The old man shot him a glare, sneering, "In ancient times, there were men of righteousness who bore their coffins into court, remonstrating with their lives. Why shouldn't I burn paper for him? I insist on burning! I've burned for twenty thousand years—burned enough that when he dies, he could become the richest man in Youdu!"
Shu Jun burst out laughing and teased, "If you want to be a righteous man, then burn paper right in front of the Pioneer Emperor Qin Ye himself. Why do it here in this desolate, godforsaken place? Who are you burning it for? Who's watching? You're no righteous man."
The old man slumped down, sitting heavily on the ground and muttering, "That's right, I'm no righteous man. If I were, I would have borne my coffin into court and remonstrated with my death twenty thousand years ago. I even finished making my coffin, but I lost my nerve and didn't dare bring it..."
He waved his sleeve, and a black coffin flew out—it was the one he'd forged all those years ago, intending to bear it into court and remonstrate with his death.
Shu Jun eyed the black coffin—its surface gleamed with an oily shine, clearly from years of constant handling. He couldn't help but laugh, "You old man, you've rubbed that coffin so much it's slick with oil. Shows you're the kind who always hesitates and can't make a decision."
The old man grew furious, wanting to retort, but after a moment's thought, he realized it was true.
He hadn't dared bear his coffin into court, spending his days just staring at it, touching it over and over, never able to make up his mind. No wonder it was polished to a glossy shine.
Shu Jun was about to mock him further, but Quinn Shepherd stopped him.
"Elder, how should I address you?" Quinn asked.
The old man replied listlessly, "I was once Fang Youji, Lesser Guardian of the Four Assistants in the Kaihuang Heaven Court. Now I'm just the grave-keeper of Clearbright Heaven—a watcher of graves, that's all."
Quinn said, "As a Lesser Guardian, you're a first-grade official. Why have you fallen so low as to be a grave-keeper?"
Fang Youji rose and said, "You're Shepherd Heavenly Venerable; whatever you say is right. I'm not good with sword arts, only with divine arts. I use my divine arts to simulate swordsmanship—this sword is called the Clearbright Tribulation-Heart Sword!"
He performed sword arts with divine arts, and at once, a fine, desolate rain filled the sky. Though it was only imitation, Quinn could see the sword-intent hidden within.
The Pioneer Emperor created this sword form to temper the tribulation-heart—mourning the deaths of peers and comrades, commemorating ancestors, borrowing the ancients to forge the present, honing one's Dao-heart, and also testing an opponent's Dao-heart.
This sword demands an extremely firm Dao-heart; if your Dao-heart falters in battle, you'll lose to him.
Fang Youji performed it once and said, "I'm using divine arts to imitate his third sword. After all, divine arts can't fully express the profundity of his sword Dao. If you can't see its essence, I can perform it several more times."
Quinn closed his eyes, then opened them and smiled, "No need."
Fang Youji squatted down again to burn paper for the nameless grave, saying, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, you can go to Mystic Womb Heaven. The one guarding Mystic Womb Heaven is the second of the Four Assistants, Lesser Tutor Gao Baixun."
Quinn thanked him and left with Shu Jun, without seeking out the Clearbright Heaven academy.
Shu Jun looked back and saw the old man still burning paper, but instead of crying over Qin Ye's tragic death, he now sat by the fire smiling, his face flushed red by the flames.
"This Lesser Guardian of the Pioneer Emperor seems to be hoping you'll defeat the Pioneer Emperor."
Shu Jun wondered aloud, "This old fellow really is a traitor, and he's so happy about it. Saint Baby, I see now why you have to travel around—turns out there are so many experts under the Pioneer Emperor feeding you moves."
Quinn smiled, "An old steed in the stable still longs for a thousand miles; a hero in twilight years keeps his lofty ambitions. The Pioneer Emperor and his army of gods and demons hide in Carefree Haven, but not everyone is content. The men of ambition aren't hoping I'll defeat the Pioneer Emperor—they want me to inspire him, to rekindle the ambition of this former leader."
He said quietly, "Actually, they want to rekindle their own ambition too. A dragon that once soared the clouds, now curled in a muddy puddle, lifts its head to the sky and remembers flying through mist, not wallowing in mud."
"I think you're talking about me."
Shu Jun laughed loudly, "I am the dragon you speak of!"
