5 months later,
Aldrian sat inside the Shrine of the Heavenly Tree with his eyes closed. He liked to cultivate his mind here, the serenity he felt was unlike anything he experienced elsewhere. Here, he could also experience visions more frequently, and they felt more real—like forgotten memories resurfacing within him, though he felt he never actually lived the scenes in those visions.
Now, he was in a state where he had cut off all connection to the outside world. His senses and instincts had stopped functioning, at this moment, he was in his most vulnerable state. In his vision, he was walking while wearing a white robe. He had a tall stature, his skin like jade, smooth and without blemish.
Surrounding him was a beautiful scenery of flying islands in the sky, various kinds of vegetation, and vast lands that stretched towards the horizon. The distant mountains pierced the heavens with their peaks, the blue sky resembling a sea, with clouds adding a dynamic element to the scene before 'him'.
He then stopped on top of a hill where there were no trees, except for a lone plum blossom tree under which he stood, gazing at the scenery. The sweet scent of the blossoms filled his nostrils. Sunlight shone upon the tree, casting shadows that protected him from the heat, while a gentle breeze swept through his long white hair, which he could see in his vision.
Not long after, he looked behind him. A young girl, in her early teens, approached him with a joyful expression. She ran barefoot, yet her feet remained clean and smooth as if she were walking on porcelain.
"Your Majesty! I created this butterfly for you. Do you like it?" The young girl offered him the butterfly she had made from some kind of diamond. She had crafted it so beautifully that the diamond reflected the sunlight, sparkling like stars in the night sky. He took the butterfly-shaped diamond from the young girl and smiled. Although he couldn't see his own face, Aldrian knew that 'he' was smiling.
"This is beautiful; I like it so much," 'he' said, his voice soft and pleasant to the ears of those who heard it. He patted the young girl's head, causing her to blush and smile sheepishly at his compliment. He looked at the crafted butterfly in his hand and covered it with both hands. When he opened them, the diamond butterfly suddenly took flight on its own, fluttering around him and the girl. Seeing her crafted butterfly come to life and fly, she was overjoyed and tried to touch it.
He watched her happy face and smiled. Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he noticed some figures approaching them. Though he had never seen them before, they felt familiar to him. Two men and two women, who appeared human in their features, approached and bowed to him.
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
"At ease. You don't have to greet me; I am only taking a stroll to enjoy the scenery," he said.
"No way, Your Majesty. Even if you wish it, we wouldn't feel right if we didn't greet you when you came down here by yourself," one of the men said.
"Yes, Your Majesty, after all, you are our ######."
Before Aldrian could hear and see what happened next, he found himself back in the Shrine of the Heavenly Tree. His senses returned to him, and he felt as if he had just woken up from a dream. The dream felt so close, yet so distant at the same time. He still remembered their faces and voices, but they also felt like just some random dream figures. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling of closeness he had felt within that dream.
These kinds of visions sometimes appeared to him, whether he was in the middle of cultivation or even while he slept. He still felt disoriented and confused, but he believed these visions had a meaning that was waiting for him to uncover. With a sigh, he stood up and looked at the spirit who had been faithfully watching over him during his cultivation.
"Alice, thank you for today. It must be tiring for you to keep guarding me."
Due to their closeness and how often he visited this place, Aldrian had given the spirit of the Evergreen World Tree a name.
"It's my pleasure, young master," she replied.
"Then I will take my leave first," he said, walking outside the Imperial Palace. It was still noon, so he thought he would take a walk to stay in touch with the elven folk in the city. The elves, who were already familiar with Aldrian, greeted him happily when they saw him. His presence provided the surrounding elves with a positive experience of living alongside a human—a good human.
With a smile always on his face, he greeted them back. If someone needed help, he would assist them; if there were elven children, he would play with them. With all these traits, how could the elves not accept him after all this time?
While Aldrian was in the middle of his usual walk, he suddenly encountered a lone man standing in the middle of his path. He took in the man's appearance: a black robe, a conical straw hat that nearly covered his face, and a sword at his waist sheathed in a white scabbard adorned with golden eastern dragon carvings. The man simply stood there, but Aldrian could sense that he was being watched—or more accurately, assessed—with a calm expression.
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Xin Haotian
Age : 10.135 years
Race : Human
Cultivation : Low Emperor
Cultivation technique : The Illumination of The God of Light
Attack techniques : Swift Slash, Swift Stab, Dance of the Sword of Light, 12 Moves of the Illumination Sword Dance, The God of Light's Descent.
Defence technique : His combination of sword and light laws
Movement technique : Speed of Light movement
Supporting technique : None
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"10.000 years low emperor stage? He's truly the cream of the crop, a genius among geniuses! Xin Haotian? The one they call the strongest of the Ten Great Swordmasters?" Aldrian thought after reading his information. The sword at his waist was also a significant indicator, confirming that he was indeed the real deal.
The Illumination Sword
The jian sword that had always accompanied Xin Haotian in his adventures. Aldrian looked at Xin Haotian curiously, wondering why he was blocking his path and assessing him. Just as he considered trying to read his mind, Xin Haotian spoke.
"Are you really the one?" Xin Haotian asked, his tone calm but probing.
Aldrian was puzzled by the question. "What? I don't understand what you mean—"
Suddenly, a sword strike almost stabbed Aldrian in the head. The tip of the blade was mere inches from his forehead when he teleported behind Xin Haotian, aiming a kick at him. Xin Haotian blocked the kick with the hand holding his scabbard and followed up with another strike from his Illumination Sword. Realizing the situation had escalated, Aldrian didn't hesitate to teleport them both outside the city. As they reappeared in a place devoid of people, Aldrian quickly grabbed a sword from a passerby just before they teleported.
"Sorry, let me borrow your sword," he said.
Xin Haotian was surprised by Aldrian's ability to force a change of location so effortlessly. He looked at Aldrian with a curious expression and spoke, "You've truly surprised me. A teleportation technique? you can utilizing space Laws."
"Now, can you tell me why the strongest of the Ten Great Swordmasters suddenly shows up and gives me a surprise—not exactly the kind I like, though," Aldrian asked, his annoyance evident. Xin Haotian observed Aldrian's expression, there was no panic or fear, only irritation.
"I just wanted to meet the person who made that sword's will outside of Balin."
"What are you talking about? What does that have to do with me?" Aldrian responded, feigning ignorance.
"You don't have to hide it. I've already investigated the movements of the person who killed the hydra. Even though the elves tried to cover for you, I have my own ways of tracking your journey from Balin," Xin Haotian said. Aldrian fell silent.
"Then what are you going to do now that you've found me?" he asked.
"I had to see for myself if the one who could create such a powerful sword will also had the capability to back it up. And I have to say, you're truly exceptional, evading my Swift Stab even with the element of surprise."
In truth, Xin Haotian was quite impressed by Aldrian's ability to teleport with such rapid activation. Many could use teleportation, but his Swift Stab usually reached them before they could complete the move.
That's because Xin Haotian's sword technique was rooted in the energy he was most proficient with: light energy. Combined with his mastery of light laws, his sword technique became so fast that it was nearly impossible to evade. His strikes always reached his target, no matter what they tried—escaping the speed of light was futile.
However, thanks to Aldrian's ability to perceive the flow of energy and his heightened senses, which were even sharper within his domain, he could anticipate Xin Haotian's attack and predict his moves.
"Then, after you've confirmed my capability is worthy of my achievement, what are you going to do?" Aldrian asked.
Without warning, Xin Haotian took up a stance with his sword.
"I'll kill you."