First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1435 - That Treasure Has an Owner

Su Yi saw the Void Realm True Immortals’ displeasure, but he didn’t say anything. He just waited quietly.

The monk, Zhe Yin, thought for a moment, then said warmly, “Celestial Red Cloud is leading this expedition. With an extraordinary figure like her overseeing things, we have nothing to worry about. Fellow Daoist Su, might I ask why you’d make such a request? I”m struggling to understand.”

Su Yi said calmly, “It’s to make sure that all of you survive this.”

“???” Zhe Yin couldn’t help but fall silent. He looked at Daoist Master Red Cloud, and the others followed suit.

“I agree,” said Daoist Master Red Cloud, her expression tranquil. She didn’t even pause to think.

The crowd was stunned.

Yun Huaqing furrowed his brow. “Celestial Red Cloud, this is no game. You...”

Before he could finish, the elder in beast skins smiled. “I agree too.”

The monk, Zhe Yin, thought for a moment, then said, “Count me in.”

The woman in the black cloak sank into silence, but in the end, she said, “I agree with whatever Red Cloud decides.”

There was no doubt about it. She was averse to following Su Yi’s orders, but she agreed due to her trust in Daoist Master Red Cloud.”

“Why are you all...” Yun Huaqing was stunned, and he found this absurd. They were a group of lofty Void Realm True Immortals, but they’d all agreed to follow a mere junior’s orders?

What was this world coming to?

Wasn’t this a bit too insane?

Yun Huaqing took a deep breath, gnashed his teeth, and said, “I... agree!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, his cheeks heated up. He felt as if he’d just slapped himself, and he was almost too ashamed to show his face.

“Since you’ve all agreed, I’ll say this in advance: if we run into trouble on the road ahead, and if anyone ruins things by refusing to follow orders, I won’t let them off!” said Su Yi.

The Void Realm True Immortals frowned, but in the end, they held back.

Only Daoist Master Red Cloud nodded. “That’s how it ought to be.”

Su Yi then proceeded to break all of their curses. Naturally, that went for Daoist Master Red Cloud too.

The Void Realm True Immortals instantly felt much better. Their whole bodies relaxed, and their expressions filled with delight and relief.

As revenants, the power of the curse bound them. They could live without resolving it, but it would be a pitiful existence; they’d be neither fully alive nor fully dead. They’d also have no hope of making any further progress in their cultivation!

Now that their curses had been broken, they’d effectively received a new chance at life!

The group then continued their expedition. Here in the Starjade Forbidden Grounds, danger lurked on every corner. Hundred-thousand-foot spatial rifts, raging windstorms of calamitous power, strange and unpredictable rains of immortal light, sudden, unexpected beams of spatial and temporal power...

Any one of these dangers was sufficient to tear an immortal to shreds with ease!

However, with Daoist Master Red Cloud leading the way, the group avoided the innumerable perils, startled but unharmed.

Along the way, Daoist Master Red Cloud finally couldn’t help but transmit to Su Yi, “Why did you ask us to follow your orders?”

All Su Yi said in response was, “We’re traveling together, so I have to ensure everyone makes it out alive.”

He’d said something similar before, too.

But it was only after hearing him repeat it that Daoist Master Red Cloud seemed to understand, and she solemnly thanked him.

Others might see Su Yi as a junior and object to his conditions. They might even consider him sick in the head.

Daoist Master Red Cloud wouldn’t do that.

She knew that if it were really as she suspected, Su Yi had already awakened the memory of his past life as an immortal. With his status and capabilities, he was completely qualified to order any of those present about!

There was no need for Su Yi to do such a thing, yet for some inexplicable reason, he’d gone and done it anyway.

Why?

Because he saw them as his allies! They would share both joys and sorrows!

When she looked at it this way, Yun Huaqing and the others’ aversion seemed petty.

Of course, this came down to a difference in perception. Daoist Master Red Cloud naturally didn’t mind, and she could tell Su Yi wasn’t concerned about the others’ reactions.

Fellow Daoist Su really is different from before... thought Daoist Master Red Cloud. She felt an almost irrepressible urge to ask if it was really as she suspected. Was Su Yi really the Sword Fanatic in his past life, the mightiest of the Central Immortal Court’s ten Immortal Lords?

But in the end, she forced the question back down. Everyone had their secrets. It was enough to know where they stood; she didn’t necessarily need to get to the bottom of everything.

This was also a form of respect.

Meanwhile, Su Yi rubbed his forehead. I could clearly sense that his sixth incarnation was affecting his behavior!

When he made those conditions earlier, his behavior didn’t seem at all inappropriate to him. But thinking back on it now, that wasn’t in his nature! It would have been more typical for him to watch coldly from the sidelines. He wouldn’t have taken the initiative to get involved.

But now, he understood.

This was how Wang Ye did things.

Wang Ye spent his youth protecting the Northriver Immortal Province’s Sixth Gate of Heaven. He and his comrades fought side-by-side on a blood-soaked battlefield, living and dying alongside each other.

Every time they took action, Wang Ye did everything in his power to ensure the safety of his allies!

