First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2935 - A Triumphant Return, a Heart Full of Melancholy

Boom!

Heaven and earth shook violently. The mountains and rivers swayed.

The cultivators scouring the ruins were instantly startled. All of them stopped what they were doing to gaze at the endlessly terrifying formation in the distance.

A waterfall of starlight came pouring down, enveloping the entire area.

Outside the formation, experts of Limitless Palace, the Court of the Southern Heavens, and Sevendeaths Court hovered in midair. The combined auras of so many Heavenly Monarchs shook both heaven and earth!

The sight left the distant treasure seekers stunned. None of them had known that three whole Heavenly Sovereign factions had been stationed nearby!

“That’s Limitless Palace’s Celestial Arc Sealing Formation. Who are they targeting?”

“That’s Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang of Limitless Palace, Granny Snake of the Court of the Southern Heavens, and Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu of Sevendeaths Court... My heavens! Why are there so many Heavenly Monarchs here?”

Everyone was bewildered. Their hearts and bodies quivered.

A grand battle followed. Victory and defeat were soon determined.

When Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang waved his sleeve, the Celestial Arc Sealing Formation vanished, and the entire stretch of heaven and earth returned to normal.

Two figures had been forced to the ground, both of them covered in blood. They looked far too wretched, their flesh pulped and their features unrecognizable. There was no telling who they were.

Most striking of all, two thin black chains ran through their bodies, thoroughly binding them in place.

“Hahaha! You thought you could fight to the death in the face of our formation? You’re dreaming!” Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang threw back his head and laughed, smug as could be.

“Sword cultivators aren’t afraid to die, but how could we possibly let you die so easily?” Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu said playfully.

Earlier, when Wen Feng and Fei Qiu realized they were trapped with no hope of escape, they decisively sought mutual destruction.

Unfortunately for them, their enemies had anticipated this. Thus, when they tried to go to their deaths, Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu took out the countermeasure he’d prepared for this express purpose—the Soul Prison Body Lock!

This was a secret treasure Heavenly Sovereign Changhen had forged personally. It restricted its targets’ bodies and souls, leaving them unable to fully live, yet unable to die even if they wanted to. They were now just helpless prisoners.

This was the black chain running through Wen Feng and Fei Qiu’s bodies.

“Look at you! You’re lofty sword cultivators of the Heart-Tempering Sword House, yet now, you’re lying there like dead dogs. It’s truly pitiful,” Granny Snake said with a sigh.

She said she pitied them, but she was grinning broadly. Now that they’d captured two Heavenly Monarchs of the Heart-Tempering Sword House alive, they wouldn’t need to worry about failing to hunt down the rest of the survivors.

Then, they’d be one step closer to finding the Cauldron of Fate.

“Granny, once we’ve found leads, please just give them a quick death.” Lian Yue couldn’t help but transmit, “It isn’t right to humiliate proud sword cultivators like them. How will the world’s sword cultivators react if word gets out?”

Granny Snake laughed derisively. “History is written by the victor. That’s always been the case. Besides, what need does the Court of the Southern Heavens have to concern itself with the world’s opinion?”

Her gaze was full of the utmost disdain.

Lian Yue pursed her lips but fell silent. Her words carried little weight. She could share her opinion, but she couldn’t change anything.

Wen Feng lay on the ground, covered in blood and smeared with dust and dirt. He raised his head with great difficulty, looked at Fei Qiu, and said, “This is my fault, Junior Apprentice Brother.”

Fei Qiu was covered in bloody wounds. The corners of his lips twitched, and it took everything he had to shout, “Cut the crap! So long as we draw breath, we’ll live with pride! We cannot let that scum look down on us!”

Wen Feng grinned, but his wounds were so severe and his face so badly damaged that it split as he smiled. It was a horrifying sight.

“Good. Let’s live with pride!” Wen Feng said slowly and clearly.

Bang!

A foot descended from the heavens, stamping on his head and forcing his face into the dirt.

“You’re just a prisoner. Who are you to boast like that?” said the owner of that foot, Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang’s apprentice, Qian Yu, a Silent Realm cultivator.

There was no disguising his excitement. This was his first time pinning a mighty Heavenly Monarch to the ground! Moreover, Wen Feng couldn’t even struggle. Qian Yu found it immensely satisfying.

He turned to look at Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang. “Master, Seniors, what should I do with them?”

Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu smiled. “Just let the Fire Dragon Sparrow search their souls.”

He waved his arm, and a fiery bird descended from the heavens, then landed not far from the prisoners.

This was the Fire Dragon Sparrow, a ferocious bird comparable to a Heavenly Monarch. It was a brutal creature that dined exclusively on souls.

The Fire Dragon Sparrow had a highly distinctive divine ability. Every time it devoured a soul, it inherited its memories.

That meant that so long as it consumed Wen Feng and Fei Qiu’s souls, there’d be no need for an interrogation. The bird could glean everything they wanted to know from its meal!

Wen Feng and Fei Qiu naturally realized this, too. Both of them looked stricken, and their hearts sank.

The Fire Dragon Sparrow beat its wings, raised its head, and fixed its gaze on Wen Feng’s head. Its sharp beak glowed with unearthly red light.

Wen Feng and Fei Qiu could only watch helplessly. They couldn’t die even if they wanted to!

