Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Jing Jiu and Jing Yang in the portrait gazed at each other. It was apparent that the one outside the portrait looked more handsome.
Though Jing Jiu was not the former Jing Yang, his expressions and temperament were still pretty much the same as Jing Yang.
Hearing his statement “I’ll do it today”, Nan Wang had the above thoughts. She walked toward the outside of the small building while shaking her head.
The sunlight shone on a nameless small stream after passing through the thin fog on the peak and the tree branches; it became dimmer and more chaotic after being reflected by the water, which corresponded with her sword strings and her current mood.
She looked like a pretty mountain ghost as she traveled upwards swiftly by stepping on the rocks by the stream with her jade-white bare feet.
The crisp sound of the silvery bell was similar to the laughter she had had before.
Though she still looked like the young woman from the southern barbaric tribe on the outside, she had actually changed a great deal.
As she arrived on the peak top, a large black rock and a flowering tree were found in front of it; and there were many adorable small alcohol jars piled up under the tree.
It turned out to be Qingrong Peak.
Nan Wang grabbed a jar of wine from nowhere and tossed it backwards behind her.
Pah!!!
The jar of wine landed squarely in Jing Jiu’s hand.
The two of them could still cooperate so proficiently after a few hundred years, which was as smooth as the flowing clouds and water.
Jing Jiu looked at the jar of wine in his hand for a while before he opened its lid and took a sip.
Seeing this, Nan Wang’s countenance grew more amiable. She came before him, took the jar of wine and drew a swig. “It’s not that I hated you and burned your remaining shell in that manor cave; I didn’t want to scatter your ashes…” she said with a soft tone after exhaling a slightly sweet scent of wine. “Those two children don’t understand you, but how could you think that I don’t? Doing what I did, I intended to cut off all of the karma in your former life.”
Most of the people who had a close relationship with Jing Yang in his former life had died…except her.
Hearing what Nan Wang had just said, Jing Jiu remained silent for a moment before uttering “hmm”.
Back at the Three-thousand Nunnery Jing Jiu claimed that he had predicted that Nan Wang would do it to his body because she hated him…He actually didn’t mean it.
He was of course aware that she understood him very well.
“Don’t learn from Liu Ci by uttering ‘hmm’ all the time,” said Nan Wang expressionlessly.
Jing Jiu returned, “Hmm…alright.”
Nan Wang went on, “I met you in the small building today because I intended to tell you that whom I liked was not Jing Yang, but the current you; but after some thought, I realized that I had tried to use it as an excuse in case I was rebutted by a man, since I’m just a little woman who would feel embarrassed if that happened; I realized that I had no need to do so. I like you, be it the former Jing Yang or the current Jing Jiu…Yet, it’s meaningless to say all this since you’re going to leave anyway. You’re not going to stay around and wait for us.”
It was true that Jing Yang hadn’t waited for Lian Sanyue back then. It seemed that he wouldn’t wait for anybody this time, including Zhao Layue.
“Tell them to go to Shangde Peak,” said Jing Jiu.
Nan Wang snapped while shaking her head, “No, I’m not going there.”
After a moment of pause, Jing Jiu took the jar of wine from her hand and took a sip as a way of bidding farewell.
…
…
It was clear that day across the sky, absolutely cloudless.
The clouds were merely flowing among the peaks quietly.
It was a good day for ascending.
Ever since Jing Jiu defeated the Godly Swordsman of West Ocean, the whole of Cultivation world and Chaotian had been waiting for this day.
The people had come to Green Mountain and waited a while ago because nobody wished to miss witnessing the exciting event.
After having received the definite news, thousands of Cultivation practitioners walked out from the Daoist halls on Shiyue Peak and Xilai Peak.
In comparison to the ascension that had occurred more than one hundred years ago, the observers and guests for the event had changed a great deal. Yuan Qijing and Liu Ci were dead, so were Pei Baifa and the two most powerful figures in the Underworld; Jing Shu, the Grandmaster of the Hanging-Bell Sect, had died also.
The wind kicked up. The human world was different now.
It was probably because of this reason that the Young Zen Master hadn’t come this time.
However, the crowd for the event was still quite large; actually, it was larger than the one last time.
All the Cultivation sects that had been mentioned in the story came to Green Mountain; none of them was not present.
The important figures in Chaotian were arriving one after the other. The first one to arrive was the Emperor Jing Yao, followed by the small green curtain sedan.
By the time the Cultivation practitioners were brought to Shangde Peak by the Green Mountain disciples, they found that the rumor was true…Shangde Peak had turned into flat ground.
Shangde Peak that had been covered with white snow and green pine trees had become a huge black jade plate the area of ten square miles.
A large black dog was crouching in the middle of the black jade plate quietly, resembling a black mountain.
In other words, he would be the future Shangde Peak.
The Cultivation practitioners of various sects were aware that he was the rumored Master Night Howler, the Principal Guard of Green Mountain.
The people felt intimidated and awe-struck when they thought of the scene in which the dog ate the sun during the fatal fight between Jing Jiu and the Immortal Bai and of the rumored brutal divine animal full of magic tricks. They all bowed to the Dead Dog in the distance; none of them dared draw close to him.
“Greetings, House Master.”
“This Junior greets the Saint.”
