First Immortal of the Sword

The Ancestral Hall was built on the mountainside, facing a cliff and a sea of clouds.

A group of Ghost Serpent experts was stationed outside, including several Emperors like Thirteen.

When that raspy voice rang out, a figure appeared not far away, amidst the churning sea of clouds.

He was an old man in simple cloth robes. His face was thin, and his expression was as cold and firm as a rock.

It was him!

The proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower!

Thirteen’s face paled, and his pupils constricted. Even his heart clenched.

A moment later——

The thin old man stepped through the air and disappeared. In a flash, he was directly in front of the Ancestral Hall’s gates.

The Ghost Serpent experts stationed near the door didn’t even have time to react, let alone stop him.

“Those unafraid to die can follow me inside,” the old butcher said indifferently.

As he spoke, he walked into the Ancestral Hall.

Thirteen and the others exchanged glances. All of them were in uproar.

“All of you, keep watch outside!” Third High Elder Ye Donghe’s voice emanated from within the Ancestral Hall.

Only then did the Ghost Serpent experts recover from their astonishment and calm back down.

However, the thought that someone had appeared in the heart of their territory without any of them noticing sent chills coursing down their spines.

……

Within the Ancestral Hall, the atmosphere was stifled and heavy.

When they saw the mysterious proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Inn stride into the hall, most of the attendees were surprised.

Ye Donghe’s brow furrowed, while the other branch lineage higher-ups were bewildered and uncertain.

Jiang Yingliu and Huang Yuanxiu looked solemn.

None of them had anticipated that the reclusive expert of Auspicious Cloud Tower would appear at a time like this.

Furthermore, what he’d said earlier left ample food for thought. Shockingly, it seemed… that he was requesting orders from Su Yi!

“Uncle, that senior is here! So, this is Young Lord Su’s true trump card! No wonder he seemed so fearless earlier!” The young woman in the ink-black skirt lit up and excitedly transmitted to Ye Zishan.

Ye Zishan’s spirits soared too. However, he remained calm as he transmitted. “Ruoxi, don’t get excited prematurely. This is the Ancestral Hall, the heart of Ghost Serpent Territory!”

The young woman was instantly solemn, and much of her excitement faded.

It was true. This was Ghost Serpent territory, and it was covered in countless ancient formations. Here, not even a Profound Illumination powerhouse would dare act up!

“Daoist Brother, our clan’s Ancestor Nanzheng once said that you had a deep and special connection with the Ghost Serpent Race. Might I ask why you’ve come here today uninvited?” Ye Donghe said coldly, placing particular emphasis on the word “uninvited.”

His displeasure was obvious, but the old butcher ignored him.

Instead, he walked over to Su Yi, stood beside him, and explained in a low voice, “Young lord, if you want to blame someone, blame that old codger for wanting to attack you. In a moment’s panic, I couldn’t help but make an appearance. Please understand.”

His thin face looked a bit ill at ease.

Last night, Su Yi told him to wait in the shadows, and that he’d call for him should the need to kill someone arise.

But when the old butcher saw Su Yi cut down Emperor Ye Jing in a single slash, he could no longer remain seated.

He knew that if he recklessly intervened, he might provoke Su Yi’s displeasure.

But he also knew that if he remained uninvolved, Old Monster Su was sure to suspect he was slacking off. He couldn’t bear the consequences of that!

Thus, he steeled himself and made an appearance.

When the others saw the old butcher’s behavior, they couldn’t help but gasp. Disbelief was written all over their faces.

Who’d have dared imagine that the mighty reclusive expert of Auspicious Cloud Tower would directly ignore Ye Donghe, only to treat a young man like Su Yi with such respect?

He was acting like a servant who’d just messed up and was explaining his mistakes to his master!

Ye Donghe, Jiang Yingliu, Huang Yuanxiu, and the others were all dazed. All of their expressions filled with disbelief.

If someone said that the innkeeper was Su Yi’s backer, that would have been relatively easy for them to understand.

But now, it seemed that the opposite was true. The proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower was uneasily explaining his mistakes to Su Yi simply because he’d made an appearance without Su Yi’s permission!

Seeing the proprietor so respectful and so nervous, the onlookers almost wondered if they were dreaming. This was unquestionably beyond their expectations, and it completely overturned their imaginations.

A strange silence descended upon the hall.

Su Yi glanced at the old butcher. “Did you see what everyone did earlier clearly?”

The old butcher nodded. “I was far away, but my brain still works. I clearly remember a few people insulting you.”

The Ghost Serpent elders who’d mocked Su Yi earlier, without exception, felt their hearts shake. Is he here to get even with us?

Ye Donghe’s expression darkened. “Daoist Brother, the Ghost Serpents and Auspicious Cloud Tower have always coexisted in peace, neither offending the other. Why get involved in this today?”

But the old butcher ignored Ye Donghe once more. Instead, he asked Su Yi, “Young lord, then… Can I attack now?”

Chills coursed through the crowd’s hearts. They were beside themselves with fright.

The old butcher’s question made two things clear:

First, he was eager to attack!

Second, despite his eagerness, he needed Su Yi’s approval first!

Either one of these conclusions would have been enough to astonish the crowd.

But the old butcher’s conduct made Ye Donghe so angry that he laughed. “Daoist Brother, I’m afraid you’ve gone too far today! This is the Ghost Serpents’ territory; it’s no place for you to act up!”

His voice boomed like thunder, reverberating throughout the grand hall.

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It was then that Huang Yuanxiu rose to voice his support for Ye Donghe. “Friend, should this truly come to blows, you’ll be fighting on your own. I’m afraid you won’t even be able to protect yourself, never mind killing others!”

