First Immortal of the Sword

Su Yi really had overestimated Ancestor Shen Shang.

The reason for this was simple. He figured that even though Shen Shang was a fake Great Realm expert without a Great Realm Divine Platform or Great Realm Laws, he’d still at least gotten his foot over the threshold.

He might be inferior to true Great Realm experts, but Su Yi figured he was still far beyond present-day Immortal Kings!

Thus, Su Yi didn’t dare to be the least bit complacent. He fought with everything he had right from the start.

But to his surprise, his opponent’s abilities were far weaker than he’d anticipated!

Only now did Su Yi fully understand the problem. Shen Shang’s attainments in the Dao of the Sword were just too lacking!

It might have seemed as if he were in possession of all manner of supreme legacies of the Dao of the Sword, but in truth, he hadn’t achieved mastery in any of them.

In other words, even after getting a step over the threshold of the Great Realm, he hadn’t actually fused his Dao of the Sword into a cohesive whole! He had yet to start walking his own path, and he hadn’t yet created his own style of swordsmanship!

It was no wonder that someone like him had run into issues breaking into the Great Realm.

“You overestimated me?” Ancestor Shen Shang’s expression darkened. He found this an enormous affront to his dignity, and indescribable fury ignited in his chest.

His eyes shone with murderous intent, and he said slowly and clearly, “But I can assure you that you shall die here today!”

Boom!

He waved his sword with increasingly terrifying force. Purple Lightning erupted with golden light. It was like the wrath of a god of slaughter. Sword qi rampaged throughout the nine heavens.

Su Yi didn’t retreat. Instead, he fought fiercely. The battle was even more brutal than before.

Both combatants’ injuries piled on. Fresh blood splattered the air.

But neither Su Yi nor Shen Shang backed down in the slightest. Both were as forceful and domineering as could be.

Their injuries gradually worsened. Lei Yunting and the others’ hearts were on tenterhooks. They were more nervous than ever before.

More than the others, they could tell that although the two combatants seemed evenly matched, Shen Shang’s injuries were worse!

As for Su Yi? Every time he faced a potentially lethal strike, he managed to dodge the worst of it by a hair. His injuries looked bad, but in truth, they were superficial.

Ancestor Shen Shang was different. His attainments in the Dao of the Sword were a notch inferior, and in this fierce, life-or-death struggle, Su Yi repeatedly dealt him massive setbacks!

His only advantage was his Great Realm cultivation base! Even if he was just a “Fake Great,” his power was still terrifying beyond imagination!

“Sect Leader, how about we attack together? If we use the Sword Cage of Heaven and Earth and the Xuanyi Dao-Smelting Furnace, we can suppress and kill him easily!” transmitted a high elder.

They’d been helpless against Su Yi earlier, but that was because they couldn’t pin down his location.

Things were different now. Su Yi was locked in combat with Ancestor Shen Shang. If they cooperated with Shen Shang now, they could destroy Su Yi on the spot!

This suggestion tempted the other higher-ups. All of them looked at Sect Leader Lei Yunting.

His eyes flashed. There was no denying it; he planned to do just that.

This was supposed to be a one-on-one duel, but he didn’t care about that in the slightest. Who’d care about rules or fairness at a time like this?

If they didn’t kill Su Yi, what hope did any of them have of leaving this place alive?

Boom!!

A deafening impact resounded on stage and sword qi swept forth, sending Ancestor Shen Shang flying backward.

He coughed up blood, and his face paled. His entire body was covered in startling gashes, and disbelief was written all over his face.

If he hadn’t blocked that strike with all his might, he’d have been cut open!

Su Yi didn’t get off lightly either. It was no exaggeration to say that Shen Shang was the strongest opponent he’d fought in this lifetime; there was no close second.

His attainments in the Dao of the Sword were lacking, and he was only a Fake Great, but he was still far stronger than late-stage Immortal Kings.

Even going all out, Su Yi was still just barely stronger!

Fortunately, it seemed that Ancestor Shen Shang wouldn’t hold out much longer. In a one-on-one clash of swordsmanship, he had no hope of victory!

Without any wasted words, Su Yi gripped the Sword of the Human Realm, leaped through the air, and attacked.

His gaze was cold and indifferent, and although he was covered in wounds, none of them influenced his strength. On the contrary, his essence, qi, and spirit were circulating with maximum intensity. He fought with godlike momentum and imposing, tyrannical force.

When he saw Su Yi’s next attack, a hint of irrepressible panic appeared in Shen Shang’s gaze. He could sense the impending lethal threat.

But he gnashed his teeth, raised Purple Lightning, and attacked once more. “Die!”

Boom!

Sword qi arced through the air like a proud, blazing sun.

At the same time, another bellow resounded off in the distance. “Die!”

Sect Leader Lei Yunting and the other higher-ups chose that moment to attack.

Lei Yunting controlled the Sword Cage of Heaven and Earth, while the high elders poured all their strength into the Xuanyi Dao-Smelting Furnace.

All of a sudden, a lethal onslaught enveloped Su Yi.

It came out of nowhere! No one had anticipated that in this one-on-one duel of the Dao of the Sword, Lei Yunting and the others would completely disregard the rules and get involved.

They weren’t at all polite, either. They were using both the Sword Cage of Heaven and Earth and the Xuanyi Dao-Smelting Furnace, the sect’s two great killer weapons!

