First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1334 - Transcendent Orthodoxies Enter the World

Ten days later.

The Thousand Wonders Furnace rumbled and boomed. Fiery divine radiance churned and rose into the air, illuminating the entire grand hall.

Over a hundred bundles of light rose and fell within the furnace. All of them were different colors, and all of them were extraordinarily eye-catching, like colorful miniature suns competing to outshine each other.

All of the bundles were in a wondrous and distinctive arrangement around the centermost bundle, which shone with the luster of chaos.

The bundle of light formed from the melted Sword of the Human Realm!

The other bundles of light were formed from the Dark and Gold Fortune Vine, the Celestial Tides Sword Embryo, the Southern Mountain Seal, and over a hundred types of Transcendent divine materials.

As Su Yi watched over the Thousand Wonders Furnace, he let out a breath of turbid air. He felt thoroughly exhausted.

Ten days.

He’d neither rested nor slept. He was giving this everything he had, using the secrets of the Swordsmithing in Twelve Chapters as a guide. Only now, ten days later, had he fully melted all of the divine materials he needed to forge his weapon.

The bundles of light looked simple, but in truth, their interiors were emblazoned with all manner of wondrous and unfathomable Edicts, diagrams, Dao Markings, and totems.

Despite the terrifying power of Su Yi’s soul and a cultivation base comparable in strength to the greatest experts of the early-stage Nascent Divinity Realm, he felt deeply exhausted, both inside and out.

And this was only just the first step!

The main act came next. He couldn’t afford to get complacent at any stage of the forging process.

Su Yi stopped his movements, took some spirit medicines, and sat down to cultivate and recover.

Three days passed before he returned to peak condition, rose, and left the hall. Later that day, he used four bronze formation flags as a foundation to place a formation around the entrance to the secret cellar.

The flags were trophies he’d claimed from the girl in the pomegranate skirt, Ning Yuluo. Together, they formed the Mountains and Seas World-Burying Formation, a Transcendent-level killing formation.

There was no need to refine it. All he needed to do was place it, and its power was enough to handle even Nascent Divinity Realm Transcendents!

That very day, Su Yi started forging his sword.

......

Time slipped by.

It had already been half a month since Su Yi first entered the Divine Forge.

During this time, the winds rose and the clouds surged throughout the stars as a series of shocking events unfolded.

More and more revenants were appearing in the stars’ perilous forbidden zones. Whether they were yao cultivators, Demonists, Buddhists, or sword cultivators, all of them were now active in the outside world. They’d entered the modern world of cultivation!

And orthodoxies of the ancient era stood behind them.

Some of the ancient orthodoxies chose to cooperate with modern orthodoxies. To rapidly expand their power and influence, they’d opened recruitment to the outside world.

Other ancient orthodoxies took over peak blessed grounds, opening their own sects and announcing their return. They too started recruiting disciples.

“The new age has finally begun! Transcendent orthodoxies have entered this world. If we can join one, we’re sure to one day step onto the Path of Transcendence!”

“The former order is already showing signs of collapse! The time has come for our generation to rise. Isn’t this a golden opportunity for us to rise to prominence?”

“Long-vanished Transcendent orthodoxies are sure to reign in the days to come!”

Uproar ensued throughout the star realms. Countless cultivators practically went mad, desperate for opportunities to join these ancient orthodoxies.

Even many modern cultivation factions sought opportunities to subordinate themselves to ancient orthodoxies and receive their protection.

“Aigh. The revenants are all terrifying existences that survived since antiquity, and now, they’re expanding their territories and recruiting like mad. I can see it already: the world is in for upheaval!

“The former order is collapsing, and a new order is rising in its place. This is an age of chaos and turmoil. There’ll be no avoiding bloodshed!”

Numerous older-generation cultivators were fraught with worry. They thought the ancient orthodoxies’ emergence was sure to bring about endless bloodshed and slaughter.

But regardless of whether they despised or welcomed it, everyone knew that a new era was imminent! A struggle for power was coming, with all the chaos and upheaval that entailed!

In stark contrast with the outside world’s uproar, the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao and the top factions of the stars were calm and composed. They never showed any sign of disarray.

In truth, these peak factions had long since started preparing for this. They’d also long since anticipated these developments. They naturally wouldn’t get flustered over them!

It was also during this half-month period that another attention-grabbing development circulated through the stars——

The Zhong Family, one of the Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao, announced that one of their older-generation experts, Zhong Tianquan, had stepped onto the Path of Transcendence and returned from the Flying Immortal Forbidden Zone!

This news shook the world. Countless factions both great and small couldn’t help but pay attention.

“Does this mean that this ancient expert of the Zhong Family was the first to step onto the Path of Transcendence since ancient times?” someone said in a quavering voice.

Although everyone already knew that the intelligent revenants had all been terrifying experts of the Path of Transcendence in life, and although word of Zhong Tianquan’s breakthrough had long since spread across the stars, it was different now.

After all, when the rumors first spread, Zhong Tianquan still couldn’t return from the Flying Immortal Forbidden Zone.

But now, he’d returned!

His return opened the curtains on a new order. This meant that people of the present day already had an opportunity to step onto the long-vanished Path of Transcendence!