Quinn burst into laughter. The two climbed up to Mystic Womb Heaven. Ahead, the woods were dense, and someone was teaching in the forest, his voice booming: "Universal love is called benevolence; acting appropriately is called righteousness; and this is called the Dao. What does this mean?"
"Universal love is benevolence; practicing benevolence is righteousness; following the path of benevolence and righteousness, and constantly putting it into practice, is the Dao. This is the meaning of investigating things and attaining knowledge, knowing and doing."
"Knowing and doing as one, that's attaining the Dao. Knowing but not doing—that's the Pioneer Emperor!"
...
Quinn bowed and thanked him, then walked around.
Grand Preceptor Zhou Jingmeng's Primordial Spirit popped out from his 'corpse,' shouting, "My elder brother Zhou Xunfang will avenge me in Seven-Luminary Heaven. Just you wait!"
Shu Jun couldn't help but laugh and cry, then asked, "How do we get to Seven-Luminary Heaven?"
"That way!"
Zhou Jingmeng's Primordial Spirit pointed and called, "If you dare, then go!"
Quinn and Shu Jun arrived at Seven-Luminary Heaven, paid respects to Zhou Xunfang who vowed to die for the Pioneer Emperor. Zhou Xunfang declared his intent with a 'death,' his act even more dramatic than Zhou Jingmeng's, and before 'dying,' he told them the Three Dukes of the Pioneer Court would be waiting in the next heavens.
As they continued this journey, two months passed quickly. Quinn and Shu Jun unwittingly traversed Void Heaven, Taiji Heaven, Scarlet-Bright Heaven, Profound-Bright Heaven, Radiant-Bright Heaven, and other layers, drawing ever closer to the summit of the thirty-three heavens.
One day, upon reaching Supreme Heaven, Quinn heard hearty laughter. A donkey came running, a fishing rod tied to its head with a carrot dangling, and stopped abruptly beside Quinn, laughing, "Hey, isn't this Shepherd Heavenly Venerable? Don't you recognize me?"
The donkey stood up on two legs, threw a thick forearm around Quinn's shoulder and another around Shu Jun's, muscles bulging as he laughed, "I'm Luther! We've been through hardship together! Let me tell you a secret: Supreme Heaven belongs to my master, Celestial Teacher Ethan. She's been waiting for you!"
Clamping the two, the donkey rambled on, "Master says Carefree Haven and the Creators have made peace, no more war—it's a great joy, so we're celebrating. These days, we've been rehearsing with beautiful girls, singing and dancing with real spirit. It's called Ten-Thousand-Generations of Peace. Looks great, really great..."
Shu Jun was clamped by the donkey's big head, his feet not touching the ground. He struggled twice but couldn't break free, and was inwardly shocked.
He tried to use his divine sense, but it couldn't penetrate the donkey's mind, making him even more alarmed: "This donkey is terrifyingly strong!"
Quinn whispered, "Don't resist. This donkey is a High Heaven Hall Stage expert, no weaker than the lords of the heavens we've just faced!"
Shu Jun had to give up resisting and wanted to speak, but the donkey kept talking and laughing, occasionally braying, leaving him unable to get a word in.
Quinn was long used to Luther's temperament, knowing the donkey loved to argue; if you talked to him, he'd leave you speechless, so Quinn kept quiet and let himself be carried forward.
Luther brought them to Supreme Heaven's divine city, resplendent in gold and jade. Countless singers and dancers performed with high spirits, skirts swirling and sleeves fluttering in dazzling style. Hundreds of goddesses played flutes on the left, strings on the right, bells above, and drums below.
The girls flew through the air and danced on the ground, weaving in and out with graceful movements. Their singing ebbed and soared, all praising the Pioneer Emperor's greatness and heroic spirit.
Elena Cloud, dressed as a man, sat atop the tower enjoying the spectacle, clapping and stamping her feet in delight. The gods accompanying her joined in the praise and flattery.
Luther brought Quinn and Shu Jun upstairs and set them down.
Elena Cloud looked around and smiled, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, what do you think of this dance? Is it magnificent? Once the Netherworld is established, I plan to bring these girls to the Pioneer Emperor's court to perform for all the officials, singing his praises."
Quinn smiled, "The beauty of the dance dazzles the eyes, the charm of the song stirs the soul."
