With a thunderous boom!

As the tenth step was taken, Chen Mobai’s consciousness quivered.

He felt as if the spirit-shielding barrier of the formless puppet was being battered by a tempest, twisting and warping, on the verge of shattering.

Yet, under the ceaseless supply of spiritual energy from the superior-grade spirit stones, it stubbornly held on.

He was tempted to push further, but Chen Mobai saw a yellow warning signal transmitted from the formless puppet.

This indicated that the barrier’s enchantments had reached the warning threshold. Although it hadn’t reached the critical red level indicating imminent breakage, it was a sign that the limit was near.

Chen Mobai waited two seconds, but the Dao Tree, so close yet so far, showed no response.

Ten steps aren’t enough?

Standing on the periphery, Chen Mobai’s face was etched with disappointment. He decided not to risk further damage to the formless puppet and began to retreat the puppet.

However, just as he took a step back, the previously silent and mountain-like Dao Tree suddenly emitted a faint green glow.

Caught off guard, Chen Mobai watched as a green leaf fluttered down, merging into the formless puppet.

The consciousness that Chen Mobai had attached to the puppet instantly connected with a vast and profound intent. His vision darkened, and he nearly passed out.

[Within ten steps of the Dao Tree, the achievement is superior-grade, eligible to be a true disciple of the Sect of Longevity.]

[True disciples may be imbued with a higher realm of a great technique. Please choose the great technique you wish to comprehend.]

Hearing this, Chen Mobai had only one thought in his mind.

Would you please tell me how to choose?

As if sensing his thoughts, another message appeared in his mind.

[To use a defensive great technique, simply cast it. To use an offensive great technique, launch it at the Dao Tree itself.]

At this moment, Chen Mobai saw the yellow warning on the formless puppet’s screen suddenly escalate to red. Knowing he couldn’t waste any more time and that the puppet had no room for choice, he lifted his right hand and formed it into a sword.

A crimson sword rainbow began to coalesce, a spark blossomed, and then it exploded, like a sky-spanning rainbow, slashing down upon the body of the Dao Tree before him.

Only then did Chen Mobai notice that the bark of the Dao Tree, so close at hand, bore numerous marks of blade slashes, sword cuts, and even imprints of fists, palms, and claws.

The latest was a finger imprint.

With a hiss!

His fiery sword rainbow, like a laser sword rain, left behind faintly charred marks on the Dao Tree.

It seemed a bit too weak.

But there was no helping it; this was the strongest attack Chen Mobai could muster.

If it were his true body, it might not even compare to this formless puppet.

After Chen Mobai unleashed his sword strike, he felt the spirit-shielding barrier shatter. As he prepared to retreat, feedback came from the Dao Tree.

[Among the twenty-four great techniques of the Sect of Longevity, this sword qi does not exist.]

What does that mean?

Did I just waste my ten steps?

Just as Chen Mobai was feeling annoyed and the formless puppet was about to exit, the Dao Tree finally sent another message.

[I bestow upon you the realm of ‘Sword Rainbow Splintering Light’!]

Then, the green leaf that had merged into Chen Mobai’s puppet suddenly burst into infinite brightness, burning up in an instant and transforming into a purple fire sword talisman, merging into it.

Connected by consciousness, Chen Mobai’s true body, which was sitting on the outskirts watching, also let out a scream at the same time.

He felt as if his consciousness-formed jade phoenix tree was being scorched by flames, which was unbearable for Chen Mobai, who was already careful with his divided consciousness and thoughts. The intense burning pain knocked him unconscious.

[The Sect of Longevity’s trial at the Dao Tree has ended, disciple return.]

Before losing consciousness, Chen Mobai heard the Dao Tree’s final message.

Then his body began to flicker with silver-white radiance, the power of space fluctuating, transporting him back to Giantwood Ridge.

[Beep beep beep]!

At this moment, the Turtle Treasure, which had merged into the phone and had been silent, suddenly started to pop up notifications, the shrill sound audible even to the unconscious Chen Mobai.

In his groggy consciousness, Chen Mobai just wanted to turn off the annoying phone notification sound.

[Detection of the host traversing the membrane of heaven and earth, leaving this realm. Do you wish to anchor this new world for future transmission?]

Then, Turtle Treasure’s words jolted the unconscious Chen Mobai back to awareness, and he mustered a sliver of energy.

Amidst the severe pain of being scorched by flames, he forcefully stimulated his consciousness and issued the command [Yes].

After that, he could no longer hold on and completely passed out.

When Chen Mobai woke up, it was ten days later.

He lay in a room within the Divine Wood Hall.

“Senior Brother has awakened. Do you feel discomfort anywhere?”

The speaker was Yan Jinye. As a true disciple of the Alchemy Department with medical expertise, she had been left to care for Chen Mobai after Master Zeng confirmed there was no danger to Chen Mobai’s life.

