The Path Toward Heaven

Three years later.

The fog among the cliffs of Shenmo Peak had gradually dispersed, and the monkeys screamed a few times.

Young Yuan came down from the peak top and walked to the front of the small cabin, yelling, “Big Brother, Big Brother, it’s time to wake up.”

A moment later, the wooden door was pushed open, and Gu Qing walked out from the cabin.

The expression in his eyes was deep and calm; an occasional glint showed like a flash of sword light from them, but soon faded away.

Young Yuan was startled, thinking that his Big Brother had stayed behind closed doors for three years and once again broken through another Cultivation state; it was really an outstanding achievement. “Congratulations! Big Brother,” he said to Gu Qing sincerely.

Having a look at Young Yuan, Gu Qing found that he had also made great progress, nearly breaking through the Undefeated State. Gu Qing rubbed his head with a smile.

Gu Qing looked at the scattering fog and asked, “Has the cold fog dispersed?”

Young Yuan replied, “There were signs of it by the end of last winter. The Plum Meeting will take place as usual this year.”

Now that the Plum Meeting would take place as usual, it meant the cold fog in the snowland would disperse soon.

Thinking of his master in the distant snowland, whose fate was still unknown, Gu Qing had a complicated emotion; he should be happy, but he was actually very apprehensive.

Back on the peak top, Gu Qing walked to the deep end of the manor cave. As he looked at the thick and solid stone door, feeling the formidable formation on it, Gu Qing hesitated.

He was a disciple of Shenmo Peak; of course he knew how to dismantle the formation.

But should he?

Young Yuan said, “According to Sect Master’s order, my master is at a critical moment, so nobody is allowed to disturb her for any reason.”

“Breaking through the Free Travel State?” Gu Qing asked in surprise.

Young Yuan nodded in response.

Gu Qing was so pleased to hear the news. And then, he thought his master had probably died a long time ago, after so many years had passed. He just wanted to go have a look, hoping that he might be able to bring back his master’s remains. If Zhao Layue had seen the scene, she would be so heartbroken that she might have a hard time to breaking through her new Cultivation state.

He no longer thought of this matter after having made his decision. “When will the Sword Trial begin?” he asked.

“In seven days,” replied Young Yuan.

Gu Qing said, “Send Shiyue Peak a letter, telling them that we’re taking part in the Sword Trial.”

…

…

The Stone Forest, which was as high as one thousand feet, pierced through the clouds and reached the blue sky.

The crowds were everywhere amid the cliffs, save for the stone platform allocated to Shenmo Peak, where only Gu Qing and Young Yuan were present.

The unexpected thing was that Guo Nanshan, Gu Han and Ma Hua were not present on the stone platform for Liangwang Peak.

Young Yuan noticed Gu Qing’s gaze, and said in a low voice, “It’s said that they are behind closed doors. I guess it has something to do with the event three years ago.”

Gu Qing nodded, but didn’t say anything.

That scheme was plotted by Liangwang Peak and Luo Huainan, giving Liu Shisui the opportunity to assassinate him.

The Sect Master of the Green Mountain personally went to the Cloud Dream Mountain. He had probably made the Center Sect accept his explanation, but Liangwang Peak had no choice but to pay a certain price for Luo Huainan’s death.

With the announcement by the elder of Shangde Peak, Chi Yan in an emotionless voice, the Sword Trial on Green Mountain officially began.

As expected, Gu Qing defeated several opponents in a row and won a spot in the Cultivation tournament at the Plum Meeting.

He was a sword servant on Liangwang Peak back then, and his sword Cultivation had improved a great deal after so many years.

Yet, the shocking part for the disciples and masters of other peaks was that he used the Inherited Heaven Sword Style rather than the Nine-Deaths Sword Style of Shenmo Peak!

The Inherited Heaven Sword Style was the secret method of Tianguang Peak; how had he learned it?

Many gazes were fixed on the top of the peak in reflection, and they all wondered if a voice might ring out soon.

The Stone Forest, where the Sword Trial was taking place, happened to be on Tianguang Peak.

It was quiet on the top of Tianguang Peak.

Chi Yan suddenly asked, “When did you enter the upper state of the Undefeated?”

Upon hearing this, an uproar occurred among the disciples and masters of other peaks amid the cliffs.

It wouldn’t have been such a surprise if it were Zhao Layue, who was of natural Dao quality.

