First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1515 - A Sudden Development

After Wang Ye reincarnated, the Blood Firmament Immortal Sovereign led a group of experts into the Epoch of Demonism in search of his reincarnation.

A little over a year ago, Su Yi visited the Epoch of Demonism, where he used a talisman to make contact with Blood Firmament’s eldest disciple, Qi Nie, across the barrier between worlds!

At the time, Su Yi learned that Qi Nie was the leader of the Church of the Pure One, and that he planned to re-establish the Central Immortal Court.

But Su Yi wouldn’t have guessed he’d hear an immortal bring up the Church of the Pure One as soon as he arrived in the Immortal Realm.

“You’re from the Church of the Pure One?” Su Yi looked at the middle-aged man in purple robes and a tall hat.

“Me? I’m unworthy of becoming a member of the Church of the Pure One,” said the middle-aged man in purple, Luo Yunzhong. He let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Strictly speaking, my sect obeys the Church of the Pure One’s orders.”

Su Yi instantly understood. Simply put, the purple-robed Luo Yunzhong’s sect was just another subordinate faction of the Church of the Pure One.

Luo Yunzhong continued, “But we have indeed come here to welcome you on His Excellency Qi Nie’s orders. And it seems to me that with your aptitude, you have no need to fear failing to become a disciple of the Church of the Pure One.

Qi Nie’s orders? Su Yi’s eyes flashed. He suddenly sensed that something wasn’t quite right here.

But it was then that spatial ripples suddenly appeared in the distance, and a thin-faced man in ornate robes appeared out of nowhere. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.

When they saw him, Luo Yunzhong and the other immortals were briefly stunned, but then, all of them bowed in greeting.

“Greetings, Your Excellency Liu!”

This scene left Yu Chen, Qin Suxin, and the others stunned. They instantly realized that the elegantly dressed “His Excellency Liu” had an extraordinary status.

An early-stage Void Realm True Immortal, thought Su Yi.

Experts of the Immortal Dao were divided into four stages: Universe Realm Immortals, Void Realm True Immortals, Saint Realm Immortal Lords, and Miracle Realm Immortal Kings.

Above the Four Realms of the Immortal Dao lay the legendary Three Stages of the Great Realm!

Luo Yunzhong and the others were all just Universe Realm Immortals. They were still just in the first realm of the Immortal Dao.

But the ornately dressed man who’d just appeared was a Void Realm True Immortal!

In truth, although the Immortal Realm was boundlessly vast and home to trillions of living things, only a small percentage ever stepped into the Immortal Dao. Thus, in the eyes of the masses, Universe Realm Immortals were already prominent experts.

Meanwhile, Void Realm True Immortals could preside over entire regions. They were even the pillars of some cultivation factions.

As for Saint Realm Immortal Lords? They were the top experts of their provinces. Even by the standards of the Immortal Realm as a whole, they were first-rate experts.

The ornately dressed man gravely issued a decree. “Listen up, all of you. Within three days, an esteemed emissary of the Church of the Pure One will visit personally. Before he arrives, none of those who just ascended to the Immortal Realm are to leave without permission!”

Uproar ensued. Everyone could tell that something was amiss.

“Your Excellency Liu, wasn’t this supposed to be our responsibility? Has something perhaps gone so awry as to make an emissary of the Church of the Pure One come here personally?” Luo Yunzhong couldn’t help but ask.

“I only just received word of this too, and I don’t know the details,” the ornately dressed man said indifferently.

With that, he waved his hand. “Seal off the area around the Ascension Palace. Without my orders, no one is permitted to enter or leave!”

“Yes, sir!”

A group of terrifying immortal experts appeared. There were over a hundred of them, and all of them were armed to the teeth, with fierce, austere killing auras. They dispersed, surrounding the palace and sealing it off completely.

Luo Yunzhong and the others’ expressions shifted.

Meanwhile, Yu Chen, Qin Suxin, and the others realized how severe the problem was. All of them furrowed their brows. What exactly is going on?

Many of them were already starting to feel uneasy. They’d only just arrived in the Immortal Realm, yet this had happened. Who could have possibly remained calm?

Su Yi took out a jug of wine and had a sip. He could already tell that all of these dark currents flowing beneath the surface were targeting him.

Of course, for now, that was just a hypothesis.

“Your Excellency Liu, is this truly necessary?” Luo Yunzhong couldn’t help but ask.

The ornately dressed man, Liu Yunjing, said with cool indifference, “I’m just carrying out my orders. Right. You aren’t permitted to leave this place without permission either. Of course, I’ll stay outside the Ascension Palace to accompany you.”

With that, Liu Yunjing turned to leave.

Luo Yunzhong and the others gazed at each other, their expressions shifting and uncertain. This development had indeed caught them off guard.

“Don’t panic, everyone. When the emissary of the Church of the Pure One arrives, all we become clear. He won’t keep you here forever,” Luo Yunzhong said warmly.

Although he said this, he couldn’t dispel the crowd’s confusion or anxiety. The atmosphere was tense and stifled.

But Su Yi’s gaze was focused on the banks of the Immortal Transformation Pool.

A thin old man sat cross-legged there, holding a jug of wine. His hair and beard were disheveled, and his eyes were shut, as if he weren’t at all aware of everything going on around him. His eyelids didn’t so much as twitch.

