First Immortal of the Sword

Kccch!

Hot, red blood splurted from the green-robed man’s throat.

The swarm of Skeleton-Stripping Demon Butterflies instantly enveloped him, devouring his flesh until nothing remained but dry bones scattered across the ground.

In the last moments before his death, all he saw was the glint of a sword’s edge. He never once caught a clear glimpse of the man who killed him!

It happened too quickly, a true instant kill.

One slash, and the green-robed man, a peak expert among early-stage Miracle Realm Immortal Kings, couldn’t even block or dodge!

“Yuan Tian!” An infuriated roar rang out.

Wu Ting and the other two Immortal Kings looked stricken. All of them were startled. And practically simultaneously, they caught sight of the killer: Shen Mu!

He streaked through the dense swarm of Skeleton-Stripping Demon Butterflies, quick as lightning, and he was headed right toward them.

Shen Mu was still mid-charge when a streak of sword qi whooshed toward them.

“Retreat!” Wu Ting bellowed. He and his two companions turned to flee.

It wasn’t that they were afraid of Shen Mu, but that they didn’t want to fight him while surrounded by Skeleton-Stripping Demon Butterflies.

In the blink of an eye, they’d retreated several hundred thousand feet away!

The butterflies didn’t give chase, but against Wu Ting’s expectations, Shen Mu did!

“Careful! I suspect his wounds have already healed!” Wu Ting warned his companions. “Fight with your full strength, and if you can’t take him down, run! Whatever you do, don’t drag this out!

“Got it.” The other two Immortal Kings nodded. They were keenly aware of how troublesome and dangerous an opponent Shen Mu was. How could he have survived the pursuit of dozens of Immortal Kings from nine different factions otherwise?

Furthermore, five Immortal Kings from the Church of the Exquisite Goddess and four from the Church of Divine Flame had died brutal deaths at Shen Mu’s hands!

They should have been happy. After all, they’d finally found their target.

But they weren’t the least bit happy now. For one thing, Shen Mu’s wounds had knit back together, and he’d obviously recovered his strength. He was no longer on the brink of death.

For another, they’d just lost one of their allies in the blink of an eye!

The shock of that was enormous, and it put immense pressure on them.

When Wu Ting saw that Shen Mu was fast approaching, he bellowed, “Get him!”

Boom!

He attacked first, summoning a perfectly round golden disc with a razor-sharp edge. It sliced through the air and descended explosively upon Su Yi.

The other two Immortal Kings drew their killer weapons without hesitation.

Whoosh!

A black treasure tower took to the skies.

Boom!

A blue lightning spear shot forth.

Heaven and earth were instantly thrown into upheaval as the terrifying power of Immortal Kings swept outward.

Even the sky collapsed and split with a bang. Stingingly bright divine flames illuminated everything in the surrounding area.

The three Immortal Kings from the Church of All Spirits attacked as one, drawing their killer weapons and fighting with everything they had!

Su Yi laughed dryly, leaped into the air, and swung his sword three times.

The first strike had the momentum to cleave through mountains and rivers. It forged boldly ahead, and nothing could stand in its way. It sent the golden disc flying, and tyrannical sword intent forced Wu Ting back.

The second strike was so quick that his enemies barely caught a glimpse of it. It reached its target in a flash.

Clang!!

Sword qi clashed with the tip of the blue lightning spear, like a needlepoint colliding with an awn of wheat.

A moment later, the spear wailed. Its shaft bent and contorted beneath the pressure of that needle-like sword qi.

The third streak was like a barrier connecting heaven and earth. It blocked the descending black treasure tower.

All three Immortal Kings looked stricken. He’s so strong!!

Su Yi suddenly seemed much stronger than he had during their initial pursuit. Three casual strikes had destroyed their full-force attacks!

Meanwhile, Su Yi seized the opportunity to charge at his opponents.

“Die!”

Boom!

Sword qi boiled over, and sword intent swept forth like waters at high tide.

When Su Yi swung his sword, it was as if the river of heaven had burst through a dam. A flood of sword qi poured onto the world below, bringing with it all-encompassing destructive power.

The Immortal King spearman roared and fought back with all his might, but he severely underestimated this slash’s terrifying power.

His bent spear flew from his grip, and the flood of sword qi enveloped him, slicing him to ribbons. His flesh was sliced to a meaty pulp, and that tyrannical sword intent reduced his soul to powder!

It was just one slash, but it slaughtered an Immortal King as if it were cutting through rotten wood.

He’d been completely crushed!

“Retreat!!” Wu Ting and the other Immortal King completely lost their nerve. Both of them turned to flee.

Now that they were really fighting, Su Yi seemed like a completely different person from the one they’d pursued here. The two seemed as far removed as heaven and earth!

Although they didn’t know it, Su Yi had been leading them by the nose this entire time. His goal was to gather all his enemies in one place. Thus, he had never struck to kill en route to the Abyss of Dark Fog.

And they certainly didn’t know that Su Yi had done more than just treat his wounds. He’d broken through, and his cultivation had reached new heights!

Su Yi had caught one of the Immortal Kings off guard, killing him. The three that remained were no longer much of a threat.

“Can you escape?” laughed Su Yi. This was the Abyss of Dark Fog, his chosen battlefield! He’d already closed his net. How could he permit any of the fish inside to escape?

