Transcending the Nine Heavens

Luo Ke Di and Ji Mo had also broken through. Moreover, this had been a kind of skip-type breakthrough for both of them!

They had broken through to the ninth grade of King Level!

This achievement was enough to look down on the world. However, it turns to 'only' the ninth grade King Level in front of outstanding people like Dong Wu Shang and Gu Du Xing!

They had such cultivation level at such young age… They would be considered geniuses even when placed in the Upper Three Heavens. However, both of them still felt depressed in their hearts.

Rui Bu Tong had dropped his head down in grief… It seemed as if he had been mourning his deceased mother. His breakthrough was the lowest among his brothers. He was an eighth grade Martial King now…

This had made Rui Bu Tong so depressed that he was on the verge of going nuts!

He had reached the seventh grade Martial King while the others were only fifth grade Martial Kings until a few days ago. Therefore, he used proudly show off his strength. However, he hadn't anticipated that those good days wouldn't last even for a month. After all, he had now become inferior to the others once again.

How would it not make Rui Bu Tong depressed?

Tan Tan walked over shaking and swaying. Then, he sat crossed-legged next to Chu Yang. He had been unconsciously chewing a grass root. The look in his eyes was somewhat hazy… as if he was at a loss. It was as if he wasn't even seeing the fierce battle between the two evenly matched powerhouses that was going on in front of him.

"How are you? What's up? What happened to you that day?" Chu Yang asked.

Tan Tan seemed to be staring into nothingness. In fact, it seemed as if he hadn't even heard Chu Yang's words.

A long time passed like this…

"Senior Martial Brother…" Tan Tan lowered his head, and whispered in a hoarse voice.

"What's wrong? Tan Tan?" Chu Yang was somewhat taken aback. He felt as if his heart had suddenly frozen. He had never seen Tan Tan so dispirited and downcast even in the most difficult of times.

Moreover, Tan Tan had called him 'Senior Martial Brother' a moment ago. Tan Tan always called him by his name. But, he had said 'Senior Martial Brother' this time. This was proof that the matter was very serious. And, Tan Tan was also very serious about it…

A loud 'clang' sound came from the field. The Black Saber and the Black Dragon Sword had fiercely clashed into each together. The sword-light was shot high in the sky, and went straight to the ninth heaven like a dragon. Meanwhile, the saber-light spread across for thousands of miles in the sky like a galaxy.

The two had clashed with each other, and then separated. Then, they were at it again. The saber-light and the sword-shadow changed into a white light and a black energy respectively, and then entangled again.

This was the first battle between these two men after they had broken through to Sword Emperor and Saber Emperor respectively. So, it was obvious that they would fight to their heart's content. Both of them had been gradually exploring the mysteries of the Emperor Realm! They would inspect and verify one step. Then, they'd consolidate their insights. And then they'd move to the next step…

However, Tan Tan's complexion became increasingly darker under the shines of the sword and saber lights.

"What's the matter?" Chu Yang's countenance had gradually become very serious as well.

"Senior Martial Brother, do you think that I've been somewhat abnormal since childhood?" Tan Tan smiled whilst mocking himself. His deep and low voice made Chu Yang feel somewhat bitter.

"It may be true that you're not very normal. However, you're my good junior martial brother no matter how you are. And, you will always be my good junior martial brother!" Chu Yang hesitated for a while. Then, he slowly said, "Moreover, aren't we living in the kind of world where there's no need to care about what others think of us? One must live one's life care-freely and happily. Isn't it better than caring about everything else?"

Tan Tan was serious at this time. So, Chu Yang had also become serious as well. It must be mentioned that Tan Tan wasn't an idiot even though his behavior was strange. His behavior had always been somewhat abnormal. And, Tan Tan also knew this. In fact, it would've hurt Tan Tan if Chu Yang had told him that he was completely normal.

"I also know that I'm not normal… However, I don't know what's going on…"

Tan Tan sighed and continued, "I've felt that I'm somewhat abnormal ever since Master had adopted us. I was an infant when Master had adopted me. Master had carried me out from a cave. He had later told me that I had been abandoned. I know that it would've been impossible for Master to find me if he hadn't gone to rest in that cave when he had ventured to that precipice to pick up herbs. However, an average person wouldn't go to such a place if they wanted to abandon a child. Nor, can someone throw a child onto such a tall precipice. Therefore, it is evident that I wasn't abandoned…"

"Huh? How… do you know this?" Chu Yang was left shocked by this. In fact, he had goose bumps. [Tan Tan would've never come to know about this matter unless Meng Chao Ran had told him about it. And, Meng Chao Ran never did. So, how does he know?]

"Master has been very good to me. He has always made me have fantasies in my heart. He has always made me fantasize that my family exists somewhere in this world. Master had always told me that they cared about me even though they abandoned me… Master was always very kind," Tan Tan said in a deep and low voice.

Chu Yang felt sad in his heart. Tan Tan had correctly guessed Meng Chao Ran's intention. Meng Chao Ran had always been making silent arrangements for his disciples' sakes to the best of his ability. He had been worried about the life of both of his disciples even ten years ago. However, he had never spoken anything.

"I didn't know about it at first. And, I don't know what has happened in the last few days. But, I've understood it. In fact, it feels as if I've had a dream. The dream was about my time as an infant. I was held by Master. Then, we returned to the Purple Bamboo Forest. There was already a child there who was crawling on the ground. That child must've been two years older than me… it was you! Finally, you went down the mountain at the end of the dream. And, I was with Master on the mountain. Master and I were chased by Diwu Qing Ruo's men…"

Tan Tan continued with a strange expression, "This was very strange because I knew that this dream was real after it ended… And, that's because many things happened afterwards in that dream. And, we have experienced those things in real life."

