First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2608 – A Heart Like a Hidden Dragon, Like Lightning a Lamp

Before Huang Yanleng’s voice had even finished echoing through the air, her impressive, graceful figure vanished in a rain of light.

When the handsome young man saw this, he couldn’t help but sigh. Huang Yanleng was a lady saber cultivator famed for her ferocity throughout the River of Destiny. Even older-generation Dao Lords viewed her with trepidation.

Yet now, her avatar of will had lost to Su Yi in a clash of the Grand Dao!

And he’d only been using sixty percent of his power!

“Why sigh?” Su Yi looked at the handsome young man.

“I would never have guessed you’d change so much in just a few short years,” said the handsome young man, a complicated look in his eyes.

When Su Yi returned from the Boundless Battlefield, he couldn’t even defeat Di E’s clone.

Now, he’d long since left Half-Step Eternals in the dust. Even False Eternals were no longer worthy of his attention!

This growth was naturally far too terrifying.

“There’s no limit to the Grand Dao. I’m still not strong enough.” Su Yi shook his head slightly.

He’d won his battle against Qing Li in the ruins of the Three Purities Daoist Court, but he’d nonetheless suffered a heavy blow. Mu Bai, Ji Heng, and Jian Dushan’s deaths would weigh on him for a long time to come.

It was then that he discovered that he wasn’t strong enough to fight those who’d stepped onto the River of Destiny.

“Not strong enough, huh…?” The handsome young man grimaced. “What other Undying Realm cultivator beneath the heavens is as strong as you? There aren’t even others like you on the River of Destiny!”

For Su Yi to say he wasn’t strong enough just seemed… unreasonable!

“Being invincible among the Undying has never been my goal,” said Su Yi. He took out a jug of wine and had a sip. “Compared to those who control the wind and rain on the River of Destiny, I… am indeed weak.”

The corners of the handsome young man’s lips twitched. You aren’t strong enough? You’re still weak? What would other Master Gods think if they heard that?

A moment later, he realized something, then looked at Su Yi appraisingly once more. “Why do I get the sense that you haven’t just grown stronger? You seem to have changed somehow.”

Su Yi looked at him with great interest. “Oh? How so?”

“You were nowhere near so modest and obliging before. Your every gesture was full of contemptuous pride and confidence. You were utterly domineering,” the handsome young man said with a frown. “But now, there’s no sign of your proud spirit or sharp edge. You seem entirely plain and unassuming. It’s strange.”

“People change,” laughed Su Yi. “It isn’t strange at all.”

“Is that so…?” The handsome young man sighed. “But the way I see it, true wisdom seems foolish and as open as a valley. Your pride and confidence aren’t gone; you simply disdain to reveal them on the outside.”

That’s right. The way the handsome young man saw it, Su Yi hadn’t lost his sharpness or pride. Rather, he no longer needed them to prove himself!

That seemingly modest, obliging demeanor wasn’t faked. Rather, his heart had steadied to the point of transcending the material. He could follow his heart without fear of overstepping!

He could sit amongst the manure-caked gardens of a humble mortal, becoming one with the teeming masses on the lowest echelons of society, but he could also depart the red dust of mundanity, soaring into the nine heavens and rising to the pinnacle of the path of cultivation. He could defeat powerful foes with a smile and a laugh!

It was only when Su Yi fought that the handsome young man caught a glimpse of his sharpness and pride. Even then, all he saw was the tip of the iceberg.

All of this made it clear that Su Yi wasn’t like before. He seemed like a completely different person!

This was what made it so hard for the handsome young man to stay calm.

Su Yi couldn’t help but take another look at the handsome young man. “From your perspective, is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

The handsome young man was from the River of Destiny, and he owned the Book of Legends. His identity was highly mysterious. Even now, Su Yi didn’t know his name, origins, or the full extent of his cultivation base.

The only thing Su Yi knew for certain was that they were enemies!

“A bad thing,” the handsome young man said without even pausing to think. “The stronger you get, the harder it will be for me to kill you.”

He looked at Su Yi. “Were we on the River of Destiny, I’d kill you here and now without the slightest hesitation. I wouldn’t leave you any chance at life!”

He spoke openly and honestly.

Su Yi asked in confusion, “Is this about reincarnation or the Epoch Spark?”

The handsome young man shook his head. “Neither. Powers capable of standing up to reincarnation exist on the River of Destiny, and as rare and precious as Epoch Sparks are, they’re ultimately still just external treasures. My true reason is…”

Here, he trailed off.

“A grudge?” asked Su Yi.

