First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2709 – Laughing and Discussing Divine Reverence Pavilion, a Shift in the Dao

The moment he pressed his hands on the hilt, the red-robed man’s smile faded, and the depths of his gaze reddened.

He took a step forward, then vanished.

A moment later, a swath of Dao Light exploded amidst the endless expanse of time and space.

Immediately afterward, a muffled grunt rang out.

The red-robed man appeared where the light had shattered, a radiant smile on his face. “Care to try again?”

A willowy-bearded old man in old-fashioned robes and a tall hat glowered in the distance. He held a Golden Flood Dragon, but it had been cut in two, its life force already run dry, rendering it no more than a corpse.

“Madman!” growled the old man.

The Golden Flood Dragon had been his mount, and its origins were extraordinary. It was an Eternal Lifeform capable of frolicking freely in the current of the River of Destiny, a natural chaos variant species. It had cultivated alongside the old man for countless years, and it had long since achieved Immeasurable Realm Power.

One more step, and it would have broken into the Heavenly Fate Realm.

Yet now, a streak of sword qi had shot out of the red-robed man’s sheath, striking it dead!

“How could you call me a madman?” said the red-robed man, stroking his jaw. He gently tapped his sheath. “I didn’t even draw my sword. Don’t tell me… I’m going to have to?”

The old man narrowed his eyes. “So you’re dead-set on standing with Su Yi?”

The red-robed man shook his head. “This is what I owe Jiang Wuchen. It’s only right that I stick out my neck on behalf of his reincarnation.”

“How far do you plan to go?” asked the old man, his gaze intense and imposing. “As I’m sure you’re aware, the River of Destiny has changed! People from the Far Shore of Destiny can already…”

The red-robed man said irritably, “Don’t try to threaten me with that nonsense. If I were afraid of all that, I wouldn’t have sent my clone here.”

The old man gazed intently at him. “You can help him for now, but you cannot possibly help him forever! You… have lived a carefree, joyous life, so why insist on stepping into this swamp? Just stay out of it!”

With that, he turned to leave.

The red-robed man murmured, “You’re really leaving, just like that? You aren’t even going to fight me first? How could a lofty Heavenly Sovereign of the Yao Path be such a craven? What a disappointment!”

From beginning to end, the old man disregarded him. In just a few breaths of time, he faded from view.

The red-robed man patted the sheathed sword hanging from his waist and sighed. “Everywhere I look, my friends are dead or scattered to the wind. It’s… really friggin’ lonely.”

Suddenly, something occurred to him, and a melancholic look appeared on his face. “Last time, those old-timers held me back, preventing me from making it to the Battle for Order, but that won’t happen again…”

He stretched languidly, then gazed into the distance, a radiant smile on his face. “The River of Destiny is sure to liven up now that you’re back. I’ve already done what I needed to do. See you next time!”

…

“Was that guy in red robes perhaps the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign?” Su Yi couldn’t help but ask.

It was no wonder he’d make that assumption; the man’s red robes were just too eye-catching, always billowing around him like blood-red waves.

The black sheep jeered, “You sure are ignorant. Everyone on the River knows that Lu Hongpao is a woman!”

Su Yi was stunned. Wang Zhiwu, the Master of Legends, had talked about the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign, saying that he was the Heavenly Sovereign he revered most, and that his red robes could blanket the sky and blot out the sun. He’d killed so many that their blood could stain the firmament of the Eternal Heavens Domain red.

But Wang Zhiwu had never said anything about the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign being a woman!

“It doesn’t matter who he is. He’s strong.” The sheep sighed. “It’s a pity about my body, and my memories are still sealed. Otherwise, I could almost certainly discern his origins and cultivation base at a glance.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but be curious. “How far is your current strength from your former peak?”

The black sheep shook her head. “I don’t know. It’s not that I’m trying to hide it from you, but that there are problems with my memory. I don’t remember anything about myself at all.”

Su Yi set aside the topic of the sheep’s identity. Now, he was a bit curious about his second incarnation. Don’t tell me Jiang Wuchen and that guy really used to frequent brothels together?

If so, their bond must have run deep. After all, how could two men so like-minded in this regard have a shallow connection?

On the road ahead, the black sheep did manage to clear up some of Su Yi’s questions. For instance, she told him about Divine Reverence Pavilion.

They were the best-informed faction in the Eternal Heavens Domain, with deep roots and a transcendent position.

Divine Reverence Pavilion evaluated the elites of the Five Realms of Eternity at regular intervals, with no regard for their origins or status. They focused purely on their powers of the Grand Dao.

Their rankings were highly accurate, and they provided ample reasoning and a detailed analysis.

When they compiled the rankings into lists, everyone paid attention. It was always a hot topic of conversation.

The Eternal Dao was divided into five realms. However, Divine Reverence Pavilion only compiled lists for the first four: Unfettered, Divine Wandering, Silence, and Immeasurable.

They didn’t dare to publish commentary on Heavenly Monarchs and Heavenly Sovereigns lightly.

Still, according to the black sheep, they did create a Heavenly Fate Ranking with all the usual commentary; they just kept it tightly under wraps.

The list included information on every Heavenly Monarch’s divine abilities, talent, foundations, and natal treasures in full, elaborate detail.

However, this secretive list only circulated within a handful of Heavenly Sovereign-level factions. It was never seen in the outside world.