Even when someone died in battle, he’d bring back their corpse and give them a proper burial personally!

It’s actually an admirable good habit, but if you think you can use this method to subtly influence me and take me over without me even noticing, you’re doomed to failure. Su Yi’s gaze was bright and clear as he said to himself, For now, I'll just stand back and watch. Let’s see what kind of waves you can create, and how great an impact you can have on me!

......

An hour later.

“Fellow Daoist Su, look over there! That looks like the temple you were after!” the old man in beast skins suddenly spoke and pointed into the distance.

This was a run-down, overcast stretch of land. The ground lay in utter ruin, and dark clouds permeated the sky.

It was indistinct through the dense fog, but they could dimly discern a uniquely shaped ancient building. It was pitch-black and fully one hundred feet tall.

It really did look like a ruined temple, and it had a strange, mysterious air about it.

“Yes, that’s most likely it.” Su Yi nodded. On their way here, he’d told the others that he was searching for an old friends’ whereabouts.

The old friend in question was the Antique Dealer, who was supposedly trapped within a temple.

The group had already passed all sorts of places, but they’d yet to find a place of that description.

Now, they’d finally discovered something!

“Come on, let’s all go have a look.” Daoist Master Red Cloud led the way.

When they arrived at the ruins, Daoist Master Red Cloud stopped and frowned before they could approach the mysterious temple. “It seems someone beat us there.”

She’d only just said this when...

Boom——!

The sounds of fierce combat emanated from the distant, fog-shrouded temple. Immediately afterward, light soared into the firmament and resplendent flames swept outward, illuminating the entire stretch of heaven and earth. The light dispersed the dark fog.

Then, three figures shot out of the mysterious temple.

The temple collapsed behind them, reduced completely to rubble.

Su Yi’s companions were stunned. They wouldn’t have expected that they’d reach their destination, only for it to collapse before they could even explore it!

Did that mean that the friend Su Yi was hoping to find... had long since perished?

They instinctively looked at the three figures who’d just escaped the temple.

Two men and one woman.

Their leader was a tall, stalwart man in a feather coat. He had an extraordinarily terrifying, imposing aura.

He now held a bronze treasure pagoda aloft, his expression full of excitement and fervor as he threw back his head and laughed, “Hahaha! We didn’t risk our lives for nothing. Who’d have thought we’d acquire such a supreme treasure? I dare say with certainty that this is a Saint Immortal treasure!”

Delight was written all over his face

But then, he seemed to sense something. He whipped his head around and gazed into the distance. His eyes shone like golden torches, bright yet imposing as he locked onto Su Yi and his companions. His smile quickly disappeared.

Meanwhile, his companions noticed their presence too, and both of them were instantly on guard.

“So, it was them.” The old man in beast skins recognized them, and he quickly transmitted an introduction to Su Yi.

Actually, in stark contrast with the others, the old man had been extremely friendly to Su Yi on their way here.

Su Yi quickly learned that the leader of that group was called Xiao Changning, and his companions were Zhou Zhe and Xue Qiaozhi.

All three were Void Realm True Immortals, and they’d lain dormant in the Flying Immortal Forbidden Zone until quite recently!

However, Su Yi’s attention was focused squarely on the bronze treasure pagoda in Xiao Changning’s hands.

“Daoist Master Red Cloud? So, you’re here too.” Xue Changning’s pupils constricted. He recognized Daoist Master Red Cloud and the old man in beast skins too.

A moment later, the man in the feather coat chuckled. “It’s a pity, but you arrived late. We’ve already acquired the good fortune here.”

Before the others could say anything, Su Yi said calmly, “That stroke of fortune has long since had an owner. That treasure belongs to my friend. Leave it behind, and I’ll let you leave in peace.”

Xiao Changning and company reacted as if they’d just heard an enormous joke. They couldn’t help but laugh coldly.

Xiao Changning looked Su Yi up and down without the slightest reservation, then said as if enlightened, “Ah, you must be Su Yi, the one who controls the power of reincarnation. Heh. If you want to seize our good fortune, you’d best come up with a better excuse!”

His gaze was full of mockery, and his words were utterly derisive.

The man beside him, Zhou Zhe, said coldly, “You say this treasure has an owner. Well? Where is he?”

Zhou Zhe was an elegantly handsome man in indigo, with an ancient sword on his back. He too had an extraordinarily imposing presence.

Su Yi said calmly, “If it’s as I suspect, he’s hiding within the treasure pagoda.”

The crowd was stunned.

Xiao Changning laughed derisively. “What a joke! We investigated the pagoda earlier and found no trace of anyone inside!”

The woman they called Xue Qiaozhi chuckled. “Little fellow, how about... you call and see if anyone answers?”

Her voice was teasing, and her companions burst into laughter.

Daoist Master Red Cloud frowned, her gaze frosting over.

Against all expectations, however, Su Yi actually nodded. “That works too. Hey, old cheapskate, if you’re still alive, hurry up and say something. Otherwise, I won’t bother with this any further.”

He’d only just said this when, to the crowd’s utter astonishment, a frantic voice emerged from the bronze treasure pagoda in Xiao Changning’s hands.

“Something!!!”