Roaming the Four Seas - Chapter 155: The Way of the Sword Must Not Be Failed

The five Daoists did not hesitate in the slightest.

Hearing Su Ye's words, they immediately abandoned him.

"I..." Before Su Ye could viciously curse the Daoists for their lack of loyalty, he summoned the Primordial Sword wrapped in its ancient bronze sheath, his cold gaze fixed on the fierce beasts lunging toward him.

Suspended high in the firmament, Lin Taixuan reined in the howling Kuidou.

Weilan City was adjacent to Heavenly Dao Mountain.

The news of Su Ye slaying Zheng Tiandao had long since spread within the sect.

Even the "Three Swords" verdict delivered by Ouyang Yu, the Sword Demon's only daughter, had sparked numerous debates within the Yunxian Sect.

Some disciples believed that both the Sword Saint and the Sword Demon had once suppressed an entire era, belonging to peerless and unprecedented cultivation geniuses.

Su Ye, having won Ouyang Yu's approval, could certainly not be lacking in innate talent.

Yet heroes abounded in this world, and the number of heavenly spiritual roots appearing every year exceeded a thousand.

While Lin Taixuan marveled at Su Ye's near-monstrous intellect, he remained uncertain of just how formidable Su Ye truly was in the realm of cultivation.

The five Daoists likewise harbored the intention of probing his bottom line.

The little beast possessed extraordinary strength; even with the Yin-Yang Mirror and the array compasses on the fingers of both hands activated, Su Ye was no match for it at this moment.

"Returning enmity for kindness is never a good thing." Su Ye held the Daluo Fire Cover aloft in his left hand, infusing his words with soul power.

The beast blinked its pitch-black eyes, observing the Daluo Fire Cover transformed into a ring of fire, and realized that when it was on the verge of death just moments ago, it was the human before it who had saved its life.

It had been formed from the evil aura within Douniu City, yet it covertly contained the uncorrupted righteousness of the Sword-Inquiring Pavilion.

Both righteous and demonic, the small beast was awed by the vast soul power, its hooves instantly turning into earthen pillars as it halted three feet away from Su Ye.

Its form shrank back to the size of a palm, and it looked up at the giant-like Su Ye.

In an instant, the man and the beast entered the realm of dreams.

"You and I are very much alike—righteousness tinged with evil, and evil imbued with righteousness." Su Ye waved a hand, dismissing the myriad manifestations and laws guarding the dream realm, and spoke softly to the little beast.

A hint of fondness flickered deep within the little beast's eyes.

Within the space constructed by the Ten Directions Dream Realm, Su Ye's soul breath was displayed unreservedly to the beast.

Despite having thoroughly read the *Encyclopedia of Spiritual Beasts*, he had never encountered such a creature.

All things in this world relied on karmic affinity.

In the spirit pet shop of Yunjing, Su Ye had once met Li Qingchuan, an imperial eunuch, and in exchange for helping refine the Divine Splendor Pill, he had secured a divine phoenix egg for Luo Jinghong.

Yet he had never thought of purchasing a spiritual pet for himself.

At the time, Su Ye believed he was better suited to walking a thousand miles alone, lest he bring harm to a spiritual pet.

Watching the little beast escape the capture of the dragon-hound Kuidou, however, a surge of fondness naturally arose within him.

Using the Daluo Fire Cover to save it was not only to probe the clues of the demonic formation in Douniu City, but also because he wished to take it as his pet.

The little beast was still condensing its spiritual consciousness, squatting on its hind legs with its front legs brought together, its slender tail coiled around its forelegs.

Its pitch-black eyes reflected the image of a handsome youth.

What Su Ye saw was not himself, but a face that seemed strangely familiar.

He felt a lingering sense of recognition.

Yet for a moment, he could not recall where he had ever seen it before.

Just as he was puzzled, he saw the little beast raise its head, open its small mouth adorned with four tiger-like fangs, and exhale a breath resembling drifting clouds.

The breath gradually coalesced into a human figure.

It was precisely the handsome youth reflected in the little beast's eyes.

As Su Ye clearly beheld his appearance,

it suddenly merged perfectly with a scene from the past.

Su Ye's pupils contracted violently, and he stood frozen on the spot.

————

"Su Ye, a pleasure to meet you."

The handsome youth's voice sounded like a spring breeze transforming and nourishing all things.

He stood nine feet tall, dressed in a long white robe.

The jade crown binding his hair was devoid of any adornment.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he possessed a transcendent grace that felt like a celestial being descending to the mortal world.

"No, he truly is a celestial being!" Su Ye thought to himself, cupping his hands in a salute. "Senior Song, I have long admired your great name.

In my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would meet you under such circumstances."

Song Yang's smile was cultured and refined, his graceful poise seeming entirely innate:

"Do you know what this little beast is transformed from?"

"Spawned by heaven and earth, intertwined with righteousness and evil."

"The Redglow Demon wreaked havoc in Douniu City, laying down a wicked and sinister array that plagued the local populace.

The body of this little beast was formed from the evil aura of the demonic array, absorbing the numbers of the Five Elements and Yin-Yang to achieve a demonic and venomous physique."

