First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1112 - An Irreconcilable Rift

Pi Mo’s bleak, hollow eyes swept across the area.

He suddenly felt that everyone was silently mocking him. Their gazes cut into him like knives, slicing deep into his heart.

His body was in ruins, his hair was disheveled, and his vitality was rapidly flowing away. He seemed incomparably wretched.

“The woman I liked most, the woman I disregarded my life to defend, saw me as a pawn she could throw away at whim. And I just... had to die beneath your sword, Master... I, Pi Mo, really am the most foolish, laughable man beneath the heavens...” he rasped, his voice starting and stopping.

The corners of his lips twitched, as if in self-deprecation, and he turned around with great difficulty and stared at the distant Su Yi. “Master... I won’t regret what I’ve done. Whatever you do, don’t forget what I told you: you carry the secrets of reincarnation, so the mighty factions of the stars beyond... won’t let you off!”

His last sentence turned into a roar, as if he were hysterical.

Then, his body split and scattered in midair, completely destroyed.

Everyone’s hearts churned. Suddenly, Pi Mo seemed tragic, pitiful, and detestable all at once!

As the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force’s first disciple, his name had shaken the Wilds and its associated worlds for countless years. His glory had been beyond measure. Even old monsters would take the initiative to greet him and exchange pleasantries, not daring to be impolite.

In the eyes of the world’s countless cultivators, he was a prominent expert of shocking power. Countless experts revered him.

Who’d have thought that such a prominent, unparalleled figure would choose to collude with the Studio of the Heart and betray his master and his sect?

His unfilial, traitorous behavior had unquestionably won him widespread criticism.

Tragically, although it seemed as if he’d died beneath his master’s sword, in truth, it was the Studio of the Heart, the ones he relied on, who’d caused his death!

The most ludicrous part was that the onlookers had just realized that Pi Mo, a mighty, talented figure, had died because of the woman he liked the most!

Who wouldn’t have been rueful over this?

“This is what they call letting lust muddle your brain and override your rationality. Even in the last moments before your death, you never repented. Your death is unworthy of pity!” Jin Kui said coldly.

Ye Luo, Wang Que, and the others thoroughly agreed.

Pi Mo’s earlier behavior had left them gnashing their teeth with fury. Seeing him heartlessly cast aside by the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart, the one he most relied on, was indescribably satisfying. His juniors didn’t feel at all sorry for him!

He’d brought this upon himself, and he couldn’t be allowed to live!

“And here I thought Pi Mo a valiant hero of his generation. It turns out he was nothing but a pitiful simp,” The Skythorn Poison Emperor sneered.

He didn’t feel at all sorry for what had happened to Pi Mo.

A simp?

When they heard this descriptor, the crowd’s expressions turned a bit strange.

Meanwhile, Su Yi felt a bit conflicted about Pi Mo’s death. No matter what, Pi Mo was his first disciple. Pi Mo had once cultivated and traveled alongside him.

He couldn’t possibly remain emotionless after seeing him die like this.

He felt conflicted, but mostly disappointed and melancholy.

But the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart seemed entirely unaware of all of this, as if she didn’t care in the slightest.

Her gaze was focused on the distant dome of heaven.

There, the tribulation clouds surged. Utterly terrifying tribulation light was brewing, and its aura alone was enough to make her hair stand on end.

She was from the stars beyond the Wilds, and she had an extraordinary status. She’d seen countless dazzling, unparalleled chosen sons of heaven, including holy sons blessed with grand fortune, rare talents who reached the Profound Unity Realm at a tender young age.

But this was her first time seeing a Tribulation of Profound Serenity so terrifying and calmitous!

Then, she looked at Su Yi and said, “Su Xuanjun, Pi Mo is already dead. You’ve already achieved your aim of cleansing your sect. It seems to me that the two of us can lay this matter to rest.”

She pointed up at the sky. “Once you’ve overcome your tribulation, let’s have ourselves a conversation. No matter what you want to know, I’ll answer all your questions.

“And if you’re willing, I can send you into the stars and do everything in my power to pave your path to the pinnacle of the starry skies!”

Here, an imposing majesty appeared on her face, and she pointed at her chest. “Unlike with Pi Mo, this time, I can swear on my Dao Heart that I mean every word!”

Deathly silence followed.

Everyone’s hearts shook. None of them had anticipated that the mysterious young mistress of the Studio of the Heart would choose this moment to rope in the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force!

Furthermore, the conditions she offered were incomparably tempting. A path to the pinnacle of the stars! Any Imperial expert would have been tempted!

In the depths of the tribulation clouds, tribulation light was brewing, and it showed signs of an imminent eruption.

But Su Yi disregarded this completely. His gaze was distant and inscrutable as he slowly approached the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart. “That’s how you tempted Pi Mo back then, wasn’t it? Alas, I’m not him. I have no need of someone else to pave my path for me.”

His calm, cold voice reverberated throughout heaven and earth.

The young mistress of the Studio of the Heart frowned. “Someone of your caliber ought to understand that Pi Mo’s heart was already full of unrestrained ambition. There’s no way he’d choose to betray you over me. Besides, he’s already been executed. He’s paid the price for his betrayal, and you’ve gotten even, so why continue to oppose me?”

