First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1122 - A Thread of a Chance

Chapter 1122 - A Thread of a Chance

Su Yi tapped the beast skin scroll.

The landscape depicted on its surface instantly came to life, undergoing a wondrous transformation. The rivers and mountain ranges wriggled like worms, gradually outlining an all-new image.

Meanwhile, characters the size of a fly’s head arose throughout different sections of the landscape, like the markings of a geomantic map.

The labels were simple. They said either “survivable,” “dangerous,” “perilous,” or “certain death.”

When he took another look at the geography depicted on the scroll, Su Yi’s heart shook. That was the shape of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals’ outer perimeter!

He’d visited three times in his past life. How could he not recognize it?

Most wondrous of all was that the geography was clearly labeled based on its danger level. One of the places marked was a massive ravine spanning a wasteland.

Su Yi remembered it clearly. He’d visited that very wasteland his first time entering the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals. In the end, he encountered a group of terrifying lifeforms like demonic gods and departed spirits. They could have killed an Imperial Apex cultivator with ease.

Su Yi escaped with his life, but only just barely.

Now, when he saw that it was marked “certain death”, he finally understood just how fortunate he was to have made it out of the plains alive.

At the same time, he compared his past experiences and knowledge of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals to the map in his hands. He immediately realized that the paths labeled “survivable” were, in truth, still utterly perilous. A moment’s incaution could lead to annihilation.

The paths marked “dangerous” were unquestionably even more terrifying. Nine times out of ten, those who entered would die.

The places marked “perilous” were effectively lands of no return.

After his experience there in his past life, Su Yi understood this on a visceral level.

In the outer perimeter, there were three places marked “certain death.” Su Yi hadn’t explored any of them in his past life.

He couldn’t even imagine what terrifying dangers were hidden there.

And this was merely the outer perimeter of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals!

I wonder if the beast skin scroll contains a map of the heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals... Something occurred to Su Yi, and he pressed his finger against the scroll.

And indeed, the image transformed once more.

Shockingly, this time, the image reflected was indistinct. That is, it was only a coarse outline of the geography, without any other details.

Lines of the most primordial of ancient Dao Markings floated onto the map. They read: “If you’re not a World King, do not enter. This place is home to grave peril. Here, even a Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World King risks instant annihilation!”

A Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World King!?

Su Yi gasped.

The Path of Heaven’s Ascension, otherwise known as the World King Realm, was divided into three great realms: Heavenly Longevity, Oneness, and Cosmic Enlightenment!

Those in the Cosmic Enlightenment had already reached the pinnacle of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension. They were the strongest experts of the World King Realm!

Cosmic Enlightenment experts were to World Kings what Profound Unity cultivators were to Emperors!

But even the strongest of World Kings, Cosmic Enlightenment experts, risked instant annihilation if they entered the heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals. That was far too terrifying!

Su Yi took a moment to calm himself, then continued reading.

“Those who acquire this secret map, take caution. If you wish to venture into these lands, know that only those who’ve refined Dark and Gold Essence have any chance at survival.”

Just as Su Yi was about to get excited, he saw the last sentence. “But even then, only... the barest chance of survival.”

Su Yi instantly sank into silence. He couldn’t calm down as thoughts flooded into his head.

Way back when, the Dark and Gold Star Realm was utterly glorious and resplendent. It was seen as the ancestral origin of the countless Daos of the starry skies, and it gave rise to countless all-powerful, legendary experts.

There was no doubt that this was connected to the Celestial Law of the Dark and Gold Star Realm.

And the Celestial Law of the Dark and Gold Star Realm was born of its chaos source!

Logically speaking, the heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, the place marked “the birthplace of Ten Thousand Daos, the Origins of the Dark and Gold”, had to contain the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm!

That meant that although their connection to the star realm’s lost era had been severed, and although that era had disappeared into the long river of history, the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm hadn’t truly dissipated!

In other words, although the Celestial Laws of the Dark and Gold Star Realm had withered and broken, reducing the entire star realm to a “Celestial Ruin”...

That didn’t mean its chaos source had truly dried up.

A portion of it existed in the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals!

Waves of emotion coursed through Su Yi’s heart.

He dared say with certainty that if word spread, it could cause uproar throughout the Wilds and trigger an unprecedented storm! It might even rewrite the Wilds’ history and reconnect them to their long-vanished ancient past!

Those long-buried truths would see the light of day once more. Sparks would relight the extinguished legacies and civilization of that lost era.

And those dazzling, resplendent legends would circulate once more!

He could already predict how great the ensuing uproar would be.

But in the end, as Su Yi cooled down, he realized how cruel reality was.

What good would knowing of the time before recorded history do them?

In the modern era, even Dark and Gold Treasures were rare, and the Path of Heaven’s Ascension had been severed. The Wilds and its affiliated worlds were now just the Celestial Ruin, and they were battered and broken. They couldn’t possibly recover their former glory.

More importantly, even if the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm still existed in the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, who could possibly locate this shocking stroke of good fortune?

