Chapter 543: Tiansha Appears Again

Long Jiuyuan was, naturally, Long Yueyou's elder brother. He was exceptionally gifted, the most outstanding talent among the younger generation of the Long family. It took him just over a hundred years to advance from Qi Refining to the peak of the Soul Transformation stage. Unfortunately, due to the rarity of the Soul of Heaven and Earth, such a genius could only remain trapped at the Soul Transformation stage. Another hundred years passed, and only now did a glimmer of hope finally appear.

"Fellow Daoist Long, where did Brother Jiuyuan acquire the Soul of Heaven and Earth he used for his Dao Integration?" asked the cultivators present, unable to suppress their curiosity after a round of enthusiastic celebrations.

Long Yueyou hesitated slightly, but then he remembered that everyone present was an insider. Since his elder brother had already successfully integrated with the Dao, the existence of that Soul of Heaven and Earth was no longer a secret. Seeing the curious and expectant gazes of the crowd, Long Yueyou ultimately couldn't suppress his pride and slowly said, "It seems my brother was destined for this!

"He guarded Tianling Province for over thirty years. During one mission outside, he discovered a strange phenomenon in a remote deep mountain. The mountain externally looked no different from an ordinary peak, but inside, the originally hard rocks had all transformed into a dark, viscous swamp. The swamp exuded an ominous aura. Any creature that mistakenly entered it, even magic artifacts or Daoist spells, would be devoured, assimilated, and disappear without a trace.

"Logically, in such a dangerous area, any creature with spiritual awareness would instinctively feel uneasy and subconsciously avoid it. However, my elder brother discovered something peculiar."

Long Yueyou paused slightly at this point. As if to whet everyone's appetite, he watched the cultivators present, all itching with curiosity, before continuing with a satisfied air, "Around the black swamp, all living creatures, like moths drawn to a flame, rushed into it, vying with each other, completely oblivious to their own lives. Even cultivators were no exception. My brother's Dao heart is incredibly firm, but after staying near that black swamp for a long time, even he almost couldn't resist entering it."

Some cultivators present instantly reacted, letting out exclamations: "A fatal temptation..."

"Could it be that this black swamp is that Soul of Heaven and Earth?"

Long Yueyou nodded slightly: "Exactly! My brother also thought of that at the time. Trapped in the Soul Transformation stage for many years, he was naturally ecstatic. However, he also knew that the Soul of Heaven and Earth, being a manifestation of laws, was incredibly difficult to handle. So he forcefully suppressed the turmoil in his heart and retreated. After sealing the mountain entrance with a secret method, he quietly returned to Tianling City. After that, he didn't alarm anyone, preparing quietly by himself. It took him half a month to make all the necessary preparations. Only then did my brother find another excuse to return to the deep mountain.

"After using a formation to seal off the mountain's surroundings, preventing outsiders from noticing, my brother then attempted to attack the black swamp. But just as before, all his attacks were like stones sinking into the ocean – they stirred no reaction whatsoever."

Long Yueyou narrowed his eyes, seemingly recalling Long Jiuyuan's account to him: "For a full three days, my brother tried every method imaginable, but he couldn't inflict any damage on the black swamp. At that moment, my brother recalled all the scenes from the years he had been trapped in the Soul Transformation stage and finally made a firm decision. With the resolute mindset of 'succeed or die,' he leaped into the black swamp!"

Upon hearing this, the cultivators present all gasped. Quietly, they asked themselves, if they were in his shoes, they probably wouldn't have had the courage to do that. Who knew what lay within the black swamp? Jumping in like that could be a pointless sacrifice. Even if one failed to integrate with the Dao, a Soul Transformation cultivator could still command respect and wield significant power in a region. But once life or death was at stake, nothing else mattered. Yet, Long Jiuyuan did exactly that!

While amazed, everyone also felt genuine admiration for him. "I've long heard that Long Jiuyuan possesses extraordinary courage, far beyond what ordinary people can achieve. Now it seems the rumors weren't exaggerated; in fact, they might have even underestimated Brother Jiuyuan!"

"No wonder Brother Jiuyuan, despite his Soul Transformation cultivation, can call many Dao Integration Immortals his sworn brothers!"

"Haha, it's an honor for us to even be able to call him Brother Jiuyuan!"

Listening to the praises for Long Jiuyuan from everyone present, Long Yueyou also looked smug and felt lighthearted. After all, he and Long Jiuyuan were born of the same mother, sharing deep affection and practically indistinguishable. Praising Long Jiuyuan was praising Long Yueyou himself!

After a good while, Long Yueyou lightly coughed and continued his narration: "After entering the black swamp, my brother's protective magic artifacts were being consumed at a terrifying rate. One must know that these were specially refined by a Dao Integration friend skilled in artifact crafting, whom he had specifically commissioned. If they had been ordinary protective artifacts bought from the Heaven Profound Mirror, they would have likely been completely corroded long ago.

"With little safe time remaining, my brother, though startled, did not panic. Instead of scurrying around like a headless fly, he closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and sensed the changes within the black swamp. The black swamp was like the deepest, darkest ocean; apart from my brother, there was no sign of life whatsoever. However, my brother could vaguely perceive wave-like vibrations periodically emanating from the black swamp, which should have been completely silent. It was as if something was churning deep within the black swamp. So, my brother followed this ripple of movement and explored deeper into the black swamp.

"Heaven always leaves a way out. Just as all the protective artifacts he had prepared were about to be completely depleted... he finally found the source of the unusual disturbance!"

Just as he reached the most crucial part of the story, Long Yueyou suddenly stopped. A strange glint flashed in his eyes, and then he lowered his voice, telling everyone, "In the center of this black swamp, a vague black humanoid figure could be faintly seen. It wasn't a cultivator, but a humanoid shape composed of twisted, murky black mire. The Soul of Heaven and Earth! But this wasn't what astonished my brother the most. Because besides the black swamp, there was another object before him."

Long Yueyou took a deep breath and revealed the answer. "It appeared to be a broken sword. The overwhelming malevolent energy it contained made even my brother, who had personally slain countless cultivators of the Council of Five Elders, feel deeply alarmed. The broken sword thrashed wildly, trying to break free, while the black swamp, using its own body as a cage, trapped it!"

The black swamp transformed into a sea, using itself to imprison the sword! This strange and bizarre scene described by Long Yueyou left everyone in awe. They all speculated on the origin of this broken sword.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, Li Fan, who was flying towards a certain location, suddenly stopped.

"The Heavenly Fiend Sword?!"