First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2837 – Wandering Beyond the Heavens, Mastering the Nine Luminaries

The Ancient Nine Luminaries City, outside the Forgotten Palace.

The little girl, Innocence, crouched on the stone steps, resting her little face in her hands as she gazed into the distance. Several hundred feet away, Cen Xinghe stood in the shadows, obviously reserved. From time to time, he glanced at the tightly shut doors of the Forgotten Palace.

If there was any other option, he wouldn’t have wanted to be this close to the master of all evils.

Earlier, while gathering the spoils, Cen Xinghe watched with his own eyes as she scooped up several Sin Souls who were working hard and who’d done nothing wrong, then devoured them like candy.

Even now, the thought of it sent chills coursing down Cen Xinghe’s spine. He longed for nothing more than to cling to his grandfather’s legs and stay by his side for all eternity.

Alas, Su Yi had spent all of the past seven days in the Forgotten Palace, and there was still no word from him.

That meant there was no one for Cen Xinghe to cling to.

“Are you homesick?” the little girl suddenly asked.

Cen Xinghe was stunned. Is she talking to me?

The little girl still gazed into the distance, then continued without waiting for a response, “Ah, but you’re one of those useless Sin Souls, and you died long ago during the Devastation. You haven’t had a home in a long time.”

Cen Xinghe lowered his head in silence. Sin Souls really were different from the people they’d been in life. They were aggregates of sin power, resentment, and baleful qi.

Their true bodies had died a long time ago. The Devastation was long since over, and the passage of time had taken its toll. Any homes they’d once had were long gone.

“But I have a home,” murmured the girl, her eyes suddenly flashing with unconcealable hatred. “I want to go back and ask who turned me into this. Then I’ll find the culprit and kill them!”

Ceng Xinghe was stunned. So, to her, feeling homesick means seeking revenge!

After a brief pause, Cen Xinghe asked tentatively, “Your Excellency, are you saying that you… hate yourself?”

“You’re saying I hate myself?” The girl suddenly reached for Cen Xinghe from afar, pulling him by the throat. Her mouth opened as if to devour him.

Cen Xinghe’s mind went blank, his whole body paralyzed with fright. But just as he thought he was finished, the little girl suddenly set him back down.

He collapsed onto the ground, breathing in ragged gasps.

“Don’t be afraid,” the little girl said casually. “You’re so skilled in flattery that even Master sees you in a new light. How could I possibly just kill you?”

She paused, then asked, “How about… you teach me how to flatter people, too?”

Cen Xinghe was completely tongue-tied. He felt as if his brain weren’t working. You’re the master of all evils, the spirit of the Laws of Rahu, the ruler of the Sin Souls, and an incarnation of all sins! Why would you possibly want to learn flattery? Is it necessary?

The little girl furrowed her brow, deep in thought. “I finally understand. I’ll do my best going forward and try to make Master see me as… one of his own!”

The girl’s eyes shone with longing. “That’s right, one of his own. If I do that, he might well take me home one day!”

She couldn’t forget the terrifying power of the Sword of the Nine Hells, much less the deep-seated terror the being in the rusted sheath had instilled in her.

Only then did Cen Xinghe understand. He forced himself to stay calm, then said softly, “Your Excellency, the first rule of flattery is that it can’t appear deliberate. Also, you must never, ever admit that you’re engaging in flattery.”

Innocence’s eyes widened. “Explain in detail.”

Cen Xinghe’s spirits rose. He cleared his throat, then said, “Since you commanded me, I’ll just have to display my humble skills. The Dao of Flattery runs deep. This humble one dares not boast, but I’ve grasped a few odds and ends. Your acknowledgment of my humble abilities is an enormous honor.”

The girl forcefully suppressed her disgust and impatience. “Hurry up and explain.”

Ceng Xinghe said solemnly, “The Dao of Flattery is all about sincerity. Your words must come from the heart. Everything you say and do, your every movement and gesture, down to the subtlest shifts in expression, must reveal your true feelings. Even the slightest hint of artifice will ruin it.”

The words flowed out of him. Innocence listened with rapt attention.

By the end of his explanation, the little girl couldn’t help but look moved. She exclaimed, “Cen Xinghe, no wonder Master favors you! So, you were actually this impressive!”

Cen Xinghe hurriedly waved the praise away and said with shame, “You exaggerate, Your Excellency. Thus far, I’ve only grasped the essence of ‘thick-faced shamelessness.’ That’s why my flattery seems so… ah, shameless.

“But that’s far from enough!” Cen Xinghe sighed. “True mastery of flattery is as formless as the Grand Dao. It forms naturally and leaves no vestige. No one can detect it, yet it leaves both those involved and those watching from the outside feeling incomparably comfortable and good!

“It’s as refreshing as a nice, cool glass of plum juice on a hot summer day. That’s the goal I’m striving for!”

Innocence suddenly rose and looked at Cen Xinghe. “You’ll be my flattery teacher going forward!”

Cen Xinghe hurriedly bowed. “I’ll do my utmost to fulfill my duty, no matter the risk and no matter the cost!”

Meanwhile, in the hall, the corners of Su Yi’s lips twitched. Since when was flattery a Grand Dao worth striving for and studying? And since when was I the type that enjoyed fawning and flattery?

But even Su Yi had to admit that Cen Xinghe had indeed grasped some of the profound mysteries of flattery. However, his mastery was lacking compared to Pu Xuan.

