First Immortal of the Sword

Azurecloud Court.

When Su Yi returned from the shore of Goldenscale Lake, he suddenly recalled something. 

Su Yi went looking for Yue Shichan and asked softly, “Nine days from now, do you plan to participate in the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly?” 

Yue Shichan already had early-stage Origin Palace Realm cultivation. With her attainments in the Dao of the Sword, she was qualified to participate in the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly.

“I’d originally planned on participating, but given the circumstances, I’m afraid I…” Yue Shichan’s starry eyes dimmed. They’d yet to fully eliminate the Shamanic Venom Devilworm inside her, and she couldn’t unleash her cultivation base.

“Five days from now, no trace of the parasite will remain in your body,” said Su Yi. He thought for a moment, then said, “If you want to participate, I’ll help you. I can’t promise you’ll nab a solid first place, but placing near the top should be doable.”

He paused here, then laughed. “Of course, your ranking isn’t important. What matters is finding powerful opponents to serve as whetstones to improve your Dao of the Sword.”

Yue Shichan was stunned, and a bit confused, too. There’s so little time before the event starts that I’m afraid not even a god or immortal could help my cultivation break through.

Why does Brother Su… Why does he have such confidence in me?

Su Yi didn’t explain. He just said directly, “Come on. Let’s go into the city and see if we can buy you a suitable spiritual sword.

Yue Shichan fell into a brief daze. “I have a weapon.”

Su Yi turned over his hand and took out a sword. “You mean this?”

It was three feet, two inches long and three fingers wide, with a red string tied to the hilt. The blade was clear throughout, as bright and pure as autumn waters.

However, the red string’s color had faded, and both edges had numerous eye-catching nicks.

This was an Origin Dao spiritual sword. By the standards of the mundane world, it was precious. 

However, in Su Yi’s eyes, it was mediocre at best. Furthermore, it had obviously accompanied Yue Shichan in battle for a long time; the battered blade was clear proof of that.

Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a thread of pity rise in his heart.

He could roughly imagine it. When Yue Shichan departed the Great Zhou, she and her sword traversed mountains and rivers, living off the land and sleeping in the open.

She was a young woman with a disposition as cold as ice and no one to rely on. Su Yi feared she knew no means of earning money. Otherwise, how could she have let her sword get in this condition without replacing it?

It was true; Yue Shichan’s resources were pitifully sparse. When Su Yi rescued her from the Song of the Sandy Creek, he noticed that none of her possessions were worth much.

This was the plight of the rogue cultivator. There was no clan to support her and no sect to shelter her. Obtaining everything from cultivation methods to spirit stones and other cultivation resources was far too difficult.

Even Su Yi chose to come to the Great Xia because the Great Zhou was too remote; a small nation like that simply didn’t have the resources to satisfy the needs of his cultivation.

“Mm.” Yue Shichan nodded, and when she looked at the sword, her starry eyes softened. “My sword is named White Sparrow, and it’s been my constant companion; I see it as a dear friend. It’s fought alongside me since my time in the Great Zhou, and together, we’ve overcome hundreds of battles big and small. It’s my most reliable ally.”

Su Yi could sense the depth of her feelings for the sword.

It was similar to how he felt about the first sword he forged upon reawakening the memories of his past life, Mortal Edge. Its materials were ordinary, and by now, it wasn’t even remotely capable of complementing his strength.

But to Su Yi, the sword had extraordinary significance.

There was no doubt that White Sparrow was similarly important to Yue Shichan.

“You can’t use this sword any longer. If you do, you’ll only destroy it,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he passed White Sparrow back to Yue Shichan. “However, you can hold onto it. It can serve as an emblem of your past. Later, when you reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, looking at it will help you recall how you felt when you first began your pursuit of the Dao of the Sword. It will save you from losing yourself after reaching the peak; its value will far exceed your imagination.”

He spoke with a hint of lamentation.

Every step of the path of cultivation was difficult. Upon obtaining great strength, the slightest carelessness could make you lose yourself.

Engraving your initial motivations and determination into your heart would stabilize you. If a cultivator was like a little boat adrift on the great sea, such a symbol was like an anchor. It kept them from being swept away by the current or swayed by the endless wind and waves. 

White Sparrow was emblazoned with the memories of Yue Shichan’s initial pursuit of the Dao. In a sense, it represented her original intentions. Thus, when she neared the pinnacle of the Dao of the Sword, it could serve as her anchor.

Yue Shichan was dazed. She clearly couldn’t yet comprehend the true meaning of Su Yi’s words.

Su Yi didn’t explain any further. “An artisan keeps his tools sharp if he’s to do his job well. As a sword cultivator, you need a spiritual sword suited to your abilities. Come on, let’s take a trip into the city.”

As he spoke, he turned and headed out of the courtyard.

Brother Su is a bit too overbearing, isn’t he…? He didn’t even give me the chance to refuse…

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Yue Shichan was initially a bit embarrassed, and she planned to refuse his offer. When she saw this, she felt helpless, but she nonetheless obediently followed him out the door.

Inwardly, she was rather worried. I planned to work by Brother Su’s side to repay his benevolence, but now, he’s looking out for me at every turn and offering me his aid. If things go on like this… what will I do…?

She looked up at his tall, upright figure, her gaze increasingly gentle. A current of warmth flowed through her. 

People weren’t like trees or grass. Who didn’t like it when others cared for them?

Bai Wenqing watched Su Yi and Yue Shichan leave. She couldn’t help but ask, “Big Brother Yuan Heng, have you ever seen Senior Su show such consideration for another person before?”

