The Path Toward Heaven

Jing Jiu washed his face with the sword fire as he headed toward the edge of the cliff.

The dust dropped from his cloth as he stepped on the ground. Soon, his white cloth

looked as clean as new, resembling a lotus flower after being washed by the rain,

devoid of any dirt and soil.

Walking by his side, Gu Qing told Jing Jiu in a fast and calm voice about what had

happened in the Cultivation world and all the important events that had happened on

Green Mountain.

Seeing this, Zhuo Rusui thought of the image of a eunuch or a wicked chancellor often

described in the stories, so he couldn’t help but laugh out.

Jing Jiu shot him a glance.

Zhuo Rusui turned sideways to let Jing Jiu pass him, and said, “I’ve just cleaned the

bamboo chair.”

Jing Jiu lay on the chair.

Gu Qing continued while standing by the chair, “Guo Nanshan has come many times,

and he was here earlier today. It’s still about the matter of Yizhou.”

Jing Jiu didn’t give a response, his eyes closed; it seemed to be an excellent spring day.

Glancing at the sky, Zhuo Rusui sighed in administration in his mind.

Gu Qing said in the end, “The Hanging-Bell Sect, the Great Marsh, and the Water-Moon

Nunnery have asked through letters when the Grand Ceremony will be.”

If these matters were all there were, Gu Qing wouldn’t have felt so anxious; the problem

was that Shangde Peak had also asked about it.

“It’s up to you,” said Jing Jiu.

Gu Qing felt helpless since he was not the Sect Master. He figured that all he could do

was postpone it.

The concept of time for the Cultivation practitioners was different from mortals. For

instance, it was unclear if the date of the Dao Competition of the Center Sect

corresponded to its founding thirty thousand years ago; it was common that the

competition would be held a few years earlier or later.

However, this was an event that couldn’t be postponed indefinitely.

Jing Jiu suddenly opened his eyes and claimed, “We eat hotpot today.”

It was unclear if he made the suggestion because it was a bright sunny day or because

he wanted to do something ritualistic since they hadn’t done anything like this after Jing

Jiu became the Sect Master. Maybe, he just wanted to reminisce about what he had

done three hundred years ago, or even six hundred years ago.

They had eaten hotpot when the Immortal Taiping or Liu Ci became the sect master.

Gu Qing felt startled, wondering what had happened to his Master.

“Good! Excellent! Marvelous!” Zhuo Rusui seconded the suggestion with a great deal of

enthusiasm.

After shooting a glance at Zhuo Rusui, Gu Qing felt more admiration toward him, as he

thought he was the only one who could join the dinner of Shenmo Peak twice.

…

…

It was important to eat hotpot with a large group, so they needed more people to join

them. Zhao Layue, Yuan Qü and Ping Yongjia, who stayed behind closed doors, all

woke up and came out from their manor caves.

Having stayed behind closed doors several decades at a time on Tianguang Peak,

Zhuo Rusui couldn’t comprehend what he had witnessed.

He had no idea that Shenmo Peak was so careless about staying behind closed doors.

If the hotpot were brought in by the Gu Clan, they would be able to obtain the best spice

for the soup and the best ingredients, regardless of whether it was the muttons from the

Hongmao House or the famous Jiuxian House in Yizhou. Yet, it would be too

troublesome and time-consuming for them to bring in the hotpot.

Shiyue Peak could make the hotpot for them since it was the Sect Master who

requested it. However, they were only good at making medicinal hotpot, and in addition,

Jing Jiu didn’t like the monkeys on their peak. In the end, they merely asked Shiyue

Peak to provide the ingredients, doing the rest themselves.

The chef was Ping Yongjia. It was because he was the youngest, and he was the most

recent one to come from the human world so he hadn’t forgotten how to slice

vegetables and mix the spices.

As Ping Yongjia was slicing the vegetables, Yuan Qü was helping while standing by his

side. All Zhuo Rusui did was watch all this commotion on the side since he hadn’t seen

anyone slice the vegetables before.

Jing Jiu didn’t pay any more attention to what Ping Yongjia was doing after a glimpse.

