First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 531 – Huan Shaoyou’s Opponent

Clang! Clang!

The humming of a sword rose into the heavens. Indomitable sword qi shot out of the arena. Two starkly different sword intents each brought about dazzling light, stunning the entire venue.

Yue Shichan and Yu Wenshu’s duel had begun with a bang!

Yu Wenshu was tall, stalwart, with a large frame. He wore simple hemp clothes, and his aura was as firm and heavy as iron.

This was the greatest swordsman of his generation in the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect, and his sword reflected his personality. It, too, was heavy, subdued, and majestic.

With his mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm cultivation, he unleashed perfected Origin Dao sword intent, with the momentum of a grand mountain. Even watching from afar, an intense feeling of oppression bore down on the onlookers’ hearts and minds.

His spiritual sword was called Floating Gold, and Treasure Trove Tower’s grandmaster weapon refiner, Yu Shuya, had reforged it personally. It now burst forth with extraordinary power.

Every slash was like a radiant golden tide, and every attack had the force of an avalanche or tidal wave.

Their bearing was so impressive that gasps and startled cries filled the arena over and over again.

The monsters of the ancient era and geniuses of the present day were both watching with the utmost seriousness.

Sword cultivators had the greatest destructive power in the world!

The majority chose the Dao of the Sword.

However, those who achieved any real proficiency in the Dao of the Sword were rare indeed.

The crux of the matter was that pursuing the Dao of the Sword was more difficult than pursuing other Daos.

As a sword cultivator, one didn’t just have to temper their cultivation and swordsmanship; they had to polish their sword heart and swordsman’s courage, too!

Thus, despite the abundance of sword cultivators, only a select few were truly worthy of the title.

Even by Su Yi’s extremely stringent and exacting standards, Yu Wenshu was the real deal.

It wasn’t that Yu Wenshu’s attainments in the Dao of the Sword were so lofty, but that he had the right temperament, with a sword heart as firm as iron, and he killed decisively!

By comparison to Yu Wenshu, Yue Shichan’s performance was even more attention-grabbing. 

She was a young woman in clothes as white as snow, as aloof as an immortal, with unmatched beauty. It was natural that she’d draw more attention.

However, Yue Shichan’s swordsmanship soon proved that she wasn’t just a pretty face; her strength was equally astonishing!

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Her graceful figure darted about, quick and graceful as lightning. Although she only had peak Origin Palace Realm cultivation, her attainments in the Dao of the Sword were sufficient to contend with Yu Wenshu.

Countless onlookers went crazy over her peerless charm and beauty.

“Brother Su, your Miss Shichan sure is impressive,” clucked Xia Qingyuan. She was so focused that she even forgot about the sunflower seeds.

“She’s not that impressive yet, but she definitely will be one day,” said Su Yi. He felt happy and at ease.

As Yue Shichan’s guide to the Dao of the Sword, watching this ethereal, otherworldly beauty shine before thousands of spectators was naturally gratifying.

He felt much like a schoolteacher seeing his prized student take first place in the imperial examinations.

“Brother Su, what legacy of the Dao of the Sword does your Miss Shichan practice? It’s way too strong!” exclaimed Xia Qingyuan.

Every time Yue Shichan struck, it was as if the river of stars were flowing in reverse. Starlight arced like a rainbow, and a mysterious, ethereal charm spread out around her. 

“It’s called the Lesser Starry Vestige Sword Sutra. Its Sword Force is like stars blanketing the sky. It’s perfectly suited to her Profound Illumination Spiritual Body. However, this sword sutra isn’t some peak-level legacy. Its only advantage is that it can help Miss Shichan temper her skills and understand how best to incorporate her talent and potential into her swordsmanship,” said Su Yi casually.

He’d long since decided that once Yue Shichan entered the Spirit Dao, he’d give her a different legacy of the Dao of the Sword.

But of course, it was still too early to discuss that.

The longer Yue Shichan and Yu Wenshu fought, the more intensely they clashed. After a while, both suffered injuries.

However, it was as if they didn’t even notice. They only attacked with increasing ferocity.

Just watching made countless onlookers’ hearts quiver with terror. Even the experts on the central jade platform were visibly stunned.

Wounds accumulated on Yu Wenshu’s body. His body was riddled with cuts, and he was covered in blood.

However, Yue Shichan had quite a few wounds too, and her snow-white clothes were stained red. It was a startling sight.

Most astonishing of all, even now, Yu Wenshu’s expression was as grave as ever, while his sword intent was increasingly vast and majestic.

Yue Shichan’s beautiful face was somewhat pallid, but she was just as calm as when their fight began. The power of her sword was only sharper and more terrifying than before.

Two peak-level sword cultivators fought with such intensity. A bitter, desperate air filled the entire Orchid Terrace.

“Brother Su, your Miss Shichan is so badly hurt. Aren’t you worried?” Xia Qingyuan’s palms were drenched in sweat, but when she glanced at Su Yi, she couldn’t help but feel stunned. Why? Because Su Yi looked just as calm and leisurely as before, and he was still munching away on sunflower seeds…

“As a sword cultivator lives and pursues ever greater strength, injuries are unavoidable. So long as she lives, her wounds will only sharpen her edge. They’ll become a source of new strength,” said Su Yi casually. “This is a good thing.”

“....” Xia Qingyuan didn’t know what to say to that.

But shortly after, and against all expectations—

Yu Wenshu suddenly put away his sword and clasped his fist. “I’ve lost this match.”

The entire venue was dumbstruck.

Yue Shichan furrowed her brow. “We’ve yet to truly determine victory and defeat. How do you know you’ve lost?”

