stringent discipline of the City of the Beginning!”

Every word was full of righteous murderous intent!

Ren Beiyou and the other Greater Gods’ hearts sank into the pits of their stomachs. Their expressions were incomparably unsightly.

When Qin Wenxiao was beaten to death, they sensed that the situation wasn’t looking good, and they felt the urge to retreat.

But as afraid as they were, out of caution for the Staff of Divine Punishment’s power, they dared not act recklessly. They’d hoped to seize an opportune moment to slip away.

Who’d have thought that immediately after Qin Wenxiao’s execution, the Drum of Injustice would turn around and target them of its own accord?

“Laughable! What gives you the right to accuse us of being Qin Wenxiao’s accomplices?” Ren Beiyou said coldly. “We’ve followed the rules from the moment we entered city limits. We’ve never once broken them!”

The other Greater Gods looked similarly unfriendly.

Su Yi said flatly, “It’s not up to you to decide whether the accusations against you are unjust. It’s not up to me either. Everything is up to the city's divine artifacts”

“Absurd!”

A gray-haired Greater God bellowed, “You’re controlling the Drum of Injustice and Staff of Divine Punishment, yet you’re still going on about the rules? Where’s the justice in that?”

“The Drum of Injustice does not lie,” Third Libationer Lie Xingqu said expressionlessly. “Questioning it makes you the enemy of the entire City of the Beginning!”

Chief Libationer Fa Tianming said icily, “The Staff of Divine Punishment is the incarnation of the city’s law and order. It would never unjustly accuse someone innocent. As you saw earlier, Second Libationer Qin Wenxiao attempted to frame and murder Fellow Daoist Su, only for the Staff of Divine Punishment to turn on him. His fate was proof of his guilt!”

The two remaining libationers had both clearly taken a stand. Both of them were unequivocally supporting Su Yi! The Greater Gods were furious and startled.

“Ridiculous. Truly ridiculous.” Ren Beiyou said gravely. “Ultimately, aren’t you the ones who decide the city’s rules? You want to proclaim us criminals, but are you worthy?”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air...

Boom!

He and the other Greater Gods fled the city lord’s manor. Each was quicker than the one before.

Several of them took it a step further, using everything they’d been keeping in reserve to accelerate their retreat.