Transcending the Nine Heavens

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Bu Liuqing's mockery echoed far and wide. Wu Juecheng, who had already gone far, was so infuriated that he almost wore his teeth down gnashing them, almost turning back to battle Bu Liuqing. He managed to resist the temptation in the end, smashing to bits everything around him — mountains, forests, buildings, humans and beasts — as he charged forward in a flash…

Bu Liuqing watched Wu Juecheng's retreating figure and snorted. "So what if he's the successor of Chen Feng? I'll let you die a tragic death three days later for daring to hurt Old Ning! If Chen Feng and Liu Yun grieve over you, then they can jolly well come and look for me! Did he really think that no one would dare to touch him just because of his ancestors? F*ck! Bah! Invincible? Don't you know they call me invincible in these Upper Three Heavens too…"

He looked over to see that the other side was still in the midst of their talk. Bu Liuqing did not go over, taking a seat as he continued to grumble with his foul mouth.

His brows then furrowed as he thought about it.

Could something really have happened to Old Ning?

…

On the other side.

The Dharma Supreme strolled forward with his hand clasped behind his back as Yue Lingxue followed after him leisurely. The two of them looked as if they were bosom buddies who could talk about anything under the sun as they strolled among the snow.

"Brother Yue, it has finally come to this day," the Dharma Supreme stopped in his tracks, saying with a small smile, "The Heaven Nourishing Jade has been forged."

"Indeed," Yue Lingxue snorted and continued, "I have personally witnessed the entire process of the Heaven Nourishing Jade being forged!"

The Dharma Supreme chuckled. "You are really good-tempered to not sabotage the forging of the Heaven Nourishing Jade."

Yue Lingxue shook his head. "If the Heaven Nourishing Jade is ruined, the Medicine Valley would suffer a reflection of power counter and be destroyed overnight. The Medicine Valley has saved countless lives in the world all these years; even though I wish to, I cannot do it with the Medicine Valley as the price!"

The Dharma Supreme said in mockery, "So Brother Yue is still a man of lofty ideals who harbors the world in his heart?"

An infuriated Yue Lingxue snapped, "What do you mean by that? Do you mean to say that as the Dharma Supreme, you look upon the common people as nothing but ants?"

The Dharma Supreme shook his head. "That is not so; it's just that Brother Yue is now abetting an evildoer, which I couldn't help but comment on."

"Abetting an evildoer?" Yue Lingxue laughed aloud. "Dharma Supreme, you are saying some really strange things!"

The Dharma Supreme chuckled. "How has law and order been in the Nine Heavens in the last ten thousand years? While I cannot claim that my meritorious deeds as the Dharma Supreme is on par with our ancestors, I have managed to keep peace and stability in the Nine Heavens these past ten thousand years. The Nine Super Clans in the Nine Heavens keep each other in check; law-enforcement officers are everywhere punishing wrongdoings and bringing evildoers to justice. We carry forward and promote the notion of justice and kindness while punishing the wicked. Even though there are black sheep among the law-enforcement officers as well, they are executed the moment they are discovered and never condoned! Brother Yue, do you agree with what I said?"

Yue Lingxue nodded. "I do!"

"The Nine Heavens have been peaceful for ten thousand years. Although little skirmishes and scuffles are endless, there has never been a large-scale war; this is all thanks to the law-enforcement officers. The many Supreme Martial Artists in the Nine Heavens are proof of this! If war had been common, it is highly likely that among these Supreme Martial Artists, eight out of ten would have lost their lives earlier on. Do you agree?"

Yue Lingxue nodded once more. "Indeed, you have your due credit in this matter; I agree!"

The Dharma Supreme exhaled a long breath of air. "However, once the Nine Tribulations Sword Master reaches the Upper Three Heavens, there would be a bloodbath and the Nine Super Clans would be reduced to rubble! By that time, the flames of war would rage for sure and countless lives would be sacrificed as a result. Do you agree?"

"I do!"

"Since you still wish to assist the Nine Tribulations Sword Master despite so, if that is not abetting an evildoer, then what is?" asked the Dharma Supreme passively.

