The Chief Commander of the Pure Heaven Bureau, Zhang Yiai, investigated the case of the a.s.sa.s.sination attempt on Zhao Layue outside Zhaoge City by the order of the Emperor, and found it was a plot concocted by the Palace of Prince Jing Xin.

It turned out that Prince Jing Xin had hired the a.s.sa.s.sins of the Old Ones; it was an unforgivable evil deed.

This was something known by all; but the imperial court had announced this in public this time, and also presented some true or made-up evidences. No matter what, Prince Jing Xin couldn't stay in the palace of Prince any longer and had to go to another place, even for the house arrest.

Prince Jing Xin was sent to the Fruit Formation Temple to become a monk and

would pray there every day for the late emperor.

The two royal decrees were announced back to back, shocking the world. Everybody was aware that Prince Jing Yao was a disciple of Green Mountain and that Prince Jing Xin had the support of the Center Sect. The two sides had been competing secretly in Zhaoge City for many years. Would the two royal decrees make the Center Sect feel exasperated about the imperial court? Would the two leaders of the orthodox Cultivation sects start an all-out war for the position of the emperor?

It was at that very moment that Cloud-Dream Mountain suddenly sent out an order from the Immortal Tan: Cloud-Dream Mountain would seal off its mountains for three years.

The No-Mercy Sect declared the seal-off of their mountains some years ago because Pei Baifa was killed by the G.o.dly Swordsman of West Ocean. Their sect had n.o.body else in the Heavenly Arrival State, so they had no choice but to seal off the mountains to preserve themselves.

Though the Center Sect had been in a trough recently, the Immortals Tan and Bai were still the top figures in Cultivation, and their sect still had abundance of resources; so why did they suddenly make such a decision?

After the seal-off of Cloud-Dream Mountain, the officials from the Center Sect who had supported Prince Jing Xin lost their leader; they didn't know how to deal with the decrees. In addition, the One-Cottage House and their representative, the Prime Minister, had kept their silence from beginning to the end. As a result, the two royal decrees had been successfully announced to the world without much resistance.

The current political situation was created totally due to that sword light.

The sword light traveling amid heaven and earth had no equal in the world; and n.o.body dared look squarely at it either.

It was said that the divine animal, the Unicorn, of the Center Sect had stared at the sword light from a distance, and he had almost experienced a mishap.

The current Immortal Liu Ci could be considered the most powerful swordsman in last one thousand years, and he could be ranked in top three among all the sect masters of Green Mountain.

Yet, people were puzzled, wondering why he didn't opt to ascend now that he had reached such a Cultivation state.

…

…

The sound of ocean waves at the East Ocean was no different from that at the West Ocean.

A fleet of carriages from Zhaoge City arrived at Moqiu. But they didn't stay long there before heading to the Water-Moon Nunnery by the sea.

Jing Jiu extracted his line of sight after following the fleet to the nunnery.

"It's a bit embarra.s.sing for him," Liu Ci remarked.

Prince Jing Xin was in one of the carriages.

The Emperor's decree dictated that he would go to the Fruit Formation Temple to become a monk; from now on, he would listen and recite the ancient scripts by the lamp. Unexpectedly, the Fruit Formation Temple refused to take him in.

The Fruit Formation Temple made such a decision even though they had a close relations.h.i.+p with the royal family of Jing, indicating that the Young Zen Master was really upset about Liu Ci letting the Immortal Taiping escape.

Liu Ci meant that it was kind of embarra.s.sing for Jing Xin to be forced to go to a nunnery to spend his days, and he also felt bad after disappointing the Young Zen Master.

Jing Jiu said, "Staying in the nunnery is not the same as being dead. It will always be a problem."

The royal decrees had already announced to the world. He believed that Jing Yao would be the only prince in the minds of the populace a few years later, though the Center Sect would certainly attempt to do something when the day for the change of the emperor came. As long as Jing Xin was still alive, he could be used as a p.a.w.n by those people.

Liu Ci knew that it was impossible for him to explain the affection between father and son to Jing Jiu. He walked to the edge of the cliff and looked at the deep underground, saying, "I haven't been to that side yet."

This place was the Heavenly Well by the East Ocean. One could get to the Underworld after jumping down from here, only if they survived the jump.

The goal of the Cultivation pract.i.tioners was never to make a decision about this sort of thing.

"It's a sunless and sad place, with no scenery. There is no need to go there," said Jing Jiu.

Liu Ci said, "There is another place worth having a look at."

He was referring to the snowland where a life form of the highest state in Chaotian existed, one of the most formidable foe for the human race.

