I was a mineral prospector in Chengdu, who transmigrated into the body of a mortal sword immortal.

His footsteps fell on nothingness, yet made a soft sound, as if he were stepping on solid ground. With each step forward, the absolute silence around him was broken. The uniform, faint light ahead began to fluctuate and swirl, gradually forming a hazy passage of light. At the end of the passage, a deeper, more ancient outline of darkness was faintly visible, and within that darkness, a faint, yet seemingly weightless, bronze luster. Li Bai held his breath slightly; he knew that was the destination he was guided to—the core area where the Bronze Divine Tree resided. He gripped the Azure Lotus Sword tightly; the warm touch of the hilt and the faint fragrance of lotus calmed his mind. Without looking back, he stepped into the passage of light, his figure gradually swallowed by the vast, ancient darkness before him.

The light is flowing.

It wasn't visual light, but a perceptual flow of pure energy. Li Bai felt like a fish swimming upstream, or a boat sailing with the wind. The boundaries of the void on either side of the passage were blurred, occasionally punctuated by fleeting, tiny specks of light, like fragments of starlight, carrying a cold and distant aura. Time seemed to lose its meaning here; only the steady tactile sensation beneath his feet, as if treading on some kind of tough leather, reminded him that he was still moving forward.

I don't know how long it took.

The bronze luster in front of him gradually magnified, from the size of a pinhead to a soybean, then to a fist. Finally, when Li Bai finally felt a change in the sensation under his feet, stepping from the illusory "passage" onto some kind of solid ground, the bronze luster had transformed into an overwhelming, heavy presence, filling his entire field of vision.

The illusion vanished completely.

He found himself standing in an extremely spacious, vast underground space—or rather, the deepest part of the bronze labyrinth. The surroundings were no longer the intricate bronze walls and passageways, but a wide, mirror-like plaza. The plaza was still made of bronze, but its color was deeper and more ancient, its surface covered with fine, seemingly naturally formed patterns, like the rings of an old tree, or the veins of the earth.

In front of him, a straight road stretched out from his feet, leading to the end of the square.

The road itself was cast in bronze, but unusually, every few feet along its surface was inlaid a glowing rune. These runes were not static, but rather shimmered with a soft light, like breathing, in various colors—blue, gold, red, and white—intertwining to form a dazzling band of light that stood out conspicuously in this silent bronze world, and was also exceptionally…guiding.

The end of the road—

Li Bai raised his head, his pupils slightly contracting.

That was a tree.

A colossal bronze tree, far exceeding the limits of human imagination.

The tree trunk, requiring at least dozens of people to encircle, is a dark cyan color, weathered by countless ages. Its surface is not smooth, but covered with rough, layered textures like dragon scales. Each "scale" is engraved with extremely complex ancient runes, some of which still slowly shimmer with a faint light. The trunk grows straight upward, like a pillar supporting the sky, piercing into the misty, swirling void above, filled with chaotic energy and spiritual light, its top invisible.

The branches and leaves are lush and verdant.

Countless bronze branches branched off from the main trunk, extending in all directions. These branches were equally massive, the smallest comparable to the beams and pillars of a palace. From these branches grew even finer twigs, layer upon layer, densely packed, forming the outline of a vast, indescribably enormous canopy. This canopy, too, disappeared into the endless chaotic void above, with only the lower branches and leaves visible.

The leaves were also bronze, varying in shape; some were as slender as willow leaves, some as broad as banana leaves, and some displayed strange geometric shapes. The veins of each leaf were clearly visible, and they also shimmered with a faint runic glow.

The entire bronze divine tree stood silently at the edge of this space, exuding an aura of vastness, antiquity, and majesty that sent shivers down one's spine. It didn't seem like a man-made object, but rather like an ancient will, living or sleeping, supporting this secret realm and even this entire world.

Standing at the starting point of the luminous road, Li Bai could feel the overwhelming, oppressive aura emanating from it even from a great distance. The air seemed to solidify, carrying the cool, heavy metallic scent unique to bronze, and an indescribable aroma, as if it came from a mixture of incense and dust from ancient rituals.

