First Immortal of the Sword

Divine Venerate Su had returned!

This news took the world by storm, causing widespread commotion. Many people were so excited that they whooped for joy.

“A month has passed since he was last seen. Now, he’s finally revealed himself!”

After the million-demon army of the Beyond retreated, the Immortal Realm regained its peace and quiet. Tales of Su Yi’s dazzling accomplishments in the Spirit Domain spread without end, leading to countless conversations.

He’d gone in alone, crushed Celestial Wolf Gate with a palm strike, slain over a hundred Demon Sovereigns at Nightslayer Ridge, and fought his way into the Ancestral Demon Grounds. In doing so, he plunged the Beyond into complete chaos!

These glorious accomplishments would be spoken of for ten thousand generations to come. They shook everyone beneath the heavens, and throughout the world, everyone sang Su Yi’s praises.

“Those spies and traitors will soon pay for what they’ve done in blood!”

Some analyzed the situation and predicted that Su Yi’s return spelled certain doom for those immortal factions who’d served as the demons’ minions. All of them would pay!

Most people were looking forward to this. During the nine-day-long demon invasion, countless traitors and double agents came into the open, provoking the righteous indignation of both heaven and man.

“We’re finished…” An older-generation expert of the Church of the Pure One gave in to despair.

Su Yi had returned. To those who’d fanned the flames in his absence, this was absolutely terrible news!

Even though they hadn’t betrayed the Immortal Realm, nor had they served as double agents, they knew that Su Yi wouldn’t let them off lightly when he found out what they’d done.

Someone whispered, “Does anyone still remember the decree Sovereign Venerate Su issued the day the demons first invaded the Immortal Realm?”

They did remember. Before leaving for the Beyond, Su Yi announced, "Those who go bravely into battle against our enemies shall be rewarded!

“Those who seize the opportunity to loot and plunder will be executed as soon as we’ve stopped the invasion. I’ll see to it that none shall escape retribution!

“Those who shrink back in battle and watch from the sidelines shall be punished severely!

“And those who collude with the demons of the Beyond shall be executed along with their entire families, no exceptions!”

These words caused uproar throughout the Immortal Realm, and they motivated numerous immortal factions to join the resistance.

But then, flames of war ravaged the Immortal Realm and the world descended into ever greater upheaval without any sign of Su Yi. Gradually, everyone cast his proclaimation to the backs of their minds.

That is, until now. Both in the Church of the Pure One and the Immortal Realm as a whole, everyone was reconsidering the weight of Su Yi’s words!

……

Against all expectations, shortly after Su Yi’s return, he vanished from the public eye again. There was no further news regarding him. This drew widespread attention, and there were numerous conflicting explanations.

Some thought that Su Yi was preparing to achieve divinity. “They say that in just two more years, the rumored Path of Divinity will appear. It seems highly likely that Sovereign Venerate Su has gone into seclusion in preparation!”

This explanation won widespread approval. After all, during the demons’ invasion, there’d been no sign of the divine children, either. Apparently, all of them were preparing to achieve divinity.

The way the masses saw it, there was no way Su Yi would let his opportunity slip through his fingers.

“Not necessarily. Sovereign Venerate Su isn’t the type to make promises lightly. I suspect that he’s preparing to cleanse the Immortal Realm of traitors and spies instead! And I’m sure he’ll generously reward those who fought bravely against the forces of the Beyond, too!”

Many others agreed with this conclusion.

But as time passed without word of Su Yi, people gradually stopped paying attention.

To the ordinary people of the Immortal Realm, Su Yi’s position was far too lofty. He was like the sun shining overhead; all such talk was just idle conversation made over dinner or tea.

No matter what, with Su Yi here to protect the Immortal Realm, the world would know peace and prosperity.

......

Half a year later, at the Academy of Eternal Night.

Goosefeather-like flurries danced through the air. Everything was shrouded in white.

Su Yi lay in a simple but clean room. He was sprawled out languidly in his wicker chair as he admired the snow outside. His mind wandered.

Cups of wine and several types of immortal fruit were laid out on the table beside him.

Qing Wei sat at the little table beside him, her slender, jadelike legs visible beneath the hems of her skirt. When her ample bottom pressed against the seat, it created an enticing curve.

She was brewing tea over a little red clay furnace. The fire illuminated her clear, beautiful face, giving her an additional, altogether different charm.

The snow fell in silence, and the room was quiet save for the gentle burbling of the boiling water. A soothing fragrance permeated the air.

For some inexplicable reason, Su Yi found himself thinking about Cha Jin. Back in the Human Realm Cha Jin had tended to him in much the same way.

Years had passed in the blink of an eye. It had been a long, long time since he last saw her.

Su Yi drained his cup of wine. The moment he set it down, Qing Wei picked up the jug of wine and refilled it.

“You’re an Immortal Queen, yet you’re waiting on me hand and foot like a servant girl. You’re underusing your talents,” said Su Yi.

Qing Wei was stunned, and she pressed her lips into a smile. “Even for most Great Realm experts, gaining an audience with you is harder than ascending into the heavens. An opportunity to serve you is an immense honor. How could anyone call this underusing my talents?”

