Chapter 2706 - Sword and Heart as One

Silver radiance suddenly appeared deep in the endless void of time and space.

Like a resplendent silver moon illuminating the emptiness.

Upon closer inspection, it was actually a silver boat helmed by a tall, thin man in red robes. A long, silver sword hung from his waist.

The little boat didn’t look fast, but it neared Su Yi and the black sheep in the blink of an eye.

The red-robed man pressed down on the hilt of his sword, stroked his jaw, and smiled at Su Yi. After looking him up and down, he stuck up his thumb. “You survived the Battle for Order. Truly impressive!”

Su Yi looked the man up and down, then said, “Those who offer unsolicited praise are always after something, so let’s hear it. What are you after?”

The red-robed man burst into laughter. “The end of the Battle for Order sent a storm sweeping across the River of Destiny. After all, over a dozen Heavenly Monarchs perished, and even several Heavenly Sovereigns lost their clones. It’s been far, far too long since such a brutal conflict arose on the River of Destiny.

“Thus, I came here to have a look at you. I wanted to see what kind of person the victor of the Battle for Order was with my own eyes.”

The red-robed man lowered his voice and said with an air of mystery, “Rest assured. I’m not here to kill you!”

Su Yi’s brow furrowed. “You’re just here for a look at me?”

The red-robed man nodded. “That’s right.”

Su Yi pointed into the distance and said calmly, “In that case, you can leave now. Keep pestering me, and I’ll take you for just another idiot here to throw his life away.”

The red-robed man froze, stunned, then burst into laughter. “I can tell that you’re on guard, but that’s fine. It’s our first meeting, after all. It’s totally understandable.”

He pondered briefly, then said, “How about this? As an expression of my sincerity, allow me to offer you some guidance.”

He whirled around, faced the endless expanse of time and space, then whispered, “The road to the River of Destiny is littered with peril, with ambushes at every turn. Not even I know just how many are lying in wait to kill you.

“But I can say with certainty that you’re in grave peril,” said the man in red, turning to face Su Yi once more. “Do you know why they’re confident enough to lie in ambush for you here?”

Before Su Yi could respond, the man in red continued, “Because they know with certainty that you’ll proceed to the River of Destiny now that you’ve won the Battle for Order. All they have to do is sit back and wait for their prey to fall into their lap!”

“That aside...” The red-robed man grinned, his smile rife with meaning. “They’re convinced that you have no helpers left!”

Su Yi understood.

He’s talking about Xiao Jian, the River Lord, Gongye Futu, and Su Wanjun.

The red-robed man continued, “I heard that you didn’t fight during the final battle. You just sat atop the Five Elements Altar while others killed your enemies for you. Might you tell me who your helpers were and where they came from?

“Don’t misunderstand: I’m really just curious. You most likely don’t know this, but on the River of Destiny, everyone at all in the know is talking about your helpers, but even now, no one knows their origins and identities. It’s just too unbelievable.”

When Su Yi saw that the man seemed like he might go on for quite some time, Su Yi interrupted him. “I’ll count to three. If you don’t leave by then, I’ll consider you my enemy!”

The red-robed man froze, then grimaced. “Is that really necessary? Do I look like I harbor ulterior motives?”

“One,” Su Yi said flatly.

The red-robed man sighed, then glanced at the black sheep in astonishment. “You’re going to the River of Destiny, so why bring a... sheep?”

The black sheep glared at him in silence.

The temperamental Miss Baa Baa Black Sheep was remaining uncharacteristically silent. She was disregarding the red-robed man completely.

“Two,” said Su Yi, the Sword of Proximity appearing in his grip.

The red-robed man rubbed his cheeks and sighed. “My good intentions have gone to waste, like radiant moonlight shining on a ditch. Fine, I’m leaving!”

He rode off on his little boat, crisp and direct. In the blink of an eye, he’d vanished.

The black sheep looked askance at Su Yi. “You know that guy was really strong, right? Not even I could see through him.”

“How strong?” asked Su Yi, a bit stunned.

The black sheep’s gaze was a bit strange. “Even I couldn’t see through him, so... he had to be in the Heavenly Fate Realm at the bare minimum, right?”

The Heavenly Fate Realm! That was a Heavenly Monarch?

Su Yi was instantly solemn.

I misjudged him!

The black sheep seemed to delight in his misfortune. She grinned. “You sure were bold just now. You actually dared to threaten a deeply hidden, terrifying expert. Tch, tch. You really are a sword cultivator. Your courage is superhuman!”

Su Yi was uncharacteristically bashful, but out loud, he said calmly, “I don’t care who he is, or how strong he is. He left, didn’t he?”

The black sheep pursed her lips. “Sword cultivators’ mouths really are as unyielding as their swords. Let me tell you: that guy was, at the very least, a Heavenly Monarch. He might have used some secret method to obscure his presence, but there’s no denying that he’s dangerous.”

“Were you afraid?” asked Su Yi.

The black sheep glared at him. “Afraid?”

“If you weren’t afraid, why didn’t you dare to say anything earlier?” asked Su Yi.

