First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2739 – Drawing Three Inches of Sword

Within the imperial city, Qin Cangtu led a group of the imperial family’s old-timers. All of them hovered above the palace. Eldest Princess Qin Suqing was there too.

All of them were visibly fraught with worry, their hearts heavy.

“Be prepared to coordinate with Fellow Daoist Su and Fellow Daoist Pu,” said Qin Cangtu, the calmest one there. “This catastrophe has come for the Great Qin Empire. We absolutely cannot let our two fellow Daoists go to their deaths.”

The others nodded, their expressions conflicted. Even now, they struggled to understand why Su Xuanjun and Pu Xuan had chosen to await their enemies on the eastern gate, nor did they understand why His Majesty had permitted it.

How could the two of them possibly fight off their enemies alone?

“Your Majesty, if the Qin Family dies in battle today, will you regret your decision?” one of the old-timers asked softly.

Everyone’s hearts clenched.

Qin Cangtu said calmly, “I won’t!”

He scanned the group. “I’ll feel only guilt.”

Qin Rongjing said gravely, “Even if the Qin Family falls, our pride shall remain intact. That’s enough!”

The others’ spirits rose, their blood heating up.

Were they afraid to die?

They were!

But it was better to die with honor than live on in degradation. They were willing to fight to the death!

This was the pride of the Qin Family.

“Father, your son wishes to fight on the front lines. Even if I die, I won’t regret it!” Eldest Prince Qin Shangque suddenly approached and said with staunch conviction.

Qin Cangtu smiled. “You’re indeed my son!”

Suddenly, the group turned and saw another figure headed their way.

This was none other than Second Prince Qin Liuhe.

A few days ago, the second prince’s performance had displeased Qin Cangtu so badly that he’d confined him to the palace to repent.

“What are you doing here?” Qin Cangtu frowned.

Qin Liuhe silently approached, then said, “Father, if we’re fighting for our country, count me in! Please, give me this opportunity!”

The others were moved. The second prince had always been a lawless, foppish dandy, unorthodox and rebellious. None of them would have guessed he’d request an opportunity to fight to the death for his country!

“Who said you could leave house arrest?” Qin Cangtu slapped him in the face, leaving a bloody, fist-shaped handprint.

But Qin Liuhe made no attempt to dodge. He just pursed his lips and said, “Please grant me this request, Father!”

After a moment’s silence, all Qin Cangtu had to say was, “Very well!”

Qin Liuhe grinned.

Qin Shangque clapped his younger brother on the shoulder, while Qin Suqing approached and straightened up his clothing. She wiped the blood from his mouth, then whispered, “You’ve made me see you in a new light.”

When the others saw this, their hearts were still heavy, but they were nonetheless deeply gratified.

Suddenly, someone cried out, “They’re here!”

Everyone gazed outside the city.

Over a hundred Eternals were approaching from beneath the overcast skies. Their combined auras alone were enough to blanket the sky, blot out the sun, and stir up the wind and clouds!

Everyone’s hearts sank, and they felt chills in their hands and feet. How are we supposed to fight so many?

Even Emperor Qin Cangtu furrowed his brow, a lingering shadow on his face.

Meanwhile, on the city walls.

Pu Xuan stood there, hands behind his back, and clucked his tongue. “There are so many of them! Fellow Daoist Su, we agreed that I would fight first, while you hold up the rear. Don’t try to steal my prize, or I won’t honor you as my father any further!”

Su Yi took a sip of wine, then said, “That’ll depend on whether or not you’re capable of holding them all back.”

Pu Xuan furrowed his brow, then laughed. “I’ll just have to try it!”

With that, he leaped into the air, shooting forth like a beam of white light. He stood in the sky, gazing at over one hundred Eternals in the distance, his clothing flapping around him.

He was just one person, but he faced an army of over one hundred powerful foes, like a brave warrior singlehandedly guarding a pass.

