Chapter 340 The Opening of the Front Gate
Jiang Qiubai laughed. An expression of disparagement was etched in his face. “You two have misread the situation. In the Everlasting Heaven of the Wolf Temple, you two outsiders never get the turn to throw your weight around, do you?”
At that, the Wave-making Master sneer and muttered, “What a die-hard you are!”
Gu Bansheng heaved with a sigh and said, “Such being the case, Master Jiang, get prepared to defend yourself the last time.”
Jiang Qiubai nodded. Then, he added, “I have one question that I just have to ask you two. How on earth did you sneak into the Wolf Temple?”
The Wave-making Master did not respond but smiled coldly, his eyes that were sharp as knives fixed on the weird dog named General.
His loathing for that dog already went to the limit.
Gu Bansheng, however, answered, “Master Jiang, you probably have also registered that the world is changing. Immortals and demons are coming. The world is no longer the one it was. The era of destruction just lies ahead. Soon, the ones taking control of this world will not be the top nine Holy Clans or empires anymore. But if we want to get out of this world and enter that vast universe, we have to come to some compromises…”
“Well, I got it. But Head Gu really put it in a euphemistic way,” Jiang Qiubai sneered and nodded, his blood dyeing the frame red as he was leaning weakly against the golden door. “Despite that, I still grasped the gist. Haha, you said compromise? Doesn’t it mean you two have swallowed your pride and started serving another master like dogs?”
Gu Bansheng’s face darkened at once.
The Wave-making Master pressed on towards Jiang Qiubai, his killing intent rising with every step he took. Clearly, he had had enough of the trash talk.
However, General barked and leaped forward. It bellowed angrily, “Let’s get this straight first. What’s your problem with being a dog?”
Jiang Qiubai did not know what to say.
“Is it the time for arguing this?”
“Since it is so, Master Jiang, get ready to hit the road leading to h.e.l.l.” Gu Bansheng shouted. Layers of sword light were s.h.i.+mmering in his palm, the Sword Intent swirling.
A hint of arrogance surface on Jiang Qiubai’s face. He gave a sardonic smile and announced, “You seem to have forgotten one thing.”
“What thing?”
“That I am from the Everlasting Heaven.” Jiang Qiubai said with a half-hearted smile.
The Wave-making Master and the Gu Bansheng both froze in their tracks. A tinge of fear revealed on their faces.
“Yeah, right. We almost forgot Jiang Qiubai is a man from the Everlasting Heaven!”
“The Everlasting Heaven is one of the forbidding lands of immortals and demons. It houses impressive secrets, karma, as well as lethal traps. Even a great Sage might get killed there. Since Jiang Qiubai is from the Everlasting Heaven, he certainly knows well about all the secrets of that heaven. Judging by his composed bearing at the moment, could there be any concealed traps or hidden weapon at the front gate?”
The Everlasting Heaven was about to open. Neither of them wanted to be just one step short of success at that juncture.
Gu Bansheng and Wave-making Master exchanged a look. n.o.body dared to take another step forward.
When they were in the Wolf Temple earlier, although Jiang Qiubai was forced to take flight after being defeated several times, that did not result from not a lack of power. Instead, it was because Jiang Qiubai was already in a disadvantageous position in the two-on-one battle and he had a woman to protect. It was inevitable that he was distracted in the fight. In several cases, the Wave-making Master even put aside his esteem and launched brutal strikes straightly at that woman so as to compel Jiang Qiubai to fight back head-on. Only through that desperate means did he maul the target. Otherwise, Jiang Qiubai could totally hang in there by dint of all sorts of tricks and tactical deployments in the Wolf Temple.
Even though they had taken the upper hand for the moment, they were all the same intimidated by Jiang Qiubai’s schemes.
Therefore, at that moment, Jiang Qiubai’s one remark stripped the two experts at the peak of martial arts practice of their domineering air.
Propping himself up against the front gate, Jiang Qiubai kept gazing at the two intruders with a derisive smile.
The atmosphere seemed to be a little weird, even awkward.
Standing next to Jiang Qiubai, Shangguan Yuting was busy bandaging his wounds.
