Transcending the Nine Heavens

The sword spirit said discontentedly, “How would I cheat you!”

Chu Yang said joyfully, “Then that’s great. I’ve been feeling that my power isn’t enough these few days…”

“Not enough power?” The sword spirit inspected Chu Yang carefully and suddenly frowned. “Why has your cultivation gotten to… seventh stage Sovereign of swords?”

“Sixth stage!” Chu Yang corrected.

“Seventh!” the sword spirit said furiously, “How would I see incorrectly? There’s so much Tao state energy in your body, and you’ve broken through the seventh stage long ago, yet you’re still dreaming!”

“My cultivation has advanced, but you don’t seem happy?” Chu Yang asked.

“I’m not unhappy, but just a little miserable,” the sword spirit muttered, “By right, you only have four fragments of sword, so you shouldn’t have broken through to the seventh stage Sovereign of swords!”

Chu Yang was silent. “Erm?”

The sword spirit muttered, “With your current speed, wouldn’t you have reached the Supreme level when you obtained the seventh fragment of sword? There wasn’t any Nine Tribulations Sword Masters in the past that could advance so quickly.”

Chu Yang was stunned. “Erm?”

The sword spirit didn’t speak.

Chu Yang felt suspicious. “Did the former Nine Tribulations Sword Master only reach the Supreme level, so as to pacify the Nine Heavens, when he gathered with all his nine tribulations?”

But the sword spirit didn’t speak, and Chu Yang naturally had nowhere else to go to have his question answered.

But as Chu Yang walked along the street, he found another strange phenomenon: He could obviously see the difference among the people on this entire street.

On both sides of the street, there were those ordinary businessmen, crowds of people that were pouring in from the outside, and those people from the Zhuge clan!

The three groups of people seemed distinct from one another.

Even those people who had come here for the first time could also discern the groups that those people belonged to.

As if there were labels hanging before everyone’s chest!

But they could be distinguished purely by their temperaments.

“Young Master Chu, I guess that you must have seen it,” the warrior leading the way said smilingly, “Those people who look confident and cold are from the Zhuge clan. And it being claimed as The Revealer of Heavenly Secrets has their own way of protecting themselves. So, even though people of high cultivations could see others’ cultivations at one glance, they couldn’t see the cultivation of those from the Zhuge clan!”

Chu Yang nodded praisingly. “This must be the Zhuge clan’s Strength-Concealing Technique.”

“You’re indeed knowledgeable.” The warrior laughed.

“So, conflicts are minimal here. And it’s very peaceful here,” the warrior said smilingly.

“Well, there’ll soon be more conflicts.” Chu Yang nodded lightly.

The warrior was stunned. He said, “You must be joking.”

Along the way, Chu Yang found quite a number of people that had with them herb scents that only doctors would have. They either entered the inns, or walked out from them to stroll on the street.

But Chu Yang’s place of residence was clearly not in this area.

He couldn’t bear to ask, “Where exactly is that Orchard Palace? How far away is it?”

That warrior replied, “It’s just in front. We’ll be arriving there after turning twice.”

But, Chu Yang followed the warrior for exactly one hour before seeing the Orchard Palace.

It was actually a large house which stood at the center of the city! It’s a richly ornamented and fine dwelling place. There were blooming orchards everywhere around the house, along with their sweet scents.

Although the palace was at the center of the city, it’s quite calm. Such artistic feelings arouse in Chu Yang’s mind: ‘All men are drunk and I alone am sober.’ and ‘The real hermit lives downtown.’

The warrior went in to report Chu Yang’s arrival. The gate screeched open, and two middle-aged men greeted Chu Yang respectfully and welcomed him in.

After which, the warrior retreated.

Chu Yang, Zi Xieqing and Chu Le’er entered the Orchard Palace, and saw orchards swaying in the wind. All the orchards were in full bloom, and other than orchards, there were no more floras.

The orchards were quite luxuriant. In every place where they were growing, these orchards were ingeniously covered up with rockeries and queer stones, forming a winding, yet beautiful and secluded, little path.

A shallow stream that’s only a few feet wide flowed across the clusters of orchards, and within the stream were cobblestones of various colors.

Under the sunlight, the stream actually shone brightly, as if all the lights in the universe were congregated in this little stream.

As the few people continued to walk further, there’s a small pond in front. The pond water was green. A few shrubs of orchards, in buds, were floating on the water. Till here, there were finally other flowers and trees lined up along the path, blowing in the wind.

Dappled shadows hung aslant over clear shallow water; secret fragrance wafts in the moonlit dusk.

After a few more turns, they arrived at some beautifully decorated rooms. Upon seeing here, Zi Xieqing and Chu Le’er felt very satisfied with the environment here!

They were both smiling happily.

The duo who had led them inside retreated. Then, a few young girls walked out of the rooms and greeted them.

Chu Yang strode forth and was about to push the door open. Suddenly, he sniffed a few times and revealed a strange look.

It’s still orchard scent, but this orchard scent… smelled a little different…

Chu Yang waved his hands and said, “Y’all shall retreat here first. We don’t need you to serve here. Your jobs shall just be preparing tea and our daily meals.”

