A Martial Odyssey

Hundreds of orthodox exponents and unorthodox exponents were now watching in stunned silence; none dared to move and were looking at one another for instructions and signs…

All nine maidens were now furiously striking Yi Ping's body lightly with their internal strength in an attempt to keep him alive. Ji Wuzheng and Dugu Zhen could only look on with an unspeakable grief in their eyes…

Ji Wuzheng could only said coldly to Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong as he stared at them, "My sworn brother Yi Ping has won. So quickly turn back and never let me see you again!"

But Xiao Shuai laughed aloud, "Look who is dead now? He has won? We are the ones that have won the fight!"

The Martial Sage said weakly, "That's right! We are the ones that have won!"

Han Shaodong said, "From now on, nothing can stop us, not even the Celestial Palace…"

As Lele and Lie Qing were hitting Yi Ping to revive him by transferring bursts of their internal strength in an attempt to clear his blocked channels and stemmed the flow of his blood, they were also staring with a murderous intent towards Xiao Shuai, Han Shaodong and the Martial Sage!

Yixian was muttering, "It is no use. His body has already turned rigid. Not even a Celestial and any divine pills can save him now…"

Shen Xinyue was trembling as she stared at Han Shaodong…

When Han Shaodong caught her piercing glare, it was like a piercing arrow that had already pierced his heart and he was shivering from fear!

He had never seen his protégé mistress with this type of malevolent aura and saw her losing her angelic smiles. His impression of her was that she did not care for anything that had happened in the fraternity and it took him considerable effort to persuade her to join in the western expedition against the Holy Hex Sect and the Celestial Palace!

Shen Xinyue replied softly to Yixian even as she looked malevolently at Han Shaodong, "Unless the Celestial Heaveness is here, no one will be able to save him…"

Youxue was trembling as she cried out, "Who is the Heaveness, why don't you get her now…"

She knew in her heart that it was impossible to find anyone in such a short notice and was totally irrational to ask that question but nevertheless she still asked; it was because she had totally lose her rational self now!

Even Yu'Er, Mei'Er, Lingfeng were asking, "Where is the Heaveness and who is she?"

Shen Xinyue said melancholy, "She is just a mythical figure. No one has ever seen her. Some says that she is the first among all the Celestials. Some others say that she is never a human and has always been a Celestial and is the creator of all. Some others also say, she is able to travel between the Celestial Realm and here at will. It is said that she is the only Celestial that the Divine Calamity is unable to affect. There were times when she had revealed herself to some of the other Celestials but these Celestials were always reluctant to say a word. If there is a Celestial that can actually do the impossible, then it must be the Heaveness…"

Yunzi said with a heavy heart even as she continued to hit Yi Ping's body with her internal strength, "What is the point of telling us about the Heaveness when it is obviously that she doesn't exist? This will only give us a false sense of hope!"

Yixian looked coldly at Xiao Shuai, the Martial Sage and Han Shaodong. "You have won? Look around you. There are so many people that have died because of your ambitions! Is it worth it?"

But before they could even reply her, Lele had already flown to Han Shaodong with a startling speed as she raised her long black scythe high into the air, which immediately exploded the air around her with a terrifying booming sound!

She had appeared in front of Han Shaodong in the next instant as she said coldly, "Did you just say that nothing can stop you? The Celestial Palace or from ascending as a Celestial? You are just a muddle headed old man. Let me wake you from your senses!"

Before Han Shaodong could react in time, Lele had slapped Han Shaodong on his face even as he tried to raise his hands feebly to block her!

She then proceeded to give him a high kick that sent the defenseless Han Shaodong into the air!

Han Shaodong could only call out panicky as he landed with a stump on the ground as he coughed out more blood, "Help me!"

But the protégés of the Honor Manor was all looking at the ground and not one of them made a slight move to help him!

It was because the malevolent aura of Shen Xinyue and Lele was everywhere, striking fear in their hearts!

