First Immortal of the Sword

Late at night, a pavilion on the peak of Mount Heavenbristle.

The middle-aged man’s eyes flashed with cold light. “Ol’ Jiu, I’ll give you a day. I want Chu Xiu’s portrait in every city in all thirteen provinces!”

“Yes, sir!” Weng Jiu solemnly acknowledged his orders.

“Offer a reward in the name of the imperial family. Anyone who provides reliable intelligence about Chu Xiu shall receive one thousand tier-five spirit stones!” said the middle-aged man.

He continued, “Should they kill Chu Xiu and deliver his head, I can break precedent and grant them status as a vice commander of Mount Heavenbristle’s imperial guards. They can cultivate on Mount Heavenbristle and receive the imperial family’s protection!”

Weng Jiu was stunned. “My lord, isn’t that reward a bit too…”

The middle-aged man said calmly, “Do as I say.”

“Yes, sir.” Weng Jiu was starting to understand. He might be doing this partially because Chu Xiu’s actions infuriated him, but more importantly, he’s trying to show Su Yi where he stands.

He wants Su Yi to know that the imperial family will do everything it takes to deal with Chu Xiu, no matter the cost!

How could Su Yi fail to appreciate such a gesture?

“Ol’ Shui.” The middle-aged man in simple robes spoke up once more.

Elder Shui stood there, dressed in black, with a round hat on his head. He bowed and said, “My lord, what are your orders?”

The middle-aged man said, “Starting tonight, set aside your other affairs. Dispatch the Darkspirit Guards to investigate the Tiandu Continent’s Celestial Prison Demon Court.”

“Yes, sir,” said Elder Shui.

The middle-aged man in simple cloth robes let out a long sigh, a murderous look on his face. “No matter what, we cannot let something happen to Fellow Daoist Su right beneath our noses. Going forward, if anyone is blind or stupid enough to cause trouble at Azurecloud Court, kill them, no matter who they are!”

Weng Jiu and Elder Shui looked at each other. Both were beside themselves with astonishment.

They realized that Su Yi had already occupied a position of the utmost importance in their master’s heart; he couldn’t tolerate losing him!

“You don’t think I’m overreacting, do you?” The middle-aged man swept his gaze across the pair.

Both shook their heads.

Weng Jiu said, “Fellow Daoist Su is capable of repairing the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation, and even his control over the formation is far beyond us. He’s also an unmatched, monstrous genius in his own right, the type that might not show up even once in tens of thousands of years. We naturally cannot let anything happen to him.”

Elder Shui nodded in deep agreement.

The middle-aged man said no more. He just waved. “Go on.”

…..

Meanwhile, beneath the same night sky.

Outside Nine Tripod City, a grand procession of caravans traveled into the distance.

Chu Xiu sat woodenly in one of the carriages.

His eerie green eyes shone with hatred bordering on madness. His fists were so tightly clenched that the veins on the back of his hand bulged, and his joints were pale.

“Su Yi, oh, Su Yi. Damn you to hell!” Chu Xiu gnashed his teeth. He felt as if a sword were twisting in his heart.

In just one night, he’d lost both of his remaining demon puppets, as well as his greatest weapon, the Blood Dragon Spirit-Slaughtering Formation. 

These grievous losses made him feel as if his heart were dripping blood. It hurt so badly he could barely breathe.

“Master, the curtains open on the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly in just six more days. Are we really going to leave Nine Tripod City now?” the carriage driver asked tentatively.

Chu Xiu took a deep breath, then said darkly, “I cannot stay in Nine Tripod City any longer. We’re going to the Great Zhou!”

Although he’d suffered enormous losses tonight, seeing Su Yi’s behavior made him realize something—

There were people in the Great Zhou whose safety Su Yi couldn’t disregard!

Otherwise, there was no way Su Yi would have shown up tonight so obediently.

“The Great Zhou?” The driver didn’t get it. “A remote place like that has no fortune or opportunity worth noting and hasn’t for a long time. Why go there?”

“To capture someone!” Chu Xiu’s eyes shone with cruelty.

….

Two days later. 

It was dusk on the twentieth day of the ninth lunar month.

The Elephant Province, of the thirteen provinces of the Great Xia. Broken Dragon Cliff.

“Fellow Daoist Ying Que, please come out!” Yuan Heng stood beside the cliff, on the banks of the Angry Dragon River. His voice rumbled, traveling deep into the water.

Mere moments later, a towering wave arose on the river’s surface, and a figure appeared in thin air.

He wore a high-brimmed hat and a wide belt, making him seem like a scholar long immersed in his studies. He looked dashing and extraordinary, but as his tawny eyes looked around, they shone with intimidating luster.

This was none other than the black flood dragon occupying this place, the yao cultivator Ying Que.

“Brother Yuan Heng, why have you come?” Ying Que greeted him with a hearty laugh, then went up to welcome him.

Yuan Heng smiled back. “I’m here on Master’s orders. There’s something he needs your help with.”

Ying Que straightened up his clothes, his expression instantly solemn. He bowed slightly, revealing a hint of awe.

When Yuan Heng saw this, he couldn’t help but feel a bit strange. Master was right. This black flood dragon sure knows how to lick boots.

Master obviously isn’t here, yet he’s still acting so pious and reverent. There’s really… nothing to criticize about his behavior.

Yuan Heng promptly repeated Su Yi’s request.

When he heard it, Ying Que couldn’t help but look excited. “Brother Yuan Heng, this old brother of yours has been waiting for the opportunity to work for Master Su all this time!”

He couldn’t help but fling back his head and laugh with indescribable comfort and joy. “Quick, quick, show me his sword! Broaden my horizons!”

