Transcending the Nine Heavens
chapter-311

Lotus Lake, a stretch of complete serenity. A small boat floated along the lake, yet not a single soul was on board.

At present, Chu Yang had dived to the bottom of the lake.

With eyes widened as he stood on the slippery mud at the lake’s bottom, his sword in hand flashed with gradual execution!

Training his swordsmanship underwater!

Anyway, for the time being, there is nothing to do. Besides, the Nine Tribulation Sword fragment cannot be found temporarily; I might as well gain insights on the suppleness of water now.

Even though currently, the two countries were experiencing earth-shattering shock and turmoil, to Chu Yang, this was an extremely rare moment of peacetime.

Huting Ao Bo had already left earlier on, and Chu Yang had scarcely browsed through what she left behind.

Loads of it pertained to Diwu Qing Rou’s intelligence network, of which numerous belonged to those within Iron Cloud base. There were some names on the list belonging to Iron Cloud officials and generals too.

Yet the major portion of it was instead concerning Diwu Qing Rou’s deployment stratagem; an orbat of his army, while within every list contained Huting Ao Bo’s personal notes on them; they were all exceedingly precise intelligence.

Chu Yang was appalled as he read it. The first thing he did with this information, one that was able to turn the tides of the war, was to send it swiftly back to Tie Bu Tian.

After that, he went back to idling.

The sword flashed with a stab, a retracting swing, and finally a side cut. Chu Yang stared but not at his sword, instead he observed the ripples caused by the sword during the stab; as he sensed out the soft resistance reverberating through the sword.

This was an entirely different feeling of stagnation.

It wasn’t appropriate to describe this as restrained, because the water wasn’t deliberately binding one; instead, it was the sword’s interaction with water. The water wasn’t moving, but the sword was. Although the water wasn’t deliberate, it would naturally react to the sword.

An insight struck Chu Yang, as if he had touched on a breakthrough.

Unconsciously, his mind wandered off.

After a long time, after he felt his energy nearing depletion; he leapt up with both feet and escaped the shackles of the mud. Chu Yang suddenly surged up towards the sky, and only upon nearing the lake’s surface, did he reduce his speed; as his head gently pervaded through the surface of the water.

Fresh air above the lake’s surface rushed into his lungs vigorously!

In this instant, Chu Yang felt a refreshing clarity within his mind.

After a long period of holding his breath, followed by this sudden resurgence, he actually felt a peculiarity as though he was reborn! Such a feeling was extraordinarily mystical.

Chu Yang suddenly thought; If the underwater abyss was a world, then, above the water surface, this itself is another world!

Using the analogy of the Lower Three Heavens and the Middle Three Heavens; the underwater world would be the Lower Three Heavens then after heading out of the water, wouldn’t it be the Middle Three Heavens?

Chu Yang trod over the water, and reached the shore. He sat on the floor with his body drenched and submerged into deep pondering.

But…. … What exactly does this mean? From which direction does it imply to Martial arts?

Chu Yang momentarily felt that his mind was flourishing with inspiration, not one but numerous! Several inspirations swivelled in his mind, but everything was vague and blurry, and he seemingly couldn’t focus on one!

Chu Yang had a premonition; as long as I manage to capture any of those inspiration, I will definitely breakthrough from my current state! This is a stellar opportunity not to be missed!

Chu Yang tried his best to empty his thoughts and sat quietly on the shore. He hid his body in the thick withered grass, but at this moment, another thought arose from his heart; the grass here withers while the grass underwater thrives with luscious green…… Furthermore, they were at least palm high……

Between this withering and growing, what does it signify?

Perhaps… … there is a different meaning altogether? Something like… … Life?

All this kind of inspiration, were like house flies buzzing around him, plentifully perplexing his heart.

Chu Yang sat cross legged within the patch of grass without a single presence, he had sunk into deep layers of comprehension…….

Within the Nine Tribulation Sword, the Sword Spirit stood disappointed. He had seemingly felt something, but seemingly frustrated as well. Only he knew, what kind of state Chu Yang was currently in!