Elena Cloud clapped and laughed, glancing at him, "What a pity! You don't know your place and actually want to challenge the Pioneer Emperor. You have no idea how great his sword Dao is! To scare you, he's already pondering Sword Form Twenty. I only showed him your Sword Nineteen and he immediately understood Sword Twenty."
She stood up proudly, "That's how naturally brilliant and mighty the Pioneer Emperor is! So you'd better give up this rebellious idea. But you won't, will you? So I'll defeat you with his sword arts!"
She swept her sleeves and shouted, "Everyone back! I'll use the Pioneer Emperor's sword arts to show Shepherd Heavenly Venerable what true greatness is!"
The singing and dancing stopped, and the dancers withdrew.
Elena Cloud drew her sword and looked at Quinn.
Quinn was taken aback and cried out, "Even you...?"
One day, upon reaching Supreme Heaven, Quinn heard hearty laughter. A donkey came running, a fishing rod tied to its head with a carrot dangling, and stopped abruptly beside Quinn, laughing, "Hey, isn't this Shepherd Heavenly Venerable? Don't you recognize me?"
The donkey stood up on two legs, threw a thick forearm around Quinn's shoulder and another around Shu Jun's, muscles bulging as he laughed, "I'm Luther! We've been through hardship together! Let me tell you a secret: Supreme Heaven belongs to my master, Celestial Teacher Ethan. She's been waiting for you!"
Clamping the two, the donkey rambled on, "Master says Carefree Haven and the Creators have made peace, no more war—it's a great joy, so we're celebrating. These days, we've been rehearsing with beautiful girls, singing and dancing with real spirit. It's called Ten-Thousand-Generations of Peace. Looks great, really great..."
Shu Jun was clamped by the donkey's big head, his feet not touching the ground. He struggled twice but couldn't break free, and was inwardly shocked.
He tried to use his divine sense, but it couldn't penetrate the donkey's mind, making him even more alarmed: "This donkey is terrifyingly strong!"
Quinn whispered, "Don't resist. This donkey is a High Heaven Hall Stage expert, no weaker than the lords of the heavens we've just faced!"
Shu Jun had to give up resisting and wanted to speak, but the donkey kept talking and laughing, occasionally braying, leaving him unable to get a word in.
Quinn was long used to Luther's temperament, knowing the donkey loved to argue; if you talked to him, he'd leave you speechless, so Quinn kept quiet and let himself be carried forward.
Luther brought them to Supreme Heaven's divine city, resplendent in gold and jade. Countless singers and dancers performed with high spirits, skirts swirling and sleeves fluttering in dazzling style. Hundreds of goddesses played flutes on the left, strings on the right, bells above, and drums below.
The girls flew through the air and danced on the ground, weaving in and out with graceful movements. Their singing ebbed and soared, all praising the Pioneer Emperor's greatness and heroic spirit.
Elena Cloud, dressed as a man, sat atop the tower enjoying the spectacle, clapping and stamping her feet in delight. The gods accompanying her joined in the praise and flattery.
Luther brought Quinn and Shu Jun upstairs and set them down.
Elena Cloud looked around and smiled, "Shepherd Heavenly Venerable, what do you think of this dance? Is it magnificent? Once the Netherworld is established, I plan to bring these girls to the Pioneer Emperor's court to perform for all the officials, singing his praises."
Quinn smiled, "The beauty of the dance dazzles the eyes, the charm of the song stirs the soul."
Elena Cloud clapped and laughed, glancing at him, "What a pity! You don't know your place and actually want to challenge the Pioneer Emperor. You have no idea how great his sword Dao is! To scare you, he's already pondering Sword Form Twenty. I only showed him your Sword Nineteen and he immediately understood Sword Twenty."
She stood up proudly, "That's how naturally brilliant and mighty the Pioneer Emperor is! So you'd better give up this rebellious idea. But you won't, will you? So I'll defeat you with his sword arts!"
She swept her sleeves and shouted, "Everyone back! I'll use the Pioneer Emperor's sword arts to show Shepherd Heavenly Venerable what true greatness is!"
The singing and dancing stopped, and the dancers withdrew.
Elena Cloud drew her sword and looked at Quinn.
Quinn was taken aback and cried out, "Even you...?"