Immortal Dao is dead, I am the mastermind behind it all.

Shen Moyan crossed several mountains and left Dongshan City far behind.

He found a secluded cave and cleared a space next to it. He used his Biyang spiritual power to ignite a pile of dry spiritual firewood and then took out the magical artifacts he had picked up in Dongshan City from his storage ring.

A spirit iron pot, plus some spirit ingredients and spices—I never expected that something I picked up casually would come in handy now.

Set up the pot, pour in the clear water drawn from the mountain stream, and after the water boils, throw in the large chunks of Gu Diao meat, along with a few pieces of spirit herbs to remove the fishy smell and a little bit of spices.

The flames of the burning spirit wood were pale blue, and it not only heated up extremely quickly but also brought out the spiritual energy in the ingredients. Before long, a rich aroma wafted from the pot, the broth gradually turned milky white, and a layer of fine oil floated on the surface, with spiritual energy spreading along with the fragrance.

Shen Moyan had set up a concealment array near the cave well in advance, so that no demon beast could detect him after he had transcended the mortal realm.

He found a flat stone to sit on, and waited for the soup to thicken before scooping up a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

The scalding hot soup entered my mouth, but it wasn't hot to the touch. Instead, I felt a warm current slide down my throat and into my stomach, instantly transforming into pure spiritual energy to nourish my limbs and bones, sweeping away all the fatigue from the previous battle.

The flesh of the half-demon Gu Diao melted in his mouth, incredibly tender, and more delicious than any delicacy he had ever tasted in the lower realms.

"Excellent, the meat is tender and fresh, and the broth is exquisite."

Shen Moyan's face relaxed as he appreciated his own craftsmanship while sensing the battle in Dongshan City.

Before he left, he left a few Six Senses Fireflies outside the city to observe the battle between the Biyang Sword Sect disciple and the Second Tribulation Gu Eagle.

At this moment, Dongshan City was already engulfed in flames.

Amidst the towering flames, a gigantic bird demon could be faintly seen spreading its wings, clashing with the two swords formed from streaks of light.

Soon, accompanied by the sound of a storm being torn apart, the wings of the Gu Diao that were covering the city wall were cut off by a sword, and the battle ended.

"There are sword techniques of this caliber in the world." Shen Moyan carefully savored the deadly move from before, pondering the essence of the sword.

According to He Liang's notes, Shen Moyan can get a glimpse of the sword path in this world.

The realm of swordsmanship is divided into four stages: clumsiness, technique, intention, and mind.

These four realms correspond to the first four levels of the Dao.

What is the state of simplicity?

Sword techniques that can be understood by others are all considered to be in the primitive stage.

When the martial arts world was opened up, the sword techniques and skills that circulated were all at the rudimentary stage. Only the sword techniques created by a few founding masters barely reached the threshold of the advanced stage.

In the realm of skill, one can master all sword techniques, transcending the mundane and achieving a state of effortless mastery.

In the realm of skill, the sword is an extension of your limbs. It can counter the vast array of sword techniques and secrets in the realm of clumsiness, and has absolute dominance over them.

Sword light, sword energy, sword aura, and even sword momentum are all encompassed within the realm of skill.

It's like the grand unifying formula in physics, which encompasses all formulas.

Shen Moyan believed that his unparalleled swordsmanship had reached the skill level, and the mechanism was already maxed out; it just needed to be filled by the value of his cultivation.

As for the artistic conception, Shen Moyan dared not say much. Without a real comparison, he was unsure whether his "fleeting glimpse" could be considered as stepping into the realm of "artistic conception".

"He Liang's swordsmanship is considered first-rate in terms of skill level."

Six-Sense Fireflies were scattered in various corners outside the city. Shen Moyan took a sip of the fresh soup, savoring its salty and sweet aftertaste. Then he finished watching the exciting live broadcast.

"This Gu Diao is really strong. It is clearly at the second tribulation level, yet it has survived for so long under the attack of two sword cultivators."

Monsters from mountains and seas rely on absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and gathering the essence of the sun and moon. It takes at least a hundred years for them to begin their tribulation and take human form.

The first tribulation corresponds to the peak of Qi gathering, while the second tribulation is roughly equivalent to the Transcendent Realm.

"Alright, we've seen enough of the show. It's a pity I didn't get a chance to take it."

Shen Moyan drank the soup in the bowl in one gulp. After finishing his meal, he lay on his side on the stone bed and took out a book from his storage ring.

"The Records of Mountains and Seas".

This is a tattered book that I picked up from the city. The first few pages were already damaged due to the aftereffects of the spell.

Shen Moyan took out the book and began to read it carefully.

The reason for reading it is simple: this book is closely related to the Preacher's Origin Monument.

The Origin Preaching Stele is the foundation of the Dao in this world, a guiding light for all after the collapse of the Immortal Dao.

What extraordinary power does that stone tablet, which spans heaven and earth, possess, and what cultivation realm does it impart that makes all living beings in the mountains and seas follow it from the bottom of their hearts?

The reason is actually very simple.

Besides the specific methods of Taoist practice written on the stone tablet, it also depicted a series of strange stories.

These stories are widely known and recorded in folk tales by the people of Shanhaiguan, and have been regarded as classics for thousands of years.

The book "The Records of the Mountain and Sea Destiny" (Part 1) that Shen Moyan is currently holding is about the stories of the Qi Gathering Realm and the Mortal Transformation Realm.

It's a pity that the chapter on Qi Gathering is too incomplete to be seen.

Now, Shen Moyan skipped the first chapter and turned to the second.

The main characters in each chapter are different, so there are no obstacles to reading.

"Chapter Two, hope Pengju soars to the heavens, leaping from the clouds to spread his wings." As Shen Moyan read, the spiritual energy around him spiraled upwards, compressing into magical power.

…………

The origin of the preaching stele is recorded in Chapter 2, Section 1 of the "Records of Mountains and Seas".

Ancient mountains and seas, the wilderness of Cangwu, this is a paradise for divine birds.

The phoenix perches on the phoenix tree in its crimson lair; where its tail feathers sweep, the sunset glows like brocade. The roc strikes the waters of the Northern Sea, its wingspan spanning billions of miles, obscuring the sun and moon. The luan bird soars atop the clouds; its cry summons sweet rain, and the sunset paints the sky with vibrant colors.

As the saying goes, where there is light, there is also darkness. In a corner of this magnificent landscape, a flock of ordinary, gray birds are hidden.

The shrike is a type of sparrow with a small head and a bald tail.

Afan was one of the ordinary ones, with a wingspan of less than a foot and feathers covered in dust. It couldn't even startle a single leaf when it swept over the wormwood.

Every morning, Afan would squat on the low cliff of Cangwu Mountain and look up at the cloud top.

It has seen the phoenix carrying crimson fire soaring through the blue clouds, its tail feathers gleaming and turning the clouds into shimmering gold. It has also seen the Kunpeng leap from the Northern Sea, its giant wings cleaving through the wind and waves, soaring straight into the heavens.

"Chieftain, what does the sky look like?" Afan asked in confusion.

"Don't overthink it. Our life as sparrows is to peck at grass seeds, dodge eagles, and live a simple life. As for the blue clouds in the sky, that's the territory of divine birds."

The old shrew flapped its wing on its head, pecked off a plump grain, and handed it over.

"Filling your stomach and procreating are the real matters. I've found you a wife, do you want her?"

Afan was very grateful for the old sparrow's enthusiasm.

But its mind was never on this patch of weeds.

Why can't we think about it?

Afan insisted on pondering it.