First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1293 - Seizing Treasure

Divine flames swept through the sky, and treasure light ran rampant.

Two World Kings experts fought a fierce battle in the air.

One was a man in red robes, and he controlled a glittering golden flying knife. The other was a tall man in plain cloth robes. He gripped a bronze battleaxe.

Their battle instantly drew the attention of the numerous cultivators clustered on the shore of the Impermeable Demon Ocean.

Su Yi lost interest after a single glance. A clash between Heavenly Longevity World Kings, that was all. Nothing worth looking at.

But it was then that the clear, melodious sound of a flute filled heaven and earth. As the music echoed, auspicious clouds rose, and golden flowers of the Grand Dao bloomed.

A man in silver robes and a tall hat walked slowly over on a path paved with golden flowers. He was elegant and unaffected, like an immortal descending into mortal dust.

The crowd fell silent. Everyone present was astonished.

The flute was like the music of the heavens, the clear song of a bird in a secluded valley, with the power to reach their souls directly. The man in silver was even more extraordinary, with an unparalleled bearing. It was obvious at a glance that he was an truly terrifying existence. As soon as he arrived, he became the center of attention.

The two clashing World Kings were startled too. Both stopped fighting and gazed at this new arrival with trepidation.

“There are so many cultivators beneath the World King Realm gathered here, yet here you two are, fighting with reckless abandon. What if you harm the innocent? Could you bear that?” sighed the man in silver, gripping his bamboo flute in one hand and placing the other behind his back.

His words resonated with many of those present. All of their faces filled with respect. This was a true expert!

His bearing and magnanimity were enough to win them over!

The two World Kings were instantly thoroughly uncomfortable. Both of their expressions filled with uncertainty.

“Heed my warning. The heavens treasure life. If you must kill each other, do so somewhere without people. Don’t cause a disturbance here,” the silver-robed man said softly, his gaze reserved yet contemptuous. “Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll have to take it upon myself to carry out heaven’s will.”

“Why do I get the sense that this guy isn’t ‘drawing his sabers at the sight of an injustice’ but rather, deliberately drawing attention to himself?” murmured Meng Changyun.

Wei Shan agreed completely. “He is really flashy. He started bragging the moment he showed up, and he even condensed a path of golden flowers. Even his manner of speaking is exaggerated.”

The corners of Su Yi’s lips twitched imperceptibly. “Your perception is right on the mark. That guy... really loves nothing more than sticking his nose in others’ business, and he can’t let any opportunity to show off slip past him. If he does, he feels thoroughly uncomfortable.”

Meng Changyun and Wei Shan were stunned as they realized that Su Yi knew who that silver-robed man with the tall hat was!

Meanwhile, the two World Kings stiffened, looked at each other, and seemed to reach a compromise. Both clasped their fists at the silver-robed man, turned, and left. Their conflict ended just like that, without so much as a drop of spilled blood.

Countless onlookers cheered, and the eyes of many beautiful female cultivators sparkled with admiration.

It was then that a startled voice cried out, “Might I ask if you are perhaps Senior Zhuang Bifan of the Zhuang Family?”

Zhuang Bifan!

Widespread silence greeted this name. Everyone was stunned.

The stars were home to Eight Great World King clans. The ancient Zhuang Family was one of them.

And the Zhuang Family’s oldest powerhouse was also the most popular topic of idle gossip in the entire clan, Zhuang Bifan!

They said if you didn’t know about Zhuang Bifan, becoming a World King was in vain!

They then watched as the silver-robed man in the tall hat froze, then said wistfully, “Thinking back to the past, I played my flute and swung my saber as I pleased. For one hundred thousand years, they called me insane. It’s been a long, long time since I wandered this world. I wouldn’t have thought anyone still remembered me.”

The crowd was instantly in uproar. The gathered cultivators looked awed.

“So, he’s that old-timer of the Zhuang Family...” Meng Changyun looked enlightened, his gaze strange.

Back in the Dark Nightmare Realm on the outskirts of the Nightmare Winds Belt, he met the young Zhuang Xiaoyun. He too was prideful and arrogant, and he too loved stepping in to exact justice.

In the end, Su Yi taught him a painful lesson, leaving him practically weeping for his mommy and daddy.

When Meng Changyun compared the two, he discovered that Zhuang Xiaoyun really was quite similar to his ancestor!

“It really is him.” Wei Shan grinned. This was Zhuang Bifan, the most famous “licentious poet” of the stars. Who didn’t know him?

Su Yi, however, rubbed his forehead. Zhuang Bifan has so many wonderful qualities. If only he didn’t love showing off so much!

“I enjoyed my share of fame and glory in my youth. I’ve come here today because I cannot bear to see you implicated. Today’s matter is already over. Please, disperse, everyone.”

Zhuang Bifan waved, seemingly quite reserved.

But Su Yi could clearly detect a smug arc tugging at his lips; he was obviously thoroughly enjoying the attention.

There’s really no fixing his bad habits. Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh.

Suddenly, cold indifferent laughter rang out.

“Old Monster Zhuang, if you’re truly so compassionate, how about you lend me a hand?”

Four figures shot over from afar: a middle-aged man in apricot yellow Daoist robes, a woman in a feather dress, a colorfully dressed old woman with sparse hair, and a sickly young man in gray.

The middle-aged man in Daoist robes led the group. He gripped a feather duster. His gaze was cold, and his aura was as imposing as a mountain.

“Members of the Studio of the Heart!” Wei Shan furrowed his brow and transmitted.

