First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1343 - Even Knowing Full Well He’s Doomed, He’ll Come

The ancestral ground of the Church of the River of Stars had long since been laid to ruin.

The Fisherman sat alone before the fallen gates, sinking into a long silence before letting out a breath of turbid air.

“Temple Master, oh, Temple Master. You’re the person I admire most, and also... the person I most want to kill!”

Before the sound of his voice had even finished echoing throughout the ruins, the Fisherman turned and left.

......

The Studio of the Heart.

“Temple Master, you have to show up. When you do, I’ll paint a portrait for you and hang it above the gates of the world’s cities. That way, future generations won’t forget what you looked like.”

The Painter raised a jug of wine, drank with relish, and laughed with delight.

......

The battle on the Violet Heavens Platform stirred up waves of uproar amongst the stars’ cultivators, too.

Throughout the countless worlds and planes of the Eastern Profound Star Domain, everywhere there were cultivators, there were people discussing these shocking developments.

Their attitudes were in stark contrast with those of the top factions.

“Admittedly, times have changed, and ancient orthodoxies are cropping up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain. It’s sure to be Transcendents who rule in the days to come. But as vast as the stars are, is there no space for the Temple Master?”

Some of the older-generation experts were inexplicably indignant. In their hearts, the Temple Master was the unmatched legend whose name they spoke throughout the stars. No one could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

Who knew how many people felt deep-seated admiration and reverence for him?

Yet over the past few years, the world had changed enormously. Both ancient orthodoxies and the top sects of the present day saw the Temple Master as an eyesore and a thorn in their foot. They longed for nothing more than to crush him beneath their feet!

Numerous old-timers felt grief-stricken at the thought of it.

“Is a battle like this really fair?”

“A whole pack of Transcendents have joined forces against the World King Realm Temple Master. How ridiculous is that?

“Aren’t they ashamed of themselves?”

“Hah? Is this the so-called Path of Transcendence?”

Many of the world’s younger cultivators were furious at this injustice! They were young, and still hot-blooded. They cared about fairness and justice even more than their elders.

The way they saw it, this challenge was fundamentally unfair to the Temple Master. They couldn’t help but find this infuriating and repulsive.

Only those old-timers who’d long witnessed the rise and fall of worldly affairs understood. On the path of cultivation, true fairness and justice had never existed.

Only children concerned themselves about right and wrong. In the world of adults, there was only victory and defeat!

The winner was a king, and the loser was a bandit. It had always been that way.

All the world’s cultivators were wondering the same thing. Will the Temple Master show up?

No one could answer with confidence.

After all, even they knew that this challenge would be riddled with peril. The Violet Heavens Platform was like a tiger’s den or a dragon’s pond. If the Temple Master really showed up, he had practically no hope of survival!

How could the Temple Master not realize that? He had to know that!

But everyone also knew full well that the Temple Master had never fled from battle before! Prior to his reincarnation, the Temple Master had spent his life on the battlefield, his sword suppressing the stars. He’d never once shrunk back!

Would he forge boldly ahead this time too?

There were also numerous cultivators who thought he had a chance.

“Don’t take the Temple Master for an ordinary World King!”

“Look at the state of the world. Who but the Temple Master has ever defeated multiple Nascent Divinity revenants in a row while still a World King?”

“If the Temple Master’s strength wasn’t so heaven-defying, why would powerhouses like the Supreme Leader of the Nine Heavens Pavilion need to join forces or arrange this challenge in the first place?”

“Seems to me that the Temple Master is sure to show up! He’s always been as proud and aloof as his Dao of the Sword, and he’s never shrunk back in the slightest!”

“I can see it already. When this battle takes place, it’ll absolutely be the most dazzling conflict since the curtains fell on the End of the Dharma!”

“No matter the outcome, this battle will have a deep impact on the stars’ balance of power, and it’s sure to go down in the annals of the Eastern Profound Star Domain’s history!”

“At the same time, this will be the first battle of Transcendents since ancient times. Even if the Temple Master is only in the World King Realm, everyone knows he possesses the heaven-defying strength to fight Transcendents!”

“I’m afraid that such a grand battle would have been a rare sight even in ancient times! But now, we’re here to witness it!”

......

“The arena is ready. When the drums beat and the gonds sound, the show shall commence.”

Within a dark, secluded world, the Tailor raised a teacup to his lips, smiled, and took a sip.

......

Days slipped by, one after another.

Mount Pitaya’s Violet Heavens Platform had already become the most watched place in the Eastern Profound Star Domain!

There was nowhere else comparable!

Countless people gathered from all across the stars.

Some of the stars’ prominent experts left early, rushing to the Divine Capital Star Realm, all to bear witness to this grand battle sure to enter the annals of history!

Seven days passed in a flash.

During these seven days, Su Yi’s routine didn’t change a bit. He just cultivated quietly in Universal Emptiness Temple.

Sometimes, he and Illuminating Emptiness drank and ate. Other times, he tested his swordsmanship against Sword Immortal Qingshi or played chess and discussed Buddhism with the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha.

His days were rich and at ease.

“They say there’s a calm before every storm, but aren’t you a bit too calm? Oh! These duck feet are delicious!”

There was a boiling pot of red broth in the temple’s courtyard. All types of fresh meats and thinly sliced vegetables floated within the liquid.

Grease dripped down Illuminating Emptiness’s cheeks, and his chopsticks never slowed.

