First Immortal of the Sword

The Black Dragon Market was one of the Immortal Realm’s three great black markets.

Rumor had it that it was built within an independent space, a miniature world.

If you wanted to enter, there were two ways to go about it: either an established old-timer of the Black Dragon Market led the way, or you purchased a Black Dragon Token through secret channels. With it, you could find a spatial node that led to the Black Dragon Market.

Of course, Su Yi and Qing Wei had no need of such a token.

A blood-red sun hung overhead, casting dark, unearthly light on the world below. Densely packed ancient buildings lined the winding streets. There was no end in sight.

The streets were extremely lively, with numerous shops and street vendors. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t difficult to realize that everyone on the street was a cultivator, and experts of the Immortal Dao were all over the place!

Of course, there were weaker cultivators too, but most were accompanying their more powerful seniors.

“Rumor has it that Black Dragon Avenue was built from the skeleton of a true dragon. I just don’t know if the rumors are true or not,” whispered Qing Wei.

She was dressed plainly, with her long hair tied up, revealing her slender neck. She wore a wide-brimmed conical hat that partially obscured her enchanting face. Only her red lips and fair, crystalline jaw were fully visible.

“It’s true. This dragon corpse is from the Eastern Seas Province. A long time ago, its waters were home to the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Seas.” Su Yi said casually, “But the Dragon Palace of the Eastern Seas has long since vanished into the river of history and become no more than a legend.”

“So it’s true…” exclaimed Qing Wei.

“Look up at the blood-red sun overhead,” said Su Yi. “That’s actually a treasure refined from the eye of a true dragon. They call it the Suspended Dragon Orb.”

“It hovers over the Black Dragon Market, and whenever anything happens to threaten the safety of the market, the Suspended Dragon Orb will see it and alert the Black Dragon Guards watching over the market. They’ll immediately take action and avert the crisis.”

Qing Wei couldn’t help but sigh. “This really is one of the Immortal Realm’s top three black markets.”

“Although the Suspended Dragon Orb maintains constant vigilance, this place is nowhere near safe,” said Su Yi. “Those coming here for the first time are at high risk of being scammed, or even losing their lives in their confusion.”

Qing Wei couldn’t help but ask, “Didn’t the Black Dragon Dao Monarch care when he was in charge?”

“Why should he care?” Su Yi asked casually. “This is a black market. So long as you don’t violate its rules, the ol’ dragon will turn a blind eye to your behavior. But as you said, that was a long time ago. The dragon’s been gone for a long time. I just don’t know who’s in charge of the Black Dragon Market now.”

He’d only just said this when someone laughed. “Greetings, Fellow Daoists. Might I ask if there’s anything I can assist you with?” An amiable-looking old man in white robes walked up and inclined his head.

Su Yi just glanced at him. “See? That old-timer’s a local serpent of the Black Dragon Market. He seems friendly, but in truth, he’s an old scoundrel, the type to devour a man without bothering to spit out the bones. Once he’s figured you out, there’s no depths to which he will not sink.”

These words weren’t transmitted or hidden in any way. He was effectively cursing the old man out in public.

Qing Wei was briefly dazed, then thoughtful.

The old man’s face alternated white and green. Finally, he grimaced. “Sir, I’m afraid you’ve misunderstood. This old man is just an inconsequential errand boy…”

Before he could finish, Su Yi said flatly, “You have three breaths of time to get out of my sight. If you don’t, I wouldn’t mind taking this opportunity to promote the cause of righteousness and avenge everyone you’ve tricked and killed thus far.”

“You…” The old man’s expression darkened.

A hint of a chill flickered in the depths of Qing Wei’s charming, beautiful eyes.

The old man jumped like a startled rabbit and fled, practically disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Laughter arose throughout the surrounding streets.

“I can tell that this isn’t their first time visiting the Black Dragon Market.”

“Rather interesting. Of late, visitors to the market have been getting increasingly impressive.”

“Isn’t that Church of All Spirits about to convene some sort of assembly here? Perhaps that’s why so many experts have gathered from all across the Immortal Realm.”

…Whispered conversation arose throughout the streets. Only then did Qing Wei realize that word of the Church of All Spirits’ assembly had long since spread throughout the Black Dragon Market.

“The Church of All Spirits chose to convene their assembly here. They surely have a deep connection with the master of the Black Dragon Market,” said Su Yi.

He walked up to a street peddler and said, “Who is the current master of the Black Dragon Market?”

The peddler rolled his eyes and said distractedly, “Why should I tell you?”

Su Yi tossed him a few dozen immortal stones. “That enough?”

The peddler beamed, deftly gathered the stones and said, “That’s plenty! Sir, the current ruler of the Black Dragon Market is known as the Red Dragon Dao Monarch. Their origins are mysterious, and their cultivation is unfathomable. With them presiding over the market, not even Immortal Lords dare act wantonly here!”

Su Yi asked, “What’s the connection between the Red Dragon Dao Monarch and the Black Dragon Dao Monarch?”

The street peddler shook his head. “That, I don’t know.”

