First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2860 – The Divine Reverence Pavilion Master

The others all looked toward Patriarch Yu Liu, one of the most senior old-timers in all of Divine Reverence Pavilion.

Last time, before the battle between Heavenly Sovereigns in the Literati Continent even began, Patriarch Yu Liu accurately predicted the interference of numerous variables. He said that although Su Yi looked doomed, it was hard to predict the ultimate outcome.

And indeed, his predictions were right on the mark. Several Heavenly Sovereigns joined forces to attack, but in the end, they couldn’t take Su Yi and Lu Hongpao down.

All of them were beside themselves with admiration for Yu Liu’s judgment.

“It’s not like I’m omniscient. How could I possibly know where Su Yi wound up?” Patriarch Yu Liu shook his head.

But then, he shook his head and changed tacks. “That said, the emergence of experts from the Far Shore of Destiny will have a far greater impact on the Eternal Heavens Domain than you realize.”

A hint of anxiety appeared on his brow. “Perhaps similar battles between Heavenly Sovereigns will break out with greater and greater frequency. All the while, more and more terrifying experts of the Far Shore of Destiny will rise to the surface…”

The crowd gasped. Doesn’t that mean that the Eternal Heavens Domain is going to become increasingly turbulent?

“But all of that is in the future. No one can say for sure what will happen,” said Patriarch Yu Liu. “All I can say for certain is that after this battle, both Lu Hongpao and Su Yi won’t be showing themselves any time soon.”

He’d only just said this when someone approached with a message. “Patriarch, the Pavilion Master has invited you to the Ling Ran Hidden Realm for an audience.”

“The Pavilion Master?” Yu Liu looked stunned, but he quickly rose to his feet and dashed off.

The others were stunned. The Pavilion Master of Divine Reverence Pavilion was one of the most mysterious and transcendent experts in the entire Eternal Heavens Domain.

The vast majority of cultivators didn’t even know where the ancestral grounds of Divine Reverence Pavilion were located.

Throughout the ages, countless people had tried to uncover this secret. Even some of the Heavenly Sovereigns were curious, and they tried to approach members of Divine Reverence Pavilion in the hope of finding out more about their leader.

Unfortunately for them, they failed to uncover anything specific. All they knew for sure was that the Pavilion Master was a woman.

She’d sworn never to leave seclusion except of her own volition. Unless she was one day willing to leave, she’d spend the rest of her life in her seclusion grounds.

In other words, all she wanted was to spend the rest of her life there.

Aside from a few long-secluded old-timers, no one in Divine Reverence Pavilion knew the Pavilion Master’s origins.

The higher-ups attending today’s meeting had been told that the Pavilion Master was in seclusion way back when they first joined Divine Reverence Pavilion.

Even now, countless years later, Yu Liu was the only one of those gathered here who’d ever laid eyes on her.

The others had just heard from others of greater seniority that the Pavilion Master was already deep in seclusion when the curtain fell on the Devastation. In other words, she hadn’t left her territory once in the million years since the onset of the New Beginning!

It seemed absurd, but this was the reality.

To the rest of the Eternal Heavens Domain, the Pavilion Master’s identity was like an ancient bundle of riddles.

…

The Ling Ran Hidden Realm.

This was the Pavilion Master’s seclusion grounds. No one could enter without her permission.

When Patriarch Yu Liu arrived, he saw the Pavilion Master in a gazebo halfway up a mountain.

A middle-aged man in Daoist robes stood beside her. He was busily preparing delicacies and brewing tea.

A slender woman in plain hemp clothing leaned against a railing overlooking a sea of clouds. Yu Liu could only see her back.

A deer with soft fur as white as snow stood outside the gazebo, leisurely scouring the verdant grass for medicinal herbs to eat.

Yu Liu looked dazed. He’d already forgotten the last time he’d seen the Pavilion Master.

Yu Liu was one of the most ancient, senior experts of Divine Reverence Pavilion, but even he couldn’t help but feel as if a lifetime had passed since he’d last laid eyes on their leader.

But he quickly got his emotions under control, stood outside the pavilion, and clasped his fist in greeting. “Your subordinate greets you, Pavilion Master.”

He recognized their chef at a glance. This was the Qiongqi Mountain Lord, an old-timer who’d followed their Pavilion Master like a servant for countless years.

He’d once been extraordinarily famous on the River of Destiny as an unparalleled Yao Monarch and the master of Calm Seas Tower, one of the thirteen most famous towers of the Eternal Heavens Domain.

However, although few knew it, the mysterious master of Calm Seas Tower was actually one of their Pavilion Master’s attendants.

The only thing Yu Liu found strange about this situation was the woman in hemp clothing leaning against the railing.

“No need to stand on ceremony. I called you here because I have a question to ask,” said the Pavilion Master.

She casually sat before a little stove, holding a palm leaf fan in one hand and preparing tea with the other.

Her appearance suggested a woman in her early thirties. She was tranquil and serene, with a bearing as smooth as jade, and she wore loose, modest Daoist robes. Her sleeves were rolled up, revealing forearms as fair as lotus roots.

Her long black hair was casually tied up and held in place with a dark green bamboo pin. That aside, she had no other embellishments.

All in all, she seemed like a refined, elegant beauty. She wasn’t particularly striking, but she exuded a natural elegance. Those who gazed upon her forgot their worldly concerns, and the sight of her soothed the heart and soul.

