First Immortal of the Sword

A valley in the Six Paths Royal Territory.

Dawn.

Su Yi sat cross-legged atop a boulder beside a burbling stream. As he awakened from his meditation, he slowly opened his eyes.

It had already been twenty days since he’d arrived in the Netherworld.

And it had already been two weeks since he’d left Yama’s Floating Mountains.

Over the past two weeks, Su Yi hadn’t been in a rush. Instead, he’d started and stopped. Sometimes, he'd ventured through the boundless wilderness, experiencing the wondrous beauty of heaven and earth. Other times, he'd wandered amidst the red dust of mortality, experiencing a starkly different way of life in all its facets.

However, he’d never neglected his cultivation.

Buddhists had a saying: “Whether walking or sitting, speaking or silent, moving or still, as long as your heart is at peace, everything is meditation.”

Su Yi was extremely assiduous and self-disciplined in cultivation; he found time to temper his cultivation base even while traveling.

His cultivation base had long since reached the pinnacle of the mid-stage Spiritual Incarnation Realm. As he awakened, he broke through as naturally as water overflowing an already full cup, smoothly entering the late-stage Spiritual Incarnation Realm.

Cultivation was the root of the Grand Dao.

A breakthrough brought with it a metamorphosis of the Grand Dao. Both the body and soul underwent striking transformations.

Su Yi was increasingly confident in his ability to fight an early-stage Profound Illumination Emperor!

In Su Yi’s eyes, early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors could be divided into three categories.

The first were those who’d only recently broken through, and who had yet to condense a complete Profound Dao Law. 

Meng Po Palace’s Third Libationer Yuan Linning was one such Imperial expert.

The second were those early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors who’d condensed complete but ordinary Profound Dao Laws.

This second group was stronger than the first by no small margin!

The crux of the matter was that only those who’d condensed a complete Profound Dao Law were truly Emperors.

The first, weakest group of Emperors had entered the Profound Dao, but their control of the Grand Dao’s power wasn’t that different from a Spirit Dao cultivator.

Su Yi had to admit that, relying strictly on the power of his former mid-stage Spiritual Incarnation cultivation base, he’d have had little hope of overcoming an Emperor with mastery of a complete Profound Dao Law.

There was nothing for it; their cultivation boundaries were just too far apart. Their control over the power of the Grand Dao was as far apart as clouds and mud; there was almost no way to make up for that.

Unless...he used external power.

The third type of early-stage Profound Illumination Emperor were those who’d condensed top-notch Profound Dao Laws!

The Laws of the Profound Dao were divided into numerous levels. Categorizing them thoroughly was an extremely intricate process.

But those worthy of Su Yi’s notice, the third group of early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors, had to master first-rate Profound Dao Laws!

And people like that were top-notch experts of the early-stage Profound Illumination Realm even by the standards of the Nine Provinces of the Wilds! They could single-handedly contend with ten others of the same cultivation, suppressing an entire group!

Simply put, the first type of Profound Illumination Emperor was the weakest. The second type were the real deal, while the third type were elites. 

There were naturally others out there stronger than any of the three groups, but people like that were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns even in the Netherworld or the Wilds. Every one of them was so magnificent as to dazzle any era they arose in.

For instance, in his past life, his youngest disciple, Qing Tang, was shockingly dazzling upon entering the early-stage Profound Illumination Realm, the type of genius that might not appear even once in a million years. 

Su Yi’s foundations were strong enough to let him defeat the first, weakest group of early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors in the mid-stage Spiritual Incarnation Realm.

Now, as he entered the late-stage Spiritual Incarnation Realm, he had the confidence to contend with the second type of early-stage Profound Illumination Emperor!

Furthermore, he believed that when he stepped into the Spiritual Revolution Realm, he’d be able to contend with the third and strongest group of early-stage Profound Illumination Emperors!

And that was assuming they simply compared cultivation bases; it didn’t account for actual combat skill.

Of course, Su Yi wasn’t afraid to compare treasures or abilities either.

“Brother Su, aren’t you breaking through a bit too quickly? They say too much is as bad as too little. Cultivating too rapidly isn’t necessarily a good thing,” said Cui Jingyan. As she walked over, she keenly detected that Su Yi had broken through once more, and she couldn’t help but exclaim.

To the best of her knowledge, less than half a year had passed since Su Yi entered the Spiritual Incarnation Realm, but now, he was already in the late stage!

This cultivation speed was downright shocking.

Su Yi found himself at a loss for words, but the old blind man couldn’t help but say, “Miss Jingyan, His Excellency Su defeated your Meng Po Palace’s Third Libationer as a Spiritual Incarnation cultivator. Do you… really think he doesn’t know what he’s doing when it comes to cultivation?”

Cui Jingyan had nothing to say to that, but she glared at the old blind man viciously. “His Excellency Su knows better than anyone, fine!”

“Come on, let’s find a city and have ourselves a good meal first,” said Su Yi. He was already walking away.

Cui Jingyan hurriedly caught up to him and said in a clear, crisp voice, “Brother Su, we’ll reach Ziluo City in less than seven days. When the time comes, I’ll treat you to a feast at a restaurant run by Taotie and show you the true meaning of the word ‘delicacy.’”

Su Yi agreed with a smile.

