First Immortal of the Sword

Old Lord Gouchen, also known as the Master of the Stars, had become a top powerhouse during the earliest days of the All-Profound Dominion’s history. He was a true living fossil. But few in the All-Profound Dominion knew it; he had yet another title: the Shepherd. This was because whenever he suppressed an opponent, he’d transform them into a sheep. They’d then live out the rest of their days in a pen, unable to speak.

“I wouldn’t have guessed that you’d have heard of me. I’m truly surprised,” said Old Lord Gouchen.

He’d come here on orders to visit the mysterious pavilion master of Divine Reverence Pavilion, but he had no idea who she was.

Ruo Su asked, “You’re one of the Secluded Ones, so why have you left seclusion to visit me?”

Old Lord Gouchen laughed. “No need for undue concern. I came here to inform you of the Mountain of the Secluded Ones’ recent agreement.”

Ruo Su’s heart stirred. “Then I’ll just have to clean out my ears and listen.”

The Mountain of the Secluded Ones didn’t sound like anything special, and few had ever heard of it. That was true both on the River of Destiny and on the Far Shore. Only a handful of top experts knew that the Mountain of the Secluded Ones wasn’t really a mountain, but rather, a collection of the most ancient Secluded Ones’ factions.

These factions were only loosely associated. They had no shared base, no gates, no ranks, authorities, or positions. Naturally, they had no legacies or disciples, either.

Every member of the Mountain of the Secluded Ones was, as the name implied, a Secluded One. They weren’t in an alliance, either. On the contrary, many of them were irreconcilable enemies. They’d established the Mountain of the Secluded Ones for one simple reason. It was there so that when they needed to cooperate with each other, they could. When they ran into trouble they couldn’t resolve on their own, they could work together. Only that and nothing more.

Yet now, the long-vanished Mountain of the Secluded Ones had broken precedent to establish an agreement. This naturally piqued Ruo Su’s curiosity.

Old Lord Gouchen said, “Before the storm brewing in the All-Wonder Dominion reaches the Shore of Destiny, factions and experts of the Far Shore are not to meddle in the River of Destiny’s affairs any further. Those who violate this agreement shall become the common foe of the Mountain of the Secluded Ones!”

Ruo Su quickly realized the implications. “Is this connected to the Struggle for Heavenly Fate?”

“You heard about it, Fellow Daoist?” Old Lord Gouchen exclaimed.

“I know a little,” Ruo Su admitted. “If I’m not mistaken, the Big Boss of Sword Sovereign City was involved in the Mountain of the Secluded Ones’ agreement. Am I right?”

Old Lord Gouchen’s expression grew strange. He inclined his head. “There’s indeed a bit of a connection.”

A playful smile tugged at Ruo Su’s lips. “There’s more than just a ‘bit’ of a connection, right? If I’m not mistaken, even the Secluded Ones had to take a step back and compromise when the Big Boss got involved.”

Old Lord Gouchen grimaced. “Fellow Daoist, if you know all that, why even ask?”

Ruo Su chuckled. “I just wanted to confirm my hypothesis.”

“Then... Do you accept our agreement, Fellow Daoist?” asked Old Lord Gouchen.

Ruo Su responded with a question of her own. “Who sent you?”

Old Lord Gouchen looked around and transmitted, “A Secluded One who claims deep ties to Fangchun Mountain. We all call him Barbarian Chen. Forgive me, but I cannot reveal his full name.”

Ruo Su was quite surprised. Aside from her, every disciple of Fangchun Mountain had followed their little junior brother to the All-Wonder Dominion a long time ago. There’d been no word from any of them since; she didn’t even know if they were alive or dead. How could one of the Secluded Ones possibly have deep ties to Fangchun Mountain?

Ruo Su couldn’t even imagine who it could be. Still, whoever it was knew that she’d gone into seclusion on the River of Destiny, and they’d even sent Old Lord Gouchen to make contact with her. That was enough to convince Ruo Su that this Chen person most likely really did know one of her apprentice siblings.

After a brief pause, Ruo Su nodded straightforwardly. “I agree.”

Old Lord Gouchen smiled and clasped his fist. “Many thanks.”

Ruo Su said curiously, “Doesn’t your agreement mean that no forces of the Far Shore will appear on the River of Destiny going forward?”

Old Lord Gouchen shook his head. “The agreement only holds until the impending storm reaches the River of Destiny.”

Ruo Su instantly understood. There’s no doubt about it. The Big Boss of Sword Sovereign City is buying time for Su Yi! At least for the time being, he’ll have no need to fear the threat of the Far Shore!

Just as Old Lord Gouchen was about to leave, something suddenly occurred to him. “Forgive my boldness, but given that you live in hiding on the River of Destiny year-round and have heard a lot about him, how do you see the reincarnation of the Big Boss of Sword Sovereign City?”

“How do I see Su Yi?”

Old Lord Gouchen nodded.

Ruo Su mulled it over, then said, “I... think quite highly of him!”

Old Lord Gouchen blinked in obvious surprise.

“Why ask?” asked Ruo Su.

