First Immortal of the Sword

The lanterns were freshly lit. The night was lively and bustling.

A swarthy middle-aged man in gray currently sat in a teahouse, sipping a cup of tea.

Suddenly, Su Yi appeared before his table and said casually, “Tell Weng Jiu to send someone to keep an eye on Azurecloud Cottage tonight.”

The gray-robed middle-aged man stiffened, shot to his feet, and exclaimed, “Your Excellency, you realized who I was a long time ago?”

“Ever since I moved into Azurecloud Court, you’ve kept watch here. If I didn’t know Weng Jiu had sent you, do you really think you’d still be alive?” 

As he spoke, Su Yi put his hands behind his back, turned, and sauntered off.

The gray-robed middle-aged man watched Su Yi fade from view, but he dared not dilly-dally any further. He immediately scampered off.

 ……

“Luring the tiger away from the mountain? Fine. Setting a trap and waiting for prey to come to you? Go right ahead. Tonight, you ruined my good mood, so you’ll have to bear my wrath.”

As Su Yi walked through the city streets, he seemed as relaxed and composed as ever.

However, there was a chill in the depths of his gaze.

The letter a messenger had delivered to his house tonight read: “Fellow Daoist Su, I invite you to join me eight hundred miles east of Nine Tripod City, deep in the Ten Thousand Ravines. If you cannot make it, we’ll pay the Great Zhou a visit. Remember, I’m only inviting you and you alone.”

It was a plain message, but it was full of implied threats!

The only thing someone could use to threaten Su Yi with now was the safety of his friends and allies in the Great Zhou.

Wen Lingxue, Cha Jin, and the others were his weakness, but they were also his reverse scale, a line that was not to be crossed.

Whoever wrote this letter clearly knew that it would take a threat like this to force Su Yi to show up!

Su Yi had to admit it; whoever this person was, they’d succeeded. He could disregard most other things, but he couldn’t disregard the lives of those he’d left in the Great Zhou.

He’d asked Weng Jiu to look after Azurecloud Court because he worried that his enemy was luring the tiger away from the mountain, and that they’d target Yuan Heng and the others in his absence.

This incident is a warning. I am making more and more enemies in the Great Xia. They might not be able to touch me, but it’s entirely possible that they’ll target those around me. Once I resolve tonight’s incident, I have to think of a way to eliminate these latent threats.

As Su Yi pondered, he’d already exited the city gates.

Whoosh!

He shot ahead, soared into the skies, and hurtled into the distance.

Although it hadn’t rained tonight, a dense autumn chill hung in the air. The radiant moon hung overhead, casting its clear radiance on the world below, as well as a certain coldness.

Su Yi shot through the clouds.

They dispatched a little feathered beast to keep an eye on me? Were they worried I’d seek reinforcements? With his divine sense, Su Yi keenly picked up on a Snowthunder Condor off in the distance. It had been tailing him ever since he left Nine Tripod City.

There was no doubt that the Snowthunder Condor belonged to the person who’d written the letter.

Su Yi ignored it and continued on his way.

……

Eight hundred miles away, in the Ten Thousand Ravines.

The peak of a mountain beside the gorge.

A short, fat elder in Daoist Robes said, “Junior Apprentice Brother, do you think Su Yi will come?”

“If he dares come, we’ll take his head and report back to the sect leader. If he doesn’t… We still can’t linger in Nine Tripod City any further,” whispered the man next to him. He was tall and gaunt, and his robes were embroidered with dragons. 

“Indeed. Dark currents are surging beneath the surface of Nine Tripod City, and the situation is confusing and uncertain. Even someone as powerful as Huo Tiandu died miserably on Cloudcomb Lake. Even more unbelievably, the Huo Family is enduring in silence. They’ve made no attempt to get revenge. This is unquestionably out of the ordinary,” said the short, fat, Daoist elder. “Fortunately, our target is just an Origin Palace Realm young man. So long as he comes on his own, we’ll have no problem. With no experts to defend him, with our power, we’ll be able to kill him with ease.”

The tall, gaunt man fell silent for a moment, then transmitted, “Senior Apprentice Brother, this isn’t Nine Tripod City. Better to be cautious; we cannot trust Chu Xiu completely.”

The short, fat elder’s eyes flashed, and he nodded.

It was then that an arc of golden light streaked into the distant night skies, like a firework scattering a radiant rain of sparks. 

“That kid really did show up on his own!” The short fat man’s eyes lit up.

The tall thin man said, “Although Chu Xiu’s methods are a bit despicable, I have to admit this sort of thing is rather effective.”

“He’s here!” The short fat elder said gravely.

A lean silhouette appeared in the distant night skies, shooting through the darkness. His blue robes fluttered around him.

When he saw the two elders, one fat, one thin, he couldn’t help but feel stunned. Both were strangers to him. “Were you the ones who set up a trap and summoned me here tonight?”

The short fat elder smiled faintly. “Young friend, there’s no need for surprise. Allow me to introduce myself. I’m Elder Lei Feng of the Qingyi Dao Sect, while this is my junior apprentice brother, Ting He. Now do you know why we’ve invited you?”

Su Yi paused to think for a moment before suddenly looking enlightened. “So it’s you.”

He finally understood. 

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

When the middle-aged man in simple cloth robes once said that three forces in Nine Tripod City were targeting him, including one led by Daoist Masters Lei Feng and Ting He of the Qingyi Dao Sect.”

