The Three Masters: Heaven, Earth, and Human

Butcher opened the envelope. The more he read, the graver his expression became. Yang Xiao asked, "Did something major happen?"

Butcher suddenly looked at him. After a long while, he said, "Something major did happen. There's a sect in the Heaven Domain called the Carefree Sect. It was once extraordinarily glorious.

"Its founding patriarch was called the Carefree Ancestor. He was quite a figure. He once obtained the Heaven and Earth Books and combined them into the Carefree Scripture. But ten thousand years ago, the Carefree Ancestor disappeared. The Carefree Sect suffered disaster after disaster and declined from then on. Even the Carefree Scripture was reduced to an incomplete copy.

"This letter says someone near the Carefree Sect saw an expert using a profound art from the Carefree Scripture."

"Then why are you staring at me?" Butcher's burning gaze frightened Yang Xiao a little.

"Though the Carefree Sect has declined, it's still a sect of our Great Zhou and enjoys Great Zhou's protection. Besides, the Carefree Ancestor was very close to the Ancestor Qing Tan of Ascetic Mountain back then. If someone pushed the sect too far and it invited the Ancestor Qing Tan out, no one could bear the consequences.

"As it happens, the Carefree Sect will be accepting disciples in a month. The various parties have secretly agreed to send their descendants into the sect. Whoever manages to obtain the Carefree Scripture will have earned it through their own ability.

"And the Carefree Sect only accepts young people under eighteen."

Yang Xiao fell silent. Though he often said he was eighteen, that was by traditional age reckoning. He was still three months short of his eighteenth birthday, so he met the requirement.

"Is the Carefree Scripture that powerful?" Yang Xiao asked.

From what Butcher said, the Carefree Scripture sounded formidable, but he had no idea whether it suited him. If he obtained it but couldn't use it, wouldn't the trip be wasted?

Butcher smiled. "There are three special professions in this world."

At the mention of professions, three instantly sprang into Yang Xiao's mind—pill refining, artifact forging, and formation laying.

Butcher continued, "They are the three masters: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Heavenly Masters can steal the heavens and switch the sun, lay formations in the void, and summon lightning from the nine heavens. The strongest among them are called Heavenly Venerables. They can summon world-destroying divine lightning that even gods cannot withstand.

"Earth Masters stir the earth's veins, seek dragons and treasures, and use the land to lay formations. So long as a powerful Earth Master prepares formations beforehand, even an assault by dozens of opponents at the same level can end with the attackers being slain instead. The strongest Earth Masters are called Earth Ancestors. With a single thought, they can split the earth and overturn the heavens.

"Human Masters can see through others' fortune and help them avert disasters and resolve troubles. The strongest among them are called Imperial Preceptors. They seek the true dragon emperor amid the vast sea of humanity and help him establish a dynasty. Our Great Zhou's high priest is an Imperial Preceptor who helped the Sacred Ancestor establish the Great Zhou Dynasty.

"And the Carefree Scripture is a divine book that can make someone a Heavenly Venerable and an Earth Ancestor.

"I wouldn't urge anyone else to pursue it, but you should make a try for it. The higher your cultivation, the more resources you'll need. While your cultivation is low, I can still provide resources for you. But once you reach higher realms, even I won't be able to fill that million-li sea of qi of yours.

"And becoming an Earth Master will let you find more cultivation resources."

Yang Xiao sat for a while, Butcher's words echoing in his mind. He drained a cup of wine, raised his head, and looked Butcher in the eyes. "I'll go."

Holding his pig-slaughtering knife in his right hand, Butcher paced back and forth before him more than a dozen times before stopping. "The most pressing matter now is that they've found the bodies of my three hundred personal guards over in Slaughter Heaven City. I need to return and bury them. I don't have time to accompany you."

Screech! Screech! Screech!

Little Blue called twice from the branch. Butcher looked at the eagle. "You're saying you'll take him?"

Little Blue called twice and nodded.

Butcher looked at him, then at Little Blue.

Yang Xiao knew he was worried that Little Blue couldn't protect him. He stood up and said, "Uncle Butcher, just let Little Blue take me. You can't protect me for my whole life. That isn't what the old man would want, either."

Butcher hesitated for a while before saying, "Wait here. I'm going out for a bit. I'll be right back."