All the way there, Jiang Qiubai had given her proper protection and kept her from all injuries. Several times, the Sage even risked his own life to rescue her from the Wave-making Master.
Shangguan Yuting felt she was holding Jiang Qiubai back. As they traveled from Taibai County to the pasture, from the snowy land to the Wolf Temple, and then to the Nine Heaven Gates of the Everlasting Heaven, the impression Shangguan Yuting held for the man who had kidnapped her changed constantly. Having been on the run with him for those days, she knew she could not deny that Jiang Qiubai was a good person, a man with the real demeanor, mindset, and comportment of the Nine Superbs. He was a hundredfold more honest and upright than that Wave-making Master and Gu Bansheng, though the two were also among the Nine Superbs.
Therefore, she wished to a.s.sist Jiang Qiubai.
Unfortunately, her strength was a far cry from his.
It was not the kind of battle a pract.i.tioner at her level could partic.i.p.ate in.
Jiang Qiubai coughed, blood trickling down his chin.
It was the second time he had been so severely injured since he stepped out of the Everlasting Heaven after he gained the Full Accomplishment in martial art.
The Cultivation Method those in the Wolf Temple practice was centered on refining the corporeal body. Thus, Jiang Qiubai’s body was extremely strong and his recovering ability was also amazing. But those who injured him were also Superbs, the top experts in martial arts practice. Adding that Wave-making Master’s poisonous Hollyhock Water Power and Gu Bansheng’s Half-divine Half-evil Sword Intent continued to damage his flesh, Jiang Qiubai could only manage to stop the bleeding for the time being. It might take him years to fully recover.
But at that point, undoubtedly, the thing he was most bereft of was time.
The silent standoff lasted for 20 whole minutes.
Eventually, the Wave-making Master could not bear it anymore.
“If you did have some back-up moves, you must have gotten the drop on us now instead of still bidding your time after the long pause.” He stared at Jiang Qiubai and said with a cold laugh. “You said that on purpose. You only hoped to keep us scared and play for more time until the Nine Heaven Gates open, allowing you to escape into the Everlasting Heaven and keep breathing, am I right?”
Jiang Qiubai simply sat on the floor in silence. As if his cultivation had dissipated, no trace of energy fluctuations could be found around him.
Though looking dreadfully pale, his expression was quite calm. He just sneered but did not speak.
The Wave-making Master gritted his teeth and silvery light began to s.h.i.+ne about him. The sound of sea waves could be heard. He wrapped himself in a suit of water-blue armor as dozens of water blades in dark blue took a variety of shapes, ready to thrust at Jiang Qiubai in droves any time.
“Woof! Do you really have back-up moves?” Pressed the two-town eyed dog called General, its fur standing on end as though it would run for its life at any second.
Reluctant to bicker with it again, Jiang Qiubai said, “What do you think?”
General t.i.tled its head, put on an annoying look, and gave that a thought. Then, it remarked, “I think you are a pretty crafty man. It’s likely that you have been holding something really nasty to the last moment. So, I’ll trust you this time…” With that, it lay down again, not that eager to flee anymore.
At that, the Wave-making Master who planned to cast his deadly move suddenly was in a daze.
He had no way to find out whether the Sage and the dog meant what they said in that the conversation or not.
That thickheaded dog had given him quite a trauma, too.
The Wave-making Master was instantly reminded of a load of scenes he had witnessed in which the tables were turned when that was least expected. What if there was a certain tactical deployment in front of the Nine Heaven Gates? What if it could devour immortals and demons once it was activated?
“Humph, almost bite your bait.” The Wave-making Master gave a frosty smile and took a step back. The water blades in dark blue around him also dissolved.
At that, Gu Bansheng, the Evil Sword Demon, had no alternative but to back off as well.
After working hard for so long, they could not afford to fail at the last step.
Hence, the awkward standoff continued.
As time lapsed, Jiang Qiubai looked more and more anxious.
That change in his expressions further confirmed the presumption the Wave-making Master and Gu Bansheng made— Jiang Qiubai surely had some nasty ace card at hand.
