Transcending the Nine Heavens

“How’s the battle situation?” asked a concerned Chu Yang.

“From what it currently looks like, Bu Liuqing and Wu Juecheng are on par with each other. However, Wu Juecheng has not used his ultimate move nor any of his specialty moves. Therefore, I’m afraid Bu Liuqing is unlikely to be Wu Juecheng’s match!”

“And neither is Moon Breeze a match for the Dharma Supreme,” Zi Xieqing continued, “But it looks like none of them are in mortal danger for now. If they want to leave, they are definitely able to, despite the opponent at an advantage.”

“I’m just afraid that they won’t!” Chu Yang sighed.

“Most likely not, unfortunately,” said Zi Xieqing. “At the very least, they are not going to unless they are in a pinch.”

Suddenly, a little sound of surprise escaped from her. “They are at the mountain summit now and it’s rather strange.”

“Strange?” asked Chu Yang with a frown.

“There’s no one at the summit!” Her brows drew together. “Could it be the power of arrays?”

With a solemn tone, she went on, “They’ve started fighting! It’s the power of arrays after all. Bu Liuqing and the others are caught in a terrifying siege.”

Chu Yang’s heart trembled.

So it has happened after all.

A light frown on her face, Zi Xieqing cut off her divine sense that was surveying the other side and turned to Chu Yang, a wry smile on her as she said, “Looks like I have no choice but to step in. The great array has completely blocked out divine sense. Even if it’s me, a lot of energy would be required if I want to observe the ongoings.”

“Alright.” A complex look appeared in Chu Yang’s eyes. He asked softly, “Are you leaving right away after you make your move?”

Zi Xieqing looked away. “All good things come to an end.”

Chu Yang smiled bitterly. “Indeed, this is much truth in this saying.”

Zi Xieqing chuckled and said, “Be well!” Then, she paused and added, “All of you!”

She turned around and looked longingly at the Orchard Palace. Then, with a slight smile and an air of forlornness around her, she said, “Hiding one’s prime in a perilous world, a solitary wanderer of the world; should we meet again beyond the clouds…”

She ascended into the skies without warning, her white robes fluttering in the air. Softly, she uttered the last line, “…I pray you’ll pick up the falling flowers at the river south!”

With a loud rip, her slender arms drew apart, tearing open the dimension. She hesitated, as if she wanted to look back. But she ultimately didn’t, only letting out a faint sigh before her slender form flashed and she entered the dimensional rip, leaving behind no trace of herself.

A light sigh could be heard coming from the rip. “And before I leave, I shall dye the sky red for you!”

Amidst the snow, a faint fragrance lingered.

It was Zi Xieqing’s presence.

Chu Yang remained seated before the stone table, his head lowered. He stared at the table surface in fixation, as if it housed a boundless universe that he couldn’t figure out no matter how much he stared at it.

“She’s… finally left…” A bitter taste filled Chu Yang’s mouth. He chuckled in self-mockery, murmuring to himself, “Should we meet again beyond the clouds, I pray you’ll pick up the falling flowers at the river south… Where’s the river south?”

With an aching heart, he cursed softly, “That woman certainly left without any restraints!”

He got to his feet, gritting his teeth. “Don’t you forget your promise!”

Then, he drifted over into the snow-covered grounds. He clapped his hands and said, “Gather, everyone. A great battle is coming soon, let’s make battle arrangements. This is a crisis of life and death, everyone needs to be careful.”

Chu Yang’s voice was very calm, no different from his usual.

But a hint of melancholy lingered in his voice, though he restrained himself and buried this sense of melancholy deep in his heart.

A great battle was approaching, how could he lose himself in matters of the heart?!

We’ll meet again for sure.

Chu Yang told himself inwardly.

…

On Mount Xingyun, they were already in the heat of battle!

Bu Liuqing and the other two battled on ferociously, never falling back. They swept to and fro the array without restraints, leaving a bloody trail wherever they went!

The ultimate form of the great array hadn’t been activated, so the enemy was using human lives to tide over! The 400-odd Supreme Martial Artists who made up the great array remained on standby; there were only 200-odd Supreme Martial Artists clashing intensely with the three of them inside!

Shouts and cries filled the air in great commotion. Bu Liuqing and the other two were already dyed red in blood. However, their own injuries were far less serious than what they appeared to be.

They were all blood from the enemy!

The Dharma Supreme and Wu Juecheng sat and watched from a high vantage point, their countenances solemn.

While Bu Liuqing and the other two didn’t expect their opponent to be so insane, neither did the Dharma Supreme and Wu Juecheng expect the three of them to be so ferocious and tough! Both parties exceeded each other’s expectations. Seeing casualties gradually increase, Wu Juecheng’s brows drew together tightly.

“Dharma Supreme, in our estimate, their cultivation shouldn’t have been this strong!” Wu Juecheng said, “At present, there are already more than thirty Supreme Martial Artists dead at their hands. This varies too much from our plan.”

The Dharma Supreme also sported a deep frown. He said, “I’ve sparred countless times with Moon Breeze. Although I’ve been concealing my true strength the whole time, Moon Breeze has never done the same. From what I remember, their cultivation level should be lower than me by a fair bit. Yet now, it has clearly improved significantly and is only a notch lower compared to myself. How did this happen? Bu Liuqing’s cultivation looks to be slightly higher than Ning Tianya of the other day as well… This is truly baffling.”

Wu Juecheng snorted. “Surely they couldn’t have mass improved within the past few days?”

