Supreme Swordsman of the Nine Heavens

Prologue

An Immortal Master Kneels Before the Village Chief

“Mu Yu made it in the nick of time and engaged the immortal master in three hundred epic rounds! It was so intense that the world was plunged into darkness! Like judges of good and evil, Mu Yu’s two flying swords emerged in a flash. With a single strike, sand and stones whipped into the air, thunder boomed and lightning flashed! With a single strike, the clouds immediately churned, and the ground cracked. Mu Yu beat the immortal master from Raindrop Village to a pulp! Like a geyser, the immortal master’s blood mystified the sky, dying the sand scarlet…” fervently recounted the grey-haired, yet lively, Village Chief of peaceful Waterstream Village, Village Chief Bu.

The snotty brats were totally invested into the epic that Village Chief Bu was still proud of to this day.

“Whoa!” The kids had their eyes wide open as they constantly gasped in amazement.

The kids perceived immortal masters to be beings who had reached a level they could never conceive themselves reaching, but the Mu Yu Village Chief Bu spoke of was so awe-inspiring.

“Grandpa Village Chief, what’s the immortal master kneeling before you all about?” a child put his hand up and asked.

Village Chief Bu stroked his long, white beard and cleared his throat. “I’ll talk about the most important volume two of the story, ‘A Immortal master Kneels for the Village Elder’ next! As I was saying, Mu Yu, furious, punished evil with his swords, pulverising Raindrop Village’s immortal master. The immortal master knew he could not defeat Mu Yu. Nevertheless, he didn’t want to admit defeat, either. As such, he ran over to me, intending to use me against Mu Yu. Unfortunately, he miscalculated. Am I someone who fears death? Look, this scar came from the fight…”

Village Chief Bu pointed to the scar on his face and, in a proud tone, resumed, “Even though the immortal master from Raindrop Village was lightning fast, Mu Yu was faster. Mu Yu thrust his two swords through the immortal master’s shoulders. Critically injured and realising he was doomed to lose, he surrendered.”

“Grandpa Village Chief, Big Brother Mu Yu is so strong!” Admiration flitted across a girl’s face.

“I’m still not done yet! Mu Yu didn’t intend to spare him. Although the immortal master was in the wrong, am I a petty man? I told Mu Yu to spare him so that the immortal master would have the chance to turn over a new leaf. As the saying goes, everyone is born kind. All the immortal master needed to do was realise his folly and change for the better! Mu Yu agreed given that the immortal master knelt and begged for my forgiveness!”

“Did the immortal master really kneel?” Many kids asked eagerly, not convinced.

“It’s an issue of pride for an immortal master to kneel to a mortal for forgiveness. However, my sense of righteousness swayed him. He understood that, while I was only a mere mortal, I had the mind of a sage. That was how he dropped to his knees and lowered his head sincerely.

In was an unprecedented and historic moment, thus stirring the world’s views, representing the end of evil from those who stand above us. That kneel allowed us mortals to hold our heads high. Justice has always existed; justice will be served one day or another. That kneel will usher a new age for humanity…” Village Chief Bu waved a woven fan, composed and at ease.

Not a lot of people knew about what happened in the past. The story was Village Chief Bu self-composed masterpiece. In fact, he had several versions ready since it didn’t cost him anything to write.

“You’re lying. You said that immortal masters can fly through the skies and burrow through the earth, splitting mountains with a wave of their hand. Grandpa Village Chief, you’re mere a mortal, so why would an immortal master kneel for you?” A boy doubted the story.

Another girl raised her hand. “Yeah, didn’t you say that immortal masters are remarkable beings? You were even so polite when an immortal master came last time.”

Village Chief Bu, flustered, tugged his beard and explained, “It’s true. The immortal master really did kneel before me. Mu Yu isn’t any ordinary immortal master. He’s a very, very powerful immortal master. He was the one who made the immortal master kneel for me.”

“Grandpa Village Chief is bragging again.”

“Show us proof!”

Frustrated, the village chief tugged his beard. He wondered why kids were such a pain in the neck. Although he did spice up the story, the immortal master really did kneel for him! His proof was Mu Yu’s testimony. Thinking of Mu Yu, the village chief suddenly missed the former. It had been ages since Mu Yu visited home. Who knew how he was doing.

Mysterious ripples suddenly formed above Waterstream Village. An overwhelming aura dispersed across the sky. The villagers peered at the sky, questioning what happened.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Several hundred individuals emerged from the ripples. Standing in the sky, they swept their gazes over the village. They were legendary immortal masters, existences who were on a completely different level. While Village Chief Bu had no idea why so many of them stopped by his small village, he could sense trouble was brewing. The children were frightened.

An imposing middle-aged immortal master in an opulent white robe descended. He landed in the vacant space in the centre of the village, while his allies landed behind him. Every single one of them was dignified and awe-inspiring. They constantly surveyed their surroundings as if they were being cautious of something. The immortal master at the forefront asked, “Who is Village Chief Elder Bu?”

Village Chief Bu stepped forward, trembling at the thought of what so many immortal masters wanted from him. “I- I- I am. Ar-are you looking for me?”

