First Immortal of the Sword

Night had only just fallen, and the lanterns were freshly lit.

Within Su Yi’s room, a lamp cast its mottled light.

Su Yi silently awakened from meditation and furrowed his brow. Why isn’t that kid Fang Han back yet?

Bang bang bang!

But before he could give the matter any further thought, someone knocked at the door. Su Yi got up to see who it was.

A dauntless man in gray stood in the doorway and clasped his fist. “I’m this cloud ship’s steward, and I have a question for you, sir.”

“Go right ahead,” said Su Yi.

“It’s a simple matter,” said the man in gray. “I just received word that a group of heretical cultivators has hidden themselves among the passengers, so I’m checking the cabins one by one.”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. “And how do you plan to investigate?”

The man in gray took out a bronze compass and said, “This is the Spirit Heavens Compass. All you have to do is place your palm atop it.”

Su Yi looked the compass over, then did as he was told.

Weng!

A strange ripple spread from the Spirit Heavens Compass, and the needle suddenly pointed at the position marked “Cloud Soaring.”

“Ah, so you’re a Cloud Soaring Transcendent. Forgive me for disturbing you!” The man in gray put the compass away, then turned to leave.

Su Yi watched him depart, then went back into his room.

The lamplight cast its mottled light over the shadowed room.

The crudely built room was covered in a formation, but it didn’t fully block the waves of noise emanating from the cloud ship’s streets.

Su Yi took out a jug of wine, had a sip, then casually stepped on a shadow in the corner of the room. The shadow suddenly quivered, as if trying to struggle free from Su Yi’s foot, but it was to no avail.

“Quick, let go of me!” A shout tinged with panic filled the air.

Su Yi put away his jug of wine, stretched out his hand, and grabbed.

Whoosh!

The shadow was pulled into his grip, like shifting waters. It quivered relentlessly before transforming into a man in black clothing.

Astonishment was written all over his face. “Are you really in the Cloud Soaring Realm?”

“You’re a mid-stage Universe Realm Demonist Immortal, yet you used such unseemly methods to sneak into my room. What’s your goal? Assassination? Theft? Information?”

The man in black’s expression shifted erratically. “Since you’ve already discovered me, please…”

Splurt!

Su Yi raised his hand and severed one of the man’s arms. A waterfall of blood gushed from the stump.

But before the man in black could even scream, Su Yi clenched his hand around the man’s neck, almost suffocating him. The pressure left him seeing stars.

Su Yi’s gaze was as calm as ever. He whispered, “I’m the one asking questions here. All you have to do is answer.”

His tall, upright figure was half shrouded in darkness, half lit by the mottled lamplight. This gave him an additional imposing, mysterious quality.

The man in black realized that he’d run into a tough one this time!

He didn’t even pause to think. “I’m here on orders to investigate your origins.”

“Whose orders? And what for?”

The man in black fell silent.

Su Yi drew his fingertip through the air, severing the man’s remaining arm. His face paled, and beads of sweat formed on his forehead.

When his severed arms hit the floor, both disintegrated into ash and dissipated.

Suddenly, the man in black gnashed his teeth. “I’m a deacon of the Blood of the Underworld Demonist Cult. If you kill me, you can forget about leaving this cloud ship alive!”

Su Yi said thoughtfully, “Does that mean the one who issued your orders is on board this ship?”

The man in black steeled himself and said, “That’s right!”

Su Yi’s gaze was distant and inscrutable, and his tone was calm. “I’ll ask you one last time. Why were you ordered to do this?”

The man in black’s eyes flashed, and he said hoarsely, “I can tell you… but you have to let me go first!”

Bang!

Su Yi tightened his grip, shattering the man in black, body and soul. All that remained of him was ash slipping through Su Yi’s fingers.

In the last moments before his death, the Universe Realm Immortal of the Church of the Underworld Demonist Cult looked utterly flabbergasted. He could never have imagined that this unassuming young man would be so ruthless. One wrong word, and he was dead!

Without the slightest room for discussion!

“I’m afraid something’s happened to Fang Han…”

The mottled lamplight illuminated Su Yi’s shifting expression.

Without the slightest delay, he picked up his jug of wine and left the room. His gait was as unhurried as ever, and he even took the time to close the door behind him. But the depths of his gaze shone with a hint of icy light.

……

The most luxurious hall on the top floor of Soaring Cloud Tower.

A descendant of the Bi’an Spirit Race? Hua Xingchen smiled and commanded, “Have Elder Yue bring him here.”

“Understood!” The elderly servant rushed off to do as he was told.

Before long, a golden-robed middle-aged man with eerie pale green eyes walked into the room with a grin.

The dazed, hollow-eyed Fang Han followed immediately afterward.

The middle-aged man clasped his fist. “Greetings, Young Leader.”

Hua Xingchen nodded. “That kid is the descendant of the Bi’an Spirit Race you mentioned?”

The Bi’an Spirit Race?

The crowd was stunned. All of them looked at Fang Han.

Why is it him…? Xue Hongfeng was flabbergasted. He recognized Fang Han; that was the youth accompanying Su Yi!

“That’s right,” the golden-robed middle-aged man said with a smile. He plucked a jade bowl off of one of the tables, walked up to Fang Han, and used his fingernail as a knife to open a small wound. Fresh blood spurted from the gash, which the golden-robed man collected in the bowl.

When the bowl was almost full, he stopped and raised it into the air, then swept his gaze across the room and said, “See this, everyone? This is the blood of a member of the Bi’an Spirit Race. It’s the color of fire, and imbued with the natural charm of the Dao. It has none of the pungent odor of typical blood. Rather, it’s extraordinarily fragrant!”

