First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1070 - The Ten Directions Yao Mountains

The Ten Directions Yao Mountains were a perilous place famous throughout the Wilds.

Ever since ancient times, the mountains had been viewed as the ancestral origin of the Wilds’ Yao cultivators!

The mountains rose and fell, covering almost nine hundred thousand miles. They were home to countless skulking ghosts, monsters, and yao of all sorts.

Deep within the mountain wilderness, there were Nine Great Yao Emperors. Each ruled over tens of thousands of yao cultivators, and each occupied a stretch of the mountains. They were comparable to the Wilds’ top factions.

The strongest of them, the Red Pine Yao Emperor, was a mighty yao of the Profound Unity Realm. A long time ago, his illustrious name had shaken the Wilds.

Rumor had it that the Red Pine Yao Emperor had sixty-four Imperial Realm yao amongst his subordinates!

Buddhist Master Inkstone Heart once proclaimed that if hell existed in the Wilds, it was surely somewhere in the Ten Directions Yao Mountains.

The seniormost Pure One of the Nine Extremes Profound Capital once proclaimed that the Ten Directions Yao Mountains were indeed the origin of all yao beneath the heavens, and that its history could be traced back to the Wilds’ lost prehistory!

But practically none of the Wilds’ human cultivators dared to explore these mountains.

The reason for this was simple: it was too dangerous!

Throughout history, never mind ordinary cultivators, even Emperors rarely returned from the Ten Directions Yao Mountains alive!

But to Su Yi, visiting the Ten Directions Yao Mountains was little different from revisiting familiar territory.

What did it mean to be sovereign over the Wilds?

It meant that within the bounds of the Wilds and its associated worlds, no matter where he went, he could call himself sovereign!

The Ten Directions Yao Mountains were no exception.

And this honor was unique to the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force.

……

The ancient wilderness rose and fell, and the peaks were shrouded in mist. The scenery was desolate, primordial, and chaotic.

There were countless yao and their ilk distributed amongst the nine hundred thousand miles of wilderness. They included the nature spirits of trees and grasses, as well as birds and terrestrial beasts.

There was also no shortage of variant species and supreme spirit beasts extremely rare in the outside world!

Boom!

A thousand-foot-long black serpent shot out of a lake, opened its gaping maw, and bit into a hundred-foot golden bird, dragging it into the water’s depths.

The water’s surface churned, and the waters were dyed red. But soon, the lake returned to its former tranquility.

In the distance, a troop of Redblood Violent Apes walked the slopes, their roars shaking the heavens. Everywhere they passed, they scattered dirt and stone, and baleful mists surged into the heavens.

Their arms seemed powerful beyond measure. If they attacked as a group, they could easily tear Profound Illumination Emperors apart!

Fire-red ants, each over a foot tall, swept across an uncultivated grassland like a windstorm. Every beast they encountered along the way, no matter how terrifying, was instantly attacked and devoured. As the swarm passed, they left the grassland piled high with bones.

……Such scenes were common throughout the Ten Directions Yao Mountains.

A Ghostmask Falcon comparable to a Profound Illumination Emperor was flying leisurely beneath the sky when a streak of sword light flashed.

Splurt!

The falcon’s head fell off, spraying the blue skies with blood.

Before its three-foot corpse hit the ground, a large, fair hand grabbed it.

“Let’s rest here for now. Roast that dirty beast, and let’s have ourselves a good meal.” Su Yi casually tossed the Ghostmask Falcon to Ye Luo. Meanwhile, he walked over to a nearby stream, took out his wicker chair, and sprawled out comfortably.

Ye Luo quickly got to work.

This was their third day on Ten Directions Yao Mountain, and they’d already encountered too many yao to count.

But most of them had fallen prey to this master and apprentice…

Ye Luo crouched beside a campfire. As he roasted meat, he said, “Master, we’ve killed quite a few beasts along the way, and we’ve made no attempt to hide our trail. If this really is a trap Pi Mo set for us, I’m afraid Firecloud Cave’s Blue Ox Yao Emperor already knows we’re on our way.”

“Mm,” said Su Yi, not the least bit concerned. “That way, they’ll be able to make ample preparations.”

Ye Luo was instantly at a loss for words.

But he could roughly guess what his master was thinking. He wants to give our enemies enough time to prepare. That way, he can take them all out at once!

The stronger you are, the more you disdain to hide what you’re up to. Skulking? Plotting? Scheming? There’s no need for any of that! You can just cut through everything in your way!

“I’m more worried about the Wang Family’s old-timers,” said Ye Luo. “They’ve long since come to the Ten Directions Yao Mountains to save Fifth Senior Apprentice Brother Wang Que. If they fall into Pi Mo’s trap, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “The old-timers of the Wang Family are in no way reckless, and I’m sure they’re well aware of how dangerous these mountains are. It seems to me that they won’t do anything reckless until they’ve gotten a handle on the situation. Otherwise, they’ll struggle to protect themselves, let alone save anyone else.”

Ye Luo nodded.

Before long, the enticing fragrance of roasting meat permeated the air. Master and apprentice sat by the campfire, drinking and feasting.

Soon, they’d eaten their fill, and they were just about to continue their journey.

However, it was then that they heard someone shooting through the skies at top speeds. A swarm of fire-red ants was pursuing a tall, thin old man!

