First Immortal of the Sword

The man in Confucian robes shot to his feet.

“You two, in a bit, no matter what happens, don’t get involved. I’ll divert this trouble elsewhere!” The man in Confucian robes said solemnly. As his voice rang out, he strode out of the hall.

Su Yi sprawled out in his wicker chair, entirely unmoved. When You Xue saw this, she said nothing. 

Outside the temple’s main hall.

The rain intensified. Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled overhead.

The man in Confucian robes stood there, sleeves billowing. His aura was suddenly mighty and forceful, and the majesty of the Imperial Realm scattered the nearby wind and rain.

A leisurely voice rang out.

“Xing Yunjia, this time, you won’t escape.”

Then, several figures appeared around the temple, one after another. All came from different directions.

There were five of them in total, both men and women. All of them emanated the distinctive energy fluctuations of the Imperial Realm.

One rode on a blood-colored cloud. Purple qi rose around her, soaring into the firmament.

Another gripped a war spear, and silver divine lightning revolved around him.

Another carried a massive bow, and his eyes blazed with golden flames.

Another carried a treasure bottle, and her figure was shrouded in black fog, flickering in and out of view.

There was another, even more terrifyingly imposing figure in the skies directly above the temple.

He looked young, but his hair was silver. He was dressed in purple and a feather headdress, and he carried a short knife blazing with jade-colored divine flames.

Five Emperors had appeared at night, during a downpour. Their presences wove together like an inescapable net, locking down the entire area.

Their terrifying majesty shattered and dispersed even the rain clouds filling the sky!

The pouring rain came to an abrupt halt. All that remained was bone-chilling murderous intent, which mixed with water vapor and spread further and further.

The man in Confucian robes was visibly shaken. Then, he took a deep breath. “Then I’ll just have to try it!”

Clang!

As his voice still rang through the air, he drew a thin, snow-white saber and blurred into a streak of lightning as he charged directly ahead.

“You’re like a beast in a cage, yet you fight on. Your courage is admirable. Alas, there’s no way you can turn this around!” The purple-robed, silver-haired young man chuckled, then waved his jade knife.

Clang!!!

A deafening impact rang out. The man in Confucian robes had only just charged when the knife blocked him.

At the same time, the other four Emperors attacked, surrounding him on all sides.

“Everyone, whatever you do, don’t kill him. We have use for him, so we need him alive,” said the purple-robed, silver-haired young man.

“Got it!” The other Emperors called out their assent.

The man in Confucian robes looked as dismal as could be.

Without another word, he fought with no regard for his life, charging into the fray once more.

……

Within the hall, Su Yi was languishing in his wicker chair when he suddenly opened his eyes.

You Xue had already prepared a jug of wine, which she passed over. “Fellow Daoist, there are two yao cultivators, two ghost cultivators, and a demonic cultivator outside. All are shrouded in malevolent, sinful energies. The strongest is the demonic cultivator leading the group, a mid-stage Profound Illumination Emperor. The others are all in the early-stage Profound Illumination Realm.”

Su Yi accepted the wine, took a sip, and said, “If a grand battle breaks out, it’ll ruin the temple…”

Before he finished his sentence, You Xue understood what he was getting at, and she promptly rose to her feet. “I’ll go send them away to prevent them from disturbing our rest.”

Su Yi rubbed his forehead. “That man just now was an Emperor of the Asura Division’s Xing Family…”

“I understand.” You Xue smiled and nodded. She was an extraordinary, graceful beauty to begin with, and she was especially charming when she smiled.

Generations of Ghost Serpents revered her as if she were a deity, calling her “Her Excellency You Xue.” But before Su Yi, she seemed mild, obedient, thoughtful, and agreeable. Su Yi didn’t even need to explain anything for her to understand what he wanted. 

Who knew what the ancestors of the Ghost Serpents would think if they were here to see this?

Su Yi said, “You requested this; I didn’t ask you to help me.”

You Xue smiled faintly. “Mm!”

Then, she turned around and walked outside.

But the moment she passed through the temple doors, her smile disappeared. Her beautiful face was now calm and serene, and her eyes shone with imposing light.

Her every gesture was as dignified as a goddess!

……

Boom!

A grand battle had already broken out in the skies above the temple.

Five Emperors joined forces, surrounding the man in Confucian robes.

The battle wasn’t exactly fierce, but to the man in Confucian robes, it was nothing short of tragic.

The five Emperors planned to take him alive, so despite having a solid advantage, none struck a lethal blow. They simply surrounded him and relentlessly suppressed him.

No matter how desperately the man in Confucian robes fought, he couldn’t break through their encirclement. Instead, more and more injuries appeared all over his body.

In just a few breaths of time, he was bathed in blood and covered in wounds.

“Xing Yunjia, is it worth fighting this hard? If we go on like this, your foundations in the Grand Dao will be severely damaged.” As they fought, the purple-robed, silver-haired young man sighed.

The man in Confucian robes said nothing.

He was severely injured, and his face was pale. His qi circulation was quickly descending into disarray, but he nonetheless looked determined.

The purple-robed, silver-haired young man couldn’t help but frown. “You really don’t know when to give up. You ought to understand that no one can save you now. I urge you to give up the struggle and come quietly.”

But it was then that a cold, icy voice rang out. “Caused enough trouble yet?”