“One, two, three, four… You brought so many people, so why are there only eight of you in the Immeasurable Realm?” Pu Xuan shook his head slightly. “It’s truly disappointing. How about… all of you attack together?”

Aside from the Immeasurable Realm experts, Pu Xuan only spared a glance for the leaders of the group, Wen Zhong and Yang Lingxiao. The others, he ignored completely.

His contemptuous attitude made many of the Eternals in the distance frown, but more than that, they found it amusing.

Over by the palace, Qin Cangtu and the others were stunned. What courage! And what arrogance!

“Are you Pu Xuan, sir?” Wen Zhong approached, his gaze calm and steady.

Pu Xuan laughed. “Why be so polite? Do you want to recognize me as your ancestor? I urge you to give up on the idea; I hate nothing more than would-be grandsons.”

The crowd was at a loss for words.

Wen Zhong’s expression darkened, but just as he was about to say something, Yang Lingxiao said with displeasure, “There’s no greater sign of weakness than wasting time on arguments! Just draw your sword and fight him. Win, and we can naturally capture him alive. Even if you lose, you’ll at least lose openly and honestly!”

Wen Zhong was instantly solemn. He nodded. “Understood!”

“You want to fight me alone?” Pu Xuan’s eyes rose. “Do you really look down on me that much?”

Yang Lingxiao glanced at him. “If he loses, we have over one hundred other Eternals. If all of them lose, I’m still here! This isn’t a one-on-one duel; I’m just giving my useless junior apprentice brother a chance to polish himself, that’s all.”

Pu Xuan stroked his jaw and laughed. He’s just a Divine Wandering Realm cultivator, but it seems he’s the most important member of the group.

Yang Lingxiao crossed his arms, his fists tightening in his sleeves as he said crisply, “I’m a sword cultivator, so I’ll speak directly. The imperial family of the Great Qin Empire will die today, but you, Su Xuanjun, and Qin Suqing are still useful to me. You can escape death and become my captives instead.”

He looked at Yang Lingxiao. “I won’t waste any more time on idle chatter. Wen Zhong, get to it.”

With that, he clamped his jaw shut. He really didn’t have anything else to say.

Wen Zhong took a step forward, robes swaying around him. Dazzling, blue-green flames flowed over his clothing.

The charm of his Eternal Laws was on full display. They were called the Laws of the Azure Firmament, and they were sixth-tier.

Eternal laws were divided into nine tiers. The first tier was the best, while the ninth was the worst.

Tiers nine through seven were commonplace. The vast majority of Eternals mastered Eternal Laws of these levels. Starting from tier six, Eternal Laws grew considerably rarer.

The higher the level, the stronger the Eternal Laws, and the further their master could advance along the path of the Grand Dao!

Wen Zhong had used his Laws of the Azure Firmament to win Liang Shan’s recognition and become an honorary disciple of the Heart-Tempering Sword House.

When Wen Zhong entered the battlefield, he circulated his Silent Realm cultivation base. Heaven and earth shook, and the sky was thrown into disarray.

His power was so immense that even the older-generation Immeasurable Realm cultivators couldn’t help but sigh over their own inferiority.

Clang!

Wen Zhong drew his saber.

Rather, he drew what the crowd had assumed was a saber. Upon closer inspection, although it was as thick as a saber, it was actually a long sword curved like a crescent moon.

The moment Wen Zhong drew his sword, sword qi pierced the azure dome of heaven, exploding the leaden clouds overhead.

When his sword qi descended, it was as if the azure dome of heaven were descending onto the world below.

It was terrifying!

It was just one slash, but its momentum was enough to shake the formations blanketing the city, leaving them rumbling and booming.

Pu Xuan stood there, white robes billowing around him. The trajectory of Wen Zhong’s slash was clearly reflected in his gaze.

He raised his hand, gripped the hilt of his sword, and drew just three inches of it.

A clear hum rang out.

