First Immortal of the Sword - Chapter 2290 - Entering the Back Mountain’s Forbidden Ground
Chapter 2290 – Entering the Back Mountain’s Forbidden Ground
Heaven and earth were silent and still.
Everyone’s heart shook. A long time passed, but they couldn’t come back to their senses.
When Grand Elder Wei Zhong lost, the entire sect assumed the outcome was already set in stone. The sect leader even took out ten pieces of Purplegold Phoenix Jade to give to Yan Shuiming.
No one could have imagined that Vice Palace Master Xiao Jian would choose that moment to return, much less that he’d single-handedly turn the situation on its head!
This was far too unexpected.
Especially since he’d defeated Yan Shuiming in a single attack. Never mind the disciples, even the old-timers were dumbstruck. Their minds went blank.
Even Grand Elder Wei Zhong, a Master God, had lost to Yan Shuiming.
But now, the Fortune Realm Yan Shuiming had lost to the Limit Realm Xiao Jian.
The difference was just too stark. It was extraordinarily shocking.
Yan Shuiming had never guessed that his challenge would go awry at the last minute, either. He certainly hadn’t anticipated that he’d really lose to a Mid-Rank God in a single strike.
For a moment, he looked a little dazed. He just stood there, so stunned that he completely forgot his pain.
“You have to give the jades back now,” reminded Su Yi.
He’d won this duel, but he still found this whole thing entirely dull. He naturally felt no sense of accomplishment.
Yan Shuiming reacted as if awakening from a dream. He gazed intently at Su Yi, then sighed. “My master was right. In the years leading up the Dark Days of Legend, more and more heaven-defying monsters will enter the world.
“I’m shocked that someone of your strength isn’t famous throughout the God Domain. It’s obvious that you’ve kept a very low profile.”
These words came straight from the heart.
He really hadn’t anticipated that he’d run into someone even more monstrous than him in Qingwu Divine Court.
It was simply ridiculous.
The experts of Qingwu Divine Court all felt conflicted. All of them acknowledged Xiao Jian’s strength, but… they hadn’t known that he was this strong. It was shocking and unheard of!
Yan Shuiming took out the bronze box with the ten Purplegold Phoenix Jades and passed it to Su Yi. He was straightforward about it, too; he wasn’t the type to renege on his bets. “I said earlier that whoever defeated me could make any request, and I’d grant anything that was within my power without so much as furrowing my brow.”
Su Yi naturally wouldn’t hold back. He said directly, “I heard that you won the Red Dust Demon Lands’ Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace. Give it to me. That’ll be plenty.”
The crowd gasped. The Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace was a first-rate natural divinity!
Yan Shuiming’s eyelids twitched, and he grimaced. “Very well. Since you asked for it by name, I naturally ought to give it to you.”
With that, he took out a fist-sized bamboo basket and passed it to Su Yi from afar.
“The Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace is inside. The basket is just a trinket; I’ll give it to you, too.”
Su Yi accepted the basket and looked inside. The basket contained its own independent world. The only thing growing inside was a ninety-foot osmanthus tree.
The osmanthus tree had an abundance of branches, all of them bathed in moonlight and surging with dreamlike chaos mist. It was an extraordinarily mystical sight.
This was indeed the Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace, a supreme treasure, the type that could only be happened upon by chance.
“Many thanks.” Su Yi put the basket away.
“What are you thanking me for? You won. This treasure naturally belongs to you,” Yan Shuiming said with a self-deprecating laugh.
He waved his hand, and the liger waiting in the distance flew over on an auspicious cloud.
Yan Shuiming flipped onto its back, but just as he was about to leave, a voice transmitted directly into his ears. “Forgive my boldness, but why did you claim this tree from the Red Dust Demon Lands?”
The speaker was, naturally, Su Yi.
Yan Shuiming was stunned. When he responded, he too transmitted his words. “They say that it once belonged to Yi Daoxuan. As for why I’m interested in it… Forgive me, but I cannot divulge that information.”
Su Yi nodded. He was now certain that Yan Shuiming was looking for him! Otherwise, why bother doing all this?
Yan Shuiming didn’t linger any further. He just rode his liger through the clouds.
Su Yi didn’t say anything, either. He just continued toward the sect gates.
Boom!
A moment later, the silence broke, and Qingwu Divine Court erupted into heaven-shaking, elated cheering.
Everyone was overjoyed and beaming. Many of them couldn’t help but go up to greet Su Yi, as if welcoming a triumphant general.
The way most members of Qingwu Divine Court saw it, Su Yi hadn’t just won his battle; he’d saved Qingwu Divine Court’s reputation. That was an enormous act of merit!
Soon, people were clustered around Su Yi like stars gathering around the moon.
Sect Leader Liang Lingxu watched from a distance, the depths of his gaze icy.
Xiao Jian had indeed saved the sect’s reputation with his victory, but his display of power made Liang Lingxu sense a potentially lethal threat. He was increasingly certain that Xiao Jian’s identity was suspect!
After a moment’s silence, Liang Lingxu issued orders to one of his subordinates. “Send him to Clear Sky Divine Palace for an audience with me.”
……
Meanwhile, as Yan Shuiming rode away on the back of his liger, he sighed. “Master, I really screwed up this time. I even let someone take the Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace.”
A fist-sized auspicious cloud appeared over the liger’s head. An elder just four inches tall lay there languidly, drinking from a jug of wine the size of a peanut.
He was chubby, with white hair and a ruddy face. He looked lazy and intoxicated.
