First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2829 – A Golden Cicada Buys a Life

“You won’t die?” The heart devil in the rusted sheath asked with great interest, “Does that mean you have other cards?”

Suddenly, a large, powerful hand enveloped the Malevolent Sword Venerate completely.

But the Malevolent Sword Venerate wasn’t the least bit bothered. He said expressionlessly, “I’ve never put all my eggs in one basket, nor have I ever put myself in insurmountable danger! As for whether or not I have any trump cards… Why not guess, oh esteemed Big Boss of Sword Sovereign City?”

The Malevolent Sword Venerate leered provocatively as his sealed figure silently caught ablaze.

The heart devil of the rusted sheath furrowed his brow, and a strange, inscrutable Dao Marking appeared over the palm of his hand as he grabbed the space in front of him.

This attack was known as the Heaven-Seizing Thread. Even if his opponent’s soul dissipated, he could seize the last threads of it before they dissipated.

But against all expectations, the Malevolent Sword Venerate burned up completely. Not even a trace of his aura remained! Only a burnt talisman fell where he’d stood moments prior.

The heart devil of the rusted sheath picked it up, examined it, and sneered. “What a useless bastard. He never had any intention of coming here in person.”

“What is that?” asked Su Yi.

“A Golden Cicada Substitution Talisman, the power of destiny refined into a talisman, like a shed shell. It’s similar to, but more wondrous than, other substitution talismans, as it can create a body identical to the original, down to its cultivation base, awareness, and presence.

“But it isn’t really alive. When killed, enemies will realize that they cut down a mere empty shell,” said the heart devil, the words flowing out of him. “These talismans are extremely rare, even on the Far Shore of Destiny, and they’re used as life-saving treasures. No one would use one lightly.”

Su Yi said thoughtfully, “The Endless Expanse Hidden Realm was a gift from an expert called Hei Ya. The Golden Cicada Substitution Talisman is obviously from the Far Shore of Destiny, too. It seems that the Malevolent Sword Venerate has long since started colluding with a faction of the Far Shore.”

“Hei Ya?” The heart devil sighed. “People change. Sometimes, even a good seedling for cultivation can give rise to a heart devil, resulting in a drastic change in personality and unexpected behavior.

“Hei Ya once approached Sword Sovereign City, kowtowing with every step, only to be turned away at the gates. Even then, he refused to give up. He sat there for one hundred years, all for the sake of entering the city and becoming a sword servant. In the end, Zhou Sanjia permitted him to enter the city, and he became one of its sword cultivators.

“It was much later that I learned that during one of my extended absences, a massive problem arose in Hei Ya’s sword heart. His personality deviated, and he went down the wrong path in his pursuit of the Dao of the Sword. He caused no small number of problems in Sword Sovereign City, too.

“More importantly, he colluded with external foes. He never directly betrayed us, but it was more than I could tolerate. Thus, I ordered him expelled from the city,” the heart devil said coldly. “Zhou Sanjia begged for mercy on his behalf, but although he didn’t know it, sparing Hei Ya’s life was my limit.”

He shook his head slightly. “All of that is ancient history. There’s no need for you to know all that.”

Zhou Sanjia was the River Lord’s real name.

This incident had come up when Su Wanjun left the God Domain, too.

“In that case, now that the Eternal Pact has been destroyed, the traitor expelled from Sword Sovereign City is likely somewhere on the River of Destiny,” Su Yi said thoughtfully.

The heart devil laughed. “When cultivators visit mundane kingdoms, they’re suppressed by their Laws and reduced to mere mortals. When cultivators of the Far Shore of Destiny visit the River of Destiny, they’re similarly fettered and suppressed.”

He looked up, and the Endless Expanse Hidden Realm burned like a scroll and withered away.

“But the experts of the Far Shore of the River of Destiny are still quite dangerous for you,” said the heart devil, suddenly gleeful. “If that traitor Hei Ya managed to locate the Malevolent Sword Venerate, I’m sure he understands your situation like the back of his hand.”

He then glanced down at the burnt, shattered Golden Cicada Substitution Talisman.

“This reminds me of an old friend of mine. His title was Jin Chan, the Golden Cicada. He was immensely capable, magnanimous, and upright,” said the heart devil, eyes shining with reminiscence. “Even on the Far Shore of Destiny, I could count those worthy of being my opponents on my fingers, but he was one of the few. He was the strongest of the bunch, too.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but be surprised. He knew that his first incarnation was the ruler of Sword Sovereign City, an extraordinary existence. How strong was this Golden Cicada person?

“Is he still alive?” Su Yi couldn’t help but ask.

The heart devil shrugged. “I don’t know, but I hope so. It’d be a shame if he’d died in my absence.”

A pained look appeared on his face. He said with resentment, “I paid a grievous price to help you this time, you know! I even struggled free of this sheath. This was an enormous act of kindness. You’d best not try to wriggle your way out of paying me back!”

Su Yi didn’t know what to say to that.

Before he could say anything, the heart devil said hurriedly, “Resolve the rest yourself. I’ve got to go back. Stay any longer, and that blasted sheath will grind away what remains of my source power!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he blurred into a beam of light and shot into the rusted sheath.