The old blind man tagged along too. He laughed, “I’ve heard about that! The Taotie of Ziluo City run a restaurant called the Fragrant Cloud. They say it’s unsurpassed in the Six Paths Royal Territory. Alas, I’ve never been fortunate enough to try it. Miss Jingyan, if you can get us in, that would be just wonderful!”

“Who says I’m taking you with us?” asked Cui Jingyan.

The old blind man’s smile froze, and he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. There was no doubt about it; the young woman still held a grudge over what he’d said earlier. 

Two hours later. 

A city appeared in the distance.

“That’s Tianluo City up ahead. It was once home to the Asura Division of the Bureaus of the Six Paths of the Underworld,” said Cui Jingyan, the words flowing out of her. “Although the Asura Division has long since been lost to history, the ancient clan that oversaw it, the Xing Family, survives to this day. They’re one of the Netherworld’s Nine Royal Clans.”

Su Yi nodded.

Long ago, the Six Paths Royal Territory was the home base of the Infernal Palace. At the time, it was the supreme faction of the Netherworld.

Search bit.ly/3iBfjkV for the original.

It had occupied a position much like the imperial court of a mundane nation. The Bureaus of the Six Paths, the Bureau of Punishment, the Ten Great Yama Kings, the Five Directions Ghost Sect, and other such organizations were subordinate to them.

The Bureaus of the Six Paths included the Asura, Deva, Human, Beast, Hungry Ghost, and Hell Divisions.

The Bureaus of the Six Paths and the Bureau of Punishment both occupied the vast lands of the Six Paths Royal Territory. They were the core factions of the Infernal Palace.

The name “the Six Paths Royal Territory” had, long ago, referred to the Bureaus of the Six Paths.

However, a long time ago, the Infernal Palace, a towering entity comprised of numerous other factions, collapsed. Afterward, the Bureaus of the Six Paths and the Bureau of Punishment dissipated, lost forever to the long river of history.

Even Fengdu, the former base of the Infernal Palace, had long since become a famously dangerous forbidden ground!

The ancient Xing Family that Cui Jingyan mentioned really were descendants of asuras. Even now, they were a peak ancient faction of the Netherworld.

Just like the Ghost Serpents, they were among the Nine Royal Clans.

As the group conversed, they arrived at Tianluo City.

The city covered an enormous area. It was one of the largest cities of the Six Paths Royal Territory, and it was highly prosperous. Here, cultivators were as numerous as the clouds.

As soon as they entered the city, Cui Jingyan excitedly led the way. “Come on, let’s go to the Drunken Immortal! It’s the most famous restaurant in Tianluo City. Their signature roast goose is one of the seven great delicacies of Tianluo City! Several years ago, my father and I ate there together. Even now, years later, I’ve never forgotten that flavor. That aside, their unique recipe, the Fire Jujube Brew, is excellent.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but smile. Whenever she talks about food, her eyes light up… she’s obviously a foodie!

But this really was the joy of traveling amidst mortal dust. 

Cultivating and seeking the Dao was, ultimately, far too tedious. 

Meanwhile, amidst the multitudinous facets of mortality, cultivators could experience the smoke and fire of mundane life in all its facets. Every trade and business required a different type of knowledge, and each hid profound truths. Furthermore, the need for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation was universal, as were aging, disease, and death.

What cultivator dared brazenly proclaim themselves eternal or indestructible? 

It wasn’t yet noon, but when they arrived at the Drunken Immortal, they found it already packed with guests. Business was booming. There weren’t any empty tables, and moreover, there was a long line of would-be diners outside.

When she saw that, Cui Jingyan instantly furrowed her brow. “That’s truly disappointing…”

She most certainly didn’t want to wait around outside just for a good meal. It wasn’t worth it.

“Let’s go somewhere else, then.” Su Yi was even less willing to waste time waiting in line. 

The old blind man had been quiet all this time, but suddenly, he whispered, “Your Excellency Su, ever since we entered this city, I’ve sensed that something wasn’t right. Now, I can say with certainty that someone is watching us from the shadows!”

Su Yi was inwardly stunned, but without any shift in his voice or expression, he asked, “Do you know who it is?”

The old blind man said quickly, “I can’t tell yet, but I dare say with certainty that whoever they are, they’re nearby. Furthermore, they’re an expert. They’re extremely crafty and alert. Every time I sense them, the sensation of being watched disappears.”

“In that case, it’s highly likely that they’ve realized who you are,” said Su Yi thoughtfully. 

Of the three of them, Cui Jingyan was the most attention-grabbing. Her appearance and bearing were unmatched and extraordinary, like an immortal beauty walking amongst mortals. Everywhere she went, she was the center of attention.

Now was no exception.

However, the person watching from the shadows was focused on the old blind man, not her. This almost certainly implied that they knew who he was, and that they were afraid of losing track of him!

The old blind man lowered his voice. “That’s most likely the case. I’ve already activated the Night-Wandering Talisman. No matter who they are, we’ll know shortly.”

Su Yi nodded.

But it was then that a delighted, surprised voice emanated from the top floor of the Drunken Immortal.

“Miss Jingyan! What are you doing here?”

As this voice rang out, someone jumped out of the window of the top floor, which was thirty feet off the ground. 

In the blink of an eye, he landed before Cui Jingyan, light as a feather.

When they saw him clearly, they realized that this was a handsome, well-groomed, dignified man in jade robes. 

He stood out from the crowd, like a pearl amongst the rubble.