First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2473 – A Past Life’s Negative Karma, a Heart Devil Tribulation

By the side of the lake.

The Qilin Ancient had already risen and returned to his human form. His arms hung by his sides, and his head was lowered. It seemed he dared not meet Su Yi’s gaze.

Before properly confirming Su Yi’s identity, the Qilin Ancient had been able to address him as his “fellow Daoist.” Now, he was like a servant awaiting orders, as humble as could be.

Su Yi couldn’t help but shake his head. “If you want to act as my servant, wait until after I’ve awakened my memories. Until then, there’s no need.”

The Qilin Ancient pondered, then nodded. “I shall assiduously carry out your orders, Master.”

Su Yi couldn’t help but feel exasperated. “You don’t need to call me ‘Master.’ If you’re willing, ‘Fellow Daoist’ will more than suffice.”

The Qilin Ancient instantly realized that Su Yi disliked formality, so he persisted no further. “Very well.”

He waved his sleeve, and two giant golden lotus platforms floated over the lake billowing with chaos mist.

A rain of light fell from the lotus platforms. They were full of dense energy of the Grand Dao, and there were jade tables, chairs, wine, fruit, and refreshments atop them. All were rare, ancient treasures glowing with divinity.

“Fellow Daoist, please join me on the lotus platforms,” said the Qilin Ancient.

Su Yi didn’t hold back. Soon, both he and the Qilin Ancient were in their seats.

Power of the Grand Dao instantly flowed into Su Yi’s body, like a refreshing spring breeze. It nourished his flesh and soul and soothed his heart and mind.

He raised his cup and poured a drink. The liquid inside was like lowing celestial tides, a galaxy in miniature. Countless minute stars floated within it, flickering in and out of view. Countless strange phenomena arose, all of them too wondrous for words.

The fragrance of wine wafted into the distance. Just one whiff was enough to open the pores and immerse the soul in a current of warmth.

“This wine is called Celestial Tides. Master… that is, your past life, Fellow Daoist, was the one who brewed it,” explained the Qilin Ancient. “The wine is imbued with one hundred and seven types of rare divine materials found in the River of Destiny. Alas, it’s been sealed for so long that the source energies within the wine have long since dissipated. Otherwise, it would be potent enough to intoxicate even Eternals.”

Su Yi was stunned. I brewed this wine?

He raised and drained his cup, then sensed a formless power silently nourishing and strengthening his essence, qi, and spirit. Even his unhealed wounds knit back together within just a few breaths of time!

He couldn’t help but be surprised. This wine doesn’t just have a distinctive flavor. It’s obviously a rare treasure that can nourish the spirit, strengthen the blood and qi, and recover the body’s ailments both inside and out!

“It’s good wine,” said Su Yi.

The Qilin Ancient smiled. “Back then, in the Eternal Heavens Domain, Celestial Tides was considered the greatest wine of all. Countless Eternal Dao Learns scrambled over it, yet failed to acquire a single sip.

“This is the only bottle I have left. Master gave it to me, but I couldn’t bear the thought of drinking it. I’ve kept it by my side all this time, but… its essence has already dissipated. Only the flavor and a trace of its medicinal power remains.”

Su Yi roughly understood. The wine was an Eternal treasure, but the passage of time had dissipated all of its Eternal power.

“Then you should keep the rest for yourself,” said Su Yi, returning the jug to the Qilin Ancient. “If nothing else, it’ll serve as a momento.”

The Qilin Ancient didn’t refuse. Instead, he silently accepted the bottle.

“Are you injured?” Su Yi asked suddenly.

The Qilin Ancient froze, then nodded. “When I left the River of Destiny and brought my clansmen to the God Domain, I suffered a Karmic Tribulation. Negative karma binds me to this day.

“I was lucky enough to survive, but my body is damaged, my soul origin’s power has dried up, and my heart is covered in scars. My cultivation base has long since plummeted, and I’ve had no choice but to create a cage for myself and hide in the Ancient Eternity Secret Realm just to cling to life.”

The Qilin Ancient sighed. “There was no avoiding it. The experts of the River of Destiny are subject to Eternal Laws. Anyone who tries to leave the River of Destiny by force will face such a tribulation. My survival was already a blessing from the heavens.”

Su Yi finally understood. So, the death qi permeating this place is emanating from the Qilin Ancient!

He isn’t just hiding here to avoid divine punishment. More importantly, he suffered a Karmic Tribulation just like the Buddhas of the Past, Present, and Future!

He then said, “A Karmic Tribulation, huh? I can help free you of it.”

The Qilin Ancestor shook, then looked at him in disbelief.

Su Yi promptly explained how he’d slain the three Demon Progenitors in the Boundless Battlefield.

Only then did the Qilin Ancient understand. So, the power of reincarnation can end karmic power!

When he heard that the three Buddhas were from the River of Destiny, the Qilin Ancient finally connected the dots. “I know who those three are!”

He instantly had Su Yi’s full attention. “Who?”

He’d brought up the Dipankara Buddha’s origins because he wanted to see if the Qilin Ancestor had answers.

Now, the Qilin Ancestor’s response confirmed his guess!