Su Yi picked up a piping hot chunk of fish and said casually, “External items cannot influence my emotions, and my heart is free from fears of life and death. Adversities, no matter how numerous, are no more than breezes blowing past my face.”

With that, he put the fish into his mouth and chewed, his eyes closing with satisfaction.

Winter really was the best time to enjoy hot pot.

Illuminating Emptiness hesitated, then asked, “Then have you considered what will happen if you lose?”

“I haven’t.” Su Yi shook his head. He set down his chopsticks and had a sip of wine. “As a sword cultivator, if I consider defeat before the battle has even begun, I’ll lose my invincible pride and confidence. Fortunately, I’ve yet to experience such a thing in this lifetime.”

Illuminating Emptiness was stunned. A moment later, he said irritably, “I’ve seen plenty of sword cultivators, but you’re the only one like you!”

Su Yi rose, brushed the fallen leaves off his clothes, and said, “It’s lonely at the top. In the past, I struggled to find worthy opponents. That’s the most dispiriting feeling of all.

“Now, I’m surrounded by enemies on all sides. What could be more delightful?”

With that, Su Yi laughed and walked out of the temple. “Keep an eye on Little Wei for me. When I get back, I’ll take him to find his foster father.”

Beneath the light of the heavens, his tall, upright figure cast an elongated shadow. It was empty, yet transcendent, making him seem like an immortal amongst mortal men.

“You really don’t need me to come cheer you on?” asked Illuminating Emptiness.

“With that venomous tongue of yours, I’m afraid you’ll get yourself beaten up. It’s best you don’t come.”

Before Su Yi’s voice had even finished echoing through the air, he disappeared into the boundless wilderness outside the temple.

Within the temple, Sword Immortal Qingshi sank into a lengthy silence, then sighed, “When it comes to cultivation, I’m far beyond Fellow Daoist Su, but my mentality is far inferior.”

The Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha’s gaze was inscrutable. “The same goes for me.”

The two looked at each other, their hearts full of all kinds of emotion.

......

The day of the appointed duel had arrived!

Mount Pitaya.

The slopes rose and fell like dragons, towering into the heavens. The Violet Heavens Platform was situated at the peak. It was shrouded in purple clouds year round, hence the name.

The area around the mountain was absolutely packed with a seemingly endless sea of people. These were cultivators who’d gathered here from all across the stars.

Pick any one of them at random, and they were most likely an influential member or leader of a powerful faction!

Yet now, these influential figures from all across the stars were just another face in the crowd, a mere splash in a boundless sea.

The ones who truly drew attention were the Transcendents!

Whether they were male or female, all were shrouded in immortal light. They stood closest to the mountain, like immortals walking amidst mortal dust.

“Are those experts of the Path of Transcendence?”

“If I hadn’t come to Mount Pitaya myself, I wouldn’t have believed that so many Transcendents already existed in this world.”

“No, a lot of them are revenants.”

As each Transcendent arrived, the crowd animatedly discussed their origins. There were revenants of ancient orthodoxies like the Illusory Sword Immortal Tower, Red City Daoist Sect, and Allspirit Immortal Mountain.

Mu Yun’an, Qin Hongyu, and several others who’d previously lost to Su Yi were among this group. There were also newly minted Transcendents from the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao, like Zhou Hanshan and Zhong Tianquan.

All of these old-timers had recently shaken the stars, causing widespread uproar as they stepped onto the path of Transcendence.

As soon as they appeared, they became the center of attention.

From time to time, new streaks of light shot over, each representing the arrival of yet another Transcendent. In the end, there were almost a hundred of them!

Strange and colorful lights filled the air around Mount Pitaya. The combined aura of so many Transcendents triggered changes throughout the surroundings. Their terrifying majesty enveloped both heaven and earth, assailing the heart and soul.

“That’s almost a hundred experts of the Path of Transcendence! There’s absolutely no way anything like this has happened since the age of the End of the Dharma!”

Who knew how many people were shaken? They finally realized on a visceral level that the world had changed completely.

World Kings could no longer control the rise and fall of worldly affairs!

“What we’re seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg. Who knows how many similarly terrifying existences remain hidden in the darkness?” muttered one of the influential onlookers, his heart stifled.

There was no need to question it. As time passed, more and more Transcendents would arise, like the most dazzling stars of the night sky shining overhead!

Meanwhile, the main characters of today’s battle were the four figures already standing atop the Violet Heavens Platform: Yan Daolin of the Nine Heavens Pavilion, the Fisherman of the Church of the River of Stars, the Painter of the Studio of the Heart, and High Elder Deng Zuo of the Primordial Unity Daoist Sect!

Some stood, some sat. Their bearings were different, but their presence was enormous.

All of them were swathed in flowing, illusory immortal light.

Those were Transcendent-level Laws, and they looked like a rain of immortal light. This power was unique to those who’d reached the Path of Transcendence!

“Will the Temple Master come to fight?”

Everyone was waiting. Many of the onlookers were a bit frantic.

It was already almost noon, but there was still no sign of the Temple Master.

“If he doesn’t, he’ll make a laughingstock out of himself. His reputation will be in shambles. He’ll never be able to raise his head again.” The Painter laughed. “After all, he’s never shrunk back before. If he shrinks back even just this once, it’ll be a black mark he can never wash off.”

Deng Zuo held a sheathed sword and said expressionlessly, “Even knowing he’s doomed, he’s sure to come.”