The handsome young man didn’t deny it. “If you don’t know, you needn’t concern yourself with it. When you regain those memories, you’ll naturally understand why there was never any hope of peace between us.”

He made no threats, nor did he express any hatred or resentment, yet he spoke with incontrovertible determination.

Su Yi instantly understood. My grudge with him most likely dates back to my second life.

“Then let’s worry about all that later,” said Su Yi. He turned to leave.

But before he could get far, the handsome young man called out to him. “Wait. In a few days, I’m going to meet several other old-timers of the River of Destiny on the peak of Returning Dragon Mountain to discuss our business in the God Domain and the Battle for Order. Do you want to participate?”

Su Yi was stunned. “Me?”

He really hadn’t anticipated that the handsome young man would extend such an invitation to his enemy.

“You needn’t overthink it,” said the handsome young man. “I just think it’s important that you see how the old-timers of the River of Destiny see the Dark Days of Legend, and how they see you.”

He paused, then said, “Of course, you’re welcome to choose not to go.”

Su Yi pondered briefly, then said, “Sure, let’s go together then.”

“Together?” The handsome young man was surprised that Su Yi hadn’t just agreed; he even wanted to travel together.

“Is there a problem?” Su Yi asked with a smile.

The handsome young man shook his head. “If you aren’t afraid that I harbor ulterior motives, I naturally don’t mind bringing you with me.”

“It’s settled, then,” said Su Yi.

He was wandering the world aimlessly, going where his heart took him. He hadn’t had any goal to begin with.

Now that he’d been invited to a gathering of experts of the River of Destiny, he naturally wanted to see it for himself.

The handsome young man pointed to the bamboo basket on Su Yi’s back, a strange look in his eyes. “Do you plan to take those birds with you?”

Su Yi just glanced up at the sky and said, “It’s getting late. Let’s camp here for the night.”

Before long, a chicken and a duck were roasting over an open fire, dripping with grease. A savory fragrance wafted into the air.

Su Yi sat on the ground, then split the chicken in two. He took half for himself, then offered the rest to his companion. “Uncle Wu said he raised this chicken for two and a half years. Don’t let its black claws fool you; it’s delightfully chewy. You should try it.”

Ordinarily speaking, the handsome young man would never have touched such foods of the mundane world. No, he would never have even seen them.

After all, he was from the River of Destiny. It had been far too long since he’d transcended the mundane.

He didn’t need to eat or drink. When he did, he enjoyed the most sumptuous delicacies the world of cultivation had to offer. How could he possibly deign to eat a black-footed chicken just two and a half years old?

Yet now, he straightforwardly sat down and ate with relish, grease dripping down his face.

Su Yi ate too. The foods of the mundane world were in no way inedible, nor were they unpalatable. They just had no spiritual energy to speak of.

The two of them sat by the fire. They ate the chicken first, then split the duck. From time to time, they drank. It was a complete delight.

Had anyone else seen them, they could never have imagined that one was the most famous sword cultivator in the God Domain, while the other was a mysterious existence from the River of Destiny.

Most ridiculous of all, the two of them were irreconcilable enemies!

“A long time ago, I conversed with an old-timer in possession of an Eternal Throne. We spoke of cultivating the heart, and he said something that left a deep impression on me,” said the handsome young man after they’d both eaten and drunk their fill. He clucked his tongue in contentment. “He said that the heart, although seemingly small, has boundless capacity, and can contain countless secrets.

“If you want to refine a Heart Soul in the Path of Eternity, your heart must first meet two requirements.

“It must be like a hidden dragon, big enough to soar through the heavens and small enough to fit in the most minute of spaces, as unassuming as a speck of dust or blade of grass. That creates the opportunity needed for your heart to transform.

“The second is to light the heart like a lamp, illuminating the mind and spirit to perceive their subtleties. Only then can you perceive your true nature.

“Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. The Grand Dao stands before us all, but seizing it as difficult. It’s much like how a mortal can see the stars, but he cannot simply stretch out his hand and pluck them.” The handsome young man sighed. “Looking at you now, I get the sense that although you might not know what a “Heart Soul’ is, your heart has nonetheless transformed. You’re developing the qualities of a ‘hidden dragon’ with free, unfettered charm. That’s why your battle left such a deep impression on me today.”

I don’t know what a Heart Soul is, huh? Su Yi laughed, but it wasn’t like he could just tell his companion that he didn’t just knowabout Heart Souls; he already had one of his own.

And he certainly couldn’t tell him that he’d gone beyond that level. His Heart had already given rise to the Light of the Heart!