Heavenly Wheel Ascension

Duan Niu smirked, but his eyes flashed with the kind of madness possessed only by those who have peeked into forbidden secrets. "Correct, Senior Jian. Weaver Transformation, Divine Transformation, and Sacred Passage can be considered the peaks of the Lower Realm. However, above all that, there are three realms described as the **Heavens Shatterer**—a transitional stage before one steps into the status of a true Celestial Being."

*"Heavens Shatterer..."* Zhi Xuan thought, his memories drifting back. *"The Path of Gods, the Path of Immortals... Ruo Xianxue, is this what we discussed back then?"*

Duan Niu brushed the surface of the coarse scroll with trembling fingers. "First is **Yin Nightfall**. Second is **Yang Radiance**. And the last is **First Nirvana**. These stages... they sound so alien even to my ears, yet this is what is written in this scroll and what I saw within that shard."

The silence at the bottom of the abyss now felt like the weight of a mountain crushing their chests. Jian Dao, the Sword God who had cleaved through thousands of obstacles, now looked like a traveler who had lost his way in a field of mist. His eyes were fixed on the fragment of Eternal Hell Copper, as if that metal were a tombstone for his entire understanding of cultivation.

"Yin Nightfall... Yang Radiance... First Nirvana..." Jian Dao muttered, his voice hoarse as if the words contained a poison that scorched his tongue. "All this time, we thought the Sacred Passage was the gate of light to the Upper Realm. But it turns out it is merely a terrace, while the actual staircase only begins from there."

"Yin and Yang unite, forming a Nirvana for rebirth..." Zhi Xuan murmured, his voice trembling slightly. "No wonder the descendants of the Ancient Clans are already considered half-Celestial Beings. Every drop of their blood originates from those who have surpassed these realms."

Zhi Xuan clenched his fists beneath the sleeves of his brown robes. He felt no anger. He remembered Zhu Qinglan once saying he was a half-Celestial; it wasn't an empty boast. Even Ye Xishui, though not from an Ancient Clan, belonged to the Heavenly Leaf Sacred Pavilion, which possessed a Sacred Passage expert who had ascended to the Upper Realm.

It all proved that they both had the opportunity—or were destined—to possess the bloodline of the Upper Realm. There was no doubt left; this was living proof that he was bound by a karmic promise to walk the Path of Emperors led by the Holy Maidens. The distance between him and the Holy Sons or Holy Maidens was truly unimaginable.

*"This distance... it is not a chasm, but a separated sky,"* Zhi Xuan whispered in his mind. He looked at his own palm. *"But also, those realms might be the place where I can finally grasp and gaze at the stars as I have always dreamed."*

Duan Niu refolded the scroll with extremely cautious movements, as if the slightest gust of wind could blow away that forbidden knowledge. "Senior Jian, Brother Zhi... the reason I hid this was not because I wanted to keep it for myself. Rather, this knowledge is a curse. Once you realize the mountain peak you are climbing is just a small hill at the foot of a much larger range, you might lose your ambition."

Jian Dao took a deep breath, letting the cold air of the abyss stabilize his wavering soul. "Duan Niu, you are right. If news of these Heavens Shatterer realms reached the ears of the sect masters in the Nine Plains, the entire world order would collapse into despair. Those who spent thousands of years to reach Divine Transformation would feel their lives were in vain."

"Nothing is in vain, Senior Jian," Zhi Xuan said. "Do not let your sharpened sword grow dull just because of this knowledge. We may consider it beyond the Lower Realm, but that doesn't mean it is impossible for us to reach it one day. Heavens Shatterer might be the true gate upon arriving at the Upper Realm; therefore, even the Heavens will not be able to stop a mortal from the Lower Realm if that mortal has the will to become a Heavens Shatterer."

Jian Dao was stunned, and then a bitter yet proud smile appeared on his aged face. He looked at Zhi Xuan—a young man who had just weathered a storm of enlightenment yet still possessed a heart as hard as steel. "You are right, Daoist Zhang. A sword is not sharpened to lament the height of the sky, but to cleave it. If that sky has nine layers, then I shall slash through to the ninth."

