First Immortal of the Sword

The Dragon Transformation Pool.

The lightning gradually dissipated, and everything returned to stillness.

A petite figure emerged from the pool’s depths. She was still dressed in plain cloth robes, with loose long hair and teenage features. But as she moved, she had a contemptuous majesty about her, as if she were gazing down upon the masses.

This was true draconic majesty. The very air itself quivered beneath it, and everything dimmed. When her dark golden eyes surveyed her surroundings, the depths of her gaze seemed to surge with imposing divine flames.

The young woman had a Red Dragon bloodline and Miracle Realm cultivation to begin with. Throughout the long Age of Fallen Immortals, her foster father’s Dragon-Marked Blood Chains had sealed the power of her bloodline and confined her in the Black Dragon Market. It was because of this that she’d avoided catastrophe during the Age of Fallen Immortals.

Now, she’d broken her seal and undergone a baptism in the lightning of the Dragon Transformation Pool, finally becoming a true Red Dragon. Her draconic majesty was far, far greater than before!

The moment she fully emerged from the pool, she withdrew her draconic majesty and prostrated herself on the ground. “Senior, thank you so much for your guidance and this opportunity to become a true dragon!”

“Fortune and disaster go hand in hand,” said Su Yi. “The Immortal Realm shall soon learn of your transformation. In the eyes of those at the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao, you are now a rare and precious treasure. Peril is the inevitable result.”

“I understand,” the girl said softly.

“Earlier, I said you had to agree to a few of my requests,” said Su Yi. “I’ll share them with you now.”

“Please go right ahead, Senior,” the young woman said respectfully.

“First, in the years ahead, you are not to leave the Black Dragon Market unless you’ve found an opportunity to break into the Great Realm,” said Su Yi.

The young woman seemed to have expected this, and she didn’t even pause to think. “I’ll uphold your guidance, Senior.”

She knew that Su Yi made this request out of concern that she’d prematurely seek revenge against Jiang Tai’e.

“Second, I might need to visit the Eastern Sea at some point to sever some old grudges. If so, come with me.”

Long ago, before Wang Ye reached the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao, the Eastern Sea of the Immortal Realm was home to numerous factions that had existed since the Primeval Era, like the Jade Firmament Immortal Palace, Penglai Immortal Island, and the Floating Temple.

Four top experts of the Eastern Seas participated in the Battle of Eternal Night.

Three of them, Wang Ye had killed a long time ago.

One of them, Immortal Sovereign Sky Killer, managed to escape disaster. Immortal Sovereign Sky Killer was one of the founders of Jade Firmament Immortal Palace, as well as one of the Five Sovereigns of the Yao Path.

Su Yi had learned that Immortal Sovereign Sky Killer was still alive. Naturally, he had to go finish the old-timer off to realize Wang Ye’s desires!

But the Eastern Seas were boundlessly vast and home to numerous perils. Su Yi wanted to bring the Red Dragon Dao Monarch simply because her innate talent let her navigate its waters with ease. With her help, he’d have no trouble figuring out where the Immortal Sovereign Sky Killer was hiding!

Although the young woman didn’t know what Su Yi was planning, she agreed without hesitation. “Senior, if you call for me, I absolutely won’t refuse!”

Su Yi subtly inclined his head, then took out a jade slip and passed it to her. “There are still numerous preparations you need to make before you attempt to break into the Great Realm. This jade slip contains some of my experiences and revelations. Bear this in mind: you cannot force it. If the time is not yet right, keep waiting. Wait forever if need be. Push it, and I’m afraid you’ll never reach the Great Realm.”

The young woman accepted the jade slip with both hands and said solemnly, “Senior, I won’t let you down!”

……

Later that day, the Red Dragon Dao Monarch commanded that the Black Dragon Market re-open its portals to and from the outside world.

Everyone in the marketplace sighed in relief.

It was also on that very day that Su Yi, Qing Wei, and Fang Han set off.

Before their departure, Immortal Lord Xing Yu gave Su Yi the five medicinal ingredients he needed. The Red Dragon Dao Monarch had even prepared a bag of holding for Su Yi as an expression of her gratitude.

The bag contained one hundred thousand immortal jades, over a hundred types of rare and precious medicinal ingredients, and recovery pills produced by master pill refiners. It was a true glittering mountain of treasure, and its value was inestimable.

She’d prepared gifts for Qing Wei and Fang Han too, and none were less than lavish.

Even Qing Wei, an Immortal Lady experienced in worldly affairs, couldn’t help but gasp when she saw her present. She really is the master of one of the Immortal Realm’s top three black markets! What generosity!

After leaving the market, Su Yi and Qing Wei parted ways. He gave her a talisman and said, “Go investigate Immortal Queen Liu Yun’s situation. If you need my help, go to the White Reed Province. So long as you carry this talisman with you, you’ll be able to find me.”

Qing Wei accepted the talisman, carefully put it away, and said softly, “Young Lord, you must take care! I’m looking forward to when we next meet again.”

Su Yi smiled, then led Fang Han away. It was only after watching them fade from view that Qing Wei turned to leave.

……

Three days later.

