First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2429 – The Most Painful Thing in Life

Inside the black palace on the shore of a blood-red lake, the atmosphere was oppressive.

Progenitor Huan Yan looked at the letter in her hands in silence.

Progenitor Huang Qi was looking through his letter again. This was already the ninth time he’d read the message they’d just received.

His expression shifted erratically; it seemed he dared not believe it.

Old Man Heart Demon sat on his skeletal throne, his tranquil gaze as clear as the waters of a lake. He, too, looked dazed.

No one made any noise, producing an extraordinarily stifled, deathly silence.

After a while, Old Man Heart Demon sighed. “Before the battle began, I tried to account for all possible variables, but in the end… we failed anyway!”

His voice was full of regret, and a nigh imperceptible hint of unwillingness.

Progenitor Huan Yan and Progenitor Huang Qi sank deeper into silence.

It was true. Old Man Heart Demon had long since figured out much of what would happen in this battle.

It was just… knowing wasn’t always enough. It was only after the variables arose that they realized how terrifying they really were.

“There are two key reasons we lost this battle,” Progenitor Huang Qi said gravely. “First, it turns out that the Epoch Spark can actually summon the Tribulation of the Five Witherings!

“Second, even though we knew that Su Yi would attempt to break through in the face of peril, we didn’t anticipate that his Undying Realm Grand Tribulation would be so terrifying!

“That’s what gave Su Yi the chance to turn this around, and it’s the reason all of our plans failed at the last step!”

Old Man Heart Demon nodded. “The Well of Turbulent Daos was the killer weapon the Dipankara Buddha arranged. It was intended to obscure the mysteries of the heavens and ruin Su Yi’s attempt to break through.

“But… Neither we nor the Dipankara Buddha could have anticipated that the Epoch Spark would invite the Tribulation of the Five Witherings. In doing so, it forced the Well of Turbulent Daos to reveal itself prematurely.”

Progenitor Huan Yan had been silent all this time, but now, she broke her silence. “There’s no such thing as a truly seamless deathtrap in this world. Unless you have the strength to one-sidedly crush your opponents, any trap, no wonder how meticulously prepared, is sure to be a waste of time!”

She paused, then said, “Ultimately, scheming is a lesser Dao. When it really comes time to determine life, death, victory, and defeat, you can only rely on your own abilities!”

She looked at Old Man Heart Demon. “If you’d listened to me and sent our armies to attack in full force right from the start, how could Su Yi possibly have turned things around?”

Old Man Heart Demon could hear her displeasure. His brow furrowed.

But then, he said calmly, “If we’d done as you said, our entire army might well have been eliminated. Could you have accepted the consequences of that?”

Before Demon Ancestor Huan Yan could respond, Old Man Heart Demon continued, “Although we lost this battle, our casualties were minimal to the point that they aren’t even worth mentioning. Don’t you think so?”

Progenitor Huan Yan fell silent. They’d lost eight Demon Emperors and several thousand other experts, but relatively speaking, that wasn’t all that severe.

“And over the course of this battle, we gained further understanding of Su Yi’s strength. That’s enough,” said Old Man Heart Demon. “Know yourself and know your opponent, and you’ll win every battle. In our next battle, there will be no further need for planning or guessing!”

Here, the depths of his gaze blazed with murderous intent. “Besides, these are far from the only methods we prepared to defeat Su Yi!”

Progenitor Huan Yan was obviously surprised. “What do you plan to do next?”

Progenitor Huang Qi looked at Old Man Heart Demon, too.

Old Man Heart Demon said calmly, “We’ll do as you suggested and rally our entire army. We’ll have them surround Dao-Seeking City and end things once and for all!”

Progenitor Huan Yan was stunned; it seemed she found this hard to believe. “Why… Did you change your mind?”

Old Man Heart Demon shook his head. “That was then, and this is now. The situation has already changed. Now, we ought to strike with unstoppable force! If Su Yi leaves Dao-Seeking City… it’ll be truly troublesome!”

Progenitors Huan Yan and Huang Qi’s eyelids twitched. They finally understand why Old Man Heart Demon had made this choice.

The Boundless Battlefield was just too enormous. If Su Yi left Dao-Seeking City, finding him would be like trying to fish a needle out of a haystack! That aside, Su Yi wasn’t just unafraid of the Tribulation of the Five Witherings; he could even use the Epoch Spark to invite it. If he tried to get revenge on them, who among them could stop him?

It was easier to stay on the offensive than to remain constantly on guard!

When the time came, the enormity of their forces and their abundance of bases would put them in a passive situation. Su Yi would take down their bases, one by one, destroying their scattered forces!

“In that case, let’s begin immediately. We absolutely cannot give him the opportunity to escape Dao-Seeking City!” Progenitor Huang Qi said frantically. “Time is not in our favor!”

“Don’t rush,” said Old Man Heart Demon. “I said I still have cards I’ve yet to put into play. They’ll… be enough to restrict Su Yi!”

He’d only just said this when a respectful voice emanated from outside the palace.

“Esteemed Progenitor, our arrangements are already in place. Give the orders, and we’ll begin operations.”

“Begin, then,” said Old Man Heart Demon.

“Understood!”

Old Man Heart Demon looked at Huang Qi and Huan Yan. “We’ve got to begin preparations, too. In fifteen minutes, we’ll each lead an army and march upon Dao-Seeking City!”

