“Sect Master Duanmu is too kind!”

Shen Mo smiled faintly, reached for the teacup, and drained the tea, which was infused with terrifying sword Qi, in a single gulp.

Then, a faint light flashed from his hand as he returned the empty cup; his movements were as smooth as flowing clouds and water. His bearing was not in the least inferior to the sect master before him, drawing looks of admiration from Lady Scarlet.

However, though the scene appeared tranquil and harmonious, turbulent undercurrents surged beneath the surface.

The moment Duanmu Yuan received the empty cup, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and the hand holding it stilled. As seconds ticked by, the seemingly empty teacup began to tremble, continuously emitting a whistling sound reminiscent of a sword’s hum.

Simultaneously, Duanmu Yuan’s hand holding the teacup also trembled slightly. Eventually, fine sword light continuously emerged from it, forcibly suppressing the teacup’s strange movements!

BANG!

Suddenly, the teacup exploded violently. The jade porcelain shards, like countless tiny sharp swords, tore through the sphere of Immortal Law light around Duanmu Yuan’s hand before shooting off in all directions.

PUFF!

PUFF! PUFF!

The shards flying towards Duanmu Yuan were blocked by the protective aura formed by his defensive Immortal Law, shattering into even finer dust and scattering.

Although this turn of events did not cause Duanmu Yuan any harm, it prevented him from maintaining his previous composure. The corner of his mouth twitched, and he looked as if he wanted to speak but held back.

Seeing this, Lady Scarlet couldn’t help but laugh. Her already extreme charm grew even more dazzling, like a peony in full bloom bathed in spring sunlight…

Seeing this, Duanmu Yuan’s face darkened, but he felt somewhat helpless.

Just a moment ago, when Duanmu Yuan saw Shen Mo, he had offered him a cup of tea. This wasn’t a gesture of hospitality, but rather an attempt to probe his true capabilities, to see if he was indeed the Extremely Rare prodigy of the Sword Path that Lady Scarlet had claimed him to be. After all, Lady Scarlet was his biological daughter, and judging from her words and actions, she seemed quite impressed with this “Shen Qingyun.” Unfortunately, she was just like her mother, possessing a natural allure, and countless frivolous men in the world were infatuated with her beauty. Moreover, as the Sect Master of the Li Mountain Elixir Sect, Lady Scarlet was his only bloodline. It was hard to prevent those with ulterior motives from trying to get close to her! As a father, even with his high cultivation level and lofty position, Duanmu Yuan couldn’t help worrying about her, fearing she might fall for the wrong person. Especially since, in his quest for the position of Sect Master of the Alchemy Sect, he had mercilessly “abandoned” Lady Scarlet and her mother, which led to her mother’s tragic death and caused Lady Scarlet to endure a life of displacement and bitter hardship in her early years. He had always harbored deep guilt towards both Lady Scarlet and her mother. Duanmu Yuan had long suspected that his persistent inability to construct the Divine Bridge was related to the turmoil this affair had caused in his state of mind. Consequently, he treated Lady Scarlet with even greater kindness, attempting to compensate for this past failing! Under such circumstances, it wasn’t entirely unreasonable for the Sect Master of the Alchemy Sect to test Shen Mo. The sword Qi he had infused into the tea wasn’t overwhelmingly powerful. Even if it were allowed to splash freely, it wouldn’t have harmed Shen Mo with his Golden Core Realm cultivation. However, this strand of sword Qi in the tea contained the culmination of Duanmu Yuan’s lifelong achievements in the Sword Path. For anyone else, suppressing or dissipating this sword Qi would be no easy feat; they would most likely be unable to even hold the cup, let alone drink the tea!

To Duanmu Yuan’s surprise, Shen Mo not only received the teacup but also, without a change in expression, drank down the tea along with the sword Qi. This was enough to prove that his Proficiency in the Sword Path had reached a world-shaking level. Afterwards, Shen Mo gave tit for tat, concealing a similar strand of sword Qi within the emptied cup and sending it back. The outcome was that Duanmu Yuan, despite employing all his techniques, failed to secure the empty cup or suppress the sword Qi within it. Ultimately, the sword Qi erupted. Although he wasn’t injured, he was left quite discomposed! This brief exchange was an utter defeat for him, clearly showing that in terms of Sword Path achievements, Duanmu Yuan, a cultivator half a step to the Heavenly Monarch Realm, was far inferior to Shen Mo!

