My Martial Dao Has No Bottlenecks

A variety of emotions flickered in the eyes of the crowd.

"This kid has such an aptitude for Enlightenment?"

"Even Senior Brother Ren has woken up, but he’s still in the middle of his Enlightenment?"

"Could his Cultivation Technique be special, making him exceptionally compatible with this Enlightenment Stele?"

As the low murmurs spread, Shi Podang listened, his face covered in a layer of frost. The killing intent in his heart had reached its peak.

At that moment, all the True Essence Disciples had finished their Enlightenment. Yun Jinghong, Xiao Qingxue, and the others could barely conceal their joy, having made immense gains.

Just then—

The Enlightenment Stele in the center of the square trembled slightly.

A message entered the minds of all who had awoken: "Those who have completed their Enlightenment may proceed to the Thousand Machines Corridor ahead."

"The more trials you pass, the richer the rewards."

"The final inheritance lies at the end of the corridor. The victor takes all."

The message was clear and direct.

The disciples who had awakened exchanged glances, then rose one after another. They headed toward a mist-shrouded long corridor that had appeared at the front of the square at some unknown time.

With an opportunity right before them, no one wanted to be left behind.

Ye Zhiqiu frowned and glanced at Liang Cheng. Seeing no sign of him waking, he turned and also walked toward the Thousand Machines Corridor.

The crowd departed in trickles.

Eventually, the only thing left on the entire White Jade Square was the single light shield surrounding Liang Cheng.

Besides that, there was only Shi Podang, who stood thirty feet in front of Liang Cheng’s light shield, arms cradling his sword.

He didn’t even spare a glance in the direction of the Thousand Machines Corridor.

His eyes were fixed solely on the figure sitting cross-legged with eyes closed inside the light shield.

"Liang Cheng..."

He softly uttered the two words, his killing intent so thick it felt tangible.

Time passed, bit by bit.

Only the two of them remained on the square.

「A day and a night passed in silence.」

...

「In his Mind Space.」

Liang Cheng had forgotten everything.

The phantom of the Mountain-Breaking Saber had been practiced countless thousands of times, evolving from clear, distinct moves to a state of refined simplicity.

To break mountains, to sever rivers, to cleave the seas, to cut down any and all obstacles—it was absolute and utterly domineering.

His Mountain-Breaking Saber Realm was continuously purified and sublimated through these endless practice sessions.

Great Success...

Until—

BOOM!

It was as if an invisible barrier had been sliced open.

The saber-wielding phantom suddenly dissipated, transforming into countless streams of light that merged into Liang Cheng’s mind.

Mountain-Breaking Saber, Perfection!

Thanks to his Mayfly Life Chart removing all bottlenecks, the effect of the Enlightenment Stele on Liang Cheng was maximized. He could now advance no further!

In that very instant, his faint connection to the outside world was restored, and the light shield began to fluctuate.

「On the square.」

Shi Podang’s head snapped up, a terrifying gleam erupting in his eyes.

’Is he finally waking up?’

He slowly tightened his grip on the Golden Scale Sword. The blade was not yet unsheathed, but a sharp Sword Aura had already begun to emanate from it, carving fine sword marks into the ground within a thirty-foot radius.

CRACK... CRACKLE...

More and more cracks appeared on Liang Cheng’s light shield, spreading like a spiderweb.

Finally—

BANG!

The light shield shattered completely, dissolving into a sky full of motes of light.

Liang Cheng, who was sitting cross-legged inside, slowly opened his eyes. A flash of saber light seemed to flicker within them, so sharp that one dared not look directly at him.

A day and a night of Enlightenment hadn’t brought a significant breakthrough in his Cultivation, but achieving the flawless Perfection Realm with his Mountain-Breaking Saber had imbued his entire being with a sharpness that seemed capable of cutting through anything.

However, in the very instant he opened his eyes and his mind returned to reality—

A streak of golden sword light, like a venomous dragon striking from its lair, tore through the air and stabbed straight for the space between his eyebrows!

Fast!

Vicious!

Precise!

Shi Podang gave him no chance to breathe. In that split second, he unleashed the full power of his True Gang Late Stage Cultivation and the Great Success Realm of his Golden Scale Sword!

"Liang Cheng, die—!"

Amidst the savage roar, the tip of the sword was already before Liang Cheng’s eyes. The sonic boom from the True Gang on the sword tip tearing through the air practically exploded right next to his ear!

Liang Cheng’s pupils contracted.

In that life-or-death moment, he didn’t even have time to think. His body reacted before his mind could, his upper body snapping backward until his spine was almost parallel to the ground!

SHHFF—!

The golden Sword Aura grazed the tip of his nose, the fierce Gang Wind scraping his skin painfully as a few severed strands of his hair drifted away.

A hair’s breadth from death!

A vicious glint flashed in Shi Podang’s eyes. With a flick of his wrist, he pressed the sword tip down, changing the thrust to a slash, and smoothly chopped toward Liang Cheng’s neck!

Ruthless and decisive.

But Liang Cheng had bought himself time. He slapped the ground with his left hand, using the force to shift his body three feet to the side while his right hand grasped the Zhenxian Saber on his back.

The saber was not yet fully drawn. With only three inches of its cold edge exposed, he unleashed his True Gang, flicking the blade upward with unerring precision to meet the descending Golden Scale Sword!

CLANG—!!!

The ear-piercing shriek of metal on metal, accompanied by a shower of sparks, exploded across the empty White Jade Square.

Liang Cheng felt a colossal force travel up the saber’s blade, his arm going slightly numb. He used the momentum to slide backward again, finally creating enough distance between them.

He landed on one knee before slowly rising. The Zhenxian Saber was now fully unsheathed, held horizontally before him.

True Gang erupted from the blade, casting an azure glow.

Only now did his mind, which had been sluggish from the deep state of Enlightenment, fully return to him.

The Gang Qi of the True Gang Realm Early Stage surged through his Meridians. His Perfection-level Mixed Element Gang Body circulated naturally, forming a faint, golden Glazed Light Membrane beneath his skin.

But the biggest difference was the saber in his hand.

After reaching Perfection with the Mountain-Breaking Saber, its domineering power to sunder all things seemed to have merged man and saber into one.

Without any conscious effort, wherever the blade pointed, an invisible pressure would spread out.

Shi Podang, having missed with his strike, did not immediately press his attack.

He stood with his sword in hand, his gaze on Liang Cheng shifting from the initial murderous ruthlessness to shock, and even a trace of fear.

His last two strikes, while not at his full power, were impeccable in their timing, angle, and force—truly devious and deadly.