But it was then that a tall, upright figure appeared in front of them, seemingly out of nowhere, and waved his arm.

Splurt!

The Fire Dragon Sparrow’s head flew through the air, its blood splattering the sky.

No one noticed in time to intervene, especially not the bird itself. Its head and shoulders parted ways before it even realized that it was in danger.

Blood gushed from the stump as its headless body fell to the ground.

Wen Feng and Qiu Fei’s eyes widened in disbelief.

A deathly silence descended over the area. This bloody, unexpected spectacle shook all who witnessed it.

Especially Qian Yu, who still had his foot planted on Wen Feng’s head. When he saw this, his scalp tingled with fright and his mind buzzed. “Who... who are you!?”

That’s right. Who is this guy? All eyes landed on their uninvited guest.

The new arrival was dressed in blue, tall, and upright with ordinary features. There was nothing overtly special about him beyond the fact that no one recognized him.

Even the treasure-seekers watching in the distance found it shocking and unbelievable. He dares to intervene in three Heavenly Sovereign factions’ affairs? Is he sick of living?

This new arrival was, of course, Su Yi. He calmly scanned the ground, then waved his sleeve.

Bang!

Qian Yu exploded into pieces, blood falling like rain. He’d been destroyed in both body and soul.

“Impudent! How... How dare you kill my disciple!?” Lu Yang roared in fury, his face ashen.

“You dared kill Sevendeaths Court’s Fire Dragon Sparrow? You sure are bold! Are you... perhaps another survivor of the Heart-Tempering Sword house?” Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu’s gaze was decidedly unfriendly. His eyes blazed with murderous intent.

By now, the rest of the prominent experts had come to their senses. All of them had dark looks on their faces.

Su Yi paid them no heed. Instead, he looked at Wen Feng and Fei Qiu, who were still suppressed on the ground. When he saw the severity of their injuries, he couldn’t help but frown.

Their bodies were ruined, and their souls were badly damaged. Had he arrived any later, they’d both have been completely finished.

“No matter who you are, please, hurry up and leave. Don’t get mixed up in this. If you do, you’ll only get yourself killed. Hurry up and run!” Wen Feng urged frantically.

“Run!” Fei Qiu shouted, too. Neither of them had anticipated that someone would intervene on their behalf at this life-or-death juncture.

But they were more frantic than grateful. After all, they were up against an alliance of three Heavenly Sovereign factions. Who in the Eternal Heavens Domain would dare to provoke them?

“You think you can run? You’re dreaming!” Granny Snake laughed coldly. “He dared to intervene, so he must pay the price!”

“That’s right. Even if the king of heaven himself showed up, he could forget about saving your life!” said Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang, murderous intent on full display.

“Tell me your name!” shouted Heavenly Monarch Bi Hu. “I don’t kill nameless nobodies!”

The experts of all three Heavenly Sovereign factions readied themselves for battle, but none of them attacked.

All of that shouting and aggression was no more than a probe.

The reason for their caution was simple. This stranger had appeared out of nowhere, only to casually cut down the Fire Dragon Sparrow, a bird comparable to a Heavenly Monarch. Who’d dare to underestimate his strength?

He’d even killed Heavenly Monarch Lu Yang’s legacy disciple right to his face. Who wouldn’t have been cautious of someone so unrestrained and bold?

Of course, caution was different from fear. They did, after all, represent three Heavenly Sovereign factions. They didn’t need to fear any enemy.

They were probing him simply to get a handle on the situation before they attacked!

Su Yi disregarded the situation, put his hands behind his back, and gazed at the ruins of the Heart-Tempering Sword House, his heart heavy with melancholy.

This was once a sacred ground in the hearts of the world’s sword cultivators, as well as the place Jiang Wuchen had poured a lifetime of effort into building.

Every brick, tile, and blade of grass held memories.

Su Yi had fused with Jiang Wuchen, succeeding his everything. It was only natural that he’d feel despondent when surveying the wreckage.

“Why not speak?” Granny Snake asked coldly.

Everyone furrowed their brow. All of them found their uninvited guest strange. He hadn’t said a word since he’d arrived.

Even now, he showed no sign of doing anything. He neither attacked nor tried to rescue the hostages and flee. He just stood there as if lost in thought!

This was a blatant show of disregard. He obviously didn’t take anyone here at all seriously!

But then, someone shot over from afar. Her voice arrived well before she did. “Granny Snake, take the young mistress and leave. Hurry!”

Her frantic, terrified voice spread throughout heaven and earth.

Everyone was startled. All of them recognized her as Heavenly Monarch Shui Ni of the Court of the Southern Heavens.

But they were nonetheless baffled. Why run? We’re an alliance of three Heavenly Sovereign factions, and he’s just one man. Surely she doesn’t think he’s a threat to us?

Granny Snake’s heart clenched. She realized that something wasn’t right here. Given Elder Shui Ni’s strength and temperament, there’s no way she’d shout like that for nothing. She must be warning us for a reason!

But before Granny Snake could give the matter any further thought, Lian Yue suddenly exclaimed, “He’s... Su Yi!”

Her voice was full of disbelief.

This declaration left everyone stunned. Their eyes widened as if they’d just seen a ghost. Su Yi!?