Su Yi’s expression didn’t even waver. “That gray-robed young man is the one truly behind all this. He’s most likely from the Zhong Family.”

The Zhong Family, one of the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao!

A hint of solemnity appeared on Wei Shan and Meng Changyun’s faces.

As one of the Six Ancient Guardian Clans of the Dao, the Zhong Family’s foundations were even more ancient than the stars’ top sects. It was no exaggeration to call them “unfathomably deep!”

All of the Six Ancient Guardian Clans could trace their origins back to antiquity. There were even rumors that they were descended from immortals!

Su Yi, meanwhile, recalled a past incident.

A long time ago, the young mistress of the Studio of the Heart, someone with extraordinary status, took on the name “Song Chai” and infiltrated the Grotto of Abstruse Force, becoming one of his honorary disciples. Thousands of years passed before Su Yi finally learned the truth. She was the young master of the Studio of the Heart, but in truth, she hailed from the ancient Zhong Family!

The two factions had an extremely close relationship to begin with.

As Su Yi pondered...

Zhuang Bifan also saw through these new arrivals’ identities, and he couldn’t help but furrow his brow. “How could the forces of the mighty Studio of the Heart possibly need my help?”

The atmosphere silently grew stifled.

The nearby cultivators sensed that this didn’t bode away, and they immediately fled further away for fear of getting swept up in this. After all, if a battle broke out, the aftershock alone would be enough to reduce those beneath the World King level to ash. This was no time to watch a spectacle!

Before long, the entire area emptied out significantly. However, many of the World Kings chose to stay and watch, albeit from a distance.

“Actually, now that you mention it, it’s quite the coincidence,” said the middle-aged man in apricot Daoist robes.

“Oh? Just what can I do for you?” Zhuang Bifan’s brow furrowed deeper.

“I want the Sea-Stabilizing Water-Parting Pearl,” the sickly young man said suddenly. “If you lend it to us, you’ll be doing us a huge favor.”

When Su Yi heard that, his eyebrows rose. So, they’re after that treasure!

Meng Changyun recalled Su Yi telling Zhuang Xiaoyun to go back to his clan and deliver a message to his ancestor, Zhuang Bifan, telling him to deliver a certain item to the shore of the Impermeable Demon Ocean.

The Sea-Stabilizing, Water-Parting Pearl had to be the item in question!

Zhuang Bifan’s pupils silently constricted, but just as he was about to say something, the young man said coldly, “We wouldn’t have sought you out if we weren’t certain you had the treasure on you, so I’ll be direct. I’m from the Zhong Family, and my name is Zhong Yangxun. Give me face, won’t you?”

Zhuang Bifan’s expression instantly shifted.

The middle-aged Daoist, the woman in the feather dress, and the old woman in colorful clothes silently shifted positions, sealing off Zhuang Bifan’s escape routes. Their facial expressions showed nothing, as if all of this were perfectly normal.

They were looking at Zhuang Bifan as if he was nothing more than a caged beast!

The atmosphere was so stifled that it was difficult to breathe. Even the World Kings watching from a safe distance felt their hearts quivering in terror.

None of them had guessed that the forces of the Studio of the Heart and the Zhong Family would appear on the shore of the Impermeable Demon Ocean and set their sights on an ancient expert of a World King Clan, Zhuang Bifan!

“If I let you borrow it just like that, what face would I have left?” Zhuang Bifan laughed coldly. “Don’t think you can disregard everyone else and act completely lawlessly just because you’re from the Zhong Family, you little brat!”

Inwardly, he sighed. Dammit! I’ve been stuck at home for a while. Now, I finally got to go out, only to meet with disaster! Isn't that a bit too much?

The sickly Zhong Yangxun suddenly broke into a brazen, unbridled grin. “Old man, I tried to give you face, but you didn’t want it. Let me tell you: here, I can very much disregard everyone else and act completely lawlessly!”

With that, Zhong Yanxun waved his hand. “Kill him!”

His three companions had long since readied themselves for battle, and they attacked without hesitation.

Boom!

The skies were in upheaval. Divine flames surged forth.

Three peak World Kings of the Studio of the Heart attacked directly, using their killer moves. None held back in the slightest.

Zhong Yangxun put his hands behind his back. He leisurely stood and watched from a distance. He looked at Zhuang Bifan as if he were gazing upon a corpse.

Zhuang Bifan naturally wouldn’t just sit around and wait to die.

He tried to fight out of their encirclement and create a path to life, only for a tall, upright figure to appear before him, seemingly out of nowhere.

One casual swing of his sleeves, and...

Boom!

The three World Kings’ lethal attacks crumbled, and the three of them staggered back.

Everyone’s expressions shifted.

Off in the distance, Zhong Yangxun’s brow furrowed. Who could possibly be so gutsy as to intervene in this? He’s truly courting death!

Meanwhile, Zhuang Bifan’s eyes widened with delight as he realized just who this was.

“You dare attempt to steal a treasure I requested? How foolhardy.”

As his calm voice tinged with disdain echoed through the air, Su Yi attacked directly.

He used his fingers as a sword and slashed the air.

A streak of sword light flashed into being, illuminating the entire landscape, and even the cold, empty, boundless skies.

Everything was bright, both above and below the heavens.

The middle-aged man in apricot Daoist robes, the woman in the feather dress, and the colorfully dressed old woman all disintegrated into tiny pieces.

Nothing remained of them but ashes to the wind.