First Immortal of the Sword

Not far away, Cha Jin had only just put away Su Yi’s wicker chair when she saw this bloody scene unfold. Her delicate frame went rigid, and her beautiful eyes widened.

That was a deacon from the Jade Capital’s Su Family. Just minutes ago, he’d sat there calmly fanning himself, talking and laughing. He’d seemed decidedly extraordinary.

The young lord cut him in two, just like that?

The howling mountain gales now carried the faint stench of blood.

Xiang Tianqiu and the others were dumbstruck. They stared unblinking at Yue Changyuan’s freshly halved corpse. It seemed they were unable to believe their eyes; the shock was just too much.

He’d pressed his fingers into a sword, then used that to slay Yue Changyuan!

How terrifying a level of power did that represent?

Unless you had the power to suppress your opponent absolutely, how could you achieve something like that so easily?

They said Grandmasters were like dragons.

Yet to Su Yi, a mere Qi Accumulation cultivator, slaying a Grandmaster was as easy as squishing an ant!

In stark contrast, after seeing this, Zhou Zhili, Zheng Tianhe, and their allies remained much calmer.

After all, they’d once witnessed Su Yi slaying the Wheel of the Moon Sect’s outer sect elder, Liu Hongqi. This bloody scene wasn’t enough to surprise them.

Even so, they couldn’t help but break out into cold sweats on Su Yi’s behalf.

Yue Changyuan’s death didn’t mean much in and of itself, but he was here representing the entire Su Family!

Su Yi had just killed him. What would the Su Family think of this?

Would the cold-blooded, ironhearted head of the Su Family really “slay his own child in the name of righteousness”?

“Young Lord Su, your methods have truly opened our eyes,” Yu Baiting said coldly, breaking the deathly silence. “I just wonder what the Su Family will think when they hear of this.”

Earlier, he was stunned too. Just thinking of Elder Wen’s brutal death at Su Yi’s hands made him feel stifled and upset.

Su Yi glanced at him and said, “I don’t know what the Su Family will think of this. All I know is that your daughter still owes me a life. Once this is over, I’ll naturally resolve that particular debt too.”

Yu Baiting’s expression was instantly dark as could be, but before he could respond, Xue Ningyuan snorted coldly, “Young man, no matter how strong he may be, one person is still just one person. You killed Yue Changyuan, and the Jade Capital’s Su Family will naturally hold you accountable. But this is the Imperatorial Provincial Capital; I urge you to rein it in a little!”

Su Yi glanced at him coolly. “If you want to leave here alive, know that I’ll take the heads of any who stand in my way.”

Xue Ningyuan’s expression shifted dramatically, and he roared, “This is the Tea Party! Do you really plan to have an irrevocable falling out with all of us?”

Kang Shanjing had watched from the sidelines all this time. He couldn’t help but snort coldly, “You're a mere youth, yet your ambition runs rampant. You want to break the rules of the Tea Party? I’m afraid I cannot agree to that.”

“Senior Apprentice Brother Kang, what does this Tea Party have to do with you?” snapped Chang Guoke. “Don’t tell me you forgot the sect master’s decree?”

Kang Shanjing said expressionlessly, “That decree was written for you and Junior Apprentice Sister Qing Jin, not me.”

Chang Guoke was stunned. He was just about to say something when Su Yi furrowed his brow and cut him off. “He wants to throw his life away. Why stand in his path?”

Chang Guoke’s heart shook, and he instantly fell silent.

“Throw my life away? Heh heh….” Kang Shanjing twirled his whiskers in anger. It seemed that witnessing Yue Changyuan’s death hadn’t overly intimidated him.

It was then that Xiang Tianqiu let out a long sigh. “Your Highness, it seems we can only resort to a display of military force to resolve this matter.”

Zhou Zhili instinctively glanced at Su Yi.

“This should have happened a long time ago,” said Su Yi flatly. “Don’t waste any more time.”

Xiang Tianqiu shot Su Yi a deep look. “As you wish, Young Lord Su.”

He suddenly rose and let out a long whistle. “May Brother Qin please come to the peak!”

