First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1729 - Proving Myself in Death

The sword-bearing ape continued, “Countless years have passed, but neither Sword Sovereign Changning, nor his apprentice siblings, nor any other Great Realm expert, ever managed to find it. Over time, rumors of the six-inch sword coffin gradually faded away.”

He looked at Su Yi, a strange light in his eyes. “I would never have guessed that you’d acquire this treasure thought only to exist in fleeting rumors.”

“Perhaps this is what they call fate,” said Su Yi.

The ape pointed to the coffin. “Have you opened it to see what’s inside?”

Su Yi shook his head. “I cannot open it. It seems the time is not yet right.”

The ape mulled that over and said, “If you have the spare time, I suggest that you take a trip to the Eastern Sea. Spiritual Desolation Mountain, the place Senior Li Fuyou lived in seclusion, lies deep within those waters. It contains all of the Daoist canons he left behind, as well as numerous other secrets. I just don’t know if the mountain still exists after all this time.”

Su Yi’s heart stirred. “How did you find it back then?”

“I took the Fuyou Boat, naturally,” said the sword-bearing ape. “It’s a sentient chaos treasure. Long ago, during the Primeval Era, anyone who wholeheartedly pursued the Dao of the Sword had a high chance of encountering it if they visited the Eastern Seas.

“Boarding the Fuyou Boat is the only way to reach Spiritual Desolation Mountain.”

Here, he looked at Su Yi. “You’ve acquired Senior Li Fuyou’s Combat Soul Puppet and six-inch sword coffin. That means there’s a strong karmic tie between you and him. I’m sure that if the Fuyou Boat is still in the Eastern Seas, you’ll be able to find it.”

Su Yi nodded. The Fuyou Boat would be key to reaching Spiritual Desolation Mountain!

......

After draining his jug of wine, Su Yi started neutralizing the taboo power within the sword-bearing ape’s body without any further delays.

Enough time to burn a stick of incense later, Su Yi removed his hand from the ape’s body, extracting a fine silver thread. It was wrapped around Su Yi’s fingertips.

The silver thread was formed out of highly taboo and terrifying power. It was as thin as an ox hair, but the aura emanating from it was enough to make one tremble.

When Su Yi examined it with his divine sense, he realized that it was full of countless subtle and intricate Dao Markings. They were densely packed within the fine thread, and all of them were strange and contorted.

Su Yi could tell at a glance that this power came from a secret curse placed by a deity! It was full of Epoch Laws!

But it was different from the divine tribulation that had befallen Immortal Queen Liu Yun. The silver thread’s aura was far more terrifying!

Liu Yun’s divine tribulation most likely originated from the Church of All Spirits\' divine backer, Divine Venerate Tian Wu. The ol’ ape’s divine tribulation is likely the work of an altogether different deity, one far stronger than Divine Venerate Tian Wu, thought Su Yi.

That was easy enough to understand. Every deity controlled a different part of the epochs’ natural order. Of course some were stronger than others!

Su Yi had already interacted with the power of numerous deities, like the Angler backing Cloud Apparatus Immortal Manor, Divine Venerate Tian Wu of the Church of All Spirits, and the Dipankara Buddha, the Buddha of the past.

In the Epoch of Demonism, he crossed paths with the Goddess of Silent Darkness, the deity the Tailor had served.

Outside the Dark of Gold Star Realm, five divine emissaries tried to intercept him. Each controlled power bequeathed to them by a different deity.

Then there was the time he explored the former site of Mount Taiwu. The Zhuyou Great Peng met with divine tribulation. That too was the work of a deity!

In other words, different deities controlled different Epoch Laws, so their powers were starkly different.

Both “divine punishment” and “divine tribulations” contained a deity’s Epoch Laws!

Su Yi could already say with certainty that the power of reincarnation could neutralize deities’ Epoch Laws, no exceptions. This was likely why the gods were unable to tolerate the power of reincarnation.

“So, that’s the power of a deity, huh? It really is calamitous and terrifying.” The ape looked at the thread wrapped around Su Yi’s finger. His eyes were full of dread, enmity, and a hint of relief!

During the Primeval Era, he waged war against a throng of divine emissaries on this very battlefield, only for a god to strike him and his allies down. Although he was fortunate enough to survive, the power of that divine tribulation lingered for years, bringing him incalculable torment.

He’d even plummeted through the three stages of the Great Realm. Now, he was on the verge of falling out of the Great Realm completely!

Thus, the sword-bearing ape hated that thread of divine power to the bone!

“This is just a portion of it. I’m afraid that fully extracting the power of divine tribulation from your body will take around ten days,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, the power of reincarnation surged at his fingertips, eradicating the silver thread completely.

“I’ve been confined for countless years already. How could I possibly mind waiting a few more days?” laughed the sword-bearing ape, his face lighting up with delight.

Given his abilities, so long as Su Yi helped remove the power of divine tribulation from his body, he would return to his former peak sooner or later!

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Very well. I need to take some time to focus on my cultivation and thoroughly quench my power of the Grand Dao. I’ll just stay here for a while.”

The ape beamed. “I’d love that!”