The Dharma Supreme said with a frown, “With that woman around, it… may not be impossible…”

Wu Juecheng said firmly, “That’s absolutely impossible! When one reaches such a level, every little improvement requires enlightenment of the realm. And every bit of enlightenment needs to be gained bit by bit over a long period of time, how could they possibly improve this much within just a few days? Unless…”

“Unless…”

The Dharma Supreme also thought of the same thing. They exchanged a look, both seeing the shock in each other’s eyes. “…unless they got a large amount of life force origin energy!”

Another tragic scream rang out in the battlefield; Bu Liuqing delivered yet another flying kick and one more third-grade Supreme Martial Artist smashed onto the rocks, his skull cracking and brains spurting forth!

The toughness of the bedrock was something that even Bu Liuqing couldn’t nudge, much less a third-grade Supreme Martial Artist.

Although Mount Xingyun’s extraordinary toughness completely prevented Bu Liuqing and the other two from splitting the mountain and escaping, the casualty and mortality rates of the enemy were also greatly increased due to the trio’s ferocious and relentless attacks.

The moment one collided with the rock, a limb or two could be lost…

The trio maintained a triangular formation constantly, their battle formation steadfast and unchanging! It didn’t matter how the enemy charged at them or how paths criss-crossed and interlocked in the battle, their battle formation did not change one bit!

No matter what kind of brilliant ploy or scheme was employed, they had their unchanging way of response!

As the battle raged on, the three of them actually felt their morale skyrocket! A surprisingly carefree feeling rose within them.

Bu Liuqing, with the sword in his right hand, his left hand dealing palm strikes and his legs flying about, took on the role of the sword tip of the triangular formation. Sword light rampaged wildly and his palm struck violently, his legs even more unrestrained. By virtue of his powerful cultivation, no matter how the enemy came at him, he would serve them a kick whenever possible! This went for sabers and swords too!

As long as his kick made contact, no matter what kind of saber or sword, it would be crushed at once, together with the enemy spewing blood and falling back, while the poor souls who took direct hits lost their lives!

Flanking him at the back, Feng and Yue’s sword light went wild. Every flash and glint of the word took with it at least a life! As they charged to and fro, group after group of Supreme Martial Artists who were legends in the Nine Heavens collapsed onto the ground, reduced to piles of minced meat…

“Hahaha… This feels fantastic!” Bu Liuqing laughed, unrestrained and hearty. “They are trying to wear us down. It’s a pretty good idea.”

Yue Lingxue had an icy smile on his face as he wielded his sword. He said, “Indeed. They’ll be able to fully expend our strength sooner or later but these people are not enough for us to kill before that happens. They’ll need to transfer more over.”

With a smile, Feng Yurou agreed. “Indeed. The Dharma Supreme is just sending people here to die, I wonder what he’s up to.”

On the summit, Wu Juecheng frowned. “Do we need to take action in advance?”

The Dharma Supreme replied dispassionately, “There’s no hurry. A few people dying is no big deal. The key is that woman! As long as there’s value in their deaths, there’s no harm in a few more dying!”

A flash crossed Wu Juecheng’s eyes. He didn’t speak anymore.

He had to admit that when it came to heartlessness, he still had a long way to go compared to the Dharma Supreme in front of him, despite having lived for several tens of thousands of years more.

On the surface, this guy appeared to be someone who had a big heart and whose kindness had reached many, selfless and righteous with a strong sense of integrity but in truth… he had no benevolence and compassion in him whatsoever!

“The eight super clans are not allowed to act, and before that woman arrives, neither are we!” the Dharma Supreme frowned and continued, “If someone has to, then we’ll let my two guards act.”

As he spoke, he waved and said, “The two of you, go over and get up close and personal with Moon Breeze.”

With a whoosh, two figures appeared out of nowhere. The next instant, they were already on the battlefield. One holding a saber and the other holding a sword, they went up against Feng Yurou at the same time!

It was apparent that these two had prepared this long ago, their target selected well beforehand!

Light was dim in the array and the enemies’ numbers great. The two of them matched and complemented the movements of six other fifth-grade Supreme Martial Artists who had charged over, their figures interlacing and weaving through theirs. Such movement, coupled with their sudden attack at full force, led to an incredible and explosive momentum!

Taken by surprise, Feng Yurou and the eight Supreme Martial Artist experts collided. She let out a muffled cry, her face ghastly pale as she stepped back. When she raised her eyes and saw the two of them, she said furiously, “It’s you!”

The two of them responded icily, “Yes, it’s indeed us! Master Feng, we are battling today because of revenge and we will not stop until either of us are dead. With this, all sentiments of our past friendship are over!”

Feng Yurou scoffed, “Since that is so, then what more is there to say? Let’s fight!” Without another word, she gripped her sword and charged forward!

However, with the addition of these two, Feng Yurou’s situation became precarious at once. Moreover, having reached such a level of cultivation, which of the Supreme Martial Artists around them would be so dumb that they couldn’t tell that they could take advantage of the situation here? And so, all of them attacked Feng Yurou in succession, intending to create a breakthrough!

“Both of them are mid-level ninth-grade Supreme Martial Artists!” Watching the intense battle below, the Dharma Supreme went on, “Though Bu Liuqing’s morale is high, Moon Breeze’s momentum has already weakened and Feng Yurou in particular is already unable to maintain her peak condition. Therefore, although the two of them are a tad weaker than Moon Breeze, they are going after the enemy’s weakness by attacking Feng Yurou.”

“Once Feng Yurou is injured, Yue Lingxue’s state of mind would inevitably go into a panic. That is when we’ll have the absolute upper hand. Although that woman is not here right now, she is definitely keeping an eye on this huge battle somewhere. These three are the most high-end figures in their camp, they definitely won’t bear to forsake them. Therefore, they will come to their aid for sure! And when that happens… hurhurhur… It will be the time of ‘Slaying of the Tao’!”