The sound boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout the air and traveling far and wide.

Meanwhile, at the foot of the mountain

The crowd was awaiting further information when they heard Xiang Tianqiu’s voice. Their hearts shook. Does this mean that they couldn’t reach an agreement and they’re resorting to combat?

Suddenly, there was a disturbance within the crowd, followed by widespread exclamations.

They watched as a man with a sword strapped to his back leaped into the air. He traversed dozens of meters in a single bound, as if he were soaring through the clouds, and when he landed on the mountainside, he immediately leaped back up into the air.

In just a few breaths of time, he’d soared to the top of the Western Mountain!

“It’s him! The man ranked twenty-seventh on the Grandmaster Leaderboards, the Dragonlake Hermit, Qin Changshan!”

The entire venue was instantly in an uproar; it completely boiled over.

The Dragonlake Hermit, Qin Changshan

He was a fifth-level Grandmaster, and he’d spent nineteen years practicing the sword in cold and barren lands. His attainments in the Dao of the Sword had already reached mastery.

The “Long River Sword Qi” he developed was famous throughout the Great Zhou. The Ten Directions Pavilion once said that “A single swing could destroy heaven’s gate!”

Amongst the Great Zhou’s Grandmaster-level experts, Qin Changshan already stood at the very peak.

“Provincial Governor Xiang Tianqiu doesn’t have that kind of influence. He couldn’t have invited such a lofty Grandmaster of the Sword. If I’m not mistaken, the second prince must have invited Qin Changshan personally,” muttered Hua Yan.

“No wonder the Ten Directions Pavilion’s analysis indicated that the sixth prince was sure to lose. Qin Changshan alone can sweep the sixth prince’s entire line-up,” sighed Uncle Ying.

Each fifth-level Grandmaster was stronger than the next.

In the Imperatorial Province, even first and second-level grandmasters were big shots, experts who towered about their contemporaries.

As for third-level Grandmasters, even the likes of Provincial Governor Xiang Tianqiu had to treat them with respect! None dared treat them poorly!

But Qin Changshan was a fifth-level Grandmaster!

Furthermore, he was near the top even amongst others his level, the cream of the crop. Half a year ago, he’d fought his way into the twenty-seventh spot on the Great Zhou Grandmaster Leaderboards!

How many Grandmasters were there out there? Anyone capable of getting into the top thirty of the leaderboards was already one of the strongest Grandmasters around!

From this, it was clear how terrifying Qin Changshan was.

After a brief silence, Hua Yan said softly, “If Su Yi loses to someone of Qin Changshan’s level, he’ll be glorious even in defeat. Don’t forget that Su Yi is still just a young man in the Qi Accumulation Realm; he’s only seventeen years old. Even if he loses today, his future accomplishments are sure to exceed Qin Changshan’s.”

Although she said this, her words made it clear that she didn’t think highly of Su Yi’s chances were he to fight Qin Changshan.

“A rational analysis.” Uncle Ying nodded his agreement.

“This is looking a bit bad….” Meanwhile, in another section of the crowd, Yuan Wutong’s brow was tightly knit. He was a lofty, valiant figure; he’d naturally heard Qin Changshan’s name before.

It was no exaggeration to say that, were he to face Qin Changshan, even he would have to lower his head. He’d dare not show the slightest disrespect.

Those who excelled were fit to lead.

A fifth-level Grandmaster was a peak existence beneath the Xiantian Martial Ancestor level. They were strong enough to stir up the entire nation!

Within the Imperatorial Provincial Capital, someone of his level was a hegemon among Grandmasters!

“A fifth-level Grandmaster might be scary, but Master Su is no ordinary person either. I certainly don’t think he’ll fail to resolve this problem,” said Yuan Luoxi staunchly.

Yuan Wutong was stunned. Then, he couldn’t help but mock himself. It’s true; the older you get, the more cowardly you become.

Meanwhile, the sword-bearing Qin Changshan drifted onto the peak beneath countless watchful gazes.

He was tall, and his temples were flecked with gray. His eyes spoke of having experienced life and all its vicissitudes.