Both were in the early-stage Spiritual Manifestation Realm, and they were after him because of Li Miaohong’s death!

He still remembered the warning Weng Jiu and the middle-aged man in simple cloth robes had given him. Su Yi had even been eager for these two, in their ignorance, to deliver themselves to his doorstep. 

Who’d have thought that something like this would happen tonight?

“Young friend, you knew we were looking for you?” exclaimed the short, fat Lei Feng.

“Of course.” Su Yi nodded.

Lei Feng frowned in mild confusion. “In that case, why… Why did you come here tonight to throw your life away?”

Su Yi had a strange look in his eyes. “It seems you still don’t know how Huo Tiandu died. But then, that makes sense. If you knew, you couldn’t possibly have done something so stupid.”

His calm composure left Lei Feng somewhat alarmed.

However, the tall, thin Ting He snickered. “Surely you’re not trying to say that Huo Tiandu, a mid-stage Spiritual Manifestation cultivator, died at the hands of an Origin Palace Realm pipsqueak like you?”

Su Yi couldn’t help but feel amused. “I’m sorry, but I did indeed kill Huo Tiandu. Whether you believe me or not is no longer important.”

He paused, then continued, “There’s just one thing I don’t understand. With your status, why would you resort to such despicable methods to threaten me? Is… is this how the Qingyi Dao Sect conducts its affairs?”

Ting He said coldly, “When you die, the threat to your loved ones will no longer exist, right?”

Lei Feng, however, laughed heartily. “Young friend, before we begin, might you tell me who killed Li Miaohong?”

Su Yi said casually, “This isn’t worth hiding. Li Miaohong’s death was the work of the Spiritual Manifestation Realm yao cultivator Ying Que.”

The yao cultivator, Ying Que?

Lei Feng and Ting He couldn’t help but feel confused. This was their first time hearing this name. 

“Just as we thought. After all, how could an Origin Palace cultivator like you possibly kill a Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator like Li Miaohong…?” Lei Feng looked wistful and grief-stricken.

“You didn’t kill him, but he died because of you. Su Yi, with our status, we disdain to make trouble for a junior such as yourself. So long as you cooperate and come quietly back to the sect with us, you might well escape with your life,” said Ting He coldly. “Otherwise, don’t blame us for bullying the weak!”

“Oh?” said Su Yi, his expression serious. “This was supposed to be a rare night of relaxation. I wanted to enjoy a good meal of hot pot. Who’d have thought you’d show up to ruin my good mood? I’m truly quite angry.”

Both Lei Feng and Ting He were stunned. They couldn’t even imagine how an Origin Palace cultivator could dare talk to them like this. 

“So what if you’re angry? Don’t tell me your anger can overturn the heavens?” Ting He couldn’t help but laugh.

“Overturn the heavens? That won’t be necessary. Killing two ignorant, foolish small fries like you is easily done,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he suddenly stepped into the air.

“You’re seeking death!” Ting He snorted coldly and waved his sleeves. A stretch of silvery starlight swept forth, bringing with it the majesty of the Spiritual Manifestation Realm. It was as if the river of stars were pouring down from the nine heavens!

This terrifying force could easily obliterate any Origin Palace cultivator around, yet before it reached Su Yi, it silently disappeared without a trace. It didn’t so much as harm a hair on his head. 

Like a clear breeze brushing against his face!

“This…

Lei Feng and Ting He’s pupils suddenly constricted as they realized something wasn’t right.

“Compared to Huo Tiandu, this attack of yours is severely lacking. You’re inferior to even Zhou Fengzhi,” said Su Yi, his lips curling into a sneer.

As he spoke, he reached through the air and grabbed.

Boom!

A giant clear hand condensed in midair. It was fully one hundred feet across as it descended upon Ting He.

“Break!” Ting He snorted coldly, his hands forming seals, which slammed into the air. Silvery light rained down from the heavens with terrifying momentum. The surrounding skies were thrown into turmoil, and the nearby sea of clouds dispersed.

A heaven-shaking boom rang out. Ting He’s fist imprint burst apart like paper mache; Su Yi’s clear palm shattered it with ease. 

Boom!

The clear hand’s power didn’t diminish in the slightest as it reached for Ting He.

This Spiritual Manifestation cultivator of the Qingyi Dao Sect was so startled that his soul practically left his body. He circulated his entire cultivation, and his energy surged through him. 

But no matter how hard he struggled, it was to no avail. His protective aura and defensive treasures were crushed with a series of cracks, pops, and booms.

Bang!

Bloody mist burst forth as the hand crushed Ting He into a meaty pulp. Blood and gore scattered, and even his soul dispersed. 

One strike had effortlessly killed an early-stage Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator!

That bloody, terrifying scene made Lei Feng’s eyes widen. He was almost stunned out of his wits.

This… Was it even possible for an Origin Palace youth to wield such power!?

An indescribable chill ran from his spine to his cranium. Daoist Master Lei Feng’s fat body trembled uncontrollably as he realized that this wasn’t looking good.

Not far away, Su Yi flicked his fingers and said casually, “When he attacked, he got complacent, and he died before using his full power. Learn from his mistakes. In a moment, when we fight, you must remember to use your full strength. Otherwise, killing you will be boring too.”

Lei Feng’s expression shifted. Suddenly, he said,  “Fellow Daoist, didn’t you ask why we’d use such a method to force you to come here? So long as you stay your hand, I can tell you the truth of the matter!”