First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1378 - Sixth Incarnation

Way back in the Oneness Realm, Su Yi surpassed the Temple Master’s peak strength. He was already far beyond Shen Mu, too.

Now, he’d reached the late-stage Cosmic Enlightenment Realm.

Other World Kings had long since ceased to be even remotely comparable to him. However, comparing himself to Transcendents wasn’t easy either, as their strength was highly variable.

Furthermore, the vast majority of Transcendents were revenants!

Of course, revenants’ strength was highly variable too.

Thus, it was hard to come up with a consistent standard to measure himself by.

No matter what, the newly minted Nascent Divinity Transcendents of the present day are no match for me.

True Dao Integration experts have yet to emerge amongst modern-day cultivators, but if I just look at revenants, they’ve long since ceased to be my opponents too.

Cloud Soaring Realm revenants are subject to the restriction of the Laws. My past self could at best beat one in a one-on-one match, even if I drew upon the Sword of the Nine Hells.

But what if opponents of that level weren’t subject to the restriction of the Laws? I’m afraid it’d be difficult to predict how strong they’d be then.

Still, at least for now, Cloud Soaring Realm revenants are restricted, and they can only display about half of their power, if that.

Given the circumstances, now, I ought to be able to kill them even without the Sword of the Nine Hells!

...Su Yi actually found this a bit of a pity.

It was a shame that his opponents were practically all revenants, and not true, living Transcendents!

Ah, right! There’s something else I have to investigate. Su Yi suddenly narrowed his eyes, set aside his scattered thoughts, and inserted his awareness into his sea of consciousness.

Su Yi’s avatar of will manifested within his sea of consciousness and walked right up to the Sword of the Nine Hells.

Half a month ago—that is, when he broke into the mid-stage Cosmic Enlightenment Realm—he sensed a strange resonance from the Sword of the Nine Hells. Upon closer inspection, Su Yi discovered that the energy fluctuation had emanated from the sixth divine chain!

Although it was subtle, and although it happened just once before the chain sank back into dormancy, it still caught Su Yi’s attention.

The Sword of the Nine Hells seemed the same as ever, dormant within his spiritual sea.

It was just that now, only six divine chains remained.

After a moment’s silence, Su Yi stared at the sixth divine chain and said softly, “I already know that you’ve awakened a thread of awareness. Why not come out for a chat?”

Su Yi’s sea of consciousness remained still and silent save for Su Yi’s voice.

A long time passed before the sixth divine chain suddenly started shaking violently.

Whoosh!

The chain twisted and rubbed against the blade of the Sword of the Nine Hells. A terrifying aura burst forth, stirring up Su Yi’s sea of consciousness.

Su Yi’s expression shifted, and he felt more suffocated than ever before. Just how strong was his cultivation base in life, for a mere Dao Imprint to possess such terrifying power?

There was no doubt about it. The sixth divine chain corresponded to his sixth incarnation.

But as of yet, Su Yi knew nothing about his sixth lifetime whatsoever.

Whoosh!

The sixth divine chain struggled with increased intensity, stirring up a turbulent rain of black light. Su Yi’s entire sea of consciousness swayed.

The sea of consciousness existed within the soul. When it took damage, Su Yi’s soul was affected too. He felt a rending pain, but he was helpless to resist or neutralize it.

The power of his soul had already far surpassed the World King level. He could compete with even Transcendents.

Yet now, the aura emanating from the sixth divine chain alone was enough to push him to the brink of collapse!

Boom!

Suddenly, the Sword of the Nine Hells seemed startled, and it awakened from its dormancy. Obscure energy fluctuations emanated from its blade, enveloping the sixth divine chain entirely.

In a flash, the divine chain was completely suppressed, and it could no longer budge. Even its aura was forced back inside, unable to leak out any further.

Su Yi couldn’t help but inwardly sigh in relief as his soul emerged from its rending agony.

It was then that a sigh emanated from the sixth divine chain. “As I’m sure you can see, the time is not yet right. This blasted sword won’t let me show myself!”

This voice was full of unbridled calm and cold, cruel indifference, like an unparalleled, tyrannical sword. Its terrifying sharpness touched the heart directly.

“Just as I thought,” said Su Yi flatly. “You really have awakened.”

He’d already regained his cool, and his heart was as tranquil as the waters of an ancient well.

“What? Don’t tell me you want to refine my Dao Imprint?” The voice of Su Yi’s sixth incarnation jeered with utter derision. “To tell the truth, it’s been a long time since I’ve interacted with anyone so weak. You haven’t even stepped onto the Path of Transcendence yet. How are you any different from an ant?”

Su Yi laughed, then issued a good-natured warning. “All that remains of you is your Dao Imprint, while I control the Sword of the Nine Hells. Just wait. One day, I’ll be able to refine you without difficulty.”

Su Yi paused for a moment, then continued leisurely, “You’re my past self, and I’m your current incarnation. In the future, I’ll still be me, and you’ll disappear.”

But his sixth incarnation just laughed coldly. “You’ve misunderstood. I left my Dao Imprint here so that I could one day live again. My will shall replace yours, and you are destined to become another me!”

His voice was full of tyrannical pride and contempt.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. It was just as he’d guessed. Not all of the past incarnations sealed within the Sword of the Nine Hells were as friendly as the Temple Master and Shen Mu.

His sixth lifetime was obviously an extraordinarily proud and wild figure. He was incomparably tyrannical, and he made no effort to hide his intentions. Rather, he openly shared his desire to replace Su Yi!

