First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1722 - Is That Enough?

A tall, upright figure approached from afar. He walked alone, his robes fluttering around him, as if he were out for a casual stroll.

Shen Mu!

A moment later, everyone recognized him. All of them were unwittingly stunned. He’s seriously delivering himself right to our door?

A moment later, the crowd’s spirits soared, and their faces lit up with delight.

And here they’d been worrying about what they’d do if Shen Mu never showed up. Who’d have guessed he’d show up minutes later, almost as if he’d heard them?

“Don’t rush to attack. We don’t want to scare him off,” Tai Zheng, the oldest of them, said gravely.

The others nodded. He was right. Shen Mu presumably had reason to be confident; he wouldn’t have shown up otherwise. Still, he couldn’t possibly have figured out exactly what kind of net they'd set around the area!

“When I activate our sect’s Divine Capital Sword Formation, it can cover everything within thirty thousand feet. Once he’s in range, we can definitely trap him right away!” Yu Wenqi’s eyes flashed like lightning. “When the time comes, he can forget about escaping!”

“It’s best that everyone is careful. The boy is incomparably crafty, and I’m afraid he won’t fall for it so easily,” said Xue Hongshan of the Church of Supreme Oneness. “He wouldn’t have come here alone if he wasn’t thoroughly prepared. When the time comes to fight, we absolutely cannot lower our guard!”

“But of course.”

“Let’s just watch for now. Let’s see where he gets the confidence to come here and throw his life away!”

“To tell the truth, I can barely suppress my urge to kill.”

...As they conversed, the eleven Immortal Kings silently got ready for battle.

All of them locked onto the distant Su Yi.

Su Yi suddenly stopped beneath the distant dome of heaven and clasped his fist politely. “My apologies for keeping you waiting.”

“....” The crowd didn’t know what to make of that. What’s he doing? Is he making fun of us?

Yu Wenqi frowned. He wasn’t sure whether Shen Mu had sensed something or whether it was a coincidence, but he’d stopped just outside the formation’s thirty-thousand-foot radius.

Right on the edge of the Divine Capital Sword Formation’s bounds!

“Shen Mu, that you came here suggests you have reason to be confident, so let’s just go at it! Show us how capable you really are!” Tai Zheng’s eyes flashed, and his voice boomed throughout heaven and earth.

Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh dryly. “Don’t be in such a hurry. You have to eat your meals one bite at a time. By the same logic, I naturally ought to send you on your way one by one.”

“Shameless boasting!” Xue Hongshan jeered. “How about you send this old man on his way first?”

Su Yi laughed. “You’re the first person I’ve met in such a hurry to die. Relax. I guarantee you won’t be getting out of this alive.”

He then swept his gaze across the other Immortal Kings. “I know that you’ve placed a death trap here. If I wanted to destroy it, it wouldn't be difficult.”

Yu Wenqi, Xue Hongshan, Tai Zheng, and the others furrowed their brows.

But they didn’t find it strange. Anyone with half a brain would have guessed that they wouldn’t have clustered here without placing a trap.

“If you’re so fearless, why not come here and fight us?” Tai Zheng said expressionlessly

Su Yi disregarded him. “I’ll give you an opportunity for a fair fight. I’ll just stand here. Come here and duel me, one-on-one. I’ll send each of you on your way.”

Derisive laughter rang out. The Immortal Kings almost didn’t believe their ears.

“Juvenile!” one of the Immortal Kings laughed coldly. They had an absolute advantage in numbers, and they’d placed an inescapable net. Who’d be stupid enough to leave to fight Shen Mu one-on-one?

“A fair duel? Sounds good to me! Come here, and I’ll be sure to give you the opportunity!” someone said with derision.

“Shen Mu, you’re dreaming if you think we’ll agree to a suggestion like that. Why on earth would we give you a chance like that!” someone sneered.

“Why?” Su Yi muttered to himself, then burst into laughter. “Don’t tell me you want to spend the rest of your lives here?”

The crowd’s smiles froze in place, and their expressions instantly darkened.

Waiting here for days really had been sheer torment. If Su Yi turned and fled, there’d be nothing they could do! After all, if they gave chase, they risked falling into his trap instead!

That aside, the trap they’d set in Coiled God Ridge would go to waste.

Before they could answer, Su Yi changed tacks. “Of course, I don’t have much time to waste with you. You wanted to know what gives me the right to make demands, right? Very well. Allow me to show you.”

He snapped his fingers.

Boom!

Off in the distance, heaven and earth shook. A fierce aura swept forth like the tide, whooshing toward them from afar.

Heaven and earth shook, and the mountains and rivers swayed.

Beneath the Immortal Kings’ astonished gazes, countless strange lifeforms surged toward them: rotting corpses, demonic spirits swathed in flame, bloodied vengeful spirits, swarms of twelve-winged mosquitos...

There were too many to count, and they’d assembled into a vast, dense swarm.