"You're taking this out of context!" Yue Lingxue said coldly, "Firstly, the duty of the law-enforcement officer, for the past hundred thousand years, has always been to assist the Nine Tribulations Sword Master! Yet you have overthrown this! Secondly, if you had done this for the sake of the common people in the world, I would have just tolerated it, but can you truly say with a clear conscience that you are?"

Yue Lingxue added with an air of righteousness, "You aren't!"

"It is a fact that there will be a bloodbath when the Nine Tribulations Sword Master arrives, but what is the true purpose behind it? It is to borrow the bloodied fate energy to nourish the heavens! Such that the Nine Heavens continent can exist for another ten thousand years! This is something that has been proven to work!"

"And it has been proven nine times in the Black Blood Forest that there is a need to nourish the heavens every ten thousand years! Whenever we reach the nine thousandth year mark, Black Blood Forest, the fold within these Nine Heavens, would sag and droop, on the verge of collapse!"

"The Nine Tribulations Sword Master is the only one who can nourish the heavens!"

"And yet you suggested using nine Supreme Martial Artists to nourish the heavens! This has gone on for ten thousand years but let me ask you: You claimed that it can guarantee the peace and stability of the Nine Heavens; how do you explain the sag of the Black Blood Forest now then?"

Yue Lingxue was furious as he went on, "From the eight thousand and nine hundredth year onward, places have already started to collapse! As a law-enforcement officer, we have all received reports of this; why have you ignored them all? Why didn't you say that your nine Supreme Martial Artists nourishing the heavens had been effective? At the very least, after the Nine Tribulations Sword Master nourishes the heavens, nothing would happen in eight thousand and nine hundred years! But you have already nourished the heavens with nine Supreme Martial Artists eight times! Yet the collapses still happen when they should, and the sagging happened when it should! Are you completely indifferent toward this?"

"Ten thousand years ago, we have seen with our own eyes the destitution and pitiful state of the world when the lands caved and collapsed before the Nine Tribulations Sword Master nourished the heavens. At that time, just one collapse could take away one-third of the Middle Three Heavens! At least a few nations were gone from the Lower Three Heavens! And millions of lives were lost in the Upper Three Heavens… Just one collapse meant the loss of billions of lives! You saw for yourself all these!"

"Your perverse idea of using nine Supreme Martial Artists to nourish the heavens has not helped in any way! You are but treating the future of the Nine Heavens as a joke! Should the Nine Tribulations Sword Master not be able to nourish the heavens because of you, billions of lives will be lost, all because of you! The complete demise of the entire Nine Heavens continent will be your sin! Can you take responsibility for this?"

"As the Dharma Supreme, you have done many things all these years for the peace of the Nine Heavens; this is great merit! However, should you destroy the Nine Heavens, no matter how many good deeds you do, will you be able to be at ease with yourself? Will you be able to take responsibility for all these?"

A cold laugh escaped Yue Lingxue. "I know that you've reached a level where you can sink the heavens and break through the void long ago, just that you have used some kind of method to conceal your cultivation level. However… Once the Nine Heavens collapses and you release the restriction on your cultivation, you'll be able to leave these lands and still be able to survive! But these numerous billions of lives are gone for sure! Can you take responsibility for this?"

"You're so selfish that it's frightening! So cruel that it's frightening! So heartless that it's frightening!" Yue Lingxue said resoundingly.

The Dharma Supreme gave Yue Lingxue a look of admiration. "Brother Yue, for so many years, I've always thought of you as warm-blooded and simple, honest and upright. I didn't expect you to think so far ahead…"

Yue Lingxue snorted in response. Then, somewhat puzzled, he said, "Dharma Supreme, let me ask you something."

The Dharma Supreme smiled impassively, his black hair fluttering in the snowstorm. "What you want to ask me is — I already have everything and am pretty much the number one supremacy in the world. Even if I assisted the Nine Tribulations Sword Master, I am still the Dharma Supreme and won't have any further desires… Why do I still want to deal with the Nine Tribulations Sword Master?"

Yue Lingxue nodded, looking at him seriously. "I am sure that there must be a reason for this?"

The Dharma Supreme was lost in silence for a long while. Then, he said, "There is, but I cannot tell you."

Yue Lingxue nodded in an understanding manner. "But even if you have your reasons, you shouldn't have treated the world as a joke!"