Jiang Yingliu remained seated, but she chose this moment to say coldly, “Fellow Daoist, make sure to think this through. If you do this, you won’t just offend the Ghost Serpents.”

Reading between the lines, she was saying, “If you dare do this, you’ll offend me, Pi Mo’s disciple, and the Profound Yellow Sword Pavilion will view you with enmity!”

Almost no one in the Netherworld would dare disregard such a threat.

After all, Jiang Yingliu’s backer was Pi Mo, the leader of the Abstruse Force Alliance, and the Profound Yellow Sword Pavilion was one of the Wilds’ Six Great Daoist Sects!

With a background like that, even the Netherworld’s peak orthodoxies had to treat Jiang Yingliu with respect.

The atmosphere in the grand hall was tense, and a battle might break out at any second.

Ye Zishan and the other main lineage members were as nervous as could be.

Yue Shi and the other invitees were inwardly surprised, and their expressions were utterly grave.

Only the old butcher remained as calm as ever. He subtly lowered his head and awaited Su Yi’s response.

Su Yi was similarly calm. He thought for a moment, then swept his gaze across Ye Donghe, Jiang Yingliu, Huang Yuanxiu, and their cohort.

Then, he said to the old butcher, “First, capture Ye Donghe alive.”

This light, airy declaration echoed throughout the grand hall.

Everyone almost dared not believe their ears. None of them had anticipated that Su Yi would dare be so domineering even now!

“That kid… Is he insane…?” Huang Yuanxiu was dumbstruck.

Jiang Yingliu was similarly caught off guard.

But the old butcher was beside himself with delight and surprise, and he broke into a grin. “Great!”

When he saw this, Ye Donghe’s hair and beard bristled with anger, and his entire body surged with murderous intent. He could no longer hold back, and when he spoke, he paused for emphasis between each word. “Today, no one can save you, no matter who they are!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the hall, he suddenly swung his sleeves.

Boom!!

 The Ancestral Hall rumbled and boomed, and the “stars” embedded in the ceiling lit up. Each Silver Star Stone blazed like the sun, and the terrifying energy fluctuation of a formation swept forth.

The Ten Thousand Stars Heaven-Slaughtering Formation!

This was the clan-protecting formation of the Ghost Serpents. When activated, it was as if the starry skies overturned, its countless stars descending with a bang. It was enough to threaten the lives of even Profound Serenity experts.

It wasn’t any weaker than the Cui Family’s Golden Crow Annihilating Misfortune Formation.

There was no doubt about it; although it looked like Ye Donghe was overcome with fury, he was keenly aware of how terrifyingly strong the Old Butcher was, and he had no intention of clashing with him head-on. Instead, he activated their clan-protecting formation, hoping to use its power to take the innkeeper down.

Boom!

Stars fell like rain. Each looked small, but they were like a waterfall, enveloping Su Yi and the old butcher on all sides.

At that moment, everyone present was unwittingly startled.

Yue Shi and the other guests’ expressions shifted. Even watching from a distance, the power of the formation sent chills coursing through their entire bodies.

Huang Yuanxiu’s eyes shone with cold light. This is called overestimating yourself and throwing your life away!

Jiang Yingliu sighed to herself. It’s a pity; he’s a rare good seedling for the Dao of the Sword.

Ye Zishan and the young woman in the ink-black skirt felt as if they’d been plunged into an icy abyss, and their expressions were bleak.

As members of the Ghost Serpent Race, how could they possibly be ignorant of how terrifying the Ten Thousand Stars Heaven-Slaughtering Formation was?

It was just that not even they would have guessed that Ye Donghe would use it right off the bat. He obviously didn’t intend to give Su Yi or the innkeeper any chance to fight back at all!

But before long, the crowd realized that something wasn’t quite right——

As the waterfall-like power of the formation enveloped them, Su Yi and the old butcher should have taken a devastating blow. Yet for some reason, neither seemed at all affected. 

Then, Su Yi’s calm voice emanated from afar. “The Ten Thousand Stars Heaven-Slaughtering Formation is useless against me.”

Before his voice finished echoing through the air, beneath the crowd’s astonished gazes, the terrifying power of the formation burst forth like a waterfall, only for a large hand to effortlessly sweep through it.

Boom!!

The power of the formation receded like the tide, scattering dazzling light.

Then, Su Yi and the old butcher came back into view.

Without so much as a hair out of place!

“This…” The entire hall was deathly silent. Everyone was astonished.

Who would have imagined that they’d neutralize the Ten Thousand Stars Heaven-Slaughtering Formation, which was capable of threatening even Profound Serenity Emperors, with such ease?

“How is this possible!?” Ye Donghe’s expression changed dramatically. He was thoroughly astonished.

In years prior, the protection of the Ten Thousand Stars Heaven-Slaughtering Formation had helped the Ghost Serpents execute countless powerful foes. Throughout the Ghost Lands Territory, the mere mention of the formation’s name was enough to make even Emperors pale with fright.

Yet today, the formation hadn’t hurt so much as a hair on its targets’ heads!

Who wouldn’t have been astonished?

It was then that the old butcher attacked without hesitation.

His thin frame suddenly surged with monstrous momentum. The onlookers could dimly discern the projection of a primordial demon ape behind him. It stepped through the starry sky, devouring both suns and moons!

In that moment, the old butcher no longer resembled the unassuming proprietor of Auspicious Cloud Tower, but rather, a demonic sovereign who’d slain his way through the nine serenities, crossing a sea of blood.

His ferocious majesty was overwhelmingly frightening. As mighty as they were, even the Emperors in attendance felt suffocated, and chills coursed through their entire bodies.

How terrifying!!