Chapter 2745 - The Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will

The good fortune Sword Monarch Mu Qing spoke of was left here during the Devastation, in a place known as the Mountain of Bitter Rains.

It was an ordinary mountain in a mundane nation. It had no spirituality, nor any kind of baleful miasma.

Not long ago, Mu Qing led his martial nephew, Yu Guangjun, to search the Mountain of Bitter Rains, but they didn’t discover anything.

But according to the secrets Mu Qing had access to, that incomparable stroke of good fortune really was someone on the Mountain of Bitter Rains.

Mu Qing found it difficult to understand how it had escaped detection thus far. In the end, all he could conclude was that the time was not yet ripe, and that the unparalleled good fortune they sought had yet to truly enter the world.

Su Yi couldn’t help but be curious. “If it’s just an ordinary mountain, why not simply cut it open or take the whole mountain with you?”

Mu Qing laughed bitterly and shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to, but that I dare not try it.”

Su Yi raised an eyebrow. “You dare not try it?”

Mu Qing didn’t keep him in suspense. He said directly, “There’s a run-down stone stele at the foot of the Mountain of Bitter Rains. It's carved with an Edict from the Devastation called ‘Divine Hunt.’”

“Divine Hunt? What does that mean?” Su Yi asked.

The question left Mu Qing stunned. Yang Lingxiao couldn’t help but take a glance at Su Yi, too. His expression was a bit strange.

Pu Xuan transmitted at top speed, “The Divine Hunt Edict is one of the nine most taboo Edicts on the River of Destiny. It has existed since the Primordial Era, and it survived the Devastation. It still exists to this day.

“The nine Edicts each have their own mysteries, and they each represent one of the Eternal Heavens Domain’s Laws of Heaven’s Will.

“The Divine Hunt Edict represents hunting and killing living beings. Anyone who dares defy it will be seen as the prey of the Will of the Heavens and destroyed.

“Rumor has it that while Heavenly Sovereigns can oppose the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will, even they must pay the corresponding price.

“Wherever the Divine Hunt Edict appears in the Eternal Heavens Domain is considered a forbidden zone. None dares to venture near without good cause,” explained Pu Xuan.

The Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will were manifestations of Laws of the Will of the Heavens, but no one knew their precise origins or what secrets they hid.

An Edict was a command or warning. For the most part, cultivators saw them as ways of imposing their will on the world, much like talismans.

But the Nine Edicts of Heaven’s Will were obviously different, for they were manifestations of the Eternal Heavens Domain’s Will of the Heavens!

Su Yi finally understood.

The Mountain of Bitter Rains was perfectly ordinary, and it was located within the borders of a mundane nation. It had no spirituality to speak of, yet a stele carved with the Divine Hunt Edict stood at its base. This was unquestionably unbelievable

As for the strange looks on Mu Qing and Yang Lingxiao’s faces? Su Yi didn’t mind a bit. He really was new to the Eternal Heavens Domain. There was no shame in ignorance.

Su Yi went on to ask several more questions. Only then did he learn that the unparalleled good fortune left here during the Devastation had something to do with a sword, a ferocious weapon that had revealed its unparalleled sharpness during the battle at the end of the Devastation!

Su Yi was a sword cultivator, so this naturally piqued his interest.

The Eternal Heavens Domain’s history was divided into three ages: the Primordial Era, the Devastation, and the New Beginning.

When the Primordial Era came to a close, a grand battle broke out, destroying and rewriting the old world order.

𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

The same happened at the tail end of the Devastation.

The end of the Devastation then brought on the Age of the New Beginning, which had lasted for one million years now.

What sword cultivator

wouldn’t

have been curious about a sword from the Devastation, especially one from the battle that had brought about its end?

“Fellow Daoist Su, if you’re willing, you’re welcome to join us on our trip to the Mountain of Bitter Rains,” said Sword Monarch Mu Qing.

Su Yi pondered briefly, then accepted Mu Qing's invitation. He’d planned to explore the Blue Peak Continent with Pu Xuan anyway. It would naturally be best if he could see the stele carved with the Divine Hunt Edict and that unparalleled good fortune involving a sword while he was at it.

He and Mu Qing agreed to set off in three days' time.

When the banquet ended, Su Yi accepted a generous gift from the Great Qin Empire’s imperial family. It included ten thousand pieces of Eternal Essence Gold, as well as all manner of divine medicines and materials.

In the end, Su Yi only accepted the Eternal Essence Gold. He returned the treasure, but made a different request: he wanted to copy all of the books in the imperial family’s collection. They could leave out books relating to their secrets and legacies, but he wanted everything else, no matter what it was about.

The imperial family straightforwardly agreed.

“What do you want all those books for?” asked Pu Xuan, a bit confused.

Su Yi’s response was simple. Reading ten thousand books was like walking ten thousand miles. When you went somewhere, you had to understand its history and current situation.

Pu Xuan didn’t personally feel the need, but he didn’t object. Reading was naturally beneficial.

......

Three days later, a treasure ship carried Su Yi, Pu Xuan, Mu Jing, Yu Guangjun, and Yang Lingxiao away from the imperial city and into the sky.

Qin Cangtu and Qin Suqing watched from the city walls as the ship soared away. A long time passed before they retracted their gazes.

