The Path Toward Heaven

The ocean waves were bumping into the rocks, creating countless sprays.

Yin San gazed at the ocean, the faint smile on his face resembling a blossoming flower in spring.

He still had an amicable bearing. Any onlooker would think he was a good-natured fellow, as if he had nothing to worry about at all.

The Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect stood behind Yin San and looked at his side profile, feeling sympathy for him. The Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect sighed before he took out a bone from his sleeve and had two bites of it.

That was a thin and long bone, looking a bit repugnant; it was unclear whether it was the rib of a sea animal or the arm of a human Cultivation practitioner.

For some reason, the Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect thought it was tasteless, so he put it back into his sleeve.

Yin San asked without turning his head around, “You used to like chewing on this kind of bone; has your taste changed?”

“Maybe I’m getting old and lacking appetite,” the Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect replied forlornly.

“I still like eating hotpot, and my appetite is as good as a young man. I’m still full of curiosity and interest in this world. I think it’s still not too late for me to accomplish something.”

Looking at the ocean, Yin San continued with a small smile, “Hence, I believe that I can at least live for another five hundred years.”

The Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect said seriously, “Five hundred years is not enough; the human race requires you to live another fifty thousand years.”

“I’m not that turtle on Tianguang Peak, though.”

Yin San gazed at his own right hand and suddenly asked, “Is the sword really there?”

The back of his hand was a bit dark, exuding a faint and deadly energy, and resembling dried wood.

Worst of all, the fingertips of his hand looked like limestone, as if they would fall off when being blown by the wind from the ocean.

“Su Ziye said it was on Shaoming Island,” the Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect said, “but Tian Jinren didn’t know where, and so the two of them can’t be cross-examined. As such, we should be careful.”

The Shaoming Island was where the library of sword books of the West Ocean Sword Sect was located; it was closely guarded. It would be quite difficult to enter it without disturbing the West Ocean disciples.

Yin San remarked, “It’s very interesting that all the important items of the West Ocean are placed there.”

Even if the First Child Sword were not hidden on Shaoming Island, he still wanted to pay a visit there.

However, few people were aware that the center of the Great Protective Formation of the West Ocean Sword Sect was also on the island.

Time passed slowly. The ocean waves lapped onto the rocks continuously, creating a string of snowy spray. The red setting sun descended into the ocean, and night fell.

Under the dim starlight, Yin San and the Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect walked on the surface of the ocean, heading toward the island.

The islands of the West Ocean used to be the territory of the Kingdom of Mermaids, later occupied by the West Ocean Sword Sect and used as their mountain gate. The defensive facility had nearly been perfected after two hundred years of work done by the West Ocean Sword Sect. Even if the Great Protective Formation were not activated completely, the treacherous formations hidden under the sea would be enough to slay any Cultivation practitioner who dared get near. But, all these arrangements were meaningless for Yin San; it was not because the Great Grandmaster of Mysterious Dark Sect had a profound Cultivation state, but because he had swallowed the spiritual soul of Tian Jinren. As a result, he knew the ins and outs of these formations as well as his own hands.

Back when the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean founded the sect on this cluster of islands, Tian Jinren was responsible for designing the whole facility and setting up the formations.

A booming sound was suddenly heard on the surface of ocean far away.

The Flying Whale leapt out of the sea, heading toward a place in the night sky.

The sea water dripped down from the huge body of the Flying Whale like hundreds of waterfalls, looking looked like many silvery ribbons under the starlight.

The Flying Whale was wounded severely by Yuan Qijing many years ago. He didn’t dare stray too far from the islands of the West Ocean after his recovery. It was unclear where he was headed and what he was going to do tonight.

Seeing the Flying Whale gradually disappear into the dark night, Yin San drew back his gaze and looked at the island not far away.

The island was covered with green trees, which looked like blocks painted with the black ink in the dark night. In comparison to the ocean under the starlight, the island was a totally different world.

The two of them followed the ocean waves to step onto the sandy beach. Then, they evaded the formations and entered the dense forest. Later, they arrived in front of a remote manor cave in the mountains noiselessly.

The rocks and fine sand scattered on the ground. There was no other mark on the ground except for a few footprints. The firmly closed stone gate of the manor cave looked ordinary, but if one gazed at it for a while, they would be able to find that something seemed to be flowing on the surface of the stone gate, forming countless tiny whirlpools.

