First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 2580 – The Epoch Spark Takes Root, and a New Path Starts to Take Shape

Lin Jinghong put her hands behind her back and paced around the underground stone room a few times before whispering, “Wait a while longer. Within a year, the chaos power blocking the path to the ruins of Red Pine Mountain will recede, and the curtains will open on the Battle for Order. Unless something bad’s happened to him, that Su guy is sure to show up!”

“We have to wait another year?” A’Cai asked in a bit of a daze.

“A year, that’s all,” said Lin Jinghong. “There’s no rush. Going out now would be too dangerous. I have numerous cards up my sleeves, yes, but I can’t waste them on such things.”

She paused, then said, “Also, this Battle for Order will be quiite special. I’m afraid the old-timers of the River of Destiny have long since started watching everything that happens here. We can’t afford even the slightest complacency.”

A’Cai looked confused. “Big Sister, they… they’ve long since become prominent experts of the River of Destiny. Why concern themselves with what goes on in the God Domain?”

Lin Jinghong silently stopped in a place, a strange light shining in her eyes. “It’s simple. The path to the Far Shore of the River of Destiny is no longer viable. They must seek out a new path!”

“A new path?” A’Cai was increasingly bewildered. “Don’t tell me that a new path to the Far Shore of the River of Destiny exists in the God Domain?”

“That’s right,” said Lin Jinghong. “The present epoch civilization is unique, as it’s the only one to mix and combine the past, present, and future.

“Epoch civilizations have withered and faded away before, but this is the first time anything like this has happened.

“And the reasons… are hidden in the ruins of Red Pine Mountain. It has something to do with the God Domain’s chaos source.”

A’Cai couldn’t help but feel stunned. All of this sounded far too complex and mysterious. Trying to understand it was difficult and exhausting.

For instance, what was the old path? What was the new path? What exactly was the Far Shore of the River of Destiny? What made the present epoch civilization so special?

And what secrets were hidden in the chaos source at Red Pine Mountain?

A’Cai had absolutely no idea.

“You don’t need to worry about all that,” laughed Lin Jinghong. “With me here, there’s no need for you to concern yourself with all that nonsense.”

“Mm,” said A’Cai, suddenly curious. “Big Sister, just… where did you come from? Why do you know so much?”

She’d asked this question many times, but Lin Jinghong had always fobbed her off.

This time, however, Lin Jinghong hesitated. In the end, she still didn’t answer. She just said that, “All I can tell you is that my identity is a taboo. Outsiders cannot learn who I am, but… you’ll naturally find out.”

A’Cai couldn’t help but find this a bit frustrating. Big Sister Jinghong is great in almost every way, but she’s always so vague and mysterious about her origins.

Her background, that’s all. How could you call something like that a ‘taboo?’

“Enough. I’m going to sleep,” said Lin Jinghong, turning over on the soft couch and closing her eyes before A’Cai could ask any further questions.

……

The incident in the Heaven-Combating Hidden Realm deep in the Barren Mountains of Divine Calamity spread, first to the rest of the Southern Flame Divine Continent, and then to the entire God Domain.

Su Yi!

The legendary sword cultivator had been in seclusion on Sunset Perch Island for years, but now, he’d re-entered the world!

This drew attention from top factions and experts throughout the God Domain. Even those from spacetime forbidden zones were startled.

No one in the God Domain could overlook Su Yi’s existence.

Now, he’d re-entered the God Domain, fought his way into the Heaven-Combating Hidden Realm, and rescued the captive Master Gods. Who could disregard an accomplishment like that?

“Just how strong has Sword Venerate Su become?”

“Doesn’t this mean that Sword Venerate Su is already strong enough to contend with Half-Step Eternals?”

“I would never have guessed that a few years of seclusion would be enough for him to rise to such terrifying heights.”

…Discussions broke out throughout the God Domain. Everyone was trying to guess how high Su Yi’s cultivation base was and how strong he’d become.

But there were also lots of voices critical of or hostile to Su Yi.

“The Dark Days of Legend have begun, and the balance of power has shifted. So what if Su Yi has re-entered the world?”

“Don’t forget that he’s the common enemy of every god and Buddha beneath the heavens!”

“And that those terrifying existences of the River of Destiny see him as prey!”

“Even those factions of other spacetimes see him as a target. All of them want to seize his powers of the Grand Dao.”