Yuan Heng scratched his head. “Master’s always been kind to the people around him. That said, if you’re asking about people he’s gone out of his way to take care of, only a select few have received such treatment.”

Bai Wenqing asked curiously, “Who else is there?”

Yuan Heng thought for a moment, then said, “These are only the ones I know about, but before, there was Miss Cha Jin and Miss Lingxue. Now, there’s Yue Shichan and Wen Xinzhao too.”

“All of them are girls?” Bai Wenqing’s eyes widened.

“Yup.”

“That….” Bai Wenqing was stunned. “And surely each is prettier than the one before?”

“But of course!” said Yuan Heng without so much as pausing to think.

Bai Wenqing’s expression turned a bit strange. A moment later, she said with the utmost seriousness, “Big Brother Yuan Heng, in this regard, you absolutely must not learn from Senior Su’s example.”

Yuan Heng looked confused. “What do you mean?”

Bai Wenqing rolled her eyes. “You’re really a blockhead!”

Yuan Heng let out a burst of foolish laughter, looking quite silly.

Bai Wenqing laughed too. How could a blockhead like this learn to ‘romp around the flower patch’ like Senior Su?

When he saw Bai Wenqing relaxed, Yuan Heng inwardly wiped the cold sweat from his brow. If Master ever tries to take me somewhere like the Song of the Sandy Creek again, I absolutely cannot let Miss Bai find out about it. Otherwise, I’ll be in for big trouble!

……

Nine Tripod City was extremely prosperous. The densely-populated streets were full of carts and carriages.

“Brother Su, did you notice? On our way here, we passed an enormous number of men in blue…” Yue Shichan couldn’t help but say.

As they walked through the city, she saw that regardless of age, most of the men were dressed in blue!

Su Yi was briefly stunned. Thinking back on it now, he discovered that she was right; an unusually high percentage of the men in Nine Tripod City were dressed in blue.

A moment later, Su Yi laughed dryly. “It’s just clothing; why concern yourself with that?”

Yue Shichan blushed slightly. “It’s just that you typically wear blue robes. When I saw so many people dressed like you, I couldn’t help but take note of it.”

Su Yi said calmly, “A scholar ought to be bookish and elegant, but to sword cultivators such as ourselves, our temperament matters more. Clothes are just adornments; without comparable character, dressing like me is like putting a hat on a monkey. It’s simple buffoonery.”

Yue Shichan couldn’t help but grin. I wouldn’t have guessed it, but it seems Brother Su’s quite narcissistic… 

As they conversed, they arrived at Treasure Trove Tower.

It was one of the city’s four great towers, just like Cloudmarsh Tower and the Song of the Sandy Creek. It was a famous destination for the buying and selling of treasures.

Rumor had it that every treasure sold there was rare and precious. No matter their cultivation, any cultivator with sufficient wealth could find something to satisfy them. 

When Su Yi and Yue Shichan arrived, they discovered that Treasure Trove Tower was packed. People were everywhere, and business was booming.

“Young lord, the curtains open on the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly in just nine days. As a result, far more cultivators have come here to purchase treasures than usual,” explained a servant responsible for welcoming customers. “There are certain rare treasures that, on a typical day, few would take interest in. Now, there’s no need to fear failing to sell them off.”

As she spoke, the servant led Su Yi and Yue Shichan to the hall that specialized in selling swords.

It was even more crowded, and the clientele included a wide range of ages and both men and women. People clustered around every table displaying the weapons up for sale.

When he took in this fiery atmosphere, Su Yi couldn’t help but frown. Given the circumstances, I’m afraid it’ll be hard to find Yue Shichan a suitable spiritual sword.

“Ee? Fellow Daoist Su?” A pleasing voice rang out.

Immediately afterward, there was a disturbance amidst the crowd, which cleared a path.

Su Yi then saw a snowy young woman in purple. She emanated a lofty, majestic air, and a group of guards surrounded her.

This was none other than Jiang Li, a core disciple of the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect, the Jade Phoenix Fairy!

“Greetings, Young Mistress!” The servant accompanying Su Yi hurriedly bowed.

Jiang Li waved her away. “You can return to your post.”

The servant hurriedly left.

It really is Fellow Daoist Su. For a moment there, I thought I was mistaking someone else for him. Jiang Li’s phoenix eyes turned toward Su Yi; it seemed she was surprised to encounter him here.

When she saw Yue Shichan accompanying him, Jiang Li couldn’t help but feel a bit stunned.

Even though she was a woman too, she couldn’t help but admit that the fair young woman was so pretty that she looked as if she’d walked right out of a painting. 

Jiang Li’s retinue also included Tao Yunchi, Gu Tengying, and several other Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect disciples. When they saw Su Yi, all of them glowered.

Especially Tao Yunchi and Gu Tengying. Their expressions were particularly unsightly. 

Not long ago, in the mountains surrounding the Locust Tree Kingdom, Tao Yunchi and Gu Tengying suffered bitter defeats at Su Yi’s hands.

How could they possibly be happy to see him again?

However, when they saw Yue Shichan standing beside him, their expressions wavered, and they looked dazzled.

This was the draw of a beauty. No matter where she went, she’d become the center of attention.

Especially since Yue Shichan was no ordinary beauty. From the moment she first stepped foot in Treasure Trove Tower, no matter where she went, she drew an enormous amount of attention.

For instance, earlier, Jiang Li noticed Yue Shichan before recognizing the man accompanying her…