“They come from the Eternal Heavens Demon’s Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court!” said the Qilin Ancient. “I suspected as much. The names are so similar; it seemed highly likely that the God Domain’s Western Paradise Spirit Mountains were connected to the Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court. It’s not just that, either. Their teachings and sect rules are similar, too.

“And the Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court was one of your past life’s biggest enemies, Ma-… Fellow Daoist.”

He suddenly seemed dazed. He murmured, “So, they really did come to the God Domain a long time ago. No wonder they’ve always opposed you, Fellow Daoist. This grudge… originates in the Eternal Heavens Domain!”

This answer finally cleared up one of Su Yi’s long-standing questions.

The Buddha of the Future had told him that his past life was from the Eternal Heavens Domain. Now, there was no doubt about it. The one the Buddha of the Future had known was his second incarnation!

The Qilin Ancient was only now certain that the three Buddhas were from the Eternal Heavens Domain’s Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court. It was thus obvious how deeply they’d hidden themselves!

In truth, them aside, practically no one in the entire God Domain knew this.

Su Yi pondered briefly, then said, “Tell me about the Great Yin Divine race.”

He’d understand all of his second incarnation’s relationships and enmities when he fused with the corresponding Dao Imprint on the Sword of the Nine Hells. There was no need for the Qilin Ancient to go into it all in detail.

The matter at hand was resolving the situation with the Great Yin Divine Race.

“Very well.” The Qilin Ancient nodded, pondered briefly, then said with a complicated look on his face, “Actually, the situation with the Great Yin Divine race involves you, Fellow Daoist.”

Su Yi nodded. “I roughly guessed as much. Are they my past self’s enemies like the Dipankara Buddha?”

The Qilin Ancient shook his head. “No, they were your past life’s subordinates.”

Su Yi was stunned, then surprised. He couldn’t help but ask, “Did they betray me?”

The Qilin Ancient shook his head. “No, they’ve always been loyal… to our master.”

This time, he put special emphasis on the word ‘master’, as if to differentiate between Su Yi and his second incarnation.

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “What are you trying to say?”

The Qilin Ancient had a complicated look on his face. “Back then, Master sought higher breakthroughs on the Path of Eternity. In the process, he faced an unprecedented Karmic Tribulation.

“This Karmic Tribulation was incomparably strange and taboo, and terrifying beyond imagination. Despite Master’s thorough preparations, he failed, and almost perished in the attempt.

“But although he survived, he came out of his tribulation severely damaged.” The Qilin Ancestor’s expression filled with bitterness. “He was plagued by negative karma, just like the three Buddhas of the Spirit Mountain Buddhist Court.”

“But Master’s Karmic Tribulation was even more terrifying, and even stranger, too!

“Although I don’t know what Master was going through, I often saw him muttering to himself, as if having a fierce argument with someone invisible.”

When Su Yi heard that, his eyelids twitched. Did problems arise in my second incarnation’s heart? Did he have a heart devil, too?

“Master was always gentle, modest, and disinterested in fame and glory, but after his Karmic Tribulation, his personality changed.

“He grew irritable, violent, and frequently went mad with bloodlust, killing over a single word out of turn.”

The Qilin Ancient’s eyes shone with reminiscence, and now, a hint of lingering terror. “He even killed some of his most trusted subordinates. He even said he’d kill everyone fettering him until none could hold him back in his pursuit of the Grand Dao!”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “He lost himself to obsession.”

“We thought the same,” said the Qilin Ancient. “We tried to save Master, but nothing worked. He viewed even his most trusted subordinates as fetters, and he killed everyone who tried to help him.”

“It was that bad?” asked Su Yi.

The Qilin Ancient grimaced. “Master’s personality changed so dramatically. After he slew a group of his subordinates, the rest of us could no longer eat and sleep in peace. All of us were terrified, and all of us left him, one by one.

“But in the end, Master regained his mental clarity, albeit briefly!

“During that brief moment of clarity, this old man realized that Master’s negative karma had seized control of his body and soul. Even his awareness was suppressed by his heart devil.

“It was then that Master said he’d end things with his heart devil once and for all. He was going to risk everything and re-enter the cycle of reincarnation!”

The Qilin Ancient’s eyes filled with grief. “It was then that Master left us forever…”

Su Yi fell silent. He hadn’t anticipated that his second incarnation had faced such a terrifying tribulation, much less that he’d died at the hands of his own heart devil.

Of his past selves, Shen Mu was the odd man out. He’d died by letting a woman destroy him.

His second incarnation was different. At the very least… he’d died in pursuit of the Dao, unable to overcome his Karmic Tribulation. When his heart devil took over, he chose to end himself.

“When Master left this world, he taught me a secret art and entrusted me with the Divine Pearl of Heavenly Fate. He said that if he succeeded in reincarnating, I could use the secret art and the pearl to find him,” said the Qilin Ancient. “That aside, he warned me that the ‘him’ that lived on after his passing was no longer the real him, but rather, his heart devil controlling his body!”

Su Yi’s heart was instantly solemn. He said in disbelief, “Does that mean that he’s… still alive?”