Xu Zuizhen! He was the master of Purple Mist Grotto, an unknown territory, as well as Yan Shuiming’s master.
Xu Zuizhen shook his head. “You lost a battle, that’s all. It doesn’t matter at all.”
“It doesn’t matter?” Yan Shuiming laughed bitterly. “Master, have you ever seen such a powerful Mid-rank God before? How could you say that it doesn’t matter?”
Xu Zuizhen laughed. “I watched that entire battle. There’s… no shame in losing to him.”
Yan Shuiming’s pupils constricted. “Master, is there more to Xiao Jian’s identity than meets the eye?”
Xu Zuizhen took a big gulp of wine, then smacked his lips. “When a leaf blocks your eyes, you can overlook even a divine mountain. True experts don’t reveal themselves, and those who reveal themselves aren’t—”
“Master, please just talk like a normal person!” said Yan Shuiming.
“Uh…” Xu Zuizhen scratched his head and laughed. “You’ll understand later.”
“….”
Xu Zuizhen didn’t want to discuss the matter any further, so he quickly changed the subject. “It really is a pity about the Osmanthus Tree of the Toad Palace, but… that doesn’t matter either.”
Yan Shuiming frowned. “Master, didn’t you say that we could use the tree to find Su Yi? And weren’t you the one who insisted that I challenge the Red Dust Demon Lands, offending everyone there? How could you turn around and say that the tree doesn’t matter?”
Xu Zuizhen coughed awkwardly. “In any event, the tree is a treasure, but giving it to Qingwu Divine Court is good, too. This mission was unquestionably a huge success!”
Yan Shuiming was so angry that he almost laughed. How can you call this a success, let alone a huge one?
Xu Zuizhen murmured, “Don’t doubt me. I’m sure you’ll thank me for this one day! But alright, I ought to get some sleep. Take care of yourself.”
With that, both he and his auspicious cloud vanished into thin air.
Yan Shuiming gnashed his teeth with fury. Master is wonderful in almost every way, but he just loves talking in circles and keeping me in suspense!
Still, even though he didn’t quite understand what was going on, he could tell that his master’s attitude had changed because of Xiao Jian.
Just who is Xiao Jian? Why would seeing him change Master’s mind like that?
Yan Shuiming couldn’t figure it out.
……
Spirit Bamboo Peak.
This was where Su Yi had taken up residence in Qingwu Divine Court.
He disliked noise and crowds, so when he returned to Spirit Bamboo Peak, he sent everyone away save for Grand Elder Wei Zhong and Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing.
No one thought this inappropriate. Even some of the higher-ups considerately slipped away.
Everyone knew that after this battle, no one could take Xiao Jian for the “mere” vice palace master of Wandering Night Palace.
“Xiao Jian, your victory saved our reputation. This is an act of supreme merit. I don’t even need to think to know that the sect will make an exception and promote you, and that’s in addition to lavish rewards!” said Tie Wenjing, smiling so hard he couldn’t close his mouth.
He was happy for Xiao Jian. He was the only person in the sect who really, truly cared about him.
“That’s right. If he refuses to reward you, I’ll be the first to object!” Wei Zhong smiled and assured him. “As for the ten pieces of Purplegold Phoenix Jade? Just hold onto them. There’s no need to return them to the sect. After all, you won them back from Yan Shuiming. I’d like to see if anyone dares to object!”
Su Yi had no intention of returning them anyway, so he just nodded. “As you say, Grand Elder.”
The three of them chatted for a while until a messenger came. The sect leader had invited Su Yi to Clear Sky Divine Palace.
“It seems the sect leader is going to reward you, Xiao Jian, ” Tie Wenjing said with a laugh.
But Grand Elder Wei Zhong frowned. “If he wanted to reward you, why would he invite you and you alone? It’s a bit strange.”
Su Yi smiled. “I’ll just have to go and see for myself.”
“True enough. You just achieved an enormous act of merit, and you’ve won the hearts of everyone in the sect. There’s no way the sect leader would try to suppress you at a time like this.”
“‘Suppress me?’” Su Yi shook his head but said no more.
Wei Zhong rose, and he and Tie Wenjing saw Su Yi off. It was only at the foot of Spirit Bamboo Peak that the three of them parted ways.
……
Clear Sky Divine Temple.
“You did well today. Some of the sect’s older-generation experts admire you deeply, and they requested to meet with you by name.”
When Su Yi arrived, Sect Leader Liang Lingxu said calmly, “Follow me. I’ll take you there.”
Su Yi said nothing. He just cooperatively left with Liang Lingxu.
Liang Lingxu led Su Yi out of Clear Sky Divine Palace and into the forbidden ground on the back mountain.
When they were almost there, Liang Lingxu asked out of nowhere, “Aren’t you curious which older-generation experts wanted to see you?”
“I’ll know when I get there,” Su Yi said calmly.
Liang Lingxu inclined his head. “You just won a grand battle, but you’re still so calm. It’s truly impressive.”
He said no more on the rest of the journey. The two of them passed through layer after layer of strict formations, and soon, they found themselves in an ancient hall.
There were thirteen seats inside, but only five were occupied. Everyone seated as an Undying Realm old-timer who typically lived deep in seclusion.
Su Yi noticed that two of them had been there during the battle at the sect gates. They’d just been watching in secret from afar.
All of them were older-generation members of Liang Lingxu’s camp.
When Su Yi and Liang Lingxu walked in, the five of them instantly looked over.
The doors, meanwhile, silently closed.
The lamplight swayed as an oppressive atmosphere permeated the hall.
