The Path Toward Heaven

The mountain range could be seen clearly, as well as the road leading to the Buzhou Mountain, which was as straight as a brush pen, even though they were high in the sky.

The Cultivation practitioners outside the Huiyin Valley saw the Qin Emperor climb the stone steps and arrive at the small temple, and they saw that man in white who looked like a fairy immortal.

The hissing sounds could be heard outside the Huiyin Valley, because the onlookers couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.

It turned out that Jing Jiu had been hiding on the Buzhou Mountain, where the godly commissioner resided!

That was why the spirit of the Green Sky Mirror couldn’t find him; but, did the rules allow him to do so?

What happened next stunned them even more.

Dozens of the swordsmen who followed the Qin Emperor to the temple had all been cut to pieces, and the Qin Emperor was wounded severely himself. Yet, it seemed that Jing Jiu hadn’t even pulled out his sword.

There were many outstanding Cultivation practitioners outside the Huiyin Valley with an exceptional vision. So they could observe that Jing Jiu had indeed drawn his sword. The reason many onlookers couldn’t see his sword was because his sword was wielded at a considerably fast speed and his movements were extremely unpredictable. However, they didn’t know what kind of magic method he employed, feeling amazed, and thought that the sword style of the Green Mountain Sect was so remarkable even in the Illusionary Realm.

Next, the godly commissioner appeared, and took out a piece of paper.

It was the recordings of the Dao Competition taking place over many decades.

It recorded all the events since the participants had entered the Illusionary Realm, including all the turbulence, rebellions, assassinations, changing of dynasties, and the blue sea and sky, all the way up until the Qin Emperor came to the grand ceremony on the Buzhou Mountain and was injured by Jing Jiu.

Written at the bottom of the paper were twenty six names, the participants of the Dao Competition entering the Illusionary Realm. They were ranked according to how long they had stayed in the Illusionary Realm and what deeds they had achieved. On the top of the list were those familiar names: Tong Yan was ranked fifth, Bai Zao fourth, Xi Yiyun third, He Zhan second, and Bai Qianjun was naturally ranked first.

The Cultivation practitioners outside the Huiyin Valley started discussing the list. They felt especially regretful for He Zhan. If he didn’t give up the abundant resources he had accumulated over the years and gone overseas out of blue, he should be able to compete with Bai Qianjun for the final victory, given the ability and political wisdom he had displayed in the Illusionary Realm.

It was interesting to note that the name at the bottom of the list was not the first participant leaving the Illusionary Realm, but a free-traveling practitioner named Jiang Rui.

All the Cultivation practitioners were disgusted at this free-traveling practitioner’s repulsive behavior and gruesome end in the Illusionary Realm.

The Green Mountain disciple Yao Songshan arched his brows and inquired, “Where is this person right now?”

Someone answered, “It seems that he has left a while ago. Perhaps, he is afraid He Zhan will give him a hard time after coming out.”

Under a big tree, the young woman of the Water-Moon Nunnery heard of the discussion and looked at Sese. “Are you really going to lock him up all the time?” she asked Sese in a low voice.

Sese said, “I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Even though she had done it, it was absolutely impossible for her to admit it.

The second at the bottom of the list was the disciple of the Kunlun Sect.

The names of Jing Jiu and Zhuo Rusui were somewhere in the middle of the list, hardly noticeable.

Many people were surprised by this result. It even made the Green Mountain disciples raise their eyebrows.

In their eyes, Big Brother Zhuo had killed more participants than anybody else in the Dao Competition, and their Young Senior Master had an outstanding performance; why were they ranked so low on the list?

If it were under the usual circumstances, the Green Mountain Sect wouldn’t accept such a list; but at the moment there was a more urgent thing to be resolved.

The godly commissioner had stated clearly that Bai Qianjun was the only one who was qualified to obtain the Fairy Book; what would Jing Jiu do then? Would he agree to the terms suggested by the Qin Emperor?

Countless gazes were fixed on the sky, paying close attention to Jing Jiu in the temple and wondering what he would choose to do.

