First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1272 - A Tiger Doesn’t See a Chasm

The flat boat silently came to a stop.

Meng Changyun was instantly on guard, and he prepared to face a powerful foe.

Su Yi leaned against the tail end of the boat and looked over.

That floating light and shadow interwove. In the end, it outlined an old man in plain cloth robes, his face covered in wrinkles. His hair was as white as snow, and he looked decrepit.

But even just standing there casually, his aura seemed to fuse with the surrounding stars. It was as if he had no weak points at all.

As soon as the old man appeared, he smiled at Su Yi and bowed in greeting. “I am Heavenly Libationer Lu Yun of the Nine Heavens Pavilion. I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time, Your Excellency the Temple Master.”

A Heavenly Libationer of the Nine Heavens Pavilion!

Meng Changyun’s heart shook.

Of the top factions of the stars, the Nine Heavens Pavilion had the smallest population.

Three Heavenly Libationers, seven Wardens, eighteen Executioners, and a group of Jailers and Chief Mourners added up to not much more than a hundred members.

However, all of the prominent cultivation factions spread across the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm counted as their subsidiary factions.

There was no need for their Supreme Leader to make an appearance. Any one of their three Heavenly Libationers could summon all of the star realm’s World Kings. All they had to do was give the orders!

This was the prestige of the Nine Heavens Pavilion!

This powerhouse of the stars wasn’t strong because it had a lot of disciples and experts. It was strong because of its leader’s excessive might!

He was just one person, but he was the pillar of one of the top factions of the stars!

“Did Deng Zuo tell you people that I left the Thousand Opportunities Star Realm?” Su Yi asked thoughtfully.

Star realms were enormous beyond compare. Each encompassed innumerable worlds and planes.

Yet Heavenly Libationer Lu Yun had been waiting here for him. He’d undoubtedly received word of their route in advance.

Otherwise, even though the Nine Heavens Pavilion was the hegemon of the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm, they couldn’t possibly have appeared here as if they had precognition.

Lu Yun laughed. “When the Temple Master travels, he is like a monarch surveying his domain. We, the Nine Heavens Pavilion, are your hosts here in the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm. It’s only proper that we came to greet you.”

This was called blatantly answering a question entirely different than what you’d been asked.

Su Yi couldn’t be bothered to pursue that, however. “Go on, then. Tell me, why were you waiting here?”

He’d come to the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm with no intention of hiding his tracks, so he didn’t mind that his location had been revealed.

Lu Yun nodded subtly. “This old man has come here on the Supreme Leader’s orders. He’d like to ask that Your Excellency the Temple Master assist us.”

“What do you want?” asked Su Yi.

Lu Yun said, “A few years ago, good fortune related to the pursuit of immortality appeared within the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm. It’s located deep within a place called Crow Ridge, an ancient ruin.”

Lu Yun paused, then said, “The Supreme Leader said that all you have to do is bring that good fortune back with you.”

Meng Changyun couldn’t help but laugh coldly. “Isn’t your ‘supreme leader’ a bit too arrogant? He seriously dares order the Temple Master about? He’s simply sick in the head!”

Lu Yun ignored him completely; he was only looking at Su Yi. He said warmly, “Your Excellency the Temple Master can consider assisting us with this matter a bargaining chip when you do business with our Supreme Leader.

“Everything is on the table, whether you wish to learn about Miss Qing Wan’s karmic ties, or whether there are other secrets you wish to learn.”

Here, Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh. “Old man, do you really think knowing a few secrets means you can restrict me and order me about?”

Lu Yun shook his head. “You’ve misunderstood, Your Excellency. This is a transaction. If you wish to acquire something, you must pay the corresponding price. It’s perfectly fair.

Su Yi sat at an angle at the tail end of the boat, head resting in his hands. He cocked his head and said, “A single bargaining chip won’t be enough, will it?”

A look of admiration appeared in Lu Yun’s gaze. He sighed, “You’ve truly got good eyes, Your Excellency. You got it in one. Indeed, if you wish to acquire more, you must naturally acquire more bargaining chips.

“But please, no need to rush. Once you’ve completed this first task, I’ll naturally tell you how to acquire more such bargaining chips.”

Meng Changyun almost couldn’t help but laugh, he was so angry. This old bastard might seem perfectly polite, but in truth, he’s ordering the Temple Master about like a servant!

Su Yi rose and put his hands behind his back. “Does that old codger Yan Daolin really think I'm here to do business with him?”

Yan Daolin!

Although very few people in this world knew it, this was the true name of the Supreme Leader of the Nine Heavens Pavilion.

The atmosphere silently turned oppressive.

But it was as if Lu Yun didn’t even notice. He just kept on smiling faintly. “Your Excellency the Temple Master, please don’t let your personal feelings sway you. There’s naturally a reason for this transaction. For instance, there’s a secret regarding developments in Crow Ridge that you’ll find difficult to refuse.”

“Oh?” Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Let’s hear it.”

Lu Yun smiled and shook his head. “Since it’s a secret, it’s naturally best you discover it yourself. It’ll be less interesting if I tell you, don’t you think?”

He seemed utterly confident, as if he weren’t the least bit afraid Su Yi would refuse.

Su Yi stepped off the boat and toward Lu Yun.

“Your Excellency, what are you doing?” Lu Yun furrowed his brow, but he maintained his smile. “If we fight in the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm, I’m afraid it’ll lead to even bigger waves. You...”

Kcch!

Su Yi raised his right hand. A streak of sword qi appeared out of nowhere above Lu Yun’s head, then descended furiously.

Lu Yun was just about to dodge when the surrounding void seemed to freeze in place. Even the power of the Laws linked to him and his surroundings was restricted.

