First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2643 – Life is Unpredictable

Although Po Xue didn’t know it, given Su Yi’s current horizons and cultivation base, he no longer needed to rely on outward displays of force and dominance to assert himself!

By the same token, there was no need for him to display his pride and self-confidence.

“Come on, let’s find a place to have a chat.” Su Yi beckoned to Shen Jue, then walked off with both hands behind his back.

Shen Jue and the red-haired woman in white followed.

Thunderclouds churned throughout the bleak landscape. A dense, calamitous aura brewed within the clouds.

The Central Divine Continent was bleak, overcast, and oppressive. Nothing here ever seemed to change.

“Alright, then. What did you seek me out for?” Su Yi stopped on a cliffside.

He’d noticed that Shen Jue was maintaining a distance of one hundred feet from him, never more and never less.

The woman in white trailed even further behind them. She’d yet to say a single sentence.

“Revenge,” said Shen Jue, his smile giving way to calm. “One of your past lives killed the woman I loved most.”

Su Yi was briefly stunned. “Which of my past lives?”

“Yi Daoxuan killed her,” said Shen Jue. “You might have long since forgotten, but I cannot forget.”

He spoke of revenge with no overt displays of hatred, or any other emotion. He was perfectly calm.

Su Yi furrowed his brow. “Might you explain in more detail?”

A subtle hint of grief appeared on Shen Jue’s brow. “Her name was Ling Yue. She was once friends with Gu Huaxian, Jiao Mu, and the old hunchback.”

Ling Yue? Su Yi finally realized who Shen Jue was talking about.

Yi Daoxuan had, in life, been public enemy number one, but it was Gu Huaxian and her allies that presented the greatest threat.

Ling Yue had been one of their allies. She loved colorful clothing, and she wore her hair up. Her weapon of choice was a long, curved saber.

But Ling Yue had died long before Gu Huaxian and the others. Yi Daoxuan had run her through as she and her allies chased him.

“So, it was her… I wouldn’t have guessed that she’d be the woman you loved most,” whispered Su Yi.

Shen Jue said calmly, “You might have seen her as an irredeemable villain, but then, you were enemies. In my heart, you’re the one who killed my beloved. How… could I possibly let this grudge go unavenged?”

Su Yi inclined his head. “I understand.”

They were on different sides. It was understandable. Had someone killed the woman he loved most, he’d undoubtedly have sought revenge too.

But then, Su Yi said, “But there’s one thing I don’t understand. Yi Daoxuan ultimately perished at Gu Huaxian and the others’ hands. Wasn’t that revenge enough for you?”

Shen Jue shook his head. “You’re still alive, aren’t you?”

Su Yi nodded. “You’re rather decent. Unlike the rest of my enemies, you’re worthy of admiration.”

Shen Jue looked stunned. “How so?”

“I haven’t forgotten that you sent someone to the Human Realm to watch over my friends,” said Su Yi. “You might have just been laying the groundwork for your future plans, but still, I quite approve of how you handle things.”

Shen Jue’s gaze shifted inscrutably, “At this point, there’s no longer any need to hide it. Everything I did back then was in preparation for this day.”

His gaze filled with determination. “I want you to die owing me a favor!”

Su Yi raised an eyebrow. “Why?”

Shen Jue rubbed his nose with a hint of self-deprecation. “Seems to me that that way, even if I lose, you might well spare my life in light of what I’ve done for you.”

Su Yi was stunned. Even if you’d hit him over the head, he would never have guessed that Shen Jue’s reasoning would be so absurd.

“You can accuse me of excessive worrying, or say that I’ve already lost the mental battle. You’re also welcome to disdain me for excessive scheming or exploiting favors to my benefit,” Shen Jue said calmly. “But, from the very bottom of my heart, I see you as a powerful enemy. That’s why I racked my brains for so long, and why I went to such lengths.”

Su Yi took out a jug of wine and passed it to Shen Jue. He then took out another jug for himself, threw back his head, and drank. “I can tell that you have no hatred for me, and that you’re just fixated on avenging your junior apprentice sister.”

Shen Jue couldn’t help but fall silent. His expression shifted erratically, and his former cool faded away.

