First Immortal of the Sword - Chapter 2769 - The Nine Luminaries Battlefield
Chapter 2769 – The Nine Luminaries Battlefield
Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan had a worried, exasperated look on his face.
The Will of the Heavens itself bestowed Heavenly Sovereigns with power. They were like its incarnations in the Eternal Heavens Domain!
Battles between Heavenly Sovereigns were like clashes between rulers of Heaven’s Will. They could easily affect the balance of power or lead to unforeseeable consequences.
And Lu Hongpao was the most troublesome of the nine of them, and the biggest headache to fight.
When a woman refused to listen to reason, she didn’t care if the heavens fell.
Thus, Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan had no choice but to hold his nose and endure.
Furthermore, he knew that Su Yi was the only way to resolve the situation. If Su Yi could convince his “good brother” to stop, the problem would naturally resolve itself.
“I cannot dissuade her.” Su Yi shook his head. “You said it earlier, didn’t you? Heavenly Sovereigns can follow their hearts to converse with me, but I shouldn’t think that makes me their equal. Those yet to become Heavenly Sovereigns are ultimately just ants!”
Su Yi sighed. “An ant like me is no hero, nor am I worthy of your mutual sympathy.”
Pu Xuan almost burst into laughter. That’s what you call giving someone a taste of their own medicine! Wonderful!
Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan’s face stiffened, and his chest filled with frustration. I was right about you, kid. You’re a black-hearted schemer!
“You called my good brother an ant? Doesn’t that mean you called me an ant, too?” exclaimed Lu Hongpao. “Do you really think so little of me, old man?”
Heavenly Sovereign Ku Xuan hurriedly tried to explain, only for Lu Hongpao to raise Peach Blossom and swing at him again.
Another grand battle broke out. Soon, the two Heavenly Sovereigns were waging war beyond the nine heavens once again.
“Her robes are as red as fire, and the peach blossoms are as red as blood. When she attacks, the Grand Dao comes to naught.” Pu Xuan sighed wistfully. “I’ve never witnessed a Heavenly Sovereign’s majesty for myself before. Now, it seems I can indeed only gaze upon them from afar. I’m ashamed of my own unsightliness!”
Su Yi took a sip of wine. “They aren’t even here to listen to your flattery, so what’s the point? Aren’t you disgusted with yourself?”
Pu Xuan looked ashamed. “Every word is a reflection of my true feelings. I’m unable to contain myself. I’ve embarrassed myself in front of you, Foster Father!”
“…” Su Yi didn’t know what to say.
A burst of laughter rang out, and Lu Hongpao reappeared on the scene.
“He” slapped Pu Xuan on the shoulder. “That’s how a sword cultivator ought to be. Based on what you just showed me, the Grand Dao is yours to claim!”
Pu Xuan looked startled to receive such flattery. He hurriedly insisted that he could not accept such high praise.
Su Yi was accustomed to such things.
Pu Xuan was a sword cultivator who practiced Buddhism. That alone made him quite the eccentric.
He was flattering Lu Hongpao, yes, but in his shoes, the vast majority of cultivators would have been quivering in fright.
In contrast, Pu Xuan came across as calm and composed. Based on that alone, Pu Xuan’s mentality and comportment were absolutely extraordinary.
“Ol’ Ku Xuan left,” said Lu Hongpao. She walked up to Su Yi. I’m not afraid of trouble, but I’m afraid of making trouble for my good brother. Ku Xuan does, after all, have a throng of disciples and grand-disciples over in the Taiwu Sect. If they go after you, you’ll be in for endless trouble.
“So Ku Xuan and I made a deal. He promised to let this end here, and he said he won’t make problems for you unless you go looking for trouble.”
“But!” she paused for emphasis, “He only made that promise on his own behalf; he said nothing about his sect. Also, note a Heavenly Sovereign like him wouldn’t create a prison for himself just because he’s afraid of me.
“In other words, if you ever establish a grudge with the Taiwu Sect, he’ll stay out of it… as long as it isn’t too serious. Figure out the precise balance for yourself.”
As she spoke, she snatched Su Yi’s jug of wine, threw back her head, and drank, not the least bit bothered by the fact that Su Yi had drunk out of the same jug before.
Su Yi naturally didn’t mind either, but Pu Xuan’s gaze was a bit strange.
Lu Hongpao was a woman. There was no doubt about that.
Even though she’d taken on a male form, seeing her snatch Su Yi’s wine without the slightest politeness made Pu Xuan feel a bit weird inside. Isn’t that an indirect kiss?
Of course, Pu Xuan naturally didn’t dare to say that out loud.
She might have seemed agreeable, but who’s to say she wouldn’t cleave him in two if he spoke out of turn?
Su Yi paused to consider his next words. “Actually…”
Lu Hongpao returned his jug of wine. “No need to say anything. No need to ask questions, either. I know you don’t remember the past yet. When you do, you won’t need to ask questions. You’ll just know everything you need to know.”
Su Yi paused, then nodded. “That works too.”
He’d indeed had a bellyful of questions he wanted to ask.
“What do you plan to do next?” asked Lu Hongpao. “Right, let me warn you first. Don’t go to the Heart-Tempering Sword House yet.”
She made no attempt to explain why, but Su Yi nodded; he hadn’t had any intention of visiting the Heart-Tempering Sword House in the near future anyway. “Very well.”
Lu Hongpao drew her finger across her cheek and whispered, “Unless you have anything important going on, there’s a place I’d like to send you for a bit.”
