First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 417: A Strange Eye

Qing Wan’s tribulation of metamorphosis had six layers in total.

Each layer of tribulation lightning contained a shockingly destructive aura, and each was far from ordinary. Ordinary phantasms most likely couldn’t survive even the first layer. Their souls would disperse, and that would be the end of them.

However, Qing Wan was extremely domineering. During the first five layers, she took the initiative to attack, and she never once dodged or shrunk back.

Now, as the final layer was about to descend upon her, Qing Wan cut a sorry figure, but her momentum hadn’t decreased in the slightest.

Su Yi pondered briefly, then ordered, “Yuan Heng, gather up the spoils.”

Yuan Heng hurriedly nodded his agreement and rushed off.

Then, Su Yi glanced at Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya. “The curtains shall soon fall on this tribulation. For now, please step aside.”

Qing Ya was dazed, but before she could think things through, Ling Yunhe had already dragged her away.

Rumble!

Tribulation lightning flashed overhead, shocking the world. It was like an arc tearing through the skies, and when it descended upon Qing Wan’s graceful figure, it instantly enveloped her.

A closer look revealed dazzling, piercingly bright electricity hovering around her. Her flesh blew apart like firecrackers, inch by inch, until her entire figure seemed illusory, as if she could fall apart at any moment.

The view in front of him raised Su Yi's eyebrows.

Ordinarily speaking, during a phantasm’s tribulation of metamorphosis, the last layer of the tribulation brimmed with incomparable destructive power, but it also gave rise to abundant, overflowing life force.

So long as a phantasm could endure, they could borrow the life force contained within the lightning tribulation to reforge themselves and acquire a spiritual body little different from an ordinary cultivator’s.

Yet this time, the final layer of Qing Wan’s tribulation was terrifying beyond imagination.

Furthermore, Su Yi could sense that there was no life force mixed in with the tribulation; it brimmed with nothing but pure destructive power.

This was rather out of the ordinary!

After all, without the life force of the tribulation, what could she form her spiritual body with?

Su Yi’s expression gradually turned grave.?Something isn’t right here!

There was something strange about the final layer of the lightning tribulation; it seemed as if it were intent on obliterating her completely, as if it couldn’t tolerate any chance that she might survive.

When he saw this, Su Yi couldn’t help but recall the tribulation he’d overcome on the Sea of Chaotic Spirits. It, too, had been rare and incomparably terrifying.

At the time, he had effortlessly neutralized the grand tribulation through the power of the Sword of the Nine Hells and forged the Strongest Dao Seed.

But now….

Although Qing Wan’s lightning tribulation was nowhere near as terrifying as his had been, it, too, was strange.

What’s going on?

Is this because of Qing Wan herself, or has my fortune influenced her, resulting in this calamity??Su Yi furrowed his brow.

Within the tribulation light, it seemed that Qing Wan’s graceful figure was on the verge of dissipating completely. Su Yi dared not hesitate any longer.

He was just about to call upon the power of the Sword of the Nine Hells and lend Qing Wan a hand when—

The image of a strange landscape arose within Qing Wan, silently and without warning. The mountains and rivers hung upside-down over the sky, over an abyss!

Upon closer inspection, the image resembled a single strange yet indifferent eye. The overturned landscape was like the iris, while its ‘pupil’ was a void-like abyss.

That’s the image engraved on the mysterious soul jade!?Su Yi’s eyes narrowed.

Boom!

Suddenly, the vast and majestic tribulation lightning enveloping Qing Wan burst apart, scattering into countless sparks of tribulation light, which the strange, eye-like image devoured. It left nothing behind.

Then, beneath Su Yi’s stunned gaze, the ?"eye” silently turned and faced the deepest recesses of the tribulation clouds gathered overhead. The resulting boom shook heaven and earth, and the tumultuous clouds showed signs of imminent collapse.

Immediately afterward, rolling thunder and flashing tribulation light poured onto Qing Wan like a waterfall, surging into the image of a strange eye. The entire process lasted for about ten breaths of time.

After absorbing all that electrically-charged tribulation light, the strange eye lit up, as radiant as the sun, before slowly merging into Qing Wan’s nearly-dissipated body.

Qing Wan’s graceful form instantly burst with intense light!

Her radiance soared into the heavens, illuminating the night sky with limitless brightness.

Interesting…?Su Yi’s eyes lit up. He could already pick up on some hints, and he realized something. With a flip of his palm, a mysterious soul jade floated into view.

Its front was carved with an image almost identical to that eye, and?the back was carved with a complex and distorted Edict.

When he had first obtained the soul jade, Su Yi could tell that it was made from Spirit-Harboring Profound Pith, a treasure of heaven and earth. In the eyes of ghost cultivators, the jade was practically holy object.

