First Immortal of the Sword

Chapter 1967: No Choice Beyond Life and Death

A Godhead was a god’s roots in the Grand Dao.

It was condensed with the Divine Platform and tempered in Divine Flame. It could manifest the entirety of a cultivator’s powers of the Grand Dao!

The fundamental nature of a Godhead depended on the deity’s Epoch Law. Different levels of Epoch Law resulted in different Godheads. Naturally, the resulting foundations in the Grand Dao and accumulations differed too.

Jiang Tai’e’s Godhead took on the shape of a silver lotus. A waterfall of starlight poured from the flower; it was obviously no ordinary Godhead.

When Jiang Tai’e unleashed his greatest divine power, he displayed terrifying majesty far beyond what he had before.

“Deities can rend suns and imprison moons. A single hand can cover the firmament! Wang Ye, go ahead and try my true divine power for yourself!” As Jiang Tai’e’s laughter rang out, he attacked ferociously.

Boom!

Heaven and earth trembled, and the sky tore like cloth and collapsed.

Colorful light of the Dao flowed around Jiang Tai’e, manifesting a waterfall of stars. When he swung his palm, he seemed boundlessly, endlessly grand. In the face of this palm strike, any Great Profound Stage cultivator would have felt paltry, insignificant, and overcome with despair.

Su Yi was instantly under terrifying suppression. Throughout his body, his skin almost tore, and his muscles and tendons audibly rubbed together, seemingly unable to withstand the pressure.

Bang!!!

A moment later, Su Yi was sent flying.

His entire body was covered in wounds, and his blue robes were stained red with blood. He’d almost been suppressed and destroyed in a single attack!

“Hahaha! So satisfying!” Jiang Tai’e burst into laughter. His eyes flashed with divine radiance, and endless starlight poured down around him, making him seem all the more terrifying.

Without the slightest hesitation, he launched a follow-up attack.

Boom!

The river of stars swept forth as if infuriated, churning in midair as it bore down on Su Yi. There was nowhere to run and nowhere to hide.

In the face of this onslaught, Su Yi no longer hesitated to draw on the power of reincarnation.

He waved his right arm through the air like a sword, and heaven and earth transformed, becoming overcast and inscrutable. It was as if the world had been plunged into the darkness of an eternal night, or as if the Netherworld had descended over creation.

And Su Yi’s slash was like a beam of flowing light.

Boom!

The river of stars blanketing heaven and earth suddenly split down the midline, slashed open. Wherever sword qi passed, the dense stars shattered and broke. Nothing could stand in its way!

From a distance, the river of stars was like a painting, and the sword qi was like a knife splitting it down the middle!

Jiang Tai’e’s pupils silently constricted. He swung his palm to block.

Bang!!

Sword qi and palm strike collided. At the moment of impact, the power of reincarnation within the sword qi burst forth like a tidal wave or avalanche. Even though Jiang Tai’e fought back with all his might, his palm strike collapsed, and blood gushed from his hand.

His entire body shook on impact, and his youthful face filled with shock. “This… This is the power of reincarnation that the gods dread above all else?”

Blood flowed between his fingers. It wasn’t all that painful, but the taboo power within that strike left Jiang Tai’e stunned.

He could clearly sense that the power of reincarnation had shaken the Godhead he’d manifested after fusing with the third-level Epoch Fragment!

It was subtle and difficult to sense, but it was enough to make Jiang Tai’e realize how terrifying the power of reincarnation was and why the gods forbade it.

“What do you think?” asked Su Yi.

Jiang Tai’e smiled. “Reincarnation is strong, but your cultivation is too weak!”

“It’s enough to kill you,” said Su Yi. He was already attacking from afar.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Every step he took boomed like a deity beating a heavenly drum, resounding throughout heaven and earth. The dull light of reincarnation interwove, manifesting fleeting and strange visions.

When Su Yi attacked…

Boom!

The boundless Sea of Bitterness surged from the world of reincarnation, vast beyond measure, as if intent on burying all of heaven and earth and plunging all of creation into oblivion.

The mysteries of reincarnation——Adrift in the Sea of Bitterness!

“Before a god, all of your struggles will be in vain!” Jiang Tai’e snorted coldly, then stirred up a boundless river of stars. It descended directly upon the Sea of Bitterness.

