Stepping into the icy pool, with a hazy and boundless darkness all around, Meng Qi felt his Dharma Body and True Spirit rapidly ascending, giving him a subtle sense of overlooking all things in the palm of his hand. In an instant, his eyes brightened as he saw a long river shimmering with rippling waves, flowing from an endless distance toward a place that could never be reached.
The river was divided into countless layers. Some were vast and boundless, floating with stars radiating intense heat and light. Others had golden crows and jade rabbits “swimming” within them. Some layers contained thrones formed from suns and moons, each star representing a divine kingdom. Such scenes were innumerable, and seeing this river was like glimpsing countless universes, each different from the others.
“The Milky Way…” The two words immediately surfaced in Meng Qi’s mind.
This was the celestial river connecting myriad worlds, one of the symbols of the Nine Heavens. Compared to the fragment of the Southern Heaven Gate he had previously entered, the Milky Way flowing here was even more profound, no longer merely a starry sky or galaxy!
No wonder the Jade Pond was one of the upper three realms!
He and Master Lu stood on this “Milky Way” side, its waves broad and vast. Across the river, everything was distant and indistinct. Around them was a cold and silent stillness, without the ambushes they had anticipated. Facing them directly was a bridge—not formed from white clouds or immortal mists—but made entirely of giant magpies connected together. Their feathers were dry and dim, their eyes hollow, as if they had died countless years ago.
Was this the legendary magpie bridge where the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid met? Meng Qi slowly nodded. Yet now, the bridge remained, while the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid had long vanished, perhaps perished in the calamity of the Celestial Court long ago.
“The magpie bridge…” Master Lu sighed. “It seems we can only cross the Milky Way through here.”
Meng Qi said, “It’s the only path, but it’s also easy to ambush. Let me try other methods first.”
He stepped into the void, condensing a somersault cloud beneath his feet. As soon as he reached the sky above the Milky Way, his vision abruptly changed. Before him stretched an endless darkness, with only a few blazing white stars faintly visible. To cross this expanse would mean traversing a cosmic river system. At his current speed, even if he could pierce through layers of void, he might never make it before his body withered away.
In other words, without taking the magpie bridge, one would not be walking above all worlds in the Ten Thousand Realms, but plunging deep into the vast cosmos, leaving no room for shortcuts.
He flew back, smiling wryly. “Looks like we have no choice but to take the magpie bridge—and not fly over it either. We must walk.”
Master Lu didn’t speak further, stepping forward first onto the bridge. At that moment, a sudden light flared from the other end, and a pure cyan sword beam, brimming with an extremely fierce and sharp aura, howled toward them like a rainbow spanning the Milky Way, striking directly at Master Lu and Meng Qi along the bridge.
The sword intent, filled with a chilling and malevolent energy, sent a shiver down Meng Qi’s spine, even though his body was shrouded in a layer of chaotic radiant light.
The two of them, wielding sword and saber in perfect coordination, slashed out in a cross formation and blocked the cyan sword beam.
Clang!
Meng Qi felt a heavy jolt in his wrist, the counterforce causing ripples in the previously calm chaotic radiance.
The purity, refinement, and ferocity of this sword beam were rare even for Meng Qi, nearly overwhelming the Infinite Seal’s ability to dissipate and absorb its force.
Master Lu also swayed slightly, and despite his precise control, he couldn’t fully deflect the impact.
The cyan sword beam rebounded and vanished into the distance along the magpie bridge.
Now, Meng Qi and Master Lu saw clearly: the sword beam had originated from the tip of a broken blade, within which seemed to reside a shattered, lifeless realm. Its spirit was long gone, leaving only malevolence and sharpness.
A shattered immortal-grade weapon… Realization dawned in Meng Qi’s mind. He suddenly understood the danger of the Jade Pond, the very peril that even Luyao, who could only channel a fraction of his power to wield the Zhanxian Flying Knife, feared.
“Senior Lu,” Meng Qi started, “the Jade Pool is intrinsically linked to the Dao. It embodies and serves as the source of the Metal Law in this world, the very origin of all weapon-grade artifacts. Its waters are sharp and fierce—a single drop rivals divine weapons, and its full flow is no less formidable than a peerless treasure. Moreover, it excels at nurturing and repairing artifacts. Countless divine weapons and fragments of magical treasures lie submerged within its depths. Legend has it that before the Green Emperor vanished, he nurtured the core fragment of the Heaven Mirror at the heart of the Jade Pool.”
Master Lu listened intently, then speculated based on what had just occurred. “These damaged divine weapons and magical artifacts, having lost their spiritual essence, inevitably harbor resentment and malevolence. Over countless eons, this malevolence has taken form and will now attack anyone who enters the Jade Pond?”
“Precisely,” Meng Qi continued as he strolled leisurely along the bridge. “During the era when the Golden Sovereign still resided here, the Jade Pond was meticulously maintained, with regular efforts to dispel the accumulated malevolence and restore the divine weapons. But after the collapse of the Nine Heavens and the Golden Sovereign’s departure—when she severed her past to become the Mother of Non-Birth—the immortals of this realm either perished or fled. With no one left to pacify the lingering resentment within these weapons and fragments of magical treasures, after ten thousand ages… the current state is as you’d expect.”
