First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1492 - The Rules

After a brief silence, the yellow-robed middle-aged man asked, “Fellow Daoist, did you perhaps only just arrive in the First Battleground?”

Su Yi nodded. “That’s right.”

The crowd’s expressions seemed to say, “Oh, that makes sense.” Now, when they looked at Su Yi, their gazes carried a hint of curiosity.

Those who made it here from the Second Battleground were, without exception, absolutely top-notch experts of the Dao Integration Realm!

The middle-aged man in yellow went on to explain the situation.

It turned out that during the first month after the Domain Boundary Battlefield opened, the leading figures of the Northern Abyss, Western Chill, and Southern Flame Star Domains got together to set a rule——

The Cloud Soaring experts of different camps were not to kill each other!

If anyone violated this rule, they’d become the common enemy of the other camps, and they’d be executed without mercy.

The other Cloud Soaring experts were in full favor. After all, all of them had come in search of good fortune and an opportunity to rise to the Immortal Realm. Fighting amongst themselves would only lead to unnecessary casualties.

Of course, this rule didn’t mean that the different camps would get along. No, the competition in the First Battleground was incomparably fierce and brutal. To acquire sufficient merit, the vast majority of the experts of the four camps frequently engaged in one-on-one duels in the Welcoming Grounds. Although these battles weren’t life or death, the victor received half of the loser’s accumulated merit!

Naturally, those with too little merit weren't qualified to take the Road of Welcoming.

Simply put, killing was forbidden in the First Battleground. Duels between experts of the different camps were all to be fought in the Welcoming Grounds!

When Su Yi learned of this, he felt enlightened, and he couldn’t help but incline his head. “This rule’s not bad.”

The yellow-robed middle-aged man said, “A group of Northern Abyss Star Domain experts ambushed a group from our Southern Flame Star Domain out in the wilderness. When word got out, the leading expert of the Northern Abyss Star Domain took action personally, killing every single rule-breaker, down to the last one! Ever since, no one in the First Battleground, regardless of their camp of origin, has dared defy the rules.”

Su Yi thought for a moment. “You said that the leading experts of the Northern Abyss, Southern Flame, and Western Chill Star Domains worked together to set this rule. Was the Eastern Profound Star Domain... not involved?”

The crowd’s expressions turned a bit strange. The middle-aged man in yellow coughed dryly. “The Eastern Profound Star Domain’s experts are like a dragon without a head. They have no leading authority figure, nor anyone capable of assuming the position. That said, after this rule was put into place, the experts of the Eastern Profound Star Domain were in full favor of it. No one voiced any disapproval.”

Although he put it politely, how could Su Yi fail to realize what he was saying? No one in the Eastern Profound Star Domain’s camp was worthy of participating in the leading experts’ discussion!

A thin man in black said, “Even the experts of the Eastern Profound Star Domain had to admit that these rules were most advantageous to them. Without the protection of the rules, I’m afraid they’d have long since...”

Here, he abruptly shut his mouth and left the rest unsaid.

However, his meaning was readily apparent: if not for this rule, the Eastern Profound Star Domain would have suffered massive casualties by now!

This was a bit insulting, but Su Yi couldn’t argue with him. Because... well, it was true.

Su Yi gestured at the Blueflame Divine Python. “You have to follow that rule even when competing over good fortune?”

The middle-aged man in yellow nodded. “That’s right. You can compete for good fortune, but you cannot kill your competition. If you really can’t resolve your conflict without violence, you can duke it out in the Welcoming Grounds and resolve your grudges there.”

Su Yi scanned the group, still a bit confused. “But you could have just taken the beast’s corpse from me. Why choose to make concessions?”

Rules were rules, but Su Yi most certainly didn’t believe the cultivators of the Southern Flame Star Domain were so agreeable.

The yellow-robed middle-aged man instantly looked a bit ill at ease. A moment later, he laughed bitterly and told the truth. “I won’t hide it from you, Fellow Daoist. All of us know that we would have paid a heavy price to suppress the beast’s death throes. Fortunately, you intervened. You effectively did us a huge favor. Furthermore...”

Here, anxiety appeared in his expression, and he scanned the surrounding area. “This place is called the Beast Blood Swamp. It’s one of the most famous danger zones in the First Battleground, and it's home to numerous unknown and powerful beasts. Clashing with you over a beast carcass in a place like this would be ill-advised. Who knows what such a disturbance might draw here?”

Su Yi finally understood. And here he’d thought they’d realized he wasn’t one to provoke lightly, and he found their perceptiveness quite surprising.

Now, he understood. These experts of the Southern Flame Star Domain weren’t afraid of him. No, they were concerned about something else entirely!

“The beast is yours,” said Su Yi.

The yellow-robed middle-aged man and the others’ expressions softened considerably, as if Su Yi were instantly far more pleasing to the eye. This young Eastern Profound Star Domain cultivator is a clever one!

A moment later, a few members of the group stepped forward to divvy up the carcass.