Pu Xuan’s flattery was witty, and he excelled at self-deprecation, but he also knew the proper limits. He spoke with eloquence and charm. Otherwise, how could he possibly have won Lu Hongpao’s favor?

Before long, Su Yi shook his head and set the matter aside.

Over the past seven days, he’d established firm foundations in the Divine Wandering Realm.

Divine Wandering was the second of the Five Realms of Eternity.

The name “Divine Wandering” was taken from the concept of the divine spirit wandering beyond the heavens!

The Grand Dao was like the heavens, but the spirit wandered beyond the heavens!

Upon reaching this stage, even if the body was ground away completely, so long as the source of one’s Dao hadn’t dissipated and even the barest wisp of will remained, cultivators had hope of revival!

A thought could give rise to ten thousand Daoist magics, and will could restore life to the dying!

Of course, although destroying an opponent’s last thread of will in a battle between Eternals was difficult, it wasn’t impossible.

There were countless Daoist magics and divine abilities, and Eternals had all manner of wondrous and unexpected tricks and treasures. They were enough to kill even the seemingly unkillable.

Besides, once someone’s body was destroyed and their powers of the Grand Dao dissipated, it was extraordinarily difficult to return to their former peak even if a wisp of their awareness lived on.

Thus, Divine Wandering Realm cultivators weren’t really unkillable!

The true mysteries of the Divine Wandering Realm lay in tempering one’s Eternal Avatar.

But to Su Yi, the chances resulting from this breakthrough were nowhere near so limited.

The most obvious of these changes was that the Epoch Spark had grown from a seedling into a towering, majestic Epoch Tree. Its leaves were lush, and its trunk was like gold. It was rooted in the chaos, and a rain of chaos light fell around it. The power of the Laws interwove and transformed around it.

That aside, his body, cultivation base, and Laws of the Grand Dao had each undergone a startling transformation.

This was the result of a breakthrough.

A natural barrier existed between each of the Five Realms of Eternity. Each breakthrough was typically endlessly difficult; it wasn’t just a matter of time and effort.

With the power of Jiang Wuchen’s Dao Imprint, Su Yi’s understanding of the Five Realms of Eternity was naturally nothing like it had been before.

In the Eternal Heavens Domain, advancing from one of the Five Realms of Eternity to another within ten thousand years was already unparalleled.

To do so repeatedly wasn’t absolutely impossible, but it was exceedingly rare. Such Eternals were less than one in ten thousand; thousands upon thousands of years might pass without one arising.

It had been less than ten years since Su Yi had broken into Eternity, yet he’d already stepped into the Divine Wandering Realm. His advancement speed alone was enough to put the overwhelming majority of cultivators to shame.

But Su Yi had never fixated on the speed of his breakthroughs. He’d managed this speedy breakthrough because of what he’d experienced since reaching the River of Destiny.

His journeys in the Blue Peak and Literati Continents had both been full of peril, but he’d also had numerous unbelievable fortuitous encounters and strokes of good fortune.

Thus, his cultivation had advanced rapidly.

When he thought about it, the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign had guided his journey in secret this entire time. In light of that, it would have been stranger if he hadn’t had an enormous harvest.

Of course, the true key to Su Yi’s success was his own abilities!

No matter what variables arose during this trip into the Nine Luminaries Forbidden Zone, Lu Hongpao never once interfered.

It was a test. If he performed badly, he could forget about receiving any rewards.

Su Yi rose, then walked confidently over to the wall at the far end of the room.

It was like gazing into a vast, mysterious starscape brimming with chaos power.

The Laws of Ketu were hidden inside!

By now, Su Yi already understood why Jiang Wuchen hadn’t acquired the Laws of Ketu. It was simple; Jiang Wuchen was worried that doing so would hurt the Sword-Bearer!

At the time, the Sword-Bearer had just endured the Devastation, and his source power was on the brink of drying up. Jiang Wuchen could have easily refined him and seized control of the Laws of Ketu, but he chose not to. Instead, he used numerous rare and precious treasures to help the Sword-Bearer recover.

To the Sword-Bearer, this was a life-saving act of benevolence, but to Jiang Wuchen, it meant losing his opportunity to master the Laws of Ketu.

The Sword-Bearer had promised to give him the Laws of Ketu to make up for it later, but Jiang Wuchen didn’t live to see that day.

It was because of this life-saving benevolence that the Sword-Bearer was willing to obey the Malevolent Sword Venerate’s orders even at the cost of his own life.

The Sword-Bearer knew that Su Yi was Jiang Wuchen’s reincarnation, but it was clear that deep within his heart, he only acknowledged Jiang Wuchen, not Su Yi.

Su Yi didn’t feel any particular way about it. It was just a connection from another life; that karmic thread had ended with the Sword-Bearer’s death.

As he pondered, Su Yi stretched out his hand and grabbed.

The wall rumbled and boomed. Chaos mist rose, and a river of stars flew forth like a silver dragon. When Su Yi grabbed it, it rumbled and boomed, condensing into a bundle of the light of the Grand Dao.

The Laws of Ketu!

One of the Laws of the Nine Luminaries!

Now, Su Yi had gathered the complete set.

He promptly started refining the Laws of Ketu, and an unbelievable, strange vision spread outward with Su Yi at its center.