Chapter 641: We’re Both in the Heavenly Arrival State
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
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It was quiet on the top of Tianguang Peak.
The clouds that had drifted to the other peaks returned and looked as pale as Zhao Layue’s face.
She had been defeated by Fang Jingtian.
Yet, Fang Jingtian didn’t use his sword because Zhao Layue didn’t use hers.
Nobody thought she was arrogant, nor did they dare think less of her even though she didn’t have the Thoughtless Sword with her. She had displayed an exceedingly formidable prowess and dreadful sword work, which was the effect of the formed shapeless sword body.
A swordsman in the upper limit of the Broken Sea State was most likely not a match for her.
Unfortunately, Fang Jingtian was a figure in the Heavenly Arrival State, a swordsman standing on top of the ocean of clouds and beyond the reach of all regular practitioners.
There were few bloodstains on the peak top, and this was because Zhao Layue had lost too much blood in the snowland a few days ago, nor had Fang Jingtian struck with all his strength.
He did it this way because of his status and the necessary demeanor he should display as a figure in the higher state; more importantly, it was because there was a pair of eyes staring at him on the top of Bihu Peak.
The pair of eyes was cold and gloomy, but the owner of the eyes could be quite fierce and blood-thirsty once he became violent and aggressive.
In fact, most of the bloodstains on the ground were left by Zhuo Rusui.
He struck his sword before Zhao Layue did.
The Swallowing Boat Sword was indeed powerful, and his Cultivation state was indeed extraordinary among the practitioners of his generation. However, he was defeated even faster than Zhao Layue; in other words, he had yielded his sword faster than Zhao Layue.
Losing to someone like Fang Jingtian was not shameful.
The wounds he suffered were the extra punishment Fang Jingtian inflicted on him.
But he acted as if he had sustained severe injury and was on the brink of dying. He was groaning incessantly while leaning against Guo Nanshan’s chest.
Que Niang thought it was a bit dishonorable for him to act this way.
Was the challenge against Fang Jingtian over?
Of course not.
Yuan Qü called out his nameless and strange sword, the one that was gray in color, bent in several places, and weird-looking, having a crystal-like surface that reflected light.
He would be defeated by Fang Jingtian without any doubt. And yet, more people would challenge Fang Jingtian, including Young Sister Yushan, the Elder Chi Yan, Lei Yijing, Yao Songshan, and many young disciples who still remembered Jing Jiu.
Thinking of what would happen later, Yuan Qü expected to watch the ensuing fights with great interest.
As Tong Yan predicted, it was more urgent for Fang Jingtian to convince the others since his intention was not genuine; as such, he wouldn’t dare kill anybody.
“Even though we can’t beat you, we can at least hold you up,” Yuan Qü thought.
It was a pity that his Young Brother, the Drifter and Big Brother Gu Qing were not here; otherwise, it would be more interesting.
Mulling over all this, Yuan Qü came before Fang Jingtian and bowed to him reverentially, saying, “This disciple…”
According to Tong Yan’s plan, he was to make a long speech, to tell Fang Jingtian implicitly about his identity as a descendant of the Yuan Clan in Lelong County, and so forth…But he didn’t expect the others to pay no attention to his speech, and his voice was drowned out by a barrage of surprised screams.
Feeling bewildered, Yuan Qü followed the gazes of the crowd to toward the sky, and he couldn’t help but feel astonished.
The ocean of clouds among the nine peaks of Green Mountain was serene and as smooth as a white wool carpet, but the clouds outside the Great Formation of Green Mountain were drifting with the wind.
The clouds were separating gradually, exposing the sky behind them. There were a dozen blue marks resembling the tracks left by the horse-drawn carriages, which seemed to lead to an unknown destination.
Such a wonderful scene was obviously not a natural phenomenon in heaven and earth; so what was the source of this magnificent phenomenon?
The people were engaged in heated discussions while gazing at the extraordinary phenomenon in the sky in surprise.
“What is going on?”
“Is it the result of a magic boat of a major Cultivation sect passing through?”
“It’s impossible. No magic boat in this world can travel so fast.”
“Is this some kind of an omen?”
Fang Jingtian’s silvery eyebrows billowed slightly, and the Immortal Guangyuan felt a bit puzzled; and the small green curtain sedan swayed a little without the aid of the wind.
More and more people had figured out what was going on.
The extraordinary phenomenon was the sign that a figure in the Heavenly Arrival State had come into existence.
Since the phenomenon happened in the north, did it mean that someone at the Center Sect had reached the Dachen State?
Thinking of such a possibility, the disciples of Green Mountain wore a grave expression on their faces.
“No…no…not right. This…this…is…a sword. It’s…a…sword,” the Elder Chi Mo suddenly remarked in his usual stammering manner.
The crowd felt even more flabbergasted, as it occurred to them that the West Ocean Sword Sect was destroyed and the mountains of the No-Mercy Sect were sealed off; few Cultivation sects in the world used swords as their main weapons, and even fewer swordsmen of these sects could break through the Heavenly Arrival State. Was it a disciple of the Green Mountain Sect in the north?
“Is it Big Brother Gu Qing?” someone guessed uncertainly.
“Impossible,” said Zhuo Rusui in a mocking tone, forgetting to groan. “He’d be unable to do it in three hundred years based on his talent in Cultivation.”
As they were embroiled in heated discussion, the “carriage tracks” in the ocean of clouds were widening, exuding a more powerful energy.
