Transcending the Nine Heavens

Meng Chao Ran was greatly shaken by that sentence, more so than if an earthquake with a great magnitude had struck. That one sentence completely shattered his plans. If one shook the bottleneck but did not break through it at once, then in their next attempt, even if they used twice as much strength to break through, they might still fail!

As he was thoroughly shaken, even if Meng Chao Ran was hell-bent on leaving, it was no longer an option.

"I won’t be leaving for now. I need to be alone for a while." Meng Chao Ran’s gaze momentarily sharpened up, and he looked at Chu Yang. Chu Yang’s maintained a normal expression as if he had spoken without any hidden intentions. Meng Chao Ran could not help but smile.

Despite declaring his intention to leave just moments ago, he still admitted that he had changed his mind and was no longer leaving. While others might view such a sudden change of mind as irresponsible, Meng Chao Ran did not seem to care, simply stating what he thought indifferently, as if there was nothing unusual about it.

"Oh, right. Chu Yang, you shall have the Spring and Autumn Elixir" Meng Chao Ran gave a vague smile as he threw a small jade bottle to Chu Yang. Meng Chao Ran then said, "Earlier, Shi Qian Shan said Chu Yang’s injuries will require some nourishment, didn’t he? Well, I guess this counts as nourishment, then." Hidden within his faint smile seemed to be a slight mocking attitude...

Immediately, Shi Qian Shan’s expression changed!

The Spring and Autumn Elixir was used to increase a person’s martial powers, and not as nourishment for one’s body! The sect had so much medicine which could be used to treat injuries! Why should the Spring and Autumn Elixir be given to Chu Yang for his injuries?!

Shi Qian Shan had said that only to give his Teacher a bad impression sentence of his two Younger Martial Brothers. And now, instead, it backfired, making him lose the Spring and Autumn Elixir!

Why... why was that so?

Chu Yang noticed the mocking smile hidden within the edges of Meng Chao Ran’s lips, and he suddenly realised. "Ah, it looks like Teacher had seen through Shi Qian Shan’s deception all along... it’s just that, why didn’t he stop Shi Qian Shan, then?

Furthermore, his Teacher had given him the Spring and Autumn Elixir, definitely because he said, "The Heavens and Earth will not move; neither will the stone turn amidst the flowing river". However, that Teacher of his was really too nice. Chu Yang did not even ask...

After some consideration, Chu Yang decided to further probe his Teacher. "Umm, Teacher, this Disciple’s martial powers are insignificant, and it seems like it won’t be of much use even if I take the Spring and Autumn Elixir. I think you should give it to Eldest Martial Brother instead because it’ll help him attain a higher rank during the Contest of the Peaks."

Chu Yang wanted to see whether Meng Chao Ran had indeed seen through Shi Qian Shan’s craftiness.

Just as Chu Yang said that Tan Tan raised his eyebrows immediately, looking both puzzled and flabbergasted. He wanted to cover Chu Yang’s mouth, and almost interrupted him to scold him. "You idiot! You stupid idiot! It’s so rare for Teacher to voluntarily give it to you, so you should just keep your mouth shut and take the goddamn elixir! What on earth are you saying right now?!"

Shi Qian Shan’s face also faintly lit up in unsteady expectation.

The three of them turned and looked at Meng Chao Ran. Tan Tan looked extremely anxious, as did Shi Qian Shan, whose gaze contained the slightest glimmer of greed. Meanwhile, Chu Yang maintained his calm composure.

"That won’t be necessary. Your Eldest Martial Brother isn’t even injured... and so he doesn’t need such a thing," Meng Chao Ran said indifferently. He exchanged a knowing gaze with Chu Yang and flashed a slight smile. "Besides, your current domain level is almost the same as your Eldest Martial Brother... Mmm yes, it’ll be like this then. There’ll be no further discussions."

Chu Yang felt a twinge of bitterness in his Teacher’s words. What Meng Chao Ran had just said clearly had a hidden implication. At that point, Chu Yang was a Martial Pupil of the Third Grade, while Eldest Martial Brother Shi Qian Shan was a Martial Warrior of the Fourth Grade. Their domain levels were really quite far apart, so Meng Chao Ran must have meant something else when he said, "Both of your domain levels are not that much different."

The true meaning of Meng Chao Ran’s was instead as follows. "The two of you are equally cunning and scheming...""Haa, Teacher, I’m just an innocent soul... really, I’m pure and honest..." Chu Yang wanted to shout that out so his Teacher would know his true intentions...

Meng Chao Ran gazed meaningfully at Chu Yang, before rolling up his sleeves, standing up and saying, "Well then, you all had better practise hard. I’ll personally escort you guys to the top of the Gathering Clouds Peak in three months!"

With that, Meng Chao Ran abruptly left, his figure disappearing into the distance.

The three Disciples looked at each other. Shi Qian Shan’s gaze was focused on the small jade bottle softly radiating in Chu Yang’s hands, and he could not help but twitch in anger.

All the effort he had exerted was just so that he could obtain the Spring and Autumn elixir. But now, it was right before him, but as good as gone...

"Eldest Martial Brother, much thanks for your concern." Chu Yang thanked Shi Qian Shan in a sincere manner, adding, "If Eldest Martial Brother had not asked that Teacher provide some nourishment for me, then Teacher might not have bestowed this precious, divine Elixir unto me... ahh, really, this is all thanks to Eldest Martial Brother."

