FIRST IMMORTAL OF THE SWORD

Chapter 978 - A Battle Between Master and Apprentice

Huo Yao’s provocation bordered on impudence, but Su Yi ignored it.

He took out a jug of wine and drank in silence.

Seeing Huo Yao here tonight came as a bit of a surprise. But more than that, after conversing with his disciple, he felt melancholy and bleak.

Master and disciple had been reunited, but now, they were enemies!

Although Su Yi had long since anticipated this development, now that it was really happening, he still found it difficult to stay truly calm.

“Well, Master? Why aren’t you saying anything? Don’t tell me you’re afraid your disciple will hurt you?” Off in the distance, Huo Yao stood with his hands behind his back and said leisurely.

Venting earlier had left him feeling incomparably delighted. Facing the merely Spiritual Revolution Realm Su Yi now, he had a lofty air of superiority and a strong sense of elation.

In the past, he could only look up to Su Yi. He had never imagined that the day would come that he could one day look down on the master he’d resented for countless years!

Su Yi put away his jug of wine.

He suddenly felt that in this moment, even a far stronger brew would have tasted bland.

“Rest assured, Master. You’re the legend whose sword once dominated the heavens, and you’re like a god in the hearts of we disciples. I promise not to take your life!” said Huo Yao with a faint smile. “However, if you’re not willing to go back of your own initiative, I’m afraid I’ll just have to invite you back myself.”

He placed particular emphasis on the word “invite.”

Here, Su Yi felt as if the last of his heart’s restraints had shattered. His expression, gaze, and bearing were now utterly calm.

Those distant eyes no longer bore even the slightest hint of emotion.

“Huo Yao, you’ve truly disappointed me,” Su Yi said flatly.

“I’ve disappointed you? Master, do you really think that, with the way you are, you're worthy of being disappointed in me?

Huo Yao only laughed with even greater delight.

He’d been stifled for far too long. Now, this moment had finally arrived.

His master had always been like a heavenly sovereign, yet now, even in the face of his provocations, Su Yi could only endure in silence. There was no need to even describe how satisfying that was for Huo Yao.

Su Yi said nothing. He simply walked straight ahead. “Come on then. Show me how you plan to ‘invite’ me to leave, you wicked creature.”

This indifferent, casual declaration floated between heaven and earth.

As he watched Su Yi draw near and sensed his cold, utterly emotionless gaze, Huo Yao’s heart inexplicably clenched. His body stiffened, and he instinctively took several steps back.

“That all you got?” Su Yi said disdainfully.

A nigh imperceptible hint of shame appeared on Huo Yao’s handsome face.

This was an instinctual response. Over the years, his master’s invincible strength had engraved itself in the depths of his heart. He’d held Su Xuanjun in awe for too long to count, and he’d feared him for so long that he’d lost track.

Otherwise, how could his pent-up resentment and hatred be this intense?

A moment later, Huo Yao rose to his full height, his aura suddenly explosive and violent as could be.

“Su Xuanjun!!” Huo Yao bellowed, shaking the heavens. “Time changes everything. Do you really think you’re still the sole sovereign of the Wilds, the Swordmaster of Abstruse Force? You’re not! Now, in my eyes, you’re nothing but a Spiritual Revolution Realm worm!!

“And now, I want you to kneel before me and lower your head!”

As he spoke, Huo Yao’s sleeves billowed. He stretched out his right hand and pressed down on the air.

Boom!

The skies collapsed and caught on fire.

A dazzling sea of flame swept forth like a tidal wave, transforming into a massive, fiery hand. It filled the skies, blotting out the sun, and descended ruthlessly upon Su Yi.

The silence of the night instantly shattered. The Laws contained within that enormous, fiery hand made the skies throughout the surrounding ten thousand feet tremble and wail continuously.

Su Yi’s gaze focused.

No one knew a child better than his father. As the master who’d brought Huo Yao up, how could Su Yi be ignorant of his abilities?

When he saw this strike descend, Su Yi immediately sensed that his unfilial disciple’s mid-stage Profound Serenity cultivation far surpassed others of the same level!

Clang!

Su Yi’s qi, essence, and spirit soared to the upper limit of his power, and Abstruse Celestial let out a series of clear hums as it unleashed dazzling golden sword qi.

Bang!!!

A burst of divine radiance followed, and misty light scattered as sword qi blocked the descent of the enormous, fiery hand!

But a moment later, the sword qi burst like paper mache, shattering inch by inch.

Su Yi didn’t dodge.

The force of the enormous fiery hand had already enveloped everything within ten thousand feet. If Su Yi so much as shrunk back, he would only find himself in an incomparably passive position.

“Activate!” Su Yi’s eyes lit up with divine radiance. It was only dimly discernable, but an inscrutable talisman marking surged within his gaze, and his eyes seemed to transform into a boundless sky full of moons, suns, and stars!

A moment later, he thrust Abstruse Celestial thirty-six times.

Every thrust was like a rising arc of divine radiance. They were incomparably dazzling, forceful, and tyrannical, and each pierced a different section of the enormous, fiery hand.

Each thrust expertly targeted one of its weak points!

Bang bang bang!

A series of terrifying impacts rang out as streaks of sword qi bore into the enormous, fiery hand.

The hand visibly trembled, and when it was just three feet from Su Yi’s head, it shattered with a bang!

Off in the distance, Huo Yao couldn’t help but exclaim, “Master, it’s no wonder you were once the greatest Swordsman and sole sovereign of the Wilds. That attack was like seizing fortune from the heavens!”