This had already exceeded the scope of understanding that the second part of the Nine Tribulation Sword could provide. One could even say that… … this has exceeded the area of the Nine Tribulation Sword, and had transformed into a rather different… … state.

This state belonged to the world and the universe… … but not of the Nine Heavens!

The Sword Spirit did not expect that Chu Yang had such a strong power of comprehension; maybe… ….once the owner of the Nine Tribulation Sword this time succeeds in gaining enlightenment, his future potential would vastly surpass that of the Nine Tribulation Sword predecessors!

Tens of thousands of years of secrets behind the Nine Tribulation Sword… … From the birth of the Nine Tribulation Sword till now, none have yet to unlock its greatest secret! Maybe there is a high chance… … the key to unlocking the secret is within this youth.

This was the first time Chu Yang trained at the bottom of the water; moreover, he did this with the aim of sensing the suppleness of water. Yet he hadn’t expect that the suppleness of water… … was a jurisdiction of Heaven and Earth! What more… … it belonged to the Universe… …a domain!

The domain of water!

Thus when it couldn’t collude with his natural cycle, under the intense pressure of running out of breath, he had suddenly stumbled onto this tiny mystery of Heaven and Earth!

If it had only experienced that, then it would amount to nothing.

Yet after he broke through the surface of the water, the sudden flash of inspiration, gave him a sensation, that of ‘breaking through space, into a new world’!

This was on a whole new tier!

Naturally, if it was only those two insights, then under the precise tutelage of the Sword Spirit, it still wouldn’t amount to much. But at this exact moment, Chu Yang was suddenly experiencing the mysteries of life pertaining to withering and growing!

Together with life’s mysteries of reincarnation and the enlightenment about Heaven and Earth, this allowed Chu Yang to submerge into a profound and chaotic state.

He silently sat there within this state, without a single breath nor movement. After half a day, his body temperature slowly dispersed… … on his body, every indication of life, seemed to have been extinguished, everything disappeared… …

A total silence!

Only the thick green grass beneath his body, thrived within the warmth of spring, wildly sprouting… …

At the bank of this tranquil lake, gradually… … worms, then ants, then swans appeared… …

Meanwhile, Chu Yang was totally oblivious to all, as if he was deep in slumber.

Iron Cloud Citadel!

Tie Bu Tian and Wu Qian Qian both sat inside the Imperial Study Room. Before them and already unsealed, was the report of intelligence which Chu Yang had gotten the Great Zhao’s traceless falcon courier to deliver.

Inside this report, it covered many aspects including myriads of schemes and personalities. Within it the identities of those involved, were some figures in their base that was simply unbelievable…… causing them to become speechless shock!

What was further shocking, was that a portion of content even involved the Bei Jiang Plainland Wolves Army Conference!

(TN: 北疆草原狼的军 not sure if i got the right term)

Even though this was just fragments of information, when pieced together with the recent series of unfortunate events; no matter from which perspective, it all led to proving that this set of intelligence was undoubtedly true!

There wasn’t a single loophole!

But if everyone were to be eradicated now… … This sudden stirring would cause outrageously immense ripples!

This would absolutely surpass any purge executed by King of Hell Chu in the past! No matter if it was within the army, political parties, business association, scholars, and within various large cities…….

Furthermore, they were the fruits of Diwu Qing Rou’s labour within the past ten years!

“Your majesty, what do you think?” Wu Qian Qian, dressed in black robes, faintly asked with a cold tone; as if the secret intelligence document, was just scrap paper.

As if he had not considered.… … by removing these influences consecutively, the dreadful implications of lives involved would definitely number beyond tens of thousands!

“This set was painstakingly acquired by Minister Chu. To our Iron Cloud, though it would severely wound us, it is in fact a once in a lifetime chance!” Tie Bu Tian’s eyes released sharp glows as he declared, “We must rid them once and for all!”

