Return to Penglai, Four Realms of Sword Dao

After Li Yi left, cultivators soon discovered the giant ice bodies that had frozen Venerable Blazing Fire and the others. Although it caused a slight stir, most cultivators were still immersed in the shock of the Venerables and paid relatively little attention to this matter.

Gazing at the beautiful and magnificent immortal island before him, with grass growing and orioles flying, springs gurgling, and various creatures playing freely on the island, it was like a fairyland compared to the constant strife on the Primordial Continent.

It had been over 3,000 years since he left the island. Apart from the birth of more spirit herbs and plants, nothing much had changed. Standing on the island, Li Yi felt an inexplicable sense of peace. It seemed he had truly come to regard Penglai Island as his home.

"Green Flood Dragon, come out," Li Yi transmitted his voice.

"Roar, Master, you've finally returned to the island," a hundred-zhang green shadow flew out from the center of the island, causing a commotion among the spirit herbs and plants.

"Green Flood Dragon, you're mid-stage Mystic Immortal now. It seems you haven't been slacking off," Li Yi said happily, looking at the mist-shrouded Green Flood Dragon. After all, the Green Flood Dragon was the first creature to follow him, so the higher its cultivation, the better.

"Master, you didn't take any mounts on the Primordial Continent, did you?" it said, glancing slyly behind Li Yi. Seeing no other spirit beasts, it breathed a long sigh of relief.

"You're asking for a beating! Master said he wouldn't take any, and he wouldn't," Li Yi thought, amused that this fellow was still afraid someone would take its place.

After returning to Penglai Island, Li Yi prepared to cultivate in seclusion. Now, neither fighting and slaughtering nor traveling the Primordial Continent could significantly aid his cultivation; any effect would be extremely limited. The most important thing now was to dissect the Dao of the Sword, refine the essence, and elevate it.

Thus, Li Yi stayed on Penglai Island, detached from worldly affairs, quietly recalling his 3,000 years of slaughter and travel, constantly reflecting on himself, thinking about what he had done right, what he had done wrong, what he should have done, and what he should not have done.

He continuously sought the root of the matter, constantly whipped his inner self, dispelling all complex thoughts, purifying his mind step by step, and making the artistic conception of the Dao of the Sword more pure.

Over these years, Li Yi's aura, honed by countless slaughters, grew fainter and fainter until it finally disappeared completely. His Power of Slaughter also became gentle, unlike before when, even though it was restrained, it was inherently heavy with the aura of death and brimming with killing intent.

Now, the Power of Slaughter had returned to its original simplicity, existing as a most pure force. Its power had not diminished but increased, and the burden on his body had greatly reduced.

Li Yi had always been clear about his cultivation path: to break through Nirvana with the Dao of the Sword, to evolve Reincarnation with the Dao of the Sword, to enter the Dao through the sword, and to focus on the Dao of the Sword. Everything else was a mere branch.

After years of analysis, Li Yi redefined the Dao of the Sword into four realms:

The first realm, Nirvana Sword Dao, corresponds to the Golden Immortal stage. When the Slaughter Sword Dao reaches great perfection, yin gives birth to yang, and upon comprehending the power of life and achieving a balance between life and death, one reaches the Nirvana Sword Dao realm.

The second realm, Reincarnation Sword Dao, corresponds to the Grand Unity Golden Immortal stage, where the concepts of life and death can be transformed at will, with virtual and real giving birth to each other, and cause and effect cycling.

The third realm: Rule Sword Dao

The fourth realm: Law Sword Dao

Currently, Li Yi only had a clear concept of the first and second realms of the Dao of the Sword. For the Rule Sword Dao and Law Sword Dao, he only knew the general direction, and they were still quite vague.

As Li Yi continuously comprehended the Dao of the Sword, days turned into days. Compared to his previous life of constant slaughter, Li Yi's life during this period was exceptionally peaceful.

Unknowingly, another hundred thousand years passed. During these years, Li Yi occasionally lectured on the island. Every time Li Yi lectured, besides the Green Flood Dragon, many spirit herbs and plants came to listen.

At first, the spirit herbs and plants were somewhat fearful, but as time passed, they realized Li Yi was actually quite peaceful. Now, there were often spirits like lotus root sprouts and ginseng babies playing around Li Yi.

Li Yi was also quite fond of these spirit herbs and plants because they were pure and carefree. Every time he watched them play, Li Yi felt a warmth and peace in his heart.

While Li Yi was cultivating the Dao of the Sword in seclusion on Penglai Island, the atmosphere on the Primordial Continent, after more than a hundred thousand years, had become strange again. Many Grand Unity Golden Immortals had been stuck at the Grand Unity realm for years, unable to advance. They needed more favor from heaven and earth, to gather stronger heavenly trends, and to break through by borrowing power.

Moreover, over these hundreds of thousands of years, the Fierce Beasts had become increasingly violent, their eyes glowing faintly red.

Various factions were making arrangements and plans. Only the Three Clans Alliance of Dragon, Phoenix, and Qilin unexpectedly began to shrink their influence, moving towards the seaside, volcanoes, and deep mountains.

All these anomalies indicated that this would be an incomparably terrifying great tribulation.

Buzhou Mountain, in a mysterious cave dwelling, for the first time in many years, the Main Body stood up. Its silver-white eyes appeared even more profound. Rule runes flashed across its body from time to time. Its once vast and majestic aura was completely contained, and the Main Body seemed to have merged with heaven and earth, without the slightest sense of presence.

The Main Body approached the twelve blood cocoons. White light flashed in its eyes, and twelve beams of white light shot out, entering the blood cocoons. With a casual wave of its hand, dense restrictions covered the entire cave.

After doing this, the Main Body pointed at the space before it. The space rippled, slowly forming a void. The Main Body stepped in and disappeared, and the space gradually returned to its calm state.

Kunlun Mountain, Daoist Hongjun gazed quietly at the sky and murmured, "The great tribulation is coming. It's time to leave the mountain." With that, he transformed into a stream of light and flew away.

On an ordinary mountain peak on the Primordial Continent, an old man with a willow branch stuck in his hair, his dim eyes flashing with a hint of brilliance, said, "It is time." He then disappeared.

In the western part of the Primordial Continent, in the center of the mysterious Demon Domain, within a dark great hall, a black-haired man with an aura as deep as an abyss sat on a throne. His face was obscured by a layer of darkness. "Hahaha... My era is about to begin. Then all beings in the Primordial Continent will prostrate themselves at my feet!" the black-haired man laughed wildly.

Penglai Island, Li Yi's comprehension of the Dao of the Sword deepened. His previous six sword stances had been completely discarded by Li Yi. As he quietly comprehended the Dao of the Sword, a black lotus quietly appeared behind him. This lotus was very different from before; it was only a hundred zhang in size, with twelve branches, and was even more purely black.

Now, with a casual point of Li Yi's finger, a black lotus would appear in the air. With every step he took, a black lotus would materialize under his feet. The Dao and his body were one.