First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2139 – Stepping Outside of the Cage, the Wide Path of the Grand Dao

Like a dog without a master!

When Su Yi heard that, his brow furrowed. Was my fourth incarnation really that pathetic?

After fusing with Li Fuyou’s Dao Imprint, Su Yi learned that his fourth incarnation, Yi Daoxuan, had similarly perished at the gods’ hands.

After Yi Daoxuan’s death, he was cursed throughout the ages. They called him one of the greatest sinners in the God Domain’s history. They said that his crimes were unforgivable, and his hands were stained with blood.

When they fused, Li Fuyou warned Su Yi that Yi Daoxuan’s bad reputation was due to the gods framing him and blaming him for everything. Their goal was to completely destroy Yi Daoxuan’s reputation!

But that was all Su Yi knew. He knew nothing of Yi Daoxuan’s personality, his background, or what he’d experienced. So when he heard the River Lord describe how miserable Yi Daoxuan’s life had been, and how cruel and pitiful his fate was, he couldn’t help but find it hard to believe.

Among his past lives, Su Xuanjun had reigned supreme over the Nine Provinces of the Wilds. The Temple Master had dominated the Eastern Profound Star Domain throughout the ages. Wang Ye had been proclaimed the Immortal Realm’s First Immortal of the Sword, and they said that seeing him like seeing the heavens. Li Fuyou was the mysterious and transcendent Swordmaster of Spiritual Desolation, the man who pointed his sword at the gods and stood proudly over his era.

Who could have imagined that his fourth incarnation… would be so wretched?

Even Shen Mu, the incarnation Su Yi most looked down on, was an incomparably talented genius of the Dao of the Sword. Even the Temple Master admitted that his talent was inferior to Shen Mu’s.

Who’d have thought he had an incarnation even more wretched than Shen Mu?

“Just… just how wretched are we talking?” Su Yi couldn’t help but ask.

The River Lord sighed. “Words alone are insufficient to describe it. You’ll naturally understand once you’ve fused with his Dao Imprint.

He paused, then said, “I’m not telling you this to make fun of Yi Daoxian. On the contrary, it’s precisely because he endured so much adversity and suffering that he developed an all but indestructible Dao Heart! Had anyone else suffered so many misfortunes, they’d have been finished a long time ago. But Yi Daoxuan was different. He relentlessly fought his cruel destiny! No matter how much heart-rending pain he suffered, he never gave up on himself!”

The River Lord’s gaze filled with admiration. “With that unyielding Dao Heart of his, if he hadn’t been killed, his accomplishments wouldn’t have been at all inferior to Xiao Jian’s!”

But then, the River Lord sighed. “Unfortunately, even after enduring all that misfortune, he died before avenging everything he’d suffered….”

“It really is an awful pity,” said Su Yi.

“He died with his grudges unavenged, his enmities unsevered, and his hopes unrealized. It’s obvious how bitter and unwilling he must have been,” said the River Lord. “Given the circumstances, don’t you think he’d seize a chance at a new life?”

Su Yi’s pupils constricted. He finally understood why the River Lord was bringing up Yi Daoxuan.

Su Yi was sure to fuse with his Dao Imprint sooner or later. But what if Yi Daoxuan didn’t cooperate? What if he stubbornly insisted on trying to replace Su Yi instead?

“I’m not afraid of a clash of the heart,” Su Yi said calmly. He and Wang Ye had waged war in the battlefield of the heart, but in the end, he’d emerged victorious!

Given his mental strength, he had no need to fear a clash with Yi Daoxuan’s Dao Imprint.

Especially since he’d refined a Chaos Heart-Tempering Fruit during the Nine Great Celestial Trials.

This was a wondrous treasure of the Grand Dao used specifically to temper and elevate one’s mental strength. Once refined, it was like an invincible barrier over the heart.

Even if enemies caught him off guard, they wouldn’t be able to disrupt his heart!

When he first refined the Chaos Heart-Tempering Fruit, Su Yi guessed that his first incarnation had left it there to prevent any such incidents of past incarnations trying to seize control.

Still, Su Yi hadn’t anticipated that he’d get to test this hypothesis so soon. He might well have to face that situation in the near future!

“You and Yi Daoxuan are ultimately the same person. If he wants to replace you, no one and nothing can stop him apart from yourself,” said the River Lord. “All I can do is warn you, I cannot help defend you against his Dao Imprint. You’ll have to take care of that on your own.”

Su Yi nodded.

The River Lord’s stance was simple. Should the need arise, he wouldn’t hesitate to come to Su Yi’s aid… unless it was a clash between him and his past lives. Then, he’d stay out of it and help neither party!

This was true for his competition with Xiao Jian, and it was true for his potential conflict with Yi Daoxuan, too.

The two of them proceeded to chat for a while longer.

When the top of the God Domain came up, the River Lord warned Su Yi that he had to go there as soon as possible!

His reasoning was simple. When word of what had happened in the Path of the Ancient Gods reached the God Domain, his enemies were sure to start preparing to intercept him. That would make his journey to the God Domain far more perilous!

If things went as the River Lord expected, the Master Gods would act themselves, with their true bodies. After all, Su Yi had already become a god, and he presented far too great a threat, to the point that the Master Gods would pay any price to snuff him out.