“It’s been tough on you, Junior Sister. My consciousness is a bit groggy, but overall, I’m unharmed.”

Chen Mobai had just woken up, still unclear about the situation, and answered cautiously.

“That’s good. I’ll go inform the Sect Leader.”

Yan Jinye breathed a sigh of relief and then turned to leave.

Soon after, Meng Hong arrived with a gaunt middle-aged man with a goatee.

“Hmm, vigorous vitality, smooth spiritual power, and according to the pulse, you have fully recovered.”

The middle-aged man was Master Zeng of the Alchemy Department, the one who had refined the beast Foundation Establishment pill for Chen Mobai and was also Yan Jinye’s master.

“You lad have gained something in front of the Dao Tree. These three only fainted for a day before waking up on their own and reporting here at the Divine Wood Hall. But you were unconscious for a full ten days, almost as long as Honghe.”

Meng Hong pointed at Yan Jinye, who lowered her head in embarrassment.

“I did indeed gain something.”

Chen Mobai hesitated, then decided it was better to solidify his image as a genius. After all, he was now known alongside Honghe as one of the Divine Wood Sect’s unparalleled dual prodigies.Red River might have also taken ten steps; that finger imprint should be his.

Since both were equally famous, Chen Mobai naturally couldn’t hide his skills.

“How many steps did you take?”

Upon hearing this, Meng Hong, who had been relatively composed, became slightly agitated. He couldn’t help but rush to Chen Mobai’s bedside and pressed for an answer, which greatly surprised the latter.

Did I overdo the consolidation?

“I only reached ten steps, unfortunately unable to touch the Dao Tree.”

But there was no helping it, since the words were already spoken, he could only continue to consolidate and pretend.

Inside the room, everyone gasped in shock.

Even Master Zeng, who had entered with a cold expression, showed a look of astonishment upon hearing that Chen Mobai had taken ten steps in front of the Dao Tree.

When the Five Elements Sect had not yet split, he too had entered the Divine Tree Secret Realm, but he had only managed to take six steps in front of the Dao Tree.

It was precisely because he had experienced it that he knew how difficult it was to take ten steps.

This was not a simple matter of addition, but a difference of several times, even tens of times.

This person truly deserved to be a peerless swordsmanship genius!

Only those with a heart of iron like a sword could withstand such overwhelming spiritual attacks, akin to stormy waves.

This young fellow might even have a more terrifying talent than Red River.

Chen Mobai looked at the shocked gazes of Meng Hong and Master Zeng, feeling that he might have overdone the consolidation.

But at this point, he had no choice but to keep up the act.

“Senior Brother Chen, you’re amazing!”

Yan Jinye looked at the handsome young man lying on the sickbed with a pale face, full of admiration.

She felt that even if this person was seriously injured and could only lift a single finger, he could easily defeat a mediocrity like herself.

Because she had just gone through the Dao Tree’s assessment, the terrifying pressure that was omnipresent like dark clouds overhead, yet inescapable, was vivid in her mind.

Compared to Meng Hong and Zeng Woyou, who could only recall, she understood that difficulty and pain more clearly.

“You are the first true disciple of our sect to take ten steps towards the Dao Tree since the split from the Five Elements Sect. Could you tell us the specifics?”

Meng Hong asked Chen Mobai with a serious expression.

Hearing this, Chen Mobai felt dizzy.

How did he become the first?

Was Red River that useless?

He couldn’t even take ten steps?

Originally, hearing people like E Yun and Zhou Wangshen speak so cautiously about Red River, and knowing that his own unconscious time was similar to Red River’s, he thought that Red River had also taken ten steps, and felt that it was worthy of someone who was as famous as himself, a swordsmanship genius of the Shenmu Sect.

Who knew he had been tricked.

If it weren’t for the gain he had at the last moment in front of the Dao Tree, he might have had his persona collapse today.

“This was supposed to be my earth-shattering opportunity, I didn’t even want to leave any trace of it within the sect.”

As Chen Mobai spoke to this point, Meng Hong understood his meaning.

“Rest assured, your gains in front of the Dao Tree will only be passed down orally within the Transmission Department and will not be turned into text for the library.”

“Moreover, regardless of whether this opportunity is useful to the Shenmu Sect or not, I, as the sect leader, will privately compensate you with a second-tier magical artifact.”

“Master Zeng is a direct disciple of Ancestor Zhou, and this matter will have to be reported to him when he comes out of seclusion.”

After these three sentences, Chen Mobai knew that even if he was determined not to speak of his gains in front of the Dao Tree, it probably wouldn’t work.

Ancestor Zhou had been mentioned.

With that in mind, Chen Mobai began to use his imagination, combining characters from his favorite TV dramas, and concocted a story that was half-true, half-false, yet shocked Meng Hong and the others.