“Just wait. An unparalleled ruffian like Su Yi is sure to face endless calamities during the Dark Days of Legend!”

…But all of these opinions, both positive and negative, served to prove how great Su Yi’s influence had become. Even after years of seclusion, now that he’d re-entered the world, no one dared to ignore him!

…

As the winds rose and the clouds gathered in the outside world, Su Yi went into seclusion on Five Lightning Temple’s back mountain.

Rather, he was busy refining Fragments of Heaven’s Will.

Weng!

As Su Yi refined one Fragment of Heaven’s Will after another, his powers of the Grand Dao seemed to catch ablaze, rumbling like thunder.

Within his Sea of Chaos, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, producing an unprecedented blast.

Like the first parting of primordial chaos!

Surging power of the Grand Dao churned like raging stormwaters, and countless resplendent chaos flames scattered.

The Epoch Spark had long since fused into Su Yi’s foundations in the Grand Dao. It now underwent a shocking transformation.

It sprouted!

The dreamlike green sprout silently emerging from the Epoch Spark was tiny and unassuming, yet its arrival shook Su Yi’s foundations in the Grand Dao. His blood and qi boiled, and his powers of the Grand Dao rejoiced!

The entire sea of chaos silently gave rise to an indescribable life force, like an invisible spring breeze blowing past, growing and nourishing all living beings.

In that moment, all manner of unbelievable revelations flooded Su Yi’s mind.

He felt a delight originating from the very depths of his heart, as if he were a seed and he’d finally gathered enough power to grow roots and sprout!

This was the joy of a transformation to his very life force. It gave his spirit a clear direction for future growth. He could now see the course of his own destiny clearly…

When you saw a tender young sprout, you knew it would grow into a sapling, then a towering tree, which would one day be heavy fruit.

This was the direction of his growth. The rings of that tree charted the course of his future!

Waves coursed through Su Yi’s heart. When the chaos parts, heaven and earth take shape, giving rise to all living beings. Isn’t that true when the Epoch Spark cleaves through the earth and sprouts, too?

The Epoch Spark was the seed of a new epoch civilization. Growing roots and sprouting meant it was one step closer to becoming a true epoch civilization!

This was an omen preceding the birth of a new epoch civilization!

Later, it would give rise to ten thousand worlds, three thousand Grand Daos, and countless living beings…

And as the master of the Epoch Spark, Su Yi would naturally be the true ruler of this new epoch civilization!

No, strictly speaking, he’d be its creator! The master of all creation!

As firm as Su Yi’s heart was, he couldn’t help but lose his composure.

Admittedly, the Epoch Spark was still just a seedling, and it would need a long time to grow.

But so long as he lived and continued his pursuit of the Grand Dao, it would ultimately grow into a towering tree and give rise to a new epoch civilization!a

The Dao gives rise to one, one gives rise to two, two gives rise to three, and three gives rise to all things.

The Epoch Spark’s current transformation is like the first stage, the Dao giving rise to one!

All manner of wondrous, unbelievable revelations flooded Su Yi’s mind. Gradually, his excitement cooled, and he immersed himself in his cultivation once more, forgetting himself completely.

The process of refining Fragments of Heaven’s Will didn’t just transform the Epoch Spark. His powers of the Grand Dao transformed too.

Time slipped by, and soon, half a month had passed.

It was on this day that Su Yi refined the last of his Fragments of Heaven’s Will.

The Epoch Spark’s tender young shoots had grown into a slender juvenile plant about the size of a baby’s fist.

It was rooted in Su Yi’s foundations in the Grand Dao, floating in his Sea of Chaos. Its slender green shoots were as clear and translucent as jade.

It swayed in his sea of chaos, scattering formless, overflowing vitality, nourishing Su Yi’s cultivation base and powers of the Grand Dao like spring rains.

Even Su Yi’s soul and physical body benefited considerably. That power had an endless, self-perpetuating quality to it.

After silently sensing his changes, Su Yi opened his eyes.

It was strange. He knew he hadn’t broken through, but his foundations and powers in the Grand Dao seemed somehow different, as did his body and soul.

They were denser, smoother, and more concentrated than before. More than that, they had new, indescribably fluctuating vitality!

A powerful feeling washed over Su Yi. It’s like… I’m getting closer and closer to the Will of the Heavens!