First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1226 - Falling Out

The dark-robed old man said slowly, “Are you... Emperors of the Dark and Gold Star Realm too?”

He conducted his affairs with caution, so although he was delighted, he couldn’t help but find Su Yi’s fearlessness strange.

As he spoke, he glanced at the middle-aged man in python robes and the beautiful older woman, telling them not to move yet.

The old man in Daoist robes looked stunned. He said hurriedly, “Friend, I urge you to leave as soon as possible. If you get swept into this, I’m afraid you’ll lose your life too.”

Su Yi laughed dryly. “Three ants, that’s all. I’d actually love it if they had the power to threaten me, but alas, they do not.”

“???” The black-robed elder didn’t know what to make of that.

The middle-aged man in python robes took a sudden big step forward, his expression darkening.

“An ant? I’d actually like to see what makes you qualified to boast like that!”

As soon as his cold voice rang out, the middle-aged man in python robes swung his saber.

Boom!

Lightning poured down like a waterfall, and saber qi swept forth like mad.

“Careful!” The dark-robed elder’s heart clenched, and he immediately tried to go all out.

Who’d have thought that someone would press down on his shoulders, preventing him from moving a muscle?

Meanwhile, he saw the blue-robed young man beside him extend and snap his fingers.

Bang!

That furious slash of saber qi shattered into a rain of light, filled the skies, and dissipated.

Off in the distance, the middle-aged man in python robes exploded into ash.

A casual, effortless snap of the fingers, and he’d slain a peak Profound Serenity Emperor!

The entire area fell so silent that you could have heard a pin drop.

The old man in Daoist robes stared, wide-eyed and tongue-tied. He almost thought he was dreaming.

This is what they mean when they say... ‘try it and die,’ right?

Bean-sized beads of sweat poured down the dark-robed elder and beautiful woman’s foreheads. Their expressions froze in place, as if they’d been struck by lightning. A single thought arose in their minds: “We just kicked an iron board!”

The lightning saber clattered to the ground.

The beautiful woman shuddered from head to toe, turned tail, and fled.

Su Yi snapped his fingers.

Whap!

The entire stretch of heaven and earth was instantly sealed. Space seemed to freeze.

The beautiful older woman was like a bug stuck in a spider’s web. She couldn’t move at all.

These were the Laws of Restricting the Profound.

One of the supreme Laws born of the Dark and Gold Star Realm. Those who mastered this power could transform heaven and earth into a cage at will, restricting everything therein!

Even if targets used spatial secret arts, they could forget about escaping.

“You... You... Just who are you!?” The beautiful woman shrieked in abject terror, the blood draining from her beautiful face.

The dark-robed old man gulped with great difficulty. He felt a chill in his hands and feet.

By now, how could he fail to realize that despite his “mere” Imperial Realm aura, this young man was actually an incredibly terrifying existence?

“Do you know why the cultivators of the Dark and Gold Star Realm are being targeted?” asked Su Yi.

The beautiful woman said in a quavering voice, “I don’t know, but I can swear to the heavens that I truly...”

Bang!

She instantly exploded into ash and dissipated into thin air.

“What about you?” Su Yi looked at the old man in black robes.

The old man instantly felt as if he were on the verge of breaking down. He rasped, “Friend, we’re from Flying Cloud Tower. Aren’t you afraid that if you kill us...”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. “It seems you don’t know either.”

His interest was waning, so we waved his sleeves.

Bang!

The old man in black robes exploded too. There was a brief, bright splash of red, almost like fireworks. A moment later, nothing remained of him but ash.

After taking all of this in, the old man in Daoist robes couldn’t help but rub his eyes. Only then did he dare say with certainty that this wasn’t an illusion. That had really happened!

His expression instantly filled with dazed excitement. Three Emperors, reduced to ash in a flash!

How terrifying of a cultivation base did one need to possess such unparalleled divine majesty?

“Come on, let’s find a place and have ourselves a chat.” Su Yi put his hands behind his back and sauntered off.

Qing Wan followed obediently behind him.

The old man in Daoist robes froze, stunned, then hurried after them.

“This old man is called Yue Kuiju. I’m from the Wilds’ Nine Extremes Profound Capital. Senior, many thanks for saving my life!” the old man in Daoist robes said gratefully.

Su Yi said distractedly, “You have one of your sect’s ancestors to thank for this.”

The old man’s heart stirred. “Senior, dare I ask if you’re acquainted with one of our sect’s ancestors?”

Su Yi nodded but didn’t explain.

When he saw that Su Yi wasn’t willing to discuss it any further, the old man in Daoist robes considerately refrained from asking any further questions.

