First Immortal of the Sword

“Die!”

Before Su Yi could come up with a countermeasure, Ao Chiting swung his halberd and attacked.

Endless bright-red divine radiance poured around him, and his eyes were like twin blood-red suns. One attack, and dazzlingly sharp radiance burst forth. It would have been enough to slaughter any Great Profound Stage expert of the present day!

Even at Wang Ye’s peak, he would have needed to risk it all to contend with an opponent of this level.

Su Yi drew upon the Tree of All Worlds’ power without hesitation and dodged, but even so, a swath of destructive power swept over him, forcing him back and worsening his injuries.

“Fellow Daoist Su, I’ll hold him back. You snatch the Book of Karma!”

Xi Ning suddenly attacked. First, she flung a divine talisman, which erupted with the terrifying, taboo power of a god. Ao Chiting swayed on his feet.

But it was as if she’d poked a hornet’s nest. Ao Chiting’s face contorted, and he roared in fury. “Divine power? I’ll have you executed!!”

His voice was full of bone-deep hatred, and before it had even finished echoing through the air, he attacked like mad.

Xi Ning didn’t hesitate to reveal all the divine treasures and talismans she’d been keeping in reserve. She just flung them all at Ao Chiting without thinking.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

All types of terrifying destructive powers erupted. The entire hall shook violently. Ao Chiting staggered back on impact, his entire body covered in new wounds. He let out a bestial roar.

But he had no fear of death. His eyes were bloodshot, and he lunged at Xi Ning in a frenzy.

Su Yi didn’t hesitate in the slightest. He intercepted Ao Chiting and tried to wrench the Book of Karma from his grasp.

But Ao Chiting was incomparably frenzied. He waved his halberd like mad, sending Su Yi flying in the blink of an eye.

Xi Ning looked stricken. Even as she retreated, she poured everything she had into the Seven-Star Seal.

Clang!!!

A heaven-shaking impact rang out, and the Seven-Star Seal was sent flying.

Xi Ning’s delicate frame quivered, and her vital energy was thrown into disarray. The terrifying backlash made her cough up blood, and her beautiful face was now translucent with blood loss.

“Die!” Ao Chiting raised his blood-red halberd and swung at Xi Ning.

“Young Leader—!”

Fan Zhui didn’t hesitate to rush to her aid. However, before he could even draw near, the divine majesty emanating from Ao Chiting suppressed him, badly injuring him and practically cutting him open.

Despite herself, Xi Ning’s eyes revealed a hint of despair. She wasn’t afraid to die, but she wouldn’t have guessed that she’d run into the wraith of a former god while attempting to acquire the Book of Karma.

Xi Ning instinctively looked at Su Yi, but she saw no sign of him. She did, however, hear the mystical language of the dragons echoing throughout the treasury.

Like the low rumbling of thunder.

Xi Ning had no idea what the words meant, but she saw Ao Chiting stiffen, his red eyes suddenly full of bewilderment.

Su Yi then appeared out of nowhere, took Xi Ning’s jadelike hand, and led her away.

“You and Fan Zhui should just watch the battle. Leave this guy to me,” transmitted Su Yi.

He was already charging at Ao Chiting.

Ao Chiting had already recovered, and he was no longer dazed. On the contrary, Su Yi’s words seemed to have provoked him, and he fought with even greater madness and ferocity.

“Die!” Ao Chiting roared in fury and swung his halberd at Su Yi.

Off in the distance, Xi Ning looked dazed. Waves of emotions coursed through her.

Su Yi had swooped in so suddenly that she didn’t even have time to react. It was only now that she replayed what had happened that she realized he’d saved her life…

Her jade-like fingers quivered. They were still smeared with blood.

It was Su Yi’s. He’d left it there when he took her hand. It was a startling sight, and it was still hot, like a bundle of fire. Beneath this searing heat, Xi Ning’s icy Dao Heart showed signs of melting.

She took a deep breath and clenched her blood-smeared, jade-like hand, then turned her attention toward the battle. Su Yi was locked in fierce combat.

A strange light shone in Xi Ning’s starry eyes.

She wasn’t afraid to die, but such a close brush with death and despair was still a shock too great to describe in words. She’d remember that feeling for the rest of her life.

“Young Leader, are you okay?” The badly injured Fan Zhui approached with great difficulty. He’d tried to save her earlier, but he was too weak, so he only hurt himself. He was deeply ashamed of himself.

Xi Ning didn’t chastise him. Instead, she said gently, “I’m fine. You should tend to your wounds. Whether today ends in life or death, we’ll advance and retreat alongside Fellow Daoist Su.”

Fan Zhui’s spirits soared, and he grinned. “It would be my honor!”

……

Boom!

Su Yi and Ao Chiting clashed with increasing intensity.

However, upon closer inspection, Su Yi was at a disadvantage. If not for the power of Profound Ruin and the Tree of All Worlds, he’d have been defeated already.

The disparity in strength was just too enormous. No matter how heaven-defying Su Yi was, he was at best able to duke it out with Great Unity Stage cultivators.

And Ao Chiting was the wraith of a former god! He could slay even Great Profound cultivators with ease!

Suddenly, Su Yi was sent flying once more. His tall, thin frame was covered in bleeding wounds.