As he spoke, he suddenly recalled something. He waved his sleeve, and a figure thudded to the ground. It was the unconscious sole-surviving Immortal King of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect, Tao Qian!

“What do you want to do with him? How about I help you interrogate him?” said the sword-bearing ape.

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Better to let me do it.”

With that, he stretched out and flicked his finger. Tao Qian instantly regained consciousness.

When he saw that Su Yi and the sword-bearing ape were right in front of him, he immediately understood his situation.

Nonetheless, he didn’t panic. He simply remained silent.

“Huang Tuo says he’s a stubborn one; he isn’t afraid to die,” warned the sword-bearing ape.

Su Yi subtly inclined his head and looked at Tao Qian. “Answer just one question, and out of respect for your pride, I’ll let you die with dignity.”

Tao Qian said nothing, but his expression seemed to say, “I’d rather die than submit.”

Su Yi continued, “All I want to know is why the Endless Swords Immortal Sect chose to pursue me. That question shouldn’t be too difficult to answer.”

But Tao Qian still said nothing.

The sword-bearing ape frowned. If an Immortal King wasn’t afraid to die, searching his soul was a waste of time. Even Great Realm experts could forget about searching an unwilling Immortal King’s soul.

The atmosphere was stifled and tense.

Just as Su Yi was about to say something, Tao Qian said woodenly, “No matter what you want to know, I won’t tell you anything. You might as well not waste your time. Just kill me and be done with it!”

Su Yi knew countless ways to torture someone. He even knew methods specifically designed to torment Immortal Kings.

He was certain he could leave Tao Qian utterly humiliated and longing to die, yet unable to do so.

But in the end, he did no such thing. He could tell that Tao Qian was a tough nut to crack, and he wasn’t afraid to die. How could he concern himself with pain or humiliation?

Clang!

Su Yi suddenly raised his hand. A streak of clanging, humming sword qi appeared in his palm.

Tao Qian shut his eyes as if to calmly accept his death.

But to his surprise, time passed, but death did not come for him.

Eventually, he couldn’t help but open his eyes, only to see that the streak of sword qi had taken on a purple hue, like radiant purple mist shining over the horizon. A moment later, it silently transformed into a phoenix, beating its wings as if to take to the skies. Its entire body was bathed in purple flame, and it looked vivid and lifelike.

A tyrannical, destructive aura permeated the air.

Tao Qian was beyond shocked, and he struggled to keep his composure. “You... How could you possibly have learned our sect’s Sword Classic of the Purple Phoenix?”

His heart shook, and he struggled to calm down. This was the legacy of the Dao of the Sword he’d spent his whole life cultivating!

Su Yi’s gaze was distant as he said, “Long ago, I forged a sword stele for the Endless Swords Immortal Sect, and I carved thirteen legacies of the Dao of the Sword upon it. The Sword Classic of the Purple Phoenix is one of them.”

Tao Qian suddenly raised his head and stared at Su Yi in disbelief. “You’re saying that you’re... the Eternal Night Immortal Sovereign!?”

Su Yi said calmly, “It’s possible to impersonate someone, but not to fake the Sword Classic of the Purple Phoenix. I know that you cultivate this very legacy, and that you’ve reached the level of ‘Transforming the Spirit into a Phoenix.’ I’m sure you can tell at a glance whether my skills are real or not.”

Tao Qian was stunned, and his expression shifted erratically. The Eternal Night Immortal Sovereign!? How could Shen Mu possibly be that long-lost unrivaled legend?

Could it be that those preposterous rumors were true, and that the Eternal Night Immortal Sovereign has really returned through the cycle of reincarnation?

Tao Qian’s thoughts raced, and waves of emotion coursed through him.

Finally, his expression grew complicated, and he muttered, “No wonder the sect leader didn’t stop to ask questions before issuing orders, and no wonder he sent elders like us to participate. Perhaps... he’d long since picked up on some of the clues...”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?

Tao Qian didn’t answer. He just stared intently at Su Yi, his gaze complicated, and sank into a lengthy silence. Finally, he took a deep breath and said, “As a disciple of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect, I’d rather die than divulge anything. However, to express my gratitudefor the Sword Classic of the Purple Phoenix, allow me to offer you a warning.”

He paused, then said slowly and emphatically, “If you really are the reincarnation of the Eternal Night Immortal Sovereign, you’d best never visit the Endless Swords Immortal Sect. If you do, you’ll die beyond a doubt!”

He spoke with firm conviction.

The sword-bearing ape snorted coldly, and his brow furrowed with anger. Su Yi frowned too.

“I’ll use my death to prove that everything I said is true. You... had best watch out!”

Before Tao Qian’s voice had even finished echoing through the air, he shook violently, and his eyes dimmed.

His life force flowed away, and within moments, he was nothing but an ice-cold corpse sprawled limply across the ground.

It happened so quickly that neither Su Yi nor the ape could save him in time!

In truth, neither of them had anticipated that an Immortal King like Tao Qian would choose to end his life.

Furthermore, his death made Su Yi and the ape realize that his warning... really didn’t seem like it was intended as a threat.

After all, what kind of threat required your death as proof of its veracity?