"Whatever changes you see in heaven and earth shortly, do not panic."
The Green Mountain Sect disciples told the townspeople to return to their homes. The few visitors also hurried back to their inns, and the streets were soon cleared.
One disciple looked at the corpse on the ground and asked in puzzlement, "This Nether Department disciple had an ordinary soul flame and meager Law Power. How did he dare stay here?"
Another disciple replied, "Who knows? Perhaps he just wanted to watch our Grandmaster Uncle ascend. Who wouldn't want to see such a magnificent sight?"
A wind suddenly rose, and green leaves fell thickly from the great trees beside the road.
The disciples looked up at the sky and saw hundreds of sword lights heading toward the peaks from every direction high above. Behind them, more than a dozen glimmers unique to Law Treasures filled the sky. Finally, an immense lotus seat crossed the heavens, its drifting meditative aura seeming loftier and more remote than the sky itself.
"Could that be the old matriarch of the Hanging Bell Sect?"
"No-Grace Gate Master!"
"The chief administrator of the Mirror Sect!"
"That Sword Qi soared into the heavens, defying all beneath it. Could it be that man?"
"Our senior brothers from Twofold Forgetting Peak have returned, and Elder Si from Shangde Peak is back too!"
"Even the Curtain Rollers came?"
The disciples were too stunned to speak. Had it not been for today's great event, how could they ever have seen so many important figures at once?
Zhao Layue paid no attention to any of this. She picked up Yin San's corpse and walked out of town.
Master Meng had not left the town. Instead, he stood atop a tall tree outside it, looking at that lofty peak with somewhat complicated feelings.
Jingyang, the Grandmaster Uncle, held an extremely senior place in the lineage. He was True Person Taiping's junior brother, and even the sect master had to respectfully address him as Junior Uncle-Master.
It was said that this Grandmaster Uncle possessed astonishing talent and had set countless unimaginable records in the cultivation world. But he cultivated in seclusion on the Ninth Peak year-round and seldom saw outsiders. Even among the senior disciples of the various peaks, few had ever seen his true face, much less Master Meng.
Today, not only had the heads of the great sects all arrived, but many reclusive masters beyond the mundane world had come as well.
He had not expected even the legendary Zen Master of the Buddhist Sect to come.
He had heard that mighty figures from other continents might also be concealed deep within the clouds.
This truly was a grand occasion unseen in a thousand years.
If that Sword Qi came from the Sword God, what about the Blade Sage?
Master Meng felt somewhat lost.
Those names were too far removed from him.
That mountain peak was farther still.
As for that Grandmaster Uncle, he had only heard a few rumors.
It was said that after the sect master succeeded to his position, when he mentioned this elder cultivating in seclusion among the peaks, he said only the three words "Junior Uncle-Master" and spoke no further, leaving far too much unsaid.
He understood why, just as the entire Green Mountain Sect understood why the sword-law martial uncle of Shangde Peak never showed any respect when mentioning this Grandmaster Uncle, but merely gave a cold snort.
Their little granduncle was the most powerful cultivator in the Green Mountain Sect, and indeed on the entire continent.
Yet from the day he entered Green Mountain, he had cultivated quietly among the peaks, rarely appearing before others, let alone taking action.
He had never represented the Green Mountain Sect at the Plum Gathering, never exchanged techniques with the imperial experts of Chaoge, and never matched himself against the hidden masters of other sects. He was nowhere to be seen in the secret, bloody battles between the cultivation sects and the elders of the Nether Department. Even in the three great battles of powerful cultivators against the Snow Nation back then, there had been no sign of him.
On the long road of cultivation, he had done nothing but cultivate.
Yes, perhaps only a cultivator like this, whose heart held nothing external, who severed emotion and desire, could reach the end of the road of cultivation and enter an unimaginable realm.
But such a life of cultivation... however high their Grandmaster Uncle's cultivation might be, what did it mean for junior disciples like them? What did it mean for the Green Mountain Sect? What did it mean for all living beings under heaven?
However earth-shaking and world-stunning it might be, a legend was ultimately only a legend and could not exist in the real world. Then let him go.
As he looked at the lofty peak appearing and disappearing in the mist, a faintly bitter smile touched his lips.
When he saw Zhao Layue carrying the Nether Department fiend's corpse out of town, the bitterness vanished from his smile. He was somewhat surprised and deeply gratified.