"Douniu City is where you once went to inquire into the sword, Senior... Does that mean the righteousness harbored within the little beast's body was left behind by you?"

"A shred of sword intent I left behind back then transformed into a part of the little beast. It is precisely because of this that such a singular creature was forged."

Hearing this, Su Ye could not help feeling inwardly shaken.

The demonic array laid down by the Redglow Demon in Douniu City had been enough to plunge Lin Taixuan, a cultivator of the Miaozhen Realm, into utter despair.

Who knew what further perils awaited them ahead.

Since the little beast was forged from the evil aura of the demonic array, it was thoroughly versed in its ways, and its malevolent intent was extraordinary.

Yet a mere shred of sword intent left behind in the world for many years was enough to withstand such formidable "evil."

Song Yang's power transcended Su Ye's imagination.

"Do not be impatient," Song Yang smiled calmly. "One day, your sword intent will also grow mighty enough that none can block it."

Though well-versed in the principles of Taiji and the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi, Su Ye had never wished to pry into the future and thus had never used those abilities.

In the end, his curiosity regarding the immortal realm was forcefully suppressed.

Reading Su Ye's thoughts, Song Yang smiled:

"Your Ten Directions Dream Realm bears a few similarities to the immortal realm.

It originates from the mortal dust, yet transcends it, which is why mortal eyes cannot peer into it."

"Senior Song, why are you being so candid with me?"

Looking at Su Ye solemnly, Song Yang's smile faded:

"This sixty-year grand devastation is bound to be exceptionally perilous.

Since you cultivate the Dao of Affection, you do not fear entangling yourself in karma.

A few words of well-intentioned warning are hardly worth mentioning."

"Do you know what the world-extinction calamity truly is?"

"Heaven's secrets cannot be revealed," Song Yang said leisurely.

"What is fated to happen, no one can escape."

Immortals always had a habit of speaking in half-truths,

refusing to state things plainly.

"By walking the Dao of Affection, can one truly become an immortal?" Su Ye felt uncertain of the path ahead.

"Have you not heard the saying: when one person attains the Dao, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven?

You are exceptionally clever and possess supreme comprehension; why could you not become an immortal?"

The two practitioners of the sword gazed at each other.

In the eyes of the predecessor lingered a smile.

The successor was filled with yearning.

Crossing the long river of time, it washed away any remaining barriers in their hearts.

Song Yang was not a man devoid of emotion.

He too held chivalry in his heart.

"Senior Song, one day, I will wield my five-foot Primordial Sword and come to challenge you."

Song Yang smiled:

"It would be wiser to speak of this when your sword intent has coalesced into invincibility.

Perhaps by then, you will have entirely different thoughts."

Su Ye replied with unwavering firmness: "I will not. Because in my heart, 'Only the sword dao can never be failed.'"

Song Yang's smile grew wider:

"Well said! The sword dao must never be failed!

Simply keep forging ahead through the whetting stone, and do not let the chaotic blossoms blur your eyes."

Song Yang, formed from sword intent, gradually dissipated into nothingness.

Su Ye watched the spot where Song Yang had vanished, his heart surging like raging waves.

He had encountered both the Sword Saint, manifested from sword intent, and the Sword Demon, manifested through his soul-attached avatar.

It could truly be called a joyous occasion.

Both swords had already achieved immortal renown.

And Su Ye, a genius swordsman of the third generation, had only just set foot on his journey.

...

The will of the Sword Saint that had suppressed the little beast's malevolent intent transformed into a compassionate guidance that ferried its soul.

Only at this moment did the little beast acquire true self-awareness.

Its two copper-bell eyes stared at Su Ye without blinking.

Su Ye extended his right hand diagonally, palm facing downward.

The black-and-white Primordial Sword took form within his grasp.

"I bear the title of 'Sword Immortal,' and I am a genius cultivating the sword dao, with the determination to become an immortal and an ancestor.

If you acknowledge me as your master, I shall not disgrace your origins."

Understanding Su Ye's words, the little beast opened its small mouth and exhaled a breath toward his right hand.

A spatial gate opened, revealing mountains and rivers within, suitable for a spiritual beast to inhabit.

The Ten Directions Dream Realm quietly dissipated.

Su Ye walked up to the little beast, extended his right hand, lifted it from the ground to eye level, and spoke softly:

"You and I met because of the sword, and connected through intent... From this day forward, your name shall be 'Shuihuan'."

Lin Taixuan thought to himself:

"These two things... seem to have no connection whatsoever."

Yet the little beast was exceedingly delighted.

Its emerald-green body instantly transformed into a lustrous sapphire blue.

Twin horns sprouted upon its brow, and scales began to manifest.

The Daoists secretly marveled at the sight.

Recalling the silent Kuidou, Lin Taixuan descended to Su Ye's side to observe the spiritual pet he had subdued.

The little beast feigned a friendly approach, then suddenly snapped its jaws toward Lin Taixuan's ankle.

Lin Taixuan withdrew his foot with agility, laughing involuntarily:

"This little fellow holds quite a grudge."