First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2523 – She Speaks, and the World Obeys, the Dao Follows Itself

Su Yi wasn’t the least bit concerned about the divine fowl’s attitude. After all, the bird was no more than an errand boy.

He asked, “Is the ‘Ling Ran’ you speak of perhaps the master of the Ruins of Supreme Simplicity?”

“She is indeed,” said the Goddess of Silent Darkness. “She was the most unparalleled, dazzling legend of the Age of Supreme Simplicity, its sole ruler. She mastered the Laws of Supreme Simplicity, and she attempted to undergo tribulation and achieve Eternity three times. She’s utterly extraordinary.”

She paused, then transmitted, “Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran’s status is special, and she knows Lu Shi. She’s also on intimate terms with several experts of the River of Destiny. Her position is lofty indeed.”

There was no disguising the dread in her voice.

Su Yi, however, was thinking back to the Ruins of Supreme Emergence. Celestial Venerate Zhou Ye had been one of the Age of Supreme Emergence’s three sovereigns, but he’d merely managed to borrow the Flame of Supreme Emergence’s power. He never really mastered it.

But this Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran was the sole ruler of the Age of Supreme Simplicity, and she’d mastered the full Laws of Supreme Simplicity. She’d even attempted to achieve Eternity three times over!

She was ridiculously strong!

On top of that, she knew both Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming and Dao Venerate Lu Shi, and she was on intimate terms with several experts of the River of Destiny. It was clear how solid her position was, and how extraordinary her status.

But that wasn’t what really interested Su Yi. What really intrigued him was that she’d attempted to achieve Eternity three times over! Admittedly, she’d failed all three tribulations, yet she’d managed to survive them. That was an unbelievable feat.

Su Yi looked at the bird hovering in the distance. “I’d actually quite like ot meet your mistress. Lead the way.”

The Goddess of Silent Darkness’s expression shifted. Does Su Yi want to fight Ling Ran?

But it was too late to try to dissuade him. Su Yi had already made up his mind.

“This way, please!” The divine fowl led them deeper into the Ruins of Supreme Simplicity.

About ten minutes later, a strange scene appeared over the distant landscape. Blue-gray clouds churned beneath the firmament, and countless streaks of blood-red lightning tore through the sky.

A mysterious, ethereal power of the Laws permeated the entire stretch of heaven and earth.

These were the Laws of Supreme Simplicity.

They were incomparably explosive and brimming with destructive power. They threw the entire area into chaos, shattering the sky into countless pieces.

An ancient Daoist temple stood in the distance, but it wasn’t at all affected by any of this.

When Su Yi saw it in the distance, he immediately recognized that someone really had mastered one of the Five Supreme Sources, the Laws of Supreme Simplicity, a long time ago.

Otherwise, there was no way that temple could have remained standing. The power of the Laws would have destroyed it a long time ago!

“Mistress, Her Excellency Silent Darkness and Fellow Daoist Su have arrived.” The divine fowl flew over to the temple’s entrance and said respectfully.

An ethereal female voice emanated from inside the temple. “Leave us for now, Qing Chi.”

The blood-red lightning churning beneath the dome of heaven died down, as did the blue-gray flames manifested of the Laws of Supreme Simplicity.

All of that destructive power vanished. Heaven and earth were calm and peaceful once more.

She spoke, and the world rushed to obey. Heaven and earth heeded her will!

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. This Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran’s cultivation base is really quite something!

“I’ve spent all these years mending my mental state. Forgive me for being unable to welcome you at the door, Fellow Daoists.” The calm, ethereal voice of Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran emanated from inside the ancient Daoist temple. “If you’re not opposed, please come inside for a chat.”

The Goddess of Silent Darkness warned, “Ling Ran, are you aware that the Ancient Aberrant and Fellow Daoist Su have set aside their former grudges?”

“I’m aware,” said Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran. Her voice didn’t so much as ripple. “I sensed everything that happened on the peak of Heavenly Aberrant Mountain. It’s just a pity that I had to turn this place into a prison to repair my heart. That prevented me from leaving to congratulate Xuan Ming in person.”

Su Yi’s eyebrows rose. So, she sensed everything that happened back there? Also, her choice of title for Ancient Aberrant Xuan Ming leaves ample food for thought. She didn’t call him ‘fellow Daoist’ or ‘senior.’ No, she called him directly by his title!

No ordinary person would have the confidence to be so impolite!

All of that combined proved that Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran wasn’t the least bit simple.

The Goddess of Silent Darkness said, “Doesn’t that mean you know everything the Ancient Aberrant said before he left, Fellow Daoist?”

“I naturally know the proper limits, and I understand what you’re worried about.” Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran’s tranquil voice emanated from within the temple. “If I wanted to be Fellow Daoist Su’s enemy, I’d say it directly. I wouldn’t hide it.”

She paused, then issued another invitation. “Please come inside.”

