First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1476 - The Domain Boundary Battlefield

Beneath the dense curtain of the night, the sound of the Dao reverberated throughout the distant dome of heaven.

Within Universal Emptiness Temple’s courtyard, Su Yi, Daoist Master Red Cloud, the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha, and Sword Immortal Qingshi all looked at the same place.

There, they saw the chaotic powers of the Laws intertwining, gradually outlining an ethereal gateway.

“That’s the entrance to the Domain Boundary Battlefield!” Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha said excitedly. “In ancient times, once every thousand years, the Bell of Welcoming Bell rang throughout the stars, and the entrance to the Domain Boundary Battlefield appeared!”

The Domain Boundary Battlefield was a mysterious place that existed between the Human and Immortal Realms.

And in the Domain Boundary Battlefield, it was the Road of Welcoming that drew the most attention.

If the Cloud Soaring Transcendents of the Human Realm wanted to rise to the Immortal Realm, they had to take the Road of Welcoming to get there.

“It’s finally appeared...” Sword Immortal Qingshi let out a long sigh tinged with satisfaction, eagerness, and longing.

Long ago, when the End of the Dharma swept across the Human Realm, severing its Path of Transcendence, the Domain Boundary Battlefield disappeared.

The Human and Immortal Realms had been separate ever since.

But now, it wasn’t just the Path of Transcendence that had reappeared. Even the door to the Domain Boundary Battlefield had reappeared beneath the night sky. Who wouldn’t have been excited?

“The Domain Boundary Battlefield is no otherworldly paradise. Reaching the Road of Welcoming requires overcoming numerous perils and fierce competition. Less than one in a hundred make it to the Immortal Realm alive in the end,” Daoist Master Red Cloud said softly.

Everyone instantly calmed down considerably. Indeed, the Domain Boundary Battlefield was also sometimes called the Blood-Red Purgatory!

It wasn’t just Transcendents of the Eastern Profound Star Domain that could enter the Domain Boundary Battlefield. Transcendents from the other three great star domains could enter too.

The other three great star domains were the Southern Flame Star Domain, the Northern Abyss Star Domain, and the Western Chill Star Domain!

None of them were any weaker than the Eastern Profound Star Domain. Each encompassed numerous star realms and countless worlds and planes both big and small.

Long ago, every time the Domain Boundary Battlefield reopened, Transcendents of the Four Great Star Domains would undergo the bloodiest, most brutal of competitions.

Every time, the Northern Abyss Star Domain came out on top. Their ranks included the most numerous ascendants to the Immortal Realm, and their accomplishments were the most dazzling, placing them in a solid first place.

The Western Chill Star Domain was next.

The Southern Flame Star Domain and Eastern Profound Star Domain had always been at the bottom. Sometimes, the Eastern Profound Star Domain came in last place. Sometimes, it was the Southern Flame Star Domain.

“If we could travel with Fellow Daoist Su, what need would we have to fear competition with the Transcendents of the other three star domains?” Sword Immortal Qingshi said ruefully.

The rules of the Domain Boundary Battlefield were quite unusual. Only experts of the Three Realms of the Path of Transcendence could enter.

But immediately upon passing through the door, experts of the Nascent Divinity, Dao Integration, and Cloud Soaring Realms were sent to separate battlegrounds.

Simply put, Nascent Divinity experts went to the Third Battleground, Dao Integration experts went to the Second Battleground, and Cloud Soaring experts went to the First Battleground.

Notably, the Road of Welcoming was located in the First Battleground.

These rules meant that Cloud Soaring Transcendents like Sword Immortal Qingshi and the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha couldn’t travel with Su Yi.

Su Yi laughed. “I’ll head to the First Battleground sooner or later.”

In the Third Battleground, so long as you survived the fighting, you had an opportunity to enter the Second Battleground.

Similarly, those in the Second Battleground had an opportunity to enter the First Battleground.

The Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha laughed. “Fellow Daoist Su, with your strength, never mind reaching the First Battleground, you could even break precedent and reach the Road of Welcoming."

This statement immediately won everyone’s unanimous agreement.

In the Domain Boundary Battlefield, even if your cultivation had yet to reach the Cloud Soaring Realm, anyone capable of fighting their way into the First Battleground had an opportunity to enter the Immortal Realm!

However, this opportunity was all but impossible to grasp. You didn’t just have to overcome the most brutal of competitions. You had to overcome numerous trials and avoid washing out.

In practice, those who actually made it to the Immortal Realm were all top experts of the Cloud Soaring Realm!

But of course, the way Su Yi’s companions saw it, a trial like this would be no trouble for Su Yi.

Daoist Master Red Cloud said, “Now that the Domain Boundary Battlefield has reappeared after countless years, I’m most interested about which province’s Immortal Lord Faction is serving as Emissaries of Welcoming.”

The Central Immortal Court had always appointed ushers to wait at the far end of the Road to the Immortal Realm. Ordinarily speaking, these Emissaries of Welcoming were from the Immortal Lord factions under the Central Immortal Court.