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. You had to pay a price to leave the sheath, huh? That might well be true, but there’s no way it’s as dire as you’re making it sound!

Su Yi gently patted the rusted sheath, then said, “What’s the big deal? Should the opportunity arise, I’ll ask you for help again, as often as I get the chance. You can go ahead and ask me for help as often as you like, too. It’ll all even out eventually.”

Within the rusted sheath, the heart devil reacted as if struck by lightning. He pounded the ground with his fist and sighed. That kid is getting craftier and craftier! If things go on like this, no amount of debt will be enough to suppress him. The more he piles on, the less he’ll feel its weight!

The heart devil suddenly sat up and laughed. Interesting! If anything, this only makes me more eager than before! This is how a true sword cultivator ought to be. He follows his heart without fear of overstepping, unfettered! Nothing can hold him back!

So what if he owes me a debt? So long as he can bear the weight of his accumulated debt, I can keep doing him favors! We’ll see who emerges victorious in the end!

Su Yi put away the rusted sheath, then gazed into the distance.

Mo Lanhe looked at him in a daze. Fu Lingyun’s eyes were wide, while Cen Xinghe had an obsequious smile plastered across his face.

……

A fierce battle was underway in the Ancient Nine Luminaries City. The entire city had been stirred up like a pot of porridge.

Heavenly Monarchs fell in battle, one after another, and numerous Sin Souls dissipated.

Innocence hovered beneath the dome of heaven, holding a blood-red spear. She’d already left the Sword-Bearer covered in wounds, his body battered and broken. Her eyes were utterly ferocious and terrifying, full of sin and malevolent murderous intent.

The Sword-Bearer didn’t back down, but his heart sank. Something isn’t right here! She’s far, far more terrifying than she should be.

They were spirits born of the Laws of Rahu and Ketu specifically. Both were part of the Laws of the Nine Luminaries, and they coexisted like Yin and Yang.

They should have been equal in strength, yet the incarnation of the Laws of Rahu was so strong that it seemed downright ridiculous!

When Heavenly Sovereign Zhenyue left, he entrusted the Sword-Bearer with watching over the Ancient Nine Luminaries City.

As the city’s guardian, the Sword-Bearer could control the city’s power to slaughter its enemies. Here, he was like a ruler!

At least, he should have been. Who could have imagined that the incarnation of Rahu would be far stronger than him, even after he drew on the city’s power?

Of course, the Sword-Bearer was astonished!

“Who… are you really?” he asked suddenly. He suspected that the incarnation of Rahu wasn’t what she seemed to be.

The little girl laughed coldly. “Submit, and I’ll tell you!”

Boom!

She attacked with even greater ferocity, to the point that the Sword-Bearer almost couldn’t take it anymore. His body was on the verge of splitting apart.

The girl hadn’t anticipated that the Sword-Bearer, the incarnation of the Laws of Ketu, would be so difficult to handle. More than that, she hadn’t anticipated that Heavenly Sovereign Zhenyue would grant him control over the city before he left.

It was to the point that she wasn’t just up against the Sword-Bearer; she was up against the combined power of the entire city.

“Esteemed Sword-Bearer, please hurry and unseal the city!” someone cried out frantically. The speaker was none other than Bi Yunzi of Sevendeaths Court.

Numerous Sin Souls had fallen over the course of the fierce battle, but the Heavenly Monarchs of the Five Great Continents had suffered even heavier casualties. By now, only a few dozen remained. And the casualties were still piling on!

Old Yao Kun Peng, Granny Snake, Fu Yong, Bi Yunzi, and the others wouldn’t last much longer.

The Sin Souls were far too brutal, and they weren’t the least bit afraid to die. Each was mightier than the one before.

By now, even Old Yao Kun Peng and the others were injured and frantic. If things went on like this, the best-case scenario was that both sides suffered heavy casualties. Worst-case scenario, the Heavenly Monarchs would all be wiped out!

Thus, Bi Yunzi requested that the Sword-Bearer undo the seal over the city and give them a chance to flee to safety.

But the Sword-Bearer ignored them. He wouldn’t go back on his promise to Jiang Wuchen. He knew that the “Jiang Wuchen” he’d made this agreement with was actually his heart devil, the Malevolent Sword Venerate, but that didn’t matter.

When the Sword-Bearer died, the seal over the Ancient Nine Luminaries City would dissipate on its own.

When Su Yi, Mo Lanhe, Fu Lingyun, and Cen Xinghe reappeared in the city, a bloody spectacle came into view.

The entire city reeked of blood, and the ground and buildings were covered in the vestiges of battle. Everything was in chaos.

The little girl instantly noticed their return, and despite herself, her heart clenched with fright.

A moment later, her little face contorted hideously, her eyes blazed with viciousness, and she attacked without reservation, putting her very life itself on the line.

“Go die!”

A blood-red spear flew through the air like an unstoppable beam of light, piercing the Sword-Bearer’s already battered frame.

A boundless swath of starlight cleaved into the girl, injuring her badly, but she didn’t even seem to notice. She tightened her grip on her spear and charged.

Boom!

Man and spear clashed in midair. The Sword-Bearer was run through, and his body exploded into pieces.

A fleeting scene of carnage.