Xiao Shuai said weakly, "Despicable…"

But just as he had muttered out a word, Lele had already descended upon him as she gave him a kick across his face!

She cursed softly, "You say you have won the fight. You say you want to fight the Celestial Palace? I am from the Celestial Palace so your opponent should be me instead!"

Even as Xiao Shuai had landed backward with a loud heavy crash, Lele had already picked up the Martial Sage and had flung him towards Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong. She was already upon the three of them again as she gave them several kicks and slaps in a blink of an eye!

The kicks and slaps that they had received were so brutal that they were quickly covered in bruises as they pleaded, "Heroine, please have mercy, no more please…"

Yixian and Youxue were already besides Lele as they intercepted her!

Yixian said gently, "That's enough already…"

Lele said spitefully, "Sisters! Do you know that they have just killed our husband?! Are we letting them off just like that?"

Youxue cried out, "He…he…no matter how bad he is, he is after all my father. I can't bear to see him in this state…"

Yixian was also teary, "Sister, as much as I hate them but this fight is fair. If we really want to make Ping'Er happy, we should at least persuade them to declare Yi Ping as the victor. Don't forget, you are now a Celestial. Do you want to suffer the same fate as me?"

She added with a forlorn sorrow as she looked at the numerous dead and the number of wounded people around her, "There are simply too many dead today…"

Lele sighed sorrowful, "You are right…"

She quickly withdrew her long black scythe as she swung it backward…

As she swung it backward, the backend of the metal scythe dealt accidentally hit Xiao Shuai, Han Shaodong and Martial Sage, smashing against their faces at the same time!

Immediately, they cried out in agony and pain as the blow was not light!

Lele quickly turned around panicky as she quickly apologized, "Awwww, I am so sorry. That is an accident…" But as soon as she had turned around, once again she had accidentally swung her long heavy scythe and broke Xiao Shuai's nose, struck the head of Han Shaodong and sent the Martial Sage flying upward and landing with a hard stump!

The Martial Sage was muttering miserable, "Maiden, you…you did that on purpose!"

Yixian and Youxue were stunned!

It was because Lele had left them in a worst condition before they had intervened!

Lele seemed to be able to read their thoughts as she quickly said in panic, "That is totally an accident! I didn't do that on purpose!" As she said that, she stepped on Xiao Shuai who was lying on the ground; there was a loud cracking sound as she stepped on his hands and legs!

Lele was astonished as she gently rebuked Xiao Shuai, "Why are you lying on the ground and getting in my way?" She proceeded to lift him up with care.

By now Xiao Shuai was too terrified of this extremely beautiful maiden as he mustered all his strength weakly to speak, "Don't…don't….touch…me…" But he was too weak now to even resist her!

Before Xiao Shuai could even reply her, Lele had turned around to Han Shaodong to ask him. "So Master Han Shaodong, who had won this fight?"

There was a loud cracking as Xiao Shuai was hit again by her long scythe as she turned around!

Xiao Shuai immediately fell down flat on the ground!

Once again, Lele turned around to check on Xiao Shuai who was accidentally hit by her as she fingered her long scythe clumsily around and Han Shaodong was hit in the face by the metal end of her long scythe!

Lele's long scythe was made of steel. Even if it was made of wood, the force that was hitting Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong was enough to send most exponents bedridden for months. Moreover they had been struck so many times…

The Martial Sage was staring weakly at Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong as he thought miserably to himself, "This young maiden has the face of a heavenly maiden but she is no saint…"

The Martial Sage was also badly injured but not as severe as Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong. Moreover, he was renowned for his Invincible Iron Shroud Skill but this young maiden was still able to kick through his martial protection and injured him…

He could only sighed weakly to himself, "If we are not injured by the twin sisters and lost half of our internal strength and martial power, that Yi Ping may not be able to injure us especially with the five of us joining hands together. Now we are at the mercy of this young maiden…this is so disgraceful…"

Yixian had intercepted by reaching out and caught hold of Lele's long black scythe as she said, "That's enough already sister. They are already half-dead…"

Lele said unhappily, "I didn't say I want them dead. I am just asking them the outcome of the fight."