Here, her expression filled with pride. “It might be unmodest to say this, but if I were willing, I could command numerous peak factions of the stars to do my bidding. I could even make the founder of our sect break convention to help me achieve my aims! If you choose to oppose me, the consequences will be far more severe than if you’d simply offended the Studio of the Heart!”

Widespread deathly silence followed this declaration. All of the onlookers were stunned.

The young mistress of the Studio of the Heart had such extraordinary origins that she could even make the founder of her sect do her bidding!

If that was true, it really was far too terrifying!

“That woman... sure knows how to boast...” The Skythorn Poison Emperor furrowed his brow.

“Strange. Does that woman from the Studio of the Heart have yet another identity?” Ji Yuan of the Little Western Paradise stood in the distance, mixed into the crowd. He looked a bit confused.

“Pi Mo was once my disciple. Perhaps he had other reasons for choosing to betray me, but you absolutely cannot escape your share of the responsibility.”

Su Yi carried the Tiny Heart of the Cosmos and approached, his gaze cold. “Now, you want to pretend nothing ever happened. Do you really think that’s possible?”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he swung his sword and attacked.

Quick and to the point, without the slightest hesitation. It seemed he wasn’t at all concerned about the young mistress’s threats.

Boom!

Sword qi soared into the heavens, its power utterly enormous.

The deathly silence broke, and everyone’s hearts quavered. Su Yi’s domineering decisiveness left them shocked.

The young mistress of the Studio of the Heart was visibly enraged, but in the face of his attack, she moved further away. Furthermore, she used an extraordinarily wondrous secret art. In a flash, she reappeared far beneath the distant skies!

As if she’d teleported!

Su Yi furrowed his brow.

He looked up at the depths of the gathering tribulation clouds. Had he already successfully overcome his tribulation and stepped into the Profound Serenity Realm, he could have given chase and kept her here.

But he couldn’t do it now.

Firstly, because his cultivation was in the middle of breaking through, transforming with each passing moment. He was in between the Profound Illumination and Profound Serenity Realms. It was an extremely unstable state, and he wasn’t at his full strength.

Secondly, because the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart was absolutely no ordinary person, even beyond her extraordinary background. She had numerous methods up her sleeves, as well as mastery of unfathomable supreme treasures.

Su Yi figured that if he wanted to detain her, he’d need to go all out to stand a chance, and that’s even after he stepped fully into Profound Serenity.

“Su Xuanjun, I know you’re angry, but I can give you time to cool off and consider.” The young mistress’s tranquil voice emanated from afar. “I know you didn’t kill the Three-Eyed Golden Toad. Once you’ve thought it over and decided to bury the hatchet, simply let it go. Then, I shall do as I promised earlier, and help you ascend to greater heights of the Grand Dao!”

With that, she turned to leave.

There was no doubt about it; she knew that she couldn’t handle Su Yi now, so she’d decided to end things for now.

But it was then that Su Yi said coolly, “There’s no need to wait.”

He waved his sleeves, and the sealed, unconscious Three-Eyed Golden Toad floated into the air.

“Su Xuanjun, I urge you not to...” The young mistress realized something, and the look on her beautiful face abruptly shifted.

But before she could finish, Su Yi’s sword descended, and he took the toad’s head clean off.

The slash contained the aura of the Sword of the Nine Hells. It didn’t just destroy the toad’s soul; it destroyed even the remnant of the Painter’s soul sealed inside!

Bang!

The Three-Eyed Golden Toad’s corpse disintegrated into dust before countless eyes.

Many of the onlookers clucked their tongues. Su Yi’s attitude was unquestionably tyrannical and domineering. He left no room to compromise at all.

This was unquestionable proof that he’d made up his mind. There was no way he’d smooth things over between himself and the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart!

“You—!” The young mistress’s face was ashen; she was obviously utterly enraged. Her beautiful eyes blazed with undiluted murderous intent.

Su Yi, meanwhile, gazed into the dome of heaven. “If you’ve got the courage, stay here and fight me. If you don’t, I’ll naturally kill you another day.”

He then paid her no further heed.

The young mistress of the Studio of the Heart suddenly took a deep breath, and the fury on her face receded, replaced by true indifference and calm. The depths of her cold, serene gaze no longer so much as rippled with emotion.

She faced the distant Su Yi, and when she spoke, she paused for emphasis between each and every word. “I promise that you’ll pay for this choice, Su Xuanjun!”

With that, she transformed into a rain of light and disappeared into thin air.

All that remained of her was the echo of a cold voice full of bone-chilling murderous intent.

Everyone could see that the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force and the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart were now irreconcilable enemies. Sooner or later, she was sure to come back to get even!

The thought of what she’d said earlier, as well as her extraordinary status, were enough to fill countless onlookers’ hearts with terror.

But Su Yi wasn’t concerned about all that.

She might have an extraordinarily lofty status, and she might well be able to command countless factions of the stars beyond. The founder of the Studio of the Heart might well do her bidding, too.

But one of Su Yi’s past lives had traversed the stars, sword in hand, suppressing even the Fisherman of the Church of the River of Stars.

Moreover, he’d scared the Painter, the founder of the Studio of the Heart, so badly that he spent countless years too afraid to show his face. He was terrified that his severed head would be fed to the dogs!

Even immortals from on high had to avert their gazes before the Temple Master.

The leader of the Temple of the Human Realm had wandered the stars undefeated.

And Su Yi’s Dao of the Sword would naturally one day surpass even his!