Chapter 1: Ascended by following Zhang Sanfeng
At the summit of Mt. Wu Dang, lightning danced about like dragons. The looming dark clouds which gave off an impression of being ready to bring about an apocalypse, were finally, gradually dispersing.
Daoist Zhang of Wu Dang, Zhang Sanfeng, was about to undergo his tribulation soon. This piece of news shook the world of cultivation. It had been years since someone had undergone a tribulation. Ever since Liu Bowen severed the dragon vein, the spiritual Qi in China had been decreasing day after day. It has been centuries since there had been any news of anyone undergoing tribulation.
However, right at this time, when almost everyone had given up hope about the possibility of ascension, Zhang Sanfeng, who had always been regarded as the number one expert of the cultivation world, had finally, after centuries of cultivation, reached the verge of ascension, and would ascend immediately after he completes his tribulation.
Zhang Sanfeng, was the most fabled name in the past centuries. He represented the hopes of all cultivators under the heaven, and would soon shatter the heaven, following the footsteps of the countless predecessors that had shattered the heaven before him, and ascend to a beautiful environment which the legends spoke of; the celestial realm, where there was no aging or death.
Ascend to the heaven with a single step!
After taking this step, he would be able to reach the realm the legends spoke of, where there would be no aging or death!
Zhang Sanfeng had waited for a long time for this moment. Cultivators of China had waited for a long time as well!
A bright moon hung high in the sky. The sky looked like the surface of water that had been blown at by the wind, constantly rippling. Zhang Sanfeng who had finished his tribulation with ease, was standing in the air. He stepped out from the cliff, and walked in the air towards the fluctuating space, one step at a time as though he was walking on flat ground.
Everyone held their breaths. This was a rare sight to behold, an ascension that only appeared in legends from centuries past, would finally become a reality.
As they watched Zhang Sanfeng’s figure slowly disappeared into that fluctuating space, right at this instant, a shout abruptly sounded out from halfway up the mountain: “Qin Fang, hand over “Hymn of the green lotus”, and I’ll spare your life!”
Before the sound of the shout had fully echoed, a figure flew past, up to the mountain summit with speed as fast as the wind. Although the figure’s speed was extremely swift, among all those who were present, everyone was a big shot from various sects of the cultivation world, and had very keen eyes.
They could tell immediately that this figure was a youth roughly about twenty years of age. He was dressed in a robe, and held a black iron sword in his hand. His clothes were rather tattered, and there were some blood stains on them, but the blood did not belong to him. His somewhat delicate and handsome face emanated a look of unfaltering determination.
This youth that was merely around the age of twenty, had to one’s surprise, a cultivation level of the seventh grade Houtian; this was almost comparable to the elders of some small sects.
In the blink of an eye, the youth had already flew past everyone. Finally, at this point in time, everyone reacted. Hymn of the green lotus was martial art technique that was rumored to be peerless. In the past, the poetry god, Tai Bai, defeated all his adversaries under the heaven and became invincible with Hymn of the green lotus, ultimately shattered the heaven and left.
Almost subconsciously, everyone reacted.
“Young mister, please stay where you are!”
“Young lad, don’t run!”
“Hand over the sword art, Hymn of the green lotus, and I, the sect leader shall protect your life. Haha!
…...
Qin Fang did not hesitate for even a moment, nor did his legs stop for even a while. The big shots chasing behind him, whether be it them behaving sanctimoniously or them giving off a wicked aura, their intentions were not any better than the enemy that had pursued and attempted to kill him for the past ten days and ten nights.
Right at this moment, the fluctuation range of the fluctuating space in the sky was becoming smaller and smaller. A trace of fortitude flashed in Qin Fang’s eyes; death awaits him even if he stays, so why not take the risk this time!
“Ha!” Qin Fang stepped out from the cliff, and dived towards the fluctuating space. However, it was impossible for him to have the same domineering aura like Zhang Sanfeng; to remain composed, and ascend to the heaven with a single step.
Just as he was about to fall off, countless Zhen Qi erupted from beneath Qin Fang’s foot at once, and a green lotus blossomed from beneath. With all the strength he could mustered, Qin Fang stepped on the lotus, flew upwards once more by borrowing the force from the green lotus immediately. With all his might, another green lotus appeared as Qin Fang stomp his feet once more.
Must make it in time!
Qin Fang clenched his teeth and thought in his heart. He had not even reached the xiantian level, and was still far from being able to unleash an endless supply of Zhen Qi, like the endless water in Yangtze River or the Yellow River, let alone using Zhen Qi to fly, even though he was merely using an opportunistic trick to imitate the flying, the depletion of Zhen Qi was unexpectedly a frightening amount. Furthermore, he had been hunted after for ten days and ten nights, his body’s Zhen Qi and stamina had almost completely exhausted; just these few short steps seemed to be as far away as a chasm.