The middle-aged man in yellow pondered briefly, then said, “Fellow Daoist, the Beast Blood Swamp is incomparably perilous, and you’re here alone. When we leave, you should come with us. We can look after each other on our way back.”

He put it politely, but how could Su Yi fail to realize that he’d only won their favor by offering them his share of the Blueflame Divine Python? They would never have offered to protect him otherwise.

As for “looking out for each other?” Those were nothing but empty words.

Su Yi smiled. “I appreciate your good intentions.”

He refused? The middle-aged man in yellow was stunned. “Fellow Daoist, are you... sure you want to travel in the Beast Blood Swamp alone?”

Even Cloud Soaring Transcendents like them had to travel together in a place like this. Even then, none of them dared get at all complacent!

The thin man in black chimed in too. “Fellow Daoist, you’d best come with us. The Beast Blood Swamp is far more perilous than you can imagine.”

Another teased, “Don’t tell me you’re afraid we harbor ill intentions? Haha, rest assured! No expert of the Southern Flame Star Domain would dare oppose a rule His Excellency Ren Changqing personally put into place!”

When they mentioned Ren Changqing, Su Yi keenly sensed the varying degrees of awe in their expressions. There was no doubt about it: Ren Changqing was the leading expert of the Southern Flame Star Domain!

What did it mean to be a leading expert?

It meant that you could single-handedly direct everyone in your camp!

“Alright, traveling together will be fine.” Su Yi thought for a moment, then agreed. He knew almost nothing of the First Battleground’s situation. He could learn more by accompanying this group from the Southern Flame Star Domain.

Before long, they’d divvied up the python’s entire corpse. The group promptly set off.

Along the way, all of them were on high alert, but Su Yi seemed more relaxed than anyone. He carried a jug of wine as if he were out for a casual stroll.

Many of the others found his behavior grating. Don’t tell me this guy thinks having our protection means he has nothing to worry about?

That thin man in black warned, “Fellow Daoist, you’d best be careful. Terrifying beasts could attack at any moment. If it happens too suddenly, we might not be able to protect you.”

Su Yi nodded but said nothing.

He didn’t change his behavior either. He continued ahead, just as leisurely as before. It didn’t seem like he was walking through a perilous forbidden ground. No, it seemed as if he were ambling through his own backyard.

The sight left the others speechless. Here they were, each more cautious than the one before, with their treasures on hand and ready for action. They feared nothing more than being caught off guard.

As for Su Yi? He looked like a tourist enjoying the scenery. How could they not find this grating?

“Fellow Daoist Ling, this guy sure isn’t acting like an outsider,” someone transmitted, expressing their obvious displeasure. “If he’s going to act like this, we shouldn’t have brought him.”

“I never expected him to help us. It’s enough that he doesn’t make trouble,” the middle-aged man in yellow transmitted magnanimously. He tried to soothe the others. “Don’t take offense. After all, he did help us kill the Blueflame Divine Python.”

The crowd nodded.

Along the way, Su Yi quietly asked for guidance. “Might you tell me more about the situation in the First Battleground?”

“Fellow Daoist, the road is perilous, and danger could strike at any moment. This is no time for idle chatter,” the thin man in black said coldly. “You ought to look after yourself and take care that nothing goes awry.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. He asked no further questions. It seems that some of them rather dislike me...

Time slipped by. Along the way, there were a few scares, but no danger.

“We’ll exit the swamp in just ten minutes!” the middle-aged man in yellow visibly sighed in relief and laughed, “We might have come home looking wretched, but our harvest was considerable. When we return, I’ll be sure to treat you all to a banquet.”

The crowd’s spirits soared, and their expressions mellowed.

The thin man in black laughed. “This is already the outer perimeter of the Beast Blood Swamp. Even if a beast appears here, it won’t be anything strong.”

He’d only just said this when a distant stretch of swamp churned, and water splashed into the air.

A massive, blood-colored, vicious bird shot into the air!

Boom!

A terrifying, ferocious pressure spread throughout heaven and earth.

“A Bloodwing Ghost Bird!” someone shrieked.

The yellow-robed middle-aged man and the others’ expressions filled with deep-seated dread. That was one of the most terrifying vicious birds in the Beast Blood Swamp!

The thin black-robed man’s expression was incomparably unsightly. He’d only just said they wouldn’t encounter anything strong here, only for a Bloodwing Ghost Bird to appear as soon as the words left his mouth!

But that wasn’t the end of it.

A distant stretch of forest suddenly caught ablaze, instantly reduced to ash. Even the surrounding swamp water evaporated into nothingness.

A tiger bathed entirely in black flame was walking right toward them.

“A Qiongqi!?”

The middle-aged man in yellow said in a quavering voice. He completely lost his cool. His face was as pale as a sheet, and beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

His companions’ hair stood on end too. What’s going on? What’s that vicious beast doing here? Aren't they supposed to be almost extinct?!

Only Su Yi stood there, wine jug in hand, entirely unperturbed.