They thought that Jing Jiu should accept the terms suggested by the Qin Emperor; even the two important figures of Green Mountain, Fang Jingtian and Nan Wang, held the same opinion.

If Bai Qianjun died by Jing Jiu’s sword, there would be no winner in this Dao Competition, and the Fairy Book would remain on the Cloud-Dream Mountain. As such, nothing would be lost as far as the Center Sect was concerned.

Jing Jiu should accept the terms for the sake of the Green Mountain Sect.

Bai Qianjun had anticipated this; that was why he was so inflexible about his terms.

A barrage of surprised screams rang out outside the Huiyin Valley. It was because they saw Jing Jiu approach the godly commissioner while holding the sword, and heard the subsequent conversation.

Tong Yan and Bai Zao came to the edge of the Green Sky Mirror, so did Xi Yiyun and the rest of the participants of the Dao Competition.

They were looking at Jing Jiu and Bai Qianjun sleeping with their eyes closed, waiting for the final outcome.

All of a sudden, the glass bell gave out a crisp ringing sound.

Jing Jiu stood up!

The group thought that Jing Jiu did this because the event in the Illusionary Realm was over.

Yet, Jing Jiu’s eyes didn’t open, and his energy was the same as before, meaning he was not going to wake up soon.

What was happening? His spiritual soul was still inside the Illusionary Realm, but why could his real body move?

Was it true that he could connect the real and illusionary worlds?

Seeing this, everybody, including Bai Zao and Tong Yan, was shocked speechless; they thought it was incredible.

…

…

The prerequisite for threatening someone is that the threatening person has the ability to harm or even eliminate the threatened.

Everybody, like the Qin Emperor, felt Jing Jiu’s threat was ridiculous.

The godly commissioner was the manifestation of the rules of the Green Sky Mirror; how could Jing Jiu harm or eliminate him?

“The rules are the laws governing the operation of this world.”

The voice of the godly commissioner was still very serene.

Those rules were something everybody had to obey; and they couldn’t be changed, let alone eliminated.

The principle was the same as the fact that the trees will turn green in spring and the leaves will turn red in autumn and then fall down to the ground to become rotten mud.

It was the same as how the stream flows downward and becomes the waterfall when falling down a cliff and forms a pond at the bottom of the cliff.

It was the same as the water turning into ice when the weather is cold enough.

It was the same as the sky being blue when no clouds are around.

The godly commissioner continued, “My ability is the upper limit of this world, which is also the rule.”

Jing Jiu said, “Master Mo had touched the upper limit back then, and encountered the mishap of thunder as a result.”

“That’s right. He knew that he couldn’t surpass the upper limit, so he chose to give up.”

The godly commissioner added, “Nothing in this world can surpass me, because I am the upper limit itself.”

“That is why you have no idea of the world beyond the upper limit,” said Jing Jiu.

“What kind of nonsense are you talking about?”

The Qin Emperor couldn’t stand listening to the conversation anymore; he added while panting, “If he could be defeated, there would be no point in us competing so hard for the qualification of obtaining the tripod!”

“I have never competed for the tripod,” said Jing Jiu.

The Qin Emperor was taken aback. His face suddenly grew paler when he recollected what had happened over the years, unable to believe what was going on.

“It turns out that you are a madman from the very beginning…you are a madman!”

After entering the Illusionary Realm of the Green Sky Mirror, all the Cultivation practitioners had cultivated diligently and as much as they could, unwilling to waste a brief interval of time.

It was because they wanted to acquire a higher status and more power, and eventually become the ruler of the world, in order to win the recognition of the godly commissioner.

Jing Jiu was born a prince of Chu State and became the emperor as a result. As a matter of fact, he had the best start in comparison to all the other participants of the Dao Competition, but…

He had actually done nothing!

…

…

“Master Mo’s power was a bit lower than the upper limit and that of myself back then. I was almost at the same level as the upper limit then. A few decades later, I would like to find out whether it is the upper limit that is higher, or if I am better.”

Having said this, Jing Jiu swiped the sword at the godly commissioner.

The godly commissioner didn’t move and the expression on his face didn’t change in the least.