He had learned how to slice the vegetables, fish and chicken in three days back in that

small village. The layered cucumber he sliced could be extended to two feet long…Ping

Yongjia’s cooking skill was not even at the same level as when Liu Shisui was ten years

old. Jing Jiu wondered why he wished to learn the sword work.

A few pieces of ginger and onion were tossed into the water, which was considered by

them as the hotpot soup.

The Cultivation practitioners seldom ate anything, but they would have an appetite for

food once in a while. The mutton and beef prepared by Shiyue Peak were the best in

the world.

Zhuo Rusui threw a large amount of mutton into the soup as quickly as he could, and

scooped them up the instant they changed colors. He put them in the mixed sesame

sauce as fast as a willow branch sweeping over the boiled water, and shoveled them all

into his mouth.

The group was stunned to see how he ate.

“The flavor is a little bit too light.”

Zhuo Rusui said this without feeling a tiny bit embarrassed, as he reached his

chopsticks to the freshly cut ribs.

Gu Qing ladled a bowl of soup from the hotpot before it became too greasy and brought

it to Jing Jiu.

Zhao Layue tossed a few pieces of green vegetables into the soup.

After drinking the soup a few times and eating a piece of vegetable, Jing Jiu returned to

the bamboo chair and lay on it.

More meats were found in the pot instantly; the pot was filled up like a hill.

A few pairs of chopsticks were placed on the meat hill.

The group didn’t speak as they watched the pot and waited for the meat to be ready.

Eating quietly didn’t mean that they were in an embarrassing situation; in fact, it was a

sign that they were all eating in an earnest manner.

Speaking of which, this should be the first time all of Shenmo Peak ate together. In the

human world, this dinner would be called “the first dinner in the new house”, or “a

house-warming dinner”.

After a while, Zhuo Rusui suddenly found that he wasn’t the one who ate the most.

Zhao Layue had been eating in a measured manner, but she had never halted her

chopsticks, and the other disciples didn’t dare snatch the meats from her since she was

a senior master of theirs…

“I’ve underestimated her,” Zhuo Rusui thought to himself.

He didn’t comment on the way she ate the meats, but he thought of the matters

regarding Jian Ruoyun and Ma Hua.

He disliked Jian Ruoyun and Ma Hua, and neither did he have any feeling about

Liangwang Peak. But he didn’t expect Zhao Layue to have such a brutal temperament

even though she seemed to be a practitioner preoccupied with Cultivation. He had a few

questions for her, so Zhuo Rusui changed the topic, “Young Senior Master Zhao, how

should I practice the formed shapeless sword body?”

The people by the hotpot all turned toward him; even Jing Jiu’s ear that had a cut on its

lobe quivered a little.

“I tempered it on the Sword Peak,” Zhao Layue replied expressionlessly.

“I’ve sat there since the last spring, but it was useless. I find that the sword wills there

don’t like me that much.”

Zhuo Rusui reflected, “Is it because my sword will is too powerful?”

Yuan Qü and Ping Yongjia exchanged a glance, as they thought the reason must be his

droopy personality.

Cultivation was a serious matter.

So Zhao Layue put down the chopsticks, and began to exchange ideas with him.

Zhuo Rusui listened carefully, but he had no intention of putting down the chopsticks in

his hand.

Ping Yongjia couldn’t comprehend what they were talking about. He was only aware

that they were discussing something regarding the Sword Peak. Speaking of which, he

remembered one thing. Ping Yongjia came before the bamboo chair, squatting down as

he asked Jing Jiu, “Master, I’ve already learned the sword instruction of Qingrong Peak

by heart; when will I go to the Sword Peak and obtain a sword?”

If Jing Jiu stopped taking on any more disciples, he would be the personal disciple of

the Sect Master in this generation; his status would be the same as Zhuo Rusui’s in the

past.

However, Zhuo Rusui had obtained an excellent sword by the time he joined Tianguang

Peak, and then stayed behind closed doors. Zhuo Rusui was already famous at his age.

But, he hadn’t even had a sword until now.

Ping Yongjia used Gu Qing’s sword, which was ordinary and waiting to be replaced, to

slice the mutton and beef, cabbage, onion and garlic.

