First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1502 - A Visit From A’Cai

Yu Chen’s voice echoed throughout heaven and earth.

Su Yi initially wanted to disregard him, but a moment later, something occurred to him, and he abruptly stopped in place.

He faced away from the crowd and, without so much as turning his head, said, “When do you leave seclusion?”

Yu Chen’s calm, flowing voice rang out once more. “Three months from now.”

“Block a single attack, and I’ll give you what you want.”

Complete silence followed this proclamation. Everyone was astonished.

Yu Chen, the leading expert of his camp, had taken the initiative to request a duel. Any other cultivator in the First Battleground would unquestionably have been honored.

After all, ever since the Domain Boundary Battlefield first appeared, Yu Chen hadn’t asked to duel anyone, not even other top experts like Qin Suxin and Ren Changqing.

But now, Su Yi was disregarding this honor completely. It even seemed... he doubted Yu Chen’s strength!

“I’m in seclusion, and I cannot fight you now,” said Yu Chen, his voice echoing throughout heaven and earth. “If you insist on a test, it’ll have to wait until after I’ve left seclusion.”

“Very well,” said Su Yi. He’d already returned to Eastern Profound Peak.

Yu Chen’s voice rang out no further.

Waves of emotion rose and fell in the crowd’s hearts.

Yu Chen beat me to the punch this time, Ren Changqing sighed to himself. He longed for a worthy opponent, and Su Yi’s earlier display of strength had impressed him, igniting his will to fight.

And here he’d planned to find a good day to “discuss the Dao” with Su Yi and see who was stronger.

Who’d have thought Yu Chen would step in before he got the chance?

Fortunately, Yu Chen won’t leave seclusion for another three months. I’ll have plenty of opportunities to seek Su Yi out before then, thought Ren Changqing.

Here, he suddenly fixed his gaze on the distant Qin Suxin and transmitted, “Fellow Daoist Qin, forgive my boldness, but why did you let Su Yi kill all those people today?”

He knew that Qin Suxin’s true strength was far greater than what she’d displayed today!

Qin Suxin said icily, “Is that any of your business?”

With that, she turned to leave.

In truth, it was just as Ren Changqing thought. She’d been holding back all this time. Su Yi had infuriated her, but in the end, she chose to endure rather than lash out.

There were three reasons for this.

First, members of her own camp had tried to use her today! This infuriated her, and when she faced Su Yi, she knew she stood on shaky ground.

It was for this reason that she wasn’t actually all that upset even when Su Yi killed Nie Yunwen and his cohort. That lot had tried to use her as a weapon. They’d deserved to die!

Second, she didn’t want to be the one to test the waters!

Both Ren Changqing and Wen Xiuzhu wanted to borrow her hands to test Su Yi’s strength. She naturally wouldn’t give them what they wanted.

Third, Su Yi’s strength really was terrifying. His power exceeded imagination. Wen Xiuzhu was a chosen daughter of heaven, yet she hadn’t been able to block even a single punch!

Qin Suxin viewed this with unprecedented solemnity. She didn’t want to become irrevocable enemies with Su Yi over a few blind fools. It just wasn’t worth it. Ultimately, there was no real grudge between them, so why fight to the bitter end?

Thus, Qin Suzin chose to endure rather than strike back.

Indeed, no one capable of reaching the top of their star domain is simple. Ren Changqing furrowed his brow.

A moment later, he said to one of his followers, “Spread word to everyone from the Southern Flame Star Domain. From this day forth, everyone is to refrain from insidious and despicable methods when competing with cultivators of the Eastern Profound Star Domain. Those who break this rule can face the consequences on their own!”

......

Atop Northern Abyss Peak.

Wen Xiuzhu stood in front of the stone room Yu Chen was cultivating in.

“Senior Apprentice Brother, I truly can’t wrap my head around it. Why did you stop me from intervening earlier?” Wen Xiuzhu stood there, obviously indignant. “Now we’ve gone and let that Su person steal the show.”

Yu Chen’s calm voice emanated from within the stone room. “You aren’t a match for him.”

“That isn’t necessarily true,” said Wen Xiuzhu. “I sealed thirty percent of my cultivation base before coming to the Domain Boundary Battlefield, and I have at least three trump cards up my sleeves! You yourself said that if I went all out, between my personal strength and hidden cards, I’d be able to contend with a Universe Realm Immortal! How could I fail to take that Su person down?”

Yu Chen chuckled. “Xiuzhu, I know about all of your hidden cards, but don’t forget: if you have cards up your sleeve, what makes you think he doesn't?”

Wen Xiuzhu frowned. “Then why are so certain that I’d lose if it came down to a real fight?”

In their earlier clash, Su Yi really had forced her back with a single punch, but she still thought she might have a chance at taking him down if she went all out.

“Instinct,” said Yu Chen.

“Instinct?” Wen Xiuzhu was flabbergasted.

“When I leave seclusion and duel Su Yi, you’ll naturally find out,” said Yu Chen. “Junior Apprentice Sister, warn the others not to offend Fellow Daoist Su.”

Wen Xiuzhu was increasingly displeased. “Senior Apprentice Brother, you approve of his rule?”