Su Yi smiled, then looked outside the hall once more.

Over the past half year, he’d rested and cultivated continuously in the Academy of Eternal Night, seldom venturing outside. Even his old friends, perhaps out of respect, or perhaps because they didn’t want to disturb his cultivation, were unwilling to disturb him. Unless they ran into something that absolutely required his input, they didn’t visit.

It was lonely at the top. It wasn’t that he’d grown detached, but that his position, strength, and authority were so lofty that others instinctively viewed him with reverence and awe. Few remained who could have a heart-to-heart conversation with him.

Take Qing Wei, for instance. She served him, and the two of them could laugh and converse, but she no longer dared speak without reservation as she once did.

This was simply the reality of the situation. The disparity in strength, authority, and position was insurmountable. Former companions gradually grew distant.

“Master.” Lin Feng walked into the room and paid his respects. “We’ve completed our preparations.”

“Mm,” said Su Yi. “Then begin.”

“Understood.” Lin Feng nodded his assent, and was just about to leave when he recalled something and added, “Master, Senior Apprentice Sister Ning Xiu has regained consciousness, and she… wants to visit you. Are you perhaps….”

His tone was hesitant and a bit all at ease.

Su Yi laughed. “I’m different from Li Fuyou, and less scary. She can visit me whenever she likes.”

“Alright, I’ll go tell her that immediately.” Lin Feng felt a massive weight lift from his shoulders, and he turned and left.

Qing Wei couldn’t help but ask, “Sovereign Venerate, what did you send Senior Lin Feng to do?”

“I sent him to make good on my promise,” said Su Yi. He sprawled out leisurely in his wicker chair. “You have to keep your word.”

……

Later that day, in the Gold Province.

A hidden realm lay deep within an uninhabited, seldom-visited stretch of wilderness.

This was one of the Church of the Pure One’s hidden bases. Half a year prior, when Su Yi returned to the Immortal Realm, the church gathered up all of its members and sought refuge here in fear of Su Yi’s retribution.

A gray-robed middle-aged man couldn’t help but ask, “Elder, it’s been six months, but there’s been no indication that Su Yi intends to get even with us. Perhaps he’s forgotten?”

“The Tyrant might forget other things, but he’d never forget to fulfill a promise!” an old man said expressionlessly. “He might not be inclined to concern himself with this trivial matter at the moment, but he will eventually. We need to lie low until the Path of Divinity appears and the Tyrant meets with catastrophe!”

His voice was full of dense hatred and resentment, as well as unconcealable dread.

Even the divine children were afraid of Su Yi. How could the survivors of the Church of the Pure One not be afraid?

The Immortal Realm had been peaceful for the past six months, without any real waves. Su Yi hadn’t made any public appearances. All was quiet.

But everyone with a functional brain knew that this was the calm before the storm. None who understood the Tyrant dared to disregard Su Yi’s promises!

“The Tyrant is sure to get even; it’s just a matter of timing. When the storm sweeps across the world, we’ll see… who survives in the end!” said the old man, his tone grave.

A moment later, he forced a smile. “But there’s no need for us to worry. This hidden realm is one of the backup plans the founder left for us. As heaven-defying as the Tyrant is, he has an extremely limited number of capable experts under his command. There’s no way he can find our hiding place before the Path of Divinity appears!”

His voice was full of confidence, but he’d only just said this when——

Boom!!!

Heaven and earth swayed as the entire hidden realm suffered a massive, terrifying impact. Countless startling, heart-stirring cracks appeared in the dome of heaven.

Everyone in the Church of the Pure One was startled.

“What happened?”

“Quick, let’s go look!”

A clamor of voices arose. Numerous figures appeared, and all of them clustered together.

“Don’t tell me…” The old man appeared too, but his confidence had been replaced by frantic concern and unease. He had a strong sense of foreboding.

Boom!!!

A heaven-shaking impact rang out, and the entire hidden realm split. A rain of light scattered, and clouds of dust filled the air. Everyone in the Church of the Pure One was alarmed.

Shortly after, they saw a grand army appear beneath the distant dome of heaven. There were over ten thousand of them.

Their leader was a ten-foot-tall ape with a sword case on his back.

The Sword-Bearing Ape!

And the ten-thousand-plus warriors behind him included no small number of Great Realm experts, and numerous Immortal Kings! Everyone in the Church of the Pure One felt their hair stand on end.

The Sword-Bearing Ape waved his hand and said with calm indifference, “Kill them! Don’t spare a single one of them!”

His voice shook and dispersed the clouds.

“Yes, sir!”

Over ten thousand immortal experts voiced their assent in unison. Their collective murderous intent soared into the firmament, shifting the wind and clouds.

“We’re finished!”

The Church of the Pure One elder’s face paled, and his expression filled with despair.

He would never have guessed that the storm brewing for the past six months would hit the Church of the Pure One first.

But what he really found unbelievable was the sheer scale of this army. Since when did Su Yi have so many Great Realm subordinates?