First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1326 - Secluded Deity Ridge

In the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, the Temple Master defeated four Transcendent revenants in a row!

This news threw the entire Divine Capital Star Realm into uproar.

“The Temple Master is going against the heavens!”

The first to learn this news were the top orthodoxies of the present day, like the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao.

When they learned the details of the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, they were all astonished, and they could no longer keep their cool.

“It seems we’ll have to adjust our strategy,” sighed an old-timer of the ancient Zhong Family.

Not long ago, the stars had boiled over with news of the Path of Transcendence. Numerous peak factions thought that the future would belong to the Transcendents, and the Temple Master, a legend of a bygone era, was doomed to be crushed beneath their feet.

Now, all of them felt as if they’d been ruthlessly slapped in the face.

The Temple Master hadn’t even stepped onto the Path of Transcendence yet, but he’d already beaten several Transcendent revenants in a row. Who’d dare proclaim that they’d crush the Temple Master beneath their feet now?

......

“After reincarnation, the Temple Master is unquestionably even more terrifying than before!”

Within the territories of the Blue Luan Spirit Race, numerous old-timers were discussing this incident.

Including Feng Tianjia, who’d once served as the Temple Master’s mount. He’d long since broken out in cold sweats, and his heart was full of lingering terror.

Feng Tianjia issued orders without hesitation. “Pass on my orders. Strip Feng Yunlie of his position as young leader!”

Back in Crow Ridge, it was the experts under Feng Yunlie’s leadership who’d offended the Temple Master.

Initially, Feng Tianjia never even considered stripping Feng Yunlie of his position, but now, he felt he had no other choice.

He’d served as the Temple Master’s mount for a thousand years. He naturally knew that although the Temple Master was broadminded and unrestrained, deep within his bones, he was the type to carry a grudge!

“High Elder, don’t you think that’s overdoing it?” someone couldn’t help but ask.

Feng Tianjia said coldly, “You don’t understand shit! This is called ‘nipping a problem in the bud.’ We can’t leave any loose ends, or they'll come back and bite us.”

......

“Transcendent revenants are still ultimately just soul bodies. They can’t compare to true Transcendents,” said an elder of the Skyfire Xu Family. “Nonetheless, given what the Temple Master has achieved, we absolutely can’t underestimate him. In the days to come, keep a lower profile. Do your best not to get involved in anything involving the Temple Master.”

The other Xu Family higher-ups nodded.

A moment later, someone couldn’t help but say with sadistic glee, “Heh. The old Tailor’s sure in for trouble this time.”

Numerous others smiled in response.

The Tailor always hid himself in the darkness. He unquestionably instilled dread into other’s hearts.

Over the years, things almost never ended well for those he set his sights on.

But now that word had spread of the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, everyone knew that the Temple Master had it in for the Tailor!

“For now, let’s just watch the show. When two tigers fight, not even the victor will emerge unscathed. We can seize this opportunity to build up our forces in preparation for taking control of the new age!”

The Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao had started investigating the secrets surrounding immortality a full twenty years ago.

By now, they hadn’t just gathered numerous strokes of good fortune relating to the Path of Transcendence. Some of their peak older-generation experts had already stepped onto the Path of Transcendence themselves in the Flying Immortal Forbidden Zone!

Even some revenants of ancient orthodoxies had chosen to cooperate with them.

Now, all they had to do was calm their hearts and wait. When the complete Path of Transcendence reappeared, they could lead the trend of the new age!

......

“Whoever kills this ‘Tailor’ person has an opportunity to break their curse?”

“Send someone to investigate just who this Tailor person is. If there’s an opportunity, bring his head back!”

“Be quick about it! This opportunity is limited. We can’t let anyone else seize it!”

Similar exchanges took place in every faction revenants were involved in, over and over again.

When they learned that anyone who slew the Tailor—or destroyed one of his subordinate factions—could come to Su Yi and have their curse broken, the revenants were instantly in uproar. There was no way to avoid temptation.

Some of the more powerful revenants still couldn’t leave hiding and enter the world. Instead, they issued orders and sent their subordinates to take action.

All at once, dark currents surged beneath the surface, and countless spears pointed at the tailor.

This drew attention from the top factions of the present day. They couldn’t help but delight in the Tailor’s misfortune.

Indeed, when the Temple Master fought back, his counterattack was extraordinary!

......

To the world’s cultivators, the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple effectively swept away a sky full of dark clouds. All of them felt excited and encouraged.

“No matter how strong those revenants are, they aren’t unbeatable!”

“His Excellency the Temple Master lives up to his reputation as the legend who once single-handedly dominated the stars! Let’s see if those revenants dare act up with him around!”

“If you’re looking for a remarkable figure, look no further! The fate of the stars isn’t up for those revenants to decide!”

The news had the populace all fired up.

Recently, word of the revenants had spread, filling the world’s cultivators with anxiety. All of them knew that if the revenants sought to bring ruin, blood would fall like rain. The world would descend into turmoil and upheaval.

But things were different now.

After the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, the Temple Master single-handedly defeated four Transcendent revenants. This glorious accomplishment was enough to influence the trend of the stars’ future!

“In the Battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, the Temple Master dominated completely. That’s enough to change the trend of the future. Seems to me that this battle will go down in the annals of history, and they’ll speak of it for generations to come,” said an ancient expert, his heart full of emotion.

......

A dark, secluded world.

“My lord, our base in the Fan Province was destroyed by a group of revenants. We lost sixteen Shadows and over a hundred of our elite subordinates.