“Go!” Su Yi’s sleeves billowed around him as he tossed the Sword of the Human Realm.

Clang!

The humming of the sword resounded throughout the dome of heaven. Its blue-gray blade was like an arc of light from beyond the heavens, cleaving through the sky.

“This is bad!” The Immortal King carrying the black treasure tower felt a chill course down his spine. He whipped around, hair and beard bristling with fury, and poured everything he had into the treasure tower.

Bang!!

The Sword of the Human Realm flashed, and the treasure tower was sent flying. The impact slammed into its wielder, making him stagger on his feet and cough up blood.

Before he could steady himself, a fair-skinned fist slammed into him from afar.

Crunch! Crack!

A series of rapid-fire explosions followed as the Immortal King’s defensive treasures broke, offering no more resistance than paper window paneling.

That fist continued, bursting through his defenses, breaking his ribs, and piercing his chest!

“You…” The Immortal King’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you… really an Immortal Lord!?”

“I’m not.” Su Yi shook his head. “Actually, I’m still just in the Void Realm.”

As he spoke, he pulled out his fist. The Immortal King’s body split and fell apart.

When Su Yi looked over, he saw that Wu Ting had already disappeared over the horizon.

Wu Ting had escaped, but Su Yi wasn’t at all frantic. He pointed at the dome of heaven, and a talisman floated into the air.

Bang!

The talisman shattered, and before long, a skeletal bird shrouded in fog shot toward him.

“What are your orders, Your Excellency?” When the skeletal bird landed, it folded its wings and lowered its head. Its raspy voice was full of the utmost respect.

“Going forward, I’ll leave gathering the spoils of war to you,” ordered Su Yi. Then, without another word, he floated off.

“Yes, Your Excellency!” The skeletal bird lowered its head in assent.

It was only after Su Yi left that it felt a massive weight lift from its shoulders, and it slowly raised its head. It brought a skeletal wing to its chest, as if trying to calm itself from its residual terror, and muttered, “Fortunately, it seems that after his long disappearance, His Excellency has become more compassionate. Back then, a single glance was enough to make me faint out of sheer fright…”

A moment later, the skeletal bird waved a wing, raised its head, and let out a strange whistle.

Shortly after, the sound of footsteps filled the air, like the low rumbling of thunder. Heaven and earth shook.

Upon closer inspection, the source of the noise was a swarm of fist-sized black ants. They looked as if they’d been forged out of bronze, and they marched like a well-disciplined military regiment. When their feet struck the ground in perfect unison, they shook the surrounding landscape. Even heaven and earth trembled.

“Quieter!” shouted the bird.

The black ants instantly grew more cautious, and the sound of their footsteps disappeared.

The skeletal bird said with dignity, “You are to follow me and gather the spoils of war on the Immortal Sovereign’s behalf. Do you understand?”

The swarm of black ants nodded.

“Let’s go,” said the skeletal bird with a wave of its claws.

……

“I have to leave the Abyss of Black Fog as soon as possible!” said Wu Ting. He was fleeing with all his might, completely panicked. He in no way dared to linger here.

It wasn’t that he was a coward, but he knew he was no match for his opponent. Fighting him any further would just be stupid.

Shen Mu has recovered his cultivation base and healed his wounds. Even mid-stage Immortal Kings are no match for him in a direct confrontation, and now, I’m all alone in the Abyss of Dark Fog. How can I possibly fight him? thought Wu Ting. I can’t. I have to report to the sect as quickly as possible, but first, I have to get out of here alive!

Before long, he stopped abruptly in his tracks, completely flabbergasted.

The entrance to the Abyss of Dark Fog had vanished!!

“How is this possible!?” Wu Ting’s heart sank, and he felt a chill in his hands and feet. He searched the surrounding area like mad, but he couldn’t find any sign of an exit.

“You cannot escape.” A calm voice rang out.

Wu Ting stiffened. He wasn’t sure when he’d gotten there, but Su Yi had appeared in the distance, and he was sauntering over as he leisurely sipped from a jug of wine.

“Did you do this?” Wu Ting’s expression was dark and unsightly.

Su Yi smiled and admitted it. “I didn’t, but I was involved. Furthermore, I can say with certainty that here in the Abyss of Dark Fog, I can kill you no matter where you run. If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to test it.”

Wu Ting laughed coldly. “Nonsense! Do you really think the Abyss of Dark Fog is your backyard?”

Wu Ting laughed, but Su Yi seemed to take the question seriously. “In a manner of speaking, yes, it is.”

“....” Wu Ting turned and fled without another word.

An hour later, in an overcast stretch of mountains, Wu Ting came to an abrupt stop. His eyes widened as if he’d seen a ghost.

A figure was seated casually on a boulder up ahead, smiling at him between sips of wine.

It was Su Yi!

“Are you having fun?” laughed Su Yi.

Wu Ting’s brow furrowed, and his heart shook. He couldn’t even imagine how Su Yi had managed to intercept him here. Furthermore, from the look of things, Su Yi had been waiting for quite some time!

Wu Ting increasingly felt that this didn’t bode well.

Su Yi got up, put away his jug of wine, and said, “Time is short. I still have to kill the others, so I’ll send you on your way here.”

His voice was gentle, as if he were bidding farewell to an old friend.

But Wu Ting trembled, and the blood drained from his face.