First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1684 - The Foundations of the Gods

Chapter 1684 - The Foundations of the Gods

Su Yi was indeed quite stunned.

The two visions he’d just seen were both utterly astonishing.

One was of a Great Realm expert, Luo Changning, in the Primeval Era. He ignited his Divine Flame and attempted to acquire a divine throne, only for a horde of divine emissaries to join forces against him!

According to Luo Changning, he’d already grasped the secrets of achieving divinity, and all he lacked was the opportunity. Once he found it, he could ignite his divine flame, condense his godhead, and step onto the Path to Divinity.

But the gods would not permit this to happen. They simply expressed their willingness to take Luo Changning as their emissary.

Luo Changning refused and stubbornly attempted to achieve divinity, only to meet with a terrifying tribulation!

Did Luo Changning live or die in the end?

Su Yi didn’t know. What he could say with certainty was that no one had seen Luo Changning since.

He pieced this together from the clues in his second vision. In it, a cataclysm swept heaven and earth, slaughtering the experts at the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao. Heaven and earth crumbled, and blood fell like rain.

The old man in black, Luo Changning’s elderly servant, perished during the cataclysm. In the last moments before his death, he sighed with regret that he wouldn't live to see his master’s return.

The shadow of the gods was behind that cataclysm too, and they were targeting the world’s Great Realm experts. Why? Were the gods really afraid like Luo Changning said?

Su Yi suddenly recalled what Luo Changning said in his vision: “First, they fear a threat to their current status. They’re terrified of falling from their divine thrones and landing back amidst the dust of mortality.

“Second, they fear that the re-emergence of reincarnation will strip them of their control over the natural order of the epochs!”

Su Yi sank deep into thought.

In life, Wang Ye spent countless years searching for the secrets of divinity. He even entered the River of Epochs and visited numerous different worlds and planes. In the end, Wang Ye indeed uncovered numerous worthwhile leads.

Godhood really did exist!

This was a path above the Immortal Dao. Only those who’d stepped into the Divine Realm could walk atop the River of Epochs, break free of the fetters of time, and become truly eternal.

Cultivators who achieved this were called gods or deities!

Gods controlled mighty Epoch Laws. In the eyes of the masses, they were sovereigns presiding over the will of the heavens, ironclad rulers of the natural order.

Gods didn’t fear the passage of time or the alternation of epochs. Thus, their power transcended the civilizations of different eras.

Because they were eternal, undying existences, their influence reached the past, the present, and the future!

But setting aside all of those descriptors, the so-called gods were just cultivators who’d stepped into divinity.

They contemplated the Epoch Laws without fear of the passage of time. Thus, the populace saw them as eternal rulers.

In life, Wang Ye discovered that gods were so powerful because they condensed Godheads from the Laws of epochs to forge a Divine Throne!

That meant that the moment a god’s godhead was stolen and their divine throne replaced, they’d be cast back into mortal dust!

Furthermore, after surveying countless ancient ruins and gathering countless leads, Wang Ye concluded that there were a limited number of godheads and divine thrones available!

This was due to the nature of the River of Epochs. The River of Epochs was divided into numerous Epochs both big and small.

The Laws of any given Epoch’s natural order could only support a tiny handful of godheads and divine thrones.

This limited the number of gods!

If anyone new tried to prove their Dao and achieve divinity, that threatened those gods who already existed.

After all, condensing a Godhead and forging a Divine Throne required going through the River of Epochs.

The River of Epochs gave rise to numerous Epoch Laws, but those who’d achieved divinity long ago had seized dominion over them. Who’d willingly offer them to another?

The gods were like climbers who reached the peak of a grand mountain, only to discover that the space at the peak was limited. It was already so crowded that any new arrivals would squeeze someone else out. It was inevitable that the gods would reject and suppress them!

Su Yi thought back to the visions he’d seen not long ago and instantly understood what Luo Changning had been getting at.

The moment someone new became a god, he threatened the pre-existing gods.

And the power of reincarnation was even more terrifying. It could completely strip gods of their control over the natural order of the epochs!

The way the gods see it, those cultivators of the Great Realm are just one step away from becoming gods. Thus, they’re the greatest threat.

Perhaps that’s why they sent a cataclysm targeting Great Realm cultivators!

Su Yi suddenly recalled that the Great Realm cultivators of the present day had all gone into seclusion.

The Blood Firmament Immortal Sovereign of the Church of the Pure One, Jiang Tai’e of the Church of Supreme Oneness, Chu Shentong of the Eastern Seas’ Jade Firmament Immortal Palace, and numerous others had gone into hiding. To this day, they dared not show themselves publicly.

All of this was for the sake of avoiding divine misfortune!

According to that old man, the Divine Fortune Teller, “divine misfortune” was also called the “five signs of decay of celestial beings.” It targeted those experts who’d reached the Great Realm.

Clearly this so-called ‘divine misfortune’ is just like the cataclysm that befell the Primeval Era. It's the work of the gods!

Su Yi sank into thought.

When Tang Yuyan saw him sink into a lengthy silence, Tang Yuyan couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Shen, just what secrets did you uncover?”

Su Yi jolted to his senses. “The golden beast skin is from a Cloudlight Void Beast, and it’s the work of a Great Realm expert called Luo Changning.”

