First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1171: The Swordsman Atop the River of Destiny!

When Su Yi fused with the Temple Masters memories and experiences, there was no avoiding absorbing his personality, perceptions, and even his feelings.

This might not have seemed dangerous in the past, but after the Temple Masters repeated warnings, Su Yi was naturally well aware that if he let the Temple Masters personality, perceptions, and feelings influence him too much, hed become yet another Temple Master!

While fusing with the Temple Masters Dao Imprint and combing through his experiences, Su Yi didnt reject anything, but he continuously used his Dao Heart as a guide, not daring to be the slightest bit negligent.

Su Yi had never experienced anything like this before, and it wasn't hard to understand why.

In his past life, he sought out the cycle of reincarnation of his own accord, ultimately realizing rebirth. When he reawakened his memories, his past and present lives merged completely. There was no longer a distinction between them.

It was different with the Temple Master. His eighth life as the Temple Master, his seventh life as Shen Mu, and his other incarnations had all achieved rebirth through the Sword of the Nine Hells.

Thus, their Dao Imprints were sealed within the Sword of the Nine Hells.

This was why fusing with the Temple Masters Dao Imprint took Su Yi so much time and effort. He needed to sift through it all and adapt accordingly.

It was during this process that Su Yi suddenly realized that the seemingly unfettered, carefree Temple Master carried an enormous regret!

Rather, a memory so painful, he couldn't bear to recall it!

It involved a woman named Wang Yao.

The Temple Master was born into poverty, and both of his parents were farmers. His family lived in the same village as Wang Yaos, and they were childhood friends and playmates.

Both were ordinary mortals born and raised destitute. Their feelings for each other were as pure as could be.

When the Temple Master left to take the imperial examinations, their parents agreed to arrange their wedding upon his return.

But against all expectations, when he got second place in the national examinations, they kept him in the imperial capital to work for the government.

Later, he returned to his village in triumph. He planned to wed her upon arrival, only to discover that his parents had been killed by bandits. Wang Yao had died in the resulting bloodbath too.

The tragedy completely changed his personality, and he regretted it for the rest of his life. He believed that had he returned immediately after finishing the national examination, this tragedy could have been averted.

It was the biggest regret of the Temple Masters lifetime.

It didnt matter how far he advanced in his cultivation or how lofty his reputation was. Whenever he thought about this tragedy, he sank into a depression.

It was for this reason that the Temple Master never married.

When Su Yi learned this, he too felt melancholy. These emotions affected his Dao Heart and mental state.

He could have easily severed them, preventing them from influencing him. But in the end, he chose not to.

Instead of severing these emotional fetters, he used his Dao Heart to fuse with them. If he simply got rid of them, he couldnt fuse with the entirety of the Temple Masters life.

If he eliminated anything that threatened his mentality before it even became a problem, it would unquestionably imply that his current Dao Heart feared the Temple Masters Dao Imprint!

And if he lived his life in fear, it would inevitably influence his mentality!

Fusing with it was different. His mind would take in everything. The Temple Masters life would flow into him, like river water pouring into the sea!

Time slipped by, and three months passed in a flash.

Within his immortal cave, Su Yi silently opened his eyes.

The vicissitudes of the years surged in the depths of his gaze, with profound and inscrutable Dao Light.

But in the end, all of this disappeared. The depths of his gaze regained their distant tranquility, like still autumn waters.

Su Yi let out a breath of turbid air.

His mentality, his knowledge, his horizons, his perceptions All were completely different from before! But at the same time, he hadnt changed. He was still Su Yi, and he was still the Su Xuanjun whod undergone reincarnation to cultivate anew.

Reincarnation, rebirth, different powers, and different Daos, have all converged in me. Its truly too wondrous for words whispered Su Yi, a hint of a carefree, natural smile on his face. If I want to be, I can be the Temple Master. I can act freely without overstepping. Theres no longer any need to rigidly differentiate between us!

He took out a jug of wine and drank with relish.

Then, he shut his eyes once more.

This time, he wanted to use the Mysterious Truths of the Apex of Genesis as a key to investigate the secrets of the Sword of the Nine Hells!

Within his sea of consciousness.

When Su Yi circulated the power of the Apex of Genesis and sensed the Sword of the Nine Hells aura, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

On the hilt of the sword, the first of its divine chains suddenly reflected a boundless, surging river!

It coursed through the void, surging toward the endlessly distant unknown, eternal and undying, with neither beginning nor end!

Ages rose and fell in waves, and its waters contained the shifting of worldly affairs. The past, the present, the future, all of it cycled and transformed within the river.

Shaking the heart!

The River of Destiny!

Su Yi was astonished.

Thanks to the Temple Masters memories and experiences, he immediately recognized this for what it was. He suspected that the strange phenomenon reflected on the hilt of the Sword of the Nine Hells was none other than the mysterious, unknown River of Destiny!

He knew this back when the Temple Master was still in the Oneness Realm, he too happened to witness this scene. However, he obtained nothing from it in the end.

This time, Su Yi had used the Apex of Genesis as a key to unlock the Sword of the Nine Hells secrets and witness the mysterious, unknown River of Destiny once more!

The waters surged, ages rose and fell, worldly affairs alternated. It seemed as if all of the countless Daos of the heavens were within the rivers flow, and the water emanated the aura of eternity.