Who knew what the cultivators of the Eternal Heavens Domain would think if they learned that this elegant woman was actually the mysterious Pavilion Master of Divine Reverence Pavilion?

“Please go ahead and ask. So long as it’s within my power to answer you, I’ll hold nothing back,” Yu Liu said solemnly.

In the outside world, Patriarch Yu Liu’s position was so lofty that even Heavenly Sovereigns had to treat him with a basic measure of respect.

Here, however, he seemed uncharacteristically reserved.

The Divine Reverence Pavilion Master said, “Have experts of the Far Shore of Destiny appeared in the Eternal Heavens Domain? Hm… If I’m not mistaken, something big just happened in the Literati Continent.”

Patriarch Yu Liu looked stunned. His heart filled with admiration.

He dared say with certainty that the Pavilion Master hadn’t left the Ling Ran Hidden Realm, nor had she inquired about the outside world. Despite this, she’d relied purely on her divination arts to piece together the clues. Her methods were truly unbelievable!

In the mundane world, a scholar could learn everything that went on beneath the heavens without ever leaving his home.

The Pavilion Master, meanwhile, used an unparalleled divine ability known as Divine Deduction to glean numerous mysteries from the ambient power of the Laws!

Patriarch Yu Liu took a moment to calm himself, then explained everything that had happened in the Literati Continent in full detail.

When he mentioned Su Yi, Patriarch Yu Liu noticed that the woman leaning against the railing reacted to his name.

But he wasn’t overly concerned, so he just went on with his report.

Once he’d finished describing the battle in the Literati Continent, he went on to report on the destruction of the Heart-Tempering Sword House.

Throughout his report, he didn’t dare to omit so much as a single detail.

After hearing the full story, the Pavilion Master inclined her head. “I understand. It’s no wonder that there was one variable I couldn’t divine. It must be because of Su Yi.”

This time, the woman in hemp turned around and asked, “Where is Su Yi now?”

This was Yu Liu’s first time seeing her face. His heart shook at the sight of her.

She was extraordinarily beautiful, with pure, exquisite features and snowy skin. She wore no embellishments, yet she had a natural elegance.

Her plain hemp clothing only emphasized her extraordinary beauty. She was so stunning that the rest of the world seemed to dim by comparison.

More importantly, Yu Liu noticed that her features were strikingly similar to the Pavilion Master’s!

His thoughts raced, but out loud, he just said, “Su Yi’s whereabouts are uncertain. No one knows where he went.”

The woman furrowed her delicate brow, then looked at the Pavilion Master. “Do you know?”

Her tone was a bit cold and rigid, but the Pavilion Master smiled, her gaze utterly warm and tender. “I told you earlier, didn’t I? Su Yi is the greatest variable in the River of Destiny, and he carries numerous taboo powers. Even I struggle to perform divinations when he’s involved.”

The woman in hemp pursed her lips but said nothing.

The Pavilion Master seemed to take pity on her. “I can send people to keep tabs on information regarding him for you.”

“No need for that,” said the woman in hemp, exiting the gazebo. “I’m tired, so I’m going to go rest.”

With that, she walked off.

The Qiongqi Mountain Lord was busy cooking when he saw this. He promptly set down what he was doing.

It hadn’t been easy for the Pavilion Master to bring the Young Mistress back. They’d planned to eat together today, only for the Young Mistress to leave suddenly before he’d even finished cooking.

The Pavilion Master rose as if to call her off, only to think better of it. In the end, she sighed in exasperation. “That child’s prejudice against me still runs far too deep.”

Finally, Patriarch Yu Liu could no longer restrain his curiosity. “Pavilion Master, is that young woman perhaps one of your juniors?”

The Pavilion Master said, “Her? She’s… my daughter. Her name is Ling Ran.”

Your daughter!!? Patriarch Yu Liu stiffened as if struck by lightning. Since when did the Pavilion Master have a daughter!?

“You can leave,” said the Pavilion Master. Her interest was obviously waning. She set down the tea she was brewing and just sat beneath the gazebo, pondering.

Patriarch Yu Liu forcefully suppressed his astonishment and confusion, bade farewell, and left.

“Master, the Young Mistress obviously cares a lot about Su Yi. This is no good,” the Qiongqi mountain Lord couldn’t help but whisper under his breath.

The Divine Reverence Pavilion Master fell briefly silent, then said, “Take a trip outside and find a way to meet with Su Yi.”

The Qiongqi Mountain Lord’s spirits rose. “Rest assured. Your subordinate knows what to do!”

“And what is it you want to do?” asked the Divine Reverence Pavilion Master.

The Qiongqi Mountain Lord didn’t even pause to think. “When I went to the God Domain to fetch the Young Mistress, I met with Su Yi and warned him to accept his situation and back off. I would never have guessed that he’d actually come all the way to the Eternal Heavens Domain, much less that he’d cause such a commotion! It seems I’ve got to have a conversation with him and end his relationship with the Young Mistress once and for all!”

The Divine Reverence Pavilion Master shook her head. “You’re jumping to conclusions, and you think too highly of your own judgment. Do you really think Su Yi is just some junior who found favor with the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign?”

The Qiongqi Mountain Lord froze, stunned. “Then what would you have me do?”

The Divine Reverence Pavilion Master said softly, “I want you to deliver a gift to him on my behalf.”

With that, she flicked her finger, and a snowy, crystalline jade slip floated toward the Qiongqi Mountain Lord.