First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1197 - The Ancient Corpse of a World King

Outside the Daoist temple.

When she learned that Su Yi planned to proceed into the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals alone, the Heavensdeath Demon Empress couldn’t help but feel frantic.

Her charming eyes widened, and she said emphatically, “Even if I die, I want to travel with you this time!”

Meng Changyun also chimed in hurriedly, “Your Excellency, this old man isn’t afraid to die either!”

Su Yi couldn’t help but facepalm. He’d already told them both that when he ventured deeper into the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, Enforcer Jin Chi was extremely likely to target him

Furthermore, the spirit sparrow said that in the secret origin grounds, the rules offered him no protection!

That meant that the Enforcers could attack as they pleased without fear of punishment.

“Fellow Daoist, you have eighteen Dark and Gold Tokens. When you enter the secret origin grounds, you can proceed to the path of trials whenever you please. There, you won’t need to fear the Enforcers’ interference,” said the Crane Fairy. “Furthermore, Fellow Daoist Heavensdeath has already earned my recognition. When she enters the secret origin grounds, she too can proceed directly to the path of trials.”

Su Yi’s heart stirred. In that case, it’ll be relatively safe.

“Senior, can... Can I receive your recognition too?” Meng Changyun gazed eagerly at the Crane Fairy.

“No.” The Crane Fairy refused directly. “I said it already; your latent potential is insufficient. Even if you undergo trial, you won’t get far.

“.....”

The Crane Fairy aside, Meng Changyun was the only World King here! Yet for some reason, she insisted his potential was insufficient...

This came as far too great a blow.

Su Yi looked at Meng Changyun. “You really aren’t afraid to die?”

Meng Changyun didn’t even stop to think. “I’m not afraid!”

Su Yi tossed him eighteen Dark and Gold Tokens; he still had plenty left over. “I’ll give you this chance. Don’t waste it.”

Meng Changyun instantly froze, flattered, but also startled. He stammered, “Your Excellency, these... are too precious, I....”

“A chance to undergo trial, that’s all. Is it really worth such a fuss? Going forward, try to broaden your horizons,” rebuked Su Yi.

Meng Changyun was instantly ashamed, and he bowed deeply. “Thank you for your guidance! I won’t let you down, Your Excellency!”

Su Yi took out the beast skin map and showed it to the Crane Fairy.

She looked it over and said, “A trial-taker must have made this a long time ago. The outer ring is labeled correctly, but its description of the core regions of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals contains major errors.”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. “Might you explain?”

“The heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals is the secret origin grounds,” said the Crane Fairy. “Without eighteen Dark and Gold Tokens or a Custodian’s recognition, practically no one can survive there.

“As for Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World Kings...? They can’t possibly enter the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals. It’s not complicated; the Laws of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals will destroy all Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World Kings who enter from outside.”

Something occurred to Su Yi. “It targets foreign Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World Kings? Have Cosmic Enlightenment World Kings ever tried to enter the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals?”

The Crane Fairy nodded. “That was back in ancient times, when the Dark and Gold Star Realm was incredibly prosperous and resplendent. Back then, they saw it as one of the Four Great Ancestral Grounds of the Eastern Profound Star Domain.

“In that era, numerous experts of other star realms came to the Dark and Gold Star Realm to seek out a higher path... And their ranks included no shortage of Cosmic Enlightenment Realm World Kings.

“With Venerate Flooding Heavens’ group of legendary experts here to protect this place, the Cosmic Enlightenment World Kings of other star realms didn’t dare to cause trouble!

Here, her expression abruptly grew overcast. She sighed, “But after that mysterious catastrophe befell us, all of that went up in smoke...”

Su Yi subtly inclined his head.

All of these matters were far too distant. Countless years had passed; even the Temple Master hadn’t known about this.

After all, that catastrophe happened before the Wilds’ recorded history. Hundreds of thousands of years had passed since then!

The Dark and Gold Star Realm’s pinnacle of prosperity had passed far, far before ancient times began.

“What was the origin of that catastrophe?” asked Su Yi.

He already knew that it was this very catastrophe that had shattered the Laws of the Dark and Gold Star Realm, consigning an entire era of history to oblivion. Even the star realm’s connection to the Path of Heaven’s Ascension had been severed. N0vel_Biin hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

“I don’t know,” said the Crane Fairy. “But to the best of my knowledge, traces of that mysterious catastrophe remain in the secret origin grounds to this day. Rumor has it that the catastrophe originated with a ferocious forbidden weapon not of this epoch.”

Su Yi’s gaze focused.

That catastrophe was actually connected to a weapon not of this epoch?

This was truly a shocking revelation.

They chatted a while longer, and after asking a few more questions about the secret origin grounds, Su Yi led the Heavensdeath Demon Empress and Meng Changyun away.

For safety reasons, he placed them both in the Seed of the Azure.

......

A day later.

A massive barrier entered Su Yi’s field of view, so tall it connected heaven and earth.

The barrier was like a rain of immortal light falling from the heavens, a natural barrier severing the path ahead.

The Sky-Splitting Barrier!

This was a barrier of the Grand Dao that had separated the outer ring of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals from the secret origin grounds since ancient times. Upon crossing it, he’d arrive in the secret origin grounds.

