First Immortal of the Sword-Chapter 2195 - An Apology

Wandering Night Palace!

When he heard that the sect leader had arranged for Xiao Jian to work under Third Elder Ku Zhen, Tie Wenjing was unwittingly stunned.

For a moment, he wasn’t sure whether the sect leader had done this because he valued Xiao Jian, or because he detested him.

Who in Qingwu Divine Court didn’t know how strict the Wandering Night Palace’s discipline was? Furthermore, Wandering Night Gods frequently found themselves in sudden, unpredictable peril.

Even deacons had to lead by example and fight personally.

Simply put, this was a bitter, unpleasant position!

But from another angle, the experts of Wandering Night Palace had lofty positions and wielded vast authority. The sect leader valued them deeply.

“But that’s on the condition that you pass Elder Ku Zhen’s trial,” Liang Lingxu said from the centermost seat. “Xiao Jian, if you’re prepared, we can begin immediately.”

Su Yi inclined his head. “Very well.”

A short, thin old man promptly rose from one of the seats on the left side of the room. His cold, knifelike aura instantly locked onto Su Yi.

Su Yi furrowed his brow. The man’s aura was extremely unpleasant; it was as if a venomous snake were peering at him from the darkness.

He looked at the short old man. The old man’s hair was sparse, and his skin was so pale that it was almost translucent. His eyes were an unearthly shade of red.

It was like looking at a long-dead walking corpse.

Even the man’s aura was sinister and inscrutable, with a heart-palpitating, bloodthirstiness to it.

Tie Wenjing said at top speed, “Xiao Jian, this is Third Elder Ku Zhen of the inner court. He’s also the master of Wandering Night Palace. He’s the elder responsible for discipline and punishment within the sect.”

“Greetings, Third Elder,” Su Yi said calmly, neither proud nor humble.

Ku Zhen gazed at him, cold, unsmiling, and indifferent. “It’s been a long, long time since anyone last saw a descendant of the Torch Dragons, so I’ve got a somewhat special test in store for you.”

As he spoke, he took out a black earthen jar and snapped his fingers. The jar suddenly appeared in front of Su Yi and hovered before him.

All eyes were instantly upon it.

Tie Wenjing looked stricken. “Third Elder, we’re just confirming his identity! What need is there to use the Blood Spirit Jar?”

The Blood Spirit Jar!

This was an extremely strange and terrifying secret treasure. A naturally formed blood spirit lived within it, and it could determine the origin of any blood or qi it encountered.

More importantly, once the jar had sampled your blood and qi, it didn’t matter where you were or what you were doing. So long as Ku Zhen activated the jar, he could find you instantly.

That aside, he could use the wisp of blood and qi left in the jar to do all sorts of insidious, terrifying things!

In a sense, if your blood and qi fell under the jar’s control, it was like donning invisible shackles!

“Rest assured. So long as Xiao Jian passes my text, I’ll return that wisp of blood and qi to its rightful owner,” said Ku Zhen. His blood-red eyes shone with strange light as he looked at Su Yi. “Insert a wisp of your source blood and qi into the jar. Let me warn you first. This jar...”

But before he could finish, Su Yi flicked his finger, and a wisp of blood and qi shot directly into the Blood Spirit Jar.

Ku Zhen’s warning came to an abrupt halt.

Su Yi’s straightforwardness made many of the onlookers inwardly nod in approval.

Boom!

Immediately afterward, the jar quivered, and a high-pitched, exultant voice emanated from inside it.

“My heavens!! What a pure Torch Dragon bloodline! This is unquestionably the most supreme bloodline source power of the Torch Dragon Race! One of the mightiest bloodlines in the world!!

“This is no mere descendant of the Torch Dragons. Could he... be the child of the Torch Dragon Progenitor?”

The voice was full of excitement and astonishment. It resounded throughout the hall, triggering a burst of uproar. Many of the higher-ups were visibly shocked.

A Torch Dragon bloodline was incomparably rare to begin with. This bloodline had all but vanished from the God Domain.

Yet now, Xiao Jian’s bloodline was pure enough to excite the blood spirit in the earthen jar. It was immediately obvious to the elders that it was extraordinary!

Liang Lingxu looked gratified.

Tie Wenjing, meanwhile, sighed in relief. He was the one who’d brought Xiao Jian here. If Xiao Jian got rejected, it would reflect badly on him, too.

“Are you pleased now, Third Elder?” asked Tie Wenjing, a bit displeased.

Third Elder Ku Zhen’s face was as icy as ever. He casually put the earthenware jar away and said, “Don’t be in such a rush. That was but the first step of this trial.”

“What else do you want?” said Tie Wenjing, a bit startled.

“To test his cultivation and Laws of the Divine Dao,” Ku Zhen said expressionlessly.

With that, he brought out a fist-sized blue pearl.

The Heavenly Spirit Dao Pearl!

Tie Wenjing frowned. This treasure’s function was quite simple. It could perceive someone’s true cultivation base, as well as the origin of their Laws of the Divine Dao.

Touching it would reveal all disguises and falsehoods.

Tie Wenjing found this choice of tests incomparably strange and confusing. “Earlier, at the Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly, I confirmed that Xiao Jian is truly in the mid-stage Creation Realm. Don’t you think this is extraneous, Third Elder?”

“Extraneous?” Ku Zhen said coldly. “If there turn out to be problems with Xiao Jian’s identity, who will take responsibility? You?”

Tie Wenjing’s expression was unsightly.