The crowd was in uproar. Everyone was talking at once.

Meanwhile, the golden-robed middle-aged man approached Hua Xingchen and proffered the bowl with both hands. “Please have a look, Young Leader!”

Hua Xingchen looked delighted. “Excellent, truly excellent. And here I thought the Bi’an Spirit Race was completely annihilated. I would never have thought I’d see one here today! The heavens are truly on my side!”

The golden-robed middle-aged man smiled respectfully and said, “With this kid’s Bi’an bloodline, mastery of the Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art is well within your grasp, Young Leader!”

The banquet was instantly in uproar. Many of the attendees looked envious.

The Heaven-Swallowing Demon Art!

That was one of the Blood of the Underworld Demonist Cult’s three supreme canons. They said that those who mastered it were certain to prove their Daos and become Immortal Lords with ease!

It wasn’t even overly difficult for them to advance further and become Immortal Kings!

“Bring him to me,” ordered Hua Xingchen.

“Yes!” The golden-robed middle-aged man turned and was just about to bring Fang Han over when Fang Han headbutted him and slammed his fists into the man’s chest with all his might. At the same time, he opened his mouth and bit down, hard.

He suddenly lashed out, as ferocious as a beast!

The crowd couldn’t help but gaze upon him with pity. A kid who’s only just entered the Spirit Dao thinks he can ambush an immortal? That’s nothing but the ravings of a madman!

As expected, a moment later, Fang Han was sent flying back. He slammed to the ground several hundred feet away, coughing up blood.

Uproarious laughter ensued.

The middle-aged man then walked over, held Fang Han aloft as he might a chicken, and slapped him across the face.

Whap!

The sound was crisp and clear.

Fang Han’s cheek swelled, and his hair was disheveled.

But his eyes were fierce and cold. He glared at the golden-robed middle-aged man with loathing. For some inexplicable reason, his gaze made the middle-aged man uncomfortable. He raised his hand to hit Fang Han again.

But then, Xue Hongfang slammed the table and shot to his feet. “Stop!”

Silence ensued. Everyone was astonished.

“Fellow Daoist Xue, are you taking pity on that little fellow?” a man in azure asked with a laugh.

Tao Shanyun!

He was the genius in forty-sixth place on the Universe Realm Immortal Rankings, and he had an extraordinary background.

Xue Hongfeng disregarded this. Instead, he faced Hua Xingchen and clasped his fist. “Brother Hua, that kid is the junior of a good friend of mine. He only just boarded the cloud ship tonight. Please, show mercy and let the little fellow off. You’ll have my eternal gratitude!”

The crowd exchanged glances, then looked at Hua Xingchen.

Hua Xingchen frowned, his eyes boring into Xue Hongfeng like knives. “Sit back down and stay out of this, and we can stay friends. Otherwise, don’t blame me for throwing away our former bond!”

The atmosphere was instantly stifled and tense. It would have been obvious to anyone that Hua Xingchen was dead set on acquiring that Bi’an kid. There was no way he was letting Fang Han go!

But Xue Hongfeng didn’t back down. Instead, he bowed at the waist and said sincerely, “Brother Hua, I’m not just trying to save that kid. I’m trying to save you from disaster. If that kid’s senior shows up, there’s no way this will end well!”

The crowd was flabbergasted. Is he threatening Hua Xingchen?

Just as they expected, Hua Xingchen’s expression frosted over.

Bang!

A man in silver robes slammed the table and pointed at Xue Hongfeng. He bellowed, “Xue Hongfeng, you think too highly of yourself! You were invited to this banquet purely out of consideration for the clan behind you. If you don’t back down, and fast, I’ll be the first to punish you!

His name was Chai Beitong, and he was in fifty-fifth place on the Universe Realm Immortal rankings. His background wasn’t at all inferior to Tao Shanyun’s.

“Hurry up and step back. Don’t seek out your own humiliation any further. If you do, you won’t just offend Senior Apprentice Brother Hua. You’ll offend everyone else in this room, too,” a woman in green said slowly.

Lu Shangxiu.

She was a chosen daughter of heaven, and she was in sixty-fourth place on the Universe Realm Immortal Rankings. She was also Hua Xingchen’s junior apprentice sister.

The atmosphere was so stifled and tense that the very air itself almost seemed frozen.

In the centermost seat, Hua Xingchen glared icily at Xue Hongfeng. He was forceful and imposing.

At the center of the hall, the golden-robed middle-aged man held Fang Han fast and watched coldly.

The crowd’s gazes were like a mountain weighing down on Xue Hongfeng’s heart. His body tensed, and he knew he couldn’t hold out much longer.

But in the end, he clenched his teeth, as if determined to go all out. “Even if it costs me my life, I have to protect that little fellow! And if you people don’t want to bring disaster upon yourselves, you’d best not stop me!”

Deathly silence followed. They almost suspected that Xue Hongfeng had gone insane!

Under the circumstances, how did he think he could protect that Bi’an Spirit Race kid?

It was simply ludicrous!

“Since you insist on seeking out your own humiliation, I’ll give you what you want,” Hua Xingchen said expressionlessly. “Ol’ Brother Chai, break his legs and throw him out of Soaring Cloud Tower!”

“Got it!” The silver-robed Chai Beitong straightforwardly agreed and rose to his feet.

He then walked right up to Xue Hongfong, a cruel, contemptuous grin on his face.

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