Time flew by.
[The mighty factions of the Imperial Dynasty came to attend the banquet, attempting to use the 'Dao Field' of the Azure Cloud Li Clan's Body Integration expert to aid their own disciples' cultivation.
Upon arriving in Azure Cloud Prefecture, they witnessed the Heavenly Fire Dao Field, Sword Venerable Drizzle breaking through his Dao within the prefecture, and the burgeoning Dao rhythm of the Martial Emperor...
Furthermore, they saw the Li Clan hanging those who had once invaded Azure Cloud Prefecture one by one at the gates of Merit City, exposing them to the blazing sun.]
[Unwilling to provoke the Li Clan's rampant arrogance, they left behind heavy gifts and departed.]
Recalling when these people entered Azure Cloud Prefecture and saw that the family's foundation was absolutely not as shallow as rumors claimed—with every Li Clan disciple cultivating in seclusion, and over a dozen Void Refinement experts of the family drinking tea with them—their trembling, fearful appearances almost made Li Wei want to laugh.
Li Dalong and the others had returned from the Western Frontier; they were people who had fought their way out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, fully accustomed to the deceit and treachery of the Western Frontier and the Imperial Dynasty.
Seeing the people from the major hidden factions this time, they knew these individuals merely wanted to trick the Li Clan into nurturing their descendants for them.
Yet, for some unknown reason, Li Dalong and the others actually felt that these visitors were amiable, pleasant-looking, and unequivocally a group of good people.
Instead, it was these faction leaders who fled Azure Cloud Prefecture as if running for their lives.
Even with the Li Clan's exceptional hospitality, they couldn't stay at the banquet for a single minute longer, making excuses to return home. Just listen to what the Li Clan members talked about while drinking?
Killing people.
[Your family has gained immense fame. Following this banquet, they have been completely recognized by all factions as the 'Guardians of the Southern Frontier'.]
[Prestige increased.]
...
Once the clan members returned, they focused on cultivation.
The massive amount of spiritual liquid turned the secluded cultivation chambers across the family's major Grotto-Heavens into the most bustling places.
[Your descendant Li Yaozu consumed a massive amount of spiritual liquid.
Combined with the Dao rhythm Sword Venerable Drizzle had left behind from his failed breakthrough years ago, his Sword Dao achieved completion, and his cultivation reached the peak of the Void Refinement realm.]
The sword box returned to his back once more, and along with it, his sense of security.
Carrying the sword box on his back, Li Yaozu arrived beneath the Old Tree.
[Through the Delusion-Breaking Eye, your descendant Li Yaozu caught a glimpse of his Dao path, but found no gate to his Dao path.]
"Swordsmen of the world have the hardest time completing their Dao," a cold, clear voice drifted from within the sword box.
"Numerous weapons in the world are used by cultivators, and honoring the weapon itself naturally formed a Dao path.
However, there are far too many frontrunners, to the point where even heaven and earth Spirit Treasures have gained sentience, becoming natural Body Integration existences."
"Therefore, for swordsmen of the world, being called a 'Venerable' is already the absolute limit.
Just like Sword Venerable Drizzle, who could only use the Great Dao of Rain to break through his realm. Ah Zu, you do not need to obsess over the single path of the Sword Dao."
"Or bring some people along and kill everyone who uses a sword."
Inside the sword box, Fang Linglong, sitting on a flying sword and swinging her long legs, remarked casually.
"I understand."
Li Yaozu nodded slightly, then flew up into the cloudy sky.
Seeing Sword Venerable Drizzle sitting cross-legged, Li Yaozu furrowed his brows slightly.
Seeing Sword Venerable Drizzle again this time, the Sword Venerable's breakthrough was different from when he was at the Sword Mountain.
He couldn't help but say to the closed-eyed Sword Venerable,
"Senior, it has been many years. Congratulations on achieving your breakthrough.
It is just that your previous Dao was much more unbridled and fierce than this time, and its murderous intent was also much more majestic."
"Ah, it's you," Sword Venerable Drizzle slightly turned his head, smiling at Li Yaozu.
"I am someone who believes in karma; you helped me, so I help you.
You were the ones who killed Uncle Rain, otherwise heaven knows when I would have been able to break through to Body Integration.
My accumulation is vast. Having received this merit from you, I should naturally repay it a bit.
It is nothing more than occupying this Dao Gate, exhausting over a century of my cultivation to transform my rain into the all-nourishing rain of Uncle Rain, gifting your Azure Cloud Prefecture a grand karmic fortune."
"Thank you, Sword Venerable," Li Yaozu smiled faintly.
"I didn't expect that after so many years, you have already reached the peak of the Void Refining realm. It seems your Li Clan's foundation is a hundred times richer than external rumors claim."
Sensing the spiritual qi radiating from Li Yaozu, Sword Venerable Drizzle couldn't help but marvel.
"It is merely the peak of the Void Refining realm, far from enough to find a Dao path. The path of the Sword Dao is far too difficult."
Seeing Li Yaozu smile bitterly, Sword Venerable Drizzle also smiled bitterly.
"How long has it been since we parted ways back then? You have already walked a path that others couldn't finish in several millennia. What more do you want?"
"I want to reach the heavens in a single step," Li Yaozu said with utmost sincerity.
Sword Venerable Drizzle fell silent for a moment.
"I don't want to talk to you anymore. Go on. There are many kinds of swords; do not rigidly adhere to the Sword Dao. The sword is within our hearts."
A flash of realization passed through Li Yaozu's eyes. He offered his thanks and departed.
From that day on, Li Yaozu stopped practicing the sword. Every day, he blocked the entrances of other people's cultivation sites, simply staring at them as they cultivated.
[Your descendant Li Yaozu, through Sword Venerable Drizzle, gained enlightenment regarding the Sword Dao. He understood that when the sword is in the heart, all things are swords.]
[Acquired Trait: The Human Heart is Itself a Sword]
[Comprehension of the Sword Dao increases by 5%, probability of breaking through to the Dao realm increases by 2%.]