Fragments of the Past

In the tea room, smoke curled upward. By the faint lamplight, Li Jiusheng and Li Qingshan sat facing each other, discussing Emperor Wu of Zhou.

"Since he was his only friend, why did he still kill him?" Li Jiusheng asked in confusion. Had Emperor Wu of Zhou not considered the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land a friend?

"This piece of history was rarely mentioned after Emperor Wu of Zhou became an Ancestor. After several centuries, it had been buried beneath the dust of history. I only learned the reasons after asking many seniors." Li Qingshan raised his teacup, drained it in one gulp, and spoke.

Li Jiusheng refilled his tea and continued listening.

"When Emperor Wu of Zhou was young, he swept aside every opponent he encountered. The only one he could not defeat was the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. Whenever he improved, he would seek him out, but the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land improved as well. Neither side could determine a winner."

"Emperor Wu of Zhou cultivated his body through martial arts, comprehended Daoist magic, and used his primordial spirit to grasp Buddhist teachings. The three paths merged into one, making him overwhelmingly invincible."

"The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land followed the pure Sword Dao. His swordsmanship had already reached the divine. He spoke little and had few friends. No one knew his name, and because his swordsmanship was divine, neither the young nor old generations of the Old Land could compare to him. That was why he gained this title: the strongest Sword God in the Old Land for a thousand years."

"When Emperor Wu of Zhou was young, he acted without restraint and killed many talented youths, drawing the dissatisfaction of countless older masters. Once, an old man infinitely close to the Ancestor Realm intercepted and tried to kill Emperor Wu of Zhou. At the critical moment, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land arrived and joined Emperor Wu of Zhou in fighting the enemy. Only then did they force back that formidable foe and buy Emperor Wu of Zhou some time."

Li Qingshan recounted the tale in detail.

"He had saved his life, yet Emperor Wu of Zhou still killed the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land afterward? Was he not afraid of the world's scorn?" Li Jiusheng frowned, unable to understand.

Li Qingshan sneered. "When had Emperor Wu of Zhou ever cared about the world's scorn?"

Li Jiusheng nodded. That was true. Emperor Wu of Zhou simply did not care about his reputation. "What happened next?"

"Afterward, Emperor Wu of Zhou hid away and cultivated in seclusion, no longer showing himself. Meanwhile, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land encountered a Fox Woman from the Outer Domain. One human and one demon quickly fell in love, and within a few years, they decided to marry."

"They invited no one else to their wedding, only Emperor Wu of Zhou."

"But no one expected that, on the day of the wedding, Emperor Wu of Zhou would arrive with ten Supreme Elders from the major Daoist sects. He claimed that someone from the Old Land could not marry a demon from the Outer Domain, that it violated the heavenly way, and urged the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land to abandon the marriage." Li Qingshan said.

Li Jiusheng frowned, deeply contemptuous of Emperor Wu of Zhou's character. "He brought ten Supreme Elders to make trouble on someone's wedding day, and he called himself a good friend?"

"Besides, why could someone from the Old Land not marry someone from the Outer Domain?" Li Jiusheng asked curiously.

Li Qingshan explained, "Senior Brother, you do not know this. Cultivators in the Old Land were naturally distrustful of the major powers and races of the Outer Domain. The Fox Woman came from the Outer Domain and had offended the major Daoist sects, so they united against her. The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land insisted on staying with her, angering the older generation. They wanted to capture the Fox Woman and interrogate her. To protect her, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land fought a great battle against them."

"That battle was exceptionally brutal. It spread across a vast area, and all the top experts watched. In the end, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land slew the ten Supreme Elders of the major Daoist sects. His swordsmanship was dazzling beyond measure. At the final critical moment, Emperor Wu of Zhou forcefully broke through into the Ancestor Realm and only then killed the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land." Li Qingshan said.

"So Emperor Wu of Zhou broke through to the Ancestor Realm at that time." Li Jiusheng said.