The center of the Great Protective Formation of the West Ocean Sword Sect was located in this manor cave.

If someone could control the center of the formation, they would be able to dismantle the Great Formation at any moment.

It would be an interesting scene to witness: The Great Protective Formation of the West Ocean Sword Sect suddenly disappeared when countless sword lights of Green Mountain arrived here.

Thinking of the scene, Yin San laughed out loud. He walked to the front of the stone gate and swept off the dust on its surface with his hand and lowered his head to look at those slowly flowing lines.

The Great Grandmaster of the Mysterious Dark Sect came up behind him, then turned around and squatted down, staring at the outside like an old guarding dog.

…

…

West Ocean consisted of seven hundred islands of various sizes.

The largest island was in the middle, called the Fallen Immortal Island, located about one hundred miles from the Shaoming Island.

The highest mountain on the islands of the West Ocean was situated on the Fallen Immortal Island and was the headquarters of the West Ocean Sword Sect.

The side of the mountain on the east was a steep precipice. There was a manor cave on the upper section of the precipice that had a huge hole that was a thousand feet wide and a hundred feet high in size, facing the ocean.

This hole looked like a huge window, through which one could see the changes of the sea, clouds, rain and wind, resembling a picture frame.

Standing by the huge window emotionlessly, the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean looked like a stone statue or a figure in the painting.

A deep whistling suddenly rang out over the surface of the ocean in the distance. The sea water parted gradually, forming two remarkable white lines.

Seeing this scene, the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean arched his brows slightly, but this act was quite visible in the painting.

It was because of him that the West Ocean Sword Sect had survived and flourished after having been suppressed by the Green Mountain Sect for many years.

He was in the upper state of Heavenly Arrival, not to mention of a vigorous age. He was at his peak in terms of both Cultivation state and confidence.

The Immortal Bai of the Center Sect, Liu Ci of the Green Mountain Sect, and the Chief Monk of the Fruit Formation Temple were all getting old. Bu Qiuxiao was still too young, and he hadn’t broken through the Heavenly Arrival State yet. The Young Zen Master was even younger than all of them. The Water-Moon Nunnery had a bunch of women, and it was unclear if Lian Sanyue was dead or alive. Who in all of Chaotian could claim to defeat him in a duel?

The Broadsword King, Cao Yuan, might be able to do it, but he was guarding the wind and snow alone in White Town and couldn’t leave that place.

The Green Mountain Sect didn’t keep pursuing him after the Cloud Platform was destroyed, because he made up his mind soon enough to kill his Young Brother, Xiwang Sun. He did it also because he was suspicious of his young brother’s ambition.

The Flying Whale arrived in front of the precipice, his huge body blocking the sky. A man wearing the conical hat slid down from the back of the whale; and the green glow could be spotted on the smooth skin of the whale as he was sliding on its back. He was none other than Su Ziye, the former young master of Mysterious Dark Sect.

He had brought back the latest news from the Cloud-Dream Mountain. The West Ocean Sword Sect sent the Flying Whale to pick him up because it was rather urgent.

Su Ziye didn’t waste any time and reported right away.

“The Center Sect thinks that the Immortal Taiping should have a helper on Green Mountain. If that helper were killed, the Green Mountain Sect would come here.”

“Any evidence?” the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean demanded expressionlessly.

“The Center Sect was unwilling to tell me,” Su Ziye shook his head and said. “But it will be beneficial to the Center Sect, no matter whether we kill the Immortal Taiping directly and bring that person of Green Mountain to the open or cause a turmoil on Green Mountain, so I don’t think the Center Sect has lied to me. Once the Green Mountain Sect comes here, the Center Sect will certainly strike at them.”

Everybody in the Cultivation circle was obliged to kill the likes of the Immortal Taiping.

If the Green Mountain Sect attempted to prevent the West Ocean Sword Sect from killing this devil man, the Center Sect would have a reason sufficient enough to intervene; even the Fruit Formation Temple and other allies of Green Mountain would find that they basically had no reason to object the action taken by the Center Sect.

The expression on the face of the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean hadn’t changed in the least as he asked, “Any new information from the Young Mysterious Dark Master?”