"Alright, alright," Duan Niu said, retracting the formation and floating the scroll and copper shard back to himself. "Then we should head back up; we've been down here for two days."

The four figures soared upward, reappearing above the abyss and gazing at the starry night sky above them. Zhi Xuan adjusted his sleeves and turned to clasp his hands toward Jian Dao and Duan Niu.

"Senior Jian, Senior Duan," Zhi Xuan began calmly. "At the last banquet, I made a promise to Holy Daughter Shen. It requires me to temporarily leave the Heavenly Path Pavilion to go to the Chi Di Plains, the territory of the Ancient Shen Clan."

Jian Dao and Duan Niu fell silent for a moment, letting the night wind sweep past their robes. The news that Zhi Xuan would step into the Chi Di Plains—a territory sometimes described as red earth like its name, but actually lush and fertile—was not entirely surprising.

"The Chi Di Plains..." Jian Dao murmured, staring at the distant horizon. "A land so fertile it is almost like the Yao Gu lands themselves. But Daoist Zhang, is it truly necessary to go there so soon?"

"I understand your meaning, Senior Jian," Zhi Xuan replied. He knew Jian Dao might be surprised or doubt him for leaving the Heavenly Path Pavilion. "I will not leave the Heavenly Path Pavilion without something to serve as my reminder."

Zhi Xuan moved his hand, summoning the **Heavenly Sword**, its dark blade accompanied by flickering crimson lightning runes. He flicked his finger upward; the Heavenly Sword immediately shot out and expanded until it reached a size of ten *zhang*, towering high before plunging upside down into the ground near the disciples' training grounds.

The echo of the impact as the giant sword struck the earth shook the entire mountain peak, creating a ripple of sword energy that swept away dust and dry leaves for hundreds of paces. The ground around the sword cracked instantly, but the cracks formed a glowing pattern, locking the sword’s presence as a magnificent pillar.

Immediately, hundreds of disciples who were previously meditating inside the pavilions around the courtyard rushed out on their flying swords. Their faces were alert, as if they expected the impact to be an enemy attack. However, what they saw made their eyes widen in disbelief.

"Look at that! In the main courtyard!" shrieked one disciple, his voice shrill amidst the whistling night wind. He halted his flying sword in mid-air, staring down with his jaw dropped.

"A sword... no... this is the aura of an Immortal Treasure!" exclaimed another disciple beside him. "This aura... the sword even feels alive, as if it could move on its own."

The atmosphere in the training courtyard, which was originally quiet, turned into a sacred frenzy of admiration. Thousands of disciples, ranging from the Blood Transformation stage to the Five Elements stage, now hovered or stood around the giant sword at a safe distance. No one dared to approach closer than fifty paces; the sharp aura radiating from the black blade was enough to cut skin before they even touched it.

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"Is this a gift from the Great Ancestor?" whispered a young disciple, his face pale from the energy pressure.

"No!" replied a more observant companion, his eyes fixed on the sword. "This is an Immortal Treasure! If it were the Great Ancestor, he wouldn't need to plant his sword here. This... belongs to the Grand Elder!"

One disciple actually stepped closer and immediately sat cross-legged. He laid down his own spiritual treasure, an Earth Artifact sword. "I feel that the sword intent contained within that great sword... it feels as if it is washing away my own laziness toward cultivation."

Seeing that one disciple sitting in meditation, the others seemed to snap out of their daze. One by one, like flower petals falling to the earth, they descended from their flying swords and dropped into the lotus position, surrounding Zhi Xuan’s giant sword. The previous clamor vanished instantly, replaced by a hum of spiritual energy resonating from the practitioners.

Zhi Xuan, standing at the top of the cliff with Jian Dao and Duan Niu, watched the scene with an unreadable gaze. "This sword has accompanied me the entire time until I stand where I am now," Zhi Xuan said, his voice carried by the cold night wind. "Within the sword, I have sealed the aura of slaughter and blood so it does not possess the disciples."