But Xiao Shuai and Han Shaodong were unable to answer her anymore. They were covered with blood and were muttering incoherently on the ground!

Lele stroked her long silken long hair as she said, "Weird, they are looking so refresh a while ago and now, they are half-dead. Oh well since they didn't answer me, I declare Ping'Er to be the victor then!"

Xiao Shuai was muttering, "I…this fight…"

Lele stepped forward as she asked, "What did you say? I can't hear you…"

All of a sudden, Xiao Fan had dashed in front of her and was bowing his head on the ground as he pleaded to her. "Maiden! Please have mercy on my father…"

Even Youxue had also fallen on her knees in front of her as she pleaded tearfully, "He is after all my father. Good sister…"

Even Xiao Fei had also fallen on his knees besides Youxue…

Lele said softly to Youxue, "Please get up sister…"

But Xiao Youxue shook her head with a quiet determination to plead for her to let her father off.

Lele's eyes softened but she did not say anything…

Xiao Shuai was stunned to see Xiao Fan, Xiao Fei and Xiao Youxue kneeing in front of the Joyful Goddess and pleading for his life…

For the very first time, he was sincerely touched as he muttered almost inaudible, "The wrongs that I have done, is it too late to seek amends? Can I hope for any forgiveness?"

Xiao Shuai got up weakly and he was trembling in his blood soaked sweat, "I…I admit defeat. The young hero Yi Ping has won this fight. From now on…the Virtuous Palace will wash our hands from the martial fraternity…"

He looked at Yixian, "Xian'Er, will you…forgive me?"

Yixian looked quietly away. It was because while she was appearing emotionless on the surface but her heart was in grieving pain!

At the same time, Shen Xinyue had silently appeared besides Han Shaodong and all of a sudden she had given him a thunderous blow on his chest!

Immediately Han Shaodong threw out a bout of blood as he sunk into the ground in an awkward position!

Shen Xinyue said emotionlessly, "You have disgraced me and betray your protégé mistress. Your skills are imparted by me and now I am taking it back!"

Just as she was about to disable his skills, Yixian had intercepted her with a counter-strike!

Shen Xinyue said in a mono tone, "I am sparing his life but I am going disable his martial skills. This is just a light punishment for him!"

Shui Yixian sighed softly as she looked at Han Shaodong who was coughing weakly, "He…is my friend and I believe that they have learnt a hard lesson…"

Han Shaodong looked at Yixian feebly and he was actually teary!

He muttered weakly, "Xian'Er, you still treat me as your friend?"

Yixian nodded gently as she said, "In my heart, always."

Han Shaodong laughed aloud as he wept, "Good…good!"

He rose up weakly and bowed on his knees at Shen Xinyue as he wept aloud, "Protégé Mistress! Your protégé disciple is undeserving of your forgiveness and grace…"

Shen Xinyue sighed softly as she looked around her; thousands of exponents had set off for this expedition and now only less than a thousand had remained…

All of a sudden, there was a large implosion as Lie Qing thrust her long black sword into the ground in a moment of anguish and frustration!

Everyone began to look into her direction…

She was covering her face with her hands as she cried tearfully and had broken down emotionally!

Who would have expected that the Heavenly Temptress Lie Qing would be the first to have broken down?

Among all the maidens, she had the strongest will and was rarely affected by anything. But she had really fallen in love and was emotionally attached to Yi Ping. He was everything to her and she could not afford to lose him. It took her a long time to find someone that she could finally trust; that day when Yi Ping had refused to put her down despite fighting against the odds. This touched her greatly. This was not the only thing that Yi Ping had done for him. She had long pledged her heart to him…

Her silent tears flowed down her porcelain cheeks as she contemplated suicide as she said silently to herself, "Ping'Er, I have said to you that I want to be with you till the earth disintegrate, the rocks turned to dust and the oceans dried up. Now that you are gone, do you really think that I will want to live on my own? You are so heartless, how can you bear to leave me alone…"

Her thoughts were back again in the Icy Cavern with him when she had first known him…

In the meantime, Lingfeng too was overcome by grief as she continued to rejuvenate Yi Ping's dead channels with her Great Dissolution Skill by striking him again and again.

