The Path Toward Heaven

That flash of sword light illuminated the space above the clouds.

Nan Zheng saw the hanging mountain in the night sky, knowing it was the Cloud Platform.

She was actually quite familiar with this hanging mountain, because she had been to it many times over the years; but tonight was her first time seeing its true nature.

She knew this was probably the last time she would see it as well.

The sword light, coming down from the sky, struck the hanging mountain.

Facing the outside enemies, all the formations on the Cloud Platform had been activated. The formations reacted while encountering the sword light, but they couldn’t even block it for a brief moment.

Along with an unimaginable loud explosion, the grand hall on the peak top had been cut in half by that sword light, flying in all directions after breaking into countless wood chips and pebbles.

The grand hall was the place where Jing Jiu and Zhao Layue had met Xiwang Sun, and the winners of the Four-Seas Banquet would be received and awarded prizes by him.

It could be anticipated whether the Four-Seas Banquet would take place or not after this night; many things were about to go through a permanent change.

The sword light continued its strike downward after piercing through the grand hall, cutting into the mountain. Along with the ear-piercing friction and cutting sounds, a straight crack appeared among the cliffs, countless pebbles and dusts shooting out from the inside.

The buildings and the formations on the hanging mountain were broken into pieces after encountering the sword light, like the brittle glasses.

The friction and the cutting sounds grew even more ear-piercing and unbearable, and then the sounds grew deeper, like an actual dragon crying.

The crack was getting deeper and deeper, countless sand particles and rocks dropping to the ocean below. The hanging mountain had gradually separated into two halves wobbling in mid-air.

All this happened in the blink of an eye.

The fleeing figures could be seen everywhere in the scattering smoke and dusts on the Cloud Platform. Innumerable terrifying screams and the horrifying cries after being wounded could be heard amid the cliffs on the mountain.

The disciples of the Green Mountain and the Cultivation practitioners of other sects were shocked speechless in the night sky.

In fact, the disciples of the West Ocean Sword Sect, led by Tong Lu, were shocked the most.

Looking at the scene with pale expressions, they wondered what their master was doing, and did he intend to destroy the Cloud Platform?!

…

…

The Cloud Platform was an important venue for the West Ocean Sword Sect and a springboard for them to enter Chaotian.

The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean had destroyed the Cloud Platform personally; what did this mean?

Nan Zheng wasn’t thinking about this. She and all the others fixed their gazes on something else.

Looking at a spot in the night sky, she murmured with an immensely complicated emotion, “Master…”

Over there, there was a rope dangling from a high position in the sky, and a person was bound at the lower end of the rope.

Xiwang Sun was swinging lightly with the ocean wind, like an inchworm dropping down from a tree branch; and he knew he was to meet his death soon.

He could also be said to look like a hanging corpse.

The other name for the inchworm is the hanging corpse.

That sword light was majestic, but its front part was very fine; and it was so fine that the front part of the sword light became invisible, as if it were a band of gentle wind.

As the sword light cut through the Cloud Platform, its front part slid past the night sky noiselessly.

The gentle wind fell on Xiwang Sun.

A sneer appeared on Xiwang Sun’s face.

In the next moment, his mocking smile was cut in half.

It was because his face was cut in half.

Next, his body was separated into two pieces.

Xiwang Sun was dead.

His body fell down toward the surface of the ocean in two pieces, looking like the severed Cloud Platform, but more like a falling kite after its string was broken.

Though Xiwang Sun had raised a Yuanying and a Sword Ghost, they were all dead after being cut by this relentless sword light.

There were many more things that had died with Xiwang Sun.

Like Nan Zheng’s loyalty to the Old Ones, and Tong Lu’s pride.

Tong Lu, standing on his sword in the night sky, and Nan Zheng, standing on the mountaintop trembling, didn’t hear clearly the thunderous voice echoing in the night sky.

That was the voice of the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean.

