Outside the winding corridors and pavilions, the young elites of the Azure Glory List and Divine Splendor List stared wide-eyed, dumbfounded at the scene before them, watching Quinn Shepherd pull his sword from Liam Cloud's body—stained with blood.
Just one move.
Not only did he defeat him, but with one sword strike he severed his Divine Bridge and knocked him down from the Divine Bridge Realm to the Life-and-Death Realm!
But that wasn't the most terrifying part—the truly frightening thing was that Liam Cloud's Divine Bridge chamber had been completely destroyed!
In other words, for the rest of his life, Liam Cloud would never be able to return to the Divine Bridge Realm, and could only remain a Life-and-Death Realm divine arts practitioner, forever losing the possibility of becoming a true god!
Of course, for Liam Cloud, this might not be a bad thing—after all, the men of the Cloud Clan are born with a congenital illness, and whenever they reach the Divine Bridge Realm, they suddenly die.
Quinn Shepherd severed his Divine Bridge; perhaps now Liam can live much longer.
But for everyone else, it was utterly terrifying!
Everyone trembled. Against Liam Cloud's ultimate move, none of them would have much chance of winning—but if they faced Quinn Shepherd's sword, not a single one believed they could dodge it. They'd end up just like Liam Cloud!
Every one of them couldn't help but picture that sword strike from Quinn Shepherd in their minds, running through the scenario again and again—but no matter how many times they tried to simulate it, they could never escape.
Every time, they'd be struck by that sword, their inner sanctums shattered—not just the Divine Bridge, but all the others: Spirit Embryo, Five Luminaries, Six Directions, Seven Stars, Heaven-Man, Life-and-Death—every last one would be severed!
This was Quinn Shepherd's true full-strength strike!
Suddenly, the bird-headed, winged girl giggled, "I just remembered I have something urgent to do—I'll take my leave and pay respects to the Heavenly Venerable another day! Farewell—"
She spread her wings behind her, and the others also began to shuffle their feet.
Supporting Liam Cloud, Quinn Shepherd strode over and called out cheerfully, "Since you've all come, why leave in such a hurry? If you run off now, people might say Quinn Heavenly Venerable doesn't know how to host guests, and that would be quite the rumor."
The bird-headed girl had planned to fly off, but at his words her body stiffened and she dared not move.
The others also didn't dare to move, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.
Quinn Shepherd smiled gently, his lips red and teeth white, "No need to be nervous, everyone. Us folks from the lower realm don't eat people."
Yet, in the eyes of the crowd, that smile was utterly terrifying and sinister. Even though they were all Azure Glory List and Divine Splendor List prodigies, in the face of Quinn Shepherd's sword, they felt completely powerless.
The bird-headed girl trembled, asking, "Do people from the lower realm eat demigods?"
Quinn Shepherd didn't answer. Supporting Liam Cloud, he stepped onto the island and stopped in front of the winding corridors and pavilions, sighing, "Brother Liam, you told me to go all out—now look what happened. I was originally planning to kill a batch of clueless Heavenly Court prodigies to establish my prestige, but now how am I supposed to do that?"
Everyone shuddered, staring at him in horror.
Quinn Shepherd put on a guileless smile, sweeping his gaze around apologetically, "Everyone, I wasn't saying I'd kill you—you don't need to worry. Did you come here to challenge me?"
He looked excited, but the others stayed silent, shaking their heads.
Quinn Shepherd looked quite disappointed.
Liam Cloud, wounded and growing weaker, remained calm—even after having his Divine Bridge severed by Quinn Shepherd's sword. It was as if the injury wasn't his own, and he showed no sign of grief over the destruction of his Divine Bridge Treasury. He smiled and said, "There's no need for a Heavenly Venerable to build authority by targeting the younger generation."
Liam Cloud coughed repeatedly and told the crowd, "Don't believe him. What he really wants is to kill true gods to make a name for himself—if you go back and call your senior brothers here, most of them will die at his hands too."
Everyone stared, speechless.
Quinn Shepherd supported Liam Cloud as they walked through the crowd. Young Master Cyrus Qi hurried to catch up and helped Liam Cloud, grumbling in a low voice, "Cult Master Quinn, you hit him way too hard! Liam's Divine Bridge is severed—do you think his grandmothers will let you off? Everyone in Heavenly Court knows the Cloud Clan's widows are the fiercest around! You crippled their precious treasure; even if you survive, you'll be lucky to escape with your skin!"
Liam Cloud gave a wry smile, "Are my ancestral grandmothers and great-grandmothers really that tough?"
Cyrus Qi sneered, "You don't know? Haven't you ever asked anyone else? Everyone in Heavenly Court knows the Cloud Clan's grandmothers are fiercely protective! Cult Master Quinn, you've stirred up a hornet's nest!"
Quinn Shepherd said, "Severing Brother Liam's Divine Bridge was intentional. Now that his bridge is gone, he can be a test case for Everpeace Reform and try to open the Celestial River Treasury. You all should come, too."
He turned and waved, smiling, "Back in the day, I preached here on how mortals could become gods. A million years later, I'm here to teach the path again."
The Azure Glory List and Divine Splendor List prodigies exchanged glances, bracing themselves as they followed him into the winding corridors and pavilions.
Quinn Shepherd treated Liam Cloud's wounds and smiled, "Back then, Cloud-Venerable created the Divine Bridge Treasury because after Nether-Venerable pioneered the Life-and-Death Treasury, the road ahead was blocked. So Cloud-Venerable built a bridge to open a new path. Divine Bridge Treasury inspired Heaven-Guide Venerable, who then created the Heaven Palace realm, leading to the idea of ascending to Heaven Palace to become a god. Divine Bridge Treasury was crucial—without it, there would be no Heaven Palace realm. Cloud-Venerable's merit is immeasurable."
Liam Cloud asked, "Just now, Heavenly Venerable mentioned the Celestial River Treasury—what's that about?"
Quinn Shepherd explained, "The Celestial River Treasury is the crowning achievement of the Everpeace Reform. The Divine Bridge, while a bridge between realms, isn't truly indispensable. The Celestial River connects every world, links life and death, and unites with the Heaven Palace. If you abolish the Divine Bridge and open the Celestial River instead, Heaven Palace and all seven inner sanctums merge into one vast reservoir of power!"
Liam Cloud's eyes lit up.
The crowd inside the winding corridors and pavilions shuddered slightly, thinking about the key point Quinn Shepherd had mentioned.
If all seven Divine Treasuries are unified, a cultivator's yuanqi will soar; at the same realm, their cultivation will far surpass others who follow the old segmented method.
Moreover, because the treasuries are unified, techniques operate much faster than in the traditional seven-treasury system, where yuanqi must flow from the Spirit Embryo Treasury, through Five Luminaries, Six Directions, Seven Stars, Heaven-Man, Life-and-Death, and finally Divine Bridge.
But if the Celestial River Treasury unites all the treasuries, yuanqi can circulate directly within one great treasury, eliminating many unnecessary steps and simplifying the process.
Likewise, divine arts will activate much faster than in the traditional system, giving practitioners a huge boost in combat power.
After all, these Azure Glory List and Divine Splendor List prodigies are exceptionally gifted and clever—they immediately grasp the immense potential of the Celestial River Treasury.
Quinn Shepherd continued, "After one cultivates to the Heaven Palace realm and becomes a god, the seven Divine Treasuries become almost insignificant—mere accessories to the Heaven Palace. But with the Celestial River Treasury, the power of the Heaven Palace can blend directly with the treasury, making your mana far thicker than with the traditional method, and giving gods huge benefits!"
Suddenly, the bird-headed girl spoke up, "Heavenly Venerable, you speak so highly of the Celestial River Treasury—why has Heavenly Court never considered replacing the Divine Bridge Treasury with it?"
Quinn Shepherd looked at her, a puzzled expression on his face.
The girl hurriedly said, "I'm Magda Quake from the Azure Glory List, disciple of Grandma Tai."
"Grandma Tai?"
Quinn Shepherd, unfamiliar with this deity, smiled, "Once the gods of Heavenly Court reach the Heaven Palace realm, who cares about the treasuries anymore? They're just stepping stones, discarded after use. Their focus is the Heaven Palace realm itself. As for you practitioners, do you dare question your masters? Do you dare challenge the cultivation system handed down by the Heavenly Venerables? If you do, you might just create something like the Celestial River Treasury."
Everyone was stunned, thinking back on their own cultivation journeys.
As Heavenly Court's top prodigies, they'd never considered abandoning the Divine Bridge Treasury; their greatest innovation was perhaps inventing a few new divine arts.