“My lord, our base in the Wen Province was overrun by revenants. They attacked and killed our subordinates in a frenzy, and they even ran off with the treasures that stronghold had gathered over the years.

“My lord, our base in the White Province....”

News flowed in at irregular intervals. Each time, an elderly servant reported to the Tailor personally.

The elderly servant’s expression was ashen, his face full of hatred and fury.

The Tailor sat nearby. From beginning to end, he remained perfectly calm. Between sips of tea, he moved pieces on a chessboard; he was playing against himself.

“My lord...”

Before long, more news arrived.

But just as the elderly servant was about to deliver his report, the Tailor waved for silence. “No need. If it’s as I suspect, all thirty-six of our strongholds in the Divine Capital Star Realm will fall. There’ll be no holding them.”

The Tailor drained his cup of tea, then said casually, “You needn’t be angry. These losses are trivial and entirely unworthy of our attention.”

Before the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple even began, he ordered Butterfly Girl to recall their forces from their strongholds and gather them in one place.

Although their strongholds were falling, one after another, and although they lost numerous experts, their losses still weren’t worth mentioning.

The elderly servant nodded, then said solemnly, “I just feel that... Passively letting him punish us is infuriating. I don’t even need to think to know that the whole world is laughing at us.”

The Tailor didn’t seem at all concerned. “So what if they laugh at us? We’ll see who laughs in the end.”

Here, he couldn’t help but laugh and say leisurely, “The Temple Master might think he can borrow the revenants’ hands to suppress me, but little does he know, I don’t care about these losses at all.

“Besides, the revenants aren’t stupid. How could they be willing to just let him exploit them?

“The moment he mastered the power of reincarnation, his fate was sealed. In the revenants’ eyes, he’s nothing but a fish on the chopping block. No one can change that!

“After all, no one is willing to entrust their fate to another.

“The Temple Master isn’t stupid either. He has to know that his advantage is greatest if he leaves the revenants bound by their curse. This is an unresolvable dilemma.

“Unless...” Here, the Tailor shook his head. “No, there is no ‘unless.’”

“My lord, a message has arrived from Sect Leader Lie Nanye of the Hidden Skies Immortal Sect,” said the elderly servant, proffering a sealed envelope.

The Tailor’s brow furrowed slightly, but then, he laughed. “Would you believe me if I said that after Lie Nanye learned of the battle at Universal Emptiness Temple, he completely lost his cool? I’m sure this message is intended to put pressure on us and make us deal with the Temple Master as soon as possible.”

With that, he opened the envelope, but when he saw the message therein, the Tailor’s smile froze, and the veins bulged on his forehead.

The message contained only two sentences:

“Fuck your mom! Give me back my money!”

It was just eight words written in vigorous strokes, but the message they conveyed stung the eyes.

Even the Tailor’s expression darkened.

“I wouldn’t have thought that a lofty, proud elite of the demonic path would curse like some country hick!” the Tailor said icily. He drew his fingertip across the page, incinerating the letter into ash.

“My lord, does the Hidden Skies Immortal Sect plan to have a falling out with us?” an elderly servant asked with a frown.

The Tailor shook his head. “No, he’s just venting a bit of fury. He isn’t willing to let us slaughter him like a fatty sheep. At the same time, he’s expressing his displeasure and trying to put pressure on us.”

The Tailor thought for a moment. “Send a message to Lie Nanye.”

“I await your message, my lord,” the elderly servant said attentively.

The Tailor’s gaze was profound and deep. “I can promise him that within half a year at most, the Temple Master will meet with inescapable disaster! If he wants to cooperate, he should train the Transcendents he promised as soon as possible. If he doesn’t...”

A hint of ferocity flashed in the depths of the Tailor’s gaze as he said slowly and clearly, “Then he can fuck off! I don’t need him!”

The elderly servant froze, stunned. It was his first time seeing his lord so angry.

“Shit!” Something suddenly occurred to the Tailor, and his expression shifted abruptly. “What’s Butterfly Girl’s situation?”

The servant said hurriedly, “In accordance with your orders, she’s led the core of our forces stationed in the Divine Capital Star Realm to hide in Secluded Deity Ridge.”

The Tailor didn’t hesitate to issue orders. “Quickly, tell her to retreat as soon as possible!”

The elderly servant trembled from head to toe, then rushed off to carry out his orders.

“Illuminating Emptiness, you old bald donkey, if you dare give the Temple Master my Thousand Opportunities Talisman, don’t blame me for forgetting our former bond," said the Tailor. "From this day forth, we’ll be irrevocable enemies!”

His expression shifted erratically.

In his youth, he’d once been trapped in an inescapable crisis. It was the coarse, carefree monk Illuminating Emptiness who’d saved him from the brink of death.

Although the two had long since had a falling out and gone their separate ways, the Tailor had always carried the monk’s initial act of kindness within his heart.

The thought that Illuminating Emptiness was most likely helping the Temple Master act against him was like a knife to the heart, resulting in the Tailor’s uncharacteristic loss of composure.

Meanwhile——

It was late at night. The skies were dark, with neither moon nor stars.

Su Yi appeared deep within an ancient mountain forest.

“So, they’re hidden here, in Secluded Deity Ridge," said Su Yi. "I just don’t know if the old Tailor’s here or not.”

He looked down at the Thousand Opportunities Talisman.

This treasure was glowing with a wisp of inscrutable light, and it was pointed at the distant Secluded Deity Ridge!