First Immortal of the Sword

The smoke and misty light dispersed. Heaven and earth returned to their former tranquility.

However, the entire stretch of landscape was already in ruins.

Yuan Linning thought back to last night, and how domineering she’d been as she tried to force Su Yi to offer up the Seed of the Azure.

She also recalled that utterly provocative declaration—”I’ll teach you how to conduct yourself.”

And she recalled how she’d tossed and turned last night, too infuriated to sleep.

Only now did she realize how blind she’d been. She was the one who’d foolishly overestimated herself…

Intense frustration coursed through Yuan Linning’s heart, and her eyes dimmed with despondency.

She’d naturally already realized that if the battle continued, she was the one who’d lose.

“I imagine that after this, I’ll go down in history as the first Imperial expert to lose to a Spirit Dao cultivator…” Yuan Linning said with intense bitterness.

“He won…. Just like that…” Cui Jingyan muttered, and she gradually recovered from her daze. However, waves of shock still coursed deep within her heart.

Ever since what happened last night, she’d been so worried about Su Yi that she felt as if her heart might shatter. She feared nothing more than Yuan Linning killing him.

She’d prepared all sorts of countermeasures to prevent this.

But now, she suddenly realized that her fears were completely groundless. Su Yi… didn’t need her to worry about him!

Especially now that the curtains had set on this battle. Cui Jingyan saw the defeated Yuan Linning standing there, utterly alone, and an unprecedented astonishment rose within her heart.

A miracle… This is absolutely a miracle, the first of its kind! The old blind man cried out in his heart. 

Back in the Azure Continent, Su Yi had dominated the entire world as a mere Spiritual Incarnation cultivator.

Now, he was still in the Spiritual Incarnation Realm, but he’d gone and defeated an Empress of the Netherworld!

The Iceflame Netherworld Empress, Yuan Linning, had become the foundation of this miraculous accomplishment!

Lu Changqing was astonished, dazed, and at a loss. He felt as if he were dreaming; it just didn’t seem real. He couldn’t believe what he’d just witnessed.

It was then that a voice rife with shame reverberated throughout heaven and earth.

“Fellow Daoist Su, many thanks for showing mercy!”

Before this voice had even finished echoing through the air, Third High Elder Lu Changming appeared out of nowhere, faced Su Yi, and inclined his head in greeting.

His expression was an extremely complicated mix of astonishment, alarm, bewilderment, and shame, each in great abundance.

“Isn’t this exactly what you hoped would happen? You really should be thanking me.” Su Yi glanced coolly at Lu Changming.

Last night, he saw through Lu Changming’s intentions. He knew that the Third High Elder hoped to borrow his hands to teach the Third and Grand Libationers a lesson. 

Although Su Yi wasn’t exactly angry about this, he couldn’t possibly pretend it hadn’t happened, either.

Lu Changming couldn’t help but grimace. “I finally understand what it means to be in the presence of an expert, yet entirely unaware of it. If I offended you earlier, I humbly request that you don’t take offense.”

As he spoke, he inclined his head once more.

This was a Profound Serenity Emperor. No matter which plane he appeared in, he’d be a prominent expert of its world of cultivation.

Yet now, he’d humbled himself before Su Yi and apologized!

The reason for this was simple.

Yesterday, the old man in Daoist robes had warned him, making him realize that Su Yi was no ordinary person. However, he’d just assumed that Su Yi had a powerful backer, or perhaps that he had a trump card capable of threatening an Emperor.

That was why he’d come here in such a panic; he’d been worried that something would happen to his apprentice, Lu Changqing. 

It was only after he’d arrived that Lu Changming realized he’d been mistaken. Even without borrowing external power, Su Yi’s personal strength alone was plenty to suppress Yuan Linning!

How could Lu Changming treat him as a mere junior unworthy of notice now?

Su Yi paid Lu Changming no heed. Instead, he looked at Yuan Linning. “If you’re unconvinced, I can give you an opportunity. When you condense a complete Profound Dao Law, you’re welcome to come test yourself against me again.”