Chu Yang was shocked!

He stared at his junior martial brother with a dumbfounded look on his face. It was hard for him to imagine that such a bizarre thing could happen in this world…

"This dream continued until I had entered the Middle Three Heavens. Then, it abruptly ended. However, I later realized that it wasn't a dream since I wasn't even asleep at that time… Instead, I was meditating!" Tan Tan's expressions became increasingly bizarre… It seemed as if he had seen a ghost or something.

"I know that you've always been good to me. I know it from that dream that you've been trying to amuse me since the beginning… even when you were only a two-years-old child. You would fulfill all of my requests… Chu Yang, my Senior Martial Brother…" The rim of Tan Tan's eyes became somewhat red. "You have been good to me. And, I will remember it forever!"

Chu Yang opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say. He could only take in a deep breath. Then, he deeply exhaled that breath. He felt overwhelmed with emotions…

Yes. He indeed cared very deeply for Tan Tan. He also cared a lot about his Master. It had been this way in his previous life as well. He had decided to take the heartless sword way, and walk on the path of revenge precisely because Tan Tan had died an accidental death, while Meng Chao Ran had gone missing in his previous life…

"I've looked like this since childhood. I've always been entirely different from you. I also know that I'm very ugly!" Tan Tan chuckled. "I know that I look unattractive… at least in the eyes of normal people like you. But, you know that I've believed that I am very handsome for so many years. And, I don't believe it to show off alone!

"I genuinely believe that I am handsome! Even being handsome in this way… gives me strong self-confidence! And, no one has ever been able to bring down my self-confidence!" Tan Tan mischievously smiled, "In fact, I would continue to think that I was very handsome even if people scolded me viciously!

"This isn't blindness. And, this certainly isn't some disease!" Tan Tan said in a serious manner, "Instead, I genuinely believe that there's no one more handsome than me in the entire world!"

Tan Tan's expression was very serious! His voice was very serious as well. He wasn't cracking jokes.

Chu Yang gradually became more solemn.

"Therefore, I feel that I'm different from the other people of this world!" Tan Tan said with difficulty, "I have always felt that I don't belong in this world! As if… this world isn't for me…

"I can say this with confidence that I'm very handsome. Because… I've never viewed myself from the perspective of this world!

"However, I've been feeling as if there's something inside my body of late. Something is stirring restlessly… something is awakening…" Tan Tan sighed in frustration, "I don't know what it is… But, I have a feeling that it is very dangerous…"

"Where is my world if I'm not from this one?" Tan Tan turned his head. He looked at Chu Yang with a sharp gaze. There was a sense of loss, sadness, and fear in his voice. It was the fear of the unknown…

Chu Yang firmly looked at Tan Tan. He felt scared in his heart at this moment!

It was because he had discovered that there was something in Tan Tan's pupils. It seemed as if… it was another world. Moreover, a dazzling sun, a crescent moon, and starlight had suddenly emerged in this desolate world…

"Clang!" a sky-shaking sound came from a distance!

The fight between the Saber Emperor and the Sword Emperor had turned white-hot!

However, these two martial brothers remained silent at this side.

"Don't indulge in flights of fancy." Chu Yang patted on Tan Tan's shoulder. Then, he said while consoling him, "You're you. You're Tan Tan; my junior martial brother. You're my own brother! All of us have our bitter experiences. You've always treated me as your blood brother. And, I have always treated you as my blood brother… Tan Tan, you must pull yourself together!"

"But… I can feel that it's real! It's real." Tan Tan somewhat helplessly looked at Chu Yang, "Can't you see? I ate the raw inner cores of ninth-grade spirit beasts, and didn't explode! I had a high fever, and it reached to such an extent that I was able to melt stones. But, nothing happened to me… And now, I don't eat normal food. I can only eat the inner cores of spirit beasts…"

Tan Tan sorrowfully looked at Chu Yang, "Senior Martial Brother, Chu Yang… I, I… can I be considered a human?" A light of extreme devastation flickered in Tan Tan's eyes…

[Can I be considered a human?]

Chu Yang remained silent for a while. [The current Tan Tan can't be considered humanly in any respect… apart from the fact that he possesses a human body…]

However, how could Chu Yang say this to Tan Tan?

"Don't over-think." Chu Yang pulled Tan Tan's face, and looked him in the eye. He then earnestly said these words, "Tan Tan, think about me. Think about Master. What would we do if something happened to you? How sad will Master be? Do things you like. Practice martial arts! Don't you want to dominate the entire world in the future? Don't forget that Master and Master's wife have been separated for many years. We must complete his wish!

"I wish to rush to the top of the Nine Heavens! You're my brother. So, it is your responsibility to help me in fulfilling my wish as well!" Chu Yang anxiously said, "Tan Tan, you must help us! You mustn't do anything stupid by any means!"

Chu Yang had felt a sharp pain in his heart on seeing the despair in Tan Tan's eyes. So, he had no other choice but to tie him to a responsibility. He wanted to comfort him at first. He would try to find a solution for his problem as time would pass.

Tan Tan looked at Chu Yang in a daze. He slowly nodded after a long while. Then, he said, "Chu Yang, I feel that I'm very dangerous. And, I'm afraid that I'll harm you… But, I will leave if I'm in my senses in case such a time ever comes. And, you mustn't try to look for me!"

He paused for a while. Then, he said, "But, if I'm not in my senses… then you… you… have to kill me!"

He looked Chu Yang in the eye. Then, he suddenly knelt down to kowtow. Then, he knocked his head on the ground three times in a row with tapping sounds. After that, he straightened up in the kowtow position, "Senior Martial Brother, I beg you. You have to promise me! Please kill me if such a day comes! Just kill me!"

Chu Yang's entire body shuddered. He had been struck dumb!

…