The seven divine chains of the Sword of the Nine Hells seemed extraordinarily silent, as if intimidated by the River of Destiny. None of them shifted in the slightest.

Su Yi suppressed his astonishment, calmed his heart, and sensed the river.

In that moment, something boomed within his sea of consciousness. Suddenly, he was standing in the middle of the river, enveloped in the passing ages, tossed by the shifting of worldly affairs, surrounded by the endless waves of the Grand Daos, flowing downstream, unable to do anything but go with the flow.

These visions and sensations made it seem as if he had sunk into chaos, unable to extricate himself.

An indescribable sense of suppression and terror arose within his heart. He felt strongly that if he couldnt struggle free from this strange state soon, something terrible would happen!

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Yi circulated his cultivation base.

But his struggles seemed completely useless. He was as thin and frail as a leaf, and he was enveloped in the current of the passing of the ages. Furthermore, it seemed as if the countless Daos of creation were ostracizing him

Despite himself, his expression shifted. He felt utterly helpless.

He dared say with certainty that the Temple Master had never experienced anything like this. If he had, it would absolutely be within his memories!

Isnt the power of the Sword of the Nine Hells a bit too unreasonably strong? Su Yi grimaced. Its even more unbelievable than the Domain Laws I saw in my past life

Domain Laws transcended even the Celestial Laws of star realms!

In the Hundred Great Star Realms of outer space, Domain Laws represented the pinnacle of strength!

Throughout the Eastern Profound Star Domain, there were thirty-three Celestial Laws supreme within their star realms. These included the Laws of Heavenly Prayer and Spirit Nirvana.

But there were only seven currently known Domain Laws!

The Temple Masters Laws of the Light of the Universe was the most transcendent and mysterious Domain Law of the stars!

But now, Su Yi suddenly realized that compared to the power of the River of Destiny, the Laws of the Light of the Universe were but a single splash of water

This realization naturally left him stunned. Hed already inherited the Temple Masters wisdom and experience. That this shook him was clear proof of how wondrous and unknown the River of Destiny was.

I have to escape as soon as possible!

Su Yi forced himself to calm down.

He sensed only chaos. He was swathed in its power, unable to break free, as if ostracized from the Dao. That sensation of helplessness was overwhelming.

Su Yi knew that the Sword of the Nine Hells power was affecting him. Most likely, it was targeting his soul, preventing him from freeing himself.

And it was possible

Su Yi had only just thought this when he sensed a hint of a familiar aura.

Reincarnation!

Su Yi no longer hesitated to circulate what hed mastered of the Mysterious Truths of Reincarnation!

He was like a drowning man who'd suddenly seized hold of a boulder. Su Yi abruptly reawakened from that muddled state of being enveloped in the River of Destiny.

When he next looked at the hilt of the Sword of the Nine Hells, he saw that the River of Destiny was still flowing, but now, an ethereal figure stood atop it.

Water sprayed around his feet, but no matter how the ages surged or worldly affairs changed, nothing shook him in the slightest.

He was as steady as a boulder, standing proudly in the River of Destiny!

His figure was obviously ethereal and indistinct, yet he seemed unmovable, eternal, indestructible and unshakable!

Su Yi was quite surprised.

Rumor has it that when you glimpse the wondrous truths of eternity and grasp the Laws of Destiny, you can stand above all other Daos. You can watch from on high as the world changes beneath you, perceive the wonders of the shifting of the ages, and experience the mysteries of the alternating of eras

A calm, clear voice emanated from the river.

Su Yi gasped. That ethereal figure was talking to himself!

But I sought the Dao through the sword, and struggled amidst the cycle of reincarnation. I searched and searched, but in the end, I found no answers

I had no enemies left in this world, so I became my own enemy. In the end, I discovered that what I sought could only be obtained through reincarnation

The voice was like the clear humming of a sword emanating from a bygone age. It contained a hint of desolation and melancholy.

That illusory figure standing above the River of Destiny slowly turned around and looked at Su Yi.

The Sword of the Nine Hells rumbled, and its seven divine chains clattered.

His gaze alone made Su Yis heart shake, and his soul quivered, as if a supreme ruler were staring him down.

His expression shifted dramatically, and he hurriedly circulated his cultivation base and fought to stay calm.

But a moment later, all of these strange developments disappeared without a trace.

The Sword of the Nine Hells no longer rumbled, and its seven divine chains returned to their former tranquility.

The illusory figure standing atop the River of Destiny chuckled, then sighed. Those who comprehend reincarnation can see the edges of destiny. Ol Brother Chen Xi really didnt lie to me!

All of this seemed incomparably foreign to him.

But when he looked at that illusory figure above the River of Destiny, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Hed felt much the same way when he first saw the Temple Masters remnant will.

How could Su Yi fail to realize what this meant? That illusory figure was almost certainly another of his past lives!

Seth's ThoughtsL1terary-N0v3l hosted the first appearance of this chapter at N0vel.B1n.

SO. Um. Theres an author note, but it spoils some stuff from the end of the Prodigies War. The Prodigies War is finished in China, but it isnt finished here, so Im just going to like translate around it?

Anyway, here goes:

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Also, Chen Xi from Talisman Emperor is mentioned here in passing. I havent read Talisman Emperor, and while I might do so at some point, I quite frankly just dont have time right now. Im going to try and keep shared terminology consistent, but if I miss a reference or a term, Id be really grateful if you pointed it out in the comments or on discord. Thanks!