When he saw that Su Yi was about to take out more immortal stones, the peddler smiled bitterly and said, “Seriously, it’s not that I don’t want to tell you. I really don’t know. It’s not just me, either. No one who does business in the Black Dragon market knows the answer to that.”

He paused, then said in a hushed whisper, “Here’s a word of advice, brother to brother. Don’t ask about the Red Dragon Dao Monarch in the Black Dragon Market. It’ll only invite unnecessary trouble!”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Many thanks.”

He was already leading Qing Wei away.

The street peddler watched the two of them fade away, then shook his head. He couldn’t be bothered with whether or not the two of them heeded his warning.

All he knew was that everyone who came to the Black Dragon Market and asked too many questions about the Red Dragon Dao Monarch’s origins met with a grisly end!

Along the way, Qing Wei frowned. “Why does the Red Dragon Dao Monarch want to stop people from investigating his origins? Isn’t he being a bit too mysterious?”

“No need to worry about all that,” Su Yi said casually.

The two continued casually down the streets. There was no denying that the treasures on sale were hugely varied. Many were rare and strange goods seldom seen in the outside world.

Some were all but unattainable elsewhere, treasures of legends, yet here they were, for sale in the Black Dragon Market!

Even more startling was that some of the goods were forbidden in the outside world, like immortals’ corpses, stolen secret legacies, and the natal blood of rare races.

Those who dared sell such goods outside of the black market had long since been hunted down and killed.

Yet here in the Black Dragon Market, they could do business openly!

Qing Wei was an Immortal Lady, yet even she felt as if her horizons were broadening, and she frequently clicked her tongue.

The further they ventured down the streets, the rarer and stranger the goods on display.

“You can sometimes find decent treasures among the goods sold out on the street, but most aren’t precious, and sifting through them all is practically impossible,” Su Yi said casually. “The really precious goods are up for sale in the stores.”

Along the way, he took note of a few treasures, but most were either unreasonably expensive or damaged.

Even after an hour of walking, he’d only selected three stalks of immortal herbs and a few spirit ores useful for his cultivation.

That aside, they found an inn and booked a room. The inn’s business was booming, and Su Yi had to spend a fortune just to book a room.

Naturally, he didn’t mind. Qing Wei didn’t say anything either. When cultivating and pursuing the Dao, who’d concern themselves with such things?

Qing Wei suddenly said, “Young Lord, I saw over a hundred Universe Realm Immortals among the cultivators we’ve passed thus far, and at least a few dozen Void Realm True Immortals. I’ve even spotted four other Immortal Lords! And those are just the ones I’ve seen. I truly can’t imagine how many experts are hidden in the Black Dragon Market.”

To avoid drawing attention, Su Yi ordered Qing Wei to change how she addressed him during this trip to the Black Dragon Market, hence the title “young lord.”

Su Yi said thoughtfully, “It is a bit strange. Perhaps it’s because of the Church of All Spirits’ assembly.”

The Black Dragon Market was one of the Immortal Realm’s three great black markets, but under ordinary circumstances, it was rare for so many experts of the Immortal Dao to gather here.

Suddenly, Su Yi asked, “You’ve broken through that bottleneck in your cultivation already, right?”

“Mm.” Qing Wei flashed him a charming smile. “I knew I couldn’t escape your keen eyes, Young Lord. I’ve already advanced to the mid-stage Saint Realm. It’s all thanks to the wondrous method you taught me. Without it, I’m afraid I’d have lived and died without making any further progress.”

Her voice was full of unconcealed reverence and gratitude.

Su Yi smiled, took out a jade slip, and passed it to her. “This is a secret art. It ought to suit your current cultivation.”

Qing Wei was stunned, then flattered.

“Go ahead, take it.” Su Yi passed it to her, then continued on his way.

Qing Wei hurried after him and said in a low voice, “Young Lord, I’ll remember this benevolence until the end of my days. One day…”

She’d only just said this when they heard a series of shouted curses up ahead. Qing Wei looked over. Despite herself, she froze, stunned, and her delicate eyebrows knit together. “What’s that guy doing here?”

Her beautiful eyes flashed with loathing.

Su Yi looked over and saw a roadside fortune teller’s stall. Its owner was a disheveled old man in ragged clothing. He was sallow and gaunt, with slanted eyes and a swollen red nose from excessive drinking.

A man in jade robes stood in front of his stall. His hair was tied up in a frown, and he was pointing at the elderly fortune-teller and cursing him out.

“How do you do your fortune-telling? This lofty one is blessed with great fortune. Even Immortal Lords exclaim over my unlimited prospects and blessed fate. So why is it that when I show up at your stall, I suddenly have ‘dark clouds hovering over my head?’ Why am I suddenly ‘walking a thin line between fortune and disaster?’”

The man in jade-colored robes was obviously disdainful. He stomped the fortune-teller’s stall and gazed down at the disheveled old man running it. “You even demanded ten Saint-level immortal medicines in exchange for advice on how to avert disaster. Feh! Do you really think I’m so easily taken advantage of?”

The jade-robed man had an imposing presence, and experts clustered around him, making it even more obvious how extraordinary his status was.

Qing Wei suddenly transmitted, “Young Lord, that’s Holy Son Zhong Qi of the Church of All Spirits.”

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