First Immortal of the Sword

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan had personally pieced the Yitian Eternal Throne back together, fully restoring it. That bundle of dark blue light was the complete Yitian Eternal Throne.

It was resplendent and translucent, like a blazing, dark blue flame. When Su Yi held it over his palm, it shrouded the entire room in mysterious, dark blue light.

Upon closer inspection, a mysterious, illusory source power of the Grand Dao surged within the bundle of light, like undulated celestial tides. Countless dark flecks of blue light swayed within the radiance.

“All Eternal Thrones are similar chaos grounds, and each gives rise to a supremely ancient Dao of Destiny,” said Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan. “Heavenly Sovereign Wen, for instance, opened Huangting Grotto within his Huangting Eternal Throne. It now serves as Limitless Palace’s ancestral grounds. That means that so long as Heavenly Sovereign Wen draws breath, Limitless Palace’s ancestral grounds cannot be truly destroyed.

“Similarly, anyone who tries to attack Limitless Palace will effectively be clashing with Heavenly Sovereign Wen. They’ll have little hope of success. Of course, experts from the Far Shore are an exception.

“That’s true of Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s Huangting Grotto, and all of the other Heavenly Sovereigns’ territories, including my Taiwu Grotto.

“And that’s just one of many of the Eternal Thrones’ wondrous applications.

“When your cultivation reaches the pinnacle of the Heavenly Fate Realm, you can refine the Yitian Eternal Throne, prove your Dao, and become a Heavenly Sovereign.

“When the time comes, you’ll naturally understand. Possessing an Eternal Throne is like acquiring a supreme source power of Destiny, a Dao as grand as the heavens themselves. With an Eternal Throne, you can gaze down upon the entirety of the River of Destiny. Here, you’re all but invincible!”

Su Yi looked over the Yitian Eternal Throne. “How are the Eternal Thrones different from the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will?”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan mulled it over. “They’re quite different. Only peak Heavenly Monarchs can refine Eternal Thrones and become Heavenly Sovereigns. It’s a supreme power only they can master.

“In contrast, the Nine Edicts of Heaven's Will originate from the nine mysterious River-Stabilizing Steles in the River of Destiny’s upper reaches. They represent nine Laws of Heaven’s Will, but that’s the extent of it. Their power and wondrous applications aren’t even remotely comparable to the Eternal Thrones.”

Here, something occurred to Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan. “But there’s a rumor that’s been circulating since the earliest days of the Primordial Era. They say that together, the Nine Edicts’ nine Laws of Heaven’s Will hide a forbidden secret of the source of the River of Destiny. They say that whoever grasps this secret can access the source of the River of Destiny and comprehend the most complete Laws of Destiny.

“As I’m sure you know, the Eternal Thrones, the Edicts of Heaven’s Will, and the various Laws and Daos found throughout the world are all like branches of the true Grand Dao of Destiny. It’s much like how a river splits into countless streams. And the rumors say that the true, most complete Laws of Destiny can only be found in the River of Destiny’s source.

“Together, the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will are like a key. Only they can unlock that most taboo of secrets!”

Su Yi was inwardly solemn. Something suddenly occurred to him.

The Source of the River of Destiny! That’s what all those experts of the Far Shore are coming here for. They want to find the source and seek out its good fortune. When the curtain fell on the Struggle for Heavenly Fate, both the experts of Sword Sovereign City and Yun Wuxiang and his subordinates left for the Source of the River of Destiny!

Previously, the heart devil in the rusted sheath told Su Yi that the power sealing the Cauldron of Fate contained a dried-up well. The mysterious existence sealed within the well was likely connected to the source of the River of Destiny. Moreover, he warned Su Yi not to engage in anything connected to the River of Destiny’s source prior to becoming a Heavenly Sovereign.

This was in part because it was too far removed from the current Su Yi, and in part because the River of Destiny’s source was far too dangerous and taboo.

Now, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan was telling him that the taboo secret of the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will was connected to the Source of the River of Destiny.

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan continued, “But that’s just a rumor. No one knows if it’s true or not. To the best of my knowledge, long ago, during the Primordial Era, Heavenly Sovereigns sought out the nine River-Stabilizing Steles in search of those secrets. However, without exception, the River-Stabilizing Steles ground away their Grand Daos and killed them! No one has dared to investigate these secrets since; they’re taboo for a reason.”

Here, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan gave the Yitian Eternal Throne to Su Yi. “Quick, put it away. When it comes time to prove your Dao and become a Heavenly Sovereign, just say the word. I’ll personally serve as your Dao Protector!”

Becoming a Heavenly Sovereign would inevitably cause an enormous disturbance. The Laws would shift, and he’d encounter a terrifying Tribulation of Destiny, too.

However, ordinarily speaking, so long as one prepared adequately and had a reliable Dao Protector, they had no need to fear failure.

Su Yi accepted the Yitian Eternal Throne, but he didn’t even look at it before putting it away. “I’ll leave this opportunity to the Heart-Tempering Sword House. As for myself... I’ll leave it up to fate.”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan was gobsmacked, and he found it hard to believe. “Do you have any idea what an opportunity to become a Heavenly Sovereign means?”