Yang Xiao sat in the courtyard drinking wine. He had only poured half a cup when a streak of blue light knocked it away. Looking in the direction the light had come from, he saw Little Blue standing in the tree with the eagle's back turned toward him. If Little Blue had been human, that would have meant pointing a backside at him.

Yang Xiao couldn't help worrying about his safety on the coming journey.

An hour passed. Who knew how he had endured that hour? During it, he had been bullied by an eagle, bullied by an eagle, and bullied by an eagle...

Butcher returned just in time to see Little Blue chasing Yang Xiao, occasionally swinging a right wing and sending streaks of blue light into his backside.

Two large holes had been torn in his trousers, exposing his snowy-white buttocks to both man and eagle.

"Ahem!"

Butcher coughed. Hearing him, Little Blue gave a startled cry and flew into the tree to preen, though it looked more like the eagle was burying a head beneath a wing.

"Are you all right?" Butcher asked, holding back his laughter.

Yang Xiao's face darkened. Covering his backside, he ran toward his room. Being bullied by a bird—surely no one else could top that.

"Catch." Butcher's voice came from behind him.

He instinctively turned and caught a bottle of pills. Butcher didn't stop, tossing him ten bottles in succession.

Butcher said, "Duskwater City is only a small city. I searched the whole place and found just ten bottles of Qi-Gathering Pills. Once you reach the Carefree Sect, I'll have Little Blue deliver cultivation resources to you at regular intervals."

He put the pills into his storage ring and nodded firmly. Butcher had no connection to him, yet still ran around on his behalf. He didn't know what the old man had promised Butcher, but he would definitely repay this kindness someday.

He turned and went back inside, changing into the fine clothes he had bought that morning. There was a bronze mirror in the room. Looking into it, he saw a handsome face, black robes, and the Corpse-Binding Rope hanging at his waist. If he went outside, he might not charm thousands of young girls, but he could certainly charm thousands of young married women.

He sat on the bed and cultivated through the night. His Spirit Sea reached twenty li, and toward the end, he absorbed spiritual energy faster and faster.

When he left his room, Butcher was sitting beside the stone table. Next to his hand, Little Blue lay on the tabletop with wings shielding against the sunlight, seemingly still asleep.

Remembering how a bird had bullied him last night, Yang Xiao felt the flames of vengeance blaze in his heart. He took down the Corpse-Binding Rope, tied a noose, and slowly approached Little Blue.

Butcher watched him with an ambiguous smile.

Seeing that expression, Yang Xiao's heart jolted. Was Little Blue pretending to sleep, waiting for him to approach before flicking a wing and blasting him with blue light?

He swallowed. He couldn't let a bird frighten him, even if that bird was a Blue-Eyed Golden Eagle.

He approached step by step, threw the rope over Little Blue, tightened the noose, and gave it a hard yank.

Little Blue woke with a start and spread both wings. Then the Corpse-Binding Rope snapped apart.

Yang Xiao stared incredulously at the Corpse-Binding Rope in his hands. It was made of ox sinew. Even three to five burly men bound with it couldn't break free, yet Little Blue hardly seemed to have exerted any effort.

He looked up to find Little Blue glaring at him in fury. Whitey held up the rope and forced a smile. "Would you believe me if I said I was just joking?"

Little Blue spread both wings, and an invisible gale roared through the courtyard. Suddenly, a large hand pressed against the eagle's back. Little Blue turned to see that it was Butcher, then folded both wings, and the wind in the courtyard died down.

Butcher said, "No throwing tantrums on the road, or I'll lock you in a cage when you get back."

Little Blue tucked a head beneath a wing, but Butcher kept staring. Reluctantly, the eagle straightened up and nodded twice.

Butcher stroked Little Blue's head and smiled. "That's more like it."

Enjoying Butcher's touch, Little Blue gave two contented cries.

Butcher looked at Yang Xiao. "The Carefree Sect is a little over half a month's journey from here. Little Blue knows the place and will take you there."

With that, he patted Little Blue's head twice. The eagle called once, flew down from the stone table, and gradually grew to three zhang in size before calling to Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao looked at Butcher. "Is Little Blue telling me to climb on?"

He felt rather nervous now. He had just offended Little Blue, and if the eagle carried him into the sky, he feared he might be thrown off.