……

A banqeut was underway in Dao-Seeking City.

Su Yi, Luo Yao, Wen Qingfeng and the others were all in attendance.

Su Yi had already released the old friends his first incarnation’s heart devil had saved. They were no longer trapped in the sheath.

They’d since regained their mental clarity, and all of them were at the banquet, too.

The group discussed today’s battle and reminisced about the distant past, all of them full of emotion. When friends reunited, their cups never ran dry, and they never ran out of things to talk about.

“During my years of captivity, I never dared to even dream that I’d one day be reunited with you all like this,” said Wen Qingfeng. “This moment is just too precious. But when I think of our old friends who died on the battlefield… my heart is full of grief.”

His words resonated with the others.

“In pursuit of the Grand Dao, partings have always been more numerous than gatherings. Each person’s life and death are up to fate, and no one can see the future. We ought to simply treasure the moment and keep looking forward,” Luo Yao urged gently.

“Come on, drink up,” said Su Yi, raising his cup.

The others boomed their approval. All of them raised their glasses.

The pursuit of the Grand Dao was full of hardship, but wasn’t human life difficult, too? The more someone experienced, the more deeply they understood that life had never been easy.

So what if you became a god? Or even a Master God? Everyone had their fetters, and everyone had their difficulties.

It was only after the banquet ended that Su Yi fell briefly silent before turning his attention to Old Mo and the other recently rescued captives.

“Everyone, every banquet must eventually come to an end. Please allow me to send you on your way now, while you still have your mental clarity,” Su Yi said softly.

The rims of Luo Yao’s eyes reddened. Wen Qingfeng silently clenched his fists. The others looked on with grief. Others lowered their heads in silence.

The lively atmosphere instantly died down. The room was now incomparably stifled.

“Brother Fuyou, is there really no way to save them?” Wen Qingfeng said hoarsely.

Su Yi shook his head. “You can extract a heart demon, but… the Outsider Celestial Demons’ secret magics have seized control of their bodies and souls, too. There’s no fixing them.

“It might be brutal to say this, but so long as our enemies will it, they can silently seize control of their minds. Their lives and deaths are no longer their own.”

The room sank even deeper into silence.

Su Yi took a deep breath, rose, clasped his fist, and bowed to Old Mo and the others. “I apologize. I’ve done everything I can, but all I can do now is… send you on your way… personally.”

As he said that last part, his voice filled with undisguisable bitterness and guilt.

Old Mo rose, then walked up to Su Yi and grinned. “We old-timers got to see you again with our minds clear, and we got to feast together one last time. That’s already incomparably fortunate. If anything, we ought to celebrate that we can die by your hand!”

A stick-thin man rose, then said gravely, “Li Fuyou, dying by your hand is far greater than being the prisoners, slaves, and puppets of our enemies. We’re deeply gratified. You have nothing to apologize for, and nothing to feel guilty about!”

Someone else said valiantly, “That’s right! You understand us better than anyone. How could any of us possibly be so cowardly as to cling to life? Today, we got to reunite with everyone and share a feast. We no longer have any regrets!”

Someone else urged, “Brother Fuyou, don’t delay! Do it quickly. When you think of us in the future, just burn some paper money or pour out some wine in our honor. That’ll be plenty.”

The former captives spoke up, one after another. Without exception, they had no fear of death. All of them laughed and spoke with calm composure.

But when Luo Yao, Wen Qingfeng, and the others heard that, their expressions only grew all the more conflicted. There was no describing their sorrow.

Su Yi fell silent, too. He solemnly looked at each and every one of his old friends. For a moment, he felt a blockage in his chest, and he couldn’t manage to speak even a single word.

“Brother Fuyou, you don’t need to say anything. Drink this farewell toast, then bid us all farewell,” said Old Mo, passing his cup of wine to Su Yi.

The others smiled at Su Yi, too. None of them wept, much less hesitated. It was as if a group of old friends were simply about to part ways again after reuniting.

Su Yi drained the cup of wine, then clasped his fist. “I trust that we’ll meet again one day!”

He spoke with staunch assurance and incontrovertible conviction.

The group was stunned, but then, they smiled. “We’re looking forward to it!”

Su Yi pursed his lips, and in the end, he resisted the urge to say any more meaningless words.

A streak of the light of reincarnation arose, outlining the Path of Fire paved with the Flowers of the Far Shore. It led into the endless darkness.

Old Mo was the first to step onto the path. The others followed shortly after.

All of them dispersed their cultivation bases, letting the fiery rain of the Flowers of the Far Shore envelop them as they walked further and further into the endless darkness.

Their figures gradually grew indistinct, and their souls were gradually whittled away…

In the end, they silently turned around to smile and wave at Su Yi, Luo Yao, and Wen Qingfeng one last time before they vanished completely.

The Flowers of the Far Shore dimmed, withered, and faded into the void. The light of reincarnation receded.

All of it had disappeared.

Luo Yao’s fair, beautiful face was streaked with tears. Wen Qingfeng sat there woodenly, completely disconsolate. The others remained silent, all of them full of grief.

This wasn’t just a farewell; they’d parted ways forever, separated by life and death.

Their departure might have seemed calm and ordinary, without the slightest waves, but all of them knew that they’d just lost more than ten of their dear friends and brothers-in-arms.

Su Yi stood there, then took out and drank from a jug of wine.

What in life could have been more painful than paying your final farewell to a friend?