He took a deep breath, and the breath filled his lungs, which inexplicably calmed his mind, which was still somewhat agitated after just experiencing the "calamity of the common people".

The road is clear.

with a clear purpose.

He stepped onto the road marked by glowing runes.

The solid, cool touch of the bronze floor beneath his feet was palpable. Runes flowed beneath his feet, seemingly alive, flickering with each step. He walked slowly, each step deliberate and steady. The Azure Lotus Sword remained in his hand, its blade still concealed, but the azure lotus pattern on the hilt seemed to resonate subtly with the surrounding environment, its fragrance becoming more pronounced, mingling with the ancient bronze aura in the air.

As you continue along the road, you get closer and closer to the Bronze Tree.

The immense pressure grew increasingly palpable. It wasn't malicious; rather, it was a pure sense of presence, a manifestation of quality, the weight of time. Li Bai felt as if he were walking towards a mountain, a sea, an ancient world slowly awakening.

At the same time, he also began to notice more details about the sacred tree.

Countless objects hang among those thick branches and beneath the dense bronze leaves.

Those are ritual objects.

Bronze bells of varying sizes and shapes, some simple like bells and others elaborate like pagodas, hang quietly from the branches.

The bronze disc is a round, jade-like object with a hole in the center. Its surface is engraved with patterns of the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers, birds, and animals. In the dim light filtering through the chaotic void, it reflects a dark luster.

The bronze zhang, a long and narrow jade object with a blade at one end, symbolizes power and sacrifice, and is also hung there.

There were also many more bronze artifacts with strange and ancient shapes that Li Bai could not name, some resembling tripods, some resembling zun vessels, and some resembling some kind of mysterious musical instrument.

They are not hung haphazardly, but seem to follow some ancient and mysterious rule, distributed at different heights and in different locations on the sacred tree.

At this moment, the core area of ​​this secret realm was not entirely still. An invisible, gentle energy flowed slowly through the space, like a breeze. As this energy flow brushed past the suspended bronze ritual vessels—

"bite……"

A very faint yet exceptionally clear ringing sound came from an unknown direction.

Ethereal.

mysterious.

It was as if it wasn't heard through the ears, but resounded directly in the depths of the soul.

Then, it seemed to trigger a chain reaction.

"Thump..."

"Buzz..."

"Ling..."

Different sounds emanated from different ritual objects. The crisp sound of bronze bells, the deep resonance produced when energy flowed across the edges of bronze discs, the short, sharp sound of bronze scepters gently colliding with each other... These sounds varied in pitch, intensity, and tempo, but together they formed a strange harmony.

It was like a musical movement.

An ancient sacrificial melody without a fixed tune, yet containing a certain natural rhythm and the ultimate truth of heaven and earth.

The music was not rousing, but rather carried a serene and timeless quality that cleansed the soul. It flowed within the imposing presence of bronze and the aura of antiquity, like a clear spring washing over the listener's spirit.

Li Bai stopped, closed his eyes, and listened carefully.

As the music entered his ears, he seemed to see the ancient people dancing and worshipping around the sacred tree before a huge bonfire; he saw the priest holding a jade scepter, chanting obscure prayers to the sky; he saw the sun, moon, and stars flowing among the branches of the sacred tree, and the mountains and rivers extending beneath its roots...

The spiritual upheaval from just experiencing the "calamity of all living beings" and understanding the path of "protection rather than domination" gradually subsided under the soothing influence of this ancient, ethereal music, imbued with the meaning of sacrifice and communication with heaven and earth, becoming increasingly stable and clear. The light that had shone from this enlightenment seemed to be nourished and strengthened by the music, becoming more restrained and resilient.

He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright.

move on.