"Don't worry," Butcher said. "Little Blue likes to play, but when there's a job to do, you can count on this eagle."

With Butcher's assurance, Yang Xiao climbed aboard and clutched several feathers with both hands, refusing to let go.

Little Blue called to Butcher, spread both wings, and flew into the sky.

"Goodbye, Uncle Butcher!" Yang Xiao held the feathers with his left hand and freed his right to wave.

He saw Butcher below wave back.

Little Blue remained quiet, circled twice in the sky, chose a direction, and beat both wings toward the blue heavens.

The fierce wind struck his face like scraping blades. He thought of Turning Magic into Weapons and activated the art, conjuring an illusory mask. Yet in less than three minutes, ninety percent of his magical power had been consumed. He had no choice but to dismiss the mask and expose his handsome face to the merciless gale.

"Aren't you a demon beast? Don't you have some way to keep the wind off me?" Yang Xiao lay flat on Little Blue's back and shouted.

Little Blue glanced back at him, blue eyes rolling twice. Suddenly, Yang Xiao felt as though he were riding a roller coaster, plunging up and down, with the occasional three-hundred-and-thirty-degree spin that left no angle untouched.

Damn it, this damned bird is going to play me to death, Yang Xiao thought.

Little Blue flew faster and faster, making the maneuvers increasingly difficult. Clearly, this was an eagle that loved thrills. Yang Xiao's grip weakened until, in the end, both hands held only a single feather.

Little Blue performed two more spins. Yang Xiao's hands went limp, and he fell off the eagle's back.

With his back toward the earth, he stared at the blue sky. He didn't know how far he was from the ground or when he would hit it. Little Blue had vanished from sight as well, seemingly having abandoned him.

Unable to resist, he glanced at the ground. There was a forest below, and it looked as though he would hit it in just a few seconds.

Just as he was about to strike the ground and die, Little Blue's cry sounded beside his ear, and Yang Xiao felt himself returning to the sky.

At the crucial moment, Little Blue had saved him.

"What exactly do you want?" Yang Xiao asked weakly, lying on the eagle's back. A blue barrier around Little Blue kept the raging wind outside.

Little Blue glanced back, and Yang Xiao saw boredom in those eyes.

He sat cross-legged, swallowed a Qi-Gathering Pill, and replenished the magical power he had just spent.

They flew for three days. Every day, Little Blue would pull this stunt once, tormenting him until he had no strength left. Today was the fourth day. Judging by the eagle's habits, the roller coaster would begin again shortly.

Today, Yang Xiao planned to fight back. He refused to keep enduring these days of being bullied by a bird.

Here it comes, here it comes. Seeing Little Blue proudly raise a head and beat widening wings, Yang Xiao pulled out the Dragon Horn and roared, "Try that again, and I'll fight you to the death!"

The moment he finished speaking, the support beneath him vanished, and Yang Xiao dropped rapidly. Looking down, he saw Little Blue frantically beating both wings, staring in terror at the Dragon Horn in his hand.

Could this be the legendary dragon's might? Yang Xiao wondered. But in the next instant, he put the Dragon Horn away. Little Blue was too afraid of it to approach him, and if he kept falling, he would die.

Sure enough, once Little Blue saw him put away the Dragon Horn, the eagle flew up to catch him, then kept turning back and calling.

The corners of Yang Xiao's mouth lifted slightly. His left hand brushed his storage ring. "Try that again, and I'll take out the Dragon Horn. Then we'll see who's afraid of whom."

After three days, he knew Little Blue wouldn't let him fall to his death. Having found the eagle's weakness, Yang Xiao laughed happily.

After the incident with the Dragon Horn, Little Blue no longer dared subject him to roller-coaster rides. Yang Xiao sat on the eagle's back and cultivated diligently every day. The magical power within him grew rapidly: twenty li, fifty li, one hundred and ten li.

One day, Little Blue stopped on a mountain and kept calling while pointing toward the enormous city ahead.

Yang Xiao's face darkened. Based on his experience with Little Blue over the past half month or so, the eagle wanted him to go into the city and ask for directions.

"You want me to ask for directions?" Yang Xiao asked tentatively.

Little Blue nodded, shrank to the size of a sparrow, and landed on his shoulder, occasionally lifting a proud head to urge him onward.