With that, he turned and faced Cui Jingyan and the old blind man. “Let’s go.”

Then, he put his hands behind his back and sauntered into the distance.”

From beginning to end, he didn’t spare Lu Changming so much as a second glance.

Yuan Linning’s beautiful face was pallid, and she said nothing.

Lu Changming’s expression shifted erratically. Su Yi’s attitude told him that what he’d done yesterday had earned him Su Yi’s distaste!

“Master, what are you doing here?” Lu Changqing approached and asked tentatively.

“I’m here for you, aren’t I, you good-for-nothing!” Lu Changming snorted coldly, then swooshed his sleeves and left.

Lu Changqing’s heart quivered, but he hurriedly chased after his master.

Perhaps I really ought to take some time for introspection. Yuan Linning sighed to herself, then turned and left.

……

Naihe Divine Mountain.

Beneath the Divine Cave of the River of Forgetfulness, in the river’s Ancestral Origin.

Mo Wuhen had already been in seclusion for hundreds of years, but now, he opened his eyes. Dreamlike golden light shone deep within his distant, serene gaze.

He was thin and dressed in gray. His long hair was tangled and graying, and he emanated a formless, terrifying aura.

“Ultimately, I still lack tempering. It seems that I cannot realize a breakthrough in my cultivation through seclusion alone.” Mo Wuhen sighed.

It had been a long time since he’d broken into the Profound Serenity Realm, and his cultivation had long stagnated in the peak of the realm’s middle stage. Even after all this time, he couldn’t break through.

Over the past few hundred years, he’d hoped to borrow the power of the River of Forgetfulness Ancestral Origin to achieve a breakthrough, but in the end… he failed to accomplish his goal.

“Ancestor, you’re finally awake!”

A blood-colored bird shot toward him, then pulled its wings to its sides and bowed.

A Netherblood Sparrow!

This was a rare variant species of vicious bird.

“Let’s go. We ought to get out of here.”

Mo Wuhen rose, but just as he was about to leave, the Netherblood Sparrow said hurriedly, “Ancestor, last night, a young man of suspicious origins entered the Divine Cave of the River of Forgetfulness. Furthermore, he broke Ancestor Jian Lingzhen’s record in the third trial ground, then…”

Mo Wuhen looked intrigued, and before the bird had finished its explanation, he said, “Let’s have a look at the third layer first.”

He stepped forward, then disappeared into thin air.

The Netherblood Sparrow hurried after him.

The third trial ground. 

Mo Wuhen stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at the name at the top of the Grand Dao Combat Stele. He couldn’t help but feel dazed.

A passerby?

Which disciple of Meng Po Palace had left that?

The Netherblood Sparrow said hurriedly, “Ancestor, that young man most likely wasn’t one of our disciples.”

“That so?” exclaimed Mo Wuhen.

He separated a portion of his divine sense and calmed his heart.

A moment later, he looked unwittingly stunned. “Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivation? The boy’s foundations and aptitude are truly so heaven-defying?”

An existence of his level had experienced countless years and grown accustomed to the ups and downs of worldly affairs. Even so, this discovery alarmed him.

Jian Lingzhen, who’d dominated the Grand Dao Combat Stele for thirty thousand years, had achieved her glorious record at the peak of the Spiritual Revolution Realm!

And at the time, she was proclaimed the Netherworld’s absolute top genius of her generation of Spiritual Revolution cultivators, a chosen of heaven!

Yet now, a record which no one had shaken for thirty thousand years had been broken by a Spiritual Incarnation Realm young man. Of course Mo Wuhen was surprised. How could he not be?

“Xue’er, do you know who that boy was?” asked Mo Wuhen.

The Netherblood Sparrow shook its head, then said gravely, “Ancestor, something even more wondrous happened too. Last night, that boy continued into the fourth trial ground.”