"The Heavenly Sword... the signature weapon of Gu Fengyan," Duan Niu muttered, clicking his tongue in admiration. "I truly get confused sometimes about what name to call you; everything you do brings something different."

"A name is merely a carving on the same vessel, Duan Niu," Zhi Xuan replied without taking his eyes off the expanse of disciples now prostrating under the shadow of his giant sword. "Call me what you like, as long as you don't forget who held the wine cup with you in the bamboo forest that night."

He moved his fingers to his forehead, closing his eyes for a moment. Three streaks of pure sword energy shot toward the hilt of the Heavenly Sword at the top. The Heavenly Sword vibrated faintly before returning to stillness. Zhi Xuan opened his eyes again and turned his gaze back to Jian Dao.

"Senior Jian, those three sword energies are fragments of my understanding of **Man-Sword Unity**," Zhi Xuan said with a slight bow. "It may sound small in the eyes of a Sword God like yourself. However, I leave them so that perhaps three disciples might be able to grasp that sword energy."

"In the future, I will surely take the Heavenly Sword back to tear through the Heavens," Zhi Xuan continued. "Therefore, I am planting a seed that may give birth to a new Heavenly Sword, one that will possess an even sharper sword intent."

Jian Dao remained silent, his eyes—which had witnessed the turning of eras—staring intently at the three pulses of light on the black sword's hilt. As an expert who had touched the limit of sword understanding in the Lower Realm, he knew that what Zhi Xuan gave was not just a technique, but a priceless **Dao Seed**.

"Man-Sword Unity..." Jian Dao whispered, his voice full of respect. "For many practitioners, that is the peak achievement of a lifetime. Yet you give it away so freely to those who cannot even grasp the wind yet. Daoist Zhang, you are truly too... I have no words."

"Opportunities for mortal practitioners may be difficult in the eyes of the sky, but even mortals will not be trampled under the feet of the Ancient Clans," Zhi Xuan replied, a faint smile gracing the corner of his lips. "Because I also came from mortality, and I once crawled on the path of cultivation just like them. When I reach a point that is perhaps not yet high, I always see that my initial goal was because of a mortal promise."

"The life and death of practitioners often lacks the beauty found in mortal humans," Zhi Xuan remarked, watching the meditating disciples. "But at the very least, they will not bite the hand that gives them the chance to go one step further."

The night wind at the peak of the Heavenly Path Pavilion blew harder, carrying the scent of damp earth and the chill of the newly planted sword essence. Zhi Xuan cast his gaze toward the horizon, where the shroud of darkness began to thin from the shy light of dawn.

Duan Niu, who had been silent, suddenly slapped Zhi Xuan’s shoulder hard—a rough gesture but one full of brotherhood. "If you really go to the Chi Di Plains, make sure you don't let those Shen Clan beauties lock you in their golden cage. This world still needs a troublemaker like you to shake the thrones of the rulers."

Zhi Xuan chuckled softly, a rare but sincere laugh. "Someone has to remain a thorn in their side, Senior Duan. And I have no intention of being a bird in a cage, even if the cage is made of celestial gold."

Mo Chen, who had been standing still like a shadow behind Zhi Xuan, stepped forward and knelt on one knee. "Senior, I am a follower of the Shen Clan. Let me be the one to open the path for Senior in the Chi Di Plains. I know the intricacies of the borders and the rules that might hinder Senior's steps if you enter as a foreign practitioner."

Zhi Xuan looked at Mo Chen for a moment, weighing every word from the young man. "Rise, Mo Chen. I do not need a path-opener who walks with his head bowed. If you want to be that person, then stand tall. In front of the Shen Clan people later, I will also look at them without lowering my gaze."

"I understand, Senior!" Mo Chen exclaimed, his eyes flashing with determination.

Jian Dao then took out a small jade token from his robe, an old object whose surface had smoothed with age. He handed it to Zhi Xuan. "This is the **Sword Token of Honor**. Long ago, during my prime, I had an old friend in the Chi Di Plains. If you encounter difficulties that cannot be solved with force, this token will lead you to him. Perhaps the remnants of my name still hold some prestige there."

