The newly ascended, Feng Yun Wuji, who had once made a spectacular show of power in the Blade Domain, was sent into the Demon Domain. Now, after four hundred years, news of his return to the Primordial Realm had just spread like wildfire. But before the shock could settle, an even more astonishing revelation surfaced: the plane that has produced a flood of ascenders over the past four centuries was none other than Feng Yun Wuji's own—and these thousands upon thousands of newly ascended fighters seemed deeply connected to him. Recently, rumors circulated among the Free Faction experts claiming they had personally seen Feng Yun Wuji, who declared his intention to join forces with these thousands of new sword ascenders to establish the Fifth Domain—the Sword Domain.
Opinions on the authenticity of this news varied widely. Regardless, the surge of ascenders in the last four hundred years had undeniably attracted the full attention of the Primordial Realm. Such a phenomenon was unprecedented—these four centuries had seen more ascenders than all previous millennia combined across all planes.
Estimates placed the number of new ascenders between six and eight thousand, a formidable force coveted by every faction. Whether from the Demon Domain, Blade Domain, Snow Domain, or the Witch Sect, none would stand idly by as others absorbed such power and grew dominant.
Time was abundant in the Primordial Realm, but people were scarce. Although these ascenders were relatively recent, given enough time, they would inevitably become a tremendous force—one no faction could ignore.
Both the Blade and Demon Domains had tried recruiting these ascenders, but among them, a man named Chi Shang carried notable influence. No matter how the factions tried to persuade them, these ascenders remained unmoved, much to everyone's frustration. Even more surprisingly, all of them were somehow directly or indirectly connected to Feng Yun Wuji.
If the above two pieces of news only stirred the lower ranks of the four domains, the third could not help but draw the attention of their leaders.
Four centuries ago, this young swordsman was merely at the Heavenly Sword stage. Now, upon reappearing in the Primordial Realm, he single-handedly forced the Primordial Demon Apes—creatures that tens of thousands of Blade Domain warriors had failed to defeat—into begging for mercy. A Witch Sect elder on site even confirmed that Feng Yun Wuji had reached the realm of the Sword Emperor. This revelation carried serious weight and warranted discussion.
Every day, the four domains buzzed with people traversing the Primordial lands, searching for anything related to these events. When it became clear that these three seemingly separate pieces of news were actually one, it was like thunder striking overhead—the leaders of the four domains were stunned.
Unexpectedly, none of the Blade, Demon, Snow domains, nor the Witch Sect took any immediate action. This shocked the Free and Evil factions, who had been preparing to watch the chaos unfold—they could hardly believe their eyes.
Feng Yun Wuji had long anticipated the reactions of the four domains. Their eventual decision to maintain peace, as if by a tacit agreement, surprised him slightly but was not entirely unexpected. At present, any faction that attempted to absorb the Sword Domain's power would surely face fierce opposition from the others. So maintaining the status quo was the best temporary solution. Feng Yun Wuji also suspected that the domain lords did not hold much respect for him—the Sword Emperor—and his thousands of sword disciples.
"You'll regret this sooner or later," Feng Yun Wuji thought silently. He then pushed aside distractions and, with a sweep of his hands, inserted two slender wooden planks into the second floor's structure. The assembled crowd watched eagerly as the towering Sword Pavilion took shape.
Nearly the entire pavilion was Feng Yun Wuji's creation. It rose over fifty zhang tall, constructed entirely from sturdy ancient wood. Designed in a temple style, its eaves curved gracefully outward at the four corners, and the roof tiles were carved from the rare Fifth Sword Core. The pavilion had five floors, each supported by massive, smoothly carved dragon pillars embraced by several people. The interior floors were meticulously polished wooden planks.
From the outside, the pavilion covered hundreds of acres, standing tall and magnificent—a rare architectural marvel in the Primordial Realm.
"The rooms on the first and second floors are yours to choose freely. I'll reside on the third floor for now. That's settled. In a few days, I'll find a way to help improve your cultivation," Feng Yun Wuji declared proudly, turning to face the thousands before him.
"Thank you, Lord!" the crowd responded with half-kneeling reverence—their new title for Feng Yun Wuji.
Nodding, Feng Yun Wuji led the way into the freshly completed Sword Pavilion, with his followers close behind.
He entrusted all management duties to Chi Shang, then sat alone on the smooth floor of the pavilion's third level, lost in deep thought.
The beginning was always the hardest. The pavilion merely gave him a place to settle, but there was still much to prepare and many tasks ahead. For example, the disciples' strength was uneven and the numbers insufficient. Moreover, the pavilion lacked recognized masters, and Feng Yun Wuji was the only one at the domain lord level. This loneliness and pressure weighed heavily on him.
"There are still dreams to fulfill, promises yet to keep. I can't give up. I must persevere!" The third floor's empty room fell silent. Dark clouds covered the moonlight, casting shadows over Feng Yun Wuji's lean figure. His eyes closed calmly, but his heart was turbulent.
Suddenly, a surge of dense black energy erupted from his body. His once peaceful expression twisted into a grimace. From his back, thin, jet-black spines pierced through his skin. His fingernails darkened, elongated, forming a terrifying shape.
"Damn it! The aftereffects of absorbing demonic energy… have finally manifested!" Feng Yun Wuji gritted his teeth, struggling to maintain control. Inside, his sword essence spun wildly, trying to suppress the demonic energy deep into his lower dantian. His body already felt the world's rejection...
Feng Yun Wuji had long anticipated this transformation but didn't expect the power of the Star Absorption Technique to be so overwhelming—far more intense and tyrannical than any other demonic cultivation method. Because of this, his body began to change sooner than others who cultivated demonic arts. It was now nearing midnight, when yang energy rose and turbid qi fell, but yin energy peaked. The demonic energy, being inherently yin, had broken through its seal due to diminished celestial yin suppression.
"Master, what's happening?" Chi Shang finally noticed the violent energy fluctuations upstairs and hesitated before asking.
"Nothing. You all should rest," Feng Yun Wuji replied calmly.
Underneath his crystalline sword essence, which had reached the Sword Emperor realm, the dominating power was no weaker than the demonic energy—if anything, more overwhelming. Before dawn, Feng Yun Wuji managed to repress the demonic energy back into his lower dantian, though sweat now beaded across his forehead...