According to the beast skin scroll, even Cosmic Enlightenment World Kings faced utter annihilation!

And the Wilds had long since lost its connection to the Path of Heaven's Ascension. How could a World King possibly exist here? Let alone a terrifying existence like a Cosmic Enlightenment World King?

All of this meant that even if that lost history re-entered the world, it wouldn’t change the broken, withered state of the Wilds!

By the time he realized this, Su Yi’s head was completely clear.

The reality is far too cruel. If the world’s cultivators found out how glorious and resplendent the Dark and Gold Star realm was, and if they knew how broken and bleak the Wilds were, the disparity would ultimately only embitter them...

Su Yi shook his head and set aside his scattered thoughts. No matter what, obtaining this beast skin map was absolutely an unexpected, enormous harvest.

Su Yi had realized a few things as a result.

First, the heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals contained the chaos source of the Dark and Gold Star Realm!

Second, even those experts who’d refined Dark and Gold Essence had at best a small chance of survival.

Third, this map had existed since the lost era. Its owner was surely an incredible existence, and his cultivation was absolutely at the World King level!

Otherwise, he couldn’t possibly have understood the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals so well.

He knew these three things with relative certainty.

“Brother Su, just what did you discover?” The Heavensdeath Demon Empress was itching for answers, and she couldn’t help but press for information.

She’d been waiting all this time, unwilling to interrupt Su Yi’s thoughts, but she keenly detected the numerous shifts in Su Yi’s expression.

How could she fail to realize that he’d made a shocking discovery?

Su Yi didn’t hide it from her. He concisely recounted both his discoveries and what he’d inferred from them.

After hearing the full story, the Heavensdeath Demon Empress couldn’t help but feel dazed and astonished.

“Want to go there now and try our luck?” said Su Yi.

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress flashed him a charming smile, and her eyes sparkled. “If you dare, I dare.”

“Let’s talk about that later,” said Su Yi.

“But Brother Su, we’ve both refined Dark and Gold Essence, and you went to the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals more than once in your past life. With the beast skin scroll, we definitely have a shot at making it there. Can you really... withstand the temptation?”

Su Yi shook his head. “I didn’t say we weren’t going.”

The Heavensdeath Demon Empress’s eyes shone. “Then I’ll wait to go with you!”

The two of them then proceeded to divvy up the spoils.

Su Yi took three of the six Dark and Gold Treasures, including the beast skin scroll.

The other half went to the Heavensdeath Demon Empress.

That very day, the Heavensdeath Demon Empress gathered a group of old monsters and arranged a banquet for Su Yi.

When the banquet ended, she extended an invitation, and Su Yi decided to stay in the Demons’ Elysium for a while. After all, this was the greatest Demonist sect in the Wilds, with ancient foundations, and the spiritual energy here was shockingly dense. It was a first-rate blessed ground for cultivation.

Su Yi chose to remain behind because he wanted to go into seclusion atop the Platform of Self-Severing and further refine his cultivation base.

“Brother Su, if we dual cultivate, I’ll let you take what you will. I guarantee that your cultivation will improve by leaps and bounds in the shortest possible time.”

That night, the Heavensdeath Demon Empress came knocking on his door and “launched an offensive.” Su Yi was in her territory, so this was her opportunity to get him into bed.

Her dress was as red as fire, and her skin was as fair as snow. Her youthful, beautiful face was enough to bewitch the masses, especially her extraordinarily enticing figure. Her legs were long, straight, and lustrous, and the ample curves obscured by her red dress stirred the heart and soul.

Furthermore, she was throwing herself into Su Yi’s arms. That charm, amorousness, and seduction was enough to bewitch the soul. It was indescribably ambiguous and enticing.

Even an unshakeable expert of the Buddhist path likely wouldn’t be able to resist such temptation, let alone your typical man.

But Su Yi’s head was lowered in meditation. He sat there cross-legged as if he didn’t even hear her. He disregarded her completely, and his eyelids didn’t so much as twitch.

When the Heavensdeath Demon Empress saw this, she felt frustrated but also amused.

When other men see me, they either worship me like a deity, lowering themselves until they’re as humble as ants, or they fear me as a demon and avoid me as they might a flood or ferocious beast. Only Su Xuanjun has ever disregarded me!

But why does that only make me like you all the more? Perhaps... This is what makes you so different from other people... The Heavensdeath Demon Empress stood there, staring intently at Su Yi as her thoughts raced.

When I step into the World King Realm, I guarantee I’ll ‘bring you to justice,’ Su Xuanjun!

Who knows what she was thinking, but her pretty face flushed red with anticipation as she silently went on her way.

Suddenly, she heard Su Yi call out from behind her. “Remember to help me spread word that I’ll return to the Grotto of Abstruse Force three months from now.”

“Big Brother Su, relax. When it comes to you, I’ve never dared be the slightest bit negligent,” the Heavensdeath Demon Empress said sweetly.

Before her voice had even finished echoing through the air, her graceful, impressive figure disappeared into thin air.