Emperor’s Domination

This blessed land was occupied by a few thousand members. They were busy at work and normally, this shouldn’t be surprising.

However, this was the deepest region of Sword Burial Ground, the most dangerous area. Strangely enough, there was no fighting here – a stark contrast to the previous area. No outsider would believe the scene found here.

Most importantly, they were all the same person – exactly identical. The individuals performed different tasks – smelting ores, hammering, sharpening, controlling the flames and air…

In other words, they were blacksmiths creating divine swords. Some worked in groups while a few worked alone from start to finish.

They seemed to be made from the same mold, looking exactly the same from appearance down to the expression.

Li Qiye had met them before – the middle-aged man who threw swords back into the abyss and ran away from Li Qiye.

Their long hair was a mess and draped downward, covering half of their face. They wore black robes that have turned white from being washed too many times, looking a bit poor and lonely – akin to someone down on their luck or a member of a weak sect.

Most would attribute this as an illusion. Alas, using the strongest heavenly gaze would still show them the same outcome. These men busy at work were real, not mere illusions.

Their mind was hellbent on crafting the swords; nothing else could distract them. Their action seemed to be in tune with something; there was a sense of joy in each action.

The tough labor shouldn’t be enjoyable but this was indeed the case. Spectators wouldn’t get tired of watching this beautiful scene. This phenomenon was difficult to describe and had to be experienced to understand.

The next question would be – who was the real body? They might not be illusions but one thing for certain – they were avatars of this middle-aged man.

It’s just that he had reached an incredible level and his avatars were infinitely close to the original body. Because of this, techniques and special eyes still couldn’t tell them apart.

Li Qiye watched the process with a smile. He became immersed in this scene and stood still like a statue.

All other sounds disappeared from the world, only the noises relating to blacksmithing remained. He eventually joined the group and performed his own task. The avatars didn’t stop him and treated him as their own.

He came closer to one of them who was busy grinding a divine sword. It was extremely tough so only a small piece was morphed despite half a day of effort. Nonetheless, this avatar persevered and focused on the polishing process.

It seemed that in order to fully polish it, it would take several thousand years. Alas, the avatar seemed to be enjoying the process instead of finding it tedious.

“Edgeless blade yet the dao is sharp, not bad.” He commented.

It turned out that the old man was focused on grinding down the tip of the blade. He would grind for a long time before taking a look at the tip then resumed the grinding.

He seemingly didn’t hear Li Qiye. The latter patiently continued to watch.

After a long time, he finally responded: “Why is an edge necessary?” His voice was filled with the echoing rhythm of the dao.

“Just the user needs to be sharp.” Li Qiye smiled.

The man continued to grind without looking up to see Li Qiye.

“I must be sharp.” The words coming from this man cut like the sharpest divine swords, capable of dismembering the strongest cultivators.

However, Li Qiye was unaffected by his sharpness.