Transcending the Nine Heavens

“The path is lonely; I have a brother named Gu Duxing (his name means walking alone in Chinese). Once I am injured, the world would be in trouble, hence I cannot be injured; I have a brother named Dong Wushang (his name means no injuries in Chinese). Heaven’s will is hard to predict; I have a brother named Mo Tianji (his name means Heaven’s will in Chinese). The path is filled with storms and deceit; I have a brother named Ao Xieyun (his name means storms in Chinese). The path forward may be blocked at any time; I have a brother called Rui Butong (his name means unable to pass in Chinese). If you can’t defeat your enemies and succeed, you will be lonely forever; hehe I have two brothers, one named Luo Kedi (his name means defeating enemies in Chinese) and another named Ji Mo (his name is a homophone to loneliness in Chinese). Sometimes, I can’t even find anyone to talk to…”

Chu Yang smiled warmly. “My younger brother’s name is Tan Tan (his name is a homophone to chatting in Chinese).”

“Once we get past these obstacles, we would see the blooming of flowers and the rising of the sun.” Chu Yang smiled. “I have a brother named Xie Danqiong (his name contains the name of a flower); and I am Chu Yang, otherwise the rising of the sun.

Chu Yang smiled lightly, his eyes shining with deep longing, and looked at Zi Xieqing. “Don’t you think this is very coincidental?”

Zi Xieqing was stunned for a while, before letting out a laugh. “It is indeed very coincidental.”

She was solemn for a while before asking, “Are all these your best brothers?”

“Yes, they are my best brothers!” Chu Yang replied seriously.

“If the day comes when you are greater than the nine heavens… greater than the nine heavens…” Zi Xieqing repeated her words twice, but could not continue further.

Chu Yang was slightly solemn too, and asked, “Are you saying all these because you have acquired nearly enough Tao state energy and are leaving soon?”

Zi Xieqing was silent for a long while before she replied, “I only need a little bit more. I should have enough Tao state energy any time soon.”

“But, if you are at another place and don’t have any Tao state energy, what are you going to do?” Chu Yang asked worriedly.

Zi Xieqing smiled and looked at Chu Yang warmly. “Chu Yang, where do you think Tao state energy comes from?”

Chu Yang was startled. “Where does it come from?” He had never thought about that question before.

“Tao state energy is, in fact, the Tao void energy. Only when a person’s mind is highly focused, can he be one with Heaven and Earth. Then, he can use his mind, to draw the Tao void energy and change it to his own.”

“The top of every land such as this is like a dome, keeping the Tao void energy out. This is because, once it is broken, everyone on land would start floating, and be unable to survive.”

“Once I break open this barrier, the outside would be endless Tao void! Anywhere, anytime, including a single breath, is filled with innumerable, inexhaustible Tao void energy.”

Zi Xieqing looked at Chu Yang with a serious expression. “Chu Yang, you must remember that that is the minimum level one has to reach to even be considered a ‘master’…”

“This is why I am slightly uninterested in this world. If you were asked to watch ants fight every day, you would be bored as well.”

“A real master! Tao void energy…” Chu Yang’s eyes shone with reverence.

“Chu Yang, if I leave…” A wave of emotions flashed across her eyes.

“When you leave, you must tell me,” Chu Yang said solemnly, “I will send you off.”

Zi Xieqing’s throat trembled, as though she was going to say something. However, she finally chose not to, only replying with a “sure”.

“Even though I was always abused and beaten black and blue by you during this period of time, I also enjoyed our time together a lot. Although I scold you occasionally, if you were to leave, I would also feel…”

Chu Yang smiled, slightly sad.

“What would you feel?” Zi Xieqing asked.

“I would feel as if a burden has been lifted off my shoulders. Haha…” Chu Yang changed his mind. He swallowed down the words he originally wanted to say and changed his sentence.

Zi Xieqing bit her lip and looked at him. She then smiled slightly and said, “Looks like I have to train you even more while I am still here.”

The two of them looked at each other and smiled.

After some time, Zi Xieqing stood up and said, “I need to go out for a while.” Without waiting for Chu Yang’s reply, she turned around and left; her figure light and graceful. With a flash of her clothes, she was already gone.

However, Chu Yang could sense that Zi Xieqing left hurriedly.

It was as though she was avoiding something.

He could not help but let out a sigh, with a distant look in his eyes.

“I may be qualified as a man. However, to a woman, a man like me…”Chu Yang murmured sorrowfully.

The leaves on the tree above his head swayed with the wind and fell on his head, arms and black robe.

…

During those few days, Tianji City became more and more lively.

The other few super clans, some small, scattered clans, pharmacists all parts of the mainland… anyone who believed they had some abilities arrived one after another.

The most shocking thing was that the Li clan, whom everyone believed would definitely not participate in the Medicine Banquet this time around, also sent people there.

