First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2509 – Choosing a Scapegoat

He refused?

What Limitless Dao Lord of the Eternal Heavens Domain could refuse such a promise from the Heavenly Sovereign?

This is the promise of an Eternal Throne!

Huo Yunhu was unwittingly stunned. He found this hard to believe.

After a brief, stunned pause, he calmed himself and said, “Only thirteen Eternal Thrones exist in the Limitless Heavens Domain. They represent more than just authority; they represent control of a secret chaos land. There, you’ll have no need to fear Karmic Tribulations!”

It seemed he’d assumed that Su Yi didn’t understand what Eternal Thrones represented, so he’d chosen to explain in greater detail.

“Never mind the rest. Throughout the ages, countless shocking, grand battles have erupted over the Eternal Thrones, and countless Limitless Dao Lords have fallen in battle! But in the end, only nine have managed to claim Eternal Thrones.”

“Nine?” Su Yi exclaimed. “Aren’t there supposed to be thirteen Eternal Thrones?”

“It’s a bit complicated.” Huo Yunhu sighed. “Two of the thirteen Eternal Thrones have been hidden from the Eternal Heavens Domain. Two mysterious, transcendent, unsurpassed existences control them, and they haven’t appeared in a long, long time.

“Of the other two Eternal Thrones, one has been deep sealed within the Abyss of Endless Tribulations, while the other has been lost in the Sea of Fate. Both are places not even Heavenly Sovereigns dare to explore lightly.”

The Abyss of Endless Tribulations!

The Sea of Fate!

The Qilin Ancient’s eyelids twitched. He instinctively looked at Su Yi.

Both places were among the Eternal Heavens Domain’s four great forbidden zones. Both contained tribulations threatening enough to destroy the Eternal and grind away the Grand Dao.

Back in the day, Su Yi’s second incarnation had ventured into the Sea of Fate in search of the Eternal Throne lost in its depths.

Unfortunately, in the end… he failed.

Moreover, he was badly injured and almost died!

Even so, this feat caused a widespread commotion in the Eternal Heavens Domain. The way everyone saw it, simply returning from the Sea of Fate alive was practically a miracle!

Su Yi pondered briefly. “So, you’re saying that there are effectively only nine Eternal Thrones in the Eternal Heavens Domain?”

“That’s right, and all of them have owners.” Huo Yunhu inclined his head.

“In that case, which of the Eternal Thrones has your master promised me?” asked Su Yi.

Huo Yunhu avoided the question. “All I can say is that the Heavenly Sovereign is sure to keep his word.”

His gaze was conflicted. He sighed. “To tell the truth, not even I could have anticipated that he’d value you so highly. He actually…”

He left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was already apparent.

Now, the rest of the Qilin understood how precious Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s promise was. They couldn’t help but be impressed, and waves of emotion coursed through their hearts.

They knew that in Su Yi’s place, they’d have struggled to refuse such a generous offer.

But Su Yi wasn’t moved. Any benefits he received would come with a corresponding price. The more he gained, the greater the price!

Admittedly, Heavenly Sovereign Wen hadn’t listed any strict requirements. He just wanted Su Yi to cooperate with him.

But that only put Su Yi even more on guard!

“You still haven’t answered my question,” said Su YI.

Huo Yunhu was stunned, and his heart filled with an indescribable feeling. The Heavenly Sovereign has offered you such generous terms, but you seriously still aren’t tempted?

A moment later, fury coursed through him. Su Yi… really doesn’t know how to appreciate others’ kindness!

But Huo Yunhu didn’t reveal anything on the surface. He just said calmly, “Fellow Daoist Su, if you really want to hear the consequences of refusing, I’ll just speak directly.”

Everyone was instantly solemn.

As the crowd watched, Huo Yunhu said gravely, “If you cannot become our ally, we’ll naturally take you for an enemy instead.”

An enemy? Everyone looked stricken.

But Su Yi just said, “Oh. You’ll consider me your enemy simply for refusing to collaborate with you?”

Lu Qiu suddenly couldn’t take it anymore. “Why bother playing dumb? Surely you understand why His Excellency the Heavenly Sovereign is interested in helping you?”

His voice carried a rebuke, and a hint of fury.

Su Yi chuckled, then said airily, “Why not enlighten me?”

“You…” Lu Qiu’s eyes flashed like cold lightning. “We came here on orders and announced the full extent of the Esteemed Heavenly Sovereign’s sincerity and generosity, but you insist on doing things the hard way. You really think you’re something special, huh?”

“Lu Qiu!” Huo Yunhu shouted. “Don’t be rude!”

“Martial Uncle, at this point, there’s no need to hide anything,” Lu Qiu said darkly. “Can’t you tell that Su Yi thinks far too highly of himself, and that he’s in dire need of a beating?”

He took a step forward, his gaze imposing. “Let me tell you. If you agree to work with us, anything goes. Even if you demand an apology, I won’t hesitate.

“But if you refuse to recognize what’s good for you, you’re destined to become the Heavenly Sovereign’s Enemy.

“That aside, we wouldn’t mind working with the Malevolent Sword Venerate instead! Weigh the consequences of that for yourself!”

His voice was like the clanging of a saber. He made no attempt to disguise the threat.

No one could sit still after hearing that. All eyes were instantly on Su Yi.

The Qilin Ancient opened his mouth and was just about to try and smooth things over when Su Yi stopped him. “Don’t get involved.”

The Qilin Ancient promptly fell silent.

Su Yi sat there, calm and at ease, and said casually, “I can indeed roughly guess what Limitless Palace is after, but it’s only a ‘cooperation’ if everyone involved is acting of their own volition. How could you possibly force me?”