"Yes. After that, Emperor Wu of Zhou changed completely. He withdrew from the world and cultivated peacefully within the Luochuan Sect. Everyone said that he had become more composed after entering the Ancestor Realm, but only those who knew the truth understood that Emperor Wu of Zhou had not become composed. He had suffered grievous injuries in his battle against the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. The moment he entered the Ancestor Realm, his Ancestor foundation was cut down. He could no longer act arrogantly and tyrannically, and could only recuperate in seclusion."

"After recuperating for two hundred years, Emperor Wu of Zhou emerged once more and forcefully killed the peerless immortal of our Shangqing Palace, attempting to declare that his injuries had healed. Yet at the final moment, Li Tianxian risked his life on a single sword strike and tore open his injuries again. His Ancestor foundation was cut down once more, leaving him no choice but to cultivate in seclusion for another hundred years." Li Qingshan said.

Li Jiusheng suddenly understood. "So that was it. Emperor Wu of Zhou rose to prominence four hundred years ago and acted tyrannically for a hundred years. His cultivation entered the Ancestor Realm, yet he was injured in his great battle with the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. While killing the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, his own Ancestor foundation was cut down. After finally spending two hundred years in seclusion and believing himself restored enough to return to the world, he encountered another peerless immortal of the Sword Dao. That immortal risked his life and cut down Emperor Wu of Zhou's Ancestor foundation once again. Those two injuries accumulated, and that was the true reason this Ancestor had remained in seclusion. Even when his disciple was killed, he did nothing."

Li Qingshan nodded. "Senior Brother has summarized it well."

Li Jiusheng took a sip of tea. "If that is the case, what are you worried about? The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land cut down Emperor Wu of Zhou's Ancestor foundation last time, and he secluded himself for two hundred years. This time, Li Tianxian cut down his Ancestor foundation, but he has only secluded himself for a hundred years. There are still another hundred years."

With a hundred years, Li Qingshan had more than enough time to cultivate to the Ancestor Realm.

Even if he could not, there was still Li Jiusheng. He had risen later yet surpassed those before him, and he would certainly achieve the Ancestor Realm.

At that time, what was there to fear from Emperor Wu of Zhou?

Li Qingshan smiled bitterly. "If everything went as smoothly as Senior Brother says, I would not need to worry."

Li Jiusheng frowned. "You mean something has changed?"

Li Qingshan nodded. "I received top-secret information. Not long ago, the Luochuan Sect traded away its sect's inherited treasure, the Dragon Boat, in exchange for a great medicine of Ancestor grade. That medicine came from the Yishan Clan. Although that clan was not strong in battle, its medical arts were astonishing. The Luochuan Sect clearly did this to heal their Ancestor, Emperor Wu of Zhou!"

Li Jiusheng's expression darkened. "So this is your concern. Emperor Wu of Zhou has obtained a great medicine of Ancestor grade and may recover at any time. Once he leaves seclusion, with his vengeful nature, he will certainly come after you."

Li Qingshan said, "When an Ancestor who has cultivated in seclusion for a hundred years emerges, he will naturally want to display his absolute strength to the world. The Shangqing Palace, with its thousand-year legacy, is the perfect target. By destroying the Shangqing Palace, Emperor Wu of Zhou can avenge his disciple and intimidate the world. The Luochuan Sect will also shine brilliantly. It could not be better."

Li Jiusheng looked displeased. Did they really think the Shangqing Palace was made of clay?

But on further thought, Zhang Wudao, merely Emperor Wu of Zhou's disciple, had already left the Shangqing Palace helpless, forcing them to push Li Qingshan forward. How much more terrifying would Emperor Wu of Zhou be in the Ancestor Realm?

No wonder Li Qingshan was so burdened with worry and pressure.

He was now the Sect Master of the Shangqing Palace, so he naturally had to take responsibility for its safety. But the opponent he faced was an Ancestor.

"Senior Brother, I heard that the Great Xia imperial capital has a Royal Academy open to Cultivators from across the world. As long as one pays a certain amount of Spirit Stones, one may enter and study. Senior Brother enjoys reading historical records and classics so much that you might as well take a look. I have already arranged a flying beast to take you there." Li Qingshan suddenly said.