The music accompanied him constantly, sometimes near, sometimes far, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, becoming the sole background sound in this silent bronze world. The bronze pavement on both sides of the road was as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the flowing light of the runes above and his own silhouette. The scent in the air, a mixture of bronze, ancient dust, and a faint spiritual aura, grew stronger and stronger.

Finally, he reached the end of the glowing road.

It is also at the foot of the Bronze Tree.

Standing here, looking up, one truly grasps the immense size of this divine tree and one's own insignificance. Its rough trunk, covered in dragon scale patterns and runes, stretches upwards like an endless bronze wall, disappearing into the swirling clouds of spiritual energy above, obscuring its crown. The flowing runes on the trunk's surface, now appearing as stars embedded in bronze, slowly rotating, imbued with unfathomable power.

The immense pressure reached its peak here. The air was so heavy it seemed to have a tangible substance, and each breath required a slight effort. One could clearly feel an invisible pressure on their skin, as if they were in the deep sea. But strangely, this pressure did not cause discomfort; instead, it made the spiritual energy within Li Bai's body more solid and slower, as if it were also adapting to this high-pressure environment.

Next, how do we get up there?

The instructions only said "go to the top of the divine tree" to receive the final inheritance and for the Azure Lotus Sword to fully recognize its master. But this tree top is obviously at an extremely high place.

With a thought, Li Bai tried to activate his spiritual power.

The spiritual energy of the Foundation Establishment stage surged through his meridians. He lightly touched the ground with his feet, and his body floated slightly in the air—this was the most basic Qi control technique, not flying on a sword, but it could still lift him off the ground briefly.

However, just as his body was less than three feet off the ground, an invisible force so powerful and irresistible suddenly pressed down from above!

"Bang!"

It wasn't loud, but it sounded unusually muffled.

Li Bai felt as if he had crashed into an invisible, soft yet incredibly resilient wall, his entire body slammed back onto the bronze floor by this force. His feet landed with a heavy thud, the vibrations sending a slight tingling sensation through his soles.

He frowned slightly and tried again, this time using even more spiritual energy.

The result was the same. The higher he was off the ground, the stronger the suppressive force became. When he tried to rise to a height of about ten feet, the force was so immense that the circulation of his spiritual energy began to stagnate, as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, making it impossible for him to maintain his levitation.

"Flight is suppressed..." Li Bai muttered to himself, looking up at the tree trunk disappearing into the clouds. "It seems that flying directly up is impossible."

He walked slowly around the base of the huge tree trunk, observing it carefully.

The base of the tree trunk wasn't entirely smooth. Among the rough dragon scale patterns and runes, he noticed some shallow grooves. These grooves were about a palm's width and half a finger's depth, spiraling upwards along the trunk. The edges of the grooves had been worn smooth, displaying a color slightly different from the surrounding bronze, as if... they had been stepped on and rubbed countless times.

The path to climb.

Li Bai reached out and touched the groove. It felt cool and hard, with the unique texture of bronze. The inner wall of the groove was also engraved with fine, but simpler, guiding runes, emitting a faint light.

Could it be that this final test requires him to climb step by step along this groove to the top of this towering bronze tree, just like the ancient priests or challengers, relying on the strength and will of his physical body?

This thought did not discourage Li Bai; instead, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

The mental and spiritual trials of the illusion have been endured; those were the tempering of the spirit. Now, this seemingly primal climb may be a dual test of body and will. To obtain the ultimate inheritance, to have the Azure Lotus Sword fully recognize its master, and to bear even greater power, one must possess a physique and will that match.

He looked up again, gazing towards the towering treetops, shrouded in mist, their end obscured.

Then, he lowered his head and looked at the Azure Lotus Sword in his hand.

The sword remained understated, but the blue lotus pattern on the hilt seemed to sense his determination, warming slightly and intensifying its lotus fragrance.

No hesitation.

Li Bai sheathed the Azure Lotus Sword back into its scabbard behind his back—holding a long sword was actually inconvenient during this kind of climb. He moved his fingers and wrists, the bones making a slight cracking sound. Although his Foundation Establishment cultivation hadn't completely transformed him, it already made his physical attributes far superior to ordinary people; his strength, endurance, and agility were unmatched by ordinary martial artists.

