System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

109: Asking about the Cloud Bridge, where ten thousand paths vie for supremacy.The Cloud Bridge of Seeking the Dao stretched across the boundless sea of clouds, extending toward the majestic Mountain of Inheritance in the distance. The bridge was composed entirely of solidified mist; though it appeared ethereal, stepping upon it revealed a solid, jade-like texture. The bridge deck was about three zhang wide with no railings on either side. Below was a churning abyss of clouds, from which the faint aura of spatial turbulence—sharp enough to sting the Divine Soul—wafted up.

Ye Chen took a deep breath. The pure Spiritual Qi and the unique Dao rhyme within the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm poured into his body, making his chaos primordial fetus a bit more active. He understood that while this Cloud Bridge seemed peaceful, it was actually filled with hidden perils at every step. It would test his own ”Dao” and the ”power” that carried it.

He took a step onto the Cloud Bridge.

The moment his foot landed, a sudden change occurred!

”Buzz!”

The previously calm bridge surface ahead suddenly churned with mist, condensing into a blurry figure. This figure was not humanoid, but a cluster of blazing light that constantly shifted its form, emitting a pure and explosive aura of Fire Laws! A wave of searing heat rushed toward him, as if it wanted to ignite his very Divine Soul.

”The Dao of Fire burns all things; it is the beginning of civilization and the end of destruction!” A grand will accompanied the scorching heat, impacting Ye Chen’s mind.

This was not a real living being, but a ”Dao Trace Manifestation” condensed by the Flowing Cloud Hermit from the Origin of certain Fire Laws in the world! It represented a direction of the Great Dao and would directly crush an intruder with ”Dao” and ”power.”

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed, but he did not retreat. The Chaos Gang Qi circulated within his body, and his Guixu Sword Intent remained poised but unreleased. He also took a step forward, meeting it with his own Sword Intent.

”My Dao encompasses everything. Fire is also within it, to be used by me, not feared by me!”

His Sword Intent was not of a single attribute. Chaos embraced everything, Silence could extinguish flames, and Guixu could contain the essence of fire. Two invisible Dao rhymes collided violently at the head of the bridge!

There was no world-shaking Explosion, only a fierce clash of Dao and principles. The Fire Dao Trace erupted with sky-high flames, attempting to incinerate Ye Chen’s Dao intent, but the Chaos Sword Intent was like an invisible vortex, constantly decomposing, absorbing, and transforming the fire’s power. The intent of Silence even caused the blazing light to dim slightly.

After a stalemate of only a few breaths, the Fire Dao Trace let out an unwilling hum and suddenly collapsed, turning back into pure mist and merging back into the bridge. A subtle insight regarding the Fire Laws quietly flowed into Ye Chen’s heart, deepening his understanding of ”fire.”

”So that’s how it is. By passing through the Dao Trace Manifestations, one can obtain corresponding Law insights and temper their own Dao.” Ye Chen understood in his heart that this Cloud Bridge of Seeking the Dao was both a test and an Opportunity!

He continued forward.

After a few more steps, the mist changed again. This time, it condensed into an earth-yellow Dao Trace that was as heavy as a mountain and emitted the rhythm of the earth’s pulse.

”The Dao of Earth carries all things with great virtue; it is the Foundation of all things and also an eternal imprisonment!”

Boundless pressure squeezed in from all directions, as if trying to suppress and solidify him along with his Dao.

Ye Chen’s sword stance shifted. His Guixu Sword Intent flickered, piercing into the earth like a sharp blade! The intent of Silence disintegrated its stable structure, while the intent of Chaos embraced its heavy essence.

”Though the earth is thick, my sword can split it! To carry all things, one must also have the chance to break through the soil and find new life!”

The earth-yellow Dao Trace trembled violently and finally collapsed as well, leaving behind a sliver of insight regarding the Earth Laws.

Next came the Dao Trace of Gold, sharp enough to cut through anything; the Dao Trace of Wood, vibrant and nurturing yet hiding erosion; the Dao Trace of Water, both extremely soft and extremely hard, ever-changing... the swiftness of Wind, the violence of Thunder, the severity of Ice, the clarity of Light, the profundity of Darkness... one by one, Dao Trace Manifestations representing the world’s fundamental and even rare Laws appeared on the Cloud Bridge to attack Ye Chen. Each Dao Trace represented an ultimate direction of the Great Dao, containing the Flowing Cloud Hermit’s profound understanding of the Laws of heaven and earth.