As the humming boomed throughout heaven and earth, a streak of sword qi shot forth, illuminating one hundred thousand feet of sky. It was like the sun shining down on a Buddhist kingdom, glowing with holy radiance.

Wen Zhong’s strike was like the descent of the azure dome of heaven, but when it clashed with the light of this holy sun, it shattered and dispersed.

Eight thousand feet away, Wen Zhong staggered on his feet, his clothing ripped in numerous places. Blood gushed from the corners of his mouth, and his sword wailed and shook violently in his grip.

A bloody gash tore open on his chest, leaving the flesh pulped. Even his bones were visible. Any further, and he’d have been disemboweled.

Pu Xuan had drawn just three inches of sword, yet he’d severely injured Wen Zhong!

A deathly silence descended over the area.

The Immeasurable Realm old monsters of Bluebird Palace, Fire Dragon Temple, and the Yu Family gasped, their expressions shifting dramatically.

Wen Zhong had Silence Realm cultivation, but his strength was still beyond theirs.

Yet now, someone had just injured him badly in a single strike!

This was entirely unexpected. Their hundred-plus allied Eternals gasped, overcome with disbelief.

Over by the palace, Qin Cangtu, Qin Rongjing, and the other Qin Family experts’ eyes widened.

Qin Suqing had told them that Pu Xuan was an extraordinarily capable Immeasurable Realm sword cultivator, but she hadn’t told them that he was this terrifying!

When they thought back on it, they realized that if Qin Cangtu hadn’t put a stop to the situation a few days ago, they’d have had a true falling out with Pu Xuan, and that would have led to, at best, heavy injuries to both sides. They’d narrowly escaped provoking someone dangerous!

Su Yi was impressed, too.

Pu Xuan was highly unusual.

Prior to this, he was a ruler among inauspicious spirits. In life, he was Jiang Wuchen’s junior. After Pu Xuan became an inauspicious spirit, Jiang Wuchen transmitted the Dao to him once more.

When Su Yi met Pu Xuan, he shattered the inauspicious power enveloping him, allowing dried bones to become a Buddha.

Pu Xuan had only just returned to life, and his latent potential was incomparably terrifying. Even now, he’d yet to fully master his latent potential or realize his full strength. Excavating it all would take a long, long time.

Even so, he was an extraordinarily powerful figure among Immeasurable Realm cultivators!

Back on the River of Destiny, even someone as powerful as Heavenly Monarch Wu Qing’s avatar failed to kill Pu Xuan.

At the time, Pu Xuan even said that if he went all out, he could prevent Wu Qing’s avatar from leaving!

And now, Pu Xuan was obviously even stronger than he’d been back then.

“You know, they say that choosing the wrong whetstone will only break your sword,” Pu Xuan said with a laugh. His disdain was more than words could express.

Wen Zhong’s face paled, but his eyes flashed with ruthlessness. He wasn’t afraid. On the contrary, he raised his sword and prepared to continue fighting.

But then, Yang Lingxiao said, “Enough. Your attempt was embarrassing, but at least you didn’t retreat. You met his strike head-on. That’s enough!”

Wen Zhong fell silent. Inwardly, he sighed in relief.

He hadn’t backed down, not because he wasn’t afraid, but because he knew that if he did, he’d fail his senior apprentice brother’s test!

“With his attainments in the Dao of the Sword, he’s far more than a Silent Realm cultivator like you can handle. Moreover, his foundations in the Grand Dao are far beyond the Blue Peak Continent’s Immeasurable Realm cultivators. It seems our intelligence was accurate; he really is a powerful figure from another continent,” said Yang Lingxiao. “Step back. I’ll fight him.’

With that, the inner sect disciple of the Heart-Tempering Sword House stepped forth.

Pu Xuan looked him up and down and was just about to say something when Su Yi rose from his wicker chair and said, “Stand back and watch. I’ll test him. There’s something strange about him.”