“Mn.” Wu Qian Qian replied with a deep acknowledgement.

“Every single name written down, not a single one is to be spared!” Tie Bu Tian gently stood up, with hands behind his back, furrowing his brows as he back and forth in the room before he pronounced gravely, “We’d rather kill the innocent, then spare the evil-doer!”

Wu Qian Qian trembled entirely!

Killing the innocent, then sparing the evil-doers! This sentence was the reputable catchphrase of Diwu Qing Rou. He wouldn’t believe that today, such a phrase would be uttered from the mouth of Tie Bu Tian.

“I only hope… … the messy internal strifes of Iron Cloud will cease from henceforth!” Tie Bu Tian tapped lightly onto the purge list, as his fingers knocked against the table, creating ‘thumps’.

“Therefore, I am willing to pay… … regardless of the price!” Tie Bu Tian eyes glowed, “Don’t talk about ten thousand, even if it was hundreds of thousands… … I will execute them all!”

“Understood.” Wu Qian Qian body trembled.

From this sentence, she could hear Tie Bu Tian’s killing resolve as Emperor!

Merciless!

“Besides these, include those that do not yield… … add them to the purge, mark them out as high priority!” Tie Bu Tian painfully furrowed his brows and heaved out his words heavily.

“Your Majesty, this…. ….doesn’t feel right.” Wu Qian Qian was appalled.

Those unyielding bunch may not necessarily mean they are spies; they are those who resolutely protected the old Emperor…. …..individuals who safeguarded the old Emperor’s authority; but also … they are those who object to Tie Bu Tian’s regime.

“What’s not right about it?” Tie Bu Tian had his back facing Wu Qian Qian, without turning his head back, he coldly refuted, “There’s nothing not right about this! In this world, there might be a shortage of heroes, or maybe top martial experts, or maybe righteous officials…. … but definitely not a shortage of corrupted officials!”

“It is these people, that even in the time of national crisis, still advocates the sage way of teaching; when blood flows like the river, they still hold high their self-righteous banner of morality! When the people are hungry…… they flatter themselves for self gain! When soldiers are perishing in valiant sacrifice, they seize the chance to bolster their own integrity, but when the country faces imminent destruction…..they are the first to sell the country out!”

Tie Bu Tian sneered: “Those rotten scholars!”

“They will never understand the needs of common folks, they will never understand the soldiers’ need! They will never understand the essentials of war……….Yet what they harp about is merely benevolence, moral justice, formalities, and forbearance… …”

“They sing praises of ideals that humiliation comes with achievements, yet in the end, the country is filled with “Brave Warriors” who can endure great humiliation. Yet the consequences of that is the decline of iron and blood warriors who are able to stand brave the chilling cold winds of the battlefield!”

“They always say that the fall of a nation leads to the rise of another, but they’ve never considered the the fighting chance of that nation facing imminent extermination…… After the nation falls, having acclimatized to humiliation itself and becoming the enemy’s courtiers…… yet they disguise it with glorious words of……’for the welfare of the common people!’ ”

“During the rise and peace time of a nation, such people are necessary! That is because when governing a nation, leveraging them to squabble for favour in the court; along with their innate ability to instigate the envy of the younger generation, they can be used to balance the Imperial Court to prevent a single faction of the court to grow too big… … such are the various uses of them. However, in continuous disasters of war, these spineless and sour scholars cannot be kept around!”

Tie Bu Tian suddenly spun around, as his eyes shone fiercely towards Wu Qian Qian. he declared with dignified severity, “Not even one must remain, kill them all! Unite the Nation and fight to the death with our enemies! IF WE ARE NOT DEAD, WE WILL NOT REST! IF WE ARE NOT DEAD, WE WILL NOT CEASE AS A NATION!”

Dedition: Sorry for the late chapters this week. I’ve been suffering from headaches that have been increasingly severe over the last few weeks to the extent. Losing my head hahaha…

Apologies.

An extra chapter tomorrow.

Please spot out the mistakes I inevitably may have missed.