First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1086 - A Hostage

Pi Mo had always had a steady heart.

The other eight legacy disciples of the Grotto of Abstruse Force said that he’d stand tall and unmoving even when buffeted by winds on all sides.

In the Wilds, they said that Pi Mo’s emotions didn’t show on his face.

But now, he’d descended into a rare fit of explosive fury. His plans had failed completely!

He didn’t care about his dead pawns. The lives of Garuda and the Yao Emperors had never meant anything to him.

What really enraged him was the strength Su Yi had displayed in that grand battle!

Breaking the Heavenly Yao Refines the Firmament Combat Formation didn’t amount to much. What startled Pi Mo was that neither Elder Yin nor the Starry Combat Diagram could touch Su Yi!

Pi Mo sank into silence, his expression shifting and uncertain. “Can a Profound Illumination cultivator… really be that strong?”

The trap he’d arranged was enough to kill even the Wilds’ Profound Unity experts!

Who’d have thought that it’d still fail in the end?

Who wouldn’t have been startled?

The table had overturned, and the cups and plates were in ruins. The atmosphere within the grand hall was murderous and stifled, but as time passed, Pi Mo gradually calmed down from his explosive outburst.

“After this battle, there’s no way Master will show me any leniency. Furthermore, when word spreads throughout the Wilds, it’s sure to invite all sorts of guesses and criticism!

“When people discover that Su Yi really is Master’s reincarnation, they’re sure to curse and spit upon me…”

A chill coursed through Pi Mo’s heart.

He didn’t care if others cursed him behind his back, but he knew that if his fears came to pass, the alliance he’d founded in his master’s name would descend into turmoil. It was even highly likely that it would fall apart!

It wasn’t just a matter of being viewed as a traitor to his sect and his master. It wasn’t just a matter of being spat upon. Even his Abstruse Force Alliance would likely split!

After all, the Abstruse Force Alliance wasn’t a monolith.

The factions subordinate to the Abstruse Force Alliance had joined in the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force’s name!

If the populace knew with certainty that the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force had returned, and furthermore, that his first disciple was a traitor, how could the factions subordinate to the alliance possibly follow their orders any longer?

Worst of all, the grand battle in the wilderness of the Ten Directions Yao Mountains proved how terrifyingly strong the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force’s reincarnation was.

Numerous Profound Serenity Realm Yao Emperors had joined forces, but Su Yi had practically routed the whole group. Who beneath the heavens could disregard the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force’s reincarnation now?

The Swordmaster of Abstruse Force had once been the sovereign of the Wilds, the man whose sword suppressed the heavens. Pi Mo was far too keenly aware of how powerful his master’s influence over the Wilds was.

He didn’t even need to think to know that if his master so much as raised his arm, countless major factions would rally to his cause!

Even long-secluded old fossils would step forth to assist them!

But that didn’t worry Pi Mo.

He knew all that full well, but he was equally certain that his master would do no such thing.

His master had always taken care not to “publicly air his dirty laundry.” Even if he was ruthlessly determined to get even with the entire Abstruse Force Alliance, he’d do it himself. He wouldn’t borrow external power.

“Master won’t borrow others’ hands to take me down, but so long as others know he still lives, the factions under my banner will be a pack of fence sitters…

“No, I have to resolve this as soon as possible! Otherwise, my situation will only get worse!”

Pi Mo took a deep breath, and his eyes flashed with determination.

He took out the Primordial Hellscape Painting and slowly unfurled it.

It depicted a blood-soaked vision of purgatory, except for the corner of the painting. There, misty light surged, outlining an immortal cave.

A three-eyed toad that looked as if it had been forged out of immortal gold crouched before the cave’s entrance.

This was the Three-Eyed Golden Toad Pi Mo called “Emissary.”

“Did everything go smoothly? I’m sure you were successful. After all, Yin Wen brought even the Starry Combat Diagram. That’d be enough to deal with even the Wilds’ Profound Unity Emperors. Killing the Profound Illumination Realm Su Yi ought to have been as easy as turning over your hand,” the Three-Eyed Golden Toad said in a low, muffled voice. He seemed quite smug.

After a moment’s silence, Pi Mo lowered his head. “Emissary, our operation ended in failure.”

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad was stunned, then so startled that it almost leaped into the air. It cried out in disbelief, “Failure!? How could we possibly have failed!?”

Pi Mo promptly explained the situation in detail.

After hearing the full story, the Three-Eyed Golden Toad launched into a series of curses, its voice booming like thunder. “Worthless, the lot of them! All that power, and they couldn’t kill a single Profound Illumination Realm cultivator? How ridiculous is that?”

The toad had obviously lost control of its emotions.

In the past, Pi Mo would have endured in silence, but this time, he couldn’t help but interject, “Emissary, it’s already happened. If you ask me, we’d best meet with the young mistress and report this to her right away. Otherwise, the longer this goes on, the more severe the problem will become.”

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad said furiously, “Are you telling me what to do?”

Pi Mo said coldly, “I’m simply giving voice to the truth. Emissary, don’t forget that Feng Ji and Fei Yun have already met with disaster. Now, Fellow Daoist Yin Wen has tragically fallen too. After such grievous losses, don’t tell me you really intend to treat my master’s reincarnation as just another ordinary Profound illumination Emperor?”

