First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1511 - The Road of Welcoming

Atop Eastern Profound Peak.

A’Cai came to visit, only for Sword Immortal Qingshi to inform her that Su Yi was in seclusion and not seeing guests.

A’Cai found this quite a pity. She took out a jade box and passed it to Sword Immortal Qingshi. “When Fellow Daoist Su leaves seclusion, please give this to him.”

Sword Immortal Qingshi solemnly accepted it.

“Also, please tell him that I’ll be goimg ahead, and I hope to see him again in the Immortal Realm,” A’Cai said softly.

Sword Immortal Qingshi was baffled. What does she mean, she’ll be going ahead?

But he nonetheless nodded and accepted the box.

A’Cai then turned to leave without any further delays.

As they left Eastern Profound Peak, the spearwoman couldn’t help but ask, “You paid such a heavy price to grant that Su guy the mysteries of Undying Power, yet you didn’t even get to lay eyes on him. Aren’t you... displeased?”

A’Cai laughed. “I gave him a token of my appreciation. If anything, I ought to be happy. Why nurse a grudge over not getting to hand it to him directly? Right, just how long do you plan to follow me around?”

The spearwoman hesitated. “I want to ask you for a favor.”

A’Cai exclaimed, “What kind of favor?”

“I’d like you to bring me to the Immortal Realm,” the spearwoman said solemnly. “If I go there myself, its Laws are sure to reject me. I can’t get there on my own, but it’s different if I go with you.”

A’Cai looked at her strangely. “You’ve been following me all this time for this?”

The spearwoman inclined her head. “If you help me, I’ll be sure to repay you.”

A’Cai thought that over and said, “If you really want to repay me, after we arrive in the Immortal Realm, accompany me somewhere.”

“Where?”

“The Sea of Warding.”

The spearwoman’s pupils constricted. “That’s one of the most mysterious forbidden zones in the Immortal Realm. What are you going there for?”

A’Cai just asked, “Will you come with me or not?”

The spearwoman sighed. “I’m only just realizing that you’re quite a schemer, little girl. Fine. I agree. I need your help, after all.”

A’Cai smiled. “It’s a deal.”

The two of them set off that very day.

......

Su Yi really knew nothing of what was going on outside. He was completely focused on his secluded cultivation, combing through his accumulations and steadying his Dao Heart.

Time slipped by.

Soon, several months had passed.

During this interval, the Plains of Welcoming were peaceful, with no further major upsets.

No matter which camp they hailed from, everyone was either out searching for good fortune or cultivating assiduously.

Everything was for the sake of seizing an opportunity to rise to the Immortal Realm when the Road of Welcoming appeared.

Su Yi emerged from seclusion only once during this time, and he learned quite a bit from Sword Immortal Qingshi.

For instance, he learned that the mysterious spearwoman had appeared and suppressed Yu Chen, the leading expert of the Northern Abyss Star Domain.

And that A’Cai had appeared, leaving him a jade box and a message.

Su Yi instantly understood that A’Cai had already left for the Immortal Realm.

Undying Silkworms controlled the power of spacetime. Leaving the Domain Boundary Battlefield early wasn’t difficult for her.

When they first met in the Eastern Profound Star Domain, A’Cai had shuttled through time and space to appear on the Tree of the Ten Thousand Worlds of Samsara to devour its leaves!

If fate allows it, we’ll naturally meet again, thought Su Yi.

Actually, way back when they claimed the Heaven-Adjudicating Grass in the blood-colored plains, A’Cai said she could take Su Yi with her to the Immortal Realm right away if he wanted.

But Su Yi refused her offer.

When the Road of Welcoming Appeared, good fortune accompanied it. Su Yi didn’t want to miss it.

“If it’s as I suspect, the spearwoman most likely left with A’Cai,” thought Su Yi.

He’d long since realized that her origins were extraordinary, and her cultivation was unfathomably deep. She was far beyond a Cloud Soaring Realm cultivator.

But her excessively high cultivation base meant that she couldn’t possibly take the Road of Welcoming intended for Cloud Soaring Transcendents. If she did, the Laws of the Immortal Realm were sure to reject her!

“Here’s that jade box, Fellow Daoist.” Sword Immortal Qingshi handed over the gift A’Cai had left for Su Yi.

Su Yi accepted it, but didn’t open it. “How are Universal Emptiness’s wounds?”

Sword Immortal Qingshi said, “His soul recently made a full recovery, and he’s in seclusion rebuilding his physical body, but...”

He let out a deep sigh. “Universal Emptiness told me that he’s given up on this chance at immortality.”

In truth, he had to give up whether he liked it or not. His injuries were just too heavy. Even though he’d rebuilt his physical body, he had no hope of overcoming his Immortal Tribulation.

“Giving up is fine too,” said Su Yi. “When he returns to the Eastern Profound Star Domain, we can have him seek out Daoist Master Red Cloud. With her help, he can still rise to the Immortal Realm.”

The Immortal Dao was currently re-entering the Laws of the Eastern Profound Star Domain. When it fully returned, Daoist Master Red Cloud and other experts of the Immortal Dao would be able to return to the Immortal Realm directly.

This was why the reawakened ancient immortal factions hadn’t come to the Domain Boundary Battlefield. With immortals like Mo Xinglin overseeing things, there was simply no need; their immortals could bring them to the Immortal Realm directly.

This is what they mean when they say, “When a man achieves enlightenment, even his dogs and chickens rise to the heavens.”

However, each star domain was home to countless cultivators. Those belonging to immortal factions were in the extreme minority; they were the exception to the general rule.