The black sheep instantly lost her temper. She felt the urge to give Su Yi a good thwacking, but in the end, she held back. All she said was, “Whatever you do, don’t ask me for any help on the road ahead!”

The red-robed man had told them that countless people were lying in wait on the road ahead, just for Su Yi!

Su Yi smiled. “You’re travelling with me. Even if you don’t attack, our enemies will see you as my companion. That is, unless we part ways now!”

As he spoke, he continued on his way.

The black sheep froze, stunned, before hurriedly catching up to him. “Let’s see if you’re still this stubborn when your enemies are cutting you to ribbons!”

Su Yi took out a jug of wine, had a drink, and sighed. “You know, I’ve been wondering something. How could a girl with a voice as pretty as yours... be a sheep?”

The black sheep smacked him with her hooves.

At least, she tried to. Su Yi was on guard, so he managed to dodge. He said with the utmost seriousness, “Don’t be angry. I’m absolutely certain that you were the prettiest ewe in your herd!”

This time, she managed to send him flying with a kick.

But he just laughed, not the least bit angry, and brushed off his clothes. “I never used to joke like this, you know. You have no idea how lucky you are.”

A bewildered look appeared on his face. He’d discovered that his mentality had changed since stepping into Eternity.

His heart was clearer, purer, and livelier, and more childlike. It was quite wondrous and strange.

Su Yi suddenly sank into thought.

The black sheep hadn’t planned to let him off so easily, but just as she was about to kick him, she saw him sink into thought. In the end, she refrained, instead looking at him strangely.

He really has changed a bit!

Su Yi, meanwhile, thought to himself,

I wiped the dust off the mirror of my heart, leaving behind my true nature and childlike sincerity. It’s like I’ve returned to my roots.

He suddenly recalled something his first incarnation’s heart devil had mentioned in passing in one of their conversations. “A childlike heart, a supreme Dao, and unity of one’s words and actions are the bridge to the Far Shore of Destiny!”

The heart devil said that a Heart Soul was like a lamp. It could illuminate his way ahead, preventing him from losing himself in the current of the River of Destiny.

With it, he could one day reach its Far Shore.

It was then that Su Yi first realized how wondrous a Heart Soul really was.

But he’d overlooked the most important part: “A childlike heart, a supreme Dao.”

It was easy to understand what a “childlike heart” was. Cultivators understood it as tempering a heart free of impurities, like that of a child.

It was much like how Buddhists strove for a heart as clear as glass, how Daoists strove for a clean spirit platform, how Confucianists sought to “follow their hearts without overstepping”, and how sword cultivators sought clarity of the sword heart.

When it came to cultivating the heart, “a childlike heart” was the supreme Dao!

Now, Su Yi re-evaluated those words and sensed the changes to his heart. He instantly had a deeper understanding.

After stepping into Eternity, his heart had grown purer, like a lake illuminated by the Light of the Heart. He no longer needed to concern himself with appearances. He could just act naturally and follow his heart!

Laughter, smiles, anger, cursing, and humor were all manifestations of his personality, a reflection of his heart, but none would mislead him!

Previously, his experiences cultivating across various lifetimes had given him the ability to see through all this and to transcend the material. His heart was as unrippling as the waters of an ancient well, utterly unshakable, but this had, in turn, made him cold and lacking in liveliness and spirit.

But things were different now. He’d broken through the invisible cage around his heart, letting spring rains, summer storms, autumn winds, and winter ice create shifting and ripples where there’d once only been stillness.

This was a vitality and liveliness originating straight from the heart.

Su Yi flipped his palm, and a streak of sword qi floated forth.

It just hovered there in silence, but the sword intent emanating from it had an additional liveliness to it, as if it had a spirit and life force, or as if it might come to life at any moment!

As Su Yi’s mentality shifted, his sword qi reflected its changes. Sometimes, it was electric and murderous. Sometimes, it flowed like boundless waters. Other times, it was as explosive as a volcanic eruption...

“My sword intent is one with the Grand Dao, and the Grand Dao is one with my heart. This is called unity of the heart and sword!” Su Yi said with a laugh. Inwardly, he exclaimed,

Wonderful!

He exerted his will, and the sword qi vanished from his hand.

His understanding of secret heart power had thoroughly transformed.

The black sheep couldn’t help but ask, “What did you realize?”

“I had a few thoughts about the nature of the heart,” said Su Yi, stretching and letting out a deep breath. He smiled and added, “It was too wondrous for words.”

The sheep rolled her eyes and was just about to say something when she froze, stunned.

Su Yi wasn’t revealing any sign of his powers of the Grand Dao, but he was emanating a vibrant youthful air.

As if the vestiges of the years had been washed away.

If the heart were a lake, then the body would be like a clear stream, its waters coursing endlessly in a self-perpetuating flow.

To the black sheep, Su Yi seemed to have instantly washed off the mark of the ages, becoming joyful and unfettered, like a young man in the prime of his youth!

His energy was as vibrant as the rising sun!