And besides her were Yu'Er, Mei'Er and Yunzi who were also doing the same and did not stop trying even though Yi Ping body had become rigid and his skin color had turned gray!

They had ignored their surroundings and were exhausting all their internal strength just to create a shimmer of hope.

Even Lie Qing had given up hope as she threw her sword with a thunderous impact into the earth as she wept bitterly…

Yixian, Lele, Shen Xinyue and Youxue were all internal martial experts and were among the first to realize that they had already lost Yi Ping and that was why they had stopped trying to resuscitate him…

Lingfeng muttered softly, her hands were trembling as she held his face, "Yi Ping…"

Earlier, Lingfeng had experienced a severe headache. She rarely had migraine but after she was struck by the Universal Force that was generated by Yu'Er and Mei'Er, she had experienced the discomforts.

At first, she had thought that she was seriously injured by the Universal Force. But she soon realized that she was the only that seemed unaffected by it.

The Universal Force had awakened her true self, giving her a weird sense of familiarity which she could not point her finger at. As she looked at everyone, there was a strange feeling of quiescent. It was as though she was just a speculator and not part of the scene. This peculiar feeling stunned her for quite some time as she looked quietly at her surroundings.

But when it was obvious that she was losing Yi Ping and when Lie Qing had suddenly threw her long black sword into the ground, she was jolted; she had suddenly realized who she was!

Lingfeng sighed softly as she stroke Yi Ping's face gently and arranged his long hair aside before she said delicately, "Yu'Er, Mei'Er, Yunzi…please step aside first. I can save him."

Yunzi, Mei'Er and Yu'Er were startled as they examined her but from the look of it, it did not seem to be a casual remark.

Even Lie Qing was looking at Lingfeng curiously as she quickly said, "You…really have a way?" But as soon as she lifted her eyes to ask her, she was startled!

Ji Wuzheng and Dugu Zhen were also looking at Lingfeng with a startled expression!

It was not because of her casual remark that had startled them but as they turned to look at her, she had tiptoed and kissed the petrified Yi Ping on his lip in everyone's presence!

Yu'Er and Mei'Er were blushing as they lowered their heads…

There were gasps and muttering from hundreds of onlookers.

Even Shen Xinyue, Yixian and Lele were also looking in Lingfeng's direction!

Many were sighing secretly regretfully that this young alluring maiden had received too much of a shock and was emotional distress. Quite a number of exponents from both sides of the martial fraternity wanted to go to her and to comfort her but they lacked the courage.

But to everyone astonishments, the young hero Yi Ping was now trembling as color returned to his skin and face!

Perhaps the greatest astonishment comes from Yi Ping when he opened his eyes and found himself kissing Lingfeng…

His first thought was, "I am not dead? Or is it a dream? I can't even feel the excruciating pain in my heart now…"

Not only did his excruciating pain vanish, his strength was also slowly recovering and the aching pain of his injuries was also slowly relieving!

"Breathe in and out gently first. You are not dead and this is not a dream. I am trying to treat your injuries so don't move for the time being alright or you will undo all my efforts. I can only attempt this only once." It was Lingfeng's voice in his head!

Yi Ping was startled as he thought, "I can hear you inside my mind?"

"This is the linking spirits of my Great Emptiness Translucence. While we are physically linked, we can exchange our spirits. Therefore you can hear me and I can hear your thoughts."

Yi Ping said to her, "Lingfeng, you know the Emptiness Translucence too?!"

Lingfeng did not reply him.

Yi Ping suddenly said quietly, "You are the Heaveness?!"

