The Sword Array shattered, and the ensuing shockwaves of sword Qi made Shen Mo’s robes flutter violently!
A pinpoint of frigid light flared. In an instant, Shen Mo plunged into an endless, terrifying illusion, as if he had experienced countless cycles of reincarnation, each ending in a grueso demise.
While battling the Double-headed Silver Ring Python, he was swallowed whole by the demonic beast.
Defeated by an evil cultivator, his Daoist body and mind beca sacrificial offerings.
He encountered a savage and powerful Heavenly Demon, which consud him as blood-food to advance its Realm.
The nurous opportunities he possessed were exposed, leading to his imprisonnt, Soul Search, and dismbernt by an old monster of the Golden Core Realm...
Even the slightest anxieties in his heart were infinitely magnified within the illusion; what was clearly imperceptible dust transford into a mountain capable of crushing him!
"CLANG!"
The Demon Slaying Sword and his [Carefree] sword intent resonated in unison, producing a clear, tallic ring.
"Reincarnation of All Phenona!"
The next mont, a profound and imnse sword Qi slashed out.
The sword light was like water, his heart-mirror crystalline! Every speck of dust was swept away, and the myriad illusions were extinguished.
The Reincarnation Sword Qi surged with overwhelming force, enveloping the Heavenly Monarch’s remnant shadow as it lunged at him with an iron sword!
「Next to the Sword Washing Pool.」
In less than the ti it takes for a stick of incense to burn, the Qi Gathering Realm Elite Disciples of the Heaven Sword Sect all erged from the peculiar space.
Not long after, the Spirit Sea Realm Elders of the Sword Sect also appeared one after another. Evidently, none had succeeded in overcoming this difficult trial.
"Why is the challenge set by the Heavenly Monarch so incredibly difficult? If every trial is of this magnitude, how did the Ghost Corpse School manage to break most of the Prohibitions?" an Elite Disciple asked in confusion.
At once, an Elder with a weathered face spoke leisurely, "If it were an assessnt in other areas, it certainly wouldn’t be this demanding!"
"After all, even a Heavenly Monarch with a lifespan of three thousand years has finite energy."
"Therefore, in so lesser arts—such as zither, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and song—although this Heavenly Monarch was highly accomplished, he hadn’t reached a level that was unparalleled in the entire Red Fla Country..."
"Thus, the Ghost Corpse School overca challenges in these areas long ago."
"Only in skills like swordplay, alchemy, and forging—disciplines intricately linked with one’s own power—did he surely invest imnse energy, diligently studying their intricacies during his lifeti."
"Consequently, the Prohibition trials associated with them were bound to be exceedingly difficult!"
"The Ghost Corpse School has spent two hundred years yet still hasn’t breached the Forge Room, Alchemy Room, flower garden, Book Collection Tower, Star Observation Deck, Sword Washing Pool, and other such Prohibitions. That is precisely the reason."
Hearing this, ng Sanchi and the other Heaven Sword Sect Elite Disciples showed expressions of understanding.
"Elder Fang... that may be so, but if even our Heaven Sword Sect cannot breach the Sword Washing Pool, who in the current cultivation world of Red Fla Country is capable of such a feat?"
"If even one Prohibition remains unbroken, we cannot access the Heavenly Monarch’s coffin..."
"Wouldn’t the plans of our Five Great Immortal Sects then amount to nothing?"
Elder Fang of the Heaven Sword Sect, who had previously addressed their doubts, glanced at the disciple who had voiced this concern and said irritably, "What nonsense are you spouting! Hasn’t Yuxin Sword Master erged yet? Do you think soone at the Sword Master level is all talk and no action, like you?"
"..."
The Heaven Sword Sect disciple imdiately fell silent, though he complained inwardly. If failing to overco this trial ans one is ’all talk and no action’... then wouldn’t all the Heaven Sword Sect mbers present, including Elder Fang himself, be considered incompetent?
Of course, these were rely his private thoughts, which he dared not voice aloud.
Just as the Heaven Sword Sect mbers were conversing, contemplating the Sword Path, or observing their surroundings, a strange, unknown power fluctuated. Then, Yuxin Sword Master materialized out of thin air beside the Sword Washing Pool!
