First Immortal of the Sword

Su Yi cut down his opponent as if he were swatting a fly; he wasn’t at all interested.

The guardian on the first step of the Staircase of Trials was always the weakest. It was naturally unworthy of his attention.

Bzzz~

A strange fluctuation of the Grand Dao surged forth.

Su Yi then found himself in the Grand Dao Battle Realm of the second step.

The space around him was just as boundless and hazy as before, with nothing but a single solitary platform amidst the void.

The second guardian was a man with an ancient sword, Daoist robes, and golden silk belt, just like the first guardian.

However, his aura was obviously a bit stronger.

Whoosh!

Without any wasted words, Su Yi stretched out his hand, condensed a sword, and casually swung it.

The guardian had barely drawn his sword when he burst apart.

“Too weak…” Su Yi shook his head.

With his foundations and attainments in the Dao of the Sword, ordinary early-stage Gathering Stars Realm opponents were no different from ants. 

Su Yi then proceeded to break through one trial after another, like an axe through bamboo, looking thoroughly bored.

Every time he faced a new trial, he slew its guardian in a single attack.

It was no more difficult than sipping tea or wine.

This novel is available on bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

When he looked at the stairs beneath him, he saw that Yue Shichan and Wen Xinzhao were rising rapidly through the ranks too.

There was no doubt about it. Since the two women faced opponents of the same cultivation, the first few guardians were nothing to them either.

When Yue Shichan fought, she was calm and clear-headed. She seldom moved, but when she struck, she struck like lightning. Her sword was quick and fierce as could be, and her attacks were simple, direct, and effective.

Wen Xinzhao was the exact opposite. When the beautiful young woman fought, her entire body burst with incomparable fighting spirit, with sword intent like a yao or demon. She was utterly dazzling, but her beauty was accompanied by a lethal threat.

Their distinct combat styles were a reflection of their different mentalities and temperaments. 

It was clear at a glance that they were remarkably in sync; as they overcame trials, they had to be silently comparing themselves to each other…

Ge Qian, however, advanced gradually, taking the time to consolidate at every step.

Every time he entered a new Grand Dao Battle Realm, he cautiously lingered with his opponent, taking the time to get a clear picture of their strength before revealing his full power. When he finally attacked, he destroyed the guardians in a single punch.

This was Ge Qian’s Dao, and it suited his cautious nature. He took things slowly, but steadily. In doing so, he avoided most unexpected dangers and risks.

It was just as Su Yi said before; this wasn’t a bad thing.

As his companions forged ahead, Su Yi soared up the staircase at shocking speeds. 

The tenth floor.

The twentieth floor.

The thirtieth floor.

….Barely any time had passed, but he’d already left Ge Qian far behind.

By the time he reached the thirty-fifth step of the Staircase of Trials, Su Yi had already passed Wen Xinzhao and Yue Shichan on his continuous ascent.

The forty-ninth step was a dividing line.

In the distant past, only those Sumeru Shrine disciples with first-rate foundations within their respective realms could continue past this point.

The Sumeru Shrine was, at the time, one of the continent’s three great yao sects, a true Imperial-level orthodoxy. Every single one of its inner sect disciples was chosen from thousands of hopefuls.

They were unquestionably far stronger than the vast majority of the Azure Continent’s modern cultivators.

Chen Xing was currently resting on the seventy-fourth step. 

He was a peak figure of Maha Temple’s generation, and he’d fought his way to the forty-ninth step in one uninterrupted attempt. In doing so, he displayed the tremendous strength of his cultivation. 

But from that point on, the guardians he faced became much stronger, and his ascent slowed.

By the time he reached the seventy-fourth step, he was drained and exhausted, both mentally and physically.

Fortunately, after the forty-ninth step, challengers could take up to fifteen minutes to rest and recover before continuing.

Chen Xing was currently seizing this chance to recover his strength.

“I wouldn’t have guessed it, but I’ve actually fallen behind…” Chen Xing looked up, feeling a bit dejected.

The Fulcrum of Heaven Sword Sect’s Jiang Li was ahead of him, on the seventy-ninth step.

Yu Wenshu was ahead of her, on the eighty-second step.

Li Handeng was even further up; he was currently on the eighty-ninth step.

The strongest were Zeng Pu, Chi Jiansu, and Buddhist Son Chen Lu.

Zeng Pu was on the ninety-fifth step, while Chi Jiansu and Chen Lu were both on the ninety-fourth step.

The three of them had left everyone else far behind! The strength and foundations they displayed were undoubtedly top-notch within the early-stage Gathering Stars Realm; they were the most dazzling cultivators of their level!

Chen Xing was behind everyone else. How could he possibly be in a good mood?

They were all early-stage Spiritual Manifestation cultivators, so ordinarily, the differences weren’t noticeable. However, this was a Staircase of Trials; it was obvious at a glance who was strong and who was weak!

Hm?

Chen Xing subconsciously glanced beneath him. Despite himself, he was surprised.

He saw Su Yi, Wen Xinzhao, and Yue Shichan soaring up the staircase.

After a brief daze, Chen Xing looked intrigued. 

With Su Yi’s abilities and cultivation, how high could he go before he needed to slow down?

He thought back to two days ago, when Su Yi slew Huan Shaoyou and his eight allies, all early-stage Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators, in rapid succession. Chen Xing couldn’t help but feel eager to see how he’d perform here.

The Staircase of Trials was like a ruler for measuring one’s strength relative to others of the same realm!

