First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1223 - Three Years

Tomorrow?

Jing Xing, Jin Kui, and the others were stunned.

Although they’d long since known that their master would soon venture into outer space, hearing that he planned to leave tomorrow still caught them off guard.

“How many times have I said it? It’s not like we’re saying goodbye forever. There’s no need to worry,” laughed Su Yi.

He then issued each of them orders.

When he underwent reincarnation, it happened too suddenly, leading to numerous setbacks and problems.

Su Yi naturally wouldn’t make the same mistake this time.

“Most of the treasures I gathered in my past life are no longer useful to me. I’ll leave them all here with you,” ordered Su Yi. “Jing Xing, you take charge of them.”

“I’ll assiduously carry out your orders, Master. I won’t let you down,” Jing Xing solemnly assented.

“Jin Kui, I’ll entrust these pouches to your care,” said Su Yi. As he spoke, he passed three brocade pouches to her. “If you run into difficulties too great to resolve, you can open these pouches one by one.”

Jin Kui hurriedly accepted them. “Rest assured, Master. Your disciple will take good care of them.”

Wang Que couldn’t help but be curious. “Master, what secrets are hidden in the brocade pouches?”

Su Yi smiled but didn’t explain. All he said was, “It’ll be best if you never have to use them.”

He paused, then said to Ye Luo, “If my old friends encounter difficulties in their cultivation, I’d like you to help resolve them.”

“Got it!” Ye Luo hurriedly pounded his chest.

Su Yi turned to Xuan Ning. “I’ll ask you to help guard our gates.”

Xuan Ning solemnly agreed.

“What about me, Master?” Bai Yi couldn’t help but ask.

“You?” Su Yi thought for a moment, then teased, “Just don’t cause trouble. Then, I’ll be able to relax.”

The others couldn’t help but laugh. Bai Yi grinned too.

After chatting a while longer, Su Yi had his disciples leave. He continued sitting there, drinking alone.

Tomorrow, he’d venture into the stars, and his heart rippled with uncharacteristic emotion.

After merging with the Temple Master’s experience and memories, Su Yi had his understanding of the stars—and his feelings.

In the Temple Master’s life, he’d visited all of the hundred great star realms, exploring countless planes and too many hidden realms to count. He’d learned inestimably numerous secrets.

At the same time, he’d established numerous karmic ties.

Even if he closed his eyes, his old friends, the foes he’d once defeated, countless life-or-death trials... all manner of scenes from his past flashed through his mind.

It was so clear and so familiar, yet somewhat foreign.

More often than not, life failed to live up to one’s ideals, and people you could open up to about it were few and far between.

As the Temple Master, his sword had once dominated the stars. Even so, he’d experienced obstacles, storms, and adversity.

Everyone experienced mistakes, regrets, sorrows, and delights in their lifetime, albeit to varying degrees. He was no exception.

All of this formed the karma of his past life.

He was soon to depart the Wilds and venture into the stars. There was no avoiding the effects of these karmic fetters.

But Su Yi wasn’t opposed or averse to this.

The path of cultivation was all about severing fetters, breaking obstacles, and opposing the heavens in the first place.

Without karmic ties, how could he cultivate?

He was currently slowly combing through his past experiences in preparation for his departure.

After awakening his memories and restarting his cultivation, he rose to prominence in the Azure Continent, became an Emperor in the Netherworld, returned to the Wilds to resolve his past enmities, and became a World King. Only about five years had passed.

But to Su Yi, those five years were utterly precious.

Because every time he broke through, he achieved a transformation far beyond his past selves!

Now, as he sifted through his memories, he couldn’t help but sigh. Without reincarnation, I couldn’t possibly have achieved my current heights.

“Who is it?” Suddenly, Su Yi awakened from his meditation and furrowed his brow.

“Ee? It’s only been a year since I last saw you, but you’ve become so strong?” A woman’s voice resounded from outside Su Yi’s immortal cave.

Su Yi got up, walked outside, and saw a familiar figure.

A woman in gray robes, straw sandals, and a bronze mask that revealed only her bright purple eyes.

This was none other than the mysterious spearwoman!

But a moment later, Su Yi sensed that something wasn’t quite right. “This is your avatar of will?”

“That’s right.” The spearwoman admitted it with a nod. “Not long ago, my true body wanted to come here for a fight, only to run into unexpected trouble. She had no choice but to leave.”

Su Yi was instantly solemn.

A mere avatar had silently slipped past the Grotto of Abstruse Force’s numerous restrictions to arrive at his immortal cave!

How strong was this woman’s true cultivation base?

After taking a moment to calm himself, he said, “So what have you come here for?”

“There’s a few things I’d like to learn from you,” said the spearwoman. “A year ago, I investigated the secrets of reincarnation, and I located the Reincarnation Pool, only to discover that with my power, I couldn’t open the Path of Samsara. It was truly unexpected, so I want to know how you managed to pull it off.”

“Would you believe me if I said I figured it out on my own?” asked Su Yi.

The spearwoman was stunned. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

“....”

“Forget it,” grumbled the spearwoman. “Reincarnation is seen as a taboo, and the attached karma is far too great. I might be curious, but I don’t want this power to stain me.”