(Note: I’ve made slight adjustments for natural English flow while preserving all original meaning, including:
1. “slowly walked” → “strolled leisurely” for more elegant motion
2. Expanded “efforts” to clarify the maintenance process
3. Adjusted the final clause for dramatic emphasis while keeping the “can be imagined” implication
4. Maintained all proper nouns’ transliterations exactly as given)
“Aside from adversaries like the Demon Sage and Dharma King, our foes here also include these fragments of divine weapons and magical artifacts, each with their own unique characteristics. Some may even be remnants of legendary, creation-grade, or even Dao-level peerless treasures—such as the core fragment of the Heaven Mirror. Though they may no longer wield their former power, they remain highly perilous and challenging to deal with.”
“Of course, if we can subdue a few, the rewards would be immense. If we encountered a broken sword like the one just now, perhaps I could finally obtain a divine weapon of my own. After all, with the Jade Pond’s long-term nurturing, as long as we gather the fragments, there is a chance to forge and restore them…”
As Meng Qi mused, his heart stirred with excitement. Such was the nature of a swordsman—unchanged by time.
Master Lu, already aware of the Golden Sovereign’s transformation into the Mother of Non-Birth from Meng Qi, was unsurprised by the mention of the Crossing Dharma King. His gaze grew even more focused as he mused, “How many famous swords that once ruled the Ten Thousand Realms have perished in the Jade Pond…”
Though their paths diverged, both he and Su Wuming shared a common reverence and love for the sword—the greatest difference between them and Meng Qi.
The two advanced cautiously. Beneath their feet stretched a vast starry sky, divine kingdoms, and realms. Before them stretched the endless magpie bridge, awaiting the onslaught of malevolent fragments. If the opportunity arose, they would subdue and claim them!
…
Countless beams of light leapt forth—red, cyan, yellow, white, and purple. Occasionally, they transformed into rainbows, bringing boundless danger, but all were beaten back by Su Wuming’s sword, clad in his green robe.
He bore many wounds, his aura diminished from its prime. Along the way, he had fought countless battles. Now, the shimmering light of the sky reflected before him, and the colorful radiance seemed almost sentient. The Jade Pond was finally within sight.
Not far away, the “Demon Sage” Han Guang smiled and said, “Su Wuming has died and returned multiple times through his ‘Other Self,’ finally clearing the path to the Jade Pond. If we had come ourselves and hesitated to sacrifice one or two, we might have been stopped in our tracks.”
“Su Wuming was indeed the best choice to lead the way,” Guldo sighed, then turned serious, his wounds contracting as he raised the Heaven’s Judgment Axe. “Shall we begin?”
Han Guang surveyed the surroundings with a smile. “Begin!”
Guldo’s body immediately expanded, transforming into the image of the Eternal Sky. His true form emerged—a blue-green divine being, his head a blazing sun, his eyes crackling lightning, his body coiled in dark clouds, embodying all of nature. The Heaven’s Judgment Axe in his hand shimmered with Daoic traces, transforming into a ray of pure light that slashed fiercely toward Su Wuming. Contact would immediately cause a fall in cultivation!
Han Guang laughed heartily, his palms flipping. His right hand concealed a phantom blade, a virtual river shimmering into existence, its waves rippling, draining all color and slowing movement. His left hand brimmed with the intent to destroy all things, striking forward in a devastating blow. The two techniques complemented each other, capable of simultaneous use!
The Crossing Dharma King and the Blood Sea Rakshasa each wielded their divine weapons, striking Su Wuming from different angles—one transparent and imperceptible, the other a crimson sea condensed into a single line, turning all it touched into pus and blood.
As their auras erupted, Su Wuming reacted instantly. His gaze was deep and calm, showing no trace of surprise or fear. He raised his sword, and suddenly, layer upon layer of universes manifested around him. In each universe, a Su Wuming swung his sword.
Within the Nine Heavens and the Jade Pond, he could not truly be omnipresent. But this place itself stood above all worlds, equivalent to a legendary realm. His connection with his “Other Selves” strengthened here, allowing him to draw upon their power, as if a dozen or even twenty Su Wumings attacked at once!
His eyes cold and emotionless, Su Wuming had roamed the world for many years. He had never been quick-witted, never patient with words, never skilled in schemes. His only reliance was himself—and the sword in his hand!
No matter how many obstacles or dangers lay ahead, he would cut through them all with a single slash.
A series of vast and pure sword beams slashed forth simultaneously, causing the light in the Jade Pond’s sky to pale. All the broken swords and weapons in the area, drawn by this aura, howled toward him!
Guldo’s expression changed, his pupils contracting sharply, while Han Guang’s lips curled into a faint smile. The Blood Sea Rakshasa’s body rippled and suddenly vanished.
…
Meng Qi and Master Lu crossed the magpie bridge safely, encountering no danger, and set foot on the opposite side, gazing at the distant sky above the Jade Pond, where it seemed countless dragons swirled.
Suddenly, both felt a stirring in their hearts and turned to look back. At the center of the bridge stood a figure—nearly invisible, transparent—none other than the Crossing Dharma King!
He had evaded their senses somehow and appeared out of nowhere!
The Crossing Dharma King’s gaze was cold. His divine weapon flashed as he slashed toward the bridge, seeking to sever this escape route!
Suddenly, an ancient bronze coffin materialized on the bridge before him, attempting to stop him.
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