He walked to the beginning of the spiral groove, took a deep breath, and the air, mixed with bronze, ancient music and spiritual energy, filled his chest, carrying a cool and heavy texture.

He stretched out his hands and firmly gripped the upper edge of the groove. The coolness of the bronze instantly seeped through his palms, the rough texture rubbing against his skin. He pushed off with his feet, bracing himself against the groove below.

Hard.

The body left the ground.

The first step was to firmly step into the groove about five feet off the ground.

He paused, adjusting to the sensation of his body contacting the bronze tree trunk. Then, he continued upwards.

One step, another step.

The first few dozen feet were relatively easy. The spacing of the grooves wasn't too difficult for his current physical abilities. Although the bronze tree trunk was rough, the grooves provided stable points of leverage. Only the omnipresent pressure, which slowly increased with height, acted like an invisible burden, weighing him down.

As he climbed, the ethereal sacrificial music continued, emanating from the ritual vessels hanging among the branches, as if accompanying his solitary ascent. The music, strangely, alleviated the growing physical fatigue and the mental pressure he endured.

He climbed with focused and steady movements, like an ape scaling an ancient, towering tree. His gaze was mostly fixed on the grooves and bronze bark before him, occasionally glancing up to see the swirling clouds of spiritual energy and the endless spiral grooves above.

He had been climbing for an unknown amount of time, probably several hundred feet high. The bronze plaza below had long since shrunk to a blurry patch of light, the glowing path resembling a thin line. The surrounding branches began to thicken, and the enormous bronze leaves were almost within reach, the flowing runes on them clearly visible. Sometimes, he had to carefully avoid the overhanging branches or crawl under the enormous leaves.

But at this level, things begin to change.

First, there was gravity. Li Bai clearly felt his body becoming heavier. With each step upward, the physical exertion required increased. It was as if not only the pressure was intensifying, but even the "gravity" rules of this core area of ​​the secret realm were subtly changing, with the constraints becoming stronger the higher one went.

Secondly, there was the oppressive aura. It was no longer just a heavy presence; it began to carry something else. When Li Bai focused on climbing and his mind relaxed slightly, it seemed that some other sounds were faintly mixed into the sacrificial music in his ears.

It was the sound of swords clashing and warhorses neighing in battle.

It was the hushed whispers and conspiracies within the palace halls.

It was the desperate cries and wails of displaced people in the wilderness.

There was even... an extremely faint, almost imperceptible call from a woman, seemingly from the depths of her soul and transcending time and space.

"Taibai..."

"Li Lang..."

The voice was ethereal, carrying sorrow and longing, like that of Yang Xiaohuan, or perhaps Yang Yuhuan.

These sounds and fragments of illusions were not continuous, but rather like bubbles in water, occasionally rising to try to disturb his mind, shake his will, tempt him to distract himself, or even... give up.

Li Bai's climbing motion did not stop for the slightest.

He held fast to his sword heart, and the basic mental cultivation method of the "Red Dust Sword Manual" circulated automatically in his mind. The Dao heart that had been tempered and refined in the "Celestial Tribulation" was like a stabilizing pillar, firmly blocking all the noise and illusions that tried to intrude. He regarded the increasingly strong pressure and gravity he felt in his body as tempering, and the interfering sounds as a whetstone for his will.

step.

One more step.

His hands were already red from being rubbed raw by the rough bronze bark, some places even broken and bleeding, leaving faint marks on the dark blue bronze. Sweat seeped from his forehead, trickled down his temples, and dripped onto the leaves below with a soft "tap," instantly absorbed by the bronze and disappearing. His breathing became heavy, and with each exertion, his muscles protested with aching pain.

But his eyes remained clear and firm as he gazed at the spiral groove above, which seemed to disappear into the clouds and have no end.

Climbing.

Keep climbing.