A Wisp of Aura

With Li Jiusheng's agreement, a loud "boom" echoed as if his mind had been struck by lightning. His consciousness plunged into an abyss, a void of darkness where he couldn't distinguish left from right, up from down. He lost control of himself, falling endlessly.

Thump!

After falling for a while, light and shadow flickered before his eyes, flashing past too quickly for even Li Jiusheng, at the peak of his Xiantian cultivation, to see. Then, the scene froze on a single frame, and suddenly, the world opened up to him.

He found himself in a dense forest. Lush green trees blotted out the sky, and rolling mountains stretched out like dragon's spines across the vast land. At first glance, it was clear this was a wild, desolate place, inhabited only by beasts and Yaoguai.

Yet, in this wilderness, on a mountain ridge, stood a house adorned with red lanterns and festive decorations. Flocks of magpies chirped joyfully, and various Yaoguai delivered fruits, yams, lingzhi mushrooms, and immortal herbs to congratulate a newlywed couple.

This couple was the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land and his wife.

The people of the Old Land were already wary of the Outer Domain Demon Race. Furthermore, his wife had previously offended several major Daoist sects and was being hunted. After the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land saved her, he had no choice but to bring her here to live in seclusion, away from others. After some time together, they fell deeply in love and willingly became soulmates.

Today was their wedding day.

"Husband, the auspicious hour has arrived. When is your friend coming?" asked the bride, dressed in a magnificent red wedding gown.

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land looked up, his expression solemn. "He's likely delayed by something. We won't wait any longer. Let's proceed with the ceremony!"

"Okay!" The bride beamed with joy and followed her husband as they bowed to heaven and earth, their witnesses.

"First bow to the heavens!" chirped a magpie excitedly.

The young couple, holding red flowers, paid homage to the sky.

"Second bow to the earth!"

The young man and woman knelt before the earth.

"Husband and wife bow to each other!"

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land gazed deeply at his wife, about to bow.

"You may not bow!!!"

Suddenly, a furious roar echoed through the heavens and earth. The terrifying sound waves swept in all directions, startling birds and beasts into flight. The magpie shrieked and flew away, still shouting "Husband and wife bow to each other!" and "Into the bridal chamber!" before it left.

"Sword God, good and evil have always been irreconcilable. Our Old Land has been at war with the Outer Domain Demon Race for years. As a disciple of the Old Land, you have violated ancestral teachings by marrying a Fox Woman from the Outer Domain. This is unforgivable!"

"Demoness, you infiltrated the Old Land, seduced our outstanding disciples, and sowed chaos among our sects. You will surely die today!"

"Sword God, you had a brilliant future ahead of you, but you let lust cloud your judgment, disregarding the hatred between our nations. This is simply absurd!"

"Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, you will not be wed today!"

Above the dense forest, under the sun, the void tore open, and figures appeared, shouting accusations at the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land and his wife.

Li Jiusheng, an observer, couldn't help but frown. "They're a perfect match. What business is it of yours, you Yaoguai?" he muttered indignantly.

Unfortunately, this was not the present, but a frozen moment in the past. Only he could hear his own words.

The couple, in the midst of their ceremony, now faced their accusers as one.

The Fox Woman retorted, "Isn't it because I refused to become your Ningyuan Mountain Sect's beast spirit that you've been relentlessly pursuing me? And yet you speak so righteously. How hypocritical."

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's face turned ashen. "We've been living in seclusion here. How did you find us?"

"Heh, haven't you already guessed?" a white-haired Daoist sneered.

Anger burning in his eyes, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land glared around. Suddenly, he drew his sword with a resounding clang. Sword energy erupted, ravaging in all directions, tearing the void inch by inch until a section of it remained intact. All eyes turned to this spot.

"Alas, the love between human and demon is against heavenly principles. Old friend, let go of your obsession and leave with me." A sigh, filled with helplessness and heartache, echoed from within the void. A burly figure then appeared, looking at the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land with a blank expression, his eyes devoid of any friendship, only coldness.

"Pah!" The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land spat disdainfully. "I must have been blind to mistake you. None of you will escape today. All of you will die!"

Enraged to the extreme, the Sword God drew his sword and attacked, without warning yet catching them off guard. His Sword Dao was one of ultimate slaughter.

At this moment, his sword was drawn, sword energy surged, and countless streaks of sword energy swept across the land like a storm.

Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!

This single strike enveloped the ten Grand Elders and Emperor Wu of Zhou, showing them the terror of a peerless Sword God.

The ten Grand Elders immediately joined forces. Some conjured magical treasures, others unleashed their ultimate skills, while some evaded the brunt of the attack, each displaying their own abilities to assault the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land with all their might.

As for Emperor Wu of Zhou, he attacked the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's wife.

His eyes were cold and unfeeling as he unleashed his full power. The Fox Woman was battered like a lone boat in a vast ocean, on the verge of sinking at any moment.

Seeing this, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's eyes blazed with fury. He wanted to abandon the ten Grand Elders and face Emperor Wu of Zhou directly.

However, the ten Grand Elders acted with uncanny coordination, blocking the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, they even managed to land a few sneak attacks.

"You forced my hand! Today, all of you will die!" The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land roared in uncontrollable rage. His aura surged like a rainbow, rising continuously, vast and mighty like a boiling sea, breaking through the established threshold and briefly ascending to the Ancestor Realm.

Now in the Ancestor Realm, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land unleashed a single sword strike that annihilated the ten Grand Elders.

Then, he turned his gaze to Emperor Wu of Zhou.

To his surprise, Emperor Wu of Zhou's aura also surged, like churning clouds and rain, unreservedly ascending to the absolute peak, the Ancestor Realm.

Now in the Ancestor Realm, Emperor Wu of Zhou held the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's wife aloft and looked coldly at his opponent. "Come, today it's either you die or I die!"

"Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!" the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land roared, drawing his sword to strike.

This dazzling sword energy blinded Li Jiusheng, leaving him seeing nothing but white. When he finally regained his senses, he found himself back in the Scripture Repository Pavilion.

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, Emperor Wu of Zhou – none of them existed anymore.

Li Jiusheng knew he had returned to reality from that past history, but the final [Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique] still made his heart surge; it was absolutely the most powerful sword energy he had ever seen.

[You observed the past, your emotions stirred, unable to let go, and comprehended the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique.]

[Your emotional fluctuations resonated with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique, and from the boundless void, you sensed a wisp of energy.]

At this moment, two messages flowed into Li Jiusheng's mind, invigorating him. He checked the [Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique] within his primordial spirit.

This sword technique was the unique ultimate skill created by the Sword God of the Old Land a thousand years ago. His goal in learning swordsmanship from the very beginning was to cleave this very sky, so this technique pursued extreme lethality from the outset. It was similar to Li Tianxian's [Grass and Wood Sword Technique], but Li Tianxian had not comprehended the [Grass and Wood Sword Technique] to the Ancestor Realm. This technique, having been comprehended to the Ancestor Realm, was the epitome of slaughter, and for Li Jiusheng, it was very suitable.

"Once I learn this sword technique, my combat power will greatly increase, and comprehending sword energy, sword intent, aura, and sword essence will also become easier," Li Jiusheng said full of anticipation.

However, just as he was preparing to cultivate, he discovered that his comprehension had captured a wisp of energy from the void earlier.

"What is this energy?" Li Jiusheng asked, confused as he checked.

He saw this wisp of energy dissipate from Li Jiusheng's body and slowly condense into a phantom figure beside him.

Li Jiusheng watched in shock. He had seen this phantom figure before; it was precisely the Sword God of the Old Land from a thousand years ago whom he had just watched.