“Yes!” The four maids agreed at the same time and retreated quietly.

Chu Yang stood in front of the door. A dark smile appeared on his face as he looked at the door.

“What is it? Is there any problem?” Zi Xieqing asked.

“There’s any problem? The problem is big!” Chu Yang smiled lightly and said, “He knows that I’ve come.”

“Who?” Zi Xieqing asked.

“Diwu Qingrou.”

Chu Yang said quietly as he recollected the past.

At this moment, he felt a turmoil of emotions in his heart. The distant past of the Lower Three Heavens suddenly surged up his mind.

Those rounds of slaughtering, those rounds of battles of wits…

Amidst the snowstorm, he and his few brothers charged towards Dazhao, and in the end, they even had to secretly visit the Prime Minister’s Palace at night. Ever since then, they lived like fugitives. The more killings they committed, the closer they were towards death…

“I’ll never forget this scent for my whole life!” Chu Yang sighed and said, “That’s the moment in my life where I was closest to death.”

Chu Yang sniffed a breath of this unique orchard scent, and felt the scent sprouting out from his heart again.

Orchard Heart Chasing Soul technique!

This was Diwu Qingrou’s shot at him.

Diwu Qingrou had only taken one shot in his life, and this one shot was to Chu Yang! The technique he used that time was exactly the Orchard Heart Chasing Soul technique!

It was that scent at the wooden door.

Although the scent produced by the Orchard Heart Chasing Soul technique was almost the same as the usual scent of orchids, normal people would definitely not distinguish them out!

But Chu Yang had struggled amidst his life and death in this scent. How could he not smell it?

That scent was simply inscribed on his memory and he would never forget it!

He had smelled it just now even when he wasn’t close to the door. It’s definitely Diwu Qingrou’s Orchard Heart Chasing Soul technique!

But, how would Diwu Qingrou’s special technique appear here?

Zi Xieqing frowned and said, “There are some problems with the door?” She sniffed for a moment and said, “Looks like the scent has some problems.”

“Yes. This is Diwu Qingrou’s special technique,” Chu Yang said lightly, “It was odd in the first place that we are arranged here. And it also just so appears that Diwu Qingrou’s special technique has appeared here.”

Zi Xieqing said, “Well?”

“Diwu Qingrou is telling me: I know that you’ve come.” Chu Yang smiled lightly. “Diwu Qingrou is quite thoughtful.”

Zi Xieqing wasn’t that interested in such mind games, so she didn’t think about it.

“Diwu Qingrou is also telling me that he’s inconvenient at the current moment.” Chu Yang looked at the door. “So, he could only use this method to tell me. Otherwise, he would be standing here.”

“And, he’s also telling me to be careful. Otherwise, I would become what I had become that day, of having my soul being chased.”

Chu Yang frowned and continued, “He’s also telling me that the person who wants to deal with me is from the Diwu clan. Because this is a technique that only the Diwu clan knows.”

“Since this person is from the Diwu clan, and I didn’t offend Diwu clan but killed some relative from the clan, it must be this person,” Chu Yang said deeply, “If I remember correctly, this person is called Diwu Qingyun. The Sun clan is his in-law. So, this Diwu Qingyun has come to take revenge on me.”

“You can think of so much just with this tiny bit of scent?” Zi Xieqing felt strange. His brain is so ridiculous! Isn’t it just a scent that’s different from normal orchard scent? He could actually deduce so much miraculous stuff.

“There’s more!” Chu Yang smiled lightly, saying, “This kind of scent is fatal. Not only can it take my life; If it’s possible, I also want to take the life of this person who has laid this scent for me!”

“This is the hint and request Diwu Qingrou has for me!”

“He’s hinting me to kill one person for him if it’s possible.”

“At the same time, he’s also telling me that the Sun clan’s matter has nothing to do with him, and let me rest assured to kill Diwu Qingyun,” Chu Yang closed his eyes, thought for a while, took a deep breath and said, “I can only think of this much for the time being.”

Zi Xieqing almost smacked her lips. “It’s already incredible that you’ve deduced nine possibilities from a little bit of scent! But by your tone, you’re thinking that you’ve neglected something?”

“In dealing with Diwu Qingrou, not to mention missing a little bit, even if I miss a trace, that’ll be a great catastrophe!” Chu Yang said deeply, “Diwu Qingrou always looks down on force of arms! He can remain unconquerable by just utilizing his ingenuity, no matter what the circumstances he’s in!”

Zi Xieqing pouted her lips indifferently.

She didn’t believe. With her capability of overseeing the entire Nine Heavens, there shouldn’t be any opponent against her. How would this Diwu Qingrou still remain unconquerable in front of her?

“I’ve remembered.” Chu Yang suddenly realized something. “This Orchard Heart Chasing Soul technique is a poison technique! It will only be effective once the person targeted at is being beaten and the poison has neutralized with his internal organs. So, this Diwu Qingyun wants to use poison to deal with me. And the poison that he’s using is… a mixed poison.”

…