“Afraid?” When he saw that Su Yi wasn’t saying anything, his sixth incarnation snorted coldly. “With such feeble courage, how can you speak of pointing your sword at the heavens, much less surpassing the world’s immortals?”

His voice wasn’t just contemptuous. He sounded a bit displeased, too.

As if he thought that Su Yi was a bit too pathetic to be his reincarnation.

But Su Yi laughed, not at all concerned. “Let me ask you this. How strong was your cultivation in the World King Realm?”

His sixth incarnation couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You’re not convinced that my rebukes and disdain are justified?”

“All you need to do is answer me,” Su Yi said airily.

His sixth incarnation’s laughter faded, and he said with pride, “In all three realms of the Path of Heaven’s Ascension, I was unparalleled beneath the heavens, and I had no foes of the same cultivation boundary. Even when I searched far and wide, no one could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with me!”

“Oh,” said Su Yi. “I’m different from you.”

“How so?”

“I was unparalleled within the Path of Heaven’s Ascension even as a Heavenly Longevity World King. By the time I achieved Oneness, I could already kill Nascent Divinity Transcendents,” Su Yi said plainly. “Now, I’ve already reached the late-stage Cosmic Enlightenment Realm. Tell me, how does my strength compare to yours at the same level?”

His sixth incarnation fell silent, and his sea of consciousness was completely still.

Silent and still as death!

This reaction was already answer enough. Su Yi couldn’t help but laugh to himself, Indeed. My sixth incarnation might well have been an extraordinarily terrifying existence, but his attainments in the World King Realm were ultimately inferior to mine!

Finally, his sixth incarnation spoke. “Truly?”

He obviously didn’t buy it.

“I wouldn’t sink so low as to lie just to take you down a peg,” said Su Yi.

His sixth incarnation said coldly, “What does that petty accomplishment amount to? I killed Transcendents while still a World King too!”

“Is that so?” said Su Yi. “But I didn’t use external power. I relied purely on my own cultivation base. Was that... the same for you?”

His sixth incarnation fell silent once more. The atmosphere was strangely a bit stifled and awkward.

But Su Yi felt increasingly calm and relaxed. “You might not believe me, and you might not be convinced, but I might as well speak directly. On the Path of Heaven’s Ascension, and even in the Profound, Spirit, Origin, and Martial Daos, I could cross realms to kill foes of superior cultivations. Was that... true for you too?”

Su Yi’s sea of cultivation was completely silent, save for Su Yi’s calm, casual voice still echoing through the air.

His proud, tyrannical sixth incarnation remained silent, as if he couldn’t argue.

Su Yi actually quite admired him for that. At the very least, he didn’t let his humiliation turn into anger. He wasn’t arguing or fumbling for excuses.

Finally, his sixth incarnation spoke. “Assuming you’re not lying to me, I can’t deny that beneath the Path of Transcendence, this lofty one was somewhat inferior to you.”

His voice was no longer cold, cruel, and indifferent, but it was still tyrannical and imposing. “However, with your current strength, the moment my Dao Imprint fully awakens, I’ll be able to replace you with ease!

“That way, your foundations, talent, and cultivation base will all belong to me. That will enable me to one day reach heights far beyond my past self!”

His voice was full of longing and anticipation.

“...” Su Yi had nothing to say to that. He’s obviously determined to replace me!

But Su Yi wasn’t at all worried. The Temple Master had warned him of this possibility.

At the time, Su Yi responded that he absolutely wouldn’t let his past lives replace him. Furthermore, were that to occur, he’d simply kill himself!

“You’ll never get the chance to replace me,” said Su Yi. “Never mind that you still aren’t capable of it. Even if you get a chance later, all I need to do is end myself.”

“Suicide!?” His sixth incarnation was flabbergasted. “Is that any way for a sword cultivator to talk? We’re supposed to be willing to fight to the death!”

But Su Yi disregarded this and continued, as if speaking to himself, “I’ve discovered that of my numerous incarnations, I’m the only one to have found the power of reincarnation, and the only one to have entered the cycle of reincarnation deliberately, without borrowing the power of the Sword of the Nine Hells.

“That means that even if I kill myself, I’ll just undergo reincarnation once more. As for you... You’re ultimately just a Dao Imprint. How can you possibly compare with me?”

“Reincarnation!!?” His sixth incarnation was obviously astonished. “How could you possibly have acquired that power forbidden by the gods?”

His voice was full of surprise and suspicion as if he dared not believe it.

Su Yi paid his disbelief no heed. He continued, “That aside, I discovered that none of the past incarnations sealed within the Sword of the Nine Hells ever managed to fuse with the imprints of their past selves as I have.

“Let’s take you, my sixth incarnation, as an example. In life, did you ever manage to fuse with any of the Dao Imprints sealed within the Sword of the Nine Hells?”

His sixth incarnation fell silent. Quite some time passed before he said, “When I was alive, the Sword of the Nine Hells only had five divine chains. I tried to refine the Dao Imprints sealed inside on multiple occasions, but I never succeeded.

“Before I reincarnated, I did everything within my power to break them. I hoped doing so would bring me a chance to break through, but in the end... I failed to achieve my aims.”

He let out a long sigh, as if he were still rueful over this. Even now, he couldn’t let it go.

“But I can do it. I’m different from the rest of you,” Su Yi said calmly. “I might be weak now, but I control the power of reincarnation, something none of you ever did. As my cultivation base grows, I’ll be able to fuse with your Dao Imprints. That’s the source of my confidence.”

He looked at the sixth divine chain. “Given the circumstances, how can you possibly fight me? Much less speak of replacing me?”

These two questions, asked in rapid succession, both struck his sixth incarnation’s very soul!

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