Lingfeng trembled slightly, "Don't say my name! You have promised to keep it to yourself!"

Yi Ping was startled, "You are really the Heaveness!"

This time it was Lingfeng who was startled in his thoughts, "How…did you know who I am?!"

Yi Ping was not sure how he knew so he said, "I don't know either. I have seen you as the Heaveness through a vision with the Emptiness Translucence…"

He could hear her gasping with astonishment, "You know the Emptiness Translucence too?"

Yi Ping said to her, "I don't know how I know this heart intricate skill. It was rekindled in my heart when Priest Liu Qingcheng had shown me a silver scroll and had recited to me…"

Lingfeng interrupted melancholy, "But still when a person dies, all memories should vanish as well. Even if you could learn the Emptiness Translucence again, it is not possible for you to retain any memories of old self. Unless…"

She seemed to pause for a while…

When Yi Ping noticed that Lingfeng was silent, he asked. "Unless…?"

He could hear her sighs as she said, "Even though the Great Emptiness Translucence is able to retain some vestige of a person memory but at the time of that person's death, he has to think of her strongly…there exist a small possibility but that is impossible…unless…"

She paused for a while before she quickly changed to another topic, "No one should remember anything for sure. Maybe at most, you only get a vision of two…"

Yi Ping said gently, "You are the Heaveness and my grand protégé mistress. Why did you suddenly disappear that day? Where did you go?"

She gasped aloud and her surprise was evident in his mind!

"You…remember…?" She asked.

She was embarrassed to say it to him but she had forgotten that at this moment, they were linked spirit to spirit with each other. Even if she wanted to conceal her thoughts from him, it was impossible!

When he had mentioned that he was previously her grand protégé and had asked her whereabouts, she had unwittingly refreshed her memories!

That day, she had met him once again in the streets…

This time, he had mustered his courage to ask her when there was no one else around, "Grand Protégé Mistress, why are you here? It seems that we keep bumping into each other everywhere. This time, you are a songstress. I am surprise that you can sing so well but the song is too melancholy…"

The Heaveness said softly, "Yes, we keep bumping into each other everywhere…"

He mustered the courage to ask, "I have thought that grand protégé mistress is an eminent Sagess but why is that whenever I see you, you are always in such humble roles?"

The Heaveness sighed softly, "In a sense, I am trying to experience the emotions of others."

He asked curiously, "Have you succeeded?"

The Heaveness smiled at him with her alluded eyes, "I may never be able to experience their emotions. Their happiness, their sadness, I can never experience. Nothing that they do or feel excites me."

He was startled, "Is that the highest level of the Great Emptiness Translucence? To be completely freed from all emotions? That is a state of divinity that I hope to attain one day."

The Heaveness looked away, "What if I tell you I am born with the Great Emptiness Translucence and have never feel any emotions for anyone?"

He said, "I may be young and ignorant but I hope grand protégé mistress pardon me for saying this, surely you will have felt a sense of loss when you lose someone or joy when you have learnt something new? I have seen protégé mistress in so many different roles and I am really impressed by your talents."

He paused to catch his breath, "Surely, grand protégé mistress will have some affection towards me or else you won't instruct me so patiently?"

The Heaveness was quiet.

Curious that she had suddenly turned quiet, he asked, "Am I not right to say so?"

The Heaveness said, "You are wrong. I have never felt anything toward you. I only know that you are the protégé of the Universal Old Man and I should instruct you accordingly. Other than that, I do not treat you any differently from the others. The so call humble roles that you have mentioned are just my way of expressing my disillusions with the people. Why am I being treat differently from the others? Just because I have a pretty face and I am able to attract people to patronize for me?"

Even now, there were many people who were looking at her in the streets and they were holding their breath at her alluring beauty and wondered who she was…

Just as he was pondering what she had just said, a little girl had accidentally bumped into him, causing him to trip as he fell into the Heaveness and accidentally kissing her on her lips!