Ye Chen was like a solitary boat in a raging sea, or like refined iron in a millstone, enduring the baptism and tempering of ten thousand Daos. He pushed his Chaos Sword Dao to its limit, sometimes using Silence to break all Laws, sometimes using Guixu to admit a hundred rivers. More often, he used the Origin of Chaos to embrace, understand, and even simulate the charm of these Laws, taking their essence and discarding the dregs, constantly strengthening his own Dao Foundation.

His Sword Intent became more and more condensed and harmonious. The intents of Silence, Guixu, and Chaos, which were previously somewhat distinct, began to merge at a deeper level under this high-intensity pressure and Fusion of ten thousand Daos. Upon the guixu sword, within that dark blue light, subtle glimmers of various Laws began to circulate. Though faint, it meant his sword dao was evolving toward a more inclusive and powerful direction.

At the same time, a massive amount of Law insights flooded into his Sea of Consciousness, where they were absorbed and organized by the chaos primordial fetus. Although he only grasped the surface of each, the convergence of ten thousand Daos caused a qualitative change from the quantitative accumulation, bringing his cognition of the rules of heaven and earth to a brand new height. Under the nourishment of these insights, his cultivation also faintly approached the threshold of the Earth Fiend Realm Second Layer.

However, the closer he got to the end of the Cloud Bridge and the direction of the Mountain of Inheritance, the more powerful and bizarre the Dao Traces became.

Sometimes they were composite Dao Traces formed by the Fusion of two or even three completely different Laws, their power multiplied; sometimes they were strange Dao Traces that were extremely niche, specifically targeting the Divine Soul or using curses, making them impossible to guard against.

The pressure on Ye Chen grew heavier, and his forward speed slowed. Sword Intent surged around him, and his Chaos Gang Qi was heavily consumed. Beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, but his eyes grew increasingly bright and brilliant. This chance to contend with ten thousand Daos was a once-in-a-millennium Opportunity. Every confrontation deepened his understanding of his own ”Dao.”

”My Dao is Chaos; it is the beginning and the end! It can derive ten thousand Laws, and it can break ten thousand Laws!”

The conviction in his heart grew firmer. With every swing of his sword, his Sword Intent swept out, slashing through and absorbing the Dao Traces that blocked his path.

He knew not how much time had passed—perhaps a moment, perhaps several years. Within the Flowing Cloud Illusionary Realm, the concept of time became blurred.

When Ye Chen once again used a single sword strike to extinguish a terrifying Dao Trace that fused the powers of Space and Destruction, and absorbed its insight, he suddenly looked up and found that there were no more Dao Traces blocking his way.

The end of the Cloud Bridge was right before his eyes!

There, the mist had condensed into a magnificent White Jade Platform. Behind the platform was the phantom of a palace emitting an ancient and desolate aura. The palace gates were tightly shut, and above the lintel, three large characters were written in ancient cloud script—Inheritance Hall!

He had finally arrived!

Ye Chen let out a long breath of turbid air, his eyes unable to hide his excitement and fatigue. This journey had seemed devoid of obvious danger, but it was actually perilously fraught. It was a series of dangerous collisions between his own Dao and ten thousand others. Any slight hesitation or lack of strength would have resulted in a damaged Dao Heart and being ejected from the illusionary realm.

He adjusted his breathing and stepped onto the White Jade Platform.

The moment both his feet landed on the platform, the entire Cloud Bridge of Seeking the Dao seemed to have fulfilled its mission. It emitted a faint glow and then slowly dissipated, turning back into the sky-filling mist and merging into the illusionary realm.

Ye Chen felt a clear connection form between himself and the Inheritance Hall. The cloud key in his robes grew slightly warm, pointing toward the tightly shut palace gates.

At the same time, an even purer and more primordial aura of Chaos wafted out from within the Inheritance Hall, creating a strong resonance with the chaos primordial fetus inside him!

The chaos spirit pearl was inside the hall!

The Original Soul Imprint of the Flowing Cloud Hermit was also inside!

The final Legacy was within reach!

Ye Chen did not step forward immediately. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the White Jade Platform, took out a Medicinal Pill to consume, and focused all his efforts on recovering his consumed Protective Aura and mental energy. He knew that pushing open that door would lead to the final and possibly most difficult test from the Flowing Cloud Hermit. He had to face it in his most perfect state.

The chaos primordial fetus rotated slowly, absorbing the pure Spiritual Qi within the illusionary realm, while the insights of the ten thousand Laws he had absorbed earlier slowly settled and merged in his heart. After the baptism of the Cloud Bridge, his aura became increasingly deep and heavy.

When his state had returned to its Peak, Ye Chen opened his eyes. A flash of Chaos light passed through them before his brilliance was restrained within.

He stood up, straightened his robes, and looked firmly at the palace gates that led to the final Opportunity.

Then, he took a step forward and walked toward the Inheritance Hall with his head held high.