Su Yi chuckled. “I know, but honestly, I’m not that interested.”

He was more interested in seeing whether or not he could shake, suppress, and surpass those with Heavenly Thrones!

Moreover, his first incarnation’s heart devil had told him that Eternal Thrones had both advantages and disadvantages. Should the opportunity arise, he could experience their power for himself, but if it didn’t, it was no cause for undue concern.

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan stared at him blankly for a while before grimacing. “I almost forgot. In your past life, you were an extraordinary existence. You naturally have no need to fixate on Eternal Thrones.”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan had misunderstood. It wasn’t that Su Yi’s past incarnation was so strong that he didn’t care, but rather that he’d already decided on his path in his lifetime. That was why he wasn’t concerned about Eternal Thrones!

But Su Yi didn’t explain. Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan would understand sooner or later.

“What do you plan to do next?” asked Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan, changing the subject. “I suggest you stay here in the River of Destiny for the time being. Returning to the Eternal Heavens Domain now would inevitably be endless trouble.”

Su Yi shook his head.

“Is it because you’re worried about the disciples of the Heart-Tempering Sword House?”

Su Yi shook his head once more.

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan furrowed his brow in confusion. “Then why?”

Su Yi said calmly, “Hiding won’t solve the problem, and a sword cultivator does not back down!”

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan couldn’t help but be impressed. He instantly understood. This is a sword cultivator’s Dao. He neither hides nor retreats. No matter the danger, he faces it directly. Retreating would let his Dao Heart accumulate dust, and his progress would stagnate!

“There’s no knowing when the storm brewing on the Far Shore will hit the River of Destiny, but I’m not concerned about that,” said Su Yi. “The Heavenly Sovereigns will use this time to try their utmost to destroy me. After all, now that the forces of the Far Shore can no longer intervene, they can do whatever they please.”

A cold smile tugged at Su Yi’s lips. “But isn’t this time a wonderful opportunity for me, too?”

His gaze was calm and deep, but his words betrayed his contemptuous pride. “Heavenly Monarchs have ceased to threaten me. My current goal is to duke it out with the Heavenly Sovereigns! It doesn’t matter if I can’t beat them just yet. I’ll take it slow for now, but I refuse to believe they’re unbeatable!”

With that, Su Yi raised his jug of wine, threw back his head, and drank every last drop.

He spoke freely, his thoughts flowing unimpeded!

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan looked at him in a daze for a while before bursting into laughter. It suddenly seems to me that getting to know this little brother of mine was the best, wisest decision I ever made!

...

Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan left the following morning, while Su Yi remained in the Five-Colored Hidden Realm for the time being.

Bo Yunjun was the strongest of his opponents in the Struggle for Heavenly Fate, and Bo Yunjun was on the threshold of being able to fight Heavenly Sovereigns.

But Bo Yunjun was a peak Heavenly Monarch, while Su Yi was still only in the early-stage Immeasurable Realm.

He was already strong enough to defeat Heavenly Sovereigns’ imprints and avatars of will despite being far from Bo Yunjun’s level of cultivation.

As his cultivation base grew, he’d get stronger and stronger. Sooner or later, he’d be able to face true Heavenly Sovereigns head-on.

And sooner or later... he’d be able to defeat them!

Su Yi took this opportunity to go into seclusion, never once setting so much as a foot outside.

Three months passed in a flash.

During that time, River Empress Peacock visited just once, telling Su Yi of the numerous dark currents flowing beneath the River of Destiny. For instance, there were numerous people secretly gathering information about Su Yi in the nearby Spirit Treasure Celestial City. Some of the spies and informants were even acting on the orders of River Ancestors!

Su Yi quickly understood what was going on.

The Struggle for Heavenly Fate had taken place just outside the Literati Continent. The surrounding tens of thousands of miles were all under the Spirit Treasure Celestial City’s jurisdiction!

The Heavenly Sovereigns knew that he, River Ancestor Shen Xiao, and the others had hidden beneath the surface of the River of Destiny following the Struggle for Heavenly Fate. Given the circumstances, it wasn’t at all strange that people would be asking about him within city limits.

Each Heavenly Sovereign was more capable than the last, and all of them had connections with River Ancestors. Asking the River Ancestors to send their forces to gather information wasn’t at all difficult.

Su Yi explained his hypothesis, then urged River Empress Peacock not to venture outside her territories to avoid being targeted.

After their discussion, Su Yi considered the matter settled. He didn’t take it to heart.

After all, both River Ancestor Shen Xiao and River Ancestor Lu Shu were here in the Five-Colored Hidden Realm. Anyone beneath that level who tried to cause trouble would just be throwing their life away.

But against his expectations, just three months after he went into seclusion, River Ancestor Shen Xiao left on an outing, only to be attacked on his way back. He was badly injured!

He went looking for Su Yi as soon as he returned, then urged him, River Ancestor Lu Shu, River Empress Peacock, and everyone else living here to flee the Five-Colored Hidden Realm immediately.

He said that if they waited, none of them would escape!