Even Ancestor Shen Shang was unwittingly stunned, but he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he gnashed his teeth and fought with all his might to restrict Su Yi. He wanted to seize this opportunity to suppress and kill him!

Boom!

The entire stretch of heaven and earth collapsed as a flood of destructive power enveloped it.

Su Yi dodged immediately, but the impact still sent him flying back.

In the end, he just barely managed to stabilize himself atop the thousand-foot-tall Sword Stele.

Splash! Splurt!

Fresh blood gushed from his torn skin, staining his blue robes a startling shade of red.

His back was an indistinct meaty pulp. The Sword Cage of Heaven and Earth had torn it apart, almost running him through!

Su Yi’s handsome face was already translucent from blood loss.

There was no denying it. He’d overestimated these old-timers’ abilities, but he hadn’t expected that Lei Yunting and the others would jump in just as he was about to claim his victory.

What rules? What strength of character? What pride of a sword cultivator? They didn’t care about any of that! They’d reneged on their own rules. They’d resort to any means possible!

“This…” The distant onlookers finally realized what had happened. All of them were unwittingly tongue-tied.

A few people were excited, but most of them looked uncomfortable. They felt as if the beliefs they staunchly upheld deep within their hearts had suffered a heavy blow.

They were sword cultivators!

Their word was supposed to be golden!

How could they… renege on a promise like this? And why would they do such a thing? Ancestor Shen Shang obviously hadn’t lost yet!

Furthermore, from beginning to end, Su Yi never once laid a hand on the weak or tried to use them as leverage.

The comparison only made Sect Leader Lei Yunting and the others’ behavior seem even less glorious.

Sword cultivators were proud! They took pride in their breadth of spirit and strength of character.

It was this conviction that fueled their pursuit of the Dao of the Sword!

When the cultivators of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect saw their seniors violate their own rules and trample all over their promises, an indescribable, unpleasant sensation rose within their hearts.

Are they sore losers? Or are they afraid of death?

But we’re sword cultivators! How could we possibly be afraid to die? How could we possibly concern ourselves with victory and defeat?

When a sword cultivator loses his pride and courage, when he gives in to fear of death and defeat, is he… really even a sword cultivator?

These thoughts washed over them like waters at high tide, assailing the hearts of everyone in the Endless Swords Immortal Sect.

It was to the point that even though Lei Yunting and the others had turned the tides and seized the advantage, their sectmates couldn’t bring themselves to rejoice. Their leaders’ methods left a bad taste in their mouths!

Lei Yunting, Ancestor Shen Shang, and the others didn’t care about all that. Now that they’d dealt Su Yi a massive setback, they launched a follow-up without hesitation.

Their gazes were cold and cruel. Their murderous intent soared into the firmament, and they seemed intent on killing Su Yi on the spot in one fell swoop!

Su Yi sighed to himself. He was completely disappointed.

He wasn’t disappointed that he hadn’t struck a killing blow. He was disappointed because he was now certain that Ancestor Shen Shang, Sect Leader Lei Yunting, and the high elders had completely lost the strength of character of a cultivator of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect!

A sword cultivator’s strength of character was as fundamental as their essence, qi, and spirit!

When the Endless Swords Immortal Sect was first established, Xu Fushi set rules. He wanted his sect to serve as a glorious example for all who pursued the Dao of the Sword. Thus, he wanted future generations of disciples to maintain the strength of character and spirit of a sword cultivator. They were to travel the world, sword in hand, and root out injustice!

Admittedly, Su Yi had come here today as an enemy, and he’d fought and killed members of the Endless Swords Immortal Sect!

But from beginning to end, he’d been forthright and open. He’d come here for an explanation!

Who’d have thought that all he’d see was scum who’d cast away their sect’s beliefs and lost all strength of character?

How could Su Yi be anything but disappointed?

Su Yi pursed his lips. When he looked at the enemies charging at him with intent to kill, he no longer had the slightest misgivings.

He’d decided to strike to kill. He would wash these grounds in blood!

Su Yi stood in the air, put away the Sword of the Human Realm, stretched his right hand downward, and grabbed.

“Sword, rise!”

Boom!!!

The thousand-foot Sword Stele standing proud halfway up the mountain awakened from its ancient dormancy, left the earth, and rose into the air.

Heaven and earth were thrown into upheaval. As the Sword Stele rose, overflowing sword force swept outward in all directions.

The central mountain swayed violently.

Countless ancient formation markings surged forth, wrapping around the Sword Stele to manifest magnificent phenomena. Saints chanted sutras, and ten thousand swords hummed in unison.

They were indistinct, but countless illusory sword immortals floated around the stele.

Indescribable, unsurpassed sword force permeated heaven and earth, bearing down on the sky and inverting Yin and Yang!

Boom!

That unsurpassed sword force scattered Lei Yunting’s Sword Cage of Heaven and Earth before it could even get close to Su Yi. The formation transformed back into the thirty-nine Golden Lightning Bamboo Swords. All of them wailed and trembled.

Bang!!!

The Xuanyi Dao-Smelting Furnace, a Great Martial treasure, wouldn’t withstand the terrifying power emanating from the thousand-foot Sword Stele!

Shen Shang, meanwhile, paused mid-charge. His hair stood on end, and his heart filled with panic. He immediately fled into the distance, not daring to linger.

Astonishment was written all over his face. What… What’s going on here!?