First Immortal of the Sword

Qing Shuang hovered in the sky, her green dress billowing and misty light flowing around her.

Although her appearance was extraordinary, the forceful aura emanating from her meant that few would dare look directly at her.

Ge Qian, Yuan Heng, and Bai Wenqing all looked solemn.

This young woman was unquestionably far too terrifying!

They’d witnessed the power of a Spiritual Incarnation Realm primordial spirit before, but that was ultimately just a primordial spirit.

Whereas the young woman in front of them was the real deal, a true Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator!

In the current Azure Continent, that was enough to make her a peak-level expert.

However…

When they heard that Qing Shuang wanted to test Su Yi’s strength, his companions felt nervous, but more than that, their expressions turned a bit strange.

There was no doubt that the young woman had subconsciously assumed Su Yi was just a typical Gathering Stars Realm cultivator….

Qing Shuang hovered in the air and looked at Yue Shichan. “Young mistress, the boy insulted His Lordship and needs to be punished, but rest assured: I won’t take it further than that. I'll inflict a little pain, that’s all. I won’t hurt your friend.”

Yue Shichan’s painted eyebrows furrowed slightly in response. “I urge you not to try it. Otherwise, you’re the one who will embarrass yourself.”

Qing Shuang froze; she found this too absurd for words. How… How could she think I’m no match for a paltry little Gathering Stars Realm cultivator?

A moment later, Qing Shuang smiled faintly. “Young mistress, you perhaps don’t know this. Although this humble servant has accompanied your father for less than ten years, my attainments in the Dao of the Sword won’t lose to any other Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivator. Please grant me this opportunity to show them to you.”

As her voice rang out, Qing Shuang gripped the hilt of the sword at her waist and drew it.

Clang!

The humming of the blade spread out like the tide, and graceful white light arced through the air.

The sword in Qing Shuang’s hand was like silver frost, and it struck fast as lightning. Cold light illuminated the night skies, and its edge glinted. It was obvious at a glance that it was extraordinary.

“This sword is called Silver Bright. It’s a Spirit Dao treasure, and I’ve nourished it with my cultivation base for a decade. It’s cut down three hundred and twelve opponents, and it’s never once missed its mark.”

Qing Shuang’s eyes flashed like lightning as she looked at Su Yi. “However, using it against a small fry like you would be unsportsmanlike.”

Clang!

She returned the sword to its scabbard, a faint, proud smile on her lips. “As a Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator, it’ll seem like I’m bullying the weak even if I fight you barehanded. How about this? I’ll give you a chance. Take out your treasures and attack me with everything you’ve got.”

She had a lofty air of superiority, as if she were gazing down upon him from on high. She seemed utterly contemptuous. 

Indeed, against a Spiritual Incarnation cultivator, any ordinary Gathering Stars cultivator would have long since admitted defeat.

When they saw this, Ge Qian and the others’ expressions grew increasingly strange. 

Yue Shichan even shook her head.

She’d already warned Qing Shuang, but it was obvious Qing Shuang didn’t believe a word of it.

She looked at Su Yi. “Brother Su, she has no ill intentions.”

Su Yi smiled. “Just going by our cultivations, the gap between the Gathering Stars Realm and Spiritual Incarnation Realm is indeed enormous. It’s no wonder she’s so confident. To tell the truth, I’m actually rather curious to see just how strong her attainments in the Dao of the Sword are.” 

As he spoke, he stepped into the air and soared into the sky. Then, he faced the distant Qing Shuang. “I urge you to use your sword.”

Qing Shuang’s delicate eyebrows shot up, and she glanced at the spatial tunnel behind her, then back at Su Yi. “Don’t waste my time. I’m in a hurry.”

“Oh?” said Su Yi. He stepped forward, then extended his right hand, using his index finger as a blade to slash through the air.

Whoosh!

Clear sword light shot forth. It had an inexplicable grace as it cleaved toward Qing Shuang.

A single, casual, understated motion.

“That's all you’ve got?” said Qing Shuang. Her eyes shone with a playful light.

As she spoke, she too used her finger as a blade. Sword qi like the silvery light of the moon against the darkness, or light shining on autumn waters, burst forth. It dazzled the eyes, and it was overflowing with the distinctive Mysterious Truths of the Spirit Dao.

Her attack might have seemed casual, but as soon as she unleashed it, its majesty made the entire stretch of heaven and earth tremble.

Ge Qian and the others all sensed it. The ambient spiritual energy reacted as if summoned. Qing Shuang’s sword qi was guiding it, forming it into a unique force that bore down on their hearts.

As she swung her sword, her attack bore down on the world below, as if all of heaven and earth transformed into its accompanying pressure!

The methods of the Spiritual Incarnation Realm startled Su Yi’s companions. 

However——

When the two types of sword qi clashed in midair, sparks scattered like rain. Qing Shuang’s attack split in the middle with an audible crunch, as fragile as paper mache.

Her eyes focused, a hint of surprise on her face. 

No wonder this kid dared be so arrogant. So, his confidence wasn’t unfounded!

But…

I only put thirty percent of my power into that attack.

When she saw that Su Yi’s sword qi was continuing ahead, its power not diminished in the slightest, Qing Shuang raised her fair hand.

Weng!

A dazzling silver sword seal condensed, glinting with sharp light as it bore down from on high.

Although Qing Shuang still held back, she was already using her true cultivation base. An attack like this was enough to flatten any Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivator!

Bang!

When the sword qi and sword seal clashed, the resulting collision shook heaven and earth.

Beneath the onlookers’ astonished gazes, the seal emanating a terrifying aura split just as easily as her sword qi had, then burst apart.

Su Yi’s sword qi dimmed, but only by about thirty percent.