He looked at Huo Yunhu, then pointed at Lu Qiu. “Let me make myself perfectly clear. I refused this cooperation because of him. He’s the one who ruined your Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s plans. You can’t blame me for this.”

Lu Qiu was stunned. His face was instantly ashen. He roared, “Are you… trying to pin this on me!?”

Su Yi laughed. “And what if I am? You bungled this operation, and now you two are going to have to back and explain yourselves. I’ll be interested to see just what kind of price you’ll have to pay for your failure.”

Everyone’s expressions grew strange. Su Yi had just found a justification for his refusal, as well as a way to pin the blame on Lu Qiu.

When Heavenly Sovereign Wen asked questions, even if he understood what had happened, there was no way he’d let Lu Qiu off!

“You…” Lu Qiu was obviously furious. His whole body seethed with murderous intent.

Huo Yunhu sighed and held him back. “Loose lips lead to disaster. Lu Qiu, do you understand the consequences of ruining the Heavenly Sovereign’s plans?”

Lu Qiu stiffened, then said hurriedly, “Martial Uncle, can’t you tell that he’s targeting me on purpose?”

Everyone’s gazes shifted inscrutably. Lu Qiu obviously didn’t understand how the world worked.

Huo Yunhu was an emissary. He was inevitably going to have to report back to Heavenly Sovereign Wen, and he naturally wouldn’t volunteer to take the blame for this

In that case…much better to pin the blame on Li Qiu. That was naturally Huo Yunhu’s best option.

“It doesn’t matter whether he’s targeting you or not. The Heavenly Sovereign’s plans were ruined, and that won’t do.” Huo Yunhu’s eyes flashed. “But you needn’t worry. I’ll naturally explain the situation to the Heavenly Sovereign on your behalf.”

Lu Qiu’s face was unsightly. He obviously felt incomparably stifled.

He’d never even considered that a few light, airy words from Su Yi could plunge him into such a predicament.

This… was simply too despicable!

Huo Yunhu looked at Su Yi. “Fellow Daoist, it seems to me that you’d best reconsider. The Malevolent Sword Venerate inherited the full extent of your past life’s Dao and authority. When the Dark Days of Legend arrive, he’ll do everything in his power to destroy you and seize everything you’ve gained in his lifetime.

“And there are other factions of the River of Destiny targeting you, too. Given the circumstances, cooperating with Limitless Palace will grant you the Heavenly Sovereign’s protection and support. This has only advantages to you and no disadvantages.”

His gaze shifted, then landed on the Qilin Ancient. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask the old Qilin.

“A long, long time has passed, and the Eternal Heavens Domain has changed in many ways, but the Limitless Palace stands tall, the same as ever. None have ever shaken its position.

“The old Qilin ought to understand this full well. He can naturally help you weigh the relative advantages and disadvantages.

“You can give me a definite answer to tomorrow.”

The Qilin Ancient inwardly sighed in relief.hui Yunhu hadn’t lost his temper as Lu Qiu had. This unquestionably implied that there was still room to negotiate.

“I have no need for additional time,” said Su Yi. “Just answer three questions. That’ll be plenty.”

Huo Yunhu pondered briefly, then nodded. “Very well.”

Su Yi said, “First, Heavenly Sovereign Wen wants to work with me for the same reasons everyone else is targeting me, the Epoch Spark and the power of reincarnation, right?”

The atmosphere was instantly stifled.

Huo Yunhu fell briefly silent, then said forthrightly, “That’s indeed the case. That’s why he values you so highly.”

He was acknowledging it!

Su Yi’s expression didn’t shift in the slightest. “Second, were the methods you used to negotiate with me chosen of your own volition, or were you following Heavenly Sovereign Wen’s script?”

Everyone was stunned. Does that matter?

Huo Yunhu narrowed his eyes. “I won’t lie to you, Fellow Daoist. Lu Qiu and I chose our approach ourselves. However, the Heavenly Sovereign’s terms and promises are all real. There’s no doubt about that; I wouldn’t dare to lie about such a thing.”

Su Yi inclined his head. “Third, If I choose to refuse, will you really elect to cooperate with the Malevolent Sword Venerate in addition to viewing me with enmity?”

Huo Yunhu fell silent.

Everyone exchanged glances. All of them felt a bit stifled.

After a while, Huo Yunhu said gravely, “That’s only in the worst case scenario. I hope nothing of the sort happens.”

That was tantamount to an indirect admission!

Only then did everyone realize that the Limitless Palace had prepared for two possible outcomes for this negotiation.

If they reached an agreement, everyone would rejoice, and they’d help Su Yi defeat the Malevolent Sword Venerate.

If they couldn’t, they’d become enemies instead. Their rift would be irreconcilable, and they’d help the Malevolent Sword Venerate defeat him instead!

Su Yi just nodded in response. “I understand.”

Huo Yunhu wasn’t lying or hiding anything. Perhaps he disdained to deceive him, or perhaps there were other reasons for it.

Still, that alone was enough to improve Su Yi’s opinion of him.

But that didn’t mean they didn’t rub Su Yi the wrong way. Ultimately, right from the start, they were just targeting his Epoch Spark and power of reincarnation!

Perhaps, in the Limitless Palace’s eyes, that was what made him worth going to such efforts and paying such a price to recruit.

Nonetheless, their ultimate goal was to acquire his Epoch Spark and power of reincarnation!

This was ultimately just an exchange; all talk of “cooperation” was ultimately just a pretense.