"Be careful about your decision," Jing Jiu said.

…

…

After they had left the Heavenly Well and arrived on the clouds over the East Ocean, Liu Ci still hadn't given up on the idea yet.

The sword landing on the snowland would be a perfect end for any human Cultivation pract.i.tioner.

Liu Ci said, "You've seen Cao Yuan's broadsword. If he helped me, it could work."

"No," Jing Jiu said.

Liu Ci sighed, "I guess I have to leave like this."

He planned to leave Chaotian and travel to the Alien Land.

As for the situation in Chaotian, n.o.body dared do anything improper as long as he was still alive, so it was not important for him to stay here all the time.

The whole of Chaotian would know it by the time he left the world.

Glancing at the white cloud under Liu Ci's feet, Jing Jiu asked, "Are you sure you don't want to bring the Sword of the Universe with you?"

It was a very difficult thing to temper one's own flying sword, and it was even harder to switch the flying swords among the Cultivation pract.i.tioners. However, Jing Jiu had a special condition, so he could lend his sword to others, and he could also use others' swords. For instance, he and Zhao Layue basically shared the Thoughtless Sword.

Liu Ci had only cultivated one sword all his life, and he only had a chance to use it in the last few days. Of course, he had used it pretty much to his heart's content. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?" he asked Jing Jiu.

"I've been to all those places already, so it's too boring for me to go there," said Jing Jiu.

Traveling is a pleasant experience for many people. For Jing Jiu, the first time might be stimulating enough, but to visit the place the second time would be a waste of time.

Glancing at the underneath of Liu Ci's feet, Jing Jiu couldn't help but said, "The sword cloud is really too slow."

Liu Ci got upset as he snapped, "Do you understand the saying 'traveling with the cloud'? One of course has to travel by riding on the cloud!"

Having said that, he rose up on the cloud, heading toward the deep part of the East Ocean.

A golden rim formed around the cloud when it was shone on by the sunlight.

The Green Girl flew out from the Green Sky Mirror and landed on Liu Ci's shoulder, pointing to the distant horizon. It was unclear what she was saying to him.

Jing Jiu looked at them quietly. He didn't turn to leave until that cloud disappeared into the horizon.

…

…

Jing Jiu went to the Water-Moon Nunnery and took a look at Guo Dong who was still fast asleep. But he didn't go and visit Jing Xin, nor did he go to the Fruit Formation Temple before returning to Green Mountain.

The desolate sword light illuminated the top of Shenmo Peak. Three people and a cat came out to receive him.

Gu Qing knew that something significant had happened, and he wanted to come back. But Jing Yao had just been appointed as the Crown Prince and there were many affairs in Zhaoge City waiting for him to deal with, so Zhao Layue didn't agree to his request.

Yuan Qü and Ping Yongjia went back to the hall after bowing to Jing Jiu.

Though Gu Qing was not here, but the rules set by him were still followed obediently. The disciples should stay far away when the two masters had something important to talk about.

The white cat was not a disciple, though, and he thought that he had earned enough merit this time, which is why he didn't stay away. He crouched by the cliff's edge, straining his ears to listen to what they were to talk about.

The bamboo chair was being used by the Snow Girl; the new chair Liu s.h.i.+sui promised to make hadn't been brought in yet, and Jing Jiu was too lazy to make one himself. As a result. He opted to sit at the cliff's edge.

He did this probably because he had often seen Liu Ci do it.

However, his legs were not as long as Liu Ci's. Jing Jiu could only step on the ocean of clouds instead of plunge his feet in the clouds to stir and cause the cloud waves.

Zhao Layue sat by his side.

"That devil is Liu Ci," Jing Jiu said.

Back at the West Ocean, Liu Ci stepped in front of the Immortal Taiping and raised his palm toward the sky, and so he absorbed all the heavenly thunders.

Zhao Layue had already guessed it back then. "Does the Sect Master support the Immortal Taiping?" she asked.

"No," Jing Jiu said. "His most devoted subordinates don't even support him, including those in the Underworld, and it's because he's crazy."

"What on earth does the Immortal Taiping want to achieve?" asked Zhao Layue.

Jing Jiu said, "He wants to kill all mortals and then create an exclusive world for Cultivation pract.i.tioners."

Hearing this answer, Zhao Layue was stunned.

She had guessed what evil things the Immortal Taiping had done to make himself unwelcome by the whole of world countless times, but she couldn't have guessed at such a strange, malicious, and even slightly ridiculous idea.