Li Jiusheng looked at Li Qingshan, his brows slightly furrowed. Was he trying to send him away?

Li Jiusheng asked, "Has the situation become this dangerous?"

Li Qingshan said in a low voice, "Tomorrow, before the heroes of the world, I will inherit the position of Sect Master of the Shangqing Palace. This has long been decided. If I were Emperor Wu of Zhou, I would certainly strike on that day. Before all the heroes of the world, I would kill the new Sect Master of the Shangqing Palace, intimidate the entire Shangqing Palace, and forcefully announce its complete destruction."

Li Jiusheng's brows knitted tightly. He had not expected the situation to deteriorate to such a degree. No wonder Li Qingshan had come in the middle of the night to urge him to leave. He did not want Li Jiusheng to be dragged down and buried with him.

"This is all your speculation. It has not happened yet." Li Jiusheng comforted him, saying nothing about leaving. Li Qingshan was someone he had raised since childhood, one of only two relatives he had in this world. He would not leave so easily.

Seeing that he could not persuade Li Jiusheng, Li Qingshan said helplessly, "Senior Brother, if anything unexpected happens tomorrow, do not hesitate. Go to Birdbeast Peak immediately. There is a flying beast there that can travel three thousand li a day and carry Senior Brother away."

After saying that, Li Qingshan rose and left. His retreating figure was resolute, carrying the air of one prepared to face death.

Li Jiusheng's brows remained tightly furrowed. He had not expected the silent Luochuan Sect to be plotting in secret. Tomorrow was the ceremony for Li Qingshan to inherit the position of Sect Master. If an Ancestor truly attacked as Li Qingshan said, how could the Shangqing Palace resist?

Li Jiusheng could think of no solution.

Perhaps there would only be a sliver of hope if the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land or Li Tianxian came back to life.

"The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land... I seem to have seen him in some book long ago." A flash of inspiration struck Li Jiusheng. He immediately rose, entered the Scripture Repository Pavilion, and hurried to a bookshelf, accurately finding the book from his memories.

The Names of Old Land Sword Cultivators

This book recorded only sword immortals, all renowned sword immortals from various eras of the Old Land. Among them was the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land.

Many years ago, Li Jiusheng had merely glanced through it casually. At the time, he did not practice the sword and had no interest in such matters. But now, he flipped through it rapidly and searched carefully. Before long, he found information on the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land.

The book recorded some anecdotes from the former Sword God's life. It said that he had risen from humble beginnings, devoted himself wholeheartedly to sword practice, disliked conversation, and had never opened his heart to anyone—except one person.

Emperor Wu of Zhou!

When he first met Emperor Wu of Zhou, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land had merely regarded him as an arrogant, overbearing man. He drew his sword to teach him a lesson, only to discover that his opponent was so strong that even after giving everything he had, he could not defeat him.

Later, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land trained his swordsmanship with all his might, striving to improve himself and growing stronger step by step. Yet before he could seek out Emperor Wu of Zhou, the other man came to him first and, without a word, demanded a fight.

That battle also ended without a winner.

After that, whenever Emperor Wu of Zhou improved even slightly, he would come challenge the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. Neither could do anything to the other. Eventually, whenever he was stuck at a bottleneck, Emperor Wu of Zhou would also come to spar with the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land so they could improve together.

Over time, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land changed his opinion of Emperor Wu of Zhou. He felt that Emperor Wu of Zhou was merely somewhat overbearing by nature, but was in truth a martial arts madman unwaveringly devoted to the martial path.

Thus, the two became friends.

The book said that the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land devoted all his thoughts to the Sword Dao and cared nothing for anything else. That was why Emperor Wu of Zhou was his only friend.

Seeing this, Li Jiusheng curled his lip. His only friend had killed him in the end.

[You carefully read the book and became immersed in it, triggering fragments of the past. Would you like to view them?]

Suddenly, a notification appeared in Li Jiusheng's mind. He was greatly surprised. He had not expected to activate fragments simply by doing this.

These fragments were certainly related to the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, and Li Jiusheng was extremely curious.

"View them!" Li Jiusheng said in a deep voice.