“When I took the tenth step, I knew that even with my talent, I could only stop there and not overstep.”

“However, we sword cultivators would rather break than bend. Even though I knew that taking the eleventh step might lead to death, I was still fearless. As I took the next step, I also struck out with my most sublimated, brilliant sword strike of my life towards the Dao Tree.”

“After this strike, I felt as if I had shattered into pieces and fell into a long slumber. I don’t know how long it was before I woke up in darkness and saw an immensely towering figure.”

“This person stood with his back to the world, his black hair like ink, holding a rotten wooden sword in his right hand.”

“He spoke a sentence and made a slash.”

“With that slash, the void shattered, the Dao itself was extinguished, but in the end, a new world was born, which I guess was the origin of the Divine Tree Secret Realm.”

“After opening the world with one sword, he asked me if I saw clearly.”

“I shook my head, he sighed, and then slowly disappeared, and then I woke up, opening my eyes to see Junior Sister Yan.”

After Chen Mobai finished speaking, Meng Hong and the others’ eyes were incredibly wide.

With their vision and knowledge, they simply couldn’t imagine the towering existence described by Chen Mobai; it completely surpassed the pinnacle of the classics and fairy tales they had read.

You must know, even for a True Immortal who ascended to heaven, the greatest feat was to shatter the Yunmeng River and turn it into a vast expanse of water.

But such power that could destroy continents was already the highest realm in the eyes of Meng Hong and the others.

The supreme being who opened a world with one sword, as described by Chen Mobai, could probably only be compared to the being who opened the Tianhe Realm, the Primordial Mother.

“Did this venerable one leave a Daoist name?”

Meng Hong asked very cautiously.

“Of course, before making that slash, he said: ‘I am Qing Emperor, and with this slash, I carve out the Sword of Longevity. Anyone who comprehends this sword may claim to be a disciple of mine.’”

Hearing this, Meng Hong and Zeng Woyou exchanged glances, their expressions growing even more solemn.

The Divine Tree Secret Realm was a secret realm left by the ancient Longevity Sect, rumored to have an ancient heritage that could even trace back to the time when the Primordial Mother opened the continents and seas. Now it seemed that it should be the Dao lineage of this Qing Emperor.

“Is there more?”

Seeing the hopeful look in the eyes of Meng Hong and the others, Chen Mobai could only shake his head.We’ve already spun tales to the creation of heaven and earth; any further, and we’d be delving into primordial chaos, re-forging the elements of earth, wind, water, and fire.

“It’s a pity you didn’t comprehend that Eternal Sword. Otherwise, you might have gained the true recognition of the Divine Tree Secret Realm, allowing you free entry and control over all its resources.”

Meng Hong sighed, and upon hearing this, Chen Mobai felt a stir in his heart.

He remembered the popup from the turtle treasure before he lost consciousness, unsure if the anchoring had been successful.

“The spiritual energy in the Divine Tree Secret Realm is mediocre at best, with only some spiritual trees. At most, there are Dao Trees, Treasure Trees, and Talent Trees that are useful for newly established Foundation Establishment cultivators. The resources inside are probably not even comparable to Giantwood Ridge.”

Chen Mobai tentatively made a comment.

“Only the environment of the Divine Tree Secret Realm can cultivate the Eternal Wood.”

Meng Hong simply stated this, then looked intently at Chen Mobai.

“Honghe took nine steps and became a true disciple of the Eternal Sect, gaining some benefits. Besides witnessing the Eternal Sword of the Green Emperor, do you have no other gains?”

Here it comes!

Chen Mobai knew that someone as experienced as Meng Hong would never believe without seeing something substantial.

But doubts were good; otherwise, how could he reveal the swordsmanship realm he had just attained?

“Although I didn’t comprehend the Green Emperor’s Eternal Sword, I have made some ‘minor’ achievements in the way of the sword. By analogy, my swordsmanship realm has ascended to a higher level, a blessing in disguise, you could say.”

As he spoke, Chen Mobai gently extended his right index finger.

Then, a wisp of purple flame ignited at his fingertip, instantly drawing all the free-floating spiritual energy in the room into a vacuum.

The pure spiritual power condensed, like a rainbow sword rain, containing immense power.

It should have spread out overwhelmingly, but it was firmly bound at Chen Mobai’s fingertip, turning into a section of crystal-clear, flowing magma-like purple jade sword light.

Seeing this, Meng Hong’s expression turned solemn. He took out a second-order spiritual leaf talisman.

However, this defensive talisman, which could easily withstand a barrage of sword qi, couldn’t last even a breath before the purple jade sword light, and was cleaved into two, burning into ashes that scattered on the ground.

“Sword Rainbow, Light Division!”

Witnessing this, Meng Hong and the others once again inhaled sharply in shock.