Every last one of them had a terrifying aura, and when they charged together, even the Immortal Kings gasped.

When the strange creatures arrived, they stopped not far behind Si Yi, forming a row like an iron curtain. With his army behind him, Su Yi looked even more like a ruler!

“We anticipated that you’d lead these strange creatures against us, but that isn’t enough to threaten us!” Tai Zheng said gravely, his voice booming throughout the entire area.

This was why they’d placed an inescapable net at Coiled God Ridge. They wanted to prevent Su Yi from using these strange creatures against them!

Su Yi chuckled, then took out a jug of wine and had a sip.

Boom!

Heaven and earth shook, and the sky was thrown into chaos.

A giant fully one hundred thousand feet tall approached from far. His arms were wrapped in thick black chains the size of a mountain range, and his eyes were like blood-red pools. He was like a primordial barbarian god, and his entire body emanated a startling ferocious aura.

When he arrived, he stood silently behind Su Yi, like a towering mountain supporting the heavens. He was a thoroughly imposing sight.

Even just gazing upon him from afar, the Immortal Kings’ hearts quivered with fright, and chills coursed down their spines.

What kind of creature is that!? What a terrifying presence!

Yu Wenqi, Tai Zheng, Xue Hongshan, and the other peak experts’ expressions were more solemn than ever before. Even if you’d hit them over the heads, they would never have guessed that such a terrifying lifeform would willingly serve an Immortal Lord!

It was far too unbelievable!

Now they felt a powerful, impending crisis.

“Is this enough to threaten you?” asked Su Yi.

The Immortal Kings’ expressions shifted.

They finally understood why Su Yi was so fearless. That vast horde of strange creatures was the source of his confidence!

Suddenly, Tai Zheng said gravely, “If it comes down to a fight, we might well suffer massive losses, but that doesn’t mean you’ll make it out alive!”

Su Yi rubbed his forehead and muttered, “If I wanted to rely on my forces to suppress you, you’d have died as soon as you entered the Abyss of Dark Fog."

“Ah, forget it. I agreed to send you on your way one by one, and I naturally ought to try my best to do just that.” Su Yi suddenly gazed into the dome of heaven. “Quit treating this like a spectacle, ol’ ape.”

“Hahahaha!”

Valiant laughter boomed throughout the dome of heaven.

An arc of sword light shot over and transformed into an ape clad in plain cloth robes. He was about ten feet tall, big-boned, with a protruding face and a sword case on his back.

The sword-bearing ape!

As soon as he appeared, one of the Immortal Kings cried out, “He’s the one who sealed the Abyss of Dark Fog! He really was in cahoots with Shen Mu!”

All of the Immortal Kings were in uproar. Even the greatest among them looked stricken.

They’d been worried about this exact problem earlier, as they viewed the sword-bearing ape with deep dread.

This terrifying creature had effortlessly sealed the entrance to the Abyss of Dark Fog. Who wouldn’t have feared him?

They initially thought the ape most likely wasn’t working with Shen Mu. After all, the ape hadn’t appeared again since closing the entrance, nor had he ever tried to attack them.

But now, they realized that they’d been mistaken. The ape was indeed Shen Mu’s ally!

When they realized this, their hearts sank once more.

“I get it! I know you can’t bear to part with these living targets,” laughed the ape as he arrived at Su Yi’s side.

“No, it’s not just that,” said Su Yi. “They chased me all this way. If I don’t kill them myself, how can I repay everything I endured on my way here?”

He paused, then added, “Of course, you’re not wrong. They really are decent opponents. I can use them as whetstones to temper my swordsmanship.”

The ape seemed to understand Su Yi’s feelings. “You’re nothing like you were back then, but when it comes to your pursuit of the Dao of the Sword, you haven’t changed a bit. Reminds me of all those thousands of times we sparred.”

His tone was rueful, as if he were thinking back to the distant past.

Su Yi rubbed his nose. “Well, if you want to do that now, I’ll be no match for you.”

The ape threw back his head and laughed uproariously. “It’s rare for you to be so modest!”

The two of them chatted as if there were no one else around, like old friends catching up.

But the distant Immortal Kings’ expressions were a sight to behold.

Living targets? Whetstones?

You mean Shen Mu never saw us as his enemies? That’s all we are to him?

The ape with the sword never attacked us because he wanted to give Shen Mu the chance to pick us off one by one?

As the realization hit him, their hearts filled with humiliation.

He’s just an Immortal Lord! Who’d have dared imagine he’d take Immortal Kings like us for whetstones?

This is just too much!!!

Yu Wenqi, Tai Zheng, and the other Immortal Kings were so furious that they felt as if their chests were about to explode.

But in the end... they endured.

Given their circumstances, they couldn’t afford to be the least bit reckless, nor could they get distracted. They needed to focus on how they’d hold on to their lives in this critical situation...