Wandering Swordsman |

He wondered to himself, "Or is this not fate, but merely a coincidence caused by our own choices?"

He recalled Hua Tianyou saying as he traversed the snowfield, "My lord, it turns out we're walking the path of the first Heavenly Demon God!" He hadn't understood then, but now he suddenly realized. It turned out that fate had already led them to the same destination.

Shen Mo stopped thinking about it and turned to walk towards the figure under the Heavenly Demon Totem.

His steps were firm and composed, each one seemingly in step with the rhythm of fate.

Odin watched Shen Mo's retreating figure, a hint of relief flashing in his eyes. He recalled his past arrogance and conceit, and his vow to sacrifice everything for the path of martial arts. Now, he finally understood how utterly vulnerable the martial arts he pursued were in the face of absolute power.

......

Shen Mo stopped in front of the Heavenly Demon Totem. He looked up at the towering totem, a deep light flashing in his eyes. He remembered Xuan Yuanling's message, and the bits and pieces of his journey.

After a moment, Shen Mo's gaze slowly fell on the figure sitting cross-legged under the totem.

The man was dressed in a faded blue robe, his hair hanging down onto the ice, motionless in the cold wind.

His appearance remained youthful, with high brow bones, a straight nose, and well-defined lips, as if time had frozen on him for a thousand years. Most striking were his tightly closed eyes—his eyelashes were like frost, yet they exuded an indescribable majesty.

Although he could not sense any vitality, Shen Mo could feel a chilling aura emanating from him.

That was not the aura of an ordinary martial artist, but a kind of pressure that transcended life and death and surpassed heaven and earth.

He seemed to be enveloped in an invisible aura, and even the air seemed to distort because of his presence.

The cold air condensed into frost around him, but it could not conceal the faint demonic aura within him.

Shen Mo recognized at a glance that the person in front of him must be the founder of the Heavenly Demon God Sect—the first Heavenly Demon God: Xuan Yuan Ling.

It was for no other reason than the wisp of demonic energy within that body. That energy was exactly the same as the demonic energy within him, as if it were a trace of the very origin of the demonic energy within him.

"Senior Xuanyuan Ling..." Shen Mo's voice trembled slightly, and a hint of awe flashed in his eyes.

He slowly knelt down, his forehead striking the cold ground with a heavy thud. Then he kowtowed a second and a third time, each time with utmost reverence.

"This junior, Shen Mo, has come as fate has guided me." His voice was deep and firm, as if he were making a promise to the sages of a thousand years ago.

After getting up, Shen Mo carefully observed the incantations on the Heavenly Demon Totem. The ancient runes were lifelike, each word seemingly containing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth. He discovered that these incantations perfectly corresponded to the incantations of the 107 totems of the Demon Refining Mountain. Each sentence seemed to be telling a truth about heaven and earth, about martial arts, and about life.

After memorizing the incantation, Shen Mo noticed a message from Xuan Yuanling on the totem. The text was ancient and vigorous, carrying a timeless charm: "Following the teachings of the predecessor Li Er, I traveled ten thousand miles westward, finally arriving at this far westernmost point. Here, ice and fire coexist, yin and yang blend, a place where the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converges. I used my body as a furnace to sense the breath of heaven and earth, comprehending the way of yin and yang, and finally perfected the Heavenly Demon Divine Art."

Shen Mo was filled with indescribable confusion. The word "spiritual energy?" echoed repeatedly in his mind, like a huge puzzle.

Besides Senior Li Er mentioning it in his message at the Demon Refining Mountain, Xuan Yuan Ling also mentioned it in his message.

What exactly is this? Why do martial arts practitioners need this kind of "spiritual energy"?

"What exactly is spiritual energy?" Shen Mo murmured to himself, his voice so soft it was almost inaudible.

He closed his eyes, trying to find any trace of "spiritual energy" in his memory.

He recalled the ancient runes he saw in the forbidden area of ​​Wudang, the mysterious symbols he discovered in the tomb of the Martial God at the bottom of Erhai Lake, and how, when he cultivated on Lianmo Mountain, his internal energy would flow naturally during the full moon, as if resonating with heaven and earth.

"Could it be that spiritual energy is related to a specific environment?" Shen Mo's heart stirred, but he became even more confused.

He recalled that he once thought the pinnacle of martial arts was the ultimate strength and a breakthrough in realm. But now, he began to doubt that perhaps the true essence of martial arts lay in the understanding and application of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

After pondering for a long time, Shen Mo's mind gradually calmed down.

He no longer dwelled on the definition of "spiritual energy," but instead chose to let go of all distractions and wholeheartedly experience the world of this icy plain.

Gradually, his breathing became long and steady, and his aura began to resonate subtly with the heavens and earth.

He slowly closed his eyes, as if he had become one with the icy plain.

His consciousness began to drift away, as if he had crossed the boundaries of time and space and seen a much wider world.

Although his eyes were closed, he seemed to be able to see every flow of energy and every breath in the world.

......

In the distance, Alice and Odin, the Invincible King, watched Shen Mo stand there motionless for a long time, their hearts filled with doubt. Alice gently tugged at her father's sleeve and whispered, "Father, what's wrong with him?"

Odin looked at Shen Mo, shook his head in confusion, and a thoughtful look flashed in his eyes. "I have never seen such a state before," he said in a low voice.

Odin struggled to his feet. Although his dantian was destroyed and he had lost all his inner strength, he still asked Alice to help him and slowly walked towards Shen Mo in order to see what was going on.

"Father, slow down, don't rush, be careful." Alice said worriedly, supporting her father.

Odin waved his hand, his gaze fixed on Shen Mo. "It's nothing, I just wanted to see what was wrong with him."

As Odin and Alice approached, they noticed that Shen Mo's eyes were closed, yet a strange light shone within them, as if he were gazing at some distant place. He stood there, motionless, seemingly one with the world. Even with Odin and Alice standing right in front of him, he seemed completely unaware.

"Could it be... the legendary 'enlightenment'?" Odin murmured to himself, his voice filled with disbelief. He recalled an ancient legend he had heard in his youth, about how some martial artists could grasp the true essence of martial arts in a very short time and make rapid progress in their strength. But he never imagined that he would actually witness this scene with his own eyes.

"Father, look at Shen Mo's eyes..." Alice said softly, her voice filled with a hint of awe.

Odin nodded, his gaze becoming even more focused. Looking into Shen Mo's bright, piercing eyes, he seemed to see the mysteries of the world. He suddenly understood that the highest realm of martial arts was not the pursuit of ultimate power, but rather a profound understanding of the universe.