This might well be an opportunity to see just how strong Su Yi’s early-stage Gathering Stars cultivation was!

As for the peerless beauties, Wen Xinzhao and Yue Shichan, Chen Xing ignored them completely.

He was an upright, proper man immersed in Buddhist cultivation. In his eyes, beauties were dangerous distractions, and he disdained to even look at them. 

Years ago, when he first began his cultivation in Maha Temple, he underwent a “trial by beauty” to see whether or not he would lose himself to lust.

In the end…

The trial by beauty didn’t influence Chen Xing in the slightest.

His performance won the solemn respect of every disciple in Maha Temple. Even the old-timers sighed with amazement and proclaimed Chen Xing a one-in-a-million good seedling. 

Given the circumstances, how could he possibly care how beautiful Wen Xinzhao and Yue Shichan were?

He was much more interested in Su Yi!

“So strong!” Chen Xing’s pupils constricted, and his expression shifted.

He watched as Su Yi’s blue robes fluttered around him. Su Yi barely even paused as he overcame trial after trial and soared through the ranks.

Before long, he’d reached the forty-ninth step.

“He… How long can he maintain this unstoppable momentum?” Chen Xing’s eyes flashed.

Before Chen Xing could recover from his daze, Su Yi had effortlessly reached the fiftieth step, and furthermore, he maintained his earlier speed as he continued up the ranks.

As he watched Su Yi draw near, Chen Xing couldn’t help but gasp.

He vividly remembered that even the mighty Zeng Pu, Chi Jiansu, and Chen Lu had slowed their ascent after overcoming the forty-ninth step of the Staircase of Trials.

However, Su Yi’s speed never changed. He maintained his unstoppable momentum and soared up the staircase!

Whoosh!

Chen Xing watched in bewilderment as Su Yi reached his current position, the seventy-fourth step, then soared on by.

“This…” Earlier, Chen Xing had watched from on high, as if from a position of superiority.

But now, Su Yi had left him behind, and he could only gaze upon him from below. He watched Su Yi’s tall, lean figure gradually fade into the distance, leaving him in the dust….

Then——

Su Yi passed Jiang Li, who was on the eightieth step.

And Yu Wenshu, who was on the eighty-second.

Li Handeng was on the ninetieth step, and he’d just chosen to rest after a battle. He was exhausted, and he couldn’t hold out any longer.

A moment later, the scenery blurred before him.

A figure streaked by and proceeded toward the ninety-first stop.

“Su Yi!?” Li Handeng exclaimed. “When did he get here?”

He paused, then gasped; he’d just discovered that Su Yi had already passed the ninety-first step and appeared on the ninety-second.

He and Chen Xing glanced at each other, then watched as Su Yi forged relentlessly ahead. Their expressions went from surprised to flabbergasted, shaken, and bewildered…

When he saw Su Yi surpass Chen Lu, Chi Jiansu, and Zeng Pu, one by one, Chen Xing was completely dumbstruck. His Buddhist Heart was as firm as a boulder, but it was starting to tremble.

Isn’t he… Isn’t he a bit too fierce…?

Li Handeng’s expression stiffened. He was as still as a mud statue.

He was naturally well aware that the higher you went up the Staircase of Trials, the more powerful its guardians.

Especially after the ninetieth floor. Beyond that point, the guardians were like top monsters of their respective realms of cultivation!

Yet Su Yi had yet to experience any pressure along his journey!

When Su Yi reached the one hundred and eighth floor without so much as slowing down, Chen Xing and Li Handeng fell completely silent. Waves of shock coursed through their hearts, and a long time passed before they could calm themselves down.

“To us, every step of the Staircase of Trials is arduous, and the higher we go, the greater the challenge we face. But to Su Yi, this is no different from a leisurely stroll through the garden…” Chen Xing’s gaze was vacant.

“I’m afraid that thirty thousand years ago, the Sumeru Shrine Emperor who refined this staircase could never have imagined that such a heaven-defying Gathering Stars cultivator could exist in this world…” Li Handeng’s heart surged with despondency.

When cultivating in pursuit of the Dao, there was no need to fear a gap between yourself and others. You could make up for it later.

The truly terrifying thing was not knowing how big the gap between yourself and others was!

In that case, how could you possibly make up for it?

This was when it meant to eat someone’s dust!

The one-hundred-and-eighth stone step was at the peak of Mount Sumeru.

Su Yi stood there, his aura smooth and even. He showed no signs of exhaustion at all.

He’d overcome one hundred and eight steps with one hundred and eight swings of his sword, slaying one hundred and eight guardians!

Even the strongest and final guardian couldn’t block a single attack.

Thirty thousand years ago, results like that would have shaken every single member of the Sumeru Shrine. He would have effectively set an unbreakable new record!

However, if anything, Su Yi looked a bit quiet and desolate.

The early-stage Gathering Stars Realm guardians of the Staircase of Trials were ultimately too weak.

Even the strongest was at best on the level of a core inheritor of one of the Wilds’ top orthodoxies. It was as strong as a peerless genius of his generation, the type of talent you might not encounter even once in a hundred years. 

Alas, to Su Yi, someone who’d condensed ninety thousand Origin Power Stars upon entering the Gathering Stars Realm, an opponent like that couldn’t block so much as a single attack!

Hm?

As Su Yi thought back to the trial he’d just overcome, he suddenly sensed something. He flipped over his hand.

The restrained droplets of golden blood silently floated up.