Every word boomed like divine thunder, shaking the five Emperors’ hearts. Their entire bodies trembled.

A dark power of the Grand Dao, like a misty curtain of night, swiftly enveloped the entire area, locking onto the five Emperors.

Their expressions shifted. 

What terrifying momentum!

Out of an almost instinctual response to danger, the five Emperors all dodged without hesitation.

Boom!

The place they’d been standing earlier was enveloped in misty darkness, and it collapsed with a bang.

The purple-robed, silver-haired young man and his companions’ expressions shifted once more.

A slender figure now stood in the distant skies. She’d appeared beside the man in Confucian robes, seemingly out of nowhere.

Her hair was tied up, revealing a long, elegant neck. She looked like she was in her late teens, delicate and extraordinarily beautiful.

However, when she looked around, her gaze was like that of a deity who’d emerged from the eternal darkness. She had an air of majesty, as if she were gazing contemptuously down on the masses from on high.

Wisps of dark power of the Grand Dao floated around her, making her seem even more mysterious and imposing.

Even the man in Confucian robes was stunned.

He was already prepared to fight to the death. Who’d have thought that, when his predicament was at its most perilous, a young woman he’d encountered by chance would step in to save him?

Just who is this woman? And why is her aura so terrifying?

The man in Confucian robes suddenly realized that he’d misjudged her earlier. The young woman accompanying the young man in blue as if she were a servant was, in fact, a terrifying hidden expert!

You Xue glanced at the man in Confucian robes and said coldly, “Go treat your wounds.” 

However, he couldn’t help but hesitate. “But they…”

“They’ll be dead soon,” You Xue said flatly. “Why concern ourselves with them?”

“.....” The man in Confucian robes said nothing.

Further away, the five Emperors were bewildered and uncertain. How could they fail to realize that the cold, aloof, prideful woman in the distance was an extremely powerful existence?

The purple-robed, silver-haired young man took a deep breath. “Friend, you ought to think this over carefully. If you get mixed up in the Mysterious Netherworld Divine Court’s affairs…”

“Noisy.” You Xue’s delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she disappeared into thin air.

A moment later, she appeared directly in front of the purple-robed, silver-haired young man. Her slender, jade-like fingers brushed through the air.

Boom!

The light of Torchlit Darkness burst in front of him.

The purple-robed, silver-haired young man stiffened, and his eyes widened. “The power of Torchlit Darkness. You’re…”

But his startled cry came to an abrupt halt.

Before he could finish his sentence, he exploded. Nothing remained of him but ash, which drifted down to the ground.

He was destroyed, body and soul!

A single sweep of her hand, and You Xue reduced a mid-stage Profound Illumination Emperor to ash!

This strange and tyrannical scene left the man in Confucian robes dazed and astonished.

The other four Emperors broke out in cold sweats, and their souls practically left their bodies in panic. 

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“Run!” They immediately turned and fled. None of them dared linger.

But You Xue gently shook her head and whispered, “It’s too late.”

Then, they watched as she raised her fair hand, and…

Boom!

The entire stretch of heaven and earth shook.

Streak after streak of the sharp light of Torchlit Darkness burst into being.

Beneath the Confucian-robed man’s disbelieving gaze, the four fleeing Emperors exploded, one by one. Nothing remained of them but a sky full of ash.

From beginning to end, they had neither time to run nor flee!

It was as if she’d simply squished four entirely unremarkable flies.

This scene left even an Emperor like the man in Confucian robes unable to remain calm. His heart filled with irrepressible astonishment.

How terrifying of a cultivation base must she have to kill Emperors with such understated ease?

You Xue looked up at the sky. Rain clouds were gradually gathering overhead, and it would soon rain once more.

She then retracted her gaze and looked at the man in Confucian robes. “My young lord most likely has questions for you. Come with me.”

With that, she stepped into the air and proceeded toward the grand hall.

The man in Confucian robes jumped as he recovered from his astonishment. He took a deep breath, steadied his emotions, and followed You Xue inside.

Boom!

Before long, thunder and lightning rumbled overhead, and the downpour resumed.

Within the temple hall.

When the man in Confucian robes walked inside, he saw the young man in blue still sprawled out in his wicker chair, as if he weren’t the least bit concerned about what had just happened outside.

And the woman who moments prior had seemed as majestic and aloof as a goddess now sat by the fire, as meek and mild as a serving girl.

The sight left the man in Confucian robes dazed.

He’d only just arrived here, only to witness something like this. He no longer dared treat the young man in blue or the young woman in the white dress like ordinary people.

“My name is Xing Yunjia. Seniors, many thanks for saving my life!” The man in Confucian robes stepped forward and bowed.

His wounds were severe, and he was covered in blood, but his expression was full of utter respect and gratitude.

“Treat your wounds first,” said Su Yi. “I have questions to ask you later.”

Xing Yunjia nodded. “Got it!”

He then turned, walked over to the corner, and sat down with his legs crossed.

Su Yi, meanwhile, turned to You Xue and said, “Do you know why I didn’t want to bring you to the Dark Capital?”

Before she could respond, Su Yi let out a melancholy sigh. “Because with you around, I’ll barely get any chances to fight and temper my swordsmanship. It’s like I’ve become some pretty boy sponging off a woman. It’s far too dull!”

You Xue was stunned. But a moment later, she pressed her lips into a grin, and she couldn’t help but laugh.