But a moment later, he shook his head. “Alas, in the face of absolute power, this type of flashy swordsmanship won’t last even a single hit.”

Su Yi didn’t argue. At the end of the day, his cultivation really was just too weak. Clashing head-on with his opponents would be stupid, and he’d have little hope of victory.

“Master, it’s true that you’re currently only in the Spiritual Revolution Realm, but as your disciple, I know better than anyone how mighty the methods at your disposal are.” Huo Yao stepped through the sky and approached Su Yi. He was nothing but smiles. “I know that you have no shortage of trump cards, but then, I won’t get complacent. There’s no way I’ll give you any opportunity to turn this around!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, Huo Yao swung his fist and slammed it at Su Yi.

Boom!

A punch, that was all, but the landscape swayed, heaven and earth trembled, and everything within them was alarmed. The force of this punch threatened to overturn heaven and earth, invert Yin and Yang, and destroy everything!

In the face of this punch capable of crushing the vast majority of Profound Serenity Emperors, Su Yi’s expression remained as calm as ever. But overflowing, terrifying sword intent rose steadily around him!

It was only dimly discernable, but his essence, qi, and spirit rumbled like a blazing furnace, and his cultivation base soared to new heights!

The God-Killing Qi Explosion Art!

This was a legacy based on the innate divine ability of the Yazi, a True Spirit ferocious beast. It could temporarily double one’s cultivation!

However, when its effect ran out, the user would find themselves in a severely weakened state.

In the time since his rebirth, Su Yi had never once been pushed this far, so he’d naturally never used this secret art before.

But now, he couldn’t concern himself with all that.

Whether he wanted to or not, he had to admit that Huo Yao was an utterly terrifying, powerful foe!

He was strong enough that even the vast majority of Profound Serenity Emperors could only avert their gazes before him!

“Go!” Su Yi’s wrists shook, and he thrust his sword.

A boundless swath of sword qi swept forth like a tidal wave or avalanche.

Huo Yao’s fist force bore down with unstoppable momentum, breaking through layers of sword qi. However, it surged forth in endless layers, like the ocean’s waves. As soon as one fell, another rose, and they relentlessly frittered away the force of Huo Yao’s fist.

By the time the fist force neared Su Yi, less than ten percent of its power remained!

Even so, Su Yi staggered, and his blood and qi were thrown into disarray.

Two of his attacks had been blocked in a row, and Huo Yao’s face filled with ferocity. “Master, I have no time to play with you!”

Boom!

He stepped forward, then leaped at Su Yi, his imposing aura blanketing heaven and earth. The unparalleled power of the Laws transformed into appalling divine flames, which only further offset how extraordinary his presence was.

Su Yi remained as calm as before. He swung his sword and blocked.

Just like that, a grand battle broke out!

The entire stretch of heaven and earth was thrown into upheaval. Divine radiance ran rampant.

The power Huo Yao had on display was so tyrannical that every movement brimmed with immense power, shattering the air and melting the firmament.

He didn’t hold back in the slightest.

Because he was well aware that even though his master was only in the Spiritual Revolution Realm, anyone who dared underestimate him was dead beyond a shadow of a doubt!

Su Yi’s predicament was obviously far graver than his disciple’s.

Looking at him from afar, he seemed like a little boat tossed about a boundless ocean, beset on all sides by furious tidal waves.

He could meet his end at a moment’s notice!

His current strength was enough to slay any Profound Illumination Emperor around, and he was using the God-Killing Qi Explosion Art, a forbidden secret art.

But this was far from sufficient.

The disparity between their cultivations was just too great!

This was a lethal weakness.

Even though he had an abundance of combat experience and mastery of all manner of secret arts and wondrous methods, they didn’t make up for such a deficiency.

Besides, although he understood Huo Yao deeply, Huo Yao understood him like the back of his hand too!

Such battles were undoubtedly the most perilous of all.

“Master, the God-Killing Qi Explosion Art’s power can last for eight minutes at most, and your cultivation is too weak. Even if you used an even stronger secret art, it would be useless in the face of my power.”

As they fought, Huo Yao struck with godlike momentum and smug pride. “What do they mean when they speak of ants trying to shake trees? Or of eggs flinging themselves against rocks? They’re talking about you!”

Before his voice had even finished echoing through the air, he suddenly extended his finger and tapped.

Clang!!!

Abstruse Celestial let out an intense wail.

The power of just one of Huo Yao’s fingers was like the hammer of a god slamming into the blade. That terrifying eruption of power instantly damaged Abstruse Celestial. Cracks appeared all over the blade, and it showed signs of falling apart!

At the same time, Su Yi was sent flying several hundred feet away. His handsome face paled, and blood flowed from the corners of his lips.

He was injured!

This only increased Huo Yao’s excitement. He clicked his tongue and sighed. “Your disciple never imagined that the day would come that I’d be able to bully you like this, Master… hahaha!”

His laughter was brazen and unrestrained.

Su Yi’s gaze was increasingly indifferent, with no sign of either sadness or joy. In his life, he’d experienced too many perilous grand battles and life-or-death trials to count. How could such minor wounds trouble him?

He put away Abstruse Celestial, then suddenly took out the Immortal-Beating Mallet and slammed the air in front of him.

Clang!!!

Heaven and earth resounded like a gong, and the mountains and rivers shook.

A portion of Laws of Darkness reminiscent of an eternal night burst from the bamboo stick. Shockingly, it destroyed Huo Yao’s attack as easily as it might rotten wood.

A rain of light scattered, and Huo Yao staggered back, retreating several dozen feet in the air. The power of the Laws surrounding him almost broke, and for a while, they churned violently.