Boom!

When the Sea of Bitterness and river of stars collided, the ground shook, and raging destructive power ran rampant, making Jiang Tai’e stagger backward. Everything on all sides was blocked off by the turbid waters of the Sea of Bitterness.

A terrifying power of oblivion spread outward, seemingly intent on dragging Jiang Tai’e into the water. If that happened, he’d never, ever find release.

Jiang Tai’e finally lost his cool. The power of reincarnation was far stranger and more taboo than he’d anticipated.

“Break!”

His robes billowed in the air, and he used his palm as a knife and furiously slashed the air. The boundless Sea of Bitterness instantly split.

But Su Yi had already seized the opportunity to attack. A slash descended from the heavens, manifesting the cycle of the Six Paths of reincarnation. A wheel of reincarnation descended ruthlessly.

The mysteries of reincarnation——the Six Paths Sword Wheel!

Bang!!!

Jiang Tai’e fought back with all his might, but in the end, he was forced back. His clothes were in tatters, his long hair hung loose, and his ripped skin was covered in blood.

Most terrifying of all, his Godhead had been shaken!!

Before he could steady himself, Su Yi attacked again and again.

A Moment of Silence!

Flowers Bloom on the Far Shore!

The Transience of Naihe!

Su Yi displayed each attack to its fullest potential, infusing his essence, qi, and spirit. It was like the descent of a ruler presiding over reincarnation.

Boom! Boom!

The flowers of the blazing Path of the Far Shore swayed, and the boundless River of Forgetfulness coursed beneath the Naihe Bridge. The Platform of Rebirth manifested next, followed by the Ten Yama Kings guarding the Yellow Springs…

All manner of unbelievable visions were on display within Su Yi’s sword intent.

And Jiang Tai’e suffered a heavy impact!

He fought back with all his might. His divine power was boundlessly grand, but no matter what divine abilities or wondrous arts he used, Su Yi’s reincarnation sword intent neutralized them all. Rather than gaining ground, he found himself in ever-greater peril. Sometimes, he was swept into the Sea of Bitterness. Other times, he was drawn toward the Path of the Far Shore. Still other times, he was suppressed by the Platform of Rebirth…

He neutralized every attack in the end, but the effort left him severely injured. His hair hung loose and disheveled, and his white robes were completely red with blood. He looked utterly wretched.

Only now did Jiang Tai’e understand the terrifying power of reincarnation on a visceral level. An indescribable sense of urgency arose in his heart. He knew that if he didn’t turn the situation around soon, he’d be trapped and killed!

“Break!” Suddenly, Jiang Tai’e gnashed his teeth and went out. He held his hands in the air, and a Divine Platform took to the sky, shining with endless Dao Light. Within the platform, a silver lotus swayed. Terrifying divine power poured from it.

Jiang Tai’e had manifested even his foundations in the Grand Dao. He was pouring everything he had into this attack.

Boom!

The Divine Platform shattered the attacks manifested of reincarnation sword intent and stirred up a current of raging destructive power.

Jiang Tai’e seized the opportunity to break free. His eyes blazed as he burst into laughter. “Wang Ye, I said it already. Your cultivation is too weak. No matter how heaven-defying the power of reincarnation is, it’s useless against me!”

“You’re celebrating prematurely.” Su Yi said calmly, his gaze distant.

His voice had only just rung out when he suddenly took a step forward and swung his right hand like a sword, unleashing the power he’d been gathering.

Boom!

Heaven and earth shook, and a streak of sword qi whooshed forth.

In that moment, the reincarnation sword intent Jiang Tai’e had previously shattered silently recondensed, as if it had been summoned. It transformed into grand and mysterious visions of reincarnation.

The Yellow Springs, the Platform of Rebirth, the Sea of Bitterness, the Sea of the Far Shore, the Naihe Bridge, the River of Forgetfulness… All of them were on full display in this dark world of reincarnation.

Su Yi’s slash was like a beam of light piercing through it all, bringing with it the power of the Six Paths. It manifested taboo visions of the alternations of life and death.

Everything on all sides dimmed. Creation in all its facets showed signs of withering and decay. Even the power of the Grand Dao seemed to disappear from the surrounding area.