Hearing this, Yuan Qü came over with the bowl still in his hands. He squatted by the

bamboo chair and said to Jing Jiu, “Senior Master, my sword is not good enough

either…”

Thinking of a matter, Gu Qing said, “Master, the Plum Meeting will take place soon, and

the Sword Trial will be held. Should you appoint a disciple to participate?”

Jing Jiu stood up. Zhao Layue knew that he was annoyed. Before she could say

anything, the peak top was illuminated by a desolate sword light.

Seeing the disappearing Sword of the Universe, Gu Qing remained silent for a while

before he turned toward Yuan Qü and Ping Yongjia.

Yuan Qü and Ping Yongjia realized that they had done something inappropriate. They

lowered their heads, not daring to explain themselves.

Gu Qing exclaimed while pointing to the sky, “I don’t have a sword either. Have I said

anything about it? Our Master has his own plan. Why are you two so impatient?”

Listening on the side, Zhuo Rusui remarked, “Tsk, tsk. It looks like you are really

preparing yourself for the position of the sect master.”

“Do you have a problem with it?” Gu Qing retorted after shooting a glare at him.

If it were any other occasion, Gu Qing would show his usual calm and modest manner;

but this was his Master’s arrangement, for which he couldn’t yield in the very least.

“You can ask me when it’s time,” Zhuo Rusui said with the droopy eyelids.

Having said that, he continued eating the boiled mutton without saying another word.

…

…

The Sword of the Universe emerged from the clouds. It reached a high elevation in the

sky, and then headed toward the thickest patch of the clouds and fog.

The vaguely visible peak among the clouds and fog was the Yunxing Peak, which was

also the Sword Peak in the mouths of the Green Mountain disciples.

A few iron eagles flew up in surprise at the sight of the suddenly appearing flying sword.

It grew even quieter on the Sword Peak.

After putting away the Sword of the Universe, Jing Jiu treaded amongst the barren and

steep cliffs.

As he trudged forward, the cliff quivered slightly, the sand and stone chips tumbling

down. The flying swords and the sword embryos of all sorts poked out from the rocks.

Jing Jiu squeezed two fingers on his right hand together to summon the instruction of

the Seven-Plum Sword.

Sensing the intent of his sword will, some flying swords returned to the inside of the

mountain slowly, and some flew out, hovering quietly around Jing Jiu.

After he glanced around, Jing Jiu pointed toward a flying sword in the air.

That flying sword quivered slightly, as if it was delighted. The sword flew in front of him

at the fastest speed, and the rest of the flying swords flew back to their respective spots.

Jing Jiu took the flying sword in his hands and observed it for a while.

This flying sword was not very straight, with three slight bent points in the middle, and

its shaft was a bit dim. The sword must have been mixed with a bit of jade iron. The

surface of the sword had a thin layer of ice-like crystals, looking like the flower petals.

Jing Jiu was satisfied with the quality of the sword. He brought the flying sword to a

higher spot and inserted it into a rock with the cloud-like lines on it.

This flying sword was suitable for the style of the Seven-Plum Sword; but it was not

completely tempered yet. It needed to be nurtured further on the Sword Peak for a

while.

He hadn’t thought of replacing Yuan Qü’s sword, since he thought it was the

responsibility of Shangde Peak. Yet, he changed his mind when he saw the pitiful

expression on Yuan Qü’s face.

Yuan Qü had his new sword now; what about Ping Yongjia? The good swords became

fewer and fewer on the Sword Peak after so many years of inheriting the swords. As the

Green Mountain Sect grew more powerful, the swords were returned at a slower pace.

It was hard to find a flying sword of the high state; and it was even harder to find a flying

sword of a higher state suitable for the style of the Endless Sword.

Qingrong Peak should have some flying swords in the high state; but to ask for them, he

had to meet Nan Wang, which was something he didn’t even wish to think about.

It seemed that Ping Yongjia had to wait for a few more years with empty hands.

Jing Jiu walked to the front of that broken cliff, and sat in the grotto. Seeing the barren

scenes on the peak, he remained calm and reticent.