Who wouldn’t have been shaken? Who wouldn’t have been astonished?

“Senior Zhong Tianquan isn’t necessarily the first to step onto the Path of Transcendence, but he’s unquestionably the first confirmed new Transcendent of the modern era!”

“I can already foresee that soon, numerous new Transcendents will enter the world!”

“The foundations of the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao are truly unimaginable...”

Similar discussions played out throughout the stars.

Su Yi was similarly one of the most popular topics of discussion. The reason for this was simple: the revenants of ancient orthodoxies might well be able to stand atop the world, at the pinnacle of the Grand Dao, but...

Su Yi, with his mastery over reincarnation, was their bane!

This meant that Su Yi would inevitably become the common foe of these ancient orthodoxies!

“In the face of all these ancient orthodoxies, the Temple Master has only two choices: submit or die!” someone exclaimed.

“It’s true. The Temple Master can kill Nascent Divinity revenants, but even if he were stronger, as time passes, even more powerful revenants are sure to enter the world. How can the Temple Master fight them all on his own?” Some people coolly analyzed the situation.

“Besides, even the Ancient Guardian Clans and the top sects view the Temple Master with enmity! Seems to me that the Temple Master won’t be able to hold out much longer. Perhaps... that means the curtains will soon set on this legend of a bygone era.”

But before long, some people started arguing against this point of view.

“You’re wrong! How long has it been since the Temple Master reincarnated and returned? Don’t forget that just a few years ago, when he was still in the Dark and Gold Star Realm, he was only in the Imperial Realm!

“Now, a few years later, he’s already a Oneness Realm World King! And his strength far surpasses his former peak. Even Nascent Divinity Realm revenants are no match for him. Given more time, how could the reincarnated Temple Master fail to reach an even higher level? Why should he fear those ancient orthodoxies?

“Seems to me that it’s too early to say who will rise and who will fall in the days to come!”

But others found these arguments unconvincing.

“Hah? All that’s assuming someone gives him time to grow. Do you really think those ancient orthodoxies will tolerate the Temple Master’s rapid ascent?

“And do you really think the stars’ top sects and the Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao will just stand back and watch as the Temple Master grows stronger?

“The Temple Master has long since been surrounded by enemies on all sides! Don’t be surprised when word spreads of the Temple Master’s demise. After all, he’s just one person. He can’t fight against the whole world by himself!”

...All manner of discussions, debates, and arguments broke out.

Meanwhile, deep within the Impermeable Demon Ocean.

Even the Netherworld King learned of recent developments from the yellow mutt, Xing Que. She couldn’t help but worry and ask Daoist Master Red Cloud for guidance. “Senior, nothing will happen to my Uncle Su...right?”

Daoist Master Red Cloud was watering the flowers. She said distractedly, “Those who’ve mastered reincarnation are all but unkillable and indestructible. Unless someone seizes his power of reincarnation, even if he dies, he’ll simply undergo rebirth once more. What need is there to worry?”

The Netherworld King was briefly stunned, but then, she slowly nodded. “That seems to make sense.”

In his past life, Su Yi was the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force. In the life before that, he was the Temple Master.

There was no doubt about it. With his mastery over reincarnation, it seemed he really didn’t need to fear death!

“I’d actually just love to see him fall flat on his face,” grumbled Xing Que. The dog had never liked Su Yi.

Other people knew it was no ordinary yellow dog. Only Su Yi treated it as he might an ordinary mutt. He’d also once been rude enough to pat it on the head!

It was just too much!

Suddenly, something occurred to the dog. “Mistress, Celestial Mo Qingchou has invited you to attend the Immortal Assembly. Are you going?”

But it was as if Daoist Master Red Cloud hadn’t heard anything. She just kept on watering the flowers.

The dog instantly realized that she wasn’t at all interested in the Immortal Assembly, and it considerately refrained from asking about it any further.

......

Universal Emptiness Temple.

“Why is everyone targeting my young master? Just what’s going on?” Wei Shan said with concern.

Illuminating Emptiness laughed. “Don’t worry. My bro the Temple Master is no pushover. Besides, we’ve got the founder and Senior Qingshi to rely on. What’s there to fear?”

Sword Immortal Qingshi and the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha looked at each other. The corners of their lips twitched imperceptibly. Great! Illuminating Emptiness has gotten dependent!

......

Su Yi was busy forging his sword. He knew nothing of what was happening in the outside world.

Time slipped by, and soon, half a month had passed.

That very day.

The people of Violet River City suddenly heard a strange sword hum, like divine music from beyond the nine heavens reverberating beneath the dome of the sky.

Every heart within city limits quivered. No matter their location, cultivation, or what they were doing, everyone subconsciously set aside the task at hand and gazed up into the sky.

No one knew when it had gotten there, but a blue and gold lightning cloud floated overhead. At first, it only covered about ten square miles, but as time passed, it gradually expanded, becoming both larger and denser.

Lightning and currents of flame surged within the cloud.

An imposing, forceful aura of destruction slowly enveloped the skies over Violet River City.

Meanwhile, in the Divine Forge’s underground cellar, Su Yi was about to welcome the most crucial step of the forging process.

Success and failure hung in the balance!