First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1417 - The True, Wondrous Applications of Profound Ruin

“I’m not the only one who knows about the path that violates the Contract of the Gods,” said Wang Ye. “They knew about it too.”

Su Yi was stunned. “Who’s ‘they?’”

“Our first five lives,” replied Wang Ye, his tone a bit strange. “When I was alive, the Sword of the Nine Hells only had five divine chains. Each contained a sealed Dao Imprint. I tried to investigate their origins and fuse with them on numerous occasions, but...”

Su Yi was stunned. He wouldn’t have expected that Wang Ye had attempted this too.

“But I obviously failed.” Wang Ye let out a long sigh. “It’s only after meeting you that I understood. The power of reincarnation is required to fuse with our past lives!”

His voice was tinged with frustration, as well as a nigh imperceptible hint of envy.

Su Yi disregarded this and asked, “Then how are you so certain that the five lives before you knew of this path that violates the Contract of the Gods?”

“I tested it,” said Wang Ye. “When I discovered this path, I triggered a backlash from the Contract of the Gods! It was a strange, calamitous power not of this world, a power beyond the Immortal Dao. It appeared suddenly, and struck my soul directly, attempting to wipe away my memories and make me forget what I’d discovered.

“But in the end, the power of the Contract of the Gods failed. It was defeated by the Sword of the Nine Hells. And the Sword of the Nine Hells underwent an unbelievable transformation. The powers of five Dao Imprints resonated, reflecting the River of Destiny!

“And a figure stood atop the river, its waters splashing around him, as if he were completely beyond the bounds of fate and karma.”

Here, Wang Ye couldn’t help but sigh. “In my life, I witnessed the passage of countless years and the flow of history. I’ve watched new worlds emerge from the chaos. But I would never have guessed that the River of Destiny truly existed in this world! And I certainly would never have guessed that a person could stand above the River of Destiny!”

Su Yi was stunned. He’d seen the River of Destiny too!

That river flowed through the void, surging toward an unknown, endlessly far away place, seemingly eternal, with neither beginning nor end. Time flowed in waves through the coursing current, and the alternating of worldly affairs played out within its waters. The past, the present, and the future cycled and transformed.

Even now, Su Yi couldn’t help but feel shaken whenever he thought about it.

At the same time, Su Yi vividly recalled that the Temple Master had witnessed this scene too, back when he was in the Oneness Realm. However, he learned nothing in the end.

But it was different for Su Yi. He’d found himself within the River of Destiny, enveloped by the passage of the years, assailed by the rise and fall of worldly affairs, splashed by the endless waves of the Grand Dao, helpless as the current carried him away...

It was as if he’d sunk into the chaos, unable to extricate himself.

In the end, he relied on the power of reincarnation to awaken from that muddled state and escape.

It was then that he saw that illusory figure standing atop the River of Destiny. He stood amidst the splashing waves, allowing the ages to course past him. Worldly affairs rose and fell, but they couldn’t budge him.

He was as steady as a boulder as he stood above the River of Destiny, seemingly unmovable, unshakable, and eternal!

“I saw the man you spoke of too,” said Su Yi. “Furthermore, we conversed. I’m fairly certain that he was our first life.”

Wang Ye was instantly stunned. “You actually talked to him?”

Su Yi nodded. “You mean you didn’t?”

Wang Ye fell silent. “I didn’t. I’d only just suffered a backlash from the Contract of the Gods, and that figure appeared extremely briefly, just long enough to neutralize the power of the Contract of the Gods. Then... he gazed at me from afar and said a single sentence: ‘Only those who have mastered reincarnation can step onto this path.’

“A moment later, he disappeared without a trace. It was only then that I realized that although the Contract of the Gods forbade the path I’d discovered, making it a path to certain doom for most people, walking it wouldn’t be difficult for one who’d mastered reincarnation!”

He sighed. “Can you tell me what you and that person discussed?”

He seemed overcome with curiosity, and his voice was tinged with eagerness.

Su Yi thought for a moment, then decided not to hide it. “He said ‘when you glimpse the wondrous truths of eternity and grasp the Laws of Destiny, you can stand above all other Daos. You can watch from on high as the world changes beneath you, perceive the wonders of the shifting of the ages, and experience the mysteries of the alternating of eras’...

“He also said that he sought the Dao through the sword, and struggled amidst the cycle of reincarnation. He searched and searched, but in the end, found no answers. He said he had no enemies left in this world, so he became his own enemy. In the end, he discovered that what he sought could only be obtained through reincarnation.”

Wang Ye couldn’t help but murmur, “The wondrous truths of eternity? The Laws of Destiny? Watching the world change beneath you from on high and perceiving the shifting of the ages? Isn’t that the rumored power they say only gods can master?

“No, that isn’t right. The power of the gods might well connect the past and future, and it might well transcend the bounds of the ages, but it absolutely cannot control destiny! And it absolutely cannot achieve true eternity!”

Su Yi was completely baffled just listening to this.

But before he could ask, his sixth incarnation asked once more, “Did he... say anything else?”

