The Path Toward Heaven

The Cultivation practitioners around Tianguang Peak were stunned again.

It was because they had heard the name of the Immortal Taiping.

In fact, it was not unexpected to hear the name of the Immortal Taiping from a member of the royal family in the Underworld. One of the crimes the Immortal Taiping committed back then was colluding with the Underworld for the purpose of destroying the human race. This turmoil on Green Mountain was obviously set off by the invisible hands of the Immortal Taiping, and that Fang Jingtian could bring the Immortal Tai Lu out of the Sword Jail must have something to do with him.

The Immortal Bai and other important figures of the major Cultivation sects had expected the Immortal Taiping to hide behind the scenes and control the situation in the distance just like he had done before; but they didn’t anticipate that he would get involved personally and that his direct involvement…was a letter. What was written in the letter? Why did he send a member of the royal family of the Underworld as a letter?

According to the child in blue clothing, he was the personal disciple of the Immortal Taiping, which is why he called Guo Nanshan and other Green Mountain disciples his colleagues.

“He has taken on another disciple.”

Looking at the child in blue clothing on the top of the peak, Bu Qiuxiao said, “His disciple even dares show up in public. This demonic man becomes more and more arrogant!” His countenance was as bleak as the stagnated water.

…

…

The child in blue clothing glided slowly toward the peak top.

The Blue Ocean Sword and a dozen other flying swords encircled and accompanied him.

Yuan Qijing waved his hand to signal for the disciples to relax after he ascertained that this child of the Underworld didn’t pose a threat.

Guo Nanshan and the other disciples drew back their flying swords.

The child in blue clothing patted on his chest a few times to show his relief, the leaf-like band on his forehead tousling with the wind, looking adorable.

As he glided past the stone monument on his way to the small hut, he glanced at the Round Turtle reflexively, a horrified expression showing in his eyes.

The Round Turtle didn’t open his eyes.

The child in blue clothing pulled back his gaze hastily and came before the chair. While hovering in midair, he bowed down toward Jing Jiu in reverential fashion.

“Are you the Drifter?” asked Jing Jiu.

When Tong Yan was in the Underworld, the mosquitoes had sent back some information.

He had calculated and understood everything.

This child in blue clothing was the future Underworld Emperor selected by the Underworld Master for Jing Jiu. He was the Drifter who had played chess with Tong Yan for quite a few years in the Underworld. According to the agreement between Jing Jiu and the Underworld Master, the Drifter was brought to the ground of Chaotian by Tong Yan and to Green Mountain in the small green curtain sedan. He had done something in the hermit peaks and now appeared on the top of Tianguang Peak.

It would be truly dreadful if all of these events had been predicted by the Immortal Taiping ahead of time.

But, why would the Immortal Taiping want the potential Underworld Emperor, the Drifter, to show up at the Grand Ceremony of Green Mountain in front of so many Cultivation practitioners?

If he had planned this and prepared for it over many years, what did he intend to achieve?

“Yes, I am,” replied the Drifter while kneeling in midair. “Thanks for your high evaluation of me; but I had become the personal disciple of my Master a few years before you decided to take me on as your disciple.”

“Never mind,” said Jing Jiu.

The Drifter said, “Thanks for your understanding, Immortal.”

The simple exchange contained many hidden meanings.

They could be comprehended by those who paid close attention.

Not to mention, the Drifter made those statements on purpose.

Many people had suspected that Jing Jiu colluded with the Underworld. The Green Mountain Sect was pushed by the Center Sect to a corner at the Fruit Formation Temple a few years ago, and the priests of the Underworld suddenly showed up on the Cold Mountain and were killed by the swordsmen of the Green Mountain Sect…As a result, the Cultivation circle had begun to suspect him at the time.

It seemed that these suspicions were confirmed.

Jing Jiu asked, “Aren’t you afraid that I might kill you like I did to the Immortal Tai Lu?”

“The Immortal Tai Lu deserved his death since he had left the Sword Jail without permission. Though I’m a personal disciple of the Immortal Taiping, I’ve come to Green Mountain today to betray him and give you a warning. Why should I die because of it?”

The Drifter said this indignantly, as if he was truly innocent.

What he had just said was not very logical, but it seemed sensible if one paid attention to the details.

Zhuo Rusui and Yuan Qü found that the expression on this little devil’s face looked familiar, but also somewhat uncomfortable.

Jing Jiu had no intention of killing him, asking, “Where is the letter?”

The Drifter stood up. He said in a serious tone after straightening his collars, “Immortal knew that you wouldn’t admit you were a sword devil, and he also predicted that you wouldn’t bother explaining yourself and would kill the Immortal Tai Lu directly. Since you have possessed the spiritual soul of the Immortal Jing Yang, you have inherited all of his memories and temperaments; so you have behaved exactly like him, such as disliking trouble and being extremely lazy.”

“And your problem is…” the Drifter turned around and said to Fang Jingtian earnestly, “you will become arrogant once you have reached the Heavenly Arrival State. You thought you would be invincible if you could get the support of the Immortal Tai Lu; but you’re unable to understand that those were fruitless efforts.”

These words were sharp and relentless, tantamount to a reprimand.

Yet, Fang Jingtian listened quietly; it was because these words were his Master’s.

He had been behind death doors in the hermit peaks in the last few years and insulated from the outside world, so he had no idea what the Immortal Taiping’s plan was.

When the sound of the bamboo flute rang out and the wild flowers bloomed all over the fields, he had finally broken through the Heavenly Arrival State and left the manor cave.