Thus, the sooner he set off, the better. Ideally, he’d take advantage of this lull before word fully reached the God Domain, as that would be relatively safe.

“You’ve fused with Li Fuyou’s memories, but hundreds of thousands of years have passed since he entered the cycle of reincarnation. The God Domain is no longer as Li Fuyou remembers it.

“That aside, as I said earlier, although the Dark Days of Legend are not yet upon us, the first signs of upheaval have sprung up in the God Domain. You have to be on guard.

“Whatever you do, don’t assume that the God Domain is as you remember. If you do, it’ll influence your judgment and lead to unpredictable danger.”

The River Lord rattled on, earnestly warning Su Yi. “Basically, it’d be best if you adopted a pseudonym and kept a low profile when you go to the God Domain. Don’t draw attention to yourself, because if your identity is revealed… problems are soon to follow!”

Su Yi smiled and listened attentively. He showed no signs of impatience; he could tell that the River Lord really was concerned about his safety.

Even though listening to a lecture was a bit tiresome, he had someone who cared about him enough to look out for him. Wasn’t that cause for celebration?

……

After conversing with the River Lord, Su Yi met with Ye Chunqiu, Xiao Ruyi, Xu Fushi, and other old friends.

They gathered, raised their cups, and feasted. The atmosphere was joyful and harmonious.

When they learned that Su Yi would soon set off for the God Domain, they were a bit sad and reluctant, but then, that was just how cultivation was. When everyone sought their own path, infrequent gatherings and long separations were inevitable.

“We’ve decided to stay in the River of Epochs to continue our cultivation. If, for whatever reason, that doesn’t work out, we can pay the Immortal Realm a visit,” Ye Chunqiu said with a laugh. “When you cultivate the Grand Dao, you must strive for stability at every step. Our pace isn’t as fast as yours, but all we’re after is steady progress.”

“That’s indeed the best,” said Su Yi.

He’d already told his old friends about the Dark Days of Legend. He really hoped that they’d stay out of it.

If they cultivated in the River of Epochs, they could at least receive the River Lord’s protection. If they went to the God Domain, they’d inevitably get swept into the Dark Days of Legend.

“You ought to worry about yourself, not us,” Xiao Ruyi said with a tender look in her eyes. “You have to be careful when you go to the God Domain.”

She was a delicate, picturesque beauty, an amorous, unparalleled stunner. Moreover, she was seated immediately next to Su Yi with an arm wrapped around his shoulder, and she looked a bit tipsy.

Su Yi could clearly sense that soft, supple elasticity of the beauty seated beside him. When he breathed in, a pleasant fragrance filled his nose, like the sweet smell of an orchid.

“We’re just here to drink, so let’s drink and maintain decorum.” Su Yi laughed and pushed away Xiao Ruyi, who’d practically draped herself all over him.

Xiao Ruyi rolled her eyes at him. “I gave you a chance to take advantage of me, and you didn’t take it. You’re really a good-for-nothing!”

The crowd couldn’t help but laugh.

Su Yi rubbed his nose and laughed along.

When the banquet ended, Su Yi gave the treasures he had no use for to Ye Chunqiu and the others, including some Godheads and Epoch Fragments. Those, he planned to have his old friends share with others in the Immortal Realm when they next visited.

Su Yi kept only the Divine Replenishment Furnace, Sword of Proximity, and other such treasures, as well as his Undying Materials and other miscellaneous objects. Naturally, these included the sheath his first incarnation had left him and the talisman Xi Ning had given him.

……

The following morning, in the Kingdom of Lasting Light.

“When you leave for the God Domain, you two must be careful. I believe that you’ll encounter no small amount of adversity along the way,” the River Lord said solemnly.

Luo Xuanji and Luo Qingdi nodded. Given their cultivation bases, if anyone short of a Master God tried to stop them from escorting Su Yi to the God Domain, they’d just be throwing their lives away.

“Alright, it’s time we got going,” said Su Yi. He’d already turned and started walking off.

Luo Xuanji and Luo Qingdi immediately bade the River Lord farewell and followed him. Before long, the three of them vanished from view.

“This trip to the God Domain marks the curtains opening on developments so great as to overturn the ages. I just hope… that His Excellency can achieve his goal, cleave through life and death, bring peace to creation, and find an unparalleled Dao of the Sword far beyond his former limits!” the River Lord murmured to himself.

There was only one person he’d call “His Excellency.” Su Yi’s first incarnation!

The River Lord stood there in silence for a long time before turning and leaving.

That very day, Su Yi set off, leaving the Kingdom of Lasting Light and proceeding toward the God Domain.

He was accompanied by siblings Luo Qingdi and Luo Xuanji, as well as the little monkey hidden in the Divine Replenishment Furnace.

“I’m leaving for the God Domain. I wonder how long it will be until I return…” Along the way, Su Yi took out a jug of wine and had a sip.

Then, he shook his head and continued on his journey.

He no longer looked back.

A flood dragon left the ocean when it was time to become a true dragon. The same was true for cultivators. Sometimes, you had to leap out of your cage to go to a heaven and earth that could encompass more of the Grand Dao!

The God Domain was just the battlefield Su Yi had in mind. There, he’d test his sword against the world, and end all past enmities!