Li Qingshan’s smile brought chills to Chao Tianjiao and Li Liehuo. Very clearly, Li Qingshan possessed very deep connections to the Shenning tribe. Not only had the heavenly emperor’s barbaric and savage tally stick and the Elder of Heavenly Tomes’ threatening words failed to strike fear into him, but it had instead completely angered him.
Chao Tianjiao thought, How is this enlistment? This is clearly an invitation to battle. The gods in the heavens are all meticulous and wise, so have none of them tried to understand this kid’s personality even in the slightest? Even if it’s just asking me! Master is being a little strange too.
The Elder of Heavenly Tomes in her memory was so graceful and composed. He had never acted with such harshness and severity as today, almost to a point where he seemed a little unnatural.
Master is a close subject of the heavenly emperor. His unnatural behaviour must be a manifestation of the heavenly emperor’s will. Suddenly, she thought of a possibility, Unless the heavenly emperor doesn’t want to enlist him!
But why bother with all of this? Invitation for what? Banquet for what? He might as well just directly declare war! And, if the heavenly emperor was reluctant with this, just who could ensure that this enlistment occurs at all?
The figures of the four emperors appeared in her mind. Among them was her lord, the Zhenwu Emperor.
In other words, the heavenly emperor and the four emperors actually have a disagreement!?
At this moment, the Zhenwu Emperor in her head actually glanced at her.
Chao Tianjiao’s heart shuddered, immediately dismissing her thoughts. She did not dare to think about it any further.
She had heard many secrets today, probably none of which a divine general like her was supposed to know. However, she became even more confident about certain thoughts.
The Zhenwu Emperor had been paying attention the entire time!
Of course, there was another possibility that Chao Tianjiao had not deeply considered, which was the heavenly emperor did not take Li Qingshan seriously at all. But interestingly enough, she would rather believe the heavenly emperor and the four emperors had a disagreement.
This kid seems to have a certain charm, where people always look at him with a high opinion no matter where he goes. Even more detestably, when others view him in such a great light, he thinks they’re looking down on him and is fuming over this!
Indeed. In Li Qingshan’s story, he had faced quite a lot of opposition in the Myriad sect, used for gambling among the direct disciples first, then the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance tried to persuade him to not join the sect, and he was even targeted by the first senior sister and first senior brother, ushering him from the Hundred Herbs garden to Black Cloud city for him to die.
But in the eyes of others, he had become the centre of focus the moment he joined the Myriad sect, personally received by the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance and treated as equals by several direct disciples. The reason why he faced such opposition was all because he went out looking for trouble.
Chao Tianjiao had descended to the Human realm plenty of times to harass Li Qingshan after becoming a Divine General of the Six Ding, but had she ever acknowledged anyone else? Actually, as long as he yielded a little, she would not mind being a little gentler with him, but he simply insisted on being unruly and stubborn, working against her. From time to time, he would even call her vulgar names, which left her absolutely furious.
However, little did Chao Tianjiao know that someone had once said to this kid, “Remember, don’t lower your head to anyone. You have once ridden on my back.”
Perhaps in Li Qingshan’s heart, brother ox had never left, instead holding him high up on his back, which allowed him to strive ahead valiantly until this very day, finally reaching beyond the Nine Heavens.
If others looked up at him with a high opinion and he looked down on them in response, where would that put brother ox?
“Since you’re willing to attend the banquet, my mission is complete.”
The Elder of Heavenly Tomes let out a sigh of relief before completely relaxing. He stowed away the tally stick and with a convenient wave of his hand, a colourful auspicious cloud rose up.
Li Qingshan allowed the colourful auspicious cloud to pick him up, flying towards beyond the Nine Heavens that was even more distant.
Chao Tianjiao, Li Liehuo, and the Spirit Reverend of Ocean Returnance obviously stood around the Elder of Heavenly Tomes. Chao Tianjiao even signalled to the skyhorse she had brought with her so that it could return to the heavenly palace. The skyhorse let out a whinny and flew off.
Perhaps for the sake of a solemn appearance, the auspicious cloud flew steadily. By the time the skyhorse was gone, they had not even entered the atmospheric wind layer.
Li Qingshan was not in a hurry either, rising up with the cloud. The sea gradually grew further away as the sky gradually grew closer. His path to the Nine Heavens was approaching its destination. He looked back at the path he had tread with a multitude of emotions.
Looking out, what filled his mind was not the palace in the heavens or the heavenly emperor and his gods, but brother ox’s figure from behind. It had once blurred, but now, it had become clear again, like he had never left him.
I await for you beyond the Nine Heavens, for the time when you stand beside me!
Before the voice subsided, he answered softly, “Brother ox, I’m here! But before this, let me take a look at just who your enemies are.”
When he said that, the coloured cloud froze and the surroundings fell silent.
That was different from the pressure of the heavenly emperor. Chao Tianjiao could vaguely sense the operation of the laws and the Dao, including the path of zhenwu she was familiar with.
Those viewed as enemies by Li Qingshan were currently viewing this place, and he had also incited their hostility.
At that instant, Li Qingshan’s clone that possessed the cultivation of a Heretic God became covered in cracks, like a stone statue on the verge of shattering.
He did not move, continuing to gaze up at the sky hopefully.
The Elder of Heavenly Tomes suddenly looked up and let out a sigh.
Everything returned to normal. The colourful clouds continued to rise, entering the atmospheric wind layer. The atmospheric winds whistled, but they were all blocked outside the cloud.
As they continued to rise, the winds subsided and the sky darkened, becoming an inky-blue.
Li Qingshan looked down and saw the entirety of the Human realm.
The mountains were like folds in the earth, while the rivers were like thin threads. White clouds moved fleetingly, dispersing and gathering in the flick of a finger.
The flow of time had already changed. The Nine Heavens grew closer. The Human realm grew further away.
The sky gradually went from an inky-blue to black, without any flaws. It reminded Li Qingshan of the days he spent wandering in outer space. However, at least outer space still had the expansive sea of stars. The darkness before his eyes, on the other hand, was so pure that there were no dreams to speak of.
If this was a journey, then isn’t the final destination of this journey far too ordinary?
That was what Li Qingshan thought when he discovered a speck of golden light in the centre of the endless darkness.
The speck of light was so feeble, yet it seemed to be hiding something that could not be put into words. He felt greatly shocked, holding his breath uncontrollably and widening his eyes.
The golden speck gradually turned larger and brighter. Before Li Qingshan could even recover from his sense of shock, another speck of light appeared in the darkness, a silver one.
If the golden speck of light brought him intense shock, then the silver speck of light brought him great peace.
The two drastically-different sensations echoed through his heart, forming extreme conflict yet also extreme harmony.
Under the piercing glow of the golden and silver light, the Divine Dragon Transformation and the Snake Demon Transformation began to circulate uncontrollably. Immediately, his body became covered in scales. One of his two eyes turned into a dragon’s eye, while the other turned into a snake’s eyes.
As a result, he saw the third speck of light, a blue one.
Just as Li Qingshan tried to make out the blue speck of light, his thoughts came to a halt and he was stunned.
As the auspicious cloud rapidly drew closer, the golden speck of light had already turned to the size of a mandarin. As it turned out, it was a golden sun.
The silver speck of light was identical in size, except its glow was slightly fainter. It was a silver moon.
The blue speck of light was a blue planet, glowing under the shine of the sunlight and moonlight, pausing in the endless darkness.
“This is… beyond the Nine Heavens!”
