Elian studied the refining methods for the two celestial swords, his heart slightly trembling.
Whether it was the Thousand Demon Slaying Sword or the Hundred Spirit Executing Sword, both had astonishing potential. In theory, the potential of this pair of swords was limitless. The legendary master who forged these swords created unparalleled weapons that could rank among the rarest Pure Yang treasures in the world.
"These two swords…"
Elian pondered deeply, eventually storing away the refining methods for future use.
Both the Thousand Demon Slaying Sword and the Hundred Spirit Executing Sword were feared across the realms—one loathed by demonic cultivators and the other dreaded by human cultivators. If he refined these swords to the fourth rank, it might not be an issue. However, attempting to elevate them to demonic refinement treasures could lead to significant trouble.
Demons and monsters feared the unparalleled might of such swords and would not tolerate the emergence of such weapons capable of slaying them in droves.
Despite this, the two swords represented the pinnacle of demon-slaying weaponry. When wielded against evil and monstrous beings, their destructive power would be immense.
"Why worry about so much?"
Elian chuckled softly, shaking his head. Demon-slaying weapons were tools that might not always be needed but should never be absent.
He had long been at odds with demons and monsters, mortal enemies from the start. Why should he care about their opinions? If an opportunity arose in the future to refine these celestial swords, he would not hesitate to seize it.
According to the annotations from the Azure Void Sect, the East Sea's human cultivators, to resist demonic invasions, had not only refined the Thousand Demon Slaying Sword but had even successfully elevated it to the fifth rank—a true demon-slaying celestial sword.
Stowing away these ancient scrolls, Elian turned his attention to other findings and discovered an ancient record of the Azure Void Sect's history.
As he skimmed through the contents, he quickly became immersed in the chronicle.
Opening the first page, a line of text caught his attention:
"Dao Calendar, Year 13,400."
"The ancestor of the Azure Void Sect, Azure Void Master, followed Emperor Jiang from the Central Ancestral Domain.
"After 196 battles, they reclaimed the Eastern Wasteland and advanced to the East Sea's cultivation domain, securing vast territories for humanity..."
"Dao Calendar, Year 13,400?"
Elian's eyes slightly narrowed as he furrowed his brows.
The current year was Dao Calendar 19,323. This meant that the Azure Void Sect's journey with Emperor Jiang occurred over six thousand years ago.
The use of the term "reclaim" carried significant implications.
It suggested that the Eastern Wasteland was once a part of humanity's ancient domain, lost for reasons unknown, only to be recovered six millennia ago.
This idea hinted at a terrifying past. In ancient times, the Eastern Wasteland had supported a thriving cultivation world. Yet, at some point, an apocalyptic war reduced it to ruins.
What kind of cataclysmic event could annihilate an ancient and flourishing cultivation civilization in its entirety?
Was the present infestation of demonic sanctuaries across the Eastern Wasteland a recent phenomenon, or were they remnants from ages past, planted there by demon invasions eons ago?
Elian's eyes grew solemn as he continued reading:
"Dao Calendar, Year 13,600.
"The ancestor established the Azure Void Sect on Star Abyss Island in the East Sea, founding the sect's lineage.
"Over a millennium, the Azure Void Sect, along with Emperor Jiang, drove the demons out of the Purple Cloud Realms.
"Thus marked the seventh reclamation of ancestral lands by the Purple Cloud Cultivation World."
Elian's heart quivered. The seventh reclamation of ancestral lands? Could it be that the cultivation world of the Eastern Wasteland had been destroyed seven times in recorded history?
Additionally, based on what he had learned, the Purple Cloud Realms was believed to have existed for millions of years. Why, then, did the Dao Calendar date back less than twenty thousand years?
What happened before those twenty thousand years? What was the state of the Purple Cloud Realms during that time?
The historical record contained no answers to these questions, only a few fragmented entries:
"Dao Calendar, Year 15,900.
"Emperor Jiang transcended his tribulation and ascended to immortality, departing alone with his sword into the Demonic Abyss to settle karmic debts."
"From then on, he did not return…"
"A thousand years later, the ancestor and dozens of True Monarchs and Dao Lords followed."
"They too… did not return."
"Dao Calendar, Year 17,000."
"The Demonic Abyssal Cataclysm struck again. The East Sea's cultivation domain suffered devastating losses. The second-generation patriarch perished in battle."
"Dao Calendar, Year 18,000."
"The third sect leader valiantly faced three Demon Monarchs but succumbed after exhausting his strength…"
Elian read on silently, his heart sinking with every word.
The history recorded in the annals ended with the Dao Calendar's 19,000th year, as the Azure Void Sect was annihilated in the war three centuries ago.
The sect's legacy was one of unyielding valor against the demons. Yet, in the end, Lin Daoyang fell to treachery, highlighting the cruel injustices of fate.
"…"
For the first time in this life, Elian experienced a stifling sense of despair.
In the recorded twenty thousand years of history, the Eastern Wasteland had fallen to ruin seven times. Humanity had been reduced to fodder for demons and monsters.
This incomprehensible terror shook him to his core. To witness an entire cultivation world obliterated repeatedly—such horror was beyond words.
Even Emperor Jiang, despite attaining immortality, failed to quell the calamities. The depth of darkness behind these events sent chills down Elian's spine.
He realized that he had never lived in a world free of conflict. Instead, someone had always stood at the forefront, holding the line.
He closed the ancient record and gazed upward at the vast heavens. The Flame Abyss around him, with its molten rivers and choking fumes, felt like a miniature reflection of the world at large.
At that moment, he finally understood why Jiang Linglong had once told him that too much knowledge could unsettle one's Dao heart.
"Demons…"
Clad in white as pure as snow, Elian stood amidst the hellish landscape, silent and contemplative. He remained motionless for what seemed an eternity.
"…"
Cultivation was a monotonous and long journey.
Elian sat cross-legged in the Flame Abyss, refining batches of Spirit-Nourishing Pills.
As his spiritual energy recovered, he delved into the knowledge left by his predecessors, occasionally deducing new Five Elements cultivation methods.
By his third year, he had developed a water-based method he named the Celestial River Primordial Water Codex.
This codex not only reached the pinnacle of the Purple Mansion realm but also produced extraordinarily pure spiritual energy with remarkable endurance, surpassing the Solar Flame Sutra and the Sovereign Earth Scripture.
By the sixth year, he made further progress, devising a metal-based method he called the Western Extreme White Sovereign Codex.
After nine years of research, Elian deduced the final of the Five Elements methods—a wood-based technique.
Although not particularly powerful in combat, it extended the lifespan of practitioners by sixty years.
Even more impressively, Elian resolved the drawbacks typically associated with life-extending methods, ensuring that practicing it would not hinder breakthroughs to the Golden Core stage.
For this alone, the method ranked among the top-tier Purple Mansion cultivation methods. Elian named it the Azure Sovereign Longevity Codex.
Upon completing his Five Elements techniques, Elian briefly considered merging them into a unified technique. However, recognizing the complexity and the urgency to return to Pingyang City, he postponed the idea.
Time flew by. On the twelfth year of his seclusion, Elian's spiritual consciousness finally neared the threshold of the Golden Core realm.
...
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