The Path Toward Heaven

Zhao Layue was fully aware that Nan Wang didn’t like her.

To put it another way, Nan Wang had liked her very much at first, and she even wanted to take Zhao Layue as her disciple at the Inherited Sword Competition.

Nan Wang totally changed her attitude toward Zhao Layue when she chose to inherit the sword of Shenmo Peak.

Many people on the Green Mountain knew that Nan Wang didn’t like the Immortal Jing Yang. She showed no respect for him. And she always called him by name instead of by “Young Senior Master”.

Zhao Layue was the peak master of Shenmo. Though her Cultivation state was far inferior to Nan Wang’s, their generational status was the same.

Since Nan Wang didn’t like Shenmo Peak, it was natural that Zhao Layue didn’t like Nan Wang either. This was Zhao Layue’s temperament.

Having heard their verbal exchanges, Guo Dong found it quite interesting. The corners of her mouth raised slightly, revealing a faint grin as she thought of something.

Nan Wang was unpleased. “What’s going on here?” she asked Guo Dong.

Guo Dong answered calmly, “My young sister Mo Xi invited peak master Layue to an appointment in my name. She collaborated with someone to set a trap to kill Zhao Layue.”

Guo Dong used a simple sentence to explain the whole event, as it was simply an assassination attempt. However, in the Cultivation world, being simple often meant being direct. Being direct was the real danger, because only the real strongman had the qualification to be direct, which was much more terrifying than scheming.

If Guo Dong hadn’t arrived in time that day, Zhao Layue might have been killed by that man in black, unless she had other secret methods that she hadn’t used yet.

The question was, since Mo Xi used her name to get Zhao Layue here, why would Guo Dong come here as well?

Nan Wang was staring at her, and dozens of disciples of the Green Mountain stared at her as well.

Yao Songshan and several disciples of Liangwang Peak had already summoned their sword instructions while keeping their hands by their sides, ready to draw their swords at any instant.

Under the dozens of gazes as sharp as swords, Guo Dong’s expression didn’t change, it was still so calm.

“Because I realized something was wrong with Mo Xi. After asking her a few questions and getting the answer, I came over here in a hurry, and I didn’t have time to inform you people.”

This explanation wouldn’t have been persuasive enough if anyone else who did the explanation.

–How could you suspect your young sister and obtain the answer after simply asking a few questions, given how serious a crime this attempt was?

However, the speaker was Guo Dong, so what she said was quite convincing.

The Water-Moon Nunnery was good at the Two-minds Connection, and Guo Dong was Lian Sanyue’s disciple, so she had to be very good at this method.

Nan Wang stared into her eyes without uttering a word.

Guo Dong understood her meaning, saying, “Our Nunnery will give you a satisfactory answer.”

Facing the intimidating threat from the peak master of the Green Mountain, Guo Dong didn’t show any fear.

…

…

A flash of golden light landed in the valley.

The stream had turned into a golden whip.

The golden light wasn’t very bright. It contained some Zen intent, but was more of an interest, giving off a solid and thick feeling, like thousands of city walls.

A short and fat Cultivation practitioner walked out from the golden light. The clothes he wore were just as gold and seemingly made of the golden cotton.

“Greetings, Peak Master Nan.”

Nodding slightly, Nan Wang said, “Gongfeng Jing.”

Her voice didn’t have too much respect, but didn’t put him down either. This meant that he had an important background.

The name of this short and fat man was Jing Mingchen, a Gongfeng in the imperial palace, and as famous as Gongfeng Niu.

Earlier, dozens of sword lights of the Green Mountain Sect appeared in the sky, disturbing many people in Zhaoge City; so the imperial court had to check it out.

Considering the status and acting style of the Green Mountain Sect, the imperial court was cautious enough to send such an important figure.

Jing Mingchen followed the sword lights to get here, so he would like to know what was going on. As he saw the wounded Zhao Layue being treated by her colleagues, he immediately figured out what had happened. His expression had suddenly become solemn.

“He is from the Center Sect,” Zhao Layue said directly before he spoke.

Hearing this answer, Jing Mingchen’s solemn expression changed, as this news was too shocking.