Nor would it have been a surprise if it were Jing Jiu, who had a born Sword Body.

But Gu Qing looked so ordinary; how had he progressed so fast in Cultivation?

Gu Qing wondered if his two senior masters would probably say “just recently” to such a question.

His master said so in the last Sword Trial.

“Twenty days ago.”

Gu Qing’s response was as mild as his personality.

Looking at him for a long moment in silence, Chi Yan said, “Not bad.”

…

…

Young Yuan was the next on the arena.

He was a disciple still in the Inherited Will State. Though he was close to the initial Undefeated State, he still needed a lot of effort to actually enter it.

Compared to other disciples his age, his Cultivation state was in fact quite outstanding; and yet he hailed from Shenmo Peak.

The masters of other peaks felt relieved after learning of his current Cultivation state, thinking that that lonely peak actually didn’t have the support of the spirit of senior grandmaster, and one still had to rely on their own talents and efforts to cultivate on Shenmo Peak.

Normally, it would be hard for Young Yuan in his current Cultivation state to defeat so many colleagues and qualify for the Cultivation tournament at the Plum Meeting.

However, luck was on his side that day.

He met Young Sister Yushan in the first round.

In the second round, he encountered a disciple of Shiyue Peak who had a similar Cultivation State to his own, barely defeating his opponent after a tough fight.

In the third round, his opponent was Lei Yijing, but Lei withdrew from the fight before it even started.

In the fourth round…

Gu Qing watched his fights on the stone platform with a calm expression, but he smiled bitterly inside.

The drawings seemed lucky, but Gu Qing knew of certain secrets. The lucky drawings were most likely the arrangement of Shangde Peak.

…

…

Outside Tianguang Peak, Young Sister Yushan saw them off.

Gu Qing left by riding the sword after a few words with her.

As he turned around a moment later, Gu Qing saw she and Young Yuan stand at the foot of a big tree, facing each other, speechless.

In the next moment, Young Sister Yushan seemed to be crying.

Young Yuan was ill at ease, because he didn’t know if he should use his sleeve or his finger to wipe her tears off; he was at a loss, actually.

Gu Qing laughed. As he approached Shenmo Peak in the twilight, his smile gradually disappeared.

As his flying sword landed on the top of the peak, he walked to the deep end of the manor cave, murmuring to the closed stone wall.

“Please, rest reassured: as long as my master’s remains are still there, I will definitely bring them back.”

…

…

The disciples of the Green Mountain going to Zhaoge City for this year’s Plum Meeting were fewer than other years.

It was possible that the leader of the group wasn’t the Peak Master of Qingrong, Nan Wang, which would mean fewer accompanying personnel. They didn’t ride their swords this time, but took the Sword Boat for the journey.

The Sword Boat rose up through the clouds, heading northward in the morning sunlight, and soon turned into a black dot.

Looking at the cloud ocean moving backward, Gu Qing saw the peaks of the Green Mountain become isolated boats in the cloud ocean. When Zhao Layue saw the similar cloud ocean years ago, she thought of the snowland outside White Town.

Young Yuan patted his shoulder, reminding him that the leader of the group was beginning to give them instruction.

Looking at the tall and thin figure ahead on the Sword Boat, Gu Qing’s pupils shrank slightly.

He was the leader of the group for this year’s Plum Meeting.

The Peak Master of Xilai, Fang Jingtian.

…

…

Jing Jiu hadn’t told Zhao Layue about Fang Jingtian, but Gu Qing had his own interest in him, or at the very least, was cautious of him.

Gu’s family belonged to a large clan from the Green Mountain who had profound resources, so they knew a great deal about the secrets of the nine peaks. As Gu Qing was crucial for the future of the clan, he was naturally allowed to learn of many things .

Fang Jingtian was the fourth disciple of the Immortal Taiping, but he wasn’t close to either Sect Master or Sword Justice Yuan Qijing, the other two personal disciples of the Immortal Taiping. They had seldom visited each other.

The impression people had of Peak Master of Xilai was of one that was of low profile; in other words, ordinary.

His Broken Sea State would be very powerful in the mortal world, but it wasn’t so outstanding on the nine peaks of the Green Mountain.

Yet, the elders of his clan had reminded him of paying sufficient attention to Fang Jingtian.

When Gu Qing asked for the reason, that elder said, “All nine peaks on the Green Mountain belong to Shangde Peak.”