A Wisp of Aura

As Li Jiusheng agreed, his mind suddenly roared as if struck by lightning. His consciousness seemed to plunge into an abyss, swallowed by darkness. He could not tell left from right or see above from below, nor could he control himself as he kept falling.

Thud!

Only after falling for some time did flickering lights and shadows appear before him, flashing past in rapid succession. Even with Li Jiusheng's peak Innate cultivation, he could not see them clearly. Then, one scene froze in place, and the world suddenly opened itself to him.

This was a dense mountain forest. Lush treetops blocked out the sky, while rolling mountain ranges stretched across the endless land like dragon spines. One glance was enough to tell that this was a savage wilderness, inhabited only by wild beasts and Demonic Beasts.

Yet on a mountain ridge in this savage land stood a house decorated with red knots and lanterns. The surroundings brimmed with festivity. Flocks of magpies chirped noisily, while all kinds of Demonic Beasts brought fruit, yams, ganoderma, and immortal herbs to congratulate the newlyweds.

The newlyweds were the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land and his wife.

The people of the Old Land had always been wary of the Demon Race from the Outer Domain. Moreover, his wife had previously offended several major Dao sects and had been hunted everywhere. After the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land rescued her, he had no choice but to bring her here to live in seclusion, away from all contact with others. After living together for some time, they fell in love and willingly became Dao companions.

Today was their wedding day.

"Husband, the auspicious hour has arrived. When will that friend of yours come?" the bride, dressed in brilliant red wedding robes, asked.

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land raised his head, his expression steady. "He was probably delayed by something. We will not wait any longer. Let us bow and marry!"

"Alright!" The bride's face overflowed with joy as she joined her husband in taking Heaven and Earth as their witnesses and kneeling to worship them.

"First bow to the heavens!" a myna cried happily.

The young couple held red flowers and paid homage to the heavens.

"Second bow to the earth!"

The young man and young woman knelt and worshipped the earth.

"Husband and wife bow to each other!"

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land gazed lovingly at his wife and was about to bow.

"You shall not bow!!!"

Suddenly, a furious shout resounded through heaven and earth. Terrifying sound waves swept in every direction, scattering the birds and beasts. The myna shrieked and flew away, still crying, "Husband and wife bow to each other!" and "Enter the bridal chamber!"

"Sword God, since ancient times, righteousness and evil have never coexisted! The Old Land has fought the Demon Race of the Outer Domain for countless years. As a son of the Old Land, you have defied your ancestors' teachings by marrying a Fox Woman from the Outer Domain. This is unforgivable!"

"Demoness, you infiltrated the Old Land, seduced one of our outstanding disciples, and brought disaster upon the sects of the Old Land. Today, you will certainly die!"

"Sword God, you once had a bright future, yet you let lust cloud your judgment and ignored the hatred between your people and enemies. How utterly absurd!"

"Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, this marriage will not happen today!"

Above the dense forest, beneath the sun, the void split open. One figure after another appeared, loudly berating the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land and his wife.

As a spectator, Li Jiusheng could not help frowning and saying indignantly, "They are a perfect match. Who are you monsters to object?"

Unfortunately, this was not the present. This was a past that had already been fixed in place. Only he could hear his words.

The young couple in the midst of their wedding now stood united against their enemies.

The Fox Woman rebuked them, "Isn't it because I refused to become the beast spirit of your Ningyuan Mountain Sect that you have pursued me so relentlessly? And yet you make it sound so righteous. How hypocritical."

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's face turned livid as he angrily demanded, "How did you know that my wife and I were living in seclusion here?"

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

The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's eyes burned with fury as he stared in every direction. Suddenly, he drew his sword. With a thunderous clang, sword energy erupted and ravaged the surroundings, slicing the void apart inch by inch. In the end, one patch of space remained completely untouched, and everyone turned to look at it.

