Emperor’s Domination

“All imperfect.” Violet Abyss Dao Lord sighed at the sword-filled valley.

“Imperfect, sure, but can absolute perfection be found in the mortal world? And if there is one, can you control it?” Li Qiye responded.

She stood in a daze for a moment. After regaining her composure, she bowed and asked: “What should I do then, Sacred Teacher?”

“Swords, there is life within them.” He said.

“Life within them.” She already knew this but perhaps there was more to this.

She could see the naturally-formed sword formation from the various auras connecting together. After all, they all came from her.

“You forged with anima and dao fruits while refining with your heart, pouring countless efforts and aspirations into each one.” He commented.

“Yes.” She never held back with each attempt, utilizing all of her dao power and the mysteries of anima.

Alas, all of her swords thus far had apparent flaws. Nonetheless, she knew that her dao was far from grand completion and continued on this path, improving with each attempt. A strong foundation was necessary to shoulder the immensity of her sword dao.

“They’re alive. Powerful, yes, but they also carry sadness and sorrow, a sense of loss...” He continued.

A light of insight suddenly illuminated her sea of consciousness. A metaphorical gate opened and she felt something entirely new.

Before this, she had felt the life in each sword and various sword intents - majestic, courageous, and dominant ones.... When she held them, they were ready to slash without any regrets.

However, in this fleeting moment, darkness surrounded her along with rain and winds. She heard the sound of weeping and self-pity; one sword after another lamented their shortcomings and sorrow.

They gazed at the sky, wanting to leave this place and reach freedom instead of being stuck here as discarded products.

They were abandoned without a second thought, trapped here to endure the bitter and chilling winds and rain.

Despite their flaws, they were mighty weapons with incredible sharpness and strength. They naturally wanted to be recognized for their powerful aspects, not be reminded of their flaws for eternity in this dark valley.

“I see, I see...” The incessant cries of the swords haunted and woke her up. Her mind and heart became clear and enlightened by Li Qiye’s reminder.

“I’m the one who is flawed, not the swords, not the swords...” She murmured and tears streamed down her cheeks.

The swords themselves had no fault. The dao leading to their creation was lacking, the same for Violet Abyss Dao Lord. Nonetheless, she still discarded them to this valley while thinking nothing of it.

A successful apex dao lord had too much pride and arrogance to consciously realize this. Li Qiye finally reminded her and woke her up after ten thousand years of mistakes.

“I don’t know how to repay you for this, Sacred Teacher.” She was overwhelmed with emotions.

“You can repay me after you truly understand this unique dao.” He smiled.

“I will do my best.” Her determination grew stronger for her path was illuminated; the confusion and troubling thoughts in the past vanished.

With that, she gazed at the swords and said: “Another refinement, ten thousand swords into one.”

“Clank! Clank! Clank!” She raised her hand and summoned all the incomplete swords. They flew in her direction like birds returning to the nest.

She planned on starting a new cauldron and refining all of them into a single sword in the future.

“Bam!” Suddenly, someone smashed into the ground, leaving a huge pit in the valley.

An old man climbed out, possessing a mighty battle intent. He was covered in blood and wounds; his heart seemed to have been pierced thoroughly.

The injuries criss-crossed on the surface, seemingly came from all types of weapons. Bones were shattered, leaving a figure with no intact parts.

Despite his crumbling body, his battle intent still flourished. It gave the impression that he could stand up and fight another three thousand emperors for three thousand rounds.

Pulverizing him would leave no impact on his indomitable battle intent. He was born to fight and would continue to try to fight after death.

“Fellow Daoist Violet Abyss, I seek your assistance.” The man walked unsteadily, swaying three times after every step. A gentle breeze could knock him over.

“Fellow Daoist War God.” She was not surprised to see him: “Where did you go to court death this time?”

He was none other than War God Dao Lord who had fought Celestial Court’s army outside of Dao City. The two of them seemed to be friends.

“Hahaha, who else but that unfilial child? The old geezers from Celestial Court interfered too.” He laughed in response.

“Looks like Just-once’s sword dao improved again.” She said after taking a closer look at his wounds.