As for Heavenly Sovereigns… they really didn’t dare to comment on them.

Some even said that the name “Divine Reverence Pavilion” was an expression of respect for the Heavenly Sovereigns.

That aside, Divine Reverence Pavilion kept an assortment of other lists. For instance, the Misty Cloud Spirit Race assassin Su Yi had killed belonged to a clan on the list of the top six assassin’s guilds.

Divine Reverence Pavilion had compiled this list based on the factions’ strength and foundations, going through them all one by one.

They also had “Wonders of the Four Seas Ranking” that appraised the strange and wondrous treasures of the River of Destiny, a “Myriad Grasses of the Heaven Ranking” that appraised the world’s various divine medicines of the Grand Dao, and an “Eternal Dao Weapon Ranking” for weapons.

And so on and so forth. There was a huge abundance, and all were different.

Some of the lists had even stirred up considerable controversy, like the “Talented Men and Beautiful Women Ranking,” the “Sultry Fragrance Ranking” for brothels, the “Influential Heretics Ranking,” the “Seekers of the Sword Ranking,” and the “Blessed Grounds Ranking.”

Overall, the Divine Reverence Pavilion was a wondrous existence, and they really knew how to cause a commotion. Every time they published a list, the whole River of Destiny paid attention.

Su Yi was quite intrigued. Here on the River of Destiny, he lacked the experience and knowledge of his past lives. He knew almost nothing about the River of Destiny. It seemed that if he wanted to get an overview of the situation quickly, Divine Reverence Pavilion was an unquestionably great place to start.

“We’ll reach the River of Destiny within fifteen minutes,” the black sheep said suddenly. “Don’t you find it at all strange?”

Su Yi was stunned. “Are you saying the journey has been too peaceful?”

The black sheep nodded. “The strongest of those we faced earlier was in the Silent Realm at most. There wasn’t even a single Immeasurable expert among them, let alone a Heavenly Monarch or Sovereign. Something is really amiss here.”

She shook her head. “Perhaps what happened during the Battle for Order scared the old-timers to the point that they only dare to send small fries to risk themselves on their behalf?”

Su Yi sighed. “Senior, your skill at indirect criticism is extraordinary indeed.”

The black sheep rolled her eyes, then responded without the slightest politeness. “You’re jumping to conclusions. In my eyes, you aren’t even worthy of the title ‘small fry’!”

Su Yi pondered solemnly, “Strange. I’m lower than even a small fry, yet I’m the one who might help you break your seal one day. Don’t tell me you’re inferior to even someone lower than a small fry, Senior?”

The black sheep picked him, catching him off guard and sending him flying hundreds of feet backward.

Beads of sweat formed on Su Yi’s forehead. That was close! She came close to hitting my…!

A moment later, he felt a bit exasperated. Miss Baa Baa Black Sheep has so many wonderful qualities, but she’s got far too short a temper. She’ll kick a guy like it’s nothing! It’s unreasonable!

I’ve got to find an opportunity to teach her how to be a good person… err, a better sheep!

“Are you thinking nasty thoughts about me?” said the sheep. “But it’s fine. I’ve always believed in winning others over through virtue.”

“And if you can’t win me over?” asked Su Yi.

“Then I’ll kick you to death!” said the sheep before continuing on her way.

Su Yi rubbed his nose, chuckled, and had a sip of wine before catching up to her.

“When we reach the River of Destiny, I’ll lead you to the Eternal Heavens Domain, but I’m not going,” said the black sheep. “My instincts are screaming at me that it’s a terrible place; I feel repulsed by the thought of it.”

She’d only just said this when she abruptly stopped in place.

Su Yi was instantly solemn. Is there trouble?

The black sheep suddenly shook from head to toe, then let out a muffled, agonized grunt. She staggered and swayed on her feet, struggling to stay upright.

Su Yi’s pupils constricted, but just as he was about to rush over, the black sheep shouted, “Don’t get any closer!”

She coughed up a mouthful of blood. Her aura instantly weakened, and she curled up in agony, head lowered, hooves bent, and whole body convulsing uncontrollably.

Su Yi looked around, but he saw no sign of any enemies, nor did he sense any threats whatsoever.

Nonetheless, Su Yi was instinctively on guard. If an enemy had managed to injure someone as powerful as the black sheep undetected, they were surely someone utterly terrifying!

Who could have done this? Su Yi wondered. Was it perhaps a Heavenly Sovereign?

Time slipped by, but nothing happened.

A long time passed before the sheep rose with great difficulty, her clear, beautiful voice feeble and hoarse. “I’m fine. No need to worry. Some minor problems arose with my powers of the Dao, that’s all.”

She sounded bewildered, despondent, and angry.

She turned, looked at Su Yi, then paused, as if struggling to get the words out. Finally, she said, “Can you do me a favor?”

Su Yi didn’t even pause to think. “Go right ahead and ask.”

He’d already realized that whatever had happened to her was serious. Otherwise, given her temperament and fierce pride, she would never have asked for his help!

Her eyes dimmed, and she said softly, “I need to go dormant for a while, three months at most. During that time…”

“I understand what to do,” said Su Yi.

The black sheep stared at him. “You’d better not take advantage of me!”

With that, her head lolled to the side, as if she’d run out of power, and she sank into unconsciousness.

Su Yi walked over, picked her up, and sighed. “How could I possibly have any interest in taking advantage of you in this body?”