A moment later, Su Yi retracted his gaze. Without any outward change in his expression, he transmitted to Sword Immortal Qingshi, “I suspect all of this is targeting me. Get ready. I’ll leave soon, and I’ll take you with me.”

Sword Immortal Qingshi’s heart shook, but then, he narrowed his eyes and nodded subtly to express his understanding.

Su Yi had no more to say. He just went on drinking.

But against all expectations, shortly after, a transmission resounded in his ears.

“My young friend, if you’re willing to join his humble one’s faction, I have my ways of helping you leave this place early.”

Su Yi’s gaze shifted slightly, then landed on a nearby immortal in Confucian robes.

He was thin, with a willowy beard, and he was smiling at Su Yi. Earlier, he’d attempted to invite Su Yi to join his sect.

Su Yi smiled faintly and transmitted back, “You’d go so far as to offend the Church of the Pure One to recruit me?”

The man in Confucian robes said calmly, “The order of the Immortal Realm has long since collapsed. The Church of the Pure One is certainly a top faction now, but they aren’t almighty!”

He paused, then continued, “Of course, I understand your reservations. It’s natural that you wouldn’t blindly trust a stranger like me. How about this? Tonight, I’ll show you some of my abilities. Once you’ve seen them, you’ll trust that I’m capable of getting you out of here.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. Then, he suddenly asked, “Might you tell me which Ascension Palace this is?”

The man in Confucian robes seemed delighted to converse with Su Yi. He said with a smile, “This is the Jing Province’s White Deer Mountain. A long, long time ago, this was the ancestral ground of the province’s greatest faction, the Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion. This Ascension Palace and Immortal Transformation Pool were under their jurisdiction, too.

"However, the Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion disappeared during the Age of Fallen Immortals. White Deer Mountain is now a barren wasteland save for its Ascension Palace and Immortal Transformation Pool.”

Here, he let out a rueful sigh. “A long time has passed. The catastrophe of the Age of Fallen Immortals has changed the Immortal Realm completely. The most influential factions of that era have largely disappeared into the river of history, just as the Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion has.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but fall silent.

The Jing Province!

White Deer Mountain!

Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion!

All of these names were familiar. How could he not recognize them?

The Jing Province was one of the forty-nine provinces of the Immortal Realm, and the Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion was its greatest faction. Its founder had once served the Central Immortal Court. His name was Qi Changlie, and he was honored as Sword Sovereign Changlie!

He was a true Immortal Lord.

Su Yi knew all of this so clearly because Qi Changlie had once been one of Wang Ye’s thirty-six generals. He’d once accompanied Wang Ye in battle in the Immortal Realm’s Sixth Gate of Heaven. He'd even worked under the Central Immortal Court at Wang Ye’s behest!

But of course, all of that was ancient history.

Back then, Wang Ye had yet to reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao. He was still just an Immortal Lord.

In Wang Ye’s memories, after Qi Changlie proved his Dao and became an Immortal King, he left the Central Immortal Court. They said that he left to cultivate in seclusion in a hidden realm.

After that, Wang Ye and Qi Changlie lost contact.

Even the Valiant Gale Immortal Pavilion was destroyed during the Age of Fallen Immortals. It seems unlikely that an old-timer like Qi Changlie is still alive. I’m afraid he met with disaster too. Otherwise... how could he just watch as his sect was destroyed? thought Su Yi.

The catastrophe that had befallen the Immortal Realm had changed far, far too much.

But Wang Ye reincarnated before catastrophe struck. Thus, Su Yi’s memories of the Immortal Realm were all from before the Age of Fallen Immortals!

Su Yi didn’t know just how many factions had been destroyed, or how many top experts had perished. All he knew was that one of Wang Ye’s greatest enemies, the Blood Firmament Immortal Sovereign, was still alive. Furthermore, his Church of the Pure One remained.

“Next, I have to learn the situation here. Once I’ve done that, I can realize all of Wang Ye’s unrealized desires and resolve his lingering grudges and debts,” thought Su Yi.

Wang Ye’s Dao Imprint was still influencing his heart. Their battle for control was silent but constant.

But now, Su Yi had found a way to break their stalemate. That was to resolve Wang Ye’s lingering grudges and debts, and realize his desires.

In other words, he’d personally take Wang Ye’s lifetime of “karma” upon himself!

That would be enough to win their battle of the heart!

Wang Ye had never managed it, but he could do it.

What Wang Ye regretted, he could repair!

In that case, how could Wang Ye’s Dao Imprint possibly be worthy of replacing him?

“Have you thought it over, my young friend?” When he saw Su Yi sink into silence, the man in Confucian robes couldn’t help but transmit.

Su Yi glanced at him. “You still haven’t told me which sect you hail from.”

The man in Confucian robes flashed him a furtive grin. “Don’t rush. Agree to come with me, and all will naturally become clear.

“All I can tell you is, the faction behind me is in no way afraid of the Church of the Pure One!”

Su Yi couldn’t be bothered to probe any further. “No need. If I want to leave, I don’t need anyone’s help.”

This direct refusal left the man in Confucian robes stunned, and his brow gradually furrowed.