The Heaveness was stunned. However, she quickly recovered her composure and pushed him lightly away but because she had utilized her martial force, he was sent flying away and tumbled onto a stall!

The Heaveness gasped to him, "I…sorry…"

An elderly old man who was tendering the stall quickly said aloud, "Hey young man, watch out!"

As he picked himself up, he quickly apologized profusely to the elderly old man many times.

But when the sleepy elderly old man had saw the alluring and refined Heaveness standing next to him, he appeared to be somewhat startled as he said again. "It is a couple that is quarreling?"

He was flustered as he quickly said, "She…alas, she's not. In fact, she is my…"

The Heaveness interrupted him with a soft hum and he suddenly remembered that he was not supposed to tell anyone about her so he quickly said, "She's a friend…"

The elderly old man laughed merrily, "One is a young maiden and one is a young man. It is only natural to be together. There is nothing to be shy at. Do you want to get your fortunes told?" He pointed at his banner that read 'The Divine Teller, Never Missing a Telling'.

The elderly old man laughed merrily, "Are you impress now? Let me tell you, if I am not accurate then I won't charge you a single cent. So what do you want to divine? Marriage, status or fortune?"

He was startled and he quickly shook his hands as he said, "That won't be necessary. I am really sorry for knocking into your stall…"

The elderly old man laughed, "Don't be shy. If you don't know your eight birth characters, I can still be able to help you divine your destiny. All you need to do is to show me your palm or write a character on my table. How about that?"

He smiled bitterly at the elderly old man, "To be frank with you, I am a young priest. There is nothing that I desire to ask of…"

The elderly old man said with a smile. "Don't be hasty first. Maybe you don't want to know your destinies but your female companion may want to?"

He quickly replied to the elderly old man, "She isn't someone who is interested in this sort of things…"

The Heaveness said softly, "Don't make my decision for me. This won't be good for your future attainment. Remember this."

She smiled alluringly at the elderly old man and said, "Old Senior, you won't charge a cent if you are not accurate?"

The elderly old man laughed merrily, "Naturally I won't! So far, I have never been proven to be wrong."

The Heaveness pointed at her grand protégé and said, "Why don't you try on him first. I like to know his destiny."

The elderly old man smiled and turned to ask him, "Young man, do you want to divine through your palm or your character?"

He reluctantly placed his palm on the table.

The elderly old man smiled and said, "What are you most interested in?"

He was hesitating for he really did not know, "I…anything?"

The Heaveness looked at him before she said, "Old Senior, help him to divine his marriage. How about that?"

When the elderly old man saw that the young man did not object, he laughed softly and said. "Marriage so be it!"

The Heaveness smiled alluringly, "Thank you."

So the elderly old man took the young man's palm and fingered it. But he was soon bewildered as he muttered while staring at the lines of the young man's palm, "Weird. Your palm lines are straight. I have never seen anything like this."

The elderly old man had broken into beads of perspiration on his forehead as he said, "I can't read your destiny but you don't have any marriage lines. There will be plenty of missed opportunities though…"

He tried to comfort the elderly old man as he said, "Don't worry Old Senior. I am a priest, remember? So don't worry. I really do not mind at all."

The elderly old man sighed heavily and said to the alluring young maiden, "Maiden, do you want to get your destiny foretold as well?"

The Heaveness nodded and said, "That will be interesting, isn't it?"

She proceeded to take a brush and wrote the character 'Heaven' on a piece of white paper.

The elderly old man stared at the character 'Heaven' as he muttered, "In my entire life, I have never seen anyone write the character 'Heaven' in such a perfect manner. Every stroke, every line is in such perfect harmony…"

The Heaveness asked, "So what are my marriage lines?"

The elderly old man was quiet for a while before he said, "If it is not offensive to maiden, may I take a look at your palm?"

The Heaveness nodded and took out both her tender palms at the same time for him to read.

Just when the elderly old man had said, "Just the right palm will do…" as he looked at her palm, he had suddenly staggered backward!