“You’re Village Chief Elder Bu? How are you and Mu Yu related?” The middle-aged immortal master questioned with a frown.

“M- Mu Yu?” stuttered the village chief, wondering if their real target was Mu Yu. The village chief pondered if Mu Yu ran into trouble. The pressure from the immortal masters incited fear. Legs quivering, he inquired, “Mu Yu i- is an orphan I raised. He’s not here. H-How is he?”

“Elder, please help us!”

To the surprise of all the villagers, the middle-aged immortal master suddenly dropped to his knees, burying his head deep into the ground. The several hundred immortal masters behind him followed suit. “Elder, please help us!”

“Th-the immortal masters are kneeling to Grandpa Village Chief?”

“Grandpa village head hasn’t been lying to us. Immortal masters really are kneeling to him!”

Village Chief Bu’s fan and jaw hit the ground. His mind completely blanked out. The only time an immortal master knelt before him was over a dozen years ago because Mu Yu served justice. Never in his wildest imagination did he ever dream several hundred immortal masters would kneel before him.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

“Elder, only you can deal with Mu Yu’s matter. Please come with us.” The middle-aged immortal master sincerely implored.

The village chief took in a deep breath to calm himself. For some reason, he benefited purely by virtue of association to Mu Yu. He bent over and picked up the fan from the ground. Courteously, he pleaded, “All right, all right. Pl-please rise!” Although he felt he was an emperor asking his citizens to rise and stand erect for a moment, he wasn’t delusional enough to think he was a cultivator. He was aware the immortal masters could squash him without trying.

“There’s not enough time. Apologies, Elder.” The middle-aged man arrived before the village head in the blink of an eye and vanished with him. At the same time, the several hundred immortal masters kneeling there disappeared, as well, only leaving behind a group of children admiring their village chief’s greatness.

Village Chief Bu saw the landscape around him engulfed in darkness. Without the foggiest idea as to where he was being taken to, he panicked. Suddenly, the surroundings shook, and he could see light again. He discovered he arrived at a grass plain. He thought they had arrived. Howbeit, there was a scramble around him, and the middle-aged man hurriedly took up a position in front of him.

“Hehe, time for you to die old man!”

A few strange voices rang out from ahead. Village Chief Bu peeked from behind the middle-aged man’s shoulder. He wanted to see just who was bold enough to oppose several hundred immortal masters. Lo and behold, he almost ended up wetting his pants! It was the elemental demons!

Elemental demons, unsurprisingly, were a humanoid race but were different from humans. They were vicious in nature, taking a liking to fight. Elemental demons were split into five types and their appearances varied. They possessed the power of the five elements, where each type could control metal, wood, water, fire or earth. Only death awaited mortals who challenged elemental demons. The great immortal masters were the only people who could oppose them.

For millenniums, the elemental demons had always been in conflict with humans over territory. Elemental demons had basically become synonymous to evil. It eluded the village chief as to why would they have interest in a mortal who wasn’t a cultivator.

“Get them. We have to protect Village Chief Elder Bu!” commanded the middle-aged immortal master, whipping his hand to signal for the charge.

Village Chief Bu watched everything unfold without comprehended a thing. He hopelessly remained under the protection of the middle-aged immortal master. Alas, the immortal master wasn’t able to escape the encirclement with him.

At dusk, the setting sun dyed half the sky red and cast its red tones onto the Earth, illuminating the mess. The ground was no longer flat. Sharp earth spikes impaling corpses upon corpses were ubiquitous. The blood trickled and poured from their incapacitated bodies, yet they determinedly clutched their swords. Trees were strewn about. Corpses of immortal masters dangled the branches. Blood dripped from the leaves.  Bodies of water froze. Icicles poked out from their surfaces, stabbing into immortal masters’ corpses. The warm blood coursing down the icicles was not enough to nullify the bone-piercing cold. Immortal masters’ corpses fuelled the flames continuing to burn after scorching the earth, growing them until they rose to meet the sun.

The vicious flying swords betrayed their wielders, slashing through their hearts and bodies. The people who clutched the swords still had eyes filled with surprise and fear, uncertain why their swords turned against them.

The middle-aged immortal master was covered in wounds as well. He protected Village Chief Bu the entire time.

Village Chief Bu was afraid as he couldn’t believe the immortal masters were defeated. “Has this all got to do with Mu Yu?” Village Chief Bu gulped and asked.

The middle-aged immortal master nodded: “Only you can help Mu Yu now. Elder, you must survive.”

The middle-aged man’s spiritual energy suddenly erupted. Before ascending into the clouds with Village Chief Bu, the immortal master sprayed a mouthful of blood.

“Mu Yu…” Village Chief Bu murmured, wondering what happened to the kind-hearted child.

The village chief thoughts slowly drifted to several years ago. Though he had no idea who many years ago it was, he vividly remembered Mu Yu was twelve back then. Mu Yu’s story was a long one. Back then, Mu Yu was an orphan from Waterstream Village the village chief raised.

Series trailer