First Immortal of the Sword

Su Yi opened the bundle the Swiftlight Sparrow had delivered.
When he saw the treasures inside, he was stunned; spirit stones of all colors were piled there, all of them tier four, fifty-five in total.

There were thirty-three stalks of spiritual medicine, including twenty-five stalks of tier-four medicine and eight stalks of tier-five medicine.
There were also over forty types of spiritual materials… Combined, this was enough wealth to make any Xiantian Martial Ancestor of the mundane world red-eyed and drooling with greed.

All of this was just ninety percent of the profit the Ten Directions Pavilion had made selling Su Yi’s location. 

Sometimes, seeing a single spot was enough to understand the entire leopard.
The Ten Directions Pavilion was spread throughout the Great Zhou, Wei, and Qin, and they were famed purveyors of information.
One look at the bundle’s contents, and it was clear how shocking their methods of accumulating wealth were!

The Swiftlight Sparrow also brought a note.
There was a single sentence written on it: “Beware of the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Lu Dongliu.”

Once Su Yi read it, he casually ripped it to pieces.
Lu Dongliu? That was an unfamiliar name.
Su Yi knew nothing of his cultivation, origins, or status, and he didn’t care either.
All he needed to know was that Lu Dongliu hailed from the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect. 

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Two days later, on the eighth day of the fourth month.

Golden Willow City’s Rising Smoke Inn, the third floor, near the window.

“Buddhist cultivators of the Great Qin’s Shanglin Temple are headed toward Treasure Temple Yao Mountain too?” Ning Sihua’s delicate eyebrows knit together.

A woman with a face so perfect that it looked like it had been carved by a master artisan sat across from her.
She was clad in gray, and her skin was white as snow.
Her long hair was up, held in place by an off-white jade hair clip, revealing her long, slender neck.
She emanated a serene, lofty air, and even just sitting there, she was the center of attention. 

This was none other than the woman Su Yi had saved from the Spirit Parasite Devilworm, Lan Suo.
She was from the Great Qin’s Donghua Sword Sect.

“They aren’t ‘headed toward’ Treasure Temple Yao Mountain; they ventured deep into the mountain three days ago,” said Lan Suo, holding a secret missive aloft.
She passed it to Ning Sihua.
“This is the intelligence I received yesterday.
Take a look; then you’ll know.”

Ning Sihua read it, then asked, “What level of expert is the Taming Dragon Hall’s Sutra Crane?”

“He became a Xiantian Martial Ancestor twenty years ago, and he cultivates the Exalted Demon-Smiting Sutra.
He’s adept at the holy decrees of Buddhism, and his foundations are terrifying to the extreme.
Xiantian Martial Ancestors of the mundane world aren’t even remotely comparable,” said Lan Suo, her pretty eyes staring directly at Ning Sihua.
“I’m afraid that even if you took action personally, you’d struggle to take him down.”

Ning Sihua was briefly stunned.
“In that case, we really have to take this Sutra Crane seriously.”

’

There were three great cultivation factions in the Great Qin—the Donghua Sword Sect and two temples, the Buddhist Shanglin Temple and the Daoist Profound Moon Temple.
All were superior to the Great Zhou’s Hidden Dragon Sword Sect in every way.

Shanglin Temple in particular was honored as a holy ground for Buddhist cultivators, and even the Great Qin’s imperial family included numerous adherents.

And now, an elder of the Taming Dragon Hall had gone to Treasure Temple Yao Mountain leading eighteen monks of the Arhat Hall.
It would have been hard not to take this seriously.

Ning Sihua pondered, then asked another question.
“What are they doing at Treasure Temple Yao Mountain?”

“I don’t know, but I imagine they’re here in search of good fortune, just like we are,” said Lan Suo softly.
“After all, deep within the mountain wilderness, there’s a sinister and highly unusual ruin of a temple.
It’s surely got some connection to Buddhism, and it’s natural that it would attract the attention of people like the Shanglin Temple’s Buddhist cultivators.”