“Young lad, thinking of fleeing? Stay here for this Daddy!”
“Young mister, don’t go, Amitabha”
“Drop dead!”
……
When all the big shots present at the scene saw Qin Fang trying to flee, they were shocked and outraged at once as there was no way that they could still be unaware of his plan.
In an instant, various weapons left their masters’ hands, and a myriad of lights swooped towards Qin Fang’s direction fiercely.
Risk it!
With the fluctuating space right in front of his eyes, Qin Fang’s feet stomp fiercely, and out blossomed a green lotus. He plunged head first into the fluctuating space that was now left with only the height of half a person tall.
Following straight after was dizziness and pitch-black darkness. Qin Fang could no longer hold on in the end, and fainted!
The fluctuating space vanished with a loud crash. The countless number of light beams from the weapons failed to catch up in the end. Numerous big shots present at the scene felt that it was a pity and lamented the young lad’s good luck in succession; to actually managed to board on Daoist, Zhang Sanfeng’s ride to ascension at the last moment, and proceed to the celestial realm of the legends; why couldn’t they think that there was actually such a method.
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A belt of luxuriantly green woods towered to the sky, the trees covered the sky and blocked out the sun, showing a boundless scene of a primeval world.
There were sounds of tigers roaring and cries of apes. Occasionally, unknown gigantic birds would fly past across the sky, at either a high or low altitude.
This is… the celestial realm?
Qin Fang muttered in his heart, this is the celestial realm that had been passed down as legends for several millennia? Why was there a feeling of travelling back to the primordial world with a primitive scene where monsters run amok.
With magnificent scenery all year round, and a landscape where the sun and moon never set; With layers of canopies, and four seasons radiant and enchanting, this, was what the scene of the celestial realm in the legends should supposed to be, but the impression inside Qin Fang’s heart was now completely toppled.
Qin Fang stirred his body, his entire body was aching and weak, Zhen Qi was slowly recovering in his entire body, his strength was in the midst of recovering little by little as well.
Is this place the celestial realm in the legends? Are the predecessors that had shattered the heaven in the legends, here as well? Qin Fang had a great deal of questions in his stomach, and for the time being, these questions had no answers to them.
The first thing he needs to do now is to regain his strength, this place gives him a feeling of insecurity.
The martial art technique that he trained in, “Hymn of the green lotus”, was obtained by chance in an occasion. In the rumors, this was the peerless martial art technique that allowed Tai Bai in the past to be invincible everywhere under the heavens. Qin Fang only stepped on the path of cultivation when he accidentally obtained this martial art technique. Before this, he was just yet another ordinary person.
Afterwards, the matter of him having “Hymn of the green lotus” was leaked out, and hence, it began the journey spanning two years, of him being hunted down.
“Hymn of the green lotus”, indeed was worthy to be called the peerless martial art technique that the Sword God, Li Taibai used in the legends. In a short span of seven years, Qin Fang had became a small expert with a cultivation of seven grade houtian from an ordinary person from a single jump. In an environment like Earth, it is impossible for an average person to achieve such strength without training for at least thirty to forty years.
Fortunately, he was not injured, and merely felt drained, or else in this world that was filled with a wilderness sight, there was no guarantee that one may encounter some sort of danger anytime.
Shortly after, when Qin Fang’s strength had already almost recovered completely, he lifted his body, chose a direction, and walked forth, dragging a long sword with him.
After walking for about half an hour, a royal road[1] with a capacity that could accommodate eight carriages to be driven side by side, came into his sight.
A royal road; this was definitely not the work of nature, it was definitely a man-made creation. In other words, there were people nearby in this place. Qin Fang's mood immediately became great when he thought about this.
Right then, Qin Fang noticed that near the vicinity of the road, and even on the road itself, various kind of skeletons from unknown beast that reached the length of four to five metres could be seen everywhere, Qin Fang had even noticed an enormous skeleton that was over several tens of metres at a distance away; it was extremely appalling.
The road beneath Qin Fang’s feet, that stretched for over an unknown distance of li was paved entirely with unknown rocks, and had endured through the elements for many undetermined number of years. Qin Fang had a hunch, even after thousand of years, or ten thousands of years had passed, this place would not have any change at all.
If all these were completed artificially, it must be a huge spectacle back then for such a construction. In the mortal world, there would never be the existence of a road that would be unchanging for thousands of years, or ten thousands of years. However, when one thought about the possibility of this place being the celestial realm of the legends, nothing seems to be impossible either.
Qin Fang looked into the distance, regarding Zhang Sanfeng that arrived here just before him, and the many predecessors in the legends that had ascended, are they, all here?!
[1]- Royal road means a large road mainly for carriages usage that spans over large distances of a country.