“No,” Su Ziye replied. “But according to the information procured a few years ago, the body borrowed by the Immortal Taiping will dissolve by the end of this year at the latest. He will come for sure.”

The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean said, “Tell them that the First Child Sword is on Tianxuan Island.”

“Yes,” Su Ziye answered.

The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean said, “When this matter is settled, I’ll get the secret method of the Sun Banner from the Young Mysterious Dark Master for you.”

“No need for it,” Su Ziye said. “If possible, please kill him.”

“Why?” the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean turned to him and asked.

Su Ziye replied, “It was obviously the intention of the Great Grandmaster that the Sun Banner ended up in the hands of Wang Xiaoming. I think he is the heir selected by the Great Grandmaster.”

“It makes sense,” the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean commented.

Su Ziye added, “It has been confirmed that the reason Tong Yan betrayed the Center Sect is because he had stolen the Green Sky Mirror.”

“If he has nowhere else to go, he can come here,” the Godly Swordsman said.

Su Ziye thought the suggestion was inappropriate, so he said, “Since we have formed an alliance with the Center Sect…”

The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean raised his hand to gesture for him to stop talking.

Su Ziye backed out of the manor cave.

The Godly Swordsman of West Ocean gazed at the ocean, looking like a stone statue.

He had known that the Immortal Taiping escaped from the Sword Jail of Green Mountain a long time ago, because he had met Taiping, and they had reached an accord.

Unexpectedly, the high ranking members of the Old Ones had all fallen into Taiping’s hands after the Cloud Platform was destroyed and his young brother died.

“I’m indeed someone who is not good at scheming.”

The corners of the Godly Swordsman’s mouth curled up slowly, flashing an awkward wry smile.

A few hundred years ago, when he and Tian Jinren left the Foggy Island of the South Ocean and came to Chaotian, he was merely a young swordsman.

The reason he had become so powerful was because he had been preoccupied with nothing else but Cultivation.

Every rock in the West Ocean had a mark left by his sword work, and countless flying birds and fish had witnessed his sword light.

In this aspect, he was pretty much like the Immortal Jing Yang, who had stayed behind closed doors all year long and paid no attention to mortal affairs.

In his opinion, Su Ziye’s idea was quite promising; it was beneficial to form an alliance with the Center Sect; it was a good idea to kill the Immortal Taiping; and it was even better to lure and then slay those swordsmen of the Green Mountain Sect.

Yet, he was also aware that all these might be false. He had no capability or time to figure out whether these were true or false. As a result, he chose not to think about it at all. Maybe, the Center Sect would opt to stand on the side doing nothing at the time; maybe, the Young Mysterious Dark Master would have other ideas; and maybe, the Green Mountain Sect had cooked up a scheme of some sort. But all of these didn’t matter that much.

As long as he was powerful enough, he could kill them all.

He was quite confident about this.

It was because he wouldn’t be alone this time.

In this aspect, he was pretty much like Jing Jiu, who would empty his whole nest once he decided to act.

This kind of person was indeed formidable.

…

…

It was deathly quiet on Shenmo Peak. No screams could be heard at the bottom of the cliff; nor could the neighing of the horse on the slope.

Gu Qing received the message and hurried back from Zhaoge City. Standing behind Yuan Qü and Zhao Layue, Gu Qing gazed at the tightly closed door of the manor cave silently.

Ping Yongjia felt frightened because he had no idea what was going on.

The sound of grinding sword would come out from the manor cave once in a while.

As dusk fell, the sound of grinding sword had finally stopped.

Nothing had changed on Shenmo Peak, but the Sword Peak in the distance was undergoing some alterations, where the swords in the cracks between the rocks quivered slightly with a buzzing sound.

The sword wills shot up and broke through the fog, and soon returned along with the wind, as if they were dancing in a happy mood.

And the sword wills seemed to welcome the return of an unparalleled world-class sword.

As the door of the manor cave opened, Jing Jiu walked out from it.

His white cloth was fluttering.

And he still had the look of an immortal master.

Yet, both Zhao Layue and Gu Qing felt something was different about Jing Jiu.

Looking at his right hand, Zhao Layue asked, “Has it healed?”

“Hmm,” Jing Jiu uttered.