They believed Jiang Qiubai was trying to lead them to strike with his previous behaviors. He wanted to steal up upon them at the most critical moment. But as time flew by, the Nine Heaven Gates would soon open. When that time came, Jiang Qiubai would have to seek shelter in the Everlasting Heaven. That suited the two well. Anyway, all they wanted was to enter the Everlasting Heaven with that black wolf sculpture and attain the secret of reaching the Void-breaking Realm. It was not necessary to have a life-or-death struggle with Jiang Qiubai.
Having figured that out, the two were no longer restless to pick a fight.
At last, after around half an hour, a series of rumbling noises were heard.
The golden gate behind Jiang Qiubai slowly swung open. Dazzling golden light gushed out of it.
That gate was in the middle of the Nine Heaven Gates. It was also the largest one.
It only opened once a thousand years. The largest blessed place in the Everlasting Heaven was right behind that gate.
The Wave-making Master and the Gu Bansheng turned exultant on the spot.
Because the band of golden light was exactly the rich Qi of immortals and demons.
The legend was real. The Everlasting Heaven did house the secret of going to the Void-breaking Realm and have the path leading to the outer world. The two immediately felt the journey had not been made in vain.
“You can go in now. Explore it as much as you can.” By that time, Jiang Qiubai’s fragmentary figure was almost fully outshone by the golden light. He then turned to Shangguan Yuting. “The gate of the Everlasting Heaven only opens once 1,000 years. You’re destined to visit it. That’s your karma. It goes the same with the Nine-tailed creature in your arms… As to you,” Jiang Qiubai’s eyes quickly scanned that two-tone eyed Huskie and the corner of his mouth twitched before he continued, “fine, I’ll let you in, too…”
General barked indignantly, “What do you mean ‘let me in, too’? You didn’t want me to go in at first, did you? You heartless blond jerk!”
“What about you?” Asked Shangguan Yuting as she made to help Jiang Qiubai get to his feet.
Now that the gate had opened, he could seek shelter behind it. As Jiang Qiubai mentioned it before, the Everlasting Heaven was s.p.a.cious. He could definitely get rid of the Wave-making Master and Gu Bansheng there.
Jiang Qiubai smiled. “I? I’ll guard the door, of course…” He said nonchalantly, “The Everlasting Heaven is not a place accessible to cats or…” Before the word ‘dogs’ burst out, he quickly swallowed it back. Otherwise, that stupid dog named General would squabble with him again. That would be obnoxious.
On the opposite side, the Wave-making Master and Gu Bansheng realized what Jiang Qiubai meant and turned stern again.
“Master Jiang, you want to do as much as your strength permits. Don’t act in defiance of nature,” warned the Wave-making Master coldly. “We have given you a second chance already. Remember? We didn’t strike and kill you a moment earlier… The Everlasting Heaven is open now. All kinds of secrets are lying in it. Everyone can enter and try to get a hold of them with their own powers. Don’t force us to do you in.”
Gu Bansheng sneered as well.
They had merely chosen to be scrupulous to ensure they could enter the Everlasting Heaven without difficulties.
But to their surprise, Jiang Qiubai dared to stop them from crossing through the gate. Well then, they just had to battle it out.
Jiang Qiubai slowly propped himself up on the only leg he had, his features suddenly hardened. “Act in defiance of nature? Humph, I forgot to tell you, in this place, I am nature… Anyone forcing entry into the Wolf Temple will be killed! Now that you’ve already the pet dogs of the outer demons, how could you still wish to enter the Everlasting Heaven? How could such a sacred place be tarnished by you guys without backbones? To tell you the truth, since the moment you stepped into the Wolf Temple, you have no chance to get out of there alive.”
As he spoke, he unexpectedly raised a hand and flicked his sleeve.
A tide of invisible power flooded out, carrying the unprepared Shangguan Yuting across the golden gate behind him.
The two-tone eyed General was drawn into that mysterious world along with Shangguan Yuting.
After that, Jiang Qiubai, who had only one arm and one leg, stood alone in front of the gate. Shafts of golden light poured to the ground behind him. He straightened up, motioned the two Superbs forward with his single hand, and remarked, “Come on. Today, some of the Nine Superbs in the World are bound to meet their downfall.”