He paused, then snorted coldly. “Based on my understanding of my master, he won’t kill his way into the Abstruse Force Alliance until he’s learned the truth!”

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad was stunned. It seemed it couldn’t imagine that the ever-respectful Pi Mo would dare rebuke it like this.

Here, Pi Mo took a deep breath and clasped his fist. “Please calm your fury, Emissary, and report this to the young mistress as soon as possible!”

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad was obviously furious, but it knew this was no time to vent. Instead, it glared coldly at Pi Mo and said emphatically, “Just you wait!”

It then opened its mouth and spat up a nine-inch, pitch-black paint brush covered in strange, contorted cloud markings.

It waved the brush through the air, and the tightly shut door to the immortal cave instantly opened. The toad hopped inside.

Pi Mo thought to himself, Junior Apprentice Sister Song Chai, although the problem is not yet dire, if we don’t suppress Master’s bluster soon, the Abstruse Force Alliance really is finished…

He’d learned a long time ago that the former honorary disciple of the Grotto of Abstruse Force, Junior Apprentice Sister Song Chai, was just another guise of the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart.

Still, in his heart, Pi Mo had always stubbornly thought of her as “Junior Apprentice Sister Song Chai.”

As if referring to her in this way could lessen the distance between them.

A long time passed before the Three-Eyed Golden Toad emerged from the cave.

Pi Mo’s heart sank. Even now, Junior Apprentice Sister Song Chai isn’t willing to see me!?

“The young mistress said that she’s already certain that the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force was the one who killed Feng Ji and Fei Yun at Profound Sky Academy,” said the toad.

One sentence, and Pi Mo’s heart shook. Then, he instantly understood. “Don’t tell me… My Master really does have the power to counter the Laws of Spirit Nirvana?”

He’d already inferred this, but now, hearing it confirmed, he still found it difficult to remain calm.

Because he’d decisively chosen to stand with the Studio of the Heart precisely because he’d witnessed the strength of the Laws of Spirit Nirvana!

This seemingly taboo power of the Laws left him convinced that no one in the Wilds could contend with it.

Who’d have thought that, after reincarnating and coming back, his master would be able to achieve this? Pi Mo felt as if he’d taken a vicious blow to the head. Tidal waves of astonishment coursed through his heart.

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad paid no attention to Pi Mo’s loss of composure. It said coldly, “That aside, she commanded that you were to buy us time. How you do it doesn’t matter. She’ll do her best to speed up her time in seclusion. As soon as she emerges, these problems will all be easily resolved.

“In the meantime, you can contact the forces of the Nine Heavens Pavilion and Church of the River of Stars. All you need to do is tell them that your master has grasped the secrets of reincarnation and the Dark and Gold Treasures. There’s no way they’ll be able to remain seated then.”

Here, Pi Mo’s heart stirred, and he instantly calmed down. “I understand. She intends to drag them into this too, and borrow their hands to kill him!”

The toad then spoke once more. “Give me your Junior Apprentice Sister Jin Kui.”

Pi Mo frowned. “What do you intend to do, Emissary?”

Whoosh!

The toad swayed on its feet, then emerged from the Primordial Hellscape Painting and transformed into an old man in golden robes.

His hair and willowy beard were white, and he had the air of a Daoist immortal. There was a silver vertical eye on his forehead, and he emanated a strange, unearthly aura.

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad in human form said coldly, “I’ll take her with me to see your master, then trade her life for the Starry Combat Diagram. Our founder forged that treasure personally, and no matter what, we cannot let it fall into an outsider’s hands.”

Pi Mo said, “Emissary, my master has never concerned himself with other’s threats. He won’t lower his head, not even if you kill Jin Kui. Instead, he’ll avenge her a hundred times over.”

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad laughed coldly. “I’m not going to fight him. All I want is to make an exchange. Don’t tell me that treasure is more important to your master than his disciple’s life?”

Pi Mo silently shook his head.

The Middle Province.

One of the Nine Provinces of the Wilds.

The Middle Province Wang Family was one of the greatest, most ancient clans in the Middle Province. Even by the standards of the Wilds as a whole, they were a first-rate faction. Their foundations were superior to even factions like the Six Great Daoist Sects!

The Middle Province Wang Family’s ancestral ground was atop Allmist Spirit Mountain.

“Young Master, this old servant has brought your allotment of medicines from the clan for the month. I’ve left them outside your door. Do you need anything else?” an aged voice rang out outside the room in which Wang Que was confined.

“Wait a moment, Uncle Yun.” Wang Que silently opened his eyes, rose, and pushed upon the door.

“What are your orders, Young Master?” The elderly servant outside smiled and greeted him.

Wang Que’s expression was gentle as he smiled and said, “Uncle Yun, the restriction on this forbidden ground can no longer hold me.”

The venerable old man’s smile instantly froze, and he looked flabbergasted. “Young Master, what are you trying to do?”

“I’d like to chat and learn what’s going on outside,” said Wang Que. As he spoke, he stepped through the doorway.

Boom!

The ancient power of the restriction covering the room rumbled and churned as Wang Que broke through it in a single step!

“Three hundred years! I’ve finally stepped out of this cage,” Wang Que sighed and stretched.

But the old man, Uncle Yun, was so startled that he fell to the floor!