Transcending the Nine Heavens

The battle with Gu Duxing lasted for an hour. Be it the ones fighting or the ones watching, everyone enjoyed themselves to their hearts’ content!

 It felt great!

 Great indeed!

 Near the end of the battle, when Chu Yang launched the two moves —’I’d rather stay hidden my whole life’, ‘In exchange for the killing frenzy in the skies’—, at last, Gu Duxing had nothing left to counter with and they ended the battle!

 Were they to continue, it would turn into a battle to the death!

 Even after the battle had long ended, sword aura remained in the atmosphere, howling to and fro.

 Other than Chu Yang and Gu Duxing, no one else could enter the battlefield.

 After a long while, Gu Duxing dismissed the sword intent in himself and released a long breath of air. “Have you realized?”

 Chu Yang nodded. “You’re right, there is indeed a flaw, and it’s very serious.”

 Gu Duxing’s brows drew together. He thought about it long and hard. “I haven’t been able to figure out why I can’t merge them? If I can merge the two waves of sword intent into one, you would probably have a fighting chance only if you’re the same martial domain level as me. But right now, you’re one level lower and yet I was completely on the losing end and unable to counter-attack.”

 Chu Yang replied, “Indeed, both of your sword intents are very strong and powerful. Your Sword of Oblivion, in particular, is even close to the Tao state! Yet you couldn’t defeat me, someone whose cultivation is lower than yours.”

 “I’m not any more of a genius than you, nor did I use the Nine Tribulations Sword. Even though the Nine Tribulations Sword Technique is powerful, you’re already a Sword Supremacy and should have been able to stand against it. Yet you were unable to win. The reason behind that is…”

 Chu Yang stated, “You’re too invested!”

 “Too invested?” Gu Duxing was perplexed.

 “Yes. When you use the Solitary Swordsmanship, you put your entire heart into it; the same goes for when you use the Sword of Oblivion! But the more that is so, the more these two sword techniques cause a natural and irreparable gap!”

 Chu Yang said.

 Although Gu Duxing seemed to understand, he couldn’t capture the key point. He asked, “To be more concrete…”

 “You’re too absorbed in it. Therefore, when you wield the sword, you pursue perfection. However, it is precisely because you’re thinking of achieving perfection that you cannot actually reach a state of perfection.”

 “Because you’ve already trapped yourself in it!” Frowning, Chu Yang continued, “For example, when children play games, the game itself is not important. As long as one is completely immersed and reaches a state of oblivion, any game, no matter what, would be able to satisfy oneself!”

 “Because the original intent of the game itself is for enjoyment. When one feels enjoyment, the purpose of the game has been achieved. There is no need to care about the game itself because the game exists for the sake of one’s mood and not the other way round…”

 Realization dawned upon Gu Duxing. “I got it!”

 “There is a saying about martial arts which everyone knows —’The body exists for the universe, the heart exists for the universe; one does not exist if there is no heaven, there is no heaven if one does not exist!” Chuckling, Chu Yang went on, “Everyone treats it as just a mere saying but they do not realize that it is precisely these most ordinary sayings that are the most profound words of wisdom in the world of martial arts!”

 “The state of oblivion where the universe and one’s form become one! This does not refer to losing one’s sense of self; it is a kind of state! A state is not one’s sense of self nor is it a person.” Chu Yang said heavily, “You’re treating the state as a person, that’s all.”

 Gu Duxing broke out in perspiration throughout his whole body, but his eyes were especially bright. “I understand now…”

 Smiling, Chu Yang walked off with his heart at ease, leaving Gu Duxing behind by himself on the battlefield.

 Gu Duxing thought about it for a long time. At last, he started to wield his sword, his speed getting faster and faster.

 This time, even Ao Xieyun and the rest who stood far away could feel that Gu Duxing’s sword moves and the way it moved were filled with spirit and life.

 “The four of you.” When Chu Yang reached them, he looked at Ji Mo as though he didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I really wish I could exclude you.”

 Ji Mo had a glum look on his face. Pursing his lips, he said, “I suffered a great loss… I underestimated the enemy…”

 “Yes, exactly! You underestimated the enemy! I was just about to say that.” Chu Yang nodded and asked, “Ji Mo, have you seen a lion before?”

 Ji Mo was lost. “Yes, what about it?”

 “Then have you seen a rabbit before?” Chu Yang continued to ask.

 “Yes.”

 “Do you think the lion or the rabbit is stronger?” asked Chu Yang.

 This question made even Ao Xieyun and Xie Danqiong want to laugh.

 “Is there any doubt in that?” Ji Mo scratched his head. “A rabbit is no doubt a lion’s food! Isn’t it obvious?”

 Chu Yang nodded. “But have you ever noticed the way a lion hunts a rabbit?”

 He took in a long breath. “There’s a saying which goes like this — A lion uses his full strength even when catching a rabbit! A lion’s strength is a thousand times that of a rabbit’s strength, and its size is even tens of times larger. But when it hunts a rabbit, it always puts in its full effort!”

 “When a human is up against another human, what right does one have to underestimate the enemy? What right do you have to underestimate your enemy?” Chu Yang said fiercely, “Underestimating one’s enemy comes with a penalty! The death penalty!”

 Cold sweat dripped from Ji Mo’s forehead.

 “Since olden times, many good men and heroes have perished in the hands of opponents much weaker than themselves because they underestimated the enemy! Such cases exist in abundance throughout the Nine Heavens. And yet you continue to commit this mistake of underestimating the enemy frequently! In the long period where I was in the Upper Three Heavens, almost all the opponents who died in my hands were stronger than me. But they have all perished under my sword!”

 “Because they underestimated their enemy!”

 Chu Yang said severely, “If you do not get rid of this habit, there will come a day where you will die in the hands of others!” He suddenly shouted, “Do you understand?!”