Both her palm lines seemed to have the same 'Heaven' character that she had just written!

Even the young man was startled for it was the first time that he had seen her palms and he had never seen anything like this before!

The elderly old man had immediately bowed down on his knees and kowtowed repeatedly on the ground!

The Heaveness said, "Please rise, old senior. You haven't foretold my marriage destiny yet."

The elderly old man cried out miserly, "Maiden, please forgive me. Even if I know, I dare not divulge it. Moreover maiden, your destiny is in your own hands. If you are willing, everything is yours to will!"

The Heaveness said gently, "Is that so?"

She turned to say to her grand protégé, "I need to be alone for a while. Can you leave me for now?"

He nodded and bade his grand protégé mistress farewell, "Then I take my leave first…"

He seemed to have more things to ask of her but he could sense that the Heaveness was not in a good mood and moreover, he was still feeling guilty that he had just outrage the modesty of his grand protégé mistress. Therefore, he quickly left.

However, he did not know that that was actually the very last time that he would ever see the Heaveness again!

As the elderly old man watched them as they left, he was muttering. "Such tragic fates, such tragic couple…"

After they had parted, the Heaveness had walked quietly to the outskirt of the town, toward the mountains. Along the way, she had attracted the attention of many men who had tried to tail her. Even though she appeared to be walking leisurely and casually, her pace was astonishing and her admirers could not catch up with her; one by one, they fell behind from fatigue as they tailed her up and down the mountain paths.

In a short while time, she was deep in the mountains and had soon reached a waterfall.

She waved her hand with her inertia martial force as she caused the waters of the waterfall to part to the side, revealing a hidden cave behind the waterfall!

Immediately, she walked into the hidden cave and into what seemed to be a tunnel.

It was not long before she had reached the other side of the mountains and was in what seemed to be a beautiful adorned garden where there were all kinds of fruit trees and flowers.

As she stepped into the garden, the songbirds that were in the garden which came in a rainbow variety of colors began to sing jovially at the sight of her!

The Heaveness raised her hands as she whistled, mimicking their songs.

These songbirds instead of shying from her were all around her, flying and hopping around her!

The Heaveness said with a soft sigh, "My friends…"

"You are finally back. I am a little worry for you." The Universal Old Man had walked quietly to her.

The Heaveness nodded gently, "I have met him earlier…"

The Universal Old Man asked, "Our protégé?"

She nodded gently.

The Universal Old Man said, "Does he know that we are leaving? I have left him a note at the usual place and he should be able to know it tonight."

The Heaveness shook her head, "I didn't tell him. You are his protégé master. That's your duty, not mine."

The Universal Old Man laughed jovially, "I want to imagine his expressions when he has learnt that his protégé master and grand protégé mistress have both abandoned him."

But he had suddenly turned solemn, "If we do not hurry to the Firmament Mountains and transmigrate to the Celestial Realm, we will have to wait for a long time before another opportunity arises. I don't want to be struck here for too long and continue to address you as my protégé mistress."

The Heaveness said with an alluring smile, "What's so bad about being my protégé?"

The Universal Old Man said, "You and I are equal. Just because I lost a bet to you and you have found him first, I have to pretend to be your protégé."

The Heaveness said, "If we switch our roles, he may not necessary want to follow us. You have the look of a wise old sage and is convincing as a highly attained priest. If you don't want to be his protégé master, then you are asking me to be his protégé mistress? He will end up being distracted by me and ruin his attainment. This is something that I am trying to avoid."

The Universal Old Man sighed, "It is a lucky thing that we are able to find him just before we go but one year is really too short to impart to him anything. Hopefully, he will be able to survive the Divine Descendant in the future. But if we don't leave now and when the Celestial Wrath descends upon us, countless lives will be lost. It is not something that we want to see. The question is; is he the one we are looking for?"