For the vast majority of the world’s cultivators, the Domain Boundary Battlefield’s Road of Welcoming was their only hope of soaring into the clouds and transcending mortality.

Sword Immortal Qingshi smiled. “That really is one way of doing it.”

“You’d best prepare too,” urged Su Yi. “When the Road of Welcoming appears, I’ll pave your path for you. All you have to do is rise to the Immortal Realm and overcome your Immortal Tribulation.”

Sword Immortal Qingshi’s spirits soared, and he solemnly assented.

As soon as they finished this conversation, Su Yi went back into seclusion. When he saw what A’Cai had left in the jade box, he was unwittingly stunned.

A Dao-Bearing Chaos Stone!!

Su Yi instantly understood just what A’Cai’s “delightful surprise” was. However, this gift was far too weighty. It was completely beyond his expectations.

“A’Cai, this time, I owe you an enormous favor...” Su Yi whispered.

The Dao-Bearing Chaos Stone sealed the complete mysteries of the Grand Dao of Undying!

......

Time slipped by.

Soon, a full year had passed since the four star domains’ cultivators had entered the Domain Boundary Battlefield.

On this day, a layer of dark clouds suddenly enveloped the sky, shrouding everything below in the darkness of an eternal night. The boundless, ancient ringing of a bell followed, reverberating between heaven and earth.

Throughout the three battlegrounds, every cultivator sensed it, and everyone stopped what they were doing.

That was the sound of the Bell of Welcoming!

When the bell rang, it meant that their year in the Domain Boundary Battlefield was up, and the Road of Welcoming was about to appear!

The Plains of Welcoming.

The experts of various camps heard the bell and took action. All of them gazed into the sky.

“Our opportunity to become immortals has finally arrived!”

Everyone was emotional, their faces full of excitement and anticipation.

“Quick, get ready! The Road of Welcoming will soon appear!” someone shouted, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

The experts of all four star domains flooded toward the Welcoming Grounds at the center of the Plains of Welcoming.

“Fellow Daoist Su, please rest assured. After returning to the Eastern Profound Star Domain, I’ll naturally go see Daoist Master Red Cloud,” the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha said with a smile.

He’d really given up on this opportunity to achieve immortality.

Su Yi nodded.

He and the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha had already talked it over, and Su Yi had entrusted the Bloodwing Ghost Bird and Qiongqi to him. After the curtains fell on the Domain Boundary Battlefield, the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha would bring the two vicious beasts back with him.

“Fellow Daoist Su, we ought to get going.”

Sword Immortal Qingshi couldn’t wait any longer.

Su Yi nodded.

When the two of them reached the Welcoming Grounds...

Boom!

Deep beneath the firmament, a massive impact suddenly rang out, like a thunderclap booming throughout the nine heavens.

Immediately afterward, the curtain of eternal night split, and an arc of light descended onto the Welcoming Grounds.

The Welcoming Grounds rumbled and boomed, giving rise to countless strange and intricate Dao Markings of the Laws.

Gradually, the arc connecting heaven and earth materialized. It was manifested entirely out of the laws of the Grand Dao.

The path rose directly from the Welcoming Grounds and soared into the depths of the sky. There was no end in sight!

The Road of Welcoming!

The cultivators’ eyes blazed with fervor. Their chests heaved with excitement, and their breathing sped up.

This was the road to the Immortal Transformation Platform. When they stepped upon it, they’d effectively be standing before the gates to the Immortal Realm!

When the time came, they could transcend mortality, like carp leaping over the dragon’s gate, or their journeys could reach their end. It all depended on their own good fortune.

Of course, all of this was on the precondition that they were qualified to step onto the Road of Welcoming!

“Let’s go!”

Countless cultivators soared into the air in unison, charging at the Road of Welcoming.

Some of them successfully stepped onto the path and soared along it, higher and higher.

Others failed, swept away by the Road of Welcoming’s power of the Laws and knocked out of the bounds of the Welcoming Grounds.

“Dammit! Is my merit insufficient?” someone cursed, his expression unsightly.

“How is this possible?” said another, slumping in abject dejection.

Those blocked from entering the Road of Welcoming simply hadn’t accumulated enough merit; they couldn’t earn the Road of Welcoming’s acknowledgment!

This sight cleared the heads of those who had yet to take action.

Reality had always been cruel.

The merit accumulated in the Domain Boundary Battlefield was proof of their strength. Only those with sufficient merit were qualified to step onto the Road of Welcoming!

Before long, Yu Chen, Qin Suxin, Ren Changqing, and the other leading experts took action. They effortlessly stepped onto the Road of Welcoming and soared up.

“We ought to get going too,” said Su Yi, leading the way ahead.

Whoosh!

When he reached the Road of Welcoming, the identity marker containing Su Yi’s accumulated merit produced a strange power that resonated with the Road of Welcoming.

Then, beneath countless gobsmacked gazes, a glittering golden cloud of the Grand Dao appeared beneath Su Yi’s feet, carrying him onto the Road of Welcoming.

“That’s possible!?”

The crowd was dumbstruck. It was their first time hearing of someone ascending the Road of Welcoming like this.

Sword Immortal Qingshi was stunned too, but a moment later, he set aside all such thoughts and hurriedly got going.

Meanwhile, on Eastern Profound Peak.

When the Universal Emptiness Sword Buddha watched Su Yi and Sword Immortal Qingshi disappear into the depths of the firmament, he clasped his palms together and inclined his head.

“Take care, my fellow Daoists!”