 Ji Mo felt like his muddled thoughts had suddenly cleared. “Yes!”

 This shout of Chu Yang’s was a kind of supreme mental technique — A severe warning to let one be enlightened!

 Be it Ji Mo, who got the brunt of it, or Ao Xieyun, Xie Danqiong and Luo Kedi at the side, all of them felt like their thoughts had cleared up tremendously in an instant.

 “Little Wolf, there’s nothing wrong in your case. Your flaw is the same as before — being rather reckless. In addition, you have a lot of moves where you risk your own life.” Musing, Chu Yang said to Luo Kedi, “You like wolves. Therefore, your battle style is similar to that of a wolf.”

 “But you must remember this — When wolves, especially a pack of wolves, fight, the alpha is usually standing on high terrain and issuing commands instead of personally getting involved in the battle! Although he does not participate in the battle, as long as the alpha exists, the pack will never disperse!”

 “However, in your case, even the alpha has joined the battle.” Chu Yang patted his shoulder. “Think about it on your own.”

 Luo Kedi accepted his advice sincerely. “Understood.”

 He agreed wholeheartedly with what Chu Yang had said. In particular, using Luo Kedi’s favorite wolves as an example even allowed him to understand completely at once!

 It was more effective than any other explanation.

 “The offensive power in your viburnum flowers exists in its illusory and almost indiscernible quality. Your flowers’ illusory quality is sufficient but its intentions are too strong. Therefore, when your viburnum flowers bloom, though it is beautiful enough, it is accompanied by obvious killing intent.”

 Chu Yang said to Xie Danqiong, “If the opponent is an expert, he needs only to close his eyes and detect the source of killing intent and he’ll be able to break through your viburnum flowers!”

 Xie Danqiong pondered over his words. He asked, “Therefore, I should conceal my killing intent?”

 “Exactly!” Chu Yang explained, “It is only when killing intent has been concealed and only dazzling illusions in full bloom remain can it be considered true viburnum flowers!”

 Xie Danqiong’s brows furrowed. “I have considered this problem before as well. If I want to conceal my killing intent, I would need to conceal the murderous intent in my heart. But if I do not possess murderous intent, how do I overcome the enemy to achieve victory?”

 Chu Yang nodded. “I gave Little Wolf and Ji Mo examples earlier and now, I’ll give you one too. Danqiong, have you ever noticed a kind of flower which is very beautiful and fragrant when in bloom, but the moment small animals or birds are lured by its fragrance and land on the middle of the flower, it would close up immediately and consume the animals?”

 Xie Danqiong widened his eyes. “Yes, carnivorous flowers!”

 “Exactly.” Chu Yang smiled and said, “Viburnum flowers… is another kind of carnivorous flower. If you can cultivate your viburnum flowers into carnivorous flowers, you’ll be able to move about the Upper Three Heavens with ease, as well as protect yourself with no problem at all.”

 Xie Danqiong sank into a long and contemplative silence.

 “Boss, what about me?” asked Ao Xieyun, who couldn’t wait further. When he saw how everyone had benefited from Chu Yang’s advice, he couldn’t help but get excited.

 “You?” Chu Yang had a wry smile on his face.

 Ao Xieyun’s style of attack was the only one that he could neither understand nor see through.

 “Perhaps I’ll be able to understand in the future but right now, I really can’t tell much from your current level. This is because you’re only able to display your greatest power when you’re using the Secret Book of Dragons. Therefore, I won’t critique your past martial arts techniques, but the Secret Book of Dragons is something which I don’t understand.”

 Chu Yang said.

 “Oh, I see.” Ao Xieyun was rather disappointed right away.

 “However, I have a vague kind of feeling which I’m not sure whether I’m right or wrong.” Chu Yang continued, “When you’re using the technique, even though your moves are very well-practiced and smooth, it gave me a very childish kind of feeling…”

 “Very childish?” A jolt went through Ao Xieyun.

 “Yes, like a child who hasn’t grown up, or is unable to grow up, waving about a knife which only a grown-up can use,” described Chu Yang as he came up with another analogy. “Like doing something that’s beyond one’s power!”

 Ao Xieyun sank into contemplation. “Yes… I have that feeling too. But the strange thing is that I did not find it strenuous; that’s what I found really weird. Typically, when using a technique or move which one’s body is unable to support, there should be a kind of feeling as though one’s energy has been completely depleted. But I didn’t experience such a feeling.”

 “I think there’s only one explanation for that.” As Chu Yang thought about it, he said, “It has to do with your bloodline. On the one hand, your bloodline has already been awakened; but on the other, it hasn’t awakened completely!”

 Ao Xieyun nodded. He had guessed as much but he had no idea how to completely awaken his bloodline at all.

 As Chu Yang spoke, he suddenly thought of something. Bringing out a golden rock from the Nine Tribulations Space, he said, “Take a look at this. This is something which I swiped from Diwu Qingrou’s treasury when I was in the Lower Three Heavens. I only know that there’s a kind of strange power inside. I can still feel it even now but I can’t use it. I have no idea what it’s used for.”

 Chu Yang continued softly, “I only know that this thing is called the Golden Dragon Jade. When I thought of your bloodline, I took it out.”

 But when he raised his head, he discovered that Ao Xieyun had already entered a state of shock!

 His eyes bright and shiny, he stared at the Golden Dragon Jade in Chu Yang’s hand. Even his body was somewhat trembling.

 “This is a Dragon Core!” The moment Ao Xieyun laid his eyes on it, a peculiar feeling welled up in him. He uttered this line before he even realized. But Ao Xieyun could swear that before this, he had no idea of the term ‘Dragon Core’ at all!

 And even after saying that, he didn’t know what use a Dragon Core had either…