As soon as he appeared, his bitingly cold and sharp, practically sword-like aura rose into the heavens, splitting the skies and shattering the nearby clouds.

“The Dragonlake Hermit, Qin Changshan!” Zhou Zhili and Zheng Tianhe’s expressions shifted dramatically.

This was a truly prominent figure! He was influential even in the Jade Capital. Others of great power and authority treated him as a highly distinguished guest!

“Brother Qin, the current situation has left me with little choice but to trouble you.” Xiang Tianqiu rose of his own volition, then went up to greet him.

With the sole exception of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Kang Shanjing, the others—Zhao Qing of the Zhao Family, Bai Hanhai of the White Family, Xue Ningyuan of the Xue Family, and Yu Baiting of the Bai Family—all rose in greeting.

A man’s reputation didn’t come out of nowhere.

Even though these were peak-level big shots in the Imperatorial Provincial Capital, Qin Changshan was a fifth-level Grandmaster; they had to maintain a respectful bearing.

“I came here at his Second Highness’ behest. You needn’t be so polite,” said Qin Changshan calmly.

His gaze swept across the area, and when he saw Yue Changyuan’s corpse lying in a pool of blood, his pupils subtly constricted. “Deacon Yue Changyuan of the Su Family is dead?”

Xiang Tianqiu said in a low voice, “Brother Yue tried to stop the Su Family’s third young master from intervening. Who’d have thought he’d lose his life in the process?”

Qin Changshan then locked onto the nearby Su Yi and looked up and down. Finally, he said approvingly, “You’re in the late stages of Qi Accumulation, yet you killed the second-level Grandmaster Yue Changyuan. That’s impressive indeed.”

“Is slaying someone too weak to endure even a single attack really worthy of praise?” Su Yi asked casually.

Qin Changshan was briefly stunned, and a hint of sharp light flashed through his eyes before he burst into laughter. “Young man, I admire your pride. How about this? So long as you back out of this struggle, I’ll happily treat you to a drink.”

Xiang Tianqiu and the others furrowed their brows, but they dared not object.

Su Yi glanced at the weatherworn swordsman and laughed in amusement. “A fifth-level Grandmaster, that’s all. You’ve yet to truly transcend mortality, yet you dare put on the airs of an elder before me? How is that any different from inviting your own humiliation?”

Everyone present was flabbergasted.

Xiang Tianqiu and his companions almost burst into laughter. What a brazen little whelp! He dares disdain even a fifth-level Grandmaster?

Zhou Zhili and his companions had strange looks on their faces too.

All of them knew just how deeply Su Yi’s pride ran, but they still wouldn’t have guessed that he’d be so rude to Qin Changshan, the man ranked twenty-seventh on the Great Zhou Grandmaster Leaderboards.

Meanwhile, Qin Changshan’s warm smile gradually faded, and his eyes filled with cold, murderous light.

He shook his head and sighed. “I admire the talented and am unwilling to bully the weak, so I didn’t want to make this hard on you. Who’d’ve thought you’d be so wildly arrogant and lacking in self-awareness? Fine. Just pretend I never said that.”

When Xiang Tianqiu saw this, he turned to Zhou Zhili and said directly, “Your Highness, when martial artists duel, they must choose between two sets of rules. They can fight to determine victory, continuing until one party can no longer fight. Or, they can fight to determine life and death, not stopping until their opponent is dead. Which kind would you prefer?”

Before Zhou Zhili could respond, Su Yi said flatly, “Our battle will determine victory and defeat, as well as life and death.”

A simple, airy declaration, yet it sent waves coursing through the crowd’s hearts.

Kang Shanjing of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect couldn’t bear to watch this; he was simply too brazen! Don’t tell me this boy really doesn’t know the meaning of the word ‘death’?

Yu Baiting’s eyes lit up, and his heart filled with excitement. He’d love nothing more than for Su Yi to throw his life away!

Zhou Zhili’s heart clenched, and he was just about to urge Su Yi not to do this when Qin Changshan threw back his head and laughed. His laughter boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout the clouds. “You’re so young, yet so unafraid of death. As a sword cultivator, it’s only right that I accompany you!”