Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Eastern Barren Territory, Western Region, Shu City.
This was a small city in the Eastern Barren Territory and there weren’t many high-leveled cultivators here. Because of certain reasons, high-leveled cultivators of the Eastern Barren Territory were unwilling to enter Shu City. Plus, this city was extremely chaotic and produced many evil beings. However, there were also many people who were pure of heart.
In Shu City, there were many Buddhists who tried to spread their beliefs to others. They all came from Qianqiu Temple, which wasn’t located too far from Shu City. Presently, many guests sat in a restaurant and chatted as they enjoyed wine. Among these paying customers was a peculiar pair. There was an elder dressed in tattered clothing and a smiling young woman in green seated beside him. She held the wine pot in the air and poured the liquid directly into the elder’s waiting mouth.
“That’s good wine,” the elder said with a great, big smile that reached his eyes. It was obvious that he was enjoying himself.
“You should go easy on the wine and eat some more of the food.” The young woman took the wine pot away before picking up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, feeding it to the man.
Many people in the restaurant looked over to them with strange looks on their faces. The old man was ungroomed and unkempt while the young woman was beautiful and graceful. How could she be feeding this wretched man? Where did this old geezer come from?
“My shoulders are a bit sore,” the elder said in what seemed like a mumble to himself. It was as if he didn’t notice the attention he received from the other customers.
“Let me give you a little massage,” the young woman stood up with a smile. She then moved behind the elder and began to rub his shoulders.
The old man seemed like he was enjoying this. His eyes closed and he looked lost in the experience. Oh, these blissful days. He felt free as a bird. What a difference this was from that disobedient child back at home.
This… Some guests couldn’t take it anymore. This old man was enjoying himself a little too much.
“That’s right, Senior. I still haven’t really comprehended those moves you taught me with a sword from last time. When are you going to teach me some more?” the girl asked with a sweet smile.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, child. I’ve never even touched a sword in my life. How would I know anything about sword tactics?” the elder drawled with his eyes closed.
The young woman didn’t take it to heart and kept the smile on her face. “Then, when are you going to show me again with a tree branch?”
“Oh, you’re talking about that time. I was just messing around with a branch. If you want to watch again, then I’ll show you a couple more moves next time,” said the elder. “You, child, have really let it go to your head. You actually think they’re sword tactics? This old man knows nothing about cultivation.”
The young woman’s smile grew as she listened to the elder’s response. Her small hands continued to massage, allowing the old man to continue in his bliss.
“Miss, I am from the Shuzhong Sword Clan. If you want to learn how to use a sword, maybe I can teach you,” a middle-aged man in the restaurant spoke up, eyeing the young lady in green.
“Thanks, Mister, but that won’t be necessary.” The girl turned to smile at him before turning back to focus on the elder.
“Miss, there are a lot of swindlers in the world of cultivation. You should be careful,” warned the middle-aged man.
“Thanks for the heads-up, Mister,” nodded the young woman. Others shook their heads when they realized she was disregarding the warning. One look at that old man and it was obvious, he was no good. He didn’t even act his age.
“This is so nice.” Just as the people cursed him in their minds, the elder expressed his satisfaction. Immediately, rage-filled eyes glared at him. This old geezer had to be doing this on purpose.
The elder’s eyes were still closed in enjoyment. He didn’t give a damn about what anyone else though. He was being wined and dined, with this young girl waiting on him. This was the life.
DONG! Just then, a bell rang. In an instant, it seemed like an invisible force had invaded the restaurant. The elder’s body shook violently. He sat up straight abruptly, his body still shaking slightly, uncontrolled.
What’s that sound?
Everyone else’s reaction was nowhere as strong as the elder’s. However, the same look of confusion reached their eyes. It sounded like a bell and it seemed to be traveling from somewhere far away. The immense willpower could be felt faintly as the people allowed the will to enter their minds, affecting that as well.
“What’s going on?” the young woman asked the elder. This was her first time seeing the elder so serious. In the months she had known him, the elder was always indolent and never took anything seriously.
The elder was still slightly shaky. In a flash, he disappeared from inside the restaurant and was now standing outside. The young woman was dumbfounded. She hadn’t even been able to see his movements clearly. Taking a deep breath, she followed after him.
The elder looked behind him. A formless soundwave swept over the area, covering the entire Shu City. One after the other, people exited buildings all over the city. They lifted their heads, looking into the distance. The entire city listened as the bell sounds continued. They felt the willpower once again.
The elder stared in one direction. The citizens of the city seemed like they finally realized what was going on and stared at the will. There seemed to be a holy light in some people’s eyes.
Where everyone was staring, there was a mountain, a blurred vision. The mountain was incredibly tall, almost as if it reached into the heavens. The body of the mountain seemed to glow in a holy light, making it visible from even the farthest places.
It was the Eastern Barren Territory’s number one mountain, Sky Mountain. The place closest to the sky.
BOOM! A loud noise erupted and the ground shook. The people of Shu City all looked down at the surface they stood on as their bodies shook. These were vibrations brought on by an earthquake.
