Outside the mountain gate.
After Su Yi stepped out, he stood there alone.
One hand behind his back, a wine gourd in the other, he said, "Tai Wu Sect will not interfere. I will wait until all your people have arrived before making my move."
With that, he drank from the gourd on his own.
The Heavenly Sovereigns of Southern Heaven Dao Court were all taken aback.
"Are you sacrificing yourself to save Tai Wu Sect from the depths of fire and water?"
The Black-Clothed Man, Fu Ying, looked astonished. "I never would have thought you, Su, could actually be so loyal and righteous!"
His voice dripped with mockery.
"Loyal and righteous? Hah, he was merely forced into it!"
Someone sneered. "If our many Heavenly Emperor lineages had not joined forces and driven him to despair, why would he possibly step forward to die on his own?"
Another said gravely, "Su Yi, since you have already decided to step out and bear everything yourself, why not make it easy on yourself and surrender without a fight?"
The Heavenly Sovereigns of Southern Heaven Dao Court chimed in one after another. Some were probing, some mocking, and some exhilarated.
They all believed that Su Yi had come out alone because Tai Wu Sect had plainly abandoned him!
They wanted him to bear all the consequences alone!
Su Yi seemed utterly oblivious to their criticism. He merely stood there and waited quietly.
Within Tai Wu Sect's mountain gate, Sect Leader Wu Zhe and the others were deeply worried.
"Sect Leader, allow me to speak some heart-piercing words. If a great battle breaks out outside our mountain gate and fellow Daoist Su encounters danger, should we... save him or not?"
An old monster asked in a lowered voice.
If they saved him, Tai Wu