Furthermore, the Edict carved on the jade was unquestionably the work of an Imperial Realm expert!

That was why Su Yi had initially deduced that Qing Wan’s origins weren’t at all ordinary.?However, because the soul jade’s spirituality had long since withered away, Su Yi hadn't been able to gather any further clues.

Yet now, witnessing this unbelievable scene as Qing Wan overcame her tribulation, Su Yi was instantly certain of something.

It wasn't that the power of the mysterious soul jade had dissipated just like that. No, its power had imprinted itself within Qing Wan, becoming a portion of her latent potential!

This was why, just now, when Qing Wan’s tribulation presented a lethal threat, that strange eye had surged forth and devoured the tribulation light. This had neutralized the crisis at hand, and at the same time, it had helped Qing Wan take hold of the vast life force hidden deep within the tribulation clouds!

Whoosh~~

As he pondered, Su Yi noticed that as the electricity and tribulation light enveloped Qing Wan, she was undergoing an earth-shaking metamorphosis.

She was like a butterfly in the process of breaking free from her cocoon, or a phoenix bathed in nirvanic flames.

By the time the tribulation light vanished completely, all Su Yi saw was an elegant figure standing silently in the sky, surrounded by wisps of dreamlike spiritual light.

The tribulation had long since reduced her red dress to nothingness.

Now, her eyes were closed, and her lustrous, snow-white arms were crossed in front of her chest, while her jade-like hands rested gently on her shoulders.

She was completely naked…

From Su Yi’s angle, she looked like an immortal beauty. Her waist-length, jet-black hair fell like a waterfall, and her long, slender legs were as lustrous as ivory.

She was facing away from Su Yi, so he couldn’t see her face clearly.

All he saw was her back, but despite himself, a hint of amazement appeared on his face.

She was like a dream or an illusion, an immortal or a yao!

Although spiritual light lingered around her, how could that possibly obstruct Su Yi’s divine sense?

I wouldn’t have guessed it, but she’s got quite a bit of ‘capital’...?thought Su Yi.

He didn’t look any further, but what he’d seen already was exquisite. Although he’d seen more than his fair share of the world’s beauties, he had to admit that Qing Wan’s figure was…. action

Perfect.

It was then that Qing Wan’s long, thin eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her bright eyes. First, she scanned her surroundings. Then, she yelped.

She had only just realized that she was naked, and she immediately hid herself.

Su Yi then appeared out of nowhere and draped a layer of clothes over her. “Next time you undergo tribulation, remember to wear treasures that can withstand it.”

Qing Wan’s picture-perfect face flushed red. She pulled the clothes tight to ensure that she stayed covered, then whispered, “I’ll remember.”

Her head was lowered, but Su Yi noticed that her ears and long, snowy neck were flushed red. She was obviously extremely embarrassed.

He couldn’t help but laugh.

As she faced her tribulation, Qing Wan’s momentum was so forceful and domineering that she seemed like a lofty empress capable of gazing down upon all of creation.

Yet now, she seemed more like a baby ostrich; if she could have, she would have buried her head in her chest.

“Mystic Master…. Just now… Just now… No one saw me, right?” Qing Wan’s soft, sweet voice was now as quiet as a gnat.

“Most likely, no one saw you but me,” said Su Yi.

“Uh…Ah? Mys-mystic Master, you… You saw me?” Qing Wan’s slender figure quivered, and she lowered her head. Her toes clenched, and she longed for nothing more than a hole to hide in.

“Of course,” said Su Yi, perfectly candidly, as if it were obvious. “I anticipated that this would happen. Otherwise, why would I have sent everyone else away in advance? And why would I have prepared new clothing for you?”

“...” Qing Wan’s little face was so red, it looked like she would burst. Only now did she realize that Su Yi had anticipated that successfully overcoming her tribulation might leave her without a single thread to cover herself…

Su Yi found it truly hard to connect the startled, bashful fawn of a girl with the woman he’d just watched overcome her lightning tribulation. The disparity was enormous.

But then, a disparity like this wasn’t a bad thing. Who could have guessed how proud and majestic this meek, timid young woman would become when she was serious?

“Quick, get dressed. I have something to ask you.” As Su Yi spoke, he was already on his way back to the peak.

Before long, Qing Wan appeared before him in long, wide-sleeved blue robes.

These were Su Yi’s own clothes, and they were obviously too big for Qing Wan, but this only gave her an additional charm and cuteness.

“Mystic Master, thank you for acting as my dharma protector. Thanks to you, I overcame my tribulation and proved my Dao!” Qing Wan bowed, gratitude all over her little face.

