First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2482 – The Dao Imprint’s Mysteries, the Changes to the Tianxiu Sword Shrine

My third incarnation will soon return? Su Yi’s gaze focused.

Unlike his second incarnation’s heart devil, the Malevolent Sword Venerate, Xiao Jian was a living person!

Su Yi didn’t know whether Xiao Jian or the Malevolent Sword Venerate had a higher cultivation base, but he did know that Xiao Jian would be the harder of the two to deal with.

This was someone who ought to have vanished into a lost epoch, yet had managed to seize a chance at life amidst the turbulent, collapsing spacetime of the Path of the Ancient Gods to live again. How terrifying was that?

Xiao Jian was different from any of his other past lives. He wasn’t just negative karma or a heart devil, and he wasn’t a Dao Imprint, either. He was a living person at the height of his power!

This was why he presented the greatest threat to Su Yi.

It was indeed as his first incarnation’s heart devil had told him. While the natural order was in a state of collapse, Su Yi and Xiao Jian could coexist amidst turbulent spacetime.

But when the curtains fell on the Battle for Order, the natural order would repair itself, and either Su Yi or Xiao Jian would have to vanish from this world!

Strange. How can my second incarnation tell that my third incarnation is on his way? Don’t tell me… Something occurred to Su Yi. His awareness entered his sea of consciousness and arrived before the Sword of the Nine Hells.

His second incarnation’s Dao Imprint had already gone dormant. It no longer budged in the slightest.

Earlier, his second incarnation had helped undo the Qilin Race’s vow, but he’d paid a heavy price for it. The power of his Dao Imprint was severely depleted, and he could no longer help Su Yi as he had over the Thunderwind Sea.

Su Yi wasn’t concerned about this. If he needed help, his first incarnation’s heart devil would be delighted to lend a hand.

But Su Yi would never request a thing of his own volition.

The Malevolent Sword Devil was a heart devil, and he was extremely dangerous, but Su Yi knew that his first incarnation’s devil was even more dangerous!

Furthermore, he was always right by Su Yi’s side. Su Yi was certain that, given the opportunity to replace him, his first incarnation’s heart devil wouldn’t hesitate.

Thus, Su Yi had always avoided asking the heart devil in the rusted sheath for help. It was bad enough to owe the heart devil favors, and it would be far too easy to fall into a trap.

“Xiao Jian?” Su Yi gazed intently at the Sword of the Nine Hells, then said softly, “Don’t tell me you’re aware that you’re still alive?”

The third Divine Chain on the Sword of the Nine Hells, the one representing Xiao Jian, remained silent. It didn’t even budge.

Su Yi said with a self-deprecating laugh. “I’ve never understood. You died back then, and you entered the cycle of reincarnation. Even your Dao Imprint was sealed within the Sword of the Nine Hells. So how is it that you came back to life in the Path of the Ancient Gods? Don’t tell me that something happened to the sealed power of your Dao Imprint, too?”

The Sword of the Nine Hells was incomparably mysterious.

Su Xuanjun had been the first of Su Yi’s past lives to acquire the power of reincarnation. His other past lives reincarnated through the power of the Sword of the Nine Hells, leaving their Dao Imprints sealed within its Divine Chains.

In other words, the Sword of the Nine Hells itself had power over reincarnation!

Beneath the Sword of the Nine Hells’ seal, Xiao Jian’s sealed Dao Imprint couldn’t possibly have had any opportunity to come back to life.

Yet Xiao Jian was alive and well. This was what Su Yi found hardest to understand. If Xiao Jian is alive in the Path of the Ancient Gods, why is his Dao Imprint still sealed in the Sword of the Nine Hells?

Even if the natural order is collapsing and spacetime is in turmoil, Xiao Jian reincarnated into Yi Daoxuan. How could he possibly have used some other incomprehensible means to come back to life in the Path of the Ancient Gods?

It was a riddle, one that Su Yi couldn’t resolve even now.

He predicted that if he managed to solve this riddle and grasp the truth of Xiao Jian’s survival, he… might well figure out a way to defeat him!

Over on the Sword of the Nine Hells, Xiao Jian’s Dao Imprint remained silent.

“My second incarnation never went to the Path of the Ancient Gods, yet he can sense your imminent return. That’s enough to prove that some sort of unique resonance exists between your Dao Imprint and the you living in the Path of the Ancient Gods,” whispered Su Yi. “Knowing this is enough.”

Su Yi was just about to leave his sea of consciousness when he stopped and added, “Right, I’m quite looking forward to crossing paths in the present day.”

Over on the Sword of the Nine Hells, Xiao Jian’s Dao Imprint didn’t react in the slightest.

When Su Yi emerged, the Qilin Ancient stepped forth and bowed, his eyes wet with tears of gratitude. “On behalf of everyone in the Qilin Race, thank you, Fellow Daoist!”

Su Yi smiled. “That was something your master ought to have done in the first place. Why thank me?”

The Qilin Ancient’s gaze was hard to read. “Fellow Daoist, is there… a difference between you and our master?”

Su Yi had nothing to say to that.

Some time passed before he finally said, “Let me take this time to resolve your negative karma.”

The Qilin Ancient was simply beside himself with delight. They’d only just resolved the problem of their vow, and now, Su Yi was about to cure him of the Karmic Tribulation that had tormented him for countless years. He’d seen his share of wind and waves in his life, but it was hard not to lose his composure in the face of all of this good fortune arriving in such rapid succession.

An hour later, the seated Qilin Ancient silently opened his eyes, his whole body silently emanating new life force. Most of the death qi lingering around him dissipated.