The elder never lowered his gaze from the skies. His drowsy gaze was now sharper than ever. His seemingly tattered clothing was actually clean, blowing in the wind. His long, messy hair and beard also blew in the wind. Beside him, the young woman in green watched him with undivided attention. At this moment, the elder seemed almost divine.
All over Shu City, cultivators from Qianqiu Temple put their hands together and prayed. A light reached their vigor-filled eyes as they stared at Sky Mountain.
A bell sounded from Sky Mountain. Was this some sort of sign?
A couple hundred kilometers away from Shu City stood an ancient temple. The sounds of the bell entered the temple and a bell within the temple rang as well. The two bells rang in harmony.
Standing somewhere high in the temple was a figure staring out in the distance at Sky Mountain. His hands were clasped together and he was being shaken up on this inside.
An old monk approached and other monks bowed at the sight of him. It was obvious that the old monk was of high status. He looked over at Sky Mountain and began to recite complicated scriptures with a strand of Buddhist beads behind his fingers.
“Bells have sounded from Sky Mountain. It is the sound of the Great Emperor!” The old monk spoke, stirring up waves in the hearts of the monks in the Qianqiu Temple.
The news of Sky Mountain’s bells spread like rapid fire. Very quickly, the Western Region was buzzing with commotion. Sky Mountain was special in the Western Region.
With all the commotion in the Western Region, there was no way for the news to be contained. It started to spread to other regions of the Eastern Barren Territory and eventually, every top power received the news. The bells have sounded from Sky Mountain, ringing out over the Western Region.
At the moment, this news even drowned out the war between the Qin Dynasty and the College in the Ancient Barren World.
All the attention in the Eastern Barren Territory was shifted to the Western Region.
…
Ye Futian and Yu Sheng had been cultivating in the Ancient Barren World all this time. They were in the Qin dynasty’s sub-palace. Just then, a girl arrived in the sub-palace looking for Ye Futian. It was a disciple of the College, Nangong Jiao. She was an acquaintance of Ye Futian’s. She was already in the top-level of the Dharma Plane. She was preparing to break into the Arcana Plane, just like Ye Futian.
When Nangong Jiao saw that the two of them had completely taken over the Qin Dynasty’s territory and claimed it as their own, she was speechless.
“Are you here to cultivate?” Ye Futian asked her with a smile. Although the College and the Cottage didn’t see eye to eye, it was all internal. Now that the Qin Dynasty wants to control all of the Eastern Barren Territory, they were on the same boat.
Nangong Jiao shook her head and said, “Not long ago, I got the news. Bells sounded from Sky Mountain in the Western Region. The entire Eastern Barren Territory is talking about it. You guys have been cultivating here without contact with the outside world, so you might not know. I came to tell you the news.”
“Bells sounded from Sky Mountain?” A look of confusion appeared on Ye Futian’s face. He had only been in the Eastern Barren Territory for a couple of years, so it was natural that he didn’t have a complete understanding of its history. So, bells sounded from Sky Mountain. What was there to talk about?
“Sky Mountain is the number one mountain in the Eastern Barren Territory. It is said to be the one place closest to the heavens. In ancient history, Sky Mountain is the most sacred place in the Western Region. It is the place where you met with saints. Legends have it that at the peak of the mountain, they could fill the purest Spiritual Qi and is extremely helpful in cultivation. Especially so for cultivation in the Arcana Plane. It would make it a piece of cake. But of course, there is no proof.”
Nangong Jiao continued to explain, “Then, something big happened at Sky Mountain. According to history books, the Eastern Barren Territory was in the dark ages a couple hundred years ago. A terrifying demon beast appeared and ate people. The Western Region was compared to hell. That beast was extremely powerful and took over the Western Region’s sacred grounds, Sky Mountain. That was until the appearance of two people.” Nangong Jiao paused for a moment. There was a mysterious glow in her eyes. A yearning.
“Who?” Ye Futian became curious after seeing the look in her eyes.
“I don’t know their real names, but I’m sure you know of them as well. The two people from the legends are the two Great Emperors who unified the world, Donghuang the Great and Emperor Ye Qing.” Nangong Jiao continued solemnly, “They once stepped into the Eastern Barren Territory and at that time, they weren’t yet Great Emperors.”
Ye Futian shivered lightly. He was no stranger to these two names. Furthermore, he had yet to be revealed relations to them. Naturally, he also knew that they were once in the Eastern Barren Territory. They even made it to Qingzhou City, which was actually quite far from the Eastern Barren Territory. What he didn’t know though, was that they had left behind a piece of history there.
“There are many legends regarding the two Great Emperors and Sky Mountain. People claim that they were still teenagers in those days, traveling the world as a pair while ridding the world of evil. When they came across the demon beast in the Eastern Barren Territory, they locked it up in Sky Mountain for life. This also changed the mountain. Nobody steps foot on the mountain and today, bells rang from the mountain. Some people say that it’s the summoning of the Great Emperors!”