Yuan Heng promptly took out Mortal Edge and passed it over.

Ying Que was stunned. 

This was obviously just a mortal weapon. It had only the barest trace of spirituality about it.

Yuan Heng couldn’t help but explain, “This is the sword Master forged upon entering the first realm of the Martial Dao. The name comes from the phrase ‘I enter the mortal world and sharpen my heart like the edge of my blade.’ Even though Master is now strong enough to slay even Spiritual Manifestation experts, he still keeps this sword with him. He’s never gotten rid of it.”

Ying Que took a deep breath, his gaze worshipful as he sighed with deep emotion. “Sharpening his heart amidst mortal dust? What a good time! A wonderful name! And to think Master Su was the nostalgic sort! Such lofty aspirations! This is the bearing of a true expert!”

Yuan Heng couldn’t help but blush with shame. It’s just as Master said! When it comes to flattery, this old black flood dragon’s talent is superhuman; others can’t possibly imitate him!

Ying Que accepted Mortal Edge with both hands and carefully put it away. Only then did he say, “Brother Yuan Heng, I must carry out Master Su’s orders without the slightest delay, so I cannot treat you to a feast this time. Once everything is in order, I’ll leave for the Great Zhou this very night!” 

Yuan Heng smiled and nodded. “When we meet again, I’ll get drunk with you again!”

Ying Que laughed and slapped him on the shoulder. He said seriously, “Brother Yuan Heng, you are incredibly fortunate to have an opportunity to accompany Master Su and work by his side. You must treasure it. Always put Master Su first. Whatever you do, don’t disappoint him!”

With that, he turned and shot back into the river.

That very day, Yuan Heng began his return journey to Nine Tripod City, while Ying Que left for the Sea of Chaotic Spirits with Su Yi’s sword.

It was only when Yuan Heng thought back to his meeting with Ying Que that he realized something: the old flood dragon who’d suppressed his cultivation at the Spiritual Manifestation Realm for over a thousand years had already broken through and entered the Spiritual Integration Realm!

Theft is never good, try looking at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Yuan Heng finally understood why Ying Que respected and revered Su Yi so much.

Without Master, how could the old flood dragon have freed himself of his heart demon? How could he have entered the Spiritual Integration Realm?

This is benevolence akin to enlightenment!

 ……

The twenty-first day of the ninth lunar month.

The Great Zhou, Heaven’s Origin Academy. Dusk.

A jade slip from the Great Xia’s Nine Tripod City arrived. Monk Hongji of the Great Zhou’s Ten Directions Pavilion delivered it to Ning Sihua personally.

Meanwhile, in Nine Tripod City.

At noon, a group of monks led by Maha Temple’s Buddhist Son Chen Lu entered the city, drawing countless eyes.

Chen Lu was one of the greatest geniuses of the present day. He had the "Untainted Buddhist Heart", and he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Yu Wenshu, Wen Xinzhao, and Li Handeng.

Of the four great geniuses of the present day, he kept the lowest profile, making him the most mysterious.

Rumor had it that when Chen Lu stepped into the Grain Avoidance Realm, he triggered a strange phenomenon of heaven and earth. Sanskrit chanting filled the air, and flowers fell from the heavens as he created an unimaginably powerful Origin Power Seed.

When he opened his Origin Palace, he triggered yet another strange phenomenon of heaven and earth. An illusory celestial dragon curled up beneath the dome of heaven, and the ringing of a temple bell resounded nonstop.

Two years ago, when he reached the Gathering Stars Realm, he caused yet another miraculous sight: a lotus platform hovered in the sky, and the stars appeared in broad daylight.

Every time he entered a new realm of the Origin Dao, Chen Lu’s breakthroughs triggered a new strange phenomenon. Talents and accumulations of this level were absolutely one in a million.

He was a legend of the younger generation. When he arrived in Nine Tripod City, it would have been hard to avoid drawing attention even if he wanted to. 

…

The twenty-second day of the ninth month.

The imperial family publicly released three lists, throwing the entire city into uproar.

The first was a list of monsters of the ancient era, the List of Ancient Monsters. All had Origin Dao cultivation, but their foundations were terrifying, and all had extraordinary origins.

According to the imperial family, this list was incomplete; there were far more monsters of the ancient era roaming the continent than names on the list.

The other two lists were the List of Modern Geniuses and the List of Otherworld Possessed.

The List of Modern Geniuses had sixty-three people in total. 

The criteria for inclusion were simple. Every person on the list had extraordinary talent and accumulations. All of them could cross realms to kill opponents of higher cultivations!

As for the List of Otherworld Possessed, there were only thirty-six names in total.

It wasn’t that there were only thirty-six Possessed out there, but rather, that these thirty-six were the cream of the crop. 

The strongest of the Possessed were in the Spirit Dao!

The list was similar to a “most wanted” list because the Great Xia’s imperial family had already made their position clear: otherworld Possessed were the common foe of every cultivator beneath the heavens. Anyone who saw them was to execute them.

Publishing a list of their names was intended to expose these thirty-six Possessed so that the world’s cultivators could hunt them down!

In summary, as soon as the empire publicly announced the three lists, an enormous uproar rocked Nine Tripod City. The announcement drew unprecedented attention and triggered widespread discussion.

Intriguingly, none of the three lists were ranked. They merely described the names, origins, and cultivations of those on them.

Even so, having one’s name appear on the list represented the Great Xia’s imperial family’s approval.

“Master, your name is on the List of Modern Geniuses too!” Yuan Heng said with delight.

Su Yi was dozing sprawled out in his wicker chair, and his thoughts were clearly elsewhere. “Mm.”