It seemed that he was talking about his negligence of disciplining his subordinates, and that he apologized for the wicked disciples of the Cloud Platform and Xiwang Sun who had done so many evil deeds, so he personally punished them using their own sect rules.

He ordered the disciples of the West Ocean Sword Sect who came to the rescue of the Cloud Platform to return to the island without delay.

Having announced that, the voice of the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean vanished, and so did the sword light.

The disciples of the West Ocean Sword Sect exchanged glances with each other while riding their swords in mid-air, their emotions complicated. In the end, they dared not disobey the decree of their Sect Master and were brought back by the two elders in the Free Travel State forcefully.

Tong Lu chose to stay behind. He stood on the sword, his face pale, looking quite pitiful.

The Cloud Platform was completely separated. More cliffs were collapsing; the formations were utterly destroyed; no building on the Cloud Platform was intact.

The disciples of the West Ocean and the caretakers who hadn’t left the Cloud Platform yet swore and cursed in despair, and there were desperate cries as well.

Now that the formations were destroyed, there was no point in them staying here to die. They rose up by riding their swords one after another. Soon, over a hundred sword lights left the cliffs in tandem, illuminating the night sky.

Seeing the scene and listening to the distant cries, Bu Qiuxiao sighed. “We should spare the lives of those who surrender,” he said to Chen Youtian.

Chen Youtian raised his right hand as he said, “I hope they calm down.”

Seeing his hand signal, hundreds of sword lights and magic treasure lights headed toward the Cloud Platform, occupying the whole space instantly. Soon, they encountered the hundred sword lights of the other side.

Guo Nanshan was the principal disciple of the Green Mountain with a higher Cultivation state, so he charged forth in front of others.

The Blue Ocean Sword under his feet had a golden hue mixed with the blue sword light. It was probably because his sword had been re-tempered.

He suddenly saw something, and with a changed expression, he flew over as quickly as he could.

A few sword lights coming out from the Cloud Platform didn’t intend to flee, but rather, they headed toward the spot in the night sky where Tong Lu was. It was obvious that they wanted to harm him.

It happened that Tong Lu stood on the sword at the moment, flabbergasted like a crazy man, so he didn’t notice the danger approaching him.

Guo Nanshan figured that Tong Lu wouldn’t dodge the incoming sword lights even if he noticed them.

So Guo Nanshan flew to the front of Tong Lu as fast as possible, blocking the attacks.

Those disciples of the West Ocean glared at Tong Lu hatefully, but they didn’t try to attack him again. They chose to fly away, but they were encircled by a dozen sword lights before they could get away.

The battle screams, whooshing sounds of swords, and horrifying cries could be heard everywhere in the surrounding areas in the night sky.

Standing on the sword, Guo Nanshan yelled to Tong Lu sternly, “You should keep a clear head right now. This is the best we can expect tonight!”

Tong Lu was completely pale, his hair soaking wet from the sea water looking like dry willow leaves. Tong Lu said to Guo Nanshan, “When we participated in that year’s Cultivation tournament, we ate barbecued mutton, drank wine, and talked all night long. In fact, I was the only fool at that time. You people had concealed it from me the entire time that the enemy you wanted to deal with was our West Ocean Sword Sect.”

Guo Nanshan displayed a tinge of regret, saying, “We concealed it from you because you were a disciple of the West Ocean; but what we wanted to see to was never the West Ocean; it was the Old Ones.”

Tong Lu said in a trembling voice, “What is the difference? The West Ocean is the Old Ones…Do you think that people will believe it’s all Senior Master’s fault and has nothing to do with the West Ocean Sword Sect after my Master personally killed the Senior Master and destroyed the Cloud Platform?”

Guo Nanshan remained silent for a while before saying, “At least this is how we all feel about it.”

“But not me!!”

Tong Lu suddenly yelled angrily, “We talked about many things back then, but the most important thing was to stop deceiving ourselves!”

Guo Nanshan shot him a stare before taking off, saying nothing more.