The Dharma Supreme heaved a long sigh. He stared at the snow, a deep sentimentality and intense hatred in his eyes as he said passively, "What do the lives of the world have to do with me?"

Yue Lingxue nodded slowly. "Alright!"

The Dharma Supreme said, "Brother Yue has already seen through it; the nine Supreme Martial Artists nourishing the heavens is nothing but a joke. However… if Brother Yue intends to sabotage it, your efforts will be nothing but overrating yourself and attempting the impossible."

Yue Lingxue sneered.

"If Brother Yue is really sincere, I will give you the chance for revenge!" said the Dharma Supreme lightly.

"Chance for revenge?" Yue Lingxue looked at him, unsure.

"Yes, the chance for revenge, not the chance to assist the Nine Tribulations Sword Master! Get off your moralistic high horse when you talk to me, it is bothersome."

The Dharma Supreme went on without much emotion, "Your Teacher died in my hands back then… It has been so many years, surely you and your wife have been wanting to avenge him?"

A jolt went through Yue Lingxue and he raised his head suddenly. "My Teacher… died in your hands?"

The Dharma Supreme answered, "Your Teacher was suffering from the Heartless Palm! And it is I who had dealt him the Heartless Palm!"

Fury filled Yue Lingxue suddenly, so much so that his whole face turned red and his body trembled. The moment the Dharma Supreme had mentioned the words 'Heartless Palm', Yue Lingxue knew at once that he was speaking the truth!

"Don't blame me; if I hadn't killed him, how could I have become the Dharma Supreme?" The Dharma Supreme smiled warmly and gently.

"But no matter what, I can still understand you avenging your Teacher! Therefore, I will give you this opportunity, as my final compensation to you for our ten thousand years of brotherhood!"

Yue Lingxue was so enraged that he couldn't say a word. Only after a long time did he regain his ability to speak. His voice shook as he said, "I was wondering who could've done it so seamlessly without any loopholes… so it's you!"

The Dharma Supreme looked at him with sympathy. "Poor thing… Kept in the dark for more than ten thousand years… Hurhur, three days later, after the nine Supreme Martial Artists have nourished the heavens, I shall await respectfully you and your wife on Mount Xingyun! We shall settle all our scores then! Do you dare to come?"

His eyes blood red, Yue Lingxue took two deep and heavy breaths before replying, "Not even the most dangerous of places!"

The Dharma Supreme said with a smile, "Can keep you away? Hurhur, I love it when I see the looks of grief and resentment on people the most! Powerless grief and resentment are especially exhilarating. Three days later, I will give you a taste of it, and then I will personally send you and your wife on your way!"

Yue Lingxue let out an enraged howl, throwing a crazed punch at him!

The Dharma Supreme received his fist with his palm, his body drifting outward along with the force of Yue Lingxue's punch. He drifted for 700 feet, as if soaring on the clouds and riding the fog. In the heavy snow, his impassive laughter could be heard indistinctly. "Brother Yue, we've been together for ten thousand years. To be honest, I really cannot bear to kill you…"

Yue Lingxue raised his head to the sky and howled tragically!

A loud bang echoed in the snow, followed by Bu Liuqing's voice ringing out. "Dharma Supreme! You had a share in the matter regarding Ning Tianya too, right?"

The Dharma Supreme sniggered and replied, "Brother Bu, three days later, as long as you show up at Mount Xingyun, I will tell you Ning Tianya's whereabouts, as well as his last words. I will also allow you to avenge him! Hahaha…"

He let out a long laugh as he soared into the sky. He twisted and turned continuously in 99 different directions in the air, ducking and avoiding Bu Liuqing's attacks. Then, he rose to an altitude of several thousand feet and disappeared into the snowstorm with a flash.

His voice echoed in the snowstorm. "How many years… an era of flourishing prosperity; who was the one who killed off my true and sincere heart… Who remembers the extinguished feelings that once were; how much hatred has returned to ashes and dust; go, go… and never mind even if my heart lets this world down…"

Unexpectedly, there was a trace of lingering melancholy in his voice. As if the black robes and black hair of the Dharma Supreme still remained afloat in the sky, going around the world in solitude, as though a demon god of the underworld who lived his life in loneliness…

Bu Liuqing roared, "Dharma Supreme! You bastard!"