But a moment later, a concerned look appeared on his face. “Senior, Flying Cloud Tower is one of the greatest factions in Skyblue City, and it’s suspected that a top faction of the stars stands behind them. Shouldn’t we.... Flee as soon as possible?”

He saw that Su Yi was acting like none of this had anything to do with him. He walked through the streets, hands behind his back, seemingly entirely unafraid of reprisal!

“No need for concern,” said Su Yi. “They’re the ones who should be worried.”

“....” The old man in Daoist robes was increasingly confused. Just who is this senior? Where did he come from, that he dares disregard even Flying Cloud Tower? How could he be so domineering?

As the old man’s thoughts raced, he heard Su Yi ask, “Right, what’s the best inn in town?”

The old man in Daoist robes responded instinctively, “As-You-Wish Tower!”

“Very well. Lead the way,” ordered Su Yi.

The old man in Daoist robes inwardly gnashed his teeth, as if deciding to risk it all. He cast all other concerns aside, then said, “Please come with me, Senior.”

Before long, they disappeared from that busy street.

But around the city gates, the deaths of the old man in black, the middle-aged man in python robes, and the mature beauty caused uproar. Word spread almost immediately.

Flying Cloud Tower.

A lavish, ornate hall.

“Your Excellency, three of our subordinates, Tu Boshan, Yong He, and Madam Yinhua have been killed. Furthermore, the twenty-six Emperors of the Dark and Gold Star Realms we had on display have been rescued.”

“The murderer was a young-looking Emperor. We’ve already arranged for our people to investigate his identity,” a man in silver robes reported at top speeds.

The hall was covered in a red carpet, and the smell of incense lingered in the air.

A red-robed man sat at the center of the room. He was bald, with an unearthly, handsome beauty to his features.

He picked up his teacup, entirely unflustered, and sipped gently. “Where did the killer flee to?”

The silver-robed man shook his head. “Your Excellency, the killer... didn’t run.”

“Hm?” The red-robed bald man froze, then slowly lowered his teacup and whispered, “He’s come with ill intentions!”

Whoever this person was, he dared commit murder on the streets of Skyblue City, and he didn’t even flee afterward. Someone like that couldn’t possibly be ordinary!

“How many Emperors do we currently have amongst our subordinates?” asked the red-robed bald man.

The man in silver said quickly, “Forty-nine in total. More than half are currently exploring other regions of the Dark Nightmare Realm. Only eighteen are stationed in the city.”

“That’s far from enough.” The bald man furrowed his brow and pondered out loud. “Based on what you told me, the killer slew Tu Boshan and company with ease. He’s surely an extremely domineering figure, and that he dared remain in the city after killing them surely means he has the utmost confidence. He isn’t afraid at all...”

Here, he reached a decision and took out a glittering golden command token, which he tossed over. “Take this and contact the leaders of the Black Lotus Sect, the Divine Star Church, and the Thousand Demon Cult.

“Say we need them to send a group of Emperors. No less than thirty each! And their cultivations can’t be beneath the Profound Serenity Realm!

“Furthermore, have our people investigate the killer’s whereabouts and abilities. I want this settled before the night is through!”

Here, the red-robed bald man’s eyes shone with unearthly blood-colored light and murderous intent.

“Your Excellency, isn’t that... a bit...” The man in silver robes hesitated.

“...of an overreaction? No. This opponent of ours isn’t simple. Furthermore, this can be considered a warning to outsiders. Offending Flying Cloud Tower will lead to certain doom!”

The red-robed bald man then raised his teacup to his lips and drained it.

“Understood!” The man in silver robes went off to carry out his orders.

......

As-You-Wish Tower was a thousand feet tall, with old-fashioned charm. They called it the biggest money pit in Skyblue City. Even ordinary Emperors struggled to bear its costs.

Su Yi naturally had no shortage of money.

Back in the Sea of Falling Stars, he slew numerous World Kings. Even ignoring the other treasures, he had a simply astronomical number of Star Vein Spirit Crystals.

When he had an opportunity to indulge, he absolutely wouldn’t treat himself poorly.

Thus, he spent three thousand Star Vein Spirit Crystals and requested a first-class room.

The proprietress of As-You-Wish Tower was a woman full of mature charm. Her waist was slender, and her chest was ample. She had curves in all the right places.

A customer like Su Yi, who spent money like it was water, left her beaming. She escorted Su Yi and company to their room personally, making conversation as pleasant as a spring breeze along the way.

“That proprietress is absolutely the type to eat a man alive without bothering to spit up the bones,” said the old man in Daoist robes as soon as she’d left.

Su Yi didn’t deny it.