Here, she looked at Su Yi. “Do you know about the Contract of the Gods?”

Su Yi shook his head.

All he knew was that when Qin Chongxu crossed the River of Time, he claimed he was acting in the name of the Contract of the Gods. He said it wouldn’t permit anyone else to undergo reincarnation!

Furthermore, that wisp of Qin Chongxu’s soul had shouted that since Su Yi controlled the power of reincarnation, he would become the common foe of both gods and demons!

“Then you’d best be careful,” said the spearwoman. “To the strongest experts of any given epoch, reincarnation is a taboo. In the years to come, I’m afraid you’ll face numerous unexpected disasters and a lot of trouble.”

As she spoke, her eyes shone with pity. “So don’t think controlling reincarnation is something great. It might well bring you unimaginable power, but it’ll bring you equally unimaginable disaster.”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Surely you didn’t just come here to chat about that?”

“Of course not,” said the spearwoman. “I just wanted to warn you. How will I avenge myself if something happens to you?”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then understood. There was no doubt about it. She’s still upset that she couldn’t defeat me when we were both at the same cultivation!

Su Yi said calmly, “Rest assured. I won’t die so easily.”

A moment later, he changed the subject. “Might we take this opportunity to discuss the Contract of the Gods?”

“Want to know about it?” asked the spearwoman.

Su Yi nodded seriously. “I do.”

The spearwoman pointed at herself. “Wait until my true body returns. If you can beat me at the same cultivation boundary, I’ll tell you.”

“....”

When she saw Su Yi’s stifled expression, a grin tugged at the spearwoman’s lips. “Don’t be impatient. My true body is sure to return within three years.”

“Three years? Strange. Why is it three years again?”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. The owner of that skeletal hand, Luo Yao, had also told him that she’d return within three years!

The spearwoman exclaimed, “Someone else told you they’d return three years from now?”

Su Yi nodded. “Yes.”

The spearwoman was obviously intrigued. “Who are they? What’s their name? Are they a man or a woman?”

Something occurred to Su Yi, and he said, “If you answer some of my questions, I wouldn’t mind chatting about it with you.”

The spearwoman instantly snickered. “Don’t want to tell me? Forget it, then. I can already say with certainty that the person you speak of isn’t from the Eastern Profound Star Domain, and it’s highly likely that they’re not of this era, either.”

Su Yi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What makes you say that?”

The spearwoman batted her eyes. “The secrets of the heavens are not to be revealed.”

“....”

He suddenly felt the impulse to capture her and beat some answers out of her. He refused to believe he couldn’t pry out some of her secrets.

“Want to fight me? You’re welcome to try it.” The spearwoman crossed her arms, raised her jaw, and gazed provocatively at Su Yi.

Su Yi snorted coldly. “I wouldn’t sink so low as to bully a mere avatar of will. When your true body comes back, I’ll suppress you just like I did last time.”

“....” The spearwoman seemed to recall a certain scene, one she couldn’t bear to remember. Her beautiful purple eyes filled with shame and vexation. “Enough! When the time comes, we’ll see who suppresses who!!”

Her tone was hateful, but Su Yi laughed. “There’s nothing I care about less than others’ threats.”

The spearwoman’s chest heaved. Some time passed before she finally said, “Then you’d best survive until I come back!”

With that, she turned to leave.

But soon, she stopped in her tracks. Without so much as turning her head, she said, “Within three years, the Domain Boundary Battlefield will reopen, ushering in a new conflict. If you can seize advantage of this opportunity, you might well be able to truly transcend this era.”

With that, without waiting for Su Yi’s response, the spearwoman disappeared into thin air.

Within three years, the Domain Boundary Battlefield would re-open, ushering in a new conflict!

Transcending this era? Su Yi couldn’t help but be tempted.

The spearwoman’s last words before her departure were full of mysteries.

“Within three years, this mysterious Luo Yao, a suspected immortal, will return, as will the spearwoman’s true body. Even the Domain Boundary Battlefield, which has disappeared for countless years, will re-open...” Su Yi muttered to himself. “Why is all of this set to happen within three years? Just what kind of secrets are hidden behind this?”

After a moment’s contemplation, Su Yi burst into laughter. “The stars are getting more and more interesting...”

Morning the next day.

Dawn had only just broken, bathing everything in radiant light.

Outside the gates of the Grotto of Abstruse Force.

Jing Xing led his fellow disciples, as well as Wen Lingxue, Cha Jin, Ning Sihua, and the others, to wait there and see Su Yi off.

“Go back.” Su Yi waved, then strode off.

Qing Wan walked beside him, but she seemed reluctant. From time to time, she turned to look at Wen Lingxue and the others.

Su Yi was taking her with him on this trip into the stars. They were headed for the Nine Heavens Pavilion!

Meng Changyun followed Su Yi like an attentive old servant.

Before long, the crowd watched as Su Yi and company disappeared over the horizon.

The five hundred and third year of the Wilds’ new calendar, the eleventh day of the seventh month, the end of summer.

The curtains were just starting to open on the Dark and Gold Star Realm’s new era, and throughout its worlds, the winds rose and the clouds surged.

On this day, a man seen as a living legend silently departed and began his journey into the stars.