Earlier, he’d used the language of the dragons to try and reawaken Ao Chiting’s muddled awareness, and indeed, it had been effective. But the provocation had only made Ao Chiting all the more frenzied…

This left Su Yi at a loss for words, and he dared not make any further attempts lightly.

“Die!” Ao Chiting attacked once more. His hair bristled, and his face was sinister, his red eyes erupted with ferocious murderous intent. His momentum was so terrifying that even though Su Yi dodged, he couldn’t fully escape injury.

“Young Leader, Fellow Daoist Su…” Fan Zhui’s heart was on tenterhooks. He was completely frantic.

Su Yi’s injuries were increasingly severe, while Ao Chiting simply seemed invincible. His momentum was, if anything, all the more terrifying. It was enough to make one give in to despair.

Xi Ning said softly, “Worst case scenario, we die. I’m not afraid, and Fellow Daoist Su isn’t either.”

She’d only just said this when——

Boom!

Ao Chiting’s halberd swept through the air, and a waterfall of red light descended upon the already badly injured Su Yi.

This situation was enough to make just about anyone give in to despair, but both in this lifetime and his previous lifetimes, Su Yi had experienced such things countless times over. He didn’t panic, nor did he give in to fear. His heart didn’t so much as ripple.

Because he still had trump cards.

And more than one at that!

For example, the Sword of the Nine Hells, and the fact that he could, if pushed, break through and rise directly to the peak of the Great Realm…

Both of these hidden cards would resolve the problem at hand. He hadn’t used them yet simply because he wasn’t yet at the end of his rope.

But just as Su Yi was about to draw on the Sword of the Nine Hells, something occurred to him, and he took out a different treasure altogether.

A pitch-black six-inch sword coffin.

Kcch!

The six-inch stone coffin took to the air like a beam of black light and swung at Ao Chiting.

Bang!!

Ao Chiting’s descending halberd sent the six-inch sword coffin flying. Su Yi was forced back too. Both he and the sword coffin slammed into a corner of the hall.

Not enough? Su Yi frowned, but he had no time to give the matter any further thought. Ao Chiting was already attacking once more, his red halberd like the scythe of a death god.

Xi Ning held the Seven-Star Seal aloft and charged. How could she possibly just stand back and watch Su Yi die?

If we’re going to die… let’s die together!

Fan Zhui’s eyes widened. Young Leader, you…!!!

But then, a streak of black shot off the ground and blocked Ao Chiting’s strike.

It was the six-inch sword coffin!

It shot through the air, swathed in misty sword qi and seething murderous intent. When it landed, it didn’t just break Ao Chiting’s attack. It even sent him flying backward!!

“??” Su Yi was stunned. It worked?

Xi Ning had just been about to charge bravely to her death when she abruptly stopped in place. Her eyes bulged. What’s that?

Fan Zhui, meanwhile, was visibly overcome with delight. It seems we’ve… been saved!?

Before they could respond, the six-inch sword coffin let out a boundless, ancient hum. It rumbled and clanged, shaking the entire treasury.

Terrifying sword force enveloped the surrounding area. It was so intense that Su Yi and his companions felt a prickling pain on their skin, and their hearts shook.

Whoosh!

The six-inch sword coffin blurred into a beam of light and shot directly at the Book of Karma.

An unbelievable scene followed. The Book of Karma shrouded in chaos energy seemed startled. It broke free of Ao Chiting’s grip and tried to flee.

Bang!!

The six-inch sword coffin smacked it, sending it flying.

Even more surprising, the moment he lost the Book of Karma, Ao Chiting stood there in a daze, his explosive, ferocious aura suddenly thrown into disarray.

He suddenly seemed overcome with agony. His entire body convulsed, and his expression filled with torment, bewilderment, fury, and penance.

Su Yi and his companions exchanged glances, then sighed in relief.

Whoosh!

The six-inch sword coffin had no intention of staying its “hand.” It attacked once more, swinging at the Book of Karma.

It was as if an invisible hand were holding the coffin and swinging it like a brink, intent on pummeling the Book of Karma into wood pulp.

Whoosh!

The Book of Karma dodged, its pages flipping continuously. A line of text appeared on one of its blank pages. “Stop! Stop hitting me! We’re supposed to be on the same side!!”

Bang!

When the sword coffin struck, the Book of Karma seemed agonized. Its surface caved in, and it convulsed, struggled upright, and tried again to flee.

“Third Brother Sword, it’s me!!!”

A line of hastily scrawled text appeared on a blank page. The writing was full of frantic helplessness. “This was all just a misunderstanding… agh!”

Bang!!

The Book of Karma was sent flying once more. Its pages quivered like the flailing tentacles of a startled octopus.

“I said I was sorry, and I already took a beating. Can’t you give me a bit of face?”

Bang!!

“Dammit! Aren’t you done yet? Do you really think I’m afraid of you, Ol’ Third!?”

Bang!

“Ah! Ah! Okay, okay! I admit that I was wrong. What more do you want from me?”

Bang!!

Xi Ning and Fan Zhui stood there in a daze as the six-inch sword coffin relentlessly pummeled the Book of Karma. More than ever before, things… just didn’t seem quite real.

Su Yi rubbed his nose. He couldn’t resist the urge to laugh.