“His rule isn’t at all excessive. If anything, it's forthright and magnanimous, and he’s considering the bigger picture. Why should I oppose it?” Yu Chen said calmly. “Besides, there’s no grudge between us and him. At most, we’re competitors in our pursuit of the Grand Dao.”

With that, it seemed he wasn’t willing to discuss the matter any further. He just waved. “Go on.”

After a moment’s silence, Wen Xiuzhu turned to leave.

Within the stone room, a candle cast its mottled light. The room was as coarse as could be, and there was no furniture save for a single prayer mat.

Yu Chen sat cross-legged atop it.

He was thin and dressed in Daoist robes. His features were angular and prominent, with a steely, determined quality to his eyes.

The leading Cloud Soaring Transcendent of the Northern Abyss Star Domain gripped a piece of black jade and whispered, “Is Su Yi... really that terrifying?

The black jade in his palm quivered slightly, and wisps of pale golden light floated around it.

Then, a voice as mellow as wine emanated from the black jade. “If we just look at his individual strength, I have no way of knowing, but if we compare our trump cards...”

The mellow voice fell silent.

But Yu Chen seemed to understand. “You... wouldn’t be his opponent then either?”

“No,” said that mellow voice. “I’d be doomed.”

“....” This time, it was Yu Chen’s turn to fall silent.

A whole later, a hint of sharpness flashed in the depths of his gaze. His eyes grew increasingly bright, and increasingly fierce, until finally, they were utterly forceful and imposing.

He put the black jade away, and drew his finger through the air in front of him, as if he were severing something.

In the end, he rubbed his fingers together, and a smile tugged at his lips. “This is getting more and more interesting!”

......

Three days from now.

Su Yi sat cross-legged in a palace built atop Eastern Profound Peak.

“That’s enough. Within a month, Universal Emptiness’s soul will recover, and he’ll be able to rebuild his physical body himself.”

He let out a long breath of turbid air.

A bundle of light hovered before him like a firefly. It was covered in strange and intricate markings that formed a seal.

This was a seal condensed from a soul-building secret art. The bundle of light was infused with numerous soul-nourishing medicines.

The battered remnants of the Universal Emptiness Soul Buddha's soul were recovering inside.

Sword Immortal Qingshi looked delighted. “Wonderful! If not for you, it would have been difficult for ol’ Universal Emptiness to piece his soul back together so quickly.”

Su Yi passed the bundle of light to him and smiled. “You look after him for now.”

Sword Immortal Qingshi hurriedly accepted the light, then straightforwardly agreed.

Su Yi, meanwhile, rose. “I plan to have a look outside and gather some Cloud Soaring Divine Essence while I’m at it.”

With that, he turned and went outside.

Cloud Soaring Divine Essence was the greatest good fortune of the First Battleground, and it was unbelievably useful for Cloud Soaring Realm cultivators’ cultivation.

It was similarly enormously useful to Su Yi. It was a rare and precious resource for him.

But before he could begin this operation, someone came looking for him.

She was a young woman in rainbow raiment, a charming beauty with perfect features and the strange imprint of a snake devouring its tail on her forehead.

It was none other than A’Cai!

“Long time no see, Fellow Daoist Su!” A’Cai giggled.

Su Yi smiled back. “It really has been a while.”

He was well aware that A’Cai was an extremely rare xiantian Immortal Silkworm in possession of undying power. Now that he’d inherited his sixth incarnation’s memories, he was increasingly aware of how extraordinary that was.

Strictly speaking, she was the human incarnation of an Undying Immortal Silkworm!

Throughout the Immortal Realm’s long history, Undying Immortal Silkworms had only appeared a handful of times. They were incomparably rare, and rumors of Undying Immortal Silkworms were full of mysterious flair.

Even Wang Ye, who’d stood at the very pinnacle of the Immortal Dao, had never seen such a naturally formed xiantian lifeform before.

But Wang Ye had explored numerous worlds and epochs, and he’d found records of Undying Immortal Silkworms carved on a stone tablet in the Aberrant Epoch.

The records said that Undying Immortal Silkworms were beloved children of spacetime. They controlled the mysterious power of undying, and even amidst destruction, they could continuously achieve new life. In other words, even if you killed an Undying Immortal Silkworm, they could reverse life and death to live again.

It was simply heaven-defying!

Wang Ye was tempted too, and he’d sought one out, hoping to acquire their undying power. Alas, he had never realized this wish.

After briefly exchanging pleasantries, Su Yi learned that A’Cai had arrived in the First Battleground as soon as the Domain Boundary Battlefield had opened.

She’d spent this entire time trying to obtain good fortune in the blood-red wastelands.

“I came here hoping that you’d help me acquire that good fortune.” After exchanging greetings, A’Cai explained why she’d come.

Su Yi asked with great interest, “What kind of good fortune?”

A’Cai batted her bright, beautiful eyes and said with a mysterious smile, “A divine chaos lifeform born of lightning source. You’ll know once we get there. Of course, I won’t make you help for nothing. Once we get our hands on it, we can split it fifty-fifty.”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then agreed. He and A’Cai set off that very day.

Later that day, the mysterious spearwoman rushed to the Plains of Welcoming.

After asking around, she found Li Zhong and asked. “That Su guy left already? Where did he go?”