Yu Wenshu shook his head. “I’m in the mid-stage Gathering Stars Realm, while you’re only at the peak of the Origin Palace Realm. After fighting for so long, how can I not know when it’s time to retreat? Were this a fight to the death, I’d naturally give it everything I had, but this is a discussion of the Dao, a match to see who is superior, not a death match.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the arena.

His tall, stalwart frame was covered in blood, but he was perfectly upright, his posture as straight as his sword.

“Indeed, it’s already clear who’s stronger….” Jiang Li looked conflicted. 

Yu Wenshu was proud. He naturally had principles he adhered to.

Up on the central jade platform, Lu Daoting sighed. Everyone could tell that he was a bit unwilling to accept this.

After all, Yu Wenshu was the strongest member of the Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect’s younger generation. Although he could make up for this loss in the bouts to come, it meant he no longer had any hope of seizing first place!

“This Yu Wenshu guy is actually quite straightforward and upright,” sighed Xia Qingyuan.

“Even if he fought to the bitter end, he couldn’t possibly defeat Miss Shichan. Admitting defeat now is a rational choice, that’s all,” said Su Yi calmly. He’d long since determined the outcome of this match.

One clash after another took place. They, too, were utterly dazzling. Some of the fierce duels were even more incredible than Yue Shichan and Yu Wenshu’s.

Zeng Pu, Chi Jiansu, Li Handeng, and the other top contenders took the stage, one by one. All of them dazzled the entire audience with their brilliance.

When Su Yi saw the sharp, forceful, and wild Chi Jiansu, he was briefly stunned. He suddenly recalled the old blind man of the Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus Bearers.

The old blind man once said that he’d been searching the Azure Continent for someone capable of inheriting his legacy for years. Alas, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack, and his hopes were fleeting.

However, there was no doubt that Chi Jiansu was an ideal candidate.

Why? Because she had a rare Nethervein Yin Bone!

This type of talent wasn’t all that heaven-defying, but it was extremely rare. To the best of Su Yi’s knowledge, it was extremely rare even in the Nine Provinces.

Only those with this particular talent could accept the legacy of the Ghost Lantern Sarcophagus Bearers.

I wonder where the old blind man is now, thought Su Yi.

Suddenly, the entire Orchid Terrace was in uproar. The atmosphere completely boiled over.

Huan Shaoyou had taken the stage.

This descendant of the Demonic Huan Family had purple hair, a golden crown, and jade-colored robes. His features were handsome, bordering on beautiful, and when he entered the arena, he immediately became the center of attention.

Thus far, Huan Shaoyou had defeated every single opponent in a single attack. Even geniuses of the present day and fellow monsters of the ancient era couldn’t take so much as a single hit!

He’d maintained his perfect record of one-hit victories thus far, an incredibly overbearing feat.

When they saw him take the stage, the prominent experts on the central jade platform looked serious, and quite a few even looked grave.

A monster of the ancient era like Huan Shaoyou was strong enough to fight foes of superior cultivation; he had the power to suppress even Spiritual Manifestation cultivators. Who’d dare overlook him?

“Unless something unexpected happens, he’s highly likely to take first place,” whispered Lu Daoting.

No one argued. Huan Shaoyou had already overcome numerous matches, and he’d already proven how terrifying and heaven-defying his strength was. 

He was a publicly acknowledged favorite to win!

“Brother Su, my father told me that this guy once flew his Thousand Demon Treasure Ship directly into Nine Tripod City’s airspace. He’s extremely domineering. If no one here defeats him, why not take him down a peg or two?” Xia Qingyuan spoke at top speeds, and she made no effort to disguise her loathing for Huan Shaoyou.

“I didn’t sign up to compete, and besides, matches in the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly end in victory and defeat, not life and death. If I can’t kill the bastard, fighting him has no appeal,” said Su Yi casually.

“Who says you can’t participate just because you didn’t register?” Xia Qingyuan batted her eyes. “Don’t tell me you don’t know? According to the rules, exceptions are allowed so long as my father nods his approval. That way, someone who didn’t sign up can still participate.”

Su Yi hadn’t anticipated that. He wasn’t the least bit interested in the Orchid Terrace Dharma Assembly, so how could he possibly have known of this rule?

It was then that Su Yi’s gaze focused. Yuan Shaoyou’s next opponent was Yuan Heng!

Another uproar spread throughout the venue. 

“Yuan Heng? He’s strong, but how could he possibly be a match for Huan Shaoyou?”

“Agh, and here I thought we were in for another unprecedented duel. Who’d have thought Huan Shaoyou’s opponent would be Yuan Heng? There’s already no suspense about the outcome at all.”

…Many of the spectators were disappointed. They didn’t think highly of Yuan Heng’s chances.

Someone even went so far as to shout, “Fellow Daoist Yuan Heng, just admit. That way, you can avoid losing face.”

This provoked a burst of uproar.

Meanwhile, on stage, Yuan Heng looked grim. His gaze swept across the venue, and he said solemnly, “I might be unseemly, but I’ve made it this far step by step, fighting my way into the top hundred with my own power. You all are just here to watch the spectacle. Who are you to ridicule me?”

His voice spread throughout Orchid Terrace, and the noise and laughter immediately died down.

“Well said!” Some people clapped and cheered Yuan Heng on.

Huan Shaoyou was standing in the same arena, and when he saw this, a playful smirk tugged at his lips.

He suddenly raised his hand and pointed at the central jade platform, but his gaze was locked onto Yuan Heng, and he was nothing but smiles. “So, what’s your relationship with Su Yi?”