The Path Toward Heaven

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“What does the Young Senior Master look like?”

“Like the most beautiful person ever.”

“Did Young Senior Master attend the classes like us?”

“‘Attend class?’ Do you see the cave across from here? He was lying there all day long, and his colleagues laughed and mocked him for his laziness, though they didn’t know that he was using his will to train the sword!”

“Didn’t the masters punish him when he wasn’t attending any class?”

At this point, the sword-washing disciples suddenly came back to their senses, realizing that they were not in their caves chit-chatting, but were in class.

They quickly went back to sit on their stools from the windows, feeling worried that their master would punish them for such behavior.

This class was the Introduction to Swordplay, and the lecturer was Master Lü.

Unexpectedly, Master Lü didn’t get angry at these sword-washing disciples, instead saying with a smile, “Go to the bank of the stream to watch it if you want to; it’s hard to see it from here.”

The disciples didn’t trust their ears; after they eyed each other a few times and made sure what they had heard right, they ran out with a cheer after bowing to Master Lü.

Walking to the window and watching the Sword Boat in the sky, Master Lü ran his fingers through his beard, showing a pleased grin on his face.

He was called back by the nine peaks of the Green Mountain to continue his Cultivation at a time when he encountered a barrier to doing just that, and the return was simply because he had taught a few outstanding external disciples at the South-Pine Pavilion.

And he had finally broken through the new Cultivation state four years ago. Now he was teaching at the Sword-Washing Hall.

Seeing his former student become the pride of the Green Mountain, how could he not feel pleased?

Similar feelings occurred in other places at the Sword-Washing Hall.

Lin Wuzhi walked out from the classroom with his teaching material, and he cupped his hands to her when he saw Senior Master Mei Li of Qingrong Peak.

The sudden cheers from the bank of the stream made them feel quite sentimental; the two eyed each other and sped up their footsteps while laughing out heartily.

The youth who was so lazy twelve years ago had drawn so much attention that day.

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There was a patch of cliffs by the Sword-Washing Stream, but it had been crashed to a flat ground when the Three-Foot Sword of Shangde Peak suppressed the former peak master of Bihu.

Later, requested by Shiyue Peak and approved by all the other peaks, this flat ground had been rebuilt as the mooring port for the Sword Boat.

The Sword Boat descended slowly, and its huge shadow casted on the Sword-Washing Stream, making the stream water look greenish with blue hue.

The bank of the stream was crowded by people.

Lin Wuzhi, Yao Songshan, Lei Yijing and dozens of disciples of the third generation of the Green Mountain, plus many sword-washing disciples, greeted Jing Jiu in unison with a bow, “Young Senior Master, welcome back to the Green Mountain!”

The greeting echoed in the stream valley like thunder, making all the monkeys scream in response.

Standing behind Jing Jiu, Gu Qing mused with a smile, is my master going to complain about the commotion again?

Young Yuan felt quite proud of being a member of Shenmo Peak with a flush face, waving his hand vehemently at Young Sister Yushan in the crowd.

“That’ll be all.” Fang Jingtian said with a smile, “The Immortal Sect Master is waiting for Young Brother Jing on Tianguang Peak.”

Jing Jiu didn’t want to go to Tianguang Peak. As he was thinking of how to refuse, he suddenly sensed something, turning around to look at a lonely and isolated peak in the deep end of the cloud ocean.

Whoosh!!!

The sword bracelet left his wrist and changed back to the Thoughtless Sword, heading toward that location after turning into a bright red light.

Seeing this scene, the smile had gradually faded from Fang Jingtian’s face.

The disciples of the Green Mountain by the stream were quite startled.

Lin Wuzhi and Mei Li looked at each other, and saw the surprise and happiness in each other’s eyes.

The youngest disciple of the Green Mountain who entered the Free Travel State had finally appeared after a couple of hundreds of years!

Jing Jiu didn’t talk to Fang Jingtian again. He rode his sword to fly skyward, followed by Gu Qing and Young Yuan.

At this moment, they didn’t have to go to Tianguang Peak anymore.

Compared to Zhao Layue’s breaking through the Free Travel State, meeting Sect Master wasn’t at all important.

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The wind was everywhere on Shenmo Peak.

The forest was making rustling sounds, and the green leaves were falling down, but these noises couldn’t overpower the monkeys’ shrieks.

The monkeys’ shrieks sounded very mournful, but they didn’t mean to signal a warning, or to show their fear. These shrieks were of extreme happiness.

The door of the small cabin in the forest wasn’t closed tight enough, and it closed and opened back and forth when being blown by the strong wind, making “pah, pah” noises.

The buildings on the peak didn’t have such a scene because of the formation, but one still could witness the leaves dance in the mid-air and dusts rise everywhere there.

A thudding sound suddenly came out in the deep end of the manor cave, and the formation was dismantled.

A band of smoke and dust shot out from inside, looking like a yellow dragon rushing out.

A moment later, Zhao Layue walked out from the manor cave.

She looked very shabby, with a matted hair and dirty face, dusts all over her clothes; but her eyes were calm and bright.

The black and white parts of her eyes became even more distinctive, like the dark of night to broad daylight. If one looked closely at her eyes, they would see a glint of sword will in them that receded gradually .

She walked to the cliff’s edge. As she saw the arriving red light passing through the sky, she automatically reached out her hand to catch it.

Looking at the Thoughtless Sword in her hand, Zhao Layue was bewildered slightly, wondering what was going on.

“Why have you made a mess of yourself again?”

A voice rang out.

Jing Jiu landed with his flying sword.

Zhao Layue looked at him in silence. “Sword Peak?” she asked him suddenly.

Jing Jiu didn’t know why she asked this, responding, “Zhuo Yi.”

Zhao Layue smiled after making sure Jing Jiu was real.

Her dimples reappeared.

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Gu Qing and Young Yuan landed on the peak.

Seeing the scene, Young Yuan was stunned, asking, “My master…has dimples?”

“Yes,” Gu Qing answered. “Hundreds of people saw her dimples back when my master inserted a flower in her hair at that year’s Plum Meeting.”

Young Yuan said shockingly, “But I haven’t seen them even once…Well, why has my master gone back in the cave? Does it mean she will stay behind closed doors again after the Senior Master has just returned?”

Jing Jiu himself wasn’t sure why Zhao Layue suddenly turned around and went back to the manor cave.

And one shouldn’t think about something that one doesn’t understand.

Jing Jiu looked at the familiar sceneries on the peak, enjoying the warmth of the spring breeze, and found it would made him sleepier in this environment than in the cold cave back in the snowland.

At least the bamboo chair felt softer here than in that cold cave.

He summoned the chair.

The bamboo chair appeared at the spot, where it was often placed, by the cliff’s edge.

The ground where the bamboo chair was had six existing dents.

Jing Jiu lay on the chair with an “hmm”.

Gi Qing knew his master would let out such a noise only when he felt extremely comfortable, similar to a prolonged sigh by normal folks.

Young Yuan exclaimed suddenly, “Master, you are back again!”

Zhao Layue came out from the manor cave, her hair still wet, dripping water, and she also put on a clean cloth.

Gu Qing admired her swiftness, but meanwhile was worried that she didn’t act like a young woman, having taken a shower so quickly.

Zhao Layue walked to the front of the bamboo chair, motioning for Jing Jiu to move aside his legs, and then sat on the chair herself.

Jing Jiu took out the wooden comb and started combing her hair with it.

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