In the end, he laughed bitterly. “Fellow Daoist Su, it seems you’re the only person in this world who truly understands me!”

He pointed at his chest. “This obsession originates from the vow I once made to Ling Yue!”

Su Yi inclined his head. “I understand.”

“No, you don’t.” Shen Jue shook his head, his expression conflicted. “I respect and admire you. If not for this grudge… I’d happily invite you to drink with me and discuss the Dao, but…”

He let out a long sigh. “Life is unpredictable. For Ling Yue’s sake, I have to kill you now!”

Su Yi fell silent.

“But I understand now,” said Shen Jue. “If I want to avoid this pain and free myself from this obsession, we have to fight to the death and end this, once and for all.”

He laughed dryly, calm once more. “There’s no way out for me. You needn’t concern yourself with the little favors I did you back then. When we fight, should the opportunity to kill me arise, you absolutely mustn’t hold back!”

He spoke with the utmost calm, as if he’d understood everything.

Su Yi took another sip of wine and gestured to the red-haired woman and white. “And why bring her with you?”

“She’s the Heaven-Combating Ancient Fiend, a being born of the God Domain’s primordial chaos!”

Su Yi raised an eyebrow. He instantly recalled that when he explored the Heaven-Combating Hidden Realm, he never explored the mysterious Chaos Fiend Blood Pool.

Apparently, the one honored as the most ancient of the chaos fiends, the Heaven-Combating Chaos Fiend, lay dormant there.

But Su Yi would never have guessed that she was a woman!

“The Heaven-Combating Fiend Ancient once left to explore the River of Destiny, but she was unfortunately afflicted by a karmic tribulation. She returned to the God Domain, and has lain dormant in the Chaos Fiend Blood Pool ever since,” said Shen Jue. “She’s since reawakened and recovered some of her vitality, but her karmic tribulation remains. If possible, I’d like to ask you to help her.”

Here, Shen Jue’s expression filled with solemnity. “In exchange…”

But before he could finish, Su Yi said, “Since it’s you asking, out of consideration for our shared past, I agree.”

Shen Jue was stunned, then silent. He obviously hadn’t expected Su Yi to agree so straightforwardly.

The red-haired woman in white obviously hadn’t expected this either. She couldn’t help but look at Su Yi.

The depths of her blood-red, beautiful eyes were full of surprise.

A moment later, she spoke for the first time. “Help me, and I’ll be sure to repay you. If you survive your duel with Shen Jue, when you reach Red Pine Mountain, I’ll use the secret power of the chaos fiends to guide you Beneath the Nine Abysses.”

She paused, then added, “I’m the only chaos fiend ancient left in the God Domain, and only my vital source power can sense the secret path that leads Beneath the Nine Abysses.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but be stunned. He’d had no idea that chaos fiend ancients had such an unbelievable ability.

He also realized that his earlier guess was mistaken. He’d assumed that other places in the God Domain housed surviving chaos fiends, and that others like the Heaven-Combating Ancient Fiend surely existed elsewhere.

But now, it seemed obvious that that wasn’t the case. The Heaven-Combating Ancient Fiend was the only one of her kind left!

“Let’s discuss it then,” said Su Yi. He’d never considered visiting Beneath the Nine Abysses before, and he had no idea why anyone would want to go there in the first place.

He was headed to Red Pine Mountain solely for the sake of participating in the Battle for Order.

Only that and nothing more.

“Fellow Daoist, it’s getting late. How about we finish our wine and get started?” asked Shen Jue.

“Sure,” said Su Yi.

The two of them promptly raised their jugs of wine, threw back their heads, and drank them down to the last drop.

“The way I see it, this place has nothing good to offer at all, except for this wine,” laughed Shen Jue. He didn’t throw the jug away. Instead, he placed it into a storage treasure.

Then, he raised his right hand and beckoned to Su Yi. “If you please!”

Su Yi returned the gesture. “Let us begin!”

Boom!

Heaven and earth dimmed, and the heavens quivered on all sides.

Formless murderous intent swept forth like a windstorm, sweeping throughout the area.

Off in the distance, the red-haired woman in white sighed to herself.

Just like that, a grand battle began.