Having instigated a test upon his daughter’s close friend at their first meeting, Duanmu Yuan knew he was in the wrong. Now, having suffered a setback and being mocked by his own daughter, he couldn’t very well lose his temper.

He sighed softly and said with a touch of helplessness, “Xiang’er, Shen, come over and sit. Let’s talk.”

At this, Shen Mo cupped his fists towards him and, along with Lady Scarlet, flew into the pavilion to take a seat.

Because of Lady Scarlet, Duanmu Yuan did not give Shen Mo a cold reception.

Furthermore, from the earlier probing and news from Caiyi Country, he knew that this “Shen Qingyun”—ostensibly a rogue cultivator from Wangxian Mountain but in reality a disciple of a major sect in the Red Flame Zone—truly possessed some skill and was no mere swindling charlatan.

As their discussion deepened, Duanmu Yuan found himself admiring Shen Mo more and more, and his attitude became considerably warmer.

Initially, they chatted about Shen Mo’s and Lady Scarlet’s experiences in Caiyi Country and on the ancient battlefield of immortals and demons. Later, the topics delved deeper, and Shen Mo began to ask Duanmu Yuan for guidance on cultivation methods—more precisely, the method to become a Heavenly Monarch!

“What is a Divine Bridge?”

“The Valley Spirit never dies; this is called the Mysterious Female. The gateway of the Mysterious Female is called the root of Heaven and Earth. It is the Divinity of cultivators; spanning both shores, this is called the Bridge…”

Although Duanmu Yuan was inferior to Shen Mo in the Sword Path, his cultivation level was ultimately two Minor Realms higher, and he had progressed further on the Immortal Path. As Duanmu Yuan provided his Mysterious and Yet More Mysterious explanations, many insights arose in Shen Mo’s mind, clarifying his understanding of the Dao Realm beyond the Golden Core Realm.

In essence, the most crucial step to becoming a Heavenly Monarch is to erect the Divine Bridge.

This Divine Bridge, however, is not a tangible object but rather the connection between a cultivator’s existence and the Heavenly Dao itself!

Before erecting the Divine Bridge, a cultivator is an independent entity. Even if they possess the ability to ascend to the heavens, enter the earth, move mountains, and overturn seas, mortal strength is ultimately finite and pales in comparison to the vast power of Heaven and Earth. There will always come a moment when their Dao Body is overtaxed, their True Yuan depleted, and their soul exhausted.

But if the Divine Bridge is successfully erected, a profound and intimate connection is established with the Heavenly Dao.

Setting aside the numerous marvels that would manifest, merely by gesturing, one could mobilize the almost inexhaustible nature’s spiritual energy. One could even wield natural calamities to annihilate foes, increasing their combat power tenfold, even several tens of times!

Having grasped the general concept of the Divine Bridge, the next question was how to erect it…

Firstly, one must cultivate their Essence, Qi, and Spirit to the absolute peak. This essentially means elevating one’s cultivation to the Perfection of the Golden Core Realm. This point requires no further explanation.

Otherwise, if one’s cultivation level is insufficient, they won’t even have the chance to attempt erecting the Divine Bridge!

Secondly, one must choose the manner in which to achieve enlightenment.

For every existence at the peak of the Golden Core Realm, each has their own path to enlightenment; there is no definitive method.

For instance, some might attempt to pour their devotion into the Sword Path, advancing it to a stage that would fill ghosts and gods with dread, then shatter their own shackles to attempt communication with the Heavenly Dao. Others might try to achieve the state of being heartless, replacing their own heart with the Heaven’s Will, thereby merging their Essence, Qi, and Spirit with the Heavenly Dao. Still others might endeavor to cultivate all Dharmas in the world, refining their True Yuan until it is all-encompassing, like the breath of Primal Spirit…

In short, how to take this most critical step was something Shen Mo would have to explore and figure out for himself!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep