The Path Toward Heaven

Jin Mingchen said, “The Emperor rules over a land that stretched over ten-thousand miles, and any sword would be within his area of rule. As long as he dares to take the sword, he will be discovered; and somebody will go make trouble for him.”

Hearing this, State Duke Lu felt relaxed, saying with a smile, “It looks like the West Ocean Sword Sect will be in big trouble this time.”

Whoever would make trouble for Xiwang Sun was someone who could defeat him for sure; but those who could do so in Chaotian were the few figures in the Heavenly Arrival State.

Jin Mingchen said, “The West Ocean Sword Sect has survived for so many years after offending the Green Mountain Sect; they are really outstanding.”

“Where did the Picture of and Mountain and River go? Tianguang Peak?” State Duke Lu asked.

Jin Mingchen replied, “No. Has State Duke found that one place is unusually quiet in comparison to the exhilarating happenings everywhere else?”

State Duke Lu understood what Sir Jin meant, thinking that it was why that place didn’t make any noise even though it should be the place of action.

…

…

It was a very long day in Chaotian.

The imperial court and the orthodox Cultivation sects had already ascertained that the Cloud Platform of the West Ocean Sword Sect was the headquarters of the Old Ones, and Xiwang Sun was the chief of the Old Ones. A great number of swordsmen rode their swords or magic treasures heading toward Haizhou City.

Yet, it was utterly dormant on Longevity Mountain.

One could tell from the name that it had been a tomb here, the royal tomb of previous imperial court to be precise. Later, the No-Mercy Sect took over the place to use it as their mountain gate.

This was something avoided by many people, especially the Cultivation practitioners; but the No-Mercy Sect didn’t care so much.

It was because what they were cultivating was the Dao of slicing, or focusing on slicing open the heaven and earth by the sword.

The heaven and earth rendered no mercy on humans, needless to say the Emperor and the imperial court.

Many years ago, that famous hidden swordsman had caused a great deal of upheaval in the world, and the orthodox Cultivation circle was in immense trouble. Since the No-Mercy Sect occupied the tomb of the previous imperial court, they had been targeted by the coalition of the deviant sects. The No-Mercy Sect had been attacked four times in a row by their coalition, and their mountain gate was almost destroyed in the last attack. Fortunately, they survived the fatal attack and continued their legacy when the swordsmen of the Green Mountain came to their rescue.

Mainly because of this event—that and the similarity in their ideals—the Green Mountain Sect and the No-Mercy Sect had formed an alliance and been on good terms for generations up to today.

But in recent years, the No-Mercy Sect was the underdog in the conflict with the West Ocean Sword Sect, being oppressed by said sect. Their disciples seldom went outside their mountain gate, becoming increasingly low-key.

Still, it didn’t explain today’s silence.

The orthodox Cultivation sects were attacking the Cloud Platform of the West Ocean Sword Sect, and it was expected that the No-Mercy Sect, which had a grudge against the West Ocean Sword Sect, would take part.

Yet it was quiet on the Longevity Mountain save for the chirping of birds heard everywhere. The disciples were preoccupied with their sword work, as if they had no idea what was happening in the outside world.

There was a large hall in the deep end of the mountain with a dozen stone animals crouching on its eaves. The outer walls of the hall were built with the green slabs, and the floor inside the hall was paved with the large green bricks.

There were thirteen stone steps in front of the hall, with many fairy cranes carved into them.

Judging by how things were arranged, this was the rear hall of the former royal tomb, which had been used by the No-Mercy Sect as their grand hall.

It was dim in the grand hall, exuding a gloomy and cold energy. An old man sat in the farthest part of the hall.

The old man had a long white hair, and one would find only a few traces of black if they got really close to it. His face couldn’t be seen clearly since his head was lowered.

He was Pei Baifa, the Sect Master of No-Mercy, though Baifa was not in reference to his white hair.

A few hundred years ago when the highly achieved swordsmen of the deviant sects attacked their mountain gate from all directions, he was only qualified to retreat to the tomb gate to defend, and he already bore the name.

It was because he practiced the hardest and the most powerful sword style of the No-Mercy Sect: the “The Sword Style of Three-Thousand White Hairs”.

He was the only one who had successfully mastered this sword style at the No-Mercy Sect in the past few hundred years.

When this sword style was practiced at its highest level, the sword could travel over three thousand miles, even further, with but a single sword will!

However, the sword will was powered by the spiritual souls of the Cultivation practitioners, so driving the sword was a taxing task. Every time he sent out his sword by will, one lock of his hair would turn white; as such, the sword style was named the “Sword Style of Three Thousand White Hairs”.

Pei Baifa had silvery hair all over his head, but it was unknown whether it was because he had used his sword numerous times throughout his lifetime or because of stressed he had been facing, a sign of enduring oppression from the West Ocean Sword Sect.

That year, he had a duel with the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean and suffered a terrible defeat; he would have been dead on the spot if the Immortal Sect Master of Green Mountain hadn’t intervened in time.

From that time on, he had been recuperating behind closed doors on the Longevity Mountain, and had never showed himself to the outside world. He locked himself in the hall in recent years, refusing even to see his own disciples, drinking only water all year long.

It was said that he was beaten by the Godly Swordsman, and his Cultivation state dropped down from the Heavenly Arrival State; and it was even said that he had been wounded badly and was on the brink of dying.

If someone paid close attention to his behavior, they would find that the day Pei Baifa started drinking only water was the second day after the death of Luo Huainan.

Though Luo Huainan was the principal disciple of the Center Sect, his death wasn’t worth the effort of such an important figure like the Sect Master of No-Mercy to show his condolences for so long.

Pei Baifa lowered his head to look at the sand board in front of him.

There were mountains and rivers on the sand board, and they were the rivers and mountains of Chaotian; therefore, it was called the “Picture of Mountain and River”.

There was a small bright dot in an inconspicuous place on the left hand side of the Picture of Mountain and River.

Yet, a moment earlier the small bright spot had gleamed a little.

This meant that that sword had moved.

Pei Baifa still stayed put, because the gleaming wasn’t bright enough.

All of a sudden, that small bright spot became much brighter, enough to blind the eyes.

Pei Baifa felt somewhat regretful.

He had been cultivating this one sword will by drinking nothing but water for many years and not sleeping for a thousand nights, but this sword would not fall on Jian Xilai.

However, it was a great consolation that the West Ocean Sword Sect would be ruined going forward.

Pei Baifa reached his hand into the Picture of Mountain and River while thinking of this.

The gleam in the Picture of Mountain and River became brighter and brighter, reflecting from his hands onto his face, making his two eyes look even whiter, like two jade balls.

He was actually blind!

…

…

Nobody knew that Pei Baifa’s body was trembling that moment in the far end of the grand hall.

Yet, the disciples of the No-Mercy Sect sensed that something significant would happen soon, because the whole Longevity Mountain, which had dozens of connected mountains, suddenly shook violently as if in an earthquake; it was also like what happened in those stories they had heard innumerable times since their childhood—was it true that the demons of the Underworld came up to the human world from the underground Yellow Spring through the former royal tomb?

The disciples of the No-Mercy Sect came out from everywhere, standing in the valley right in front of the grand hall. Sensing the changes in heaven and earth, they were perplexed.

Pei Yuan was the Chief of Justice Hall at the No-Mercy Sect.

His other identity was that of elder brother of Pei Baifa by blood, but he looked a lot younger than Pei Baifa, because most of his hair was still black.

He came to the front of the grand hall hastily, intending to enter it to check on his brother, but he was blocked by a few elders.

“I’m worried that the Sect Master might be in danger.”

Pei Yuan’s expression was full of anxiety.

These two were blood brothers, so it was understandable that he would be worried.

An elder said emotionlessly, “The Sect Master had something important to do today, so no one must disturb. Please stay calm, Hall Master Pei.”

Upon hearing this, Pei Yuan was even more astounded, thinking that his brother had been wounded for many years, and on the brink of dying; what kind of important thing was he going to do?

Most of all, why hadn’t he heard anything about it before?

The fairy cranes carved on the stone steps, sensing the energy from the grand hall, grew brighter, as if they would wake up and come to life.

The stone animals on the eaves looked at the sky, seemingly expecting something.

In the far end of the grand hall, the gleam on the sand board lit Pei Baifa’s face and the his eyes, which had been blind for many eyes.

The wind rose up.

The silver hair danced violently.

A sword came out by breaking through the rocks on the ground and pierced open the roof of the grand hall, turning into a flowing light and vanishing into the sky.

A rumble of thunder boomed in the blue sky, followed by a downpour.

Pei Yuan craned his neck looking at the sky, letting the rainwater flow down his face freely, as he thought in shock: Was his brother actually… all right?