To them, each fixed realm was an iron law, never questioned, never even thought to question.
Quinn Shepherd said, "It's different in the lower realm. Many there have had their Divine Bridges broken, so countless people are researching how to improve the treasury system and break out of fixed thinking. Everpeace Reform means not following the ancestors, not worshiping ancient gods, Heavenly Court, or Heavenly Venerables—and that's what led to reform and the Celestial River Treasury."
When they heard the word 'reform,' the crowd shuddered.
Suddenly, a youth stood up, trembling, his voice hoarse, "I won't listen anymore! Heavenly Venerable, forgive me for being cowardly—I'll take my leave!"
Quinn Shepherd asked with concern, "Don't you want to know how to open the Celestial River Treasury?"
"I do!"
The youth smiled bitterly, "But I don't dare listen! If I learn about Heavenly Venerable's Celestial River Treasury, I might die for no reason!" He hurried away.
A few others also got up and left.
The rest wanted to leave as well, but the allure of the Celestial River Treasury made them hesitate.
Cyrus Qi's eyes flickered. He stood up and said, "I'll go see them off."
Quinn Shepherd smiled slightly and continued explaining how to open the Celestial River Treasury: "The Celestial River Treasury aligns with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, but the number of treasuries in the human body should still be seven, so the Divine Bridge must be abolished. I've created several methods to sense the power of the Celestial River. After abolishing the Divine Bridge, you can use my methods at the riverbank to comprehend its power."
Quinn Shepherd explained each method for sensing the Celestial River. The young people in the winding corridors listened skeptically, memorizing the methods but not daring to try them.
Liam Cloud smiled, "Then let me, a man on the brink of death, try and see if I can open the Celestial River Treasury."
Magda Quake's expression was incredulous. She whispered, "Young Master Cloud, you're willing to abandon the Divine Bridge Treasury your ancestor, Cloud-Venerable, created? Wouldn't that be betraying him?"
Liam Cloud shook his head, "My ancestor isn't so rigid. If he saw Shepherd Heavenly Venerable's Celestial River Treasury, he'd rejoice and willingly abandon his own Divine Bridge Treasury."
Magda Quake whispered, "But that's reform! Are you sure? Reform means rebellion!"
Liam Cloud smiled, "A dying man has nothing to fear."
A Celestial River tributary flowed into the Jade Pool here, and the power of the river was strong. He immediately tried the method Quinn Shepherd had taught.
His talent was extraordinary, even superior to past Human Emperors. He quickly grasped the key and drew in the power of the Celestial River.
A Celestial River gradually formed around him, growing wider and longer as Liam Cloud gathered strength, waiting for the right moment to break through.
Time passed slowly as everyone watched him anxiously.
If Liam Cloud succeeded in opening the Celestial River Treasury, it would prove Quinn Shepherd's path was viable.
No one knew how much time passed. Suddenly, the Celestial River surrounding Liam Cloud surged into his body with a deep rumble, and he trembled as a marvelous resonance emanated from within.
It was a Dao sound, its rhythm like the mighty rise and fall of the Celestial River, traversing worlds from the Heaven Palace in Heavenly Court, to the mortal realm, to the Ruins of End and Youdu.
The music was so enchanting that everyone was lost in it.
Liam Cloud was both amazed and delighted, gazing obsessively at his treasuries as the Celestial River flowed from the Heaven Palace through all his treasuries to Youdu, forming a great cycle.
"Should we also cultivate the Celestial River Treasury?" Magda Quake murmured.
The others were eager to try, but deep down they were too worried to attempt it.
Quinn Shepherd said meaningfully, "You can refuse to cultivate the Celestial River Treasury, but when Heavenly Court and the lower realm go to war, you'll die at the hands of the lower realm. Or you can cultivate it, but then your masters or Heavenly Venerables will kill you instead."
Magda Quake shuddered, then suddenly laughed, "Heavenly Venerable, don't scare us! Our masters can always open the Celestial River Treasury too!"
"They'll open the Celestial River Treasury?"
Quinn Shepherd flicked his sleeve and laughed, "Then they'll have to change their cultivation techniques, starting from the Spirit Embryo Treasury. If they can't, they'll have to reincarnate and start over—giving up their status, maybe even their lives! Heavenly Court wants to destroy the lower realm because they refuse to change, or don't dare to!"