“This…” Qing Shuang’s expression shifted, but she had no time to think. She instinctively drew her sword.

Crunch!

She raised Silver Bright and called upon the full power of her cultivation base, shattering the clear sword qi when it was just a few feet away from her.

Sparks scattered and spread outward.

Qing Shuang circulated her cultivation base, and with a sweep of her sleeves, she dispersed the sparks and remnants of the collapsing sword qi. However, her movements seemed a bit frantic.

She even seemed a bit unsightly.

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Ge Qian and the others’ hearts swelled with emotion, and they sighed.

Su Yi had attacked just once, yet he’d forced Qing Shuang, an advanced cultivator of the Spiritual Incarnation Realm, to attack three times. Furthermore, during her last attack, she had to draw her sword. Only then did she neutralize his sword qi.

Who wouldn’t have been shocked by his magnificent bearing?

After all, his opponent was a living, breathing Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivator!!

“I told you to draw your sword, but you refused to listen,” said Su Yi with a dry laugh.

The distant Qing Shuang’s expression shifted erratically, alternating between alarm, shame, and rage.

Earlier, she hadn't taken Su Yi seriously at all—he was just a Gathering Stars Realm youth, after all. She had drawn her sword only to return it to its scabbard, and her words and bearing were playful and contemptuous.

She wanted to teach Su Yi a painful lesson and make him understand that a loose tongue led to disaster.

But she also wanted to seize this opportunity to show Yue Shichan how powerful she was. That would make things go more smoothly when time came to lead Yue Shichan away.

Who’d have thought that when they truly crossed blades, she’d discover she was mistaken?

No...she wasn’t just mistaken. She was way off!

To the point that she almost dared not believe it…

This was because in all her years of cultivation, she’d never once heard of a Gathering Stars cultivator capable of giving her such a shock in a single slash.

The power of his sword was far beyond what a Gathering Stars Realm cultivator ought to possess!

When something fishy happened, there had to be a reason for it.

After blocking this attack, Qing Shuang no longer held Su Yi in contempt. Instead, she felt three parts bewilderment, three parts solemn, three parts apprehension, and one part rage. She wanted to wash away her humiliation.

She took a deep breath. “I admit that I underestimated you, but… With your abilities, you’re still not fit to look down on me like you did earlier.”

Qing Shuang’s eyes glinted like snow, and her aura silently transformed, becoming even more terrifying. The surrounding skies buzzed and trembled, and the air currents churned. 

When she saw this, Yue Shichan couldn’t help but furrow her brow. “Let’s end this here. If you continue, you’ll have no dignity left when you lose.”

Qing Shuang’s red lips twitched. “Young mistress, we’ll see who’s laughing in the end! I’ll prove it to you!”

Clang!

Before her words even finished echoing through the air, she shot toward Su Yi like an arc of light and swung her sword. 

Her slender, graceful figure brought with it misty light, and her austere killing intent pierced both heaven and earth.

When she swung Silver Bright, its sword qi was like a radiant silver river, or the moon descending upon the earth. It was unstoppably forceful and unstoppably dazzling. 

Her force and momentum was nothing like it had been before. The terrifying majesty of a Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator was now on full display!

“A Sword Dao using the Mysterious Truths of the moon? It’s actually rather exquisite.” The depths of Su Yi’s gaze lit up.

He didn’t clash with her head-on. Instead, his figure blurred as he used the Controlling Currents Evasion Art to dodge.

Whoosh!

Sword light swept past him, severing a section of a nearby mountain. The severed portion fell from the mountainside and slammed to earth with a mighty boom.

Just watching made Su Yi’s companions break out in cold sweats.

To them, Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators were already strong enough to strike terror into their hearts, much less a Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator!

Were they in Su Yi’s shoes, never mind resisting; Qing Shuang’s majestic bearing alone would have struck terror into their hearts and minds, rendering them as helpless as lambs to the slaughter!

“Your movement technique is quite miraculous, but it’s ultimately in vain!” Qing Shuang’s aura grew even more forceful, and as she spoke, she swung her sword.

Her sword intent was like a radiant moon illuminating the light sky, unstoppably sharp. Combined with her Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivation, her momentum was enough to overturn mountains and rivers!

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Streaks of sword qi pierced through the air, cleaving through the mountains, slicing open the earth, and forming startling rifts in the sky.

From a distance, the graceful, slender Qing Shuang was like a lady immortal of the sword. Her sword qi formed arcs as it threw the landscape into chaos!

“‘In vain’? Not necessarily,” laughed Su Yi.

He still fought barehanded, but he darted about like a beam of flowing light, as swift and nimble as the wind. One murderous streak of sword qi after another shot toward him, but he always dodged just in the nick of time.

He didn’t seem at all bedraggled. On the contrary, it was difficult to trace his movements, and he dodged with ethereal grace.

His divine sense, meanwhile, remained locked onto Qing Shuang. He sensed her circulating energy and detected the change in her sword force.

With Su Yi’s current cultivation, killing Spiritual Manifestation Realm cultivators was no problem.

Killing the primordial spirits of Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivators wasn’t much of a problem either. 

However, against a true Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator, the gap in cultivation was prohibitively large.

Were this merely a direct, full-force confrontation, Su Yi was confident that he could take her down; he’d just have to pay a bit of a price for it. 

However, he naturally wouldn’t do any such thing. This wasn’t a battle to the death, and he wasn’t trying to kill her as quickly as possible. 

By engaging in a drawn-out battle with a Spiritual Incarnation Realm sword cultivator like Qing Shuang, he could avoid injury while seizing this opportunity to test his cultivation base and see just how strong he’d become.

In other words, Qing Shuang made for quite a decent whetstone.