“Where?” asked Su Yi.
“The Literati Continent,” said Lu Hongpao. “In three years, the Literati Continent’s Nine Luminaries Battlefield will open, but spots are highly limited.
“Heavenly Sovereign-level factions have long since divided up a chunk of the spots. The rest are up for grabs in the Nine Luminaries Dao Assembly.
“Thirteen factions of the Literati Continent are jointly hosting the Nine Luminaries Dao Assembly. Only disciples of the thirteen factions are qualified to compete.
“I hope that you can take on a new identity, join one of the thirteen sects, and visit the Nine Luminaries Battlefield in three years time.”
Lu Hongpao then went on to explain her reasoning.
The Nine Luminaries Battlefield was one of the Literati Continent’s forbidden zones, an ancient battlefield that had existed since the Devastation.
It contained numerous ruins and treasures leftover from the Devastation, and an abundance of good fortune.
The ancient battlefield would open only once every thousand years. When the time came, cultivators from the outside world would enter in search of good fortune.
Here, Lu Hongpao said, “If it were just a matter of hunting for good fortune and fortuitous encounters in the Eternal Heavens Domain, there’d be no need for you to go.
“But the Nine Luminaries battlefield is special. It contains a lost Edict of Heaven’s Will. Even now, no one has acquired it.”
Su Yi instantly guessed her intentions. “You want to acquire it?”
Lu Hongpao laughed. “I do! Every Heavenly Sovereign wants to acquire it, and I’m naturally no exception. Of course, if you manage to find it, it’ll bring you endless benefits, too.”
Su Yi sank into thought.
It hadn’t been long since he’d arrived in the Eternal Heavens Domain, and he’d long since planned to lie low and get a feel for things.
Lu Hongpao’s suggestion suited him rather well.
He’d take on a new identity, lie low in a sect, and learn about the Eternal Heavens Domain, all the while preparing to enter the Nine Luminaries Battlefield. In the end, he’d even get a shot at acquiring an Edict of Heaven’s Will. It wasn’t a bad arrangement at all.
But Su Yi still couldn’t help but find the situation a bit strange. “Just what secrets are hidden in the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will? Why do the Heavenly Sovereigns care about them so much?”
Lu Hongpao passed him a jade slip. “It’s complicated. When you get the spare time, read through this. It contains secrets regarding the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will.”
Su Yi naturally wouldn’t refuse out of politeness. He accepted the slip, then nodded. “Thank you.”
Lu Hongpao smiled, then patted him on the shoulder. “We’re good brothers who used to visit brothels together. Why be so polite?”
Pu Xuan was unwittingly flabbergasted. She’s a Heavenly Sovereign… a female Heavenly Sovereign… but she’s visited brothels with Su Yi before? Isn’t that a bit… too stimulating?
Even Su Yi found the situation a bit confusing. What’s a woman doing visiting brothels, anyway?
“How about it? If you’re willing, I’ll make arrangements for you,” said Lu Hongpao. “Of course, if you have other plans, forget it. It’s just a suggestion, and you shouldn’t let it delay your business.”
Su Yi pondered briefly, then accepted her offer.
Lu Hongpao’s spirits soared. “With my good brother there, the Edict of the Nine Luminaries Battlefield is ours for the taking!”
She paused, then said suddenly, “Over the next year, you needn’t worry about your enemies tracking you down. That is, on the condition that you don’t reveal your identity.
“If you do, I naturally won’t just let you die, but I’ll have to conclude that you’re far inferior to the man I once knew.”
In that moment, Lu Hongpao’s calm demeanor had an additional oppressive majesty.
Her words carried immense weight, like divine mountains bearing down on their heads.
For the first time, Pu Xuan sensed the Red-Robed Heavenly Sovereign’s terrifyingness firsthand. There was no need for her to even do anything; even just an inadvertent display of her majesty was enough to create suffocating pressure.
Su Yi gazed intently at Lu Hongpao, then said, “I don’t know how much trouble and danger you’ll face in the process of shielding me from the wind and rain, but I can guarantee that over the next year, no one will figure out who I really am.”
How could he fail to realize why Lu Hongpao was really sending him to the Literati Continent?
She might have wanted the Edict of Heaven’s Will, but more importantly, she wanted to shield him from the storm!
Su Yi most certainly hadn’t forgotten how many people in the Eternal Heavens Domain wanted him dead.
He also knew that if he revealed his identity, he’d find himself in dire crisis.
Under the circumstances, Lu Hongpao’s arrangements were obviously intended to protect him and give him an opportunity to lie low.
How could Su Yi be anything but grateful?
Lu Hongpao blinked, then smiled. “I see you’ve realized your good brother’s intentions. Excellent. Then there’s no need to waste any more time on talk!”
Su Yi smiled, took his jug of wine, and was just about to drink when he realized that Lu Hongpao had drunk from the same bottle before. He instantly froze.
The corners of Lu Hongpao’s lips rose in a faint smile.
Su Yi returned the jug to her. “You drink. I’ve got plenty.”
He just stuffed it into her hands without leaving any room for arguments. Lu Hongpao rolled her eyes.
Su Yi pretended not to notice. He took out another jug and said, “Earlier, you said that you left the Divine Hunt Edict beneath the Mountain of Bitter Rains, and that you were the one who sealed Great Sorrow. Might you explain what happened in further detail?”
Lu Hongpao blinked. “I said it earlier, didn’t I? You’ll understand when you regain your memories.”
“….”
Su Yi didn’t know what to say to that.