The light and thin wooden sword vibrated at a high speed, making a buzzing sound; it was powerful enough to cut open the strongest object in the world.

However, it couldn’t slice the smoke coming out of the bronze tripod.

The wooden sword fell apart when encountering the smoke, turning into countless tiny powders and scattering with the wind, looking like a green smoke.

The godly commissioner stared at Jing Jiu amid the green smoke, no pity or sympathy showing in his eyes.

No matter how powerful a practitioner’s sword was, it was meaningless before the rules.

Jing Jiu was as calm as usual. He threw away the remaining hilt of the sword and took a step forward, ready to enter the green smoke.

The expression on the godly commissioner’s face had finally changed; an expression of disbelief was suddenly displayed in his relentless and emotionless eyes.

Click!!! Click!!! Click!!!

Countless sharp sounds of a sword could be heard inside the temple, and then it spread to the whole Buzhou Mountain, and everybody’s ears.

Boom!!!

The small temple exploded and turned into innumerable tiny bits of debris flying into the sky.

The Qin Emperor was covered in blood and sprawled on the ground, unconscious; it was unclear if he was alive or dead.

As the sunlight shone on the peak top, Jing Jiu and the godly commissioner were nowhere to be found.

…

…

The waterfalls in the mountain suddenly flowed backwards, and the stream water rose abruptly.

The red leaves throughout the mountain had gradually turned green.

The ice in the northernmost cold place had suddenly melted and become hot steam, forming numerous clouds and mist in the air.

A violent wind started over the ocean, but the surface of the ocean was as flat as a mirror.

Innumerable clouds gathered above the Buzhou Mountain and became the leaden, thick clouds, blocking the sun.

A straight sword light had suddenly appeared in the gloomy sky.

Countless sounds of thunder struck down, releasing formidable energy.

The flashes of lightning illuminated the sky, and then disappeared abruptly.

The sword light continued shooting upwards.

Innumerable figures seemed to appear around the sword light; in fact, there was only one man.

…

…

In the world of the Green Sky Mirror, countless strange phenomena occurred.

The commotion on the Buzhou Mountain drew a great deal of attention.

In a kingly manor in Hejian County, the middle-aged king was pale as he looked at the flying sands and pebbles in the sky, feeling deeply scared.

On a mountaintop in the south, the elderly eldest son of Grand Scholar Zhang suddenly guessed what was happening when he looked at the suddenly grown flowers in the late autumn and the sword light in the far distance. He knelt down on the ground tremblingly and bowed his head to the ground with a thud. Then, he raised both of his arms and exclaimed in a deep and hoarse voice, “Awesome, Your Majesty! Kill them all!”

In the deep part of the ocean, all the ships were in a hurry to return to the mooring port; but He Zhan was the only one who chose to stay behind on the ocean, perceiving the slight changes of the heavenly law. He was reticent with his head lowered.

The green bird still perched on the tree branch. As she saw the thunder and lightning among the dark clouds and the persistent sword light, she was worried, wondering if Jing Jiu could succeed, and…what trouble he would be in after his secret was discovered by the others.

…

…

After a while.

It seemed to be a long while.

But it was actually a brief moment.

The sky was clear again; it was blue all over, like the distant ocean.

The thunder and lightning stopped, and the sword light vanished without a trace as well.

The small temple was reduced to rubble; the bronze tripod was still at the same spot, with the green smoke coming out from it.

Amid the green smoke, the figure of the godly commissioner took a tangible form gradually, but it was much lighter than before.

Jing Jiu came back to the peak top, along with a gust of gentle breeze.

As the gentle breeze blew over, the green smoke scattered, along with the figure of the godly commissioner, turning into countless light specks and then vanishing without a trace.

Jing Jiu had a tired countenance. He stood on the same spot for a while, and then teetered to the front of the bronze tripod.

The bronze tripod appeared to be the same as before, but it actually had experienced some slight changes. A glow could be seen through the decorating lines on it, and it seemingly exuded a trace of fairy energy. Was the Fairy Book hidden in the tripod?