“Palace Master Ning, Young Lord Su isn’t here yet?” It was then that Mu Xi walked in from outside the inn and sat down beside Ning Sihua and Lan Suo.
He wore jade-colored robes and a crown on his head.
His eyebrows were sharp as swords, and his eyes sparkled like stars, giving him a natural, carefree elegance.

“He isn’t.” Ning Sihua shook her head.

Mu Xi thought, then lowered his voice and said, “I just circled the area around Bloodthistle Yao Mountain and asked around the city.
It seems that of late, quite a few people have ventured deep into the mountains.
It seems they’re headed towards the ruins of that treasure temple.”

“Don’t tell me something about the ruins has changed?” exclaimed Ning Sihua.

“I don’t know about that,” said Mu Xi.

Not long after the three of them started chatting, they heard footsteps from outside.
Shortly after, a tall, lean figure walked into view. 

He was clad in blue, and he looked calm and transcendent.
This was none other than Su Yi.

“Fellow Daoist, you’re finally here.” Ning Sihua rose and welcomed him with a smile. 

And when she saw Su Yi, Lan Suo felt a bit bashful and uneasy; she seemed unwilling to meet his gaze.
How could she forget what happened when Su Yi saved her from the Spirit Parasite Devilworm? He’d seen her practically naked!

’

Even now, she felt extremely awkward whenever she thought about it.

Mu Xi, meanwhile, exclaimed, “Young Lord Su, how many days has it been since we last saw you? You’ve already become a second-level Grandmaster!”

When she heard this, Ning Sihua’s keen senses picked up on the change in Su Yi’s presence too.
It was obvious that his cultivation had grown once more!

She was inwardly stunned. In just a few days, he’s advanced by a full level.
This growth rate is simply shocking!

“It’s just a minor advance; it’s not even worth mentioning,” said Su Yi.
As he spoke, his gaze landed on Lan Suo.
He was a bit stunned.
“Is she coming to Treasure Temple Yao Mountain too?”

He naturally wouldn’t forget her, not after seeing her stunning, exquisite figure practically unclothed. 

Lan Suo rose, then met Su Yi’s gaze.
“Am I not welcome?”

She had a cold, noble disposition, and a wondrous figure.
Her every subtle movement was full of poise.

Ning Sihua chimed in from the sidelines, “Young Lord Su, Lan Suo is a Xiantian Martial Ancestor, and she hails from the Donghua Sword Sect….”

But Su Yi calmly interrupted, “I’m happy so long as she isn’t a burden.”

Lan Suo was stunned; it seemed the words “burden” had stuck deep within her proud heart.
She said solemnly, ”Young Lord Su, please rest assured. However incapable I may be, I can at least take care of myself, and I won’t make trouble.”

Her voice carried a clear note of cold displeasure.

“Oh,” said Su Yi, disregarding that thread of dissatisfaction.
Instead, he turned to look at Ning Sihua and Mu Xi.
“Are your preparations in order?”

Both of them nodded.

“Then let’s head out now” Su Yi immediately made his decision.

’

……

Treasure Temple Yao Mountain was a few dozen miles past Golden Willow City, and the mountain stretched over a hundred miles; it was vast and majestic. 

Even in the days of antiquity, people saw this massive mountain as a danger zone.
Spirit beasts ran rampant, and poisonous miasma lingered in the air.
Worse, there was no shortage of yin souls and other apparitions.
Never mind ordinary people; even accomplished martial artists dared not venture in recklessly.

When Su Yi and his companions reached the outer perimeter of the mountain, it was already the middle of the night.
Looking up at the sky, they saw dense layers of cloud hovering over Treasure Temple Yao Mountain, blotting out the light of the heavens and adding an oppressive, stifling atmosphere to the landscape. 

Su Yi first saw this from afar.
Even he looked more solemn than before. Yao qi surging into the clouds? Baleful mists blotting out the dome of heaven? This place really is strange!