Su Yi had visited the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals three times in his past life, but only now did he know that he’d never once made it into the secret origin grounds.

Su Yi stood there briefly, then took out eighteen Dark and Gold Tokens.

Weng!

A strange ripple spread across the Sky-Splitting Barrier. A rain of light fell, enveloping him, and a moment later, he disappeared.

When Su Yi’s field of view regained its usual clarity, he found himself in a strange, blood-colored landscape.

It was boundlessly vast and permeated with an ancient, primordial air.

Wisps of chaotic mist circulated beneath the dome of heaven, enshrouding the entire area and lending it an additional layer of mysteriousness.

“That’s actually Dark and Gold Essence...” Su Yi couldn’t help but feel surprised.

The wisps of chaotic mist covering the landscape were actually formed of Dark and Gold Essence. Even just breathing them in filled Su Yi’s qi with renewed vigor, soothing his mind and spirit.

“If someone could cultivate here from a young age, I’m afraid they wouldn’t need long at all to far surpass their peers. It wouldn’t be difficult, either.” Su Yi couldn’t help but sigh.

He had the experience of three lifetimes. He was naturally well aware of how rare and wondrous this ancient, chaotic landscape was.

Even the greatest blessed grounds of the stars were inferior to this place!

But a moment later, Su Yi sensed that something wasn’t right.

It was too still and too quiet, as if there was no life force at all. There weren’t even any trees or grasses. All he saw were ruined, withered mountains and hills.

“This must be the Origins of the Dark and Gold, the place they call the secret origin grounds. It met with a catastrophe a long time ago, and it's been damaged ever since...”

As Su Yi pondered, he was just about to proceed further in when...

Boom!

Suddenly, the sky ahead exploded, and a spear dripping with blood shot toward him.

Su Yi shifted, dodging the attack.

When he looked over, he saw a roughly ten-foot-tall ancient corpse gripping the spear.

The corpse wore dilapidated armor. Its skin was deathly pale, its eyes were bright red, and its entire body was swathed in churning black baleful qi. Explosive, fragmented power of the laws rose around it, a terrifying, imposing sight.

“This corpse must have belonged to a World King. It's emanating a mixture of fragmented resentment and murderous intent, and its awareness is muddled.” Su Yi’s brow furrowed slightly.

Who knew how long it had been since this World King had died? Even its armor was rotting and falling apart. Its skin was withered and rock hard, and its aura was utterly baleful and vicious.

Boom!

The World King corpse attacked, swinging its bleeding spear and shattering the skies with incomparable viciousness.

Su Yi’s sleeves billowed around him. A streak of sword qi floated above his hand, and he slashed through the air.

Crunch!

The bleeding spear split into pieces.

The sword qi continued, its power undiminished, and pierced the World King corpse’s forehead.

It then burst. Countless fiery red flowers of the Far Shore bloomed, setting the corpse ablaze.

In the blink of an eye, its baleful energy had disappeared, as if it had been thoroughly purified.

In the end, the corpse disintegrated into ash and disappeared completely.

“It’s a pity. To a corpse puppeteer, this World King corpse would be a first-rate, unparalleled treasure.” Su Yi whispered and raised his hand. That streak of sword qi silently disappeared.

He wasn’t interested in corpse puppetry; he even found it rather vile. He naturally had no interest in collecting the World King’s corpse.

Su Yi walked up, then picked a black jade the size of an infant’s fist off the ground.

The jade was crystalline and translucent, and a dense, pure power of the Grand Dao surged within it. It emanated wisps of a holy aura.

“A World Origin Divine Crystal!” exclaimed Su Yi.

This was a divine material only Oneness Realm World Kings could condense within their bodies. It was the accumulation of the World King’s Grand Dao origin power, and it was absolutely a first-rate precious treasure.

If another World King obtained it, they could use it to forge weapons. They could also contemplate the World Origin Divine Crystal to glean some of the secrets of this World King’s cultivation!

Out amongst the stars, such crystals were absolutely priceless. Even top factions slavered at the mouth over them!

This was because they were far, far too rare.

For one thing, only Oneness Realm World Kings could condense such treasures.

For another, it wasn’t like just any old Oneness World King would leave one behind when they died.

Typically, when a Oneness World King died, their bodies and Daos were completely destroyed. They had no opportunity to leave their World Origin Divine Crystal behind.

“It seems that in life, that World King was a Oneness Expert.”

He put away the World Origin Divine Crystal; he’d use it to forge a weapon later.

This was a rare and precious material, the type that could only be happened upon by chance. If he used it properly, he could forge a peak World King-level Weapon!

“Fortunately, the Laws of Reincarnation are a natural counter to the undead. Otherwise, dealing with that ancient corpse would have been a lot of trouble.”

“I just don’t know if there are other similar World King corpses in these parts...” Su Yi couldn’t help but feel a bit eager.

He’d only just barely entered the heart of the Graveyard of Fallen Immortals, but he’d already encountered such a grand stroke of fortune. This truly came as a delightful surprise.

Boom!

As Su Yi pondered, the landscape shook violently. Heaven swayed, and the earth rocked on its axis.

Immediately afterward, throughout the surrounding area, one monstrous, appalling figure after another broke through the earth and shot into the air.

There were so many of them that they blotted out the sun!