“I wasn’t much help at all,” said Su Yi, waving her thanks away. “Get up. Tell me, have you remembered anything from your past life?”

Qing Wan thought hard, and after a while, she said, “A few new images have appeared within my soul, but they’re unclear, and when I try and examine them more closely, I can’t sense them properly….”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “That’s a good sign. If nothing else, that suggests that as your cultivation increases, your memories will return.”

Qing Wan whispered, “Mystic Master, I’m not at all interested in the memories of my past life. So long as I can stay by your side… I’ll be content.”

Qing Wan had said similar things more than once.?Still, hearing it now, Su Yi was touched, and he couldn’t help but smile.

Only then did he ask, “Then did you know that there’s some mysterious power imprinted within your body?”

He then took out the mysterious soul jade she’d once occupied. “The imprint most likely comes from this piece of soul jade. Earlier, while you underwent tribulation….”

Su Yi shared his discoveries and deductions with Qing Wan, one by one. He hoped that doing so could awaken some of Qing Wan’s memories.

Alas, when he finished, Qing Wan was still looking at him blankly. It was obvious she hadn’t reacted to his words at all.

Su Yi could only give up for now.

Qing Wan then hesitated, pursed her pink lips, and whispered weakly, “Mystic Master, before I underwent my tribulation, I said that if I succeeded, I… I would serve you as my master… Is… Is that okay?”

She spoke with a stammer, eager, yet nervous and uncertain, as if terrified Su Yi would refuse.

Were any other man to see this, it might have driven them mad with jealousy.

After all, this was an absolute stunner of a young woman. Her temperament, looks, and mannerisms were all unique and unparalleled.

Ordinarily speaking, men would admire and chase someone like her.

Who had ever seen a peerless beauty of her generation take the initiative to recognize a man as her master? And she even seemed afraid he’d refuse to accept her as his servant!

Even Su Yi himself was stunned. After a brief pause, he couldn’t help but laugh. “I said it earlier, didn’t I? It’s just a title. Call me whatever pleases you.”

Qing Wan was instantly exuberant, and her beautiful eyes sparkled with delight. “Then… Mystic Master, from now on, you’re my master!”

Su Yi thought for a moment, then said, “Don’t get too excited too quickly. Going forward, you must obey my orders, and you are not to use my name to conduct your affairs. Do you understand?”

She nodded firmly. “I understand!”

Su Yi added, “Although you see me as your master, I naturally won’t really order you around or treat you like a servant. After all, when I step into the Spirit Dao, we’ve got to engage in dual cultivation and comprehend the Grand Dao together. Treating you as a servant would be unfair to you.”

When he brought up dual cultivation, Qing Wan’s delicate frame stiffened, and her face flushed red. She was extremely bashful.

It was obvious that she’d yet to adjust to the natural, direct way in which Su Yi discussed such embarrassing topics.

Suddenly, they heard footsteps, and Yuan Heng shot toward them.

“Master, I’ve already gathered up all the spoils.” Yuan Heng first turned, clasped his fist, and reported to Su Yi.

Then, he faced Qing Wan and bowed in greeting. “You’ve cast off your ethereal form and stepped into the Origin Dao! Congratulations, Miss Qing Wan!”

Qing Wan was stunned. Then, she said hurriedly, “Tha-... Thank you.”

Before long, Ling Yunhe and Qing Ya returned, and each of them congratulated Qing Wan too.

It was immediately obvious that Qing Wan was unaccustomed to interacting with anyone except Su Yi. This was due to her personality.

“Return to the Soul-Nurturing Gourd for now.” Su Yi shook his head.

“Mm!” Qing Wan instantly sighed in relief, blurred into a streak of spiritual light, and disappeared into the gourd.

Although she’d forged a true body, in some ways, it was still different from ordinary flesh and blood. Hers was a spiritual body that had undergone metamorphosis, so she could still hide herself within the Soul-Nurturing Gourd.

Qing Ya was instantly envious. “I want a pretty ghost cultivator big sister to keep me company too! That way, if I'm bored, I could chat with her, and when I'm happy, we could eat peaches and drink together.”

Ling Yunhe was instantly at a loss.

Su Yi, however, sighed to himself, and he felt a bit strange.?It’s not just her appearance; even her mannerisms and demeanor are similar to when Qing Tang was a young woman.

Ling Yunhe turned toward Su Yi and clasped his fist. “Fellow Daoist, my apprentice and I plan to proceed to the Great Xia from here. Might you be willing to travel with us?”

Su Yi was just about to answer when he suddenly sensed something and gazed into the distance.

Practically simultaneously, a strange humming noise washed over them like a tidal wave, emanating from the distant night skies.