"Alas, love between human and demon defies heavenly principles. Old friend, will you still not abandon this obsession and leave with me?" A sigh rose from that patch of space, carrying helplessness, heartache, and regret. Then, a burly figure emerged, looking expressionlessly at the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. There was no trace of friendship in his eyes, only cold indifference.

"Pah!" The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land said disdainfully, "Consider me blind for ever mistaking you for a friend. None of you will escape today. All of you can go die!"

The Sword God, enraged beyond measure, drew his sword and attacked without warning, catching everyone off guard. His Sword Dao was one of absolute slaughter.

At that moment, his sword left its sheath and sword energy surged. Countless streams of sword energy swept across heaven and earth like a storm.

Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique!

This sword strike enveloped all ten Supreme Elders and Emperor Wu of Zhou, allowing them to witness the terror of an unparalleled Sword God.

The ten Supreme Elders immediately joined forces. Some brought out magical treasures, some unleashed their ultimate techniques, while others avoided the edge of the attack. Each displayed their own abilities and attacked the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land with all their strength.

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

His gaze was ice-cold as he attacked without restraint. The Fox Woman was battered like a lone boat upon the sea, ready to sink at any moment.

When the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land saw this, his eyes nearly split with rage. He wanted to abandon the ten Supreme Elders and fight Emperor Wu of Zhou to the death.

But the ten Supreme Elders were remarkably coordinated. They blocked the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, and while his attention was divided, they even launched several sneak attacks.

"You forced my hand! Today, all of you will die!" The Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land roared in uncontrollable fury. Then his aura rose like a rainbow, soaring ever higher, vast and mighty like rivers and seas boiling over. It broke through the established threshold and briefly entered the Ancestor Realm.

At the Ancestor Realm, the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land killed all ten Supreme Elders with a single sword strike.

Then he turned to look at Emperor Wu of Zhou.

Yet Emperor Wu of Zhou's aura was also rising, churning like storm clouds and rain. He did not conceal it in the slightest. He too had reached the absolute peak: the Ancestor Realm.

Emperor Wu of Zhou, now in the Ancestor Realm, held the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land's wife in his hand and looked coldly at him. "Come. Today, either you die or I perish!"

Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique! the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land roared as he drew his sword and slashed.

That dazzling sword energy flashed directly into Li Jiusheng's eyes, leaving him unable to see anything. Everything turned white. When he came back to himself, he found that he was already inside the Scripture Repository Pavilion.

There was no Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land, nor was there any Emperor Wu of Zhou.

Li Jiusheng knew that he had returned from that past history to reality, but the final Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique still left his heart surging. It was undoubtedly the most powerful sword energy he had ever seen.

[You watched the past. Your emotions surged and could not be calmed, allowing you to comprehend the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique.]

[Your emotional fluctuations resonated with the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique. From the boundless void, you comprehended a wisp of aura.]

At that moment, two messages entered Li Jiusheng's heart, lifting his spirits. He examined the Heaven-Slaying Sword Drawing Technique within his primordial spirit.

This sword technique was an ultimate art created by the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land. From the very beginning, his goal in learning the sword had been to cleave apart the heavens, so this technique had always pursued ultimate slaughter. 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 sword technique, however, had been comprehended to the Ancestor Realm. It was slaughter taken to the extreme, making it exceptionally suitable for Li Jiusheng.

"Once I master this sword technique, my combat strength will rise dramatically. Sword energy, sword intent, sword aura, and sword essence will also become much easier to comprehend." Li Jiusheng was filled with anticipation.

However, just as he was preparing to cultivate, he discovered that his insight had intercepted a wisp of aura from the void.

"What is this aura?" Li Jiusheng examined it in confusion.

That wisp of aura drifted out from Li Jiusheng's body and slowly condensed beside him into an illusory figure.

Li Jiusheng stared in shock. He had seen this figure before. It was none other than the Thousand-Year Sword God of the Old Land he had just witnessed.