With a changed expression, Zhuo Rusui thought of a possibility; soon after, more and more people thought of the same possibility.
All of a sudden, the fog surrounding the top of Yunxing Peak had vanished without a trace, and innumerable swords and sword embryos emerged from the cliffs, lowering their tips toward the distant north.
Over a hundred years ago, a similar scene had occurred when the Will of Liu Ci was being read on Green Mountain; but more swords came out this time, and the scene was much more magnificent.
The scene substantiated their guess; all of them felt exceedingly astonished.
Had the Immortal Sect Master woken up in Zhaoge City?
He had not only woken up, but also broken through the Heavenly Arrival State!
Lei Yijing, Yao Songshan and other disciples of Green Mountain felt astounded as well as rejoiceful, and knelt down on the ground to bow toward Zhaoge City to the distant north.
Soon after, more and more disciples of Green Mountain knelt down on the ground.
Those “carriage tracks” in the ocean of clouds turned out to be the marks of a sword.
It was not over yet.
More fine and powerful sword wills emerged from the peaks of Green Mountain, heading toward the sky.
The crowd spun their heads around and found these sword wills hailed from Qingrong Peak.
The Senior Master Mei Li’s eyes beamed, her face flushing slightly; it seemed that she was quite excited. And those younger women were so glad that they were jumping up and down, yelling indistinctly.
The finer sword wills arrived in the high sky and connected with the sword wills coming from the north, forming a huge net to encase the whole Green Mountain.
These were the sword strings of the Endless Sword style.
Looking in the direction of Qingrong Peak, Fang Jingtian said, “Congratulations, Young Sister.” The expression on his face was a bit incomprehensible.
The plucking of the sword strings gave off a crisp and ear-pleasing sound resembling the sword sound. It was because someone had landed on the ground.
Nan Wang was walking over from Qingrong Peak. Her bare feet stepped on the sword strings as the silvery bells rang out. She didn’t look like a fairy lady, but rather like a mischievous little girl.
The sword strings were endless, so it was impossible to discern her position. She moved around unpredictably. She was seen on a peak top several miles away at a time and seen drunk on the top of the clouds a few moments later.
This was the sign of the Heavenly Arrival State.
Pah!!!
Nan Wang landed on the top of Tianguang Peak, lifted her head slightly, and asked Fang Jingtian, “Big Brother, are you still going to fight for the position of the sect master?”
It was quiet on the peak top. Everyone was waiting for his answer, but they could all guess what his answer was.
Nan Wang had just broken through the Heavenly Arrival State and was no match for Fang Jingtian, but that person had woken up, and he had come to the highest sky in one stride.
The bent plum branch created by the sword wills appeared in the sky again.
Fang Jingtian returned to Xilai Peak.
Looking at the dozens of sword wills remaining in the sky, Nan Wang pursed her mouth. Then, she turned to Zhao Layue, “Is it worth it for such a man?”
Zhuo Rusui thought that he was the one who had struck first…But he had no idea that Zhao Layue was determined to prevent Fang Jingtian from becoming the sect master of Green Mountain even if she was to die that day.
Nan Wang was fully aware of this, so she raised such a question.
Zhao Layue replied, “He is a man in your eyes, and he is a sword in the eyes of some other people; but in my eyes he is simply him.”
Zhuo Rusui failed to wrap his head around what they were talking about. “Senior Master, we wouldn’t have suffered so much injury if you had come out sooner,” he said to Nan Wang.
“You people want to use me as much as you wish.”
Nan Wang sneered. She strolled to the edge of the cliff with her hands folded behind her back, looking at the distant Zhaoge City beyond the ocean of clouds.
If Jing Jiu hadn’t woken up in the Heavenly Arrival State and she didn’t want to be inferior to him, it would have taken many more decades for Nan Wang to break through the Heavenly Arrival State.
Zhao Layue was aware of the connection, but she didn’t say anything.
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The extraordinary phenomenon occurred when a figure in the Heavenly Arrival State came into existence. In addition, there were commotions in the old plum garden, in the royal palace and outside the west side of the city. The whole of Zhaoge City was stirring. The inhabitants spilled out to the streets and discussed the events excitedly while looking at the ocean of clouds that were being separated.
Jing Jiu led Liu Shisui into Zhaoge City, and they were seen by all the people on the streets. Seeing the inhumanly beautiful face of Jing Jiu’s, the residents of Zhaoge City soon figured out his identity. They parted like the receding tides to leave a path for the two of them, their eyes full of awe and curiosity. Many of them knelt down, knocking their heads on the ground.
Though Jing Jiu hadn’t been seen in the human world in a hundred years, his legend was still remembered.
Following behind Jing Jiu, Liu Shisui sensed the acute gazes and the intentions contained in them, feeling a bit nervous.
The spring rainfall washed away the dust in Zhaoge City. The black eaves on the roof of Taichang Temple looked a bit more vigorous, becoming a conspicuous and convenient landmark.
The two of them headed toward Taichang Temple. It didn’t take long before they arrived at the Jing House.
This place was a forbidden site in Zhaoge City. The residents tailing them were blocked outside the formation. The alley was much quieter than it was on those streets.
Looking at the Buddhist temple across the street, Jing Jiu said, “Thank you.”
Sitting in the deep end of the temple hall, the Young Zen Master picked up the wooden sticks in front of him and bade the monks to put them away. “I want to go to White Town as soon as possible. I don’t wish to see him.”
