First Immortal of the Sword

Azurecloud Court

Sunlight poured in through the pines and bamboo, casting mottled light on the ground. 

A clear breeze blew past, bringing with it the smell of fresh grass and earth.

Ye Yunlan watched the young man in blue sprawled out in a wicker chair in silence for a while before saying, “I have to leave for a little while.”

Su Yi hadn’t expected that. “Are you going back to the Mysterious Blue Realm?”

Ye Yunlan shook his head. “The Ye Family almost certainly sent more experts to the Azure Continent than just the three of them. There’s something I have to go investigate and either confirm or disprove.”

“What is it?”

“I’m worried because it seems highly likely that the clan’s homicidal maniac has come too,” said Ye Yunlan.

The clan's homicidal maniac!

When he discussed said homicidal maniac, Ye Yunlan’s expression grew unusually solemn.

Su Yi, however, seemed intrigued. “Is he strong?”

“He’s not just strong. He’s twisted,” Ye Yunlan said grimly. “His name is Ye Xiao, and he’s a madman who proves his Dao through slaughter. He’s obsessed with killing his enemies on the battlefield, and in the Mysterious Blue Realm, he’s slain countless experts. His hands are thoroughly stained with blood.

“Ye Xiao looks mellow, even shy, and he’s extremely easy to like. However, deep within his bones, he’s a deviant who pursues the Dao of Slaughter and revels in bloodshed.

“Ye Xiao is currently in the mid-stage Spiritual Revolution Realm. He doesn’t have much seniority within the Ye Family, but he nonetheless occupies an extremely lofty position. Even someone like Seventh Elder Ye Changchun had to treat him with respect.

“In the Mysterious Blue Realm, everyone sees him as the most dangerous homicidal maniac of the Ye Family’s younger generation, but within the Ye Family? He’s being trained as the leading figure of the younger generation. They saw that within ten years at minimum or a hundred years at most, Ye Xiao will prove his Dao through slaughter and become an Emperor!

“When I left for the Azure Continent, my clansmen were already discussing whether or not to send their experts with Ye Xiao to vie for good fortune here. And now, I suspect he’s already here!”

“Why do you say that?” asked Su Yi.

“Ye Xiao was born into a branch family,” said Ye Yunlan. “His parents died when he was young, and his paternal uncle, Ye Changchun, brought him up.”

Su Yi instantly understood. “I killed Ye Changchun today. You’re worried that Ye Xiao will get revenge, aren’t you?”

Ye Yunlan had a complicated look on his face, and he nodded. “Given my understanding of Ye Xiao, he’s sure to come looking for revenge!”

“Oh?” said Su Yi. “You don’t think I’m a match for him?”

Ye Yunxiao sank into silence. “Perhaps you think I’m being alarmist, but with the power you displayed today, I’m afraid you couldn’t possibly be a match for Ye Xiao.”

Su Yi smiled but said nothing.

When he killed Ye Changchun, all he did was swing Abstruse Celestial around. He had in no way used his full strength.

When he saw that Su Yi didn’t seem at all concerned, Ye Yunlan said, “Roughly ten years ago, when Ye Xiao first stepped into the Spiritual Revolution Realm, he condensed a terrifyingly high-quality Grand Dao Spirit Wheel. It looks like a black sun reflecting a mountain of corpses, a sea of blood, and a forest of white bone. It’s called the ‘Purgatory of Slaughter.’

“Ever since, Ye Xiao has been all but invincible. He has practically no opponents amongst the Mysterious Blue Continent’s Spiritual Revolution cultivators; neither long-established, prominent old monsters nor peak modern geniuses are a match for him.

“Now, he’s already at the peak of the Spiritual Revolution Realm. Even in the Ye Family, only a tiny handful of our old monsters can suppress him. The rest of us are no match for him.” Ye Yunlan sighed.

However, Su Yi merely stroked his chin and said, “If this Ye Xiao guy is as impressive as you say, I’m actually rather eager for him to come looking for revenge. How about this? If you find Ye Xiao, tell him that I’ll stay in Nine Tripod City in the near future. If he wants revenge, he’s welcome to come looking for me.”

“....” Ye Yunlan’s lengthy description hadn’t intimidated Su Yi at all. Worse, he’d piqued Su Yi’s will to fight!

“Right, has Ye Xiao ever come into conflict with my mother?” asked Su Yi. 

Ye Yunlan nodded. “Do you remember the Ancestral Origin Divine Canon I told you about? Those old-timers went to such lengths to stop your mother from inheriting it because they hoped to reserve it for Ye Xiao and pave his path to the Imperial realm.

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“However, Ye Xiao is ultimately a branch member. According to our rules, no matter how heaven-defying his talent is, a branch member cannot inherit the Ancestral Origin Divine Canon unless every main-line descendant of the family is dead.”

Only then did Su Yi understand. The crux of the matter was the Ancestral Origin Divine Canon. Disputes over who was to inherit it had caused severe internal division amongst the Kunwu Mountain Ye family. 

His mother had been targeted precisely because she was qualified to inherit it!

“Doesn’t that mean you’re in a lot of danger too?” Su Yi looked at Ye Yunlan.

Ye Yunlan nodded. “Were this the Mysterious Blue Realm, they wouldn’t dare try anything. After all, the Ye Family’s rules are common knowledge, and we have multiple Emperors in residence. They wouldn’t just watch as my clansmen murdered me.”

“But this is the Azure Continent,” said Su Yi. “No matter how strong the Ye Family’s Emperors are, they can’t possibly cross the spatial barrier to arrive here. That means that if your clansmen want Ye Xiao to inherit the Ancestral Origin Divine Canon, they won’t just do everything in their power to kill me; they’ll try and eliminate you too. That way, he’ll be able to inherit it openly and without a hitch.”