A commotion occurred among the peaks. The Cultivation practitioners of various sects bowed to a spot, devoid of any ostentatious reverence.
Coming were Bu Qiuxiao, the House Master of the One-Cottage House, and the scholars of the house. The One-Cottage House had paid a steep price during the war to to destroy the world, like what they had done during many other mayhem. Bu’s most favorite student, Xi Yiyun, had died at the hands of the Immortal Bai.
Soon after, the people of the Hanging-Bell Sect and the Mirror Sect arrived. Sitting in the wheelchair, Chen Xueqiao, the Sect Master of the Hanging-Bell, was not interested in exchanging pleasantries with the other Cultivation practitioners; all she did was gaze at the deep end of Green Mountain with beaming eyes, as though she was guessing which peak Jing Jiu was on.
The No-Mercy Sect that had just reopened their mountains received a warm welcome. It was because they were the steadfast ally of the Green Mountain Sect and because Jing Jiu had talked to Peng Lang for a long time that night. Seeing the young sect master walking in the front, the Cultivation practitioners felt astonished, wondering if the rumor was true.
If this young sect master named Peng Lang had already reached the Heavenly Arrival State, would he be someone more formidable than the Immortal Jing Yang?
They felt more astonished when they saw the group of the Center Sect. Unexpectedly, the Center Sect had sent a group to observe the event not long after they had shed considerable blood at the hands of the Green Mountain Sect. The most unexpected thing was that the person walking in the front of the group was none other than Tong Yan…
Now that the Center Sect had sent a group, the Kunlun Sect and the smaller sects in the north had no reason not to send their representatives. And many free-traveling practitioners took the courage to come and found to their delight that the Green Mountain Sect didn’t drive them away. Fortunately, the black jade plate on the site of the former Shangde Peak was big enough. Regardless of how many people stood on it, they still looked as small as sesames.
Nevertheless, it had become crowded on Green Mountain.
Yet, the crowd didn’t notice a person wearing a conical hat walking to the underneath of a large tree.
…
…
A red thread came out from the ocean of clouds that was as tranquil as a carpet; it was the residue of the Thoughtless Sword.
Jing Jiu landed on the huge black jade plate.
The peaks turned soundless as everybody stood up and gazed at him.
The slightly billowing white cloth was quite noticeable.
Stood behind Jing Jiu were Zhao Layue, Liu Shisui, Yuan Qü, Que Niang, Ping Yongjia, the Drifter and Zhuo Rusui.
More sword lights landed on the black jade plate. They were the elders of the second generation, like the Immortal Guangyuan, Mei Li and Chi Yan, the disciples of the third generation, like Guo Nanshan, Gu Han, Lei Yijing, Lin Wuzhi and Yao Songshan, and the young disciples, their names Yuan Qü couldn’t even remember. Fang Jingtian and the three elderly hermits had also come.
Jing Jiu came before the Dead Dog while holding the white cat and sat down on a comfortable spot before waving his hand at the crowd.
The Immortal Guangyuan understood what Jing Jiu meant; he motioned for the group of Green Mountain to disperse and find a place to sit down.
Zhao Layue, Liu Shisui and the others had also found a place to sit down.
Thousands of Cultivation practitioners sat down after they bowed to Jing Jiu reverentially.
Countless gazes were fixed on Jing Jiu who was caressing the cat gently with his head lowered. It seemed that he had no intention of speaking at the moment, as if he was waiting for somebody.
Ada looked around with narrowed eyes, enjoying the moment, as he wondered who deserved to have him wait in the world right now.
Many people had the same wonder as Ada, but the puzzle had the answer soon enough.
A large hole emerged in the carpet-like ocean of clouds as a gust of wind whistled like a smothered bell.
The strong wind blew onto the Dead Dog, making the black hair on his body rolling up and down like the wheat waves; the pebbles and dusts on the black jade plate were all blown away.
A large Buddha with peeled golden paint appeared in front of the Dead Dog, not far from Jing Jiu. “Sorry I’m late,” a deep and hoarse voice said.
Compared to Jing Jiu, this large Buddha was huge and full of awe-inspiring aura.
In comparison to the Dead Dog, this large Buddha looked adorable, like a small Buddha statue in a crate for prayer kept in the families of mortals.
The Cultivation practitioners who had just sat down stood up again to bow reverentially toward the large Buddha.
Many secrets of the Cultivation world had been revealed after the war to destroy the world that was launched by the Immortal Taiping and the Immortal Bai. The golden body of the Broadsword King, Cao Yuan, was one of those secrets. It was nevertheless the first time that many Cultivation practitioners saw him in person; they couldn’t help but feel amazed and were stunned speechless.
No matter how amazed and stunned they felt at the moment, they had to keep their emotions under control, and that was because Jing Jiu was supposed to be the focus for today’s event.
Tong Yan turned his palm upwards; the Scenic-Cloud Bell flew up into the midair.
Cao Yuan flicked a finger of his in the distance. The broadsword will landed squarely on the Scenic-Cloud Bell after it blew like a gust of strong wind.
Whoosh!!!
Countless thunderous booms bellowed out and spread out in all directions; they spread to every corner of Chaotian after passing through peaks of Green Mountain, the deep part of the ocean and the royal palace of the Alien Land.
As a result, the whole world was informed that the time had arrived.
