The Heaven Dao disciple with the surname Lu was nearing a total emotional meltdown. Fang Zhengzhi already dealt them a severe blow by navigating out of the Jungle of Mysteries in less than an hour, a truly awe-inspiring feat. But now …
He deciphered the first Nine Heavens Sagely Illustration. Could anyone believe this? Of course not, but this exact moment unfolded before their very eyes. How could they deny it now?
In this instant, the disciples felt the chills as though they just saw a ghost in broad daylight. Even now, they have yet to recover from their shock. Sixth Elder and the disciples around him were also completely flabbergasted.
How long has it been? How long did Fang Zhengzhi take to enter the Nine Heavens?
Why was he this fast? How could he possibly be this fast?
...
Inside the Nine Heavens of the Divine Rain Pond, the scroll in front of Fang Zhengzhi suddenly disappeared from view. For a moment, he did not know how to react. What's going on? Did I decipher it?
Just as he was pondering over this, the scenery in front of him changed, and in the next instant, he appeared on another verdant meadow with nearly thirty Heaven Dao disciples staring him down right in front of him. Everyone wore a ghastly expression on their faces.
Indeed, who wouldn't be shocked if something like this happened to them?
These disciples stared at Fang Zhengzhi while the echo of the booming announcement was still ringing in their eyes. They were totally astounded.
"How did Fang Zhengzhi get into the Nine Heavens?"
"No, how did he get into the Second Heaven of the Nine Heavens?
"When did he leave the Jungle of Mysteries?"
"Is he really human?"
Countless doubts floated in the disciples' minds like streaks of lightning bolts flashing incessantly across their heads.
Of course, compared to the nearly thirty Heaven Dao disciples standing in the Second Heaven, the remaining four disciples in the First Heaven were clearly dumbfounded. As disciples of the Heaven Dao Pavilion, they had their pride, and were hailed as geniuses in their field, adulated and respected by countless people. But now …
They have fallen behind, behind the vast majority of Heaven Dao disciples. Over thirty of them entered the Nine Heavens at the same time to view the Nine Heavens Sagely Illustrations, but now, they're the only ones who have not deciphered the first illustration yet. This already dealt a severe blow to their pride.
And yet now, Fang Zhengzhi's achievement indisputably plunged a burning stake into their crushing wounds, making it hellishly unbearable for them.
The four disciples looked at each other, with the sight of Fang Zhengzhi deciphering the illustration with a single glance still replaying in their minds. Their eyes turned cold, as though they had nothing left to live for.
"...."
"What just happened?"
"He … he just deciphered the Nine … Nine Heavens Sagely Illustration?!"
The four disciples gazed at the scroll hanging above their heads and the thick brush stroke painted across the scroll. They could not endure the shame any longer. Their legs gave way and they suddenly sank to the ground.
Yan Qing's expression was also strange. He did not lose, but he certainly did not win either, because both Fang Zhengzhi and him stepped into the Nine Heavens realm at roughly the same time. But of course … this was not the crux of the matter.
What's important was, Fang Zhengzhi, who stepped into the Nine Heavens at the same time as he did, has already ascended to the Second Heaven of the Nine Heavens while he was still standing in the First Heaven.
"Is this illustration really that simple?" Yan Qing lifted his head and gazed at the scroll above him, observing that thick brush stroke.
In an instant, he seemed to have entered an entirely different world. There was nothing in this world - no mountains, no rivers, no trees, no flowers and no grass. It was just blank, completely blank. Where is this?
An overwhelming oppressive force attacked Yan Qing, causing him to swing his fists about instinctively. One punch, two punches, three punches … He hurled his fists outwards tirelessly, retaliating without stopping. But the blank world still remained as blank as ever. Nothing changed.
No! I should be in the Nine Heavens realm. I should be observing the Nine Heavens Sagely Illustrations. That's right, that stroke, it was that stroke, the single stroke across the white scroll.
Yan Qing's fists subconsciously traced out the stroke, from above to below, but it became extremely exhausting for him.
"Boom!" A mellow rumble. In an instant, this blank white world had been dispelled by his fist.
The white disappeared. The trees and the green pastures reappeared. The scroll vanished, and a booming voice rang in his ears.
"Yan Qing has entered the Second Heaven!"