This was an agreement put in place a long, long time ago.

But the Domain Boundary Battlefield had been gone for a long, long time. Furthermore, catastrophe had befallen the Immortal Realm. No one here knew what had become of it since.

“It’s definitely different from before,” said Su Yi. He’d just thought of something.

Back in the Epoch of Demonism, he received Qi Nie’s message talisman and made contact with the Blood Firmament Immortal Sovereign’s eldest disciple from across worlds.

During their conversation, Su Yi learned that the order of the Immortal Realm had collapsed, and everything was in turmoil. The Central Immortal Court had long since vanished.

Qi Nie and his Church of the Pure One were planning to re-establish it.

If even the Central Immortal Court had fallen, there was no way they could appoint any Immortal Lord-level faction to serve as ushers.

“It doesn’t matter what faction they’re from. To us, they’re no more than guides. No need for undue concern,” said Su Yi. He looked at Daoist Master Red Cloud. “I’m afraid you’ll need to wait a while longer if you wish to return to the Immortal Realm.”

Daoist Master Red Cloud was an immortal. She couldn’t enter the Domain Boundary Battlefield.

She could only wait until the Laws of the Immortal Dao fully recovered in the Human Realm. Only then would she have an opportunity to shatter space and return to the Immortal Realm.

“I’ve done some calculations, and at the rate the aura of the Immortal Dao is recovering, I’ll be able to return to the Immortal Realm within a year,” said Daoist Master Red Cloud. “When the time comes, you’ll most likely already be in Immortal Realm, Fellow Daoist.”

The Domain Boundary Battlefield only appeared once every thousand years. It lasted a year before disappearing.

Su Yi thought for a moment. “When you return to the Immortal Realm, do me a favor.”

Daoist Master Red Cloud didn’t even pause to think. “Please speak directly, Fellow Daoist.”

“Please go to the Little Spirit Province’s Bluewater Grotto and check if the Kunwu Divine Tree planted there is still around,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he took out a jade slip and carved a secret diagram with his divine sense.

He then passed it to her and said, “If that tree is still there, toss this jade slip to its second highest branch.”

He’d agreed to send for Wu Meng, Mu Jing, and his other subordinates in the Epoch of Demonism after he’d stabilized himself in the Immortal Realm.

The Kunwu Divine Tree in the Little Spirit Province’s Bluewater Grotto had gained sentience and started cultivating a long, long time ago. Its spirit called himself Immortal Kunwu, and he was once one of Wang Ye’s subordinates in the Immortal Realm!

Immortal Kunwu most excelled at spatial arts, and he could shuttle freely between different realms. If the old-timer was still alive, Su Yi could send him to the Epoch of Demonism to fetch Wu Meng and the others.

Daoist Master Red Cloud accepted the jade slip and nodded. “Got it.”

Su Yi laughed. “Aren’t you going to ask why?”

Daoist Master Red Cloud shook her head. “No need for that.”

Su Yi froze, briefly stunned, then took a deep look at Daoist Master Red Cloud. “Once I’ve arrived in the Immortal Realm, I’ll naturally visit the White Reed Province. I hope you and I can meet again there.”

Daoist Master Red Cloud was instantly surprised.

The White Reed Province! That was the territory of her clan, the Southern Profound Ning Family!

Daoist Master Red Cloud said, “If my clan retains its territories, I’ll be sure to welcome you there.”

The catastrophe of the Age of Fallen Immortals had affected the entire Immortal Realm. Her clan had been severely impacted too, leaving them no choice but to flee for their lives.

Countless years had passed since then. She dared not say with certainty that her clansmen were still alive.

As they conversed, the continuous ringing of the Bell of Welcoming Bell gradually faded.

In contrast, the portal to the Domain Boundary Battlefield condensed. Hovering beneath the dome of heaven, it seemed incomparably mysterious.

Most wondrous of all was that the portal to the Domain Boundary Battlefield was visible throughout each and every star realm!

“Fellow Daoist, you can use your divine sense to capture the doorway’s aura. Then, you can condense an identity marker and enter the Domain Boundary Battlefield,” said Daoist Master Red Cloud.

Su Yi subtly inclined his head, calmed his heart, and focused.

His divine sense instantly captured the power of the Laws emanating from the portal. Their power had already fused into heaven and earth, but only Transcendents could sense it.

Su Yi exerted his will, and a rain of light fell from the heavens, condensed into a fist-sized identity marker, and landed in his palm.

The identity marker was manifested of the Laws and condensed from Su Yi’s divine sense. It was marked with Su Yi’s unique aura, and it would record Su Yi’s accomplishments in the Domain Boundary Battlefield.

When he reached the Road to the Immortal Realm, his accumulated merit would earn him an opportunity to proceed to the Immortal Realm.

Everyone who entered the Domain Boundary Battlefield received such an identity marker.