However, the Prohibition at the Sword Washing Pool remained unbroken. Clearly, even Yuxin Sword Master had been defeated by the Heavenly Monarch’s remnant shadow in the sword duel!
Elder Fang, who had previously been praising Yuxin Sword Master, suddenly looked exceedingly awkward.
However, being an old fox who had cultivated for over a hundred years, he quickly concealed the surprise in his eyes. After clearing his throat twice, he said, "This Heavenly Monarch’s Proficiency in Swordsmanship during his lifeti indeed reached a transcendent, saintly level!"
"Even the Sword Master himself fell short..."
"It seems only the Sect Master or a Supre Elder can break this Prohibition!"
In the Heaven Sword Sect, Yuxin Sword Master’s Proficiency in Swordsmanship is among the best, second only to the Supre Elders and the Sect Master. It is slightly superior to that of the other Sword Masters.
Now that even he has failed to break the Prohibition, they would have to request the Sect Master or others to attempt a duel with the Heavenly Monarch’s remnant shadow!
The mont Elder Fang finished speaking, the strange power enveloping the Sword Washing Pool suddenly receded like an ebbing tide and vanished.
In the next instant, under the stunned and astonished gazes of Yuxin Sword Master, Elder Fang, ng Sanchi, and the other Heaven Sword Sect mbers, a figure in a dark Daoist robe appeared before them.
"Fellow Daoist Yuxin, Fellow Daoist Fang..."
Shen Mo sheathed the Demon Slaying Sword at his waist and greeted the Heaven Sword Sect cultivators with a smile.
"Fellow Daoist Shen!"
Yuxin Sword Master returned the salute and asked, sowhat incredulously, "Fellow Daoist Shen, did you defeat the Heavenly Monarch’s remnant shadow in the trial domain?"
"I was rely fortunate to win by a single move against Senior Heavenly Monarch," Shen Mo confird with a nod.
Upon receiving this definitive confirmation, everyone from the Heaven Sword Sect, Yuxin Sword Master included, fell into a stunned silence. Monts later, a flood of praise for Shen Mo erupted from them.
Elder Fang, in particular—who had just been admonishing his disciple—felt his face flush. Besides shock and admiration, an undeniable embarrassnt was clear in his eyes.
Initially, they had believed that only a mber of the Heaven Sword Sect could overco the trial of the Sword Washing Pool.
But who could have predicted that the Heavenly Monarch’s remnant shadow, with its superb swordplay, would be defeated by Peak Master Shen of the Riverside Sect!
It was common knowledge that while the Riverside Sect was respectable in many aspects, its cultivators’ achievents in the Sword Path were far inferior to those of the Heaven Sword Sect, a sect renowned for its swordsmanship.
Today, however, this conventional perception was utterly shattered...
Should word of this spread, it would undoubtedly affect the Heaven Sword Sect’s prestige. For example, aspiring talents with a passion for the Sword Path might choose to join the Riverside Sect for their cultivation, rather than becoming disciples of the Heaven Sword Sect!
Of course, with the Five Great Immortal Sects currently collaborating to excavate the Heavenly Monarch’s tomb and prepare a refuge from the prophesied world-ending demonic calamity... Yuxin Sword Master and the others from the Heaven Sword Sect had no choice but to outwardly shower Shen Mo with lavish praise!
Had this occurred a century ago, the Heaven Sword Sect would have undoubtedly gone to any lengths to eliminate a talent like Shen Mo, who had achieved so much.
After exchanging pleasantries with Yuxin Sword Master and the others, Shen Mo flew off towards another area within the Heavenly Monarch’s Mansion.
His claim of being "rely fortunate to win by a single move" was not entirely modest.
It had to be said, this unknown Heavenly Monarch had attained an exceedingly high level of mastery in the Sword Path during his lifeti!
According to Shen Mo’s estimations, the Heavenly Monarch must have cultivated three profound-level swordplay techniques to the pinnacle of Extrely Perfection. Through these three instances of achieving Godlike Swordplay, he likely mastered three Innate Divine Abilities related to the Sword Path. Fortunately, the grades of these few swordplay martial arts were not exceptionally high. As for the Truth and Falsehood Swordplay, which the Heavenly Monarch most relied upon, it was clearly a spiritual-level martial art and had even touched the threshold of the "Transcendence" realm!
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