To think about it now, that bamboo flute should have something to do with this lovely small child of the Underworld.

He was indeed a bit too arrogant, proving that his Master’s opinion of him was correct.

The Immortal Tai Lu couldn’t play a decisive role in this matter.

Even if the Immortal Tai Lu were still alive, he still couldn’t overthrow Jing Jiu from the seat of the sect master of Green Mountain.

How could one find the evidence to determine which had possessed which: the spiritual soul possessing the body or vice versa?

The Immortal Tai Lu had only seen the outside form of the sword devil, how could he determine who Jing Jiu was?

This was still an unsolvable issue.

“You talked too much,” said Jing Jiu.

The Drifter glided midair above the peak top, and said while looking down at Jing Jiu in the hut, “You should be proven, and you can be proven.”

He had said this when he was on the mountain path.

He repeated it because it was an important point.

All the important figures, including the Immortal Bai, Bu Qiuxiao, the Young Zen Master and the Chief Nun of the Water-Moon Nunnery, had been remaining silent.

This was a significant internal affair of the Green Mountain Sect; they showed their respect by remaining silent.

It was then that the Young Zen Master spoke.

He walked to the edge of the cloud platform barefooted. He asked while looking at the child in blue clothing on the peak top, “How can you prove or disprove that he is Jing Yang?”

“I have no need to prove or disprove that he is Jing Yang. All I have to do is prove that he is the All in One Sword; if it’s proven, he is naturally not Jing Yang.”

Facing the inquiry from the Young Zen Master, the Drifter behaved very calmly, as if he was not the same child who had been intimidated by the flying swords of Green Mountain earlier.

It was because he was the letter of the Immortal Taiping at the moment and what he said was the statement of the Immortal Taiping.

“How can you prove that he is the All in One?”

The Drifter said, “The details Fang Jingtian has found are merely the clues and suspicions, and the Immortal Tai Lu was merely a witness. The solid evidence is still lacking in this case.”

To crack a case, the clues are the leads and the witnesses are the light, but the evidence provided by objects are the most reliable.

However, what kind of objective evidence could be presented in this case?

“You’re the evidence yourself,” the Drifter said to Jing Jiu.

This statement seemed to be similar to what Fang Jingtian had said in the very beginning; but they all knew that there was a difference.

As expected, the Drifter said, “I have a method by which you can prove that you are the All in One.”

The Immortal Bai stood up from her chair and came to the edge of the cloud platform, asking earnestly, “What method?”

“When I was a little boy, I was brought to a small village and studied with my Master for many years.”

The Drifter went on, “Over the years, I had only learned one sword move except for the basic knowledge in zither, chess, calligraphy and painting, eating and playing.”

His talent must be quite extraordinary since he could be taken on by the Immortal Taiping as his personal disciple and was selected as the next Underworld Emperor.

He had only learned one sword move after being taught by the Immortal Taiping for many years. So it could be imagined how outstanding the sword move must be.

The Drifter said to Jing Jiu, “The move is the One of the Inherited Heaven Sword style.”

Hearing this, the other Cultivation practitioners didn’t show any response, nor did the disciples of other peaks of Green Mountain. The people on Tianguang Peak were the only ones who felt startled.

The style they learned was the Inherited Heaven Sword; but they had never heard of this One move.

Guo Nanshan, Zhuo Rusui and other young disciples, and even elders like Mo Chi hadn’t even heard of this move of the Inherited Heaven Sword.

Though Fang Jingtian hadn’t heard of the One move of the Inherited Heaven Sword, he guessed what it might be, his eyes beaming faintly.

Yuan Qijing raised his eyebrows slightly.

Fu Wang, Chen Youtian and a few other peak masters were agitated after hearing this.

…

…

The Cultivation circle had always thought that the principal sword of Green Mountain was the Inherited Heaven Sword; but in truth, it was merely a sheath of the Inherited Heaven Sword.

The actual principal sword of Green Mountain was a devil sword, called the All in One.

In other words, the whole Green Mountain hailed from the All in One Sword.

Many, many years ago, the founding grandmaster of Green Mountain ran into this devil sword amid the greenish and scenic mountain peaks. After a great many trial and errors, he had finally found a way to control it.

It was the founder of the Green Mountain Sect who had manufactured the sheath of the Inherited Heaven Sword to control the All in One Sword. Only the person who could control the All in One Sword was qualified to become the true sect master of Green Mountain.

The All in One Sword had suddenly disappeared into the mountains and peaks many years ago after the Immortal Dao Yuan and the Immortal Chen Zhou died.

The Immortal Taiping and the Dead Dog had looked everywhere on Green Mountain in secret for many years; they ended up with nothing.

Unexpectedly, the sword was in the hands of Jing Jiu.

And yet, Jing Jiu might be that sword itself.

The One move the Drifter mentioned was probably the one that could control the All in One.

“It’s very simple if Immortal wants to prove that you’re not the All in One.”

The Drifter continued while looking at Jing Jiu, “Please take out the Inherited Heaven Sword, and let me try this move on it. What do you think?”

It was deathly quiet among the mountain peaks.

The iron eagles on the distant Sword Peak didn’t even take off.

The atmosphere became rather eerie at the moment.

Everybody looked at Jing Jiu.

The Inherited Heaven Sword was in his hands right now.

If he was willing to take out the sword and let the Drifter try the One move on it, it would prove that he was not the sword devil.

If he was unwilling to, then… the answer was obvious.

The letter sent by the Immortal Taiping turned out to be a sword pointing at Jing Jiu.

…