“Fellow Daoist, unless something unexpected happens along the way, we’ll reach the ruined treasure temple at the heart of the mountain in about half a day,” said Ning Sihua softly.
“But according to the intelligence we ’ve just received, numerous experts of the Great Qin’s Shanglin Temple are headed there too.”

“Experts of the Buddhist way?” Su Yi’s eyebrows shot up.

“Indeed,” said Ning Sihua.
She hurriedly explained everything she knew about Elder Sutra Crane of the Taming Dragon Hall. 

“So that’s it.” Su Yi nodded.
Suddenly, he recalled something, and he turned to face Lan Suo.
“You’re from the Great Qin.
Have you ever heard of the Hiddensky Sect?”

Lan Suo’s beautiful eyes were suddenly focused, and she seemed incomparably stunned.
“How did you learn about that organization?”

Su Yi didn’t hide it.
“A few days ago, I killed a Spirit Dao cultivator’s soul avatar.
Apparently, its owner called herself the Pomegranate Flame Monarch, and she hails from the Hiddensky Sect.”

“The Pomegranate Flame Monarch?” Lan Suo couldn’t help but cry out, her exquisite features now brimming with utter astonishment.
“With your power, how could you possibly slay one of her soul avatars?” 

Su Yi didn’t respond, but based on her response, it seemed she knew of the Pomegranate Flame monarch.
This took him by surprise.

There was no doubt about it; it was just as Ning Sihua said.
Lan Suo’s background really wasn’t simple; an ordinary person would never even get the chance to learn about a Spirit Dao cultivator.

When Ning Sihua saw this, she couldn’t help but ask, “Lan Suo, who is this Pomegranate Flame Monarch? What is the Hiddensky Sect? Why haven’t I heard of them?”

’

Lan Suo took a deep breath to steady her nerves, then said in a low voice, “I’ve only ever heard one of my seniors mention her.
He said that a mysterious person who calls herself the Pomegranate Flame Monarch lives within the Great Qin, and that her cultivation is profound and inscrutable.
He said it’s highly likely that she’s a Spirit Dao cultivator from the Great Xia.”

She paused, then continued, “That’s all I know, but that senior also told me that if I encounter anyone who says they’re from the Hiddensky Sect, I should stay as far away from them as possible.
Otherwise, they’ll bring unpredictable trouble.”

“That….” Even Ning Sihua was a bit stunned.

She was well aware of just how lofty Lan Suo’s status in the Great Qin was.
She would never have guessed that even Lan Suo would speak of the Pomegranate Flame Monarch and the Hiddensky Sect with such dread despite knowing so little! 

Mu Xi was surprised too.
He couldn’t help but say, “If the Pomegranate Flame Monarch really is a Spirit Dao cultivator of the Great Xia, doesn’t that mean that the Hiddensky Sect is most likely from the Great Xia as well?”

“Most….
Most likely….” Lan Suo dared not say for sure, but from that moment on, her gaze carried a newfound hint of surprise whenever she looked at Su Yi. He actually dared kill the Pomegranate Flame Monarch’s avatar! Isn’t that a bit reckless? Isn’t he afraid that she’ll set her sights on him?

It wasn’t just Lan Suo, either.
Ning Sihua and Mu Xi were startled too.
Neither would have guessed that Su Yi had achieved such a valiant feat. 

“Let’s go.” Su Yi wasted no further words.
He just proceeded directly toward Treasure Temple Yao Mountain.

Ning Sihua and the others hurried after him.
Before long, they disappeared from view.

An hour later, a vicious bird with snow-white feathers descended, landing in the very same spot where Su Yi and his allies had stood earlier.

Immediately afterward, a group dismounted from its back.
Their leader was a man with long robes and graying temples.
His face was cold, with features that looked hewn out of stone.
This was none other than the Hidden Dragon Sword Sect’s Text Transmission Pavilion elder, Lu Dongliu!