Shi Qian Shan opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. After a while, with a smile on his face which concealed his desire to just cry, he said, "Please don’t say that. I’m sure Teacher has all along intended the elixir for you. Ahh, Teacher’s kindness really knows no bounds."

Not only did the divine Elixir accidentally slip through his fingers, unexpectedly, the person who had obtained the divine Elixir had sincerely thanked him... Shi Qian Shan found the situation intolerable but did not dare to reveal his true emotions. He was already extremely frustrated and wanted to give himself a good, tight slap. "Why do I have such a loose tongue?! Why did I have to go and say those unnecessary words?!"

Chu Yang secretly rejoiced and turned the bottle upside down. A red pill with a reddish glow fell out. As it left the bottle, it gave off an exquisite aroma, which diffused into the atmosphere. Chu Yang chuckled lightly and said, "I heard that this item is really powerful, and consuming it give me a year’s worth of martial powers! Although the increase is a quite little... ah, but I guess I shouldn’t waste it. I’ll take it now. Elder and Younger Martial Brothers, I’ll have to trouble you to help guard and protect me..."

Immediately, Shi Qian Shan cringed. "You think the increase is only just a little? You actually have the guts to complain? Aren’t you scared of divine retribution?"

"It should’ve been mine, but now someone else is going to consume it. And to top it off, that person actually wants me to protect him..."

Of course Shi Qian Shan secretly felt bitter. As he was about to speak, he saw Chu Yang opening his mouth, about to consume the Spring and Autumn Elixir which he was about to throw into his mouth. Then, Chu Yang chewed it noisily as if it were a broad bean, even smacking his lips together and saying, "Hmm, there isn’t much taste..."

Shi Qian Shan’s face turned a bright red, and he felt as if all the blood in his body had shot up to his head, and his head was about to explode...

Then suddenly, Chu Yang’s face suddenly began to flush... indicating that the Elixir was beginning to take effect.

Tan Tan looked on enviously, and licking his lip, he said, "Chu Yang’s so lucky. He broke his head but in exchange got the Spiritual Elixir. Man, that’s one entire year’s worth of pure martial powers! Ah, what a blessing in disguise. Hai, I am so handsome and elegant, but I wished I was the one who injured my head..."

Shi Qian Shan’s felt he had been stabbed in the heart, but he managed a wry smile and said, "Indeed, not bad indeed, his luck is not bad..."

After Chu Yang took the Spring and Autumn Elixir, he could feel the power of the Elixir beginning to swirl inside him, cutting into his bones and limbs almost immediately. The meridian channels throughout his body briefly widened, and a wave of energy rushed through them towards his Dantian...

Chu Yang could not help but feel a little bitter inside. The effects of that Spiritual Elixir were indeed rather good. Although it only gave him a year’s worth of martial powers, given his current cultivation, that amount of martial powers was already a quite a considerable amount of strength. If the Spiritual Elixir had been of a slightly higher grade, his meridian channels might not have been able to withstand the sudden increase...

Within Chu Yang’s Dantian, the Nine Tribulation Sword’s Soul suddenly perked up. It quickly received the Elixir, like it had grown a strange antenna. The Elixir entered the Sword’s Soul like a hundred rivers flowing directly into the ocean, and it drained into the Sword’s Soul until there was no energy remaining, not even a little.

Taken aback, Chu Yang thought, "Does the Nine Tribulations Sword like draining nourishment from me? In my previous life, there was no mention of such an abnormality. I mean, the Sword’s Soul didn’t even appear... This life really seems like a huge joke. Not only did the Sword’s Soul suddenly appear, it also wants to steal my nourishment?"

"Will all the benefits of this Elixir go to the Nine Tribulations Sword? Can’t I keep even just a little for myself?"

Just as Chu Yang was immersed in his thoughts, as the faint figure of the Nine Tribulations Sword in Chu Yang’s Dantian absorbed the nourishment of the Spiritual Elixir, it briefly shook, giving off multiple faint but steady rays of light. With it, a dense stream of energy flowed out from near the hilt of the sword. It was very thin, as fine as a single strand of hair, but Chu Yang could feel that it contained huge amounts of energy contained...

Although the amount of energy was rather small when compared to that given by the Spring and Autumn Elixir, the energy it gave off was more than a hundred thousand times more pure! With just that energy, Chu Yang raised his cultivation from that of a highly ranked Third Grade Martial Pupil to an average Fourth Grade Martial Pupil!

While not much energy had been required to jump one grade at such a low rank in the first place, it still greatly shocked Chu Yang! With just the nourishment from the Spring and Autumn Elixir, it would have been impossible for him increase his grade by one so easily!

The Sword’s Soul seemed like it could purify energy provided by Elixir? Or was it actually another unknown ability? Ah, strange...

Afterwards, the Nine Tribulations Sword sluggishly turned within his Dantian and settled down. It seemed to give off an indignant attitude, as if it found Spring and Autumn Elixir way below its calibre...

Chu Yang could clearly sense a kind of arrogance coming from the Nine Tribulations Sword, as if it were to a human expressing his disdain..."This servant is really hard to please, huh..."