Zhi Xuan accepted the token solemnly. "Thank you, Senior Jian. I will keep this kindness in my heart."

Dawn had now fully broken. The first sunlight touched the blade of the Heavenly Sword planted in the courtyard, making it emit a magnificent black-red glow, as if the sun itself were paying homage to the weapon. Thousands of disciples below were still immersed in deep meditation, unaware that the figure who gave them hope was preparing to soar toward a new horizon.

Zhi Xuan exhaled, waving his hand calmly and changing his robes to black-and-white. The **Seven-Star Boat** appeared before him; he boarded the bow and sat cross-legged, while Mo Chen followed, standing tall behind him. The Seven-Star Boat hummed softly, leaving trails of glowing silver behind it as it shot toward the horizon, heading toward the location of the Ancient Shen Clan's ship.

"This world is going to get very noisy once he arrives there," Duan Niu muttered, taking a swig of wine from his gourd.

"Not noisy, Duan Niu," Jian Dao replied with distant eyes. "This world is listening to the footsteps of a mortal who is slowly tearing the sky apart."

The Seven-Star Boat sped like a silver meteor cutting through the curtain of dawn mist, leaving the shrinking Heavenly Path Pavilion behind. At the bow, Zhi Xuan sat cross-legged with eyes closed, letting the wind blow his hair. However, though his body was on the boat, his consciousness was diving into every inch of the Divine Wheel within his body, contemplating the Heavens Shatterer stages he had just heard about.

*"Yin Nightfall... Yang Radiance... First Nirvana..."* he murmured internally. Those names pulsed in his mind like ancient mantras demanding to be solved.

Behind him, Mo Chen stood as straight as a spear planted on the deck. The young man did not dare disturb Zhi Xuan’s meditation, but his sharp eyes constantly scanned the horizon. After traveling for several hours across magnificent floating lands and an ocean that seemed endless, they finally arrived.

In the distance, at the edge of the Cang Hai region, a majestic sight began to reveal itself. Amidst the drifting white clouds, a giant ship floated gracefully. The carvings decorating it were incredibly grand, as was the magnificence of its balconies—hallmarks of an Ancient Clan ship.

"That is the main ship belonging to the Shen Clan," Mo Chen whispered, his voice a mix of pride and anxiety. "Only the Holy Sons and Daughters have permission to move that ship at any time. Senior, Holy Daughter Shen truly values you."

Zhi Xuan opened his eyes. His sapphire pupils flashed as he gazed at the giant ship dominating the sky. He felt several presences on the ship—presences that were quite sparse but clearly those of direct elders of the Ancient Shen Clan, and among them might be the two Elders he knew had escorted Shen Ruolan back then.

As the Seven-Star Boat approached, Zhi Xuan waved his hand, and the boat immediately disappeared into him. He stepped through the air, and a gap opened in the giant ship's protective formation. A beautiful figure in flowing purple velvet robes stood on the ship’s main balcony, resting her chin on her supple hand while smiling mischievously at the approaching figure.

"My goodness, my man has finally arrived... I mean... Senior, you truly kept your promise," Shen Ruolan's voice drifted melodiously, carried by spiritual winds until it reached Zhi Xuan's ears. "Ruolan almost thought Senior would flee to the end of the world to avoid the gift you must give me."

Zhi Xuan landed on the deck with a movement as light as a feather, making no sound at all. Behind him, Mo Chen landed with a much stiffer posture, immediately dropping to one knee before Shen Ruolan.

"Your servant Mo Chen offers greetings to Holy Maiden Shen," Mo Chen said in a low tone. "I have returned, bringing the Senior with me."

Shen Ruolan waved her hand dismissively toward Mo Chen, though she was relieved he was safe in Zhi Xuan’s hands. Her eyes sparkled, remaining fixed on Zhi Xuan. She stepped closer, the intoxicating fragrance of her charm instantly enveloping Zhi Xuan’s senses.