“Sometimes, misfortune is a blessing in disguise. Suqing, you’re blessed by fate. I’ll have nothing to worry about if I entrust the Great Qin Empire to you,” Qin Cangtu said with a laugh.

But Qin Suqing sighed. “I just wonder if I’ll ever see them again.”

Qin Cangtu said warmly, “Our karmic connection has already been established. I’m sure it’ll carry into the future.”

Qin Suqing smiled and nodded. She believed it, too.

Suddenly, an old man in black robes dashed over to deliver a report. “Your Majesty, several of the factions that fled the imperial capital a few days ago have sent messengers. They request to return, and they’ve promised us generous compensation.”

Not long ago, many of the factions based in the imperial capital had thought poorly of the imperial family and the empire’s hope of survival. Practically all of them had packed up their belongings and evacuated.

“Hmph! They sure are well-informed!” Qin Cangtu said with a cold laugh. He looked at his daughter. “Tell me, lass. If you were the emperor, how would you handle this?”

“I’d forgive them and welcome them back with open arms,” said Qin Suqing.

Qin Cangtu was stunned. “Why?”

Qin Suqing grinned. “They said they’d compensate us, didn’t they? They’re like pigs knocking on our doors begging to be slaughtered. Why not seize the opportunity?”

Qin Cangtu threw back his head and laughed uproariously. “Well said!”

Soon, another servant came to deliver a report. “Your Majesty, Sky Profound Court sent an emissary. He wishes to see you.”

Qin Cangtu’s gaze frosted over. “Turn him away!”

Sky Profound Court had been the Great Qin Empire’s backer. Who’d have thought they’d abandon them in their time of need for fear of offending the continent’s other three top factions?

When Sky Profound Court learned what had happened outside the city, they were overcome with regret, and they wanted to go back to their former relationship.

But how could anything in this world possibly be so easy?”

“Father, are we really going to have a complete falling out with Sky Profound Court?” asked Qin Suqing.

Qin Cangtu nodded. “Lass, that things ended so well for us is entirely thanks to Fellow Daoist Su. Now, we’ve got True Martial Sword Court behind us. Tell me, what should the empire do to avoid letting Fellow Daoist Su down? How can we be worthy of True Martial Sword Court’s name?”

Qin Suqing wracked her brains, but before she could answer, Qin Cangtu said, “The wealthy and powerful attract criticism, just as a tall tree bears the brunt of the wind. The Great Qin Empire needn’t strive to become the top faction of the Blue Peak Continent, but we must ensure that Sky Profound Court, Bluebird Palace, Fire Dragon Temple, and the Yu Family understand that here on the Blue Peak Continent, not just anyone can afford to offend us!”

The majesty of a ruler was on full display.

But then, he laughed. “Would you believe me if I said that turning away Sky Profound Court’s emissary won’t anger them, and that on the contrary, it will fill their hearts with terror and leave them desperate to resolve this, even if it means burning money?”

Qin Suqing’s eyes lit up. “I’d believe it!”

Qin Cangtu continued, “Then would you believe that the other three top factions will also open up a vein and lower their heads in a bid for peace?”

He’d only just said this when someone rushed over to announce that Bluebird Palace, Fire Dragon Temple, and the Yu Family had each sent a representative for an audience.

Qin Cangtu ignored them, then gazed in the direction Su Yi had vanished in. He murmured, “He fought alone outside the walls and transformed the entire continent’s balance of power. This... is true prestige! Others cannot imitate him. They can only long to match him.”

Qin Suqing’s heart churned with emotion. She nodded.

Her father didn’t say outright who he was talking about, but she understood.

......

The treasure ship was outfitted with pavilions, gazebos, and courtyards, like an emperor’s travelling palace.

Inside one of the pavilions, Yang Lingxiao looked utterly bewildered.

Su Yi sat beside him in a wicker chair, using his divine sense to read a jade slip.

A mountain of jade slips lay in a pile beside him, all of them copies of the Great Qin Empire’s various tomes and records.

Given Su Yi’s cultivation, he could do more than just read multiple lines at a glance. When he spread his divine sense, he could read an entire book in the blink of an eye.

He’d even divided his attention, conversing with Yang Lingxiao as he read. He was asking his captive questions about the Heart-Tempering Sword House.

But that was what confused Yang Lingxiao.

At first, he’d assumed that Su Yi was after the sect’s secrets, and he was totally on guard, ready to die rather than submit.

Who’d have thought that all Su Yi wanted was either trivial or public knowledge?

For instance, he asked how many people were in the sect, about their cultivation bases, about how the sect was divided, and about its legacies, how many they had, and what they were called, etcetera.

His questions were all over the place, but all of this information was publicly available. Ask around, and you’d quickly find answers.

Because none of this information was secret, Yang Lingxiao no longer had any interest in “dying before betraying his sect.” He answered all of Su Yi’s questions, one by one.

But this was what he found so confusing. It was indescribably frustrating, too.

This guy spared my life just to ask me trivial questions like these? Seriously? I’m an inner sect disciple of the Heart-Tempering Sword House! He thinks far too little of me!

Suddenly, Su Yi asked, “Does the Malevolent Sword Venerate still call himself Jiang Wuchen?”

This time, his question provoked Yang Lingxiao, who shouted, “What ‘Malevolent Sword Venerate?’ That title is the greatest possible insult to our founder!”