The elder’s clothes were in tatters, his hair was disheveled, and he was covered in blood. His wounds were obviously quite severe, and it seemed he was fleeing with everything he had in him. He’d even lit his cultivation base ablaze.

And the ants were strange and hideous.

They were each about a foot tall, the size of a leopard cat, and they looked as if they’d been forged out of fiery copper. They had strange blue eyes.

They were as quick as lightning, ferocious, and strange. When they attacked en masse, it was as if a red cloud were sweeping across the landscape.

Copper Fire Ants, a primordial variant species!

Su Yi identified the ants at a glance. They had innate, immeasurable power, and they controlled insidious fire poison. They attacked in swarms, and their venom was so toxic that as strong as Emperors were, one bite was enough to damage their souls. Severe poisoning could even lead to death!

“That’s High Elder Wang Zhuofu of the Middle Province Wang Family!” Ye Luo exclaimed. He recognized the tall, thin old man the Copper Fire Ants were chasing.

As they conversed, there was yet another strange development beneath the distant dome of heaven——

A thousand-foot black serpent appeared out of nowhere and silently shot through the sky, like a miniature mountain range blocking the elderly Wang Zhuofu’s path.

“This is bad!” Wang Zhuofu was stunned, but just as he was about to change directions, the Copper Fire Ants fanned out, sealing off all possible escape routes.

Up ahead, the massive black serpent let out a thunderous roar and charged at Wang Zhuofu.

Boom!

The snake was incomparably vast, and it stirred up monstrous, blood-red arcs of electricity. They blanketed heaven and earth like a net, and destructive power spread beneath the dome of the sky.

Meanwhile, the ants took action. Wang Zhuofu was instantly surrounded on all sides!

“Master, it looks like the situation is serious!” Ye Luo furrowed his brow.

They’d already guessed that old-timers of the Middle Province Wang Family might well have fallen into Pi Mo’s trap. Now, they indeed saw Wang Zhuofu under attack.

Ye Luo sensed that this didn’t bode well.

“Let’s save him first,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he stepped into the air and soared.

Clang!

Moonlit Shadow shot forth. Su Yi shifted, and an illusory, ethereal streak of sword qi cleaved through the air.

One slash, that’s all, but it shattered the blood-red lightning filling the sky like an axe through rotten wood, taking the massive serpent’s head clean off!

A waterfall of blood came pouring down, followed by a massive, serpentine corpse.

But this was only the beginning——

They then watched as Su Yi strolled through the skies, his sword striking like lightning. With each thrust, he accurately pierced a Copper Fire Ant’s abdomen, disemboweling them and cleaving them into pieces.

Just three snaps of the fingers later, all nineteen Copper Fire Ants had been exterminated, easy as could be. It was a one-sided curb stomp.

Wang Zhuofu was left wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

Just moments prior, he’d been surrounded, furious, and on the brink of despair. He’d been prepared to fight without regard for his life.

Who’d have thought a young man in blue would appear out of nowhere and slay all those yao in the blink of an eye?

“Fellow Daoist, many thanks for saving my life!” Wang Zhuofu finally reacted as if awakening from a dream. He walked up and clasped his fists, his expression full of gratitude.

Su Yi subtly inclined his head. “It was as easy as turning over my hand. No need to be so polite.”

Ye Luo then rushed over and said, “Senior, are you alright?”

Wang Zhuofu was Wang Que’s senior. Furthermore, he had high seniority in the Middle Province Wang Family. As Wang Que’s junior apprentice brother, it was only right that he called Wang Zhuofu “senior.”

“Fellow Daoist Ye Luo?” Wang Zhuofu exclaimed, “What are you doing here?”

Ye Luo said, “Master and I have come to save Senior Apprentice Brother Wang Que.”

‘Master!?’

Wang Zhuofu trembled from head to toe, and his eyes widened. He’d obviously just realized who his young, blue-robed savior was!

But soon, his expression shifted, and he looked a bit hesitant. “Sir, should I call you the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force, or… Su Yi?”

He’d clearly heard the rumors that had taken the Wilds by storm, and he was a little uncertain.

Ye Luo furrowed his brow. “Senior, how can you trust mere rumors? Besides, if Master hadn’t intervened on your behalf, I’m afraid you’d have struggled to escape the ants’ encirclement.”

Wang Zhuofu instantly felt awkward, and he hurriedly explained, “I had no ill intentions, and I’m not the ungrateful sort. It was just a moment’s muddleheadedness. Please, don’t take offense.”

As he spoke, he bowed to Su Yi, then to Ye Luo.

Only then did Ye Luo’s expression mellow.

But Su Yi waved dismissively. “No matter who I am, I did just save your life. How about we find a place for a chat?”

Wang Zhuofu straightforwardly nodded his agreement.

But just as the three of them were about to set off, Su Yi seemed to sense something. His eyes flashed with cold light, and he suddenly raised Moonlit Shadow and struck the sky ten thousand feet to the southwest.

Boom! action

The distant skies exploded, and amidst the surging firelight, a thumb-sized purple moth shot into the distance. However, before it got far, the boundless sword light chopped it into powder.

Wang Zhuofu and Ye Luo were both stunned and bewildered.

“That was a Purplewing Spirit Moth. When our opponent controls these moths, they can use them as additional eyes. Everything the moth sees is transmitted directly into their master’s sea of consciousness,” Su Yi said casually. “That means that someone arranged your pursuit—and your rescue—from behind the scenes.”