He had just come out from behind closed doors, so he had no need to close his eyes

and cultivate.

This cliff was close to the peak top, with many formidable sword wills. Any other

Cultivation practitioner would feel uncomfortable if they sat in here; and they would be

internally damaged after a prolonged period of time.

Yet, he felt very comfortable; it was because it was rather quiet here, without the

screams of the monkeys and the visitors.

In the eyes of Yuan Qijing and others, he had changed a great deal in comparison to his

former life, while it had also became more crowded on Shenmo Peak.

Still, he still felt more comfortable when being alone.

When being alone, he had no need to wash his face with the sword fire, neither did he

need to come to this peak and find something among the rubbles. All in all, he had no

need to think of anything else when he was alone.

Those flying swords and sword embryos headed toward the deep part of the mountain.

The smoke and dust emerged from the holes in round or flat shapes, mixing together

with the fog and clouds and enveloping the Sword Peak.

The clouds lingered around as the smoke dispersed.

This scene reminded Jing Jiu of the famous Formation of the Dispersed Smoke and

Clouds.

The Formation of the Dispersed Smoke and Clouds could help the Cultivation

practitioners cut off all the mortal connections and cause-and-effect. In so doing, they

would be able to step onto the path toward heaven without any burden, break through

the thunder punishment and reach the heaven.

He had broken through the thunder punishment and reached heaven, but he had failed

to cut off himself off from the mortal connections or karma. As a result, he was sitting

here, looking at the smoke and clouds in front of him in silence.

By now he was certain that he had set up the formation correctly. As such, there was

only one explanation left; the formation his Big Brother taught him was wrong to begin

with

He had suspected that his Big Brother had a sinister intent when teaching him the

formation; but it was something that had happened seven hundred years ago.

…

…

It was at a time when the Underworld Emperor was not locked in the Fiend Prison and

his Big Brother was not the Immortal Taiping yet.

What was his Big Brother doing right now? Was he watching a different scenery

somewhere on a mountain, having a similar feeling and waiting for impending death?

Without the First Child Sword, he wouldn’t be able to turn his body into a sword; as

such, everything would disperse like the clouds blown by the wind.

However, was it possible for someone like his Big Brother to die noiselessly?

As long as he hadn’t heard any news, his Big Brother must be still alive, hiding

somewhere while watching his beloved world and Green Mountain.

…

…

He was sneak-attacked by Bai Ren during his ascension when he failed to cut off his

connection with the mortal world. But, why did Bai Ren do so?

Then, Jing Jiu recalled the Fairy Book he had won in the Dao Competition. Bai Ren had

attached a fairy awareness in the book, indicating that she had the intention of coming

back to the human world.

Yet, why would she wish to come back after the hard-earned ascension? Was it

because she had a fear of the unknown and infinity?

This was something he couldn’t wrap his head around; even Zhao Layue had a hard

time understanding it.

Bai Ren had left six fairy books before her ascension. There were one main book and

two accessory books left. What would the Center Sect use the three remaining fairy

books for?

Right now Yuan Qijing was the only person in the Heavenly Arrival State at the Green

Mountain Sect. The Center Sect was definitely going to do something; but what would

they dare to do then?

There was no way Jing Jiu would let go of the thoughts about the Center Sect. It would

be impossible for him to consider all these matters before; but it was different now.

He was the Sect Master of Green Mountain now; so he had no choice but to consider

these matters. Otherwise, he wouldn’t ask Tong Yan to play that game of Go.

Yet, the most important issue for him was to find out what had gone wrong with the

Formation of the Dispersed Smoke and Clouds.

He had a low Cultivation state before; it was pointless to consider these matters; but he

had already broken the Sea State now, so it was time for him to consider the matters

related to ascension.

…

…

The dim light couldn’t pass through the walls, and likewise, the starlight couldn’t

brighten the Sword Peak under the clouds and fog. The sunlight was the only thing that

could do all this.

The night was over, the morning sunlight shone down, awaking the iron eagles and Jing

Jiu in the grotto.

He opened his eyes, and went to Shiyue Peak along with the morning sunlight.