The Star Province, one of the Immortal Realm’s forty-nine provinces. A harbor outside White Cloud Immortal City.

A treasure ship like a floating landmass slowly descended toward the ground.

It was the size of a city, with interweaving streets and densely packed buildings.

This was one of the famous cloud ships of the Immortal Realm!

Every cloud ship could carry one hundred thousand cultivators, and they could cover eighty thousand miles a day, stopping at numerous “port cities.”

To cultivators out exploring the world, boarding a cloud ship was undoubtedly the most comfortable way to travel.

This was because the cloud ship really was like a traveling city, complete with restaurants, teahouses, trading companies, and gambling dens. On a cloud ship, you could travel without fear of loneliness or boredom.

Furthermore, cloud ships gathered cultivators from all over the Immortal Realm. Here, you could buy goods from all over, and experience all sorts of different customs.

Most importantly, on a cloud ship, you had no need to fear running into danger on your journey.

The reason for this was simple. Cloud ships were massive, and they were covered in formations of the Immortal Dao. More importantly, all of them had a top faction behind them. Ordinary immortals simply wouldn’t dare to provoke them.

There were even Void Realm True Immortals overseeing things on board!

From time to time, even Immortal Lords traveled on board.

Given the circumstances, no one was stupid enough to set their sights on the cloud ships.

The cloud ship currently moored outside White Cloud Immortal City belonged to the Endless Jade Immortal Sect, one of the Xing Province’s immortal factions.

The ship bore the unique mark of the Endless Jade Immortal Sect on its hull. No matter where it went, the sect’s reputation ensured that everything went smoothly.

The area around the ship was long since packed with cultivators waiting to board, including no small number of immortals.

Su Yi and Fang Han were here too.

After leaving the Black Dragon Market, they’d made slow progress with frequent stops. Su Yi hated rushing along the road, so he just paid two thousand immortal stones to buy him and Fang Han each a ticket to the White Reed Province.

This way, they wouldn’t need to endure nights spent sleeping under the stars, and they could use their free time to focus on their cultivation.

“A thousand immortal stones a ticket? That’s ridiculous!” grumbled Fang Han. “And that’s just for an ordinary room! They say that the hundred best pavilions go for over ten thousand immortal stones and that only those of high status can book them. It’s truly unreasonable.”

Su Yi said plainly, “There are three provinces between the Star Province and the White Reed Province, and we’ll pass through twenty-nine port cities. A cloud ship like this can carry tens of thousands of people. One back-and-forth trip between provinces nets them two million pieces of immortal jade at the bare minimum.”

“Two million pieces!? Of immortal jade??” Fang Han clucked his tongue in shock at this astronomical sum.

Su Yi chuckled. “It might seem like they’re earning a killing, but their expenditures are shocking too. They have to pay tribute to the ‘local serpents’ at every harbor they pass through, and they have to be on guard for attempts to intercept them. Then there’s their fuel costs; every day of flight burns through around eight thousand immortal jades. In the end, only about twenty percent of the ticket price makes it into their pockets.

“And if something sudden and unexpected happens, they can forget about turning a profit. They’ll be fortunate just to keep their lives.”

Fang Han clucked his tongue. He suddenly understood on a visceral level that there was no such thing as risk-free, enormous profit.

Safely turning a profit with this cloud ship was actually extremely complicated!

Before long, both Su Yi and Fang Han boarded the ship.

Su Yi stood by the railing and gazed into the distance, where a figure stood amidst the crowd. He transmitted, “Go back. No need to see us off any further.”

This was none other than Immortal Lord Xing Yu! He’d followed them in secret since they’d first left the Black Dragon Market three days prior. Su Yi noticed, but he didn’t say anything.

But now that they’d boarded the cloud ship, there was naturally no need for Xing Yu to trouble himself any further.

When he heard Su Yi’s transmission, Xing Yu was obviously stunned. A moment later, he realized that the mysterious Young Lord Su had long since noticed him “secretly” tailing them.

He smiled, then clasped his fist and transmitted back, “Take care, Young Lord!”

Su Yi subtly inclined his head, then led Fang Han to their quarters.

It was only after the ship took to the skies that Xing Yu turned to leave.

The ship really was no different from a city, with streets lined with all types of shops.

Many other passengers had boarded well before Su Yi and Fang Han. There were perhaps less than one hundred thousand people on board, but they weren’t far off.

Su Yi had originally planned to book a first-class pavilion, but there was nothing for it. Those had long since been occupied; only a few ordinary rooms were left.

As Su Yi and Fang Han walked to their room, someone suddenly exclaimed, “Ee? It’s you! Haha! I was just thinking I’d like to see you again. Who’d have thought I’d really bump into you? What a small world!”

A familiar figure approached from afar accompanying this voice.

Seth's Thoughts

Penglai Immortal Island was mentioned at one point back in the Eastern Profound Star Domain, but I would guess there's no in-story connection, and that both names were taken from the same famous mythological island.

Second, in the mythology, the Red Dragon King is (always? Usually?) the king of the southern seas, not the eastern. This isn't the original mythology, so I'm not going to call it an error, but that's probably where the concept of a dragon having powers that let her navigate a particular ocean comes from.

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