Prior to this, his body was battered, and his soul was cracked. His cultivation base had plummeted out of the Path of Eternity, and his whole body was enveloped in death qi. It was only by remaining inside the Ancient Eternity Secret Realm that he could cling to life.

Things were different now. Now that Su Yi had resolved his Karmic Tribulation, the Qilin Ancient’s body coursed with revitalized life force, like a burnt plain welcoming a new spring!

When spring winds blew, new life flourished.

That which had been withered bloomed once more!

That which was broken now had hope of repair. Now, the Qilin Ancient could repair his body and soul. Even… returning to the Path of Eternity was within the realm of possibility!

Meanwhile, Su Yi sank into thought. The Qilin Ancient’s Karmic Tribulation had been different from the Dipankara Buddha and his second incarnation’s.

The Qilin Ancient’s Karmic Tribulation took the form of countless chains, each as fine as an ox hair. They’d buried themselves in the Qilin Ancient’s body, soul, cultivation base, and even vital source energy, corroding his vitality and cultivation with each passing day.

Resolving this tribulation hadn’t been all that difficult for Su Yi, but it had given him a deeper understanding of Karmic Tribulations.

Only experts of the Path of Eternity had to face Karmic Tribulations. However, everyone’s Karmic Tribulation was different.

Those severely affected died on the spot.

Those lucky enough to escape with their lives fell from the Path of Eternity to suffer the tribulation’s torment.

Some people’s karmic tribulations took the form of heart, body, or soul devils, like the three Buddhas. Others tormented those afflicted directly, like in the Qilin Ancient’s case.

The Malevolent Sword Venerate’s situation was unusual. Aside from lacking vital source energy and having a starkly different personality, he was identical to Su Yi’s second incarnation in every way.

No matter the nature of a Karmic Tribulation, the power of reincarnation can resolve it. It’s no wonder those experts of the River of Destiny have set their sights on it, thought Su Yi.

As his cultivation grew, his horizons expanded. He saw and perceived more, including secrets hidden from the masses.

His understanding of reincarnation deepened, too.

Later that day, the Qilin Ancient appeared before his clansmen in the flesh and announced that the vow that had restricted them for countless years was no longer in effect.

This news shook the entire clan. Everyone practically boiled over with excitement.

That evening, Clan Leader Qi Jingxiao and the other higher-ups arranged a banquet and treated Su Yi and Xi Ning to the full extent of their hospitality.

At the banquet, everyone laughed, chatted, and clinked glasses. The atmosphere was lively and harmonious.

When the conversation turned toward the outside world, a rumor about the Tianxiu Sword Shrine drew Su Yi.s attention.

The Tianxiu Sword Shrine was a supreme holy land in the hearts of the God Domain’s sword cultivators.

It had stood since the earliest days of the God Domain’s history, and the most ancient of chaos sources was hidden within it.

And rumor had it that this chaos source had given rise to supreme Laws connected to the Dao of the Sword!

Anyone who acquired it would be able to trace the Dao of the Sword back to its most fundamental, primeval source!

Half a year ago, something had changed at the Tianxiu Sword Shrine.

A mysterious sword-shaped diagram had appeared on the divine stele standing there. It was formed entirely out of sword cuts, and it was full of endless mysteries.

People said that anyone who grasped the sword diagram would acquire that chaos source thought only to exist in legends!

When word spread, it caused uproar throughout the God Domain.

Then, not long ago, something big happened at the Tianxiu Sword Shrine.

Numerous peak factions had, under the leadership of the Three Purities Daoist Court, joined forces to seal off the entire shrine.

Everyone was forbidden to go there!

When word spread, it provoked universal fury. The Tianxiu Sword Shrine was a sacred ground in the hearts of the world’s sword cultivators, a place anyone could go to contemplate the Dao of the Sword!

Throughout the ages, no faction had ever dared to forcefully claim it for their own.

Yet now, the Three Purities Daoist Court had joined forces to seal the Tianxiu Sword Shrine off from the public. Who wouldn’t have been furious?

If that were the extent of it, it wouldn’t have drawn so much attention.

More importantly, reliable intelligence indicated that the primeval chaos source hidden in the Tianxiu Sword Shrine had appeared!

This was the greatest good fortune connected to the Dao of the Sword in the entire God Domain. What sword cultivator could have remained seated?

Of late, countless people had set course for the Tianxiu Sword Shrine, heedless of the Three Purities Daoist Court’s threats. All of them were in search of good fortune.

Bloody conflict had thus erupted near the shrine on numerous occasions.

One of these battles was particularly shocking and attention-grabbing, a duel between Master Gods.

An unfamiliar expert of the Three Purities Daoist Court called Luo Qingdi had fought his way into the shrine on his own, cutting down numerous Undying Realm Master Gods!

The name Luo Qingdi was now known throughout the God Domain!

But according to the Qilin, the Three Purities Daoist Court and their allied factions were furious about this incident, and they’d sent their experts to the Tianxiu Sword Shrine. Luo Qingdi was now trapped inside, and his situation didn’t bode well!

Su Yi couldn’t help but rub his forehead after hearing the news.

Luo Qingdi! Luo Xuanji’s older brother!

He was a legendary figure who’d once ruled over an entire epoch civilization.

He and Luo Xuanji had, on the River Lord’s orders, agreed to escort Su Yi safely to the God Domain.

When they ran into danger along the way, Luo Qingdi risked his life to create a chance for Su Yi to escape. He’d gone missing after the battle, and there’d been no word of him since.

During his years in the God Domain, Su Yi had always been on the hunt for news regarding Luo Qingdi.

He would never have guessed that Luo Qingdi would show up at the Tianxiu Sword Shrine of all places, much less that he’d be locked in combat with a whole group of top factions!