On the mist-veiled summit, ancient pines stood tall and verdant, their branches twisting skyward like countless green dragons coiling toward the heavens.
They wound around the thirty-three stone steps, transforming the ascent into what looked like a true Stairway to Heaven. One could not help but feel that whoever climbed these steps and reached the summit would transcend mortality and attain immortality.
Bai Yue did not linger over the spectacle.
He stepped forward calmly and began his ascent.
With every step he took, his powerful mental perception brushed against faint remnants hidden within the stone. Ancient scriptures—fragmentary, incomplete—had been engraved here by predecessors long ago, their intent lingering after thousands of years.
An invisible suppression permeated the steps. Each footfall carried a heavy pressure, as though the mountain itself were testing the resolve of those who dared ascend. For ordinary cultivators, even taking a single step would have been unbearably difficult.
Yet Bai Yue's pace never faltered.
Step by step, he advanced steadily, climbing all thirty-three stone steps without pause until he arrived at the summit platform.
Standing there, he closed his eyes.
For a moment, it was as if echoes from distant ages whispered around him—voices of sword cultivators who had once stood here, tempering their Dao beneath Heaven and Earth. Bai Yue listened carefully, hoping to glean deeper insights from the imprints left behind.
But soon, he opened his eyes again.
The techniques engraved upon the steps were numerous, yet most were commonplace. They held historical value, but none could truly be called supreme or profound.
Then, without warning, space rippled.
The world shifted.
In the blink of an eye, Bai Yue found himself standing atop a different peak entirely.
He looked around.
Mountain after mountain rose around him, sheer and precipitous, each one shaped like a colossal sword thrust upright into the earth. Their forms were straight and unyielding, exuding a sharp, cutting aura that seemed capable of slicing through Heaven itself.
Only now did Bai Yue truly understand.
This—this was the real Shu Mountain.
All surrounding peaks revolved around a central summit that pierced the clouds like a divine blade. Compared to the others, that peak radiated a terrifying killing intent, one so intense it made the surrounding space tremble.
Even standing at a distance, Bai Yue felt his skin prickle, his body instinctively tensing as though facing an unseen edge.
Had his will not been tempered within the Devouring Starry Sky Universe—honed to a level no weaker than an ordinary Universe Lord—he might have been frozen in place, unable to take even a single step forward.
A trace of awe rose in his heart.
He had never expected that in the modern era, on an Earth long stripped of spiritual abundance, such a place could still exist.
Yet awe alone would not halt him.
Bai Yue fully circulated the innate true Qi within his body. His figure blurred as he stepped through the void, instantly crossing vast distances and arriving at the foot of the central peak.
The closer he drew, the denser the killing intent became.
It was no longer intangible.
Sword Qi had condensed into visible streaks, slicing through the air like countless invisible blades. The peak itself was utterly barren—no grass, no soil, only smooth stone polished by endless years of sword intent.
Advancing step by step became increasingly difficult.
At last, Bai Yue activated the movement technique he had refined over time. His body transformed into a streak of light, weaving through gaps in the sword Qi, dodging one lethal edge after another as he surged upward.
As his mental power probed the surroundings, understanding dawned.
This was not a killing formation.
It was sword intent.
Supreme sword intent, left behind by a Great Divine Power.
This place was not meant to slay intruders outright—it was a crucible. A sanctuary for comprehension. Those who could withstand the pressure and grasp the Dao within could inherit the sword path left here.
The Senior who left this behind possessed a sword heart that reached the heavens, yet still retained benevolence. Otherwise, Bai Yue would never have made it this far.
At the summit, the scene changed once more.
Before him lay a celestial pond.
Its waters were crystal-clear, mirror-like—yet Bai Yue immediately sensed the truth. The lake was not water at all. It was formed entirely of countless threads of sword Qi, interwoven into a terrifying whole.
To touch it would be to court destruction.
He withdrew his gaze and surveyed the surroundings instead.
Beside the pond stood several ancient pines, rooted firmly in the bare stone. Their age was unfathomable, their presence solemn and enduring.
Between them sat a stone table, simple and unadorned.
Upon the table lay a single jade talisman.
Its surface was dim, weathered by time, etched with ancient characters that carried a faint yet profound resonance.
Bai Yue did not approach immediately.
The sword Qi permeating the space alone demanded caution, let alone whatever unseen methods might still remain. Recklessness here would be foolish.
Instead, he sat down cross-legged.
For three full days, he immersed himself in the sword Dao of this place.
The Dao Fruit within him operated at full capacity, aiding his comprehension. From time to time, streaks of sword Qi flickered from his fingertips—manifestations of insights gained and tested.
The deeper he delved, the more astonished he became.
This sword Dao embodied the ultimate principle of overwhelming simplicity: one sword to shatter all techniques.
Sword cultivators walked a path of absolute offense. At the highest level, a single strike could annihilate all resistance, leaving nothing behind.
When the Dao reached its peak, the sword no longer needed a physical form. Grass, stone, mountains, even the void itself could become blades. With a thought, one could gather Heaven and Earth's Yuan Qi, condensing it into a supreme celestial sword capable of cleaving seas and splitting mountains.
This inheritance could not be learned by memorizing forms or copying techniques.
It had to be understood with the heart.
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Bai Yue opened his eyes and rose to his feet.
During this time, he had gained immensely.
The sword Qi filling the peak—mere residual intent left behind from years of cultivation—no longer repelled him. Having comprehended its core, he was now recognized.
He walked calmly to the stone table, picked up the jade talisman, and scanned the surroundings one final time. Finding nothing else of value, he turned and departed.
The talisman was no ordinary jade slip. It contained a peerless sword technique—the Heaven-Slaying Sword Art. Only a vessel of such quality could endure the boundless sword intent sealed within.
Leaving Shu Mountain behind, Bai Yue continued his journey.
His next destination: Shennongjia.
Deep within its undeveloped wilderness, he located another suspected site. Yet after careful analysis, he confirmed it was merely a remnant sect base, sealed by a formation—no teleportation array.
Undeterred, he moved on.
His third destination was HanGu Pass.
To cultivators, this place held unparalleled significance. It was here that Laozi rode westward, purple qi stretching thirty thousand li, leaving behind countless Dao secrets.
Passing through hidden nodes in space, Bai Yue entered the cultivation world's HanGu Pass—a colossal city now abandoned, silent as a tomb.
At its center stood a statue of Laozi, seated upon a green ox.
Bai Yue bowed respectfully.
Beyond the city gates lay a vast altar.
At last—
The teleportation array.
Dormant, yet intact.
To activate it would require at least twelve high-grade spirit stones. Bai Yue currently possessed only three—but this did not trouble him. With his abilities, such resources could be created in time.
He turned back.
There were still matters to settle on Earth.
Returning, Bai Yue summoned the senior executives of Tiangong Group and announced his decision: the company would be donated to the state.
Shock followed disbelief.
Only after witnessing abilities beyond common understanding did they finally accept the truth—Bai Yue would soon depart this world, seeking a higher realm beyond Earth.
In the days that followed, Tiangong Group completed its transformation into a state-owned enterprise.
The outside world erupted in speculation.
But Bai Yue spoke only once: his time was limited.
With that, the matter came to an end.
The next time he stepped onto the teleportation array—
It would be his farewell to Earth.
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