Old Lord Gouchen’s expression shifted inscrutably. “Some of the Secluded Ones think highly of him, while others see him as an enemy. The Struggle for Heavenly Fate has led to much conflict in our ranks.”

He paused, then sighed. “I once thought extremely highly of the Big Boss of Sword Sovereign City. I admired his cultivation base and his unyielding spirit. However, I’m somewhat skeptical of his reincarnation.”

“Then I urge you to have another look,” said Ruo Su. “Whatever you do, don’t jump to conclusions prematurely.”

Old Lord Gouchen nodded. “I’ll be careful.”

He didn’t tell Ruo Su this, but he’d met Su Yi back in the God Domain. Moreover, he’d left a certain black sheep by his side. It was precisely because he’d decided to watch and wait that he felt that it was worth leaving the black sheep with Su Yi as a covert agent.

Now, it seemed he’d been right to bide his time. With the Big Boss’s heart devil in the picture, his covert agent would amount to nothing. Thus, Old Lord Gouchen made a decision. He’d give up on that covert agent! If he didn’t, it’d only make him seem like an unseemly, petty schemer.

As for what the black sheep would do after regaining its freedom? Old Lord Gouchen no longer cared.

......

That very day.

The Void, the endless emptiness beyond the River of Destiny, was the ancestral home of the Outsider Celestial Demons. Countless Celestial Demons had gathered here.

An enormous, majestic, golden mountain had stood at the center of the Void throughout the ages.

It was called Celestial Minister Mountain, and it was the greatest mountain in all the Void!

This was the territory of the Profound Blood Demons, one of the Thirteen Sovereign Clans of the Outsider Celestial Demons.

Aged laughter boomed from the peak of Celestial Minister Mountain. “Hahaha, the Void Barrier has cracked! We can now open a tunnel to the River of Destiny!”

The voice was so loud that it resounded throughout heaven and earth, spreading far into the distance. Countless Outsider Celestial Demons sensed the disturbance.

Atop Celestial Minister Mountain, a young man in jade robes and a crown of stars slowly rose to his feet. His eyes were like twin starscapes, profound, deep, unfathomable, and cold, with a heart-palpitating dark luster.

This was Demon Sovereign Xuan Shang!

He was one of the most ancient patriarchs of the Profound Blood Demon Sovereign Clan. He looked young, but his voice was that of an old man. He was one of the supreme rulers of the Void.

A smile spread across his face, and he raised his arms and looked into the sky. “The age of the Celestial Demons is finally imminent!”

That very day, every Celestial Demon in the Void noticed the startling spatial rifts cropping up throughout the dome of heaven.

It seemed the formless spacetime barrier had been damaged. It was now visibly cracked, and moreover, the damage was spreading!

The Void was in uproar. Countless Celestial Demons were startled into action.

No one knew it, but this development was connected to Lonely Heights’ battle with the Big Boss’s heart devil. Their duel had repeatedly provoked the Laws, and although the cataclysm hadn’t erupted in the end, it had nonetheless had an enormous impact on the entire River of Destiny!

There was a formless spacetime barrier around the void. They called it the Void Barrier. It had stood through countless ages, cleanly separating the Void from the River of Destiny.

But now, the Void Barrier had cracked!

Every last Celestial Demon realized what this meant. The perfect opportunity to invade the River of Destiny would soon be upon them!

That day would mark the start of a new age, the era of Celestial Demons!

“Xin Cheng’er, my little clear heart, you’ve got to still be alive. I’ll come find you on the River of Destiny as soon as I’ve opened a spacetime tunnel. Then, I’ll bring you back home,” murmured the seemingly youthful Demon Sovereign Xuan Shang, his jade-colored robes billowing around him.

A graceful figure rose to the forefront of his consciousness, and his eyes filled with infatuation.

A moment later, his cold, profound gaze filled with dense murderous intent. “If anything happened to you, I’ll be sure to cleanse the Eternal Heavens Domain in blood and slaughter every last cultivator in it!”

......

Meanwhile, that same day, the unknowably distant upper reaches of the River of Destiny were swathed in murky gray chaos mists. They were like a curtain obscuring the scenery at the end of the river.

Chaos qi flowed and circulated through the mists.

They were indistinct, but were someone to peer through the mists, they’d see nine stone steles, each swathed in dense chaos mists. All were enormous beyond imagination, towering seemingly without end.

Together, the nine of them formed a seemingly insurmountable natural barrier, splitting the River of Destiny in two.

The upper reaches lay beyond the barrier, but they were completely obscured in murky gray chaos mists.

The lower reaches, in contrast, were an endless, surging current. Its waters flowed to the unknowably distant Far Shore of Destiny.

When the heart devil and Lonely Heights’ battle almost triggered an apocalypse, the nine steles protecting the upper reaches felt the impact. All of them swayed, and all of them erupted with a rain of chaos light. Mysterious Edicts arose on their surfaces, forming an absolute, suppressive power that blocked the apocalyptic tribulation’s impact.

Suddenly, a head jutted out from beneath the third stele from the left, where the stele met the water.

“I... cannot... die yet!” A hoarse, frenzied voice rang out, every word a struggle.