In the Royal Palace of Zhaoge City a few days ago, the Emperor had a similar conversation with the Royal Concubine Hu. Her response was that this was an unbelievable idea. Yet, Zhao Layue didn't have the same response, because she was fully aware that the Cultivation sects were capable of killing all mortals if they had gone mad. But, why did he want to do this? Only 1 in 1,000 people were qualified to cultivate, maybe even a few as 1 out of 10,000. If the human race didn't have enough members, how could the Cultivation circle sustain? Worst still, he wanted to kill off all mortals; wasn't that tantamount to wiping out the human race?

Beside this important issue, there were some other issues impossible to resolve in Zhao Layue's mind. "As you have said, the Cultivation pract.i.tioners are served by mortals," she said.

"But he doesn't think so," said Jing Jiu. "He doesn't think it's mortals who serve the Cultivation pract.i.tioners; on the contrary, he thinks that it's the Cultivation pract.i.tioners who provide mortals with jobs and support them."

Zhao Layue exclaimed, "Without mortals, who is going to farm the crop fields, work the mines, and collect the pearls? Who is going to provide the necessary resources to the Cultivation pract.i.tioners?"

Jing Jiu shot her a stare.

Without the butchers, aren't you going to eat meat?

Without rice, aren't you going to eat at all?

Zhao Layue knew immediately that she was wrong to think this way.

Like all the Cultivation pract.i.tioners, she was used to being served by mortals, and took it for granted.

Without mortals, the Cultivation pract.i.tioners could farm the crop fields, work the mines, collect the pearls, and sow the medical plants themselves.

Moreover, the Cultivation pract.i.tioners had the ability of summoning the wind and rain; so they could do everything much more efficiently than mortals.

However, the Cultivation pract.i.tioners were mostly arrogant and proud people who were preoccupied with Cultivation; who would be willing to do these sorts of things?

"Do the farmers work the fields because they are willing to do so? Do the miners excavate the coals because they like doing it in the dark underground? Do the pearl-collecting women…"

Jing Jiu stopped short as he recalled his conversation with Liu Ci; but what he wished to convey was clear enough.

Even if the Cultivation pract.i.tioners were unwilling to do them, an invisible force would still drive them to do those jobs.

The force was the fear of death and the need of more powerful swordsmen.

Zhao Layue now understood it completely.

It would be a brand new world, though at its core, it would be no different from the old world in its core.

The cultivation pract.i.tioners would have their respective positions in that new world based on their respective talent and Cultivation state.

The cla.s.ses would still exist in the new world.

The powerful would still exploit the powerless or less powerful.

The only exception was that the pract.i.tioners at the very bottom would be much stronger than those in the current world.

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If the ideal were fulfilled, the overall strength in the new world would be at least much superior to the current world.

Zhao Layue suddenly blurted out, "There are too few Cultivation pract.i.tioners."

This statement sounded quite convincing, but it was actually rather empty.

Though Jing Jiu knew that she must have had her own answer, he still said, "Hence, he thinks that what the Cultivation pract.i.tioners should do the most of is produce children."

He had told Zhao Layue that the Immortal Taiping would have had his descendants all over the world if he could accept the fact that someone in this world would look exactly like him.

Yet, Zhao Layue thought of another issue. If the Cultivation pract.i.tioners became couples and produced offspring, they would have a better chance of producing the descendants with a special talent for Cultivation and a higher state of Dao quality, but they still could produce the descendants with mortal qualities. What about those descendants who were incapable of cultivating? Should they all be killed? She shuddered at these thoughts, feeling exceedingly uncomfortable.

These were things the deviant sects and even the b.l.o.o.d.y Demon Church wouldn't attempt to do.

It was why everybody in this world wanted to kill Taiping.

"He thinks that this is the cost of evolution, that the Cultivation pract.i.tioners have become a totally different life form than mortals even though they hailed from mortals."

Jing Jiu went on, "He thinks that the Cultivation pract.i.tioners should throw away all the obsolete burdens and move forward with less impediments, if they wish to reach a higher state."

Zhao Layue brought back her legs and held her knees, saying in a gloomy voice, "Our world has limited s.p.a.ce. Even if the Cultivation pract.i.tioners became truly powerful and occupied the Alien Land, what would it serve? Since it's meaningless, why would he insist on making our world more powerful?"

"It's because he doesn't just have our world in mind," said Jing Jiu.

Zhao Layue followed his line of sight skyward.

The clouds in the sky could be seen reflected in her distinctive black and white eyes, making her eyes look a bit shadowy.