Jiang Tai’e’s smile froze in place, and his hair stood on end. He could sense a powerful, terrifying, lethal threat!

Jiang Tai’e gnashed his teeth and bellowed, “Activate!”

The Divine Platform took the skies, rumbling like thunder and displaying endless divine radiance. Its immeasurable light burned like fire.

This was Jiang Tai’e’s first time fighting without reservation in a long, long time. He was pouring all of his divine power into this strike and holding nothing back!

But then——

Boom!

Heaven and earth swayed as the power of reincarnation enveloped it like a curtain. Within that dark, inscrutable world of reincarnation, sword qi rose, then descended.

Like the heavens pouring onto the world below!

And Jiang Tai’e’s Grand Dao Divine Platform faced a terrifying impact. Its endless divine light shattered, and the blazing Divine Flame almost went out!

Splurt!

Jiang Tai’e coughed up blood. That sword qi was just too terrifying. Both his body and soul suffered a heavy impact.

“Break!” Jiang Tai’e bellowed, his eyes bloodshot.

His Grand Dao Divine Platform fiercely resisted the sword qi, but in the end, it was to no avail. A heaven-shaking rumbling rang out, and the platform was sent flying, while the sword qi continued, its power undiminished.

Jiang Tai’e freaked out and fought back with all his might.

Boom!

The entire stretch of heaven and earth was enveloped in terrifying, inscrutable sword qi. Everything was thrown into chaos.

When the mist cleared, Su Yi saw Jiang Tai’e with his body in tatters. He was injured to the brink of death, his wounds so grievous that it hurt to look at him!

“I’m surprised you didn’t run,” said Su Yi, approaching from afar. He too was riddled with wounds, and his blue robes were stained with blood.

But he was in far better condition than Jiang Tai’e.

“There’s obviously no way I can escape, so why flee?” Jiang Tai’e laughed dryly. He was unbearably wretched; practically his entire body was ripped open and on the verge of breaking.

But he didn’t seem to care.

It was only just barely perceptible, but when he watched Su Yi approach, his gaze grew complicated. There was frustration, fury, hatred, and an undisguisable hint of astonishment.

He hadn’t anticipated that Su Yi would possess such heaven-defying strength in the Great Unity Stage.

“Why not try again? The Jiang Tai’e I know isn’t the type to admit defeat easily,” Su Yi said calmly.

It wasn’t an insult. He just knew that this murderous, ambitious, ruthless old-timer would fight to his last breath before admitting defeat.

“Perhaps it’s because I understand you so well. That’s why I know that this can only end with one of our deaths; there’s no third option.”

Jiang Tai’e sighed.

Indeed, he understood.

He’d understood as soon as Su Yi revealed the Sword of Proximity, before the battle even began, that this would end with one of their deaths!

When Su Yi saw this, he simply nodded and attacked directly.

Practically simultaneously, Jiang Tai’e’s eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he burned his newly advanced cultivated base and charged at Su Yi. It was as if his entire body had caught on fire.

Since when was he afraid to risk it all?

He’d endured countless years of dormancy already, and now, he’d proven his Dao and become a god. If he couldn’t overcome this obstacle, he’d be doomed to live in Su Yi’s shadow even if he survived, racked with terror and unable to eat or sleep in peace.

Better to fight to the death and end things once and for all.

“Die!” Jiang Tai’e bellowed. He was like the most radiant of shooting stars cleaving through the heavens, blazing and radiant as he displayed the most dazzling strike he’d used since achieving divinity.

Clang!

In that moment, the Sword of the Human Realm appeared in Su Yi’s grip. It let out an impassioned hum and cleaved through the sky!

Heaven and earth shook on all sides, and the mountains and rivers lost their light. A heaven-shaking impact rang out, like a thunderclap resounding throughout the nine heavens.

The sword qi stopped the blazing shooting star that was Jiang Tai’e firmly in place. He couldn’t advance so much as an inch further!

Jiang Tai’e took all of this in. The corners of his lips twitched, and he muttered in a daze, “I lived in degradation for countless years for the sake of achieving divinity. I would never have thought that… I’d lose to you anyway!”

His voice was bleak and utterly dejected.