"...." The remaining four Heaven Dao disciples in the First Heaven sitting on the grass watched as Yan Qing vanished before their eyes. Their lips twitched as tears rolled down their faces amidst the light rain.
Did they really have to be dealt with another blow?!
…...
"Did we really have to be dealt with another blow?!"
The nearly thirty Heaven Dao disciples in the Second Heaven echoed the same sentiments as their four peers in the First Heaven, because that booming voice reverberated across the horizon once again.
"Fang Zhengzhi has entered the Third Heaven!"
"... the Third Heaven!"
"...."
Was there anything worse than suddenly being overtaken by someone whom you clearly had a head start with at the startline after running for almost an hour?
Yes! Being overtaken at just the Second Heaven!
"...." The disciples were speechless, unable to fathom how freakish someone had to be in order to decipher the second Nine Heaven Sagely Illustration in less than a second.
It was bewildering. And in their bewilderment, another voice rang in their ears. "Yan Qing has entered the Second Heaven!"
"...." The nearly thirty disciples subconsciously turned their eyes towards Yan Qing who just appeared in front of them. Their faces flushed red.
This was really a world inhabited by demons!
As seniors with a few years of experience in the Heaven Dao Pavilion, they have just allowed a newly inducted junior to catch up to them right after being overtaken by a demonic opponent. How could their hearts endure such a devastating blow?
They were shamed, utterly shamed.
Yan Qing clearly did not notice the expressions on his seniors' faces. In fact, he did not even spare them a single glance ever since he stepped into the Second Heaven, because he also heard the booming announcement that Fang Zhengzhi … has already entered the Third Heaven.
Even though the bet between him and Fang Zhengzhi had already ended, how could a contest without a proper winner be considered complete in Yan Qing's mind?
Hence, he still wanted to compete with Fang Zhengzhi. And this time, he was clearly competing to see who could reach the highest Heaven.
"You're fast, really fast! But I'll … definitely overtake you!" Just as he hardened his will, Yan Qing gazed up at the second illustration hanging over the horizon.
Compared to the first illustration, the second illustration clearly had more strokes, but the increase was quite incremental.
It was an unusually sloppily scribbled scroll. It looked as though it was splattered on by someone completely clueless about calligraphy, yet such a carefree scribble did contain a very natural quality.
Nothing could be identified from the scroll. Of course, if it had to be likened to something, it would be fog, thick fog. Or perhaps, wind, splattered onto the scroll without any care.
"What's the meaning of this?" Unlike the first illustration which instantly transported Yan Qing into another world, he was clearly baffled by this puzzle.
...
"The single stroke on the first illustration was evidently the simplification of every form of existence in the world, and the second illustration clearly represented nature. Aren't these Nine Heavens Sagely Illustrations a little too simple?" Fang Zhengzhi looked out into the endless plains before him and gazed up at the third illustration hanging above him, twitching his lips casually.
Suddenly, he felt a strange emptiness in his heart, as though he was standing on the summit of a mountain without any opponent in sight, unmatched by all. Yet at this moment, the booming voice rang in his ears again.
"Chi Guyan has entered the Fifth Heaven!"
"... the Fifth Heaven!"
"....."
"F*ck!" Fang Zhengzhi unknowingly erected his middle finger straight at the sky. He thought that he just needed to ascend to the next Heaven to give Chi Guyan a big surprise of his own. But now, it seems like he was going ahead of himself.
She was indeed really fast. Fang Zhengzhi just reached the Third Heaven and Chi Guyan has already entered the Fifth Heaven. A gap of two Heavens was certainly not small! On the contrary, it was a huge distance.
Fang Zhengzhi knew very well that the difficulty of deciphering the scrolls would grow more the higher they went. For instance, he immediately associated the second illustration with nature in the instant he glanced at it, but merely thinking about the puzzle and deciphering the puzzle were two completely different matters. He had to be fast!
Fang Zhengzhi quickly looked up at the scroll above him. It was an ink painting, with heavy and broad brush strokes starting from the top left corner of the scroll before becoming fader as they move towards the bottom right corner, then trailing off completely at the end. Sporadic ink blots of varying sizes were dotted seemingly indiscriminately across the scroll, yet it followed a certain fixed pattern.
Fang Zhengzhi raised his eyebrows. This scroll was evidently much more complicated than the previous two scrolls. He was actually unsure of what the painting meant after his initial glance.
A splash-ink painting?
What does that … even represent?