First Immortal of the Sword

The woman in the black dress said calmly, “I never said I absolutely insisted on working with Gu Cangning.”

The Nirvanic Winds Holy Son asked in confusion, “In that case, why invite him to target Wen Xinzhao with us? And why agree to help him acquire the Demonic Womb in exchange for his assistance?”

A playful arc formed on the woman’s lips. “That’s a secret. All you need to know is that, in my eyes, capturing Wen Xinzhao alive is far more important than the Demonic Womb. Of course, even without Gu Cangning’s help, I won’t just give up.”

“Capturing her alive?” It seemed the Nirvanic Winds Holy Son was thinking something.

“Right, we must take her alive.” The woman in black nodded.

The Nirvanic Winds Holy Son repressed his confusion and asked, “Then when do you plan to take action?”

“After the Spiritbend Assembly, when they depart Spiritbend City,” said the woman, her eyes shining with a hint of anticipation. “In the past, Wen Xinzhao has stayed at Cloudsky Divine Palace to focus on her cultivation. There was practically no hope of taking her alive. This is a rare, perfect opportunity; I absolutely can’t miss it!”

She then glanced at the holy son. “How are your wounds healing?”

When she brought it up, his expression darkened. “They won’t influence me in battle. It’s just a pity about my spirit pearl. I wasted it on him!”

His voice was seething with dense hatred.

The woman in the black skirt thought for a moment, then said, “For him to make you suffer such an enormous loss, his origins and accumulations are surely extraordinary. I wouldn’t mind helping you kill him if we get the chance. However, that’s on the precondition that we capture Wen Xinzhao alive first.”

The Nirvanic Winds Holy Son nodded. “Alright.”

……

“Lan Shang, could you find out who’s selling the Demonic Womb?” Gu Cangning asked casually. He was seated in a grand hall in another part of Spiritbend City.

“Young Master, the three trading companies’ lips are tightly sealed. All they said was that all the ancient treasures up for sale, including the Demonic Womb, are from the same person,” said the woman in the plain dress, Lan Shang.

“That’s actually rather strange. If most cultivators obtained those ancient treasures and a Demonic Womb, how could they bear to sell them off?” Gu Cangning’s eyes flashed.

Lan Shang batted her eyes and grinned. “Perhaps that mysterious person knew they weren’t blessed enough to enjoy such treasures, and that’s why they’re doing this.”

Search tinyurl.com/2p9emv8w for the original.

“Drop the nonsense.” Gu Cangning glanced at her. “Send word to Granny. Tell her that I hope she can participate in the Spiritbend Assembly two days from now too. After all, those ancient treasures are apparently from thirty thousand years ago; she might be able to see through some of their mysteries.”

“Understood,” said Lan Shang.

……    

Eternal Peace Pawn Shop.

An ordinary pawn shop, the likes of which you could find throughout Spiritbend City.

The boss was a hunched elder with one foot in the grave. His family name was Wang, and those familiar with him called him “Old Man Wang.”

Old Man Wang stood behind the worn-out counter, feeding a red-billed sparrow, when Huo Yunsheng suddenly entered the store.

“Elder Wang.”

Huo Yunsheng was an inner sect disciple of Cloudsky Divine Palace, yet now, facing this unremarkable-looking old man, his face revealed traces of awe.

“What did you come back for?” Old Man Wang asked in his slow, raspy voice.

“The situation has changed,” said Huo Yunsheng. “The young man called Su Yi is far stronger than we imagined…”

He then proceeded to describe how Su Yi had defeated Zhang Yuntao in full detail.

When he heard the full story, Old Man Wang’s turbid eyes narrowed into slits, and his expression turned somewhat strange. “It sounds like the boy you call Su Yi isn’t the least bit simple.”

Huo Yunsheng took a deep breath and said, “Elder Wang, I hope to hire an assassin even stronger than the Deboner.”

Old Man Wang smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You think the Deboner can’t kill Su Yi?”

Huo Yunsheng’s gaze was heavy and grave. “No, I just want to be absolutely certain of a one-hit kill free of consequences!”

Old Man Wang fell silent. “Hiring Gathering Stars Realm assassins isn’t just a matter of spending a few spirit stones.”

Huo Yunsheng immediately took out a black jade pendant and placed it on the countertop. “Is this enough for a deposit?”

The black jade pendant was only the size of an infant’s fist, and its surface was carved with four characters in an old-fashioned script: “the Baqiao Huo Family.”

Old Man Wang’s turbid eyes were instantly as sharp as a hawk’s. “So, you’re a direct-line disciple of the Huo Family.”

The Great Xia had three peak-level clans, each more ancient than the other. Their forces were second only to the four great cultivation factions. 

The Baqiao Huo Family was one of them. Rumor had it that the Huo Family’s roots could be traced back to thirty thousand years ago!

“Alright, I can agree to this. If I'm not mistaken, the Ferryman will likely be interested in this,” said Old Man Wang with a hearty laugh.

The Ferryman!

Huo Yunsheng’s eyes lit up. This was the terrifying existence who’d assassinated the Spiritual Manifestation Realm Daoist Mu while still in the Gathering Stars Realm!

He solemnly clasped his fist. “Thank you.”

He turned and was just about to leave when Old Man Wang asked suddenly, “Might I be so bold as to inquire why you’re so determined to eliminate Su Yi? Of course, you need not reply. I just can’t help but feel that someone of your status has no need to go to such lengths against a minor figure from the Great Zhou.”