Also, their group of over a hundred people was led by a person who had reached the eighth supreme martial artist level.

Upon seeing people from other clans, the Li clan also greeted them unhurriedly, as though nothing had happened.

The highlight, however, was the Chen Clan which had been partially wiped out.

When the Chen Clan arrived, everyone’s face turned sour…

After that, the Ye Clan, the Ling Clan, the Lan Clan and the Zhuge Clan… they could all distinctly sense the dark undercurrents.

It seemed as if the Shi Clan was intentionally or unintentionally supporting them regarding the Holy Tribe Elder incident.

The Xiao Clan had the same intention. Another large clan, the Yè Clan, was also tempted to do so.

That situation left the supreme martial artists, who were leading their respective clan groups, confused.

How did such a secretive thing become a common gossip that everyone knew? What’s happening? Where did they get the news from?

Especially the Zhuge Clan… they had only planned to send out a few supreme martial artists to maintain the order, they had no choice but to mobilize the whole family now.

The head of the Zhuge clan, Zhuge Shanyun’s hair turned grey from worry.

Currently, the different sides are reigning each other in. Also, with the Medicine Banquet holding things together, nothing major is likely to happen.

However, that does not mean that these large clans are not doing anything!

Once a clan feels that the time is right, they would go all out.

The nine super clans would fall into chaos: with so many supreme martial artists fighting at the same time, Tianji City could just fly into the sky.

Moreover, elders Feng and Yue are hiding there…

The Dharma Supreme will be rushing here too…

Those thoughts caused Zhuge Shanyun’s head to ache and heart to thump wildly.

It’s been ten thousand years! The Medicine Banquet had already been held eight times, why does it have to be such a big mess at the ninth time? When my clan is the one to hold the banquet?

What made the head of the Zhuge Clan speechless though, was the reclusive elder master, who on a whim, decided to observe the stars and make a prophecy: The Zhuge Clan is going to be facing a large hurdle! This concerns the whole clan and we must prepare for it.

When he received this news, Zhuge Shanyun switched between being speechless and laughing bitterly periodically. He wanted to express his anger but was unable to do it.

Where the hell was he before this? How can they prepare earlier at this stage? Isn’t he just being wise after the fact?!

Of course, the Xiao clan was very glum as well. They had just arrived at Tianji city when they bumped into the Ye clan. Instantly, swords were unsheathed and bows were pulled back. After some bickering though, they finally separated and went their own ways.

The same night, the Xiao clan had a violent fight with the Ye clan. The exact reasons behind it were unknown, but after that night, both groups lost three people.

Also, there were a few others who were injured.

During that period of time, the Li clan had already been there for three days and were part of six fights. Every single fight was due to some baffling reasons. Even though they knew that the other large clans were just goading them on purpose, they could not take it lying down.

All in all, Tianji City was like a pot of porridge cooking on top of a large fire. As the fire became larger, the porridge would become mushier. Also, with two invisible hands holding two large wooden spatulas, stirring the pot of already mushy porridge…

The more it was stirred, the mushier it would be!

The more it was stirred, the greater the smell of hostility.

However, it was still being stirred continuously…

As the proverb goes: The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountain.

However, from the eyes of the current head of the Zhuge clan, how was that a rising storm in the mountain? It was obviously the explosion of the world.

Once the world explodes, it’s hard to tell what would happen to the others, but the Zhuge clan would definitely be doomed.

The situation now was already completely out of control. It was like a plane on full thrust which had suddenly gone out of control and was currently flying towards a mountain at lightning speed.

It was no wonder then that the head of the Zhuge clan, which had always prided itself on its ability to handle any situation, had started to burn incense and pray in a secret chamber.

Heavens above, please let the Zhuge Clan survive through this calamity.

What Zhuge Shanyun hoped for the most right now, was the Dharma Supreme arriving as soon as possible.

In a bitterly cold winter rain, the people from Medicine Valley finally arrived after a long journey. Their arrival reduced the unrest in Tianji City.

The winter rain persisted for three days.

On the third day, a group was coming from afar.

Even though they could not be seen on the horizon yet, pressure had already loomed over Tianji City. That was the highest form of might!

After a long while, the group was finally seen on the horizon.

Black horses, black clothes, black shoes, black sheaths.

The group was not large, and their attire was similar to that of the Ye Clan, but the impression they gave people was totally different.

The Ye Clan gave off a sense of nobility and prominence.

That group, however, was filled with a kind of might that could not be undermined! It was a kind of might that was as if all life was controlled by them.

In front of those people, everyone could not help but feel guilty, as though they had become criminals.

And not just criminals, but criminals in a courtroom, facing the mighty judge!

Their might was so great that even the commonest of the commoners could feel it.

Everyone knew that this person was what everyone else had also been waiting for.

The Dharma Supreme!

For the current Nine Heavens, that was the highest level one could ever attain.

He had finally arrived!