The look on his wrinkled face shifted dramatically. He circulated the full extent of his cultivation base and clashed with the sword qi head-on.

Boom!

Destructive, explosive fluctuations of the Grand Dao burst around him. His hands formed seals, as if he were holding a radiant black sun aloft, which he slammed into the space above him.

Like a god holding the sun!

In that moment, the full extent of Lu Yun’s Cosmic Enlightenment Realm cultivation base was poured into that single, tyrannical attack.

But a heaven-shaking impact followed, and that radiant black sun split into pieces.

Terrifying sword qi descended, splitting the void.

Lu Yun’s hair stood on end, and he visibly lost his composure. Just in the nick of time, he used a secret art to forcefully draw on his cultivation base and avoid this slash by a hair.

There was now a massive rift in the spot he’d stood in just moments prior, as if someone had ripped open a massive chasm in space!

But before Lu Yun could sigh in relief...

Bang!

He took a palm to the skull, almost shattering his defensive power. The impact left him seeing stars, and he was sent flying back.

How could this guy be so terrifying?

Lu Yun was astonished, and he completely lost his cool. He found this difficult to believe.

After all, he was a Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World King!

He was among those who stood at the pinnacle of the stars!

Yet now, against the Temple Master’s reincarnation, he seemed inept. This was a massive setback!

“S-stop! I have something to sa—” Lu Yun cried out.

But before he could finish, Su Yi attacked once more, backhanding him.

Bang!

Lu Yun’s defensive treasures shattered, scattering sparks.

Blood gushed from his mouth and nose on impact. He let out a miserable shriek as he was sent flying back once more.

But Su Yi showed no mercy. He took another step forward, then stepped on Lu Yun’s body.

Bang!

Lu Yun split into pieces, then exploded, destroyed in both body and soul.

He’d been stomped to death! It was crisp and to the point, too.

Over in the distance, Meng Changyun watched from their flat boat. He was completely tongue-tied. A Heavenly Libationer of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, stomped to death just like that?

“Alas, it was just a clone.” Su Yi walked over from afar and shook his head. It seemed he found this quite a pity.

Meng Changyun was at a loss for words.

The clone of the Cosmic Enlightenment World King wielded the power of the Cosmic Enlightenment Realm too. They too could kill all those beneath the Cosmic Enlightenment Realm!

Yet now, the Temple Master had destroyed an existence of this level with ease. This came as an enormous shock to Meng Changyun.

After all, since leaving the Dark and Gold Star Realm, the strongest opponent they’d encountered while traveling together was in the Oneness Realm; Meng Changyun hadn’t come to the Primordial Unity Daoist Sect.

Now, seeing that even the clone of a Cosmic Enlightenment World King was no match for Su Yi, Meng Changyun couldn’t help but lose his composure.

But then, it makes sense. His Excellency single-handedly forced the Primordial Unity Daoist Sect to lower their head and spend an exorbitant sum to avoid further disaster. It seems that now, a Cosmic Enlightenment expert’s clone... doesn’t amount to much, thought Meng Changyun.

“Let’s go.” Su Yi sprawled out at the tail end of the boat once more.

“Young Lord, are we going to Crow Ridge or the Nine Heavens Pavilion?” Meng Changyun asked cautiously.

Su Yi laughed. “Would you believe me if I said that if I agree to their conditions and collect ‘bargaining chips’ as they requested, they’ll take it as a lack of confidence and make even more outrageous demands?”

Meng Changyun’s heart shook. “You’re absolutely right, Young Lord.”

“Have you heard the saying ‘A tiger doesn’t see a chasm, but a coward sees nothing but obstacles?’” Su Yi said flatly, “The saying’s a bit coarse, but it’s an apt description of the difference courage and confidence make.”

Meng Changyun instantly grinned. “Indeed, Young Lord. We cultivators ought to forge valiantly ahead and act decisively.”

But a moment later, he said hesitantly, “Young Lord, looking at the situation, it seems the Supreme Leader of the Nine Heavens Pavilion has prepared numerous means of restricting you with fear of harming those around you. Lu Yun said there was a secret behind them sending you to Crow Ridge. Are we... really going to disregard it?”

Su Yi laughed, not at all concerned. “Relax. If it goes as I expect, someone else will come to us soon enough. When the time comes, they’ll act in accordance with my rules.”

As he spoke, he sprawled out comfortably at the tail end of the boat, using his arms as a pillow. “The Nine Heavens Pavilion might be the sovereigns of the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm, but since I'm here, they’ll have to act in accordance with my will. Yan Daolin isn’t stupid. He naturally understands that, but he still invited me here.”

Meng Changyun was instantly full of admiration. “Young Lord, you’re truly endowed with extraordinary courage and intelligence. This old man is far from being your equal.”

Su Yi laughed and chastised him. “Less flattery. Let’s go already.”

The little boat continued, carrying them toward the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm.

Back in the Dark and Gold Star Realm, the Nine Heavens Pavilion borrowed the Night Watchman’s hands to inform Su Yi that Yan Daolin, the Supreme Leader of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, wanted to see Su Yi in the Heavenly Prayer Star Realm within the year!

At the time, Su Yi guessed that he’d run into difficulties and that he’d lost his cool as a result.

Otherwise, he would never have made such a request, nor would he have set such a tight timeline.

It was for this reason that Su Yi wasn’t at all in a hurry.

Lu Yun’s appearance only helped confirm Su Yi’s guess.

Yan Daolin, the old bastard, has obviously been preparing for our meeting for quite some time. He’s made all sorts of arrangements, too!