Ye Yunlan instantly fell silent. He was worried about that too.

“Forget it. I urge you not to go looking for the Ye Family again,” said Su Yi. “I killed Ye Changchun, and Ye Xiao undoubtedly hates me to the core. It’s unlikely that he’ll refrain from killing you to vent his anger. Given the circumstances, you have to take precautions.”

Ye Yunlan had come to the Azure Continent despite knowing full well how dangerous it was. For the sake of his little sister—that is, Su Yi’s mother—he chose to risk it anyway.

Even after learning of Ye Yufei’s passing, Ye Yunlan didn’t give up. He planned to bring his nephew back to the family estate to inherit the Ancestral Origin Divine Canon in Ye Yufei’s place.

Based on that alone, Su Yi couldn’t possibly just stand back and watch as disaster befell Ye Yunlan.

Ye Yunlan looked stunned, and when he spoke, he sounded gratified. “You needn’t worry about me. I might not be a match for Ye Xiao, but I’m confident I can escape him unharmed.”

He paused, then added, “Besides, I dare say with certainty that he won’t take action rashly prior to the Radiant Epoch. He might be a homicidal maniac, but he’s in no way impulsive.”

“Are you really dead set on going?” asked Su Yi.

Ye Yunlan nodded. “I have to see just how many experts Ye Xiao has brought with him.”

Su Yi made no further attempts to dissuade his uncle. He just nodded.

Before long, Ye Yunlan rushed off.

“Fellow Daoist Su, was that really your uncle just now?” The Xia Emperor and Weng Jiu had been waiting off to the side throughout this exchange, and they could no longer suppress their curiosity. 

“That’s right.” Su Yi noded, then summarized the situation with the Kunu Mountain Ye Family. Finally, he said, “Rest assured. This enmity won’t implicate the imperial family.”

The Xia Emperor laughed. “I, Xia Yunjing, am unafraid of trouble.”

Su Yi didn’t linger on the subject. Instead, he said directly, “I’ll be able to finish repairing the Nine Tripod Suppression Barrier Formation within three days. Then, it’ll be enough to threaten the lives of even Spiritual Revolution Realm cultivators. Should enemies dare enter the city, they’ll effectively be seeking out their own demise.”

The Xia Emperor’s heart shook. Then, he took a deep breath, rose, and bowed. “Many thanks, Fellow Daoist. Even if we risk extermination, the imperial family of the Great Xia will live and die alongside you. We shall advance and retreat together!”

How could Su Yi care about something like that? He waved the emperor’s gratitude away and said, “Enough about that. In just seven days, the Radiant Epoch will be upon us. You’d best start preparing. I might be able to protect you for a while, but I can’t protect you forever. I’m sure you understand that too. At the end of the day, what matters most is your own strength.”

The Xia Emperor nodded, and before long, he and Weng Jiu bade farewell and left.

“Ye Xiao… people like him are rare indeed…” Su Yi remained sprawled out in his wicker chair, muttering to himself. 

 ……

That very day, word of the battle at Goldenscale Lake spread, stirring up a nationwide uproar.

Su Yi’s strength made him the center of attention once more.

By comparison, Shen Suiyun’s reputation took an enormous blow.

His duel with Su Yi had yet to take place, but everyone was well aware that Shen Suiyun had come out behind in their unfought clash.

At the same time, the faction known as the Kunwu Mountain Ye family attracted widespread attention.

The Radiant Epoch was due to arrive in just seven days. When an unknown faction like the Ye Family appeared at this juncture, every faction on the continent sensed a threat!

“I can say with certainty that when the Radiant Epoch arrives, unfamiliar otherworld factions similar to the Ye Family will arrive in droves to compete for good fortune!”

“Ultimately, the world’s balance of power will undergo a complete reshuffling!”

“It just remains to be seen who will emerge as the ultimate victor. Who…. will achieve dominion over the world after all these ups and downs?”

Dark currents flowed throughout the continent.

The world’s various factions went dormant. All of them were biding their time and gathering their forces in preparation for the onset of the Radiant Epoch.

……

Deep in the uninhabited mountain wilderness.

The night was tranquil as water, with neither stars nor moon.

Ye Xiao sat beside a campfire, holding a boom, which he read by the light of the fire. His fair, handsome face looked gentle and serene.

His long, dark hair was thick, and it hung to his waist. He wore simple, undyed, wide-sleeved robes, and he had a pleasant, relaxed charm about him.

Like a scholar long immersed in his studies. 

Not far away, the experts of the Ye Family stood or crouched, conversing amongst themselves. However, they spoke quietly, as if terrified that they’d disturb Ye Xiao.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, a Silverfinch flew through the night sky. When it landed beside the campfire, it transformed into a young woman in a silver feather coat.

She looked utterly frantic, but when she saw that Ye Xiao was reading, she hesitated, then forced her words back down.

Time slipped by.

Finally, Ye Xiao closed his book, stretched, and smiled at the woman in the feather coat. “Did the seventh elder’s group run into trouble?”

The young woman in the feather coat lowered her head, not daring to meet Ye Xiao’s eyes. “The seventh elder and his companions… are dead.”

Ye Xiao’s smile faded. He took out a jug of wine and silently took a drink, then muttered, “He died with his grand objective still unmet. What a truly unpleasant feeling…”

It was just a few light, airy sentences, but the atmosphere was instantly stifled and oppressive as could be.

The crowd shuddered and trembled, their expressions changing dramatically.