Nan Wang sneered, since she had already known this. Yet the disciples of the Green Mountain had just learned this fact, and so their expressions turning quite serious.

They were not scared, but felt it would be a troublesome matter.

If it was another sect who dared set a trap to kill Zhao Layue, the disciples of the Green Mountain wouldn’t have to wait, and they would march to their mountain gate and kill the perpetrator.

If it was the Center Sect, some proof would be necessary.

It was because the Center Sect was one of the two largest Cultivation sects on Chaotian.

Guo Dong said, “It should be the Center Sect. He used the Escaping Method of Heaven and Earth since he was in a hurry to run away.”

Gongfeng Jing didn’t think this statement was adequate, saying with the narrowed eyes, “Let’s find evidence first.”

Having said that, Gongfeng Jing sighed in his mind, knowing that the Green Mountain Sect wouldn’t stop pursuing the issue even if they couldn’t find any proof.

If two largest Cultivation sects in Chaotian became enemies, how big of a disturbance would this cause? Would a bloody war break out?

Suddenly, he turned around to look at a place where he sensed a trace of energy on the distant mountain.

Nan Wang looked in that direction as well.

Zhao Layue said, “Check the energy of his magic treasure. His hand was injured.”

Having said this, Zhao Layue glanced at Guo Dong once.

It was because Zhao Layue noticed that Guo Dong looked at that place before Gongfeng Jing and Nan Wang.

…

…

The man in black was fleeing through the mountains and fields.

He didn’t choose to ride his sword, since it would be too conspicuous and he would be discovered easily by others.

Not to mention those high-level swordsmen in Zhaoge City, the three-hundred-mile formation on the Cloud-Dream Mountain would be able to find him easily.

He knew his big brother, who was the Sect Master.

If his big brother the Sect Master was certain that he had done it, he would kill him immediately and without hesitation, then bring his corpse to the Green Mountain.

If he wanted to be the leader of the orthodox sects, he had to be good at forgiving, to forgive other Cultivation practitioners and to be cruel to the colleagues of the same Sect.

The man in black sneered while thinking about these things. His body turned into shadow, passing through a patch of wild peach forest and reappearing in the next moment on the opposite cliff.

Traveling secretly amongst the fields and mountains was much slower than riding sword in the sky, but he wasn’t worried since he was employing the Escaping Method of Heaven and Earth.

The Escaping Method of Heaven and Earth of the Center Sect was considered the best in the world. It utilized the conditions of heaven and earth to hide. The green mountains and rivers, broken cliffs and ancient trees could all help conceal his tracks.

As long as he wasn’t tagged by the Sword Awareness of a swordsman in the Broken Sea State, he was quite confident that he would be able to escape.

Yet he felt regretful that he failed to kill Zhao Layue under such a favorable circumstance.

Zhao Layue had achieved the formed Sword Body, which was a surprise, and the zither music that had suddenly appeared was a surprise.

The last thing an assassin wanted was a surprise; they were used to doing the surprising.

Yet he had encountered too many surprises that day.

It was then that he suddenly discovered a gaze falling on him.

Who could see through the Escaping Method of Heaven and Earth?

The man in black was rather stunned.

All of a sudden, a broadsword had moved through the heaven and earth to reach his face!

That broadsword was pitch black throughout, with only some rust on its body as it made its eerily dark appearance, like a ghostly object.

The man in black let out a sharp cry and thrust his right fist toward that black broadsword.

Countless milky-white light rays shot out along the thrusting fist.

He didn’t hesitate to employ the unique magic treasure awarded by his Cultivation sect!

One could only imagine the much pressure he was under when he realized that his Escaping Method of Heaven and Earth had been recognized and a dark ghostly broadsword was approaching.

Splatter!!!

That black broadsword had somehow scattered!

Millions of tiny ghost flames filled his sight.

The thousands of light rays shot out from the magic treasure were instantly eroded and weakened by those seemingly colorless ghost flames.

“Soul Fire!”

The man in black yelled in an intimidating voice, but his pupils shrank, revealing a hint of fear.

The swordsman of the Underworld whom hadn’t been seen in Chaotian for many years somehow appeared here!