The Heaveness looked up to the cloudy heavens as she sighed melancholy, "To be able to ascend to Gods' realm, is the dream of every aspiring Celestials. But it is a place that I do not want to return; that vast expanse of empty spaces, that eternal loneliness. After I have returned from the Celestial Realm, I really do not wish to go back again. While they are all aspiring to ascend as a Celestial and transmigrated to the Celestial Realm, they didn't know that a greater tribulation actually awaits them there and the Celestial Wrath in the Celestial Realm is even more deadly than the Divine Calamity here."

The Universal Old Man said solemnly, "Time is running out for us. We are already at the last staging where we can finally transmigrated to the Gods' Realm but that is something that have always eluded us. The longer we delay the celestial transmigration, the more powerful the Celestial Wrath is. Already so many of us have perished at the Astronomic Stellar Formation or at the Stellar Sanctuary in an attempt to locate the last mystery. Do you still remember that the reason we have come back here is to look for the last clue for the final ascension?"

The Heaveness nodded, "It is said that the Stellar Sanctuary is created by the first person that has ever ascended as an immortal being and the Astronomic Stellar Formation is the only place that is possible to transmigrate to the Gods' Realm. The clues that we have found indicated that the immortal being had actually returned to the lower world to accomplish something and take something from here so that he could ascend. But what is it that exist here but did not exist in the Celestial Realm?"

The Universal Old Man added solemnly, "We have already incurred Heavens' Wrath by trying to divine the secrets of heaven and returning here. The best of our divinations indicated that our protégé may hold the key to that clue. But while he can still take his own sweet time to become a Celestial, we really don't have any time left. This time when I am back to the Celestial Realm, I am going to the Stellar Sanctuary again. It is better to die attempting to transmigrate than to be killed by the Celestial Wrath. I hope that you can accompany me to the Stellar Sanctuary again."

But the Heaveness did not reply to his request, instead she muttered, "Do you think we can come back here again?"

The Universal Old Man said, "That is impossible. Do you still remember how many celestial artifacts we have to sacrifice in order to return here? All that for nothing! Even though I am a highly attained Celestial and no longer have any worldly desire over material things but I still feel a terrible ache in my heart over the loss of so many artifacts that made our descend here possible. Our next Celestial Wrath would not be easy to overcome and could well be our last without those celestial artifacts to ward us."

The Heaveness smiled, "Highly attained Celestial? I am astonished that you can make it so far as a Celestial. You are always grudging over every little things, even trying to take my pomegranate fruits, mulberries and honey peaches."

The Universal Old Man said grumbly, "You must know that I have been in the Celestial Realm for a long time and my nourishment come from those divine fruits. There aren't any here except for those rare occasions. You will go with me to the Stellar Sanctuary?"

The Heaveness looked away quietly, "Since the great separation of the Heavens and the Earth, before the Great Inundation and when mortals could live to a thousand years, we have known each other. We have survived countless number of cycles of Celestial Wrath and have fought against terrible foes together. We are also the first among the Celestials but now only just a few of the original Celestials are left…"

The Universal Old Man was puzzled that she was suddenly melancholy and did not reply to his request but he said, "Your heart is sorrowful? You shouldn't have those emotions because you are never a mortal in the first place!"

The Heaveness said, "Maybe I have already decided to be a mortal. I will not leave with you."

The Universal Old Man was startled, "Do you know what you are saying? If the Celestial Wrath descends while you are here, nothing will survive!"

The Heaveness was without any emotions but her countenance was piercing sharp as she tossed a pearl with a rainbow halo on the ground, "This is my Heaveness Pearl. You may need this in the future. I am not going with you because I have already decided to transmigrate as a mortal instead. My greatest mistake in my entire life is to transmigrate from here to the Celestial Realm in the first place."

The Universal Old Man was stunned and was left speechless!

The Heaveness said almost inaudible, "I want to be able to sing sentimental songs. I want to know what it is meant to love someone…"

Even when the Heaveness had walked away, he was still rooted on the same spot as he continued to mutter the same thing over and over again. "You are really going to give up all your hard earned attainment…"