He sounded frantic, and his voice was full of longing. It was as if the man’s words had confused him all this time.

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “He sighed and said that those who grasped reincarnation really could understand the edges of destiny. He said that ‘ol brother Chen Xi’ really hadn’t lied to him!”

Chen Xi? Wang Ye was stunned. Who’s that?

But he forcefully resisted the urge to ask any further questions.

Su Yi continued, “According to him, grasping reincarnation let me understand the fringes of destiny, allowing him and me to meet across reincarnations atop the River of Destiny. He also said that he was the first to struggle within the cycle of reincarnation.”

When Wang Ye heard that, he completely lost his cool. “So he really was our first incarnation, and the owner of the Sword of the Nine Hells?”

Su Yi nodded. “I think so too.”

“But this was someone capable of standing atop the River of Destiny, so wasn't he an eternal existence? Why could he possibly need to undergo reincarnation? What exactly was he after?” murmured Wang Ye.

Su Yi was rueful too. “I want to know that too. Alas, all he said was that nine represented the pinnacle. He was the one to start this cycle of reincarnation and begin the journey toward greater heights, while I, the only one of his future incarnations to have mastered reincarnation, represent a return to our starting point. Together, he and I form a complete, self-perpetuating cycle of reincarnation.

“He also said that none of this was predestined, but rather, that it was a meeting of destiny and karma. That’s why I managed to see the edges of destiny amidst reincarnation. And of course, if I fall... all of this might very well end with me.”

“All of this will end with you?” exclaimed Wang Yu. “Surely you’re not hoping to use that person to intimidate me?”

Su Yi laughed dryly. “I disdain to rely on another’s prestige.”

Wang Ye fell silent for a moment. “I understand. Your mastery of reincarnation let you see the edges of destiny and meet with our first lifetime atop the River of Destiny.

“But neither I nor the other past lives ever grasped the mysteries of reincarnation. Thus, we could never interact with our first... self!”

Here, Wang Ye let out a deep, melancholy sigh. Ultimately, all of this came down to whether or not they’d mastered reincarnation!

“I’m not telling you this to threaten or scare you. Rather, I want you to understand that if I die, all of my past incarnations will disappear in a puff of smoke too,” said Su Yi. “Of course, you’re welcome to interpret this as a mental attack and disregard my words completely, but everything I said is true."

Unusually, his sixth incarnation didn’t argue. Instead, he sank into a long silence, then asked, “What... else did he say?”

Su Yi shook his head. “That was it. All he did was draw the mysteries of Profound Ruin out of the River of Destiny and transmit them to me. He said he was helping me, and in doing so, helping himself.”

“Profound Ruin? Is there something special about this Law of the Grand Dao?” Wang Ye couldn’t help but ask.

“He said it could sever karma and restrict karma, and that I’d be able to step into the World King with an unhindered heart, no longer be subject to reincarnation’s karmic fetters.”

“Sever karma and restrict destiny!?” Wang Ye cried out. “That... that’s definitely targeting me! No, it’s targeting everyone confined within the Sword of the Nine Hells, all of our past lives!”

“I understand now. Our first incarnation was paving your path for you. With the Laws of Profound Ruin, you’ll no longer be subject to the karmic fetters of your past lives, eliminating the possibility of us replacing you!!”

His sixth incarnation had completely lost his composure. He seemed furious, disconsolate, and deeply bitter.

He’d been planning to replace Su Yi this entire time. He’d never disguised his intentions, either.

Only now did he realize that their first incarnation had long since paved Su Yi’s path! He’d completely forestalled all possibility of other past lives replacing Su Yi!

Su Yi’s heart shook too. When he brought up the Laws of Profound Ruin, he never considered any such thing.

It was only after hearing his sixth incarnation’s analysis that he realized his first self had such plans. So, this was why he’d transmitted the mysteries of Profound Ruin to him!

Severing karma and restricting destiny...

It didn’t sever the karmic ties of this lifetime, but rather, those of his past lives. In doing so, it restricted his past selves from replacing him! Su Yi suddenly felt enlightened, and inwardly, he couldn’t help but be embarrassed.

Had he not discussed this with his sixth lifetime, he’d likely still be in the dark regarding his first lifetime’s intentions!

A while later, his sixth incarnation said glumly, his tone tinged with mockery, “No wonder you’re so fearless. So, it turns out you had reason to be confident.”

Su Yi shook his head. “I’m not afraid of clashing with you in a true battle of the heart, nor have I ever considered using the Laws of Profound Ruin to suppress you. Believe me or don’t; you’ll see when it comes time for me to fuse with your Dao Imprint.”

He really had never even considered winning through trickery! His pride, his Dao Heart, and the path he sought wouldn’t permit him to do so!

A streak of divine light surged forth, transformed into a brand, and appeared before Su Yi.

“This contains the secrets needed to step onto that path. To others, it’s a path to certain to doom, but to you, it’s... a forbidden path that will invite the enmity of the Contract of the Gods!”

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