Mo Wuhen’s pupils constricted; he was utterly dumbstruck. “He… Did he attempt the trial?”

“He did,” said the Netherblood Sparrow.

Whoosh!

Mo Wuhen disappeared in a flash, then reappeared in the fourth testing ground. 

When he saw that its Grand Dao Combat Stele didn’t have “a passerby” written on it, he couldn’t help but sigh in relief and mock himself. “It seems this was a false alarm, but then again, it makes sense. How could a Spiritual Incarnation Realm cultivator overcome a trial ground for Emperors?”

Search "pawread dot com" for the original.

He’d only just said this when he realized that the Netherblood Sparrow seemed to have something to say.

“Xue’er, do you have something to tell me?” 

The Netherblood Sparrow said in a low voice, “Ancestor, although the boy failed to overcome the trial, he… he defeated nine combat spirits of will in a row…”

Mo Wuhen’s eyes widened, and he was rooted to the spot. 

A Spiritual Incarnation youth capable of breaking Jian Lingzhen’s record was astonishing but still comprehensible. 

But now, that same young man had slain nine combat spirits of will comparable to early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors in a single attempt. Mo Wuhen had lived for tens of thousands of years, but this nonetheless upset his perception of reality, and for a while, he dared not believe it!

Almost ten minutes passed before Mo Wuhen and the Netherblood Sparrow appeared outside the River of Forgetfulness Divine Cave.

“Daoist Brother, please come out to see me,” said Mo Wuhen with a subtle bow.

Whoosh~

The mists surged, and a mountain-sized head appeared, each of its golden eyes the size of a lake.

The Netherblood Sparrow was so scared that it trembled and retreated to the side, not daring to look at the Netherworld Abyssal.

“So, you left seclusion, you old pipsqueak? But it seems you haven’t broken through. Doesn’t that mean the past several hundred years were in vain?” The Netherworld Abyssal mocked Mo Wuhen without the slightest politeness. It didn’t care in the least that he’d been the ninth palace master of Meng Po Palace, or that he was now an ancient, highly qualified Emissary of the River.

Mo Wuhen looked a bit awkward, “It’s shameful, but true. I’ve embarrassed myself, Daoist Brother.”

It was his senior apprentice brother, Yun Ziying, who’d brought the Netherworld Abyssal back to Meng Po Palace. Its seniority was comparable to that of Mo Wuhen himself. Furthermore, the Netherworld Abyssal had once saved Yun Ziying’s life, so Mo Wuhen had to be polite to it. 

“Say it. What business do you have with me?” asked the Netherworld Abyssal.

Mo Wuhen took a deep breath, then said solemnly, “Daoist Brother, might I ask the name and origins of the young man who entered the Divine Cave of the River of Forgetfulness last night?”

The Netherblood Sparrow looked attentive too.

“My lo-....Uh, his name is Su Yi, and he’s from the Azure Continent. If you want to know more, you should ask other members of your Meng Po Palace.”

Inwardly, the Netherworld Abyssal realized it had almost slipped up. That was a close one! I almost called him ‘my lord’!

“Su Yi?” Mo Wuhen’s brow furrowed, and he asked, “Daoist Brother, dare I ask who let him into the Divine cave of the River of Forgetfulness?”

“Err….” The Netherworld Abyssal was temporarily at a loss for words.

A moment later, it asked, “Is that important?”

Mo Wuhen’s expression was increasingly solemn, “I have to know the boy’s origins. Whoever sent him inside surely knows his identity like the back of their hand.”

After a moment’s silence, the Netherworld Abyssal looked ashamed, and it sighed, “Agh, I won’t hide the truth. Last night, I was negligent. I let Su Yi slip into the Divine Cave of the River of Forgetfulness right under my nose.”

“.....”

“....”

Both Mo Wuhen and the Netherblood Sparrow fell silent. 

This clumsy attempt at deception was simply riddled with holes. It was an insult to their intelligence!