The Goddess of Silent Darkness was about to say something when she saw Su Yi heading toward the entrance.

Her heart clenched, and she chased after him.

The temple was simple and worn down, with only a single courtyard inside. It wasn’t large, either.

The courtyard was planted with a few ordinary plants and grasses. The leaves of the trees were lush and green.

A Fire Jujube Tree grew at the center of the courtyard. Jujubes the size of infants’ fists dangled from its leafy branches.

There was an ancient hall at the back of the courtyard.

When they arrived, Su Yi and the Goddess of Silent Darkness sensed no trace of cultivators. It almost felt as if they’d entered just another Daoist temple of the mundane world. It was as simple and ordinary as could be.

But all of this filled their hearts with an inexplicable sense of piece. It was as if they’d washed off the dust caking their bodies and set down their burdens and frustrations, letting their hearts and bodies relax.

“True greatness is without form, and the Dao follows itself!” Su Yi put his hands behind his back and gazed at the simple, unassuming temple. He couldn’t help but feel surprised.

He’d yet to lay eyes on the mysterious Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran, but her abilities had already surprised him twice over.

The first time, she spoke, and the world obeyed. Heaven and earth followed her commands, and she transformed her surroundings in a sentence. All of the lightning and power of the Laws had faded away entirely.

The second surprise was this plain little courtyard itself. The greatest truths of the Grand Dao were also the simplest. A return to simplicity was a return to truth. This courtyard might have seemed unassuming, but in truth, it was full of the formless, mystical charm of the Dao!

Just standing here was enough to silently influence someone’s heart and soul and make them unknowingly relax.

True treasures drew no attention to themselves, but those with keen eyes could perceive the truths hidden amidst the silence!

Su Yi was instantly much more serious.

There was no need to fight and no need for words. These silent, subtle details alone were enough to make him realize how extraordinary Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran was.

He had to take her seriously.

“Please have a seat.”

There was a stone table beneath the Fire Jujube Tree.

When Su Yi and the Goddess of Silent Darkness sat on the stone benches, a plate silently appeared on the table, but all it contained was two Fire Jujubes.

The Fire Jujubes were bright red and smooth and translucent as jade. Their surfaces were covered with wisps of natural Dao Markings reminiscent of flames.

Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran’s voice emanated from the worn-out hall at the far end of the courtyard.

“Please don’t look down on me, Fellow Daoists. It’s not that I’m lacking in hospitality, but that you can only eat one Fire Jujube at a time. If you do, it’ll cleanse your heart, temper your soul, and help you understand your true nature. It’s wondrous beyond words.

“However, if you eat too many, it will agitate the heart and damage the soul. That’s true even for those Master Gods at the peak of the Undying Realm.”

Su Yi looked over.

The hall’s door had opened, but the interior was shrouded in darkness. All he could see was the indistinct silhouette of a woman seated cross-legged at the room’s center, holding a needle and thread as she mended on the clothes placed across her lap.

He couldn’t see the woman’s true appearance, nor could he get a good look at the clothing she was mending. It was as if an invisible power were separating the room from the outside world.

They weren’t far away at all, yet she seemed somehow distant and unattainable.

There was no doubt about it. This was Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran!

“Are these Fire Jujubes really as mystical as you say?” Su Yi glanced at the fruit resting on the plate.

Inwardly, he felt a bit strange. He’d come to the Ruins of Supreme Simplicity in part to seek out an opportunity to break through.

And entering the next level required a breakthrough of the heart.

When Su Yi looked at the Fire Jujubes, he couldn’t help but feel as if this were a truly wondrous coincidence.

“This Fire Jujube Tree was born of the River of Destiny’s Hellfire Origin. It’s a naturally formed wondrous chaos lifeform, and its fruits are imbued with spiritual power. It has a wondrous effect on the heart. Thus, it’s more aptly called a Hellfire Heart Jujube.” Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran went on mending the clothing, her tranquil, ethereal voice echoing throughout the courtyard.

“A long, long time ago, I was fortunate enough to acquire this tree from a senior who’d stepped onto the River of Destiny. It’s been growing in this courtyard ever since.

“Over the years, I’ve attempted to overcome my Eternal Tribulation three times. Each time, I failed at the last step. It’s only thanks to this Fire Jujube Tree that I’ve kept my heart from collapsing.

“You two are welcome to sample the Fire Jujubes’ wonders for yourself. Their flavor is quite something, too: they’re crisp and delectable, with a natural fragrance of the Grand Dao. They’re starkly different from the rest of the world’s delicacies.”

The Goddess of Silent Darkness was inwardly stunned. Her heart shook. She would never, ever have guessed that such an ordinary looking tree was actually a wondrous lifeform from the River of Destiny!

By the same token, she would never have guessed that Sovereign Venerate Ling Ran would share such a precious treasure with her guests!

Su Yi, meanwhile, didn’t hold back out of politeness. He casually picked up a jujube and bit into it.