“Elder Ku Zhen’s decision is perfectly understandable,” said a man with white hair but seemingly youthful features.

He swept his gaze around the room before focusing on Su Yi. “It hasn’t been long since the criminal Su Yi infiltrated the Southern Flame Divine Province. There’s been no word of him since, and no one knows his current whereabouts.

“He’s incredibly capable and crafty, and he’s in possession of all manner of unbelievable secret arts and Daoist magics. If he wanted to disguise himself and adopt a new identity, I’m afraid he could catch even Master Gods off guard.”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “Do you suspect that I’m Su Yi?”

The gathered higher-ups could tell that Xiao Jian was starting to feel a bit displeased.

Tie Wenjing said hurriedly, “Xiao Jian, this is our sect’s grand elder. You mustn’t forget your manners.”

This was Grand Elder Wei Zhong, a Two-Tribulation Master God!

Su Yi said calmly, “I am not yet a member of Qingwu Divine Court, but even if I were, how could I not be angry after being interrogated like this?”

The crowd was startled. This descendant of the Torch Dragons is quite gutsy!

The seemingly youthful Wei Zhong smiled, not at all concerned. “Don’t misunderstand, my young friend. We’re simply taking precautions just in case. Please try to understand.”

The others nodded. They could understand Su Yi’s attitude too, and they actually rather admired it. What unparalleled figure didn’t have a bit of a temper?

That was especially true for someone like Xiao Jian. He was a descendant of the Torch Dragons. He had a heaven-defying bloodline, and he’d put on an outstanding performance at the Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly. It would be stranger if he didn’t have a temper.

If someone didn’t have any fire in them, it made it easy for others to look down on them.

“Very well. I’ll accept this test, but first, let me ask you this. Just how many of these trials are there?” Su Yi looked at Third Elder Ku Zhen.

Ku Zhen said expressionlessly, “Once I’ve confirmed your cultivation base and source powers of the Grand Dao, I’ll need to check your natural treasure and soul power.”

Su Yi instantly fell silent.

The crowd assumed that he was displeased and opposed to the idea.

Tie Wenjing growled, “Third Elder, why are you treating Xiao Jian like an accused spy? It’s... it’s too much!”

Ku Zhen remained as cold and stern as ever. “Only the guilty have reason to fear such a test.”

The crowd instantly fell silent. Even Sect Leader Liang Lingxu watched in silence and said nothing.

But his silence was a form of tacit agreement.

“I can accept this test,” Su Yi said suddenly. “But once I’ve proved that there’s no problem with my identity, you must apologize to me!”

The crowd was gobsmacked. How could Xiao Jian even think of making Ku Zhen apologize? Doesn’t he know how brutal the Cold-Blooded Butcher is?

“Very well.” This time, Sect Leader Liang Lingxu spoke up. “I can tell that you’re angry, my young friend. After all, this impinges on both your dignity and your privacy. I understand your displeasure.”

Ku Zhen furrowed his brow and said nothing.

But Su Yi said, “Let’s begin.”

With that, he raised his hand and pressed it on the Heavenly Spirit Pearl.

The crowd saw it all. There was nothing wrong with Su Yi’s cultivation base. He was indeed in the mid-stage Creation Realm.

There was nothing wrong with his Laws of the Grand Dao, either. Moreover, he’d condensed a first-level Godhead.

When the crowd saw this, their expressions mellowed considerably. Tie Wenjing sighed in relief, too.

Next, Ku Zhen used a different secret treasure to check Su Yi’s soul. There was nothing amiss there, either.

“Your natal treasure?” asked Ku Zhen.

Su Yi said calmly. “Have you ever seen a cultivator who proved his Dao with his fleshly body refine an external item as his natal treasure?”

His voice was barbed with mockery.

Many of the others in the room couldn’t help but chuckle, too. It was just as Su Yi said. Those who proved their Daos with their flesh used their bodies as their natal treasures. Refining an additional object was completely extraneous.

The way the crowd saw it, Su Yi was a descendant of the Torch Dragons. His blood and qi were supremely powerful. What need did someone like him have for a weapon?

Ku Zhen’s face stiffened. He seemed a bit uncomfortable.

But he obviously wasn’t willing to just give up. His strange, blood-red eyes gazed intently at Su Yi, as if trying to peer into his heart and uncover all of his secrets.

Su Yi just stood there calmly and met his gaze head-on, making no effort to avoid it.

However, murderous intent was brewing deep within his heart.

“Enough. Step aside, Third Elder.” Sect Leader Liang Lingxu waved.

Ku Zhen fell briefly silent, but in the end, he turned around and left.

“Xiao Jian, you’ve passed our trial. From this day forth, you are a member of Qingwu Divine Court and a deacon of Wandering Night Palace. You are currently ranked sixth,” announced Liang Lingxu. “As your cultivation advances and you contribute to the sect, your compensation and benefits shall improve.

“When you leave this room, Ninth Elder Tie Wenjing will bring you to receive an allotment of resources and arrange an immortal cave for you.”

“Understood!” Tie Wenjing said hurriedly.

“Congratulations, Deacon Xiao!” Several of the higher-ups said with a smile.

Others reacted more coolly. Some paid him no heed at all.

Su Yi wasn’t the least bit happy about any of this. He was just exhausted. Putting on a show is so tiring...

But before he left, there was one last thing he had to do.

He looked at Ku Zhen and said, “Third Elder, you owe me an apology.”

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