Su Yi then concisely explained everything he’d seen in his two unbelievable visions.

These shocking secrets left Tang Yuyan astonished. She stood there like a statue.

She was among the greatest of present-day Saint Realm experts, but the secrets of gods and divine misfortune were far, far beyond an Immortal Lady like her. They were as distant and unattainable as legends.

But she knew how extraordinary Great Realm experts were. They were the top powerhouses who stood at the very pinnacle of the Immortal Dao!

It was easy to imagine how shocking it was to learn that the gods had heartlessly slaughtered the Great Realm experts of the Primeval Era.

After a while, Tang Yuyan said, “Does that beast skin really hide the secrets of achieving divinity?”

“The Path to Divinity has long since disappeared,” said Su Yi. “Even if you learn its secrets, you won’t get an opportunity to become a deity.”

He passed the golden beast skin to her. “You’re welcome to have a look.”

Tang Yuyan was instantly flustered. She would never have guessed that Su Yi would be this straightforward. He was actually giving her an opportunity to see the skin’s secrets firsthand!

“Forget it,” said Tang Yuyan after a lengthy pause. “These secrets are too far removed from me. Learning more would only influence my Dao Heart.”

Su Yi didn’t push her.

The golden skin did indeed hide a sealed power. If it was as Su Yi expected, the secrets of achieving divinity Luo Changning spoke of were hidden within the seal.

But this wasn’t overly enticing to Su Yi. His current cultivation was far beneath Tang Yuyan’s, and he had a long way to go before reaching the Great Realm.

Reaching the Great Realm was the precondition for grasping these secrets!

The beast skin is a Great Realm treasure, but its source energy is all but depleted. Only its secrets are of any value, thought Su Yi.

He put the golden beast skin away and rose. “Let’s go.”

The two of them promptly continued on their journey.

......

Along the way, Tang Yuyan started to speak, then trailed off several times. Su Yi couldn’t help but find it amusing.

He laughed, “If you have something to say, go right ahead.”

She was a strong-willed, proud woman, but suddenly, she was fraught with worry in front of him. Su Yi wouldn’t have guessed this.

Tang Yuyan took a moment to steady her nerves, then said, “I’ll just be direct, then. On the shore of the Baleful Demon River, you disappeared at the same time as Chu Batian. Did you perhaps...”

“That’s right. I captured him alive,” Su Yi admitted. “I hid this from you because I didn’t want to implicate the Tang Family. After all, his great-granddad is Ol’ Chu Shentong.”

Even though Tang Yuyan was mentally prepared for this, when Su Yi just straight up admitted it, she couldn’t help but gasp.

He captured an unrivaled Immortal Lord alive!?

Especially during the Divine Hunt, capturing someone alive was far more difficult than simply defeating them.

There was no doubt about it. Shen Mu had suppressed Chu Batian before he even got the chance to use his life-saving talisman!

A moment later, a question arose in Tang Yuyan’s mind. Why did Shen Mu capture Chu Batian alive anyway?

But she considerately refrained from asking. She just said, “If it’s as I suspect, you’re that... that... um...”

She was stammering, but Su Yi understood what she was getting at. “That’s right.”

Tang Yuyan’s beautiful eyes widened. “You really are the famous Su Yi?”

Su Yi!

Several months ago, Su Yi visited the Seventh Gate of Heaven, slew four Immortal Kings, removed the former garrison master, Shen Qingshi, and killed all six Demon King representatives of the Beyond.

His dazzling accomplishment had long since shaken the entire Immortal Realm, creating countless ripples throughout the forty-nine provinces.

“No wonder...” Tang Yuyan murmured.

She’d actually put the pieces together a long time ago. After all, the Su Yi of rumor was also a Universe Realm Immortal, and he’d killed Demon Noble Yin Beiwu, an expert comparable to an unrivaled Demon Lord!

When she saw Su Yi single-handedly defeat six unrivaled Immortal Lords on Torn Space Mountain, she immediately suspected his identity.

Now that Su Yi had confirmed it, Tang Yuyan finally understood why both Tang Bao’er and Tang Lingqi were so secretive about Su Yi’s origins.

The most ridiculous part was that she’d been kept in the dark the whole time, and she’d been blunt, even harsh with Su Yi.

The thought made her feel thoroughly ill at ease and ashamed.

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll reveal your secrets?” Tang Yuyan looked at Su Yi.

“Will you?” Su Yi asked right back.

Tang Yuyan froze, stunned, then shook her head. “Of course not.”

Su Yi laughed. “Then what do I have to worry about?”

“Uh...” said Tang Yuyan. She suddenly felt that her question was entirely extraneous.

But Su Yi’s forthright admission of his secrets made her feel trusted. That, Tang Yuyan quite liked. In fact, it felt downright great. Aside from Bao’er and Seventh Uncle, I bet I’m the only one who knows his secret! That’s thrilling!

As they conversed, they continued into the distance.

Two days later.

Su Yi and Tang Yuyan crossed the Divine Abomination Grounds and reached a withered, barren, overcast world.

A stone pillar stood into the heavens, so tall it seemed to support the firmament. In the otherwise empty landscape, it was extraordinarily eye-catching.

The entrance to the hidden realm that had existed since the Primeval Era was inside that pillar!