The whole world was watching that mountain peak, yet she was not.
At such a young age, how could her heart for the Dao be so tranquil?
She truly deserved to be the gifted girl whom the entire Green Mountain Sect was secretly watching.
Suddenly, the smile vanished from his face, and he looked toward the summit again.
Just as he had said, everyone qualified to look toward that mountain peak was looking there now.
The clouds and mist among the peaks churned violently, as though stirred by an invisible giant hand, flowing out in all directions and gradually revealing the clear blue heavens.
Several hazy figures of light deep within the clouds were forced to reveal themselves and bowed toward Heavenly Light Peak, where the Green Mountain Sect was situated. They seemed composed, but were actually rather embarrassed.
Farther away, two dark shapes wreathed in cold, ghostly flames retreated at high speed, looking thoroughly bedraggled.
Master Meng could guess that one of them must be the high priest of the Nether Department. Who was the other?
The Green Mountain Grand Array did not attack. Laughter rang out from Heavenly Light Peak, and at the same time, an exceedingly chilling sword intent arose.
That sword intent swept out around the peaks like a wave.
A sword light rose from among the cliffs, as though forced to respond, and drifted away.
Only when that sword light had retreated three thousand li, reaching the Western Sea, did the sword intent from Heavenly Light Peak gradually subside.
"The sect master has drawn his sword!" Master Meng was slightly startled.
There were only a handful of people on the entire continent worthy of making the Green Mountain Sect's master use the Heaven-Bearing Sword.
Was that cold light over the Western Sea the Sword God's sword?
Whatever happened, even the successive appearances of these great figures renowned throughout the world, had no effect on the Ninth Peak.
That Lone Peak remained as quiet as ever, as though without the slightest breath of life.
Suddenly, heaven and earth changed color. More than a dozen bolts of lightning tore through the blue sky, and dozens of masses of heavenly thunder crashed toward the Lone Peak!
Before that lightning, laden with the might of heaven and earth, could touch the summit, it was cleaved into fragments and turned to wisps of smoke.
For a sword light had arisen within the Lone Peak.
No one knew which was stronger: this sword strike or the earlier Heaven-Bearing Sword.
Not only Master Meng, but even those great figures three thousand li away could not tell.
The sword light that appeared above the Lone Peak seemed to possess no power at all.
It was simply a sword, utterly simple, slashing casually toward the sky.
Yet the heavenly thunder perished upon meeting it.
The sword light continued upward.
There was a faint hiss.
An exceedingly thin rift appeared in the azure sky.
Countless streams of Light Plasma, like gold and jade, flowed down from that rift, scattering in the wind into innumerable points of light that illuminated the entire continent.
Cleaving the heavens with a single sword strike?
When the great cultivators recorded in the ancient texts ascended, they all relied on their own cultivation to struggle bitterly against the heavenly thunder. Only after they finally passed the trial and the thunder ceased, with Light Plasma falling like blossoms scattered by heavenly maidens, could they see the great road leading to heaven.
Today, however, Grandmaster Uncle Jingyang had taken the initiative to strike without even waiting for the second round of heavenly thunder.
Was he going to use his own sword to forcibly cleave open a road to heaven?
What boldness! What confidence!
Master Meng was utterly shaken, his face pale and his lips trembling slightly.
The master of that sword light over the Western Sea and the powerful figures watching the ceremony within the Green Mountain Sect were also struck speechless at the sight.
Above the Lone Peak, that sword light was still heading toward heaven.
Fierce winds came howling, and heavenly thunder rumbled without cease.
That sword paid no heed, intent only on going upward.
If this was heaven and earth's final trial for a cultivator about to ascend, then this sword light's response could be called utterly disrespectful.
The clash between the might of heaven and earth and that sword intent had long since dispersed the clouds and mist among the mountains. For the first time, all nine peaks of the Green Mountain Sect appeared before the world's eyes at once, yet no one noticed, for every gaze was fixed on that sword light.
That sword light drew ever closer to the sky.
The rift in the firmament grew wider and wider, and the Light Plasma flowing down grew thicker and thicker, making heaven and earth ever brighter.
Both the houses in town and the caves among the peaks were gilded with a layer of golden light, like a true immortal realm, or a divine kingdom.
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