Huo Yunsheng’s expression shifted erratically, but in the end, he said, “He wants to steal the woman I’ve set my sights on!”

With that, he turned and left.

Old Man Wang was dumbstruck. He couldn’t help but sigh. Yet another love feud!

……

Early in the morning, two days later, shortly before the curtains opened on the Spiritbend Assembly.

Despite the hour, there was an enormous crowd gathered near the center of the city, around the Nine Provinces Pavilion’s main gates.

Prominent cultivators from factions all over the Southern Skies Province had gathered here. Some rode in on palanquins, while others walked or flew.

The atmosphere was increasingly uproarious, and countless uproars rang out.

Because they were auctioning off ancient treasures at this Spiritbend Assembly, word had already spread throughout the province, drawing widespread attention.

However, only elites of the Southern Skies Province’s cultivation world were actually qualified to participate.

Never mind ordinary martial artists; even cultivators of ordinary origins were unqualified to join.

“Cultivators from Cloudsky Divine Palace are here!”

Suddenly, there was a commotion as the crowd saw two palanquins stop before the Nine Provinces Pavilion.

Wen Xinzhao, Zhang Yuntao, Huo Yunsheng, and the other disciples emerged from the first, while Su Yi, Yuan Heng, Ling Yunhe, Qing Ya, and Bai Wenqing emerged from the second.

When the groups reconvened, they instantly became the center of attention.

“So beautiful! Is she an immortal beauty from the heavens?” When they saw the stunning, Wen Xinzhao in her long, elegant dress, many of the men in attendance held their breath, and their heart rates sped up.

Even the young women couldn’t help but feel ashamed of their relative unsightliness.

Wen Xinzhao’s beauty transcended the mundane; hers was the type of charm that could topple a crowd. It was to the point that many dared not look directly at her slender, graceful figure. 

“An immortal beauty? That’s the famous Little Sword Demon, a legend of Cloudsky Divine Palace’s younger generation!” sighed a member of the older generation, his expression awed and reverent.

Perhaps Wen Xinzhao drew too much attention; she completely stole Zhang Yuntao, Huo Yunsheng, and the others' limelight.

As for Su Yi and his companions? They naturally didn’t cause too many waves.

“Hm? What’s that guy doing with Wen Xinzhao?” The red-robed Nirvanic Winds Holy Son stood amidst the crowd. He recognized Su Yi at a glance.

“What is it?” asked his companion, the charming woman in the black dress. She couldn’t help but glance at him.

“That’s Su Yi!” transmitted the Holy Son, his voice seething with hatred.

The woman in black was stunned. She followed his gaze, and saw a handsome, slender young man in blue.

“He’s actually rather good-looking, and his disposition is quite something. People like him seem calm and relaxed, but in truth, their pride runs extremely deep,” transmitted the woman in black. “This actually works out rather nicely, but you can’t act randomly. Our goal for the day is capturing Wen Xinzhao alive.”

The Nirvanic Winds Holy Son’s expression shifted erratically, but in the end, he nodded.

It was then that his body went somewhat rigid; he just saw the distant Su Yi turn to look at him.

The moment their eyes met, the Holy Son’s heart clenched; he felt as if he were facing a mighty foe.

However, Su Yi quickly looked away, as if they were no more than strangers, and his expression was tranquil without the slightest ripple.

He then proceeded through the Nine Provinces Pavilion’s gates with Wen Xinzhao and the others.

After watching Su Yi’s figure disappear from view, the Nirvanic Winds Holy Son finally relaxed. However, he almost immediately felt an indescribable sense of shame well within his heart.

When he sensed Su Yi’s gaze, he actually felt the urge to run or hide; that was unquestionably shameful.

“It seems he’s already discovered you,” said the woman in black with a low sigh. “Oh well. After this Spiritbend Assembly is over, if we get the chance, we can eliminate him too.”

Her tone was casual, as if she were deciding the fate of some random nobody.

The Nirvanic Winds Holy Son’s spirits soared, and he couldn’t help but feel eager as he hurried after her. “Just how many cards do you have in reserve?”

“You’ll know once the fighting begins,” said the woman with a faint smile. Then, she too strode into the Nine Provinces Pavilion.

“Granny, do you see him? That young man in blue following Wen Xinzhao is Su Yi, the one I met by the Great Chu’s Billowing Sky River. I crossed blades with him, but in the end, I was slightly inferior…” Further away, in a distant tea shop, Gu Cangning grimaced and shook his head.。

A graying old woman with a youthful face and a green bamboo cane smiled benevolently at him. “Young Master, were that a true battle of life and death, with your methods, I’m afraid that Su Yi would have little hope of turning things around.”

Lan Shang smiled and flattered him. “You’re absolutely right. The young master has three layers of sealed power, and he’s only opened the first. Once he opens all three, I'm afraid he’ll have no opponents left within the Origin Dao.”

“You talk too much! Bring up my seals again, and watch out! I might well remove your tongue!” Gu Cangning grunted coldly.

He then turned to the old woman. “There’s no grudge between me and Su Yi, so it would be best if we could avoid life-or-death fights. Come on, let’s head over too.”

With that, Gu Cangning rose and led the way into the Nine Provinces Pavilion.