Wandering Swordsman |

As dusk fell, the burning face beneath the ice illuminated the surroundings, revealing Shen Mo's figure.

Odin and Alice stayed by Shen Mo's side as time passed by, second by second.

They didn't know how long Shen Mo would remain in this state, but out of a sense of duty, they decided to stay here until Shen Mo woke up.

For three days and three nights, they kept watch over him. Odin's injuries were slowly healing, but he could no longer muster his inner strength. Alice supported him the whole time, afraid that he would suffer any further harm.

Finally, on the morning of the third day, Shen Mo's eyelids fluttered slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, a glint of light flashing in them, as if he had already seen through the mysteries of the world.

He looked down at his hands, then looked up into the distance. He could vaguely sense a peculiar aura emanating from the interplay between the ice beneath his feet and the burning face beneath it. "Could this be spiritual energy?" he wondered to himself.

However, he soon noticed a strange phenomenon. The sunlight in front of him was something was wrong; why had it suddenly changed from overcast to sunny? It had only been a moment, but it felt like an eternity.

"This...how is this possible?" Shen Mo muttered to himself. He looked around and found that it was already bright daylight, with the rising sun shining on the ice field. He recalled that before his enlightenment, the sky was still gloomy, but now it was already morning.

"Time...it's actually been distorted?" Shen Mo was shocked. He looked at Xuan Yuanling's message on the totem: "By gaining insight into the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, I have finally perfected the Heavenly Demon Divine Art." He suddenly realized that spiritual energy could not only affect a martial artist's cultivation, but also alter the flow of time?

Shen Mo slowly stood up and looked around. When he saw Odin and Alice standing not far away, their eyes were full of concern, and a hint of confusion appeared on their faces. Why were they here?

"Father!" Alice suddenly cried out excitedly, "Look, he's moving!"

Odin was startled and immediately looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo slowly turned his head, his gaze clear and profound, as if he had seen through all things in the world.

"Shen Mo, you...you've finally woken up." Odin's voice was somewhat weary. He remembered how he had once been willing to pay any price for the path of martial arts, but now he saw an insurmountable chasm between himself and Shen Mo.

Shen Mo's gaze slowly swept over Odin and Alice, his voice tinged with confusion: "How much time has passed?"

Despite his shattered dantian and loss of all internal energy, Odin's spine remained straight. He looked at Shen Mo, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "Three days and three nights have passed."

"Three days and three nights?" Shen Mo looked surprised, his brows furrowing slightly. He looked down at his hands, then looked up into the distance. "It only felt like a moment."

He recalled his state of enlightenment, as if he had transcended the boundaries of time and space and seen a much wider world.

At that moment, he could clearly sense a special aura generated by the struggle between the ice beneath his feet and the scalding face beneath it.

He thought it was just a moment, but he didn't expect that three whole days had passed.

"Then why are you still here?" Shen Mo's voice carried a hint of confusion.

Three days have passed; they should have left by now.

Alice gently supported her father, looking tenderly at Shen Mo: "Because we didn't know how long you would remain in that state, we decided to stay with you. After all, it wouldn't be reasonable to leave you here alone, and besides, when I lost all my memories, it was you who decided to bring me along. So, both morally and logically, I should stay with you."

Her voice was soft yet firm, as if she were stating a perfectly natural truth.

Shen Mo looked at her and remembered that she used to be "Faceless," but now she had found her true self again.

He knew that this gratitude and sense of morality were the truest aspects of her heart.

Shen Mo did not harbor any particular hatred towards Wudi Gong; he only attacked him because he had promised Hua Tianyou.

Hearing that they had waited for him for three days and three nights, he couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude.

He clasped his hands in a respectful bow and solemnly said, "Thank you both for your protection."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Odin, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes: "I destroyed your dantian and crippled your martial arts, don't you hate me?" Shen Mo felt that he was at his most vulnerable when he was in that state of self-forgetfulness, and if Odin took this opportunity to attack him, he was very likely to succeed.

Odin was taken aback, then a relieved smile appeared on his face.

There was no resentment in his eyes, only deep emotion: "If you hadn't appeared, how could I have seen Alice again? If I hadn't seen such an insurmountable wall as you, how could I have suddenly awakened from the mad path of martial arts?"

He looked at Alice, his eyes filled with affection: "If it weren't for you, I might never have understood how absurd everything I did in my pursuit of martial arts was. So, I not only don't hate you, but I thank you."

Shen Mo remained silent for a long time, his heart churning with indescribable emotions. He recalled every step of his journey, and Hua Tianyou's revenge. He understood that at this moment, he had gained a new perspective on his path of martial arts.

He turned and walked towards the figure sitting cross-legged beneath the Heavenly Demon Totem. He first bowed deeply, then said in a low voice, "Senior Xuanyuan Ling, please forgive me."

After speaking, he stepped forward and gently placed his hand on Xuan Yuanling's head. He could sense the eternal and indestructible demonic energy within Xuan Yuanling's body, as well as another, even more mysterious aura. It was something he had only noticed after his enlightenment—a natural force that transcended internal energy, perfectly integrated with the demonic energy, yet entirely different.

Shen Mo took a deep breath and began to use the Heavenly Demon Qi within his body to activate the Heaven-Defying Divine Skill.

In an instant, the demonic energy within Xuan Yuanling surged into his body through his arm.

That power was pure and profound, as if it were the source of the demonic energy. At the same time, that natural power that transcended internal energy also flowed into his body.

"Could this be... spiritual energy!" Shen Mo was deeply shocked.

He could clearly sense the mystery of that power—it was different from ordinary internal energy, and also different from the aura of the Heavenly Demon, but a purer and more fundamental energy.

It seems to resonate with heaven and earth, and live in harmony with nature.

Shen Mo closed his eyes and wholeheartedly felt this power.

He recalled Xuan Yuanling's message: "Through my understanding of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, I have finally perfected the Heavenly Demon Divine Art." He finally understood that the so-called "spiritual energy" was actually this natural power that transcended internal strength. And Xuan Yuanling had actually refined this wisp of spiritual energy and integrated it into his own Heavenly Demon Qi.