He sat casually on a nearby couch, took out a jug of wine, and relaxed completely.

Qing Wan stood behind him, movingly beautiful, as pretty as a picture, her jade-like hands gently massaging his neck and shoulders. Su Yi closed his eyes contentedly.

The old man in Daoist robes couldn’t help but be stunned. If he hadn’t seen Su Yi’s strength for himself, he would have thought this young man in blue was some silkpants scion of a prominent clan.

He really knew how to enjoy himself!

“Go on then. Tell me, why risk yourself to save those people?” asked Su Yi.

The old man in Daoist robes instantly set aside his scattered thoughts and told the full story.

In truth, it wasn’t complicated. One of the captive Emperors was his friend; they’d sworn to stick by each other to the death. That was why he risked himself to save him.

Soon, the old man in Daoist robes started talking about Flying Cloud Tower. Apparently, the Emperors Su Yi slew today had likely gathered under Flying Cloud Tower’s banner, but they weren’t members of the faction itself.

This type of situation was quite common in the Dark Nightmare Realm.

Over the years, countless Emperors arrived from other star realms. They wanted to proceed further into the stars, and toward that end, the vast majority chose to subordinate themselves to peak factions like Flying Cloud Tower.

If they caught Flying Cloud Tower’s eye, they even had hope of being recommended to a peak faction of the stars!

Why did Emperors proceed into the depths of outer space?

Their reasons could be summarized in just two words: to cultivate!

If they received a recommendation from Flying Cloud Tower, that was unquestionably equivalent to receiving the recognition and good graces of a prominent faction of the stars!

It was for this reason that a large number of Emperors worked under Flying Cloud Tower.

The same was true for the other top factions of Skyblue City.

After learning all this, Su Yi couldn’t help but jeer. “What ‘Flying Cloud Tower?’ They’re nothing but a glorified procurement house.”

The old man in Daoist robes had a complicated look on his face. He sighed. “This is the common frustration of cultivators like me. If we want to proceed further into the stars to seek out greater heights of the Dao, we can only lower ourselves and try our utmost to seize these opportunities.”

Su Yi subtly inclined his head.

He understood all that.

Hadn’t that been true for the Emperors of the Wilds too?

The Path of Heaven’s Ascension had vanished. It was only by venturing into the stars that they had hope of seeking out an opportunity to prove their Dao and break through!

But most Emperors died while traversing the stars. Few actually arrived in the depths of outer space.

Thus, if Emperors set on venturing further into outer space grasped an opportunity here in the Dark Nightmare Realm, almost none would refuse it.

Before long, Meng Changyun returned with information about Flying Cloud Tower.

It was similar to what the old man in Daoist robes had told him. None of it was noteworthy.

But after learning he’d worked in vain, Meng Changyun didn’t seem at all angry. On the contrary, he seemed ashamed. “This old man is inept. I disappointed you, young lord. How about... I pay a visit to Flying Cloud Tower personally?”

This declaration caught the old man in Daoist robes off guard. Don’t tell me this unassuming old man is actually a deeply hidden expert?

If not, how could he be so brazen as to offer to take a trip to Flying Cloud Tower?

Su Yi waved him away. “No need. Unless I’m mistaken, they’ll come looking for us of their own accord soon.”

A cold look appeared on Meng Changyun’s face. “Young lord, leave those small fries to me. No need to dirty your hands!”

Meng Changyun thought for a moment, then added, “They’re... unworthy of dying at your hands!”

“????” The old man in Daoist robes didn’t know what to make of that. This old servant... sure is insane!

But Qing Wan had long since grown accustomed to this sort of thing. She remained silent the whole time, her snowy little hands rubbing Su Yi’s neck and shoulders, her gaze utterly tender.

It was then that they heard urgent knocking at the door.

Meng Changyun went to open it. The beautiful proprietress was standing outside.

Except now, her beautiful face had frosted over, and her expression was utterly overcast. She seemed like a completely different person from the mature beauty who’d greeted Su Yi and company with a charming smile earlier.

After entering, she said expressionlessly, “And here I thought you were lofty, distinguished guests! So, it turns out you caused an enormous disaster, and you’re just here in my As-You-Wish Tower to seek refuge from the consequences!

“Do you really think paying for a room means you’ll receive our protection? Do you really think that’s enough to make us oppose Flying Cloud Tower on your behalf? You must be insane!”

Her words were full of mockery, and anger, too.

As she spoke, she pointed out the door and said slowly and clearly, “If you know what’s good for you, get the hell out of here!”

A group of experts silently appeared behind her, gazing coldly into the room.

The implied threat was readily apparent.