Transcending the Nine Heavens

After bidding farewell to Wu Yun Liang, Meng Chao Ran turned and headed back to Purple Bamboo Garden. Throughout the journey, he remained very silent.

Chu Yang was aware that Meng Chao Ran was concerned about his abilities, but he was unsure about how he should address it. He wanted to reveal some information to his master, but he felt that he would not be able to dispel Meng Chao Ran’s apprehension regardless of what he said. Hence, Chu Yang did not speak a word as well.

As the duo entered the gates of Purple Bamboo Garden, they suddenly heard Tan Tan’s ear-piercing screams, "Don’t run! If you keep trying to escape, I will boil you in soup!"

Chu Yang and Meng Chaoran were shocked. They rushed in quickly and saw Tan Tan kneeling by the pond as water splashed all over. Shortly after, he cried in joy and started jumping about as he held a newly caught fish in his hands. He seemed as happy as a lark.

Shocked by what he witnessed, Meng Chao Ran ran towards Tan Tan.

Chu Yang was also in awe! Little did he expect Tan Tan to be able to catch such a valuable creature!

The creature in Tan Tan’s hands was a strange-looking fish. Its body was completely black and it had no scales at all. Its eyeless head was large and round. It was a rare species that was hardly encountered! The fish was not very big in size and probably weighed no more than half a pound.

"Tan Tan, drop it!" Meng Chao Ran screamed, "You must not kill it!"

Tan Tan’s face turned in shock and confusion. Realizing that it was Meng Chao Ran calling him, he shouted eagerly, "Master! Chu Yang! Look at what I have found! I just caught a strange fish!"

Tan Tan was still trying to brag about his catch when the fish sudden squirmed violently in his hands and jumped out of his grip. It made a beautiful curve in the air and started to fall towards the ground.

The next instant, Meng Chao Ran leapt forward and caught the fish in mid-air. He continued by performing a spin and landing smoothly on the ground. Without hesitation, he grabbed a bucket nearby and filled it with the pond water before placing the fish in it.

When Meng Chao Ran was done, he splashed some water on his own face and handed the bucket to Tan Tan. With a smile, he said, "Keep this in your room and take good care of it. This is no ordinary fish. You must never let it die."

Tan Tan asked with a puzzled look, "Master, what fish is this? It’s so small that it is not even enough to make a bowl of soup."

"Soup? All you can think is food!" Meng Chao Ran sounded agitated and amused at the same time. He hit Tan Tan on the head lightly and chided, "This is a precious treasure! Don’t you think it is a waste to just eat it like this?"

"Precious treasure?" Tan Tan seemed to begin to understand the value of the creature in the bucket. He peered down at the fish curiously, looking at every single part of it, but it still appeared like a normal fish to him. Even though it looked slightly different from other fishes, it was still a fish.

"This is the Heavenly Chi Gathering Fish," Chu Yang said as he knelt down and examined the fish carefully. "I can’t believe...Tan Tan was able to chance upon such a rare treasure! You are really fortunate."

"Heavenly Chi Gathering Fish?"

Chu Yang replied, "Yes, the Heavenly Chi Gathering Fish. According to myths it was the sacred treasure of the Heavenly Three Star Clan. Eating it while it is not fully grown will yield no special effect. However, if you take care of the fish carefully, it can harness the energy of the Heaven and Earth! This will boost the effectiveness of your cultivation! This fish is a treasure that martial artists yearn for!"

"That’s right. Furthermore, the best thing about this fish is that when it is near you, the energy it harnesses will be is extremely pure. This is its most valuable property. This fish is a legendary creature. Nobody has seen it in decades and many have only known about it through books. Tan Tan, how did you manage to find it?" Meng Chao Ran asked in surprise.

"I found it just a while ago. When I was going to get water from the pond, the sky suddenly turned dark. I could not see anything at all! I was so afraid to move that I just stayed still right beside the pond. Fortunately, it started to brighten up again after an hour. That was when I notice something twitching below the dirt at the side of the pond, as though it was trying to force its way out to the surface. So I continued watching it." Tan Tan explained, "Shortly after, the fish came out of the mud. I tried to catch it as it looked quite unusual."

"The sky suddenly turned dark?" Meng Chao Ran frowned. Meng Chao Ran and Wu Yun Liang were still underground so they were completely oblivious to the strange phenomenon that occurred. Having heard the descriptions from Tan Tan, Meng Chao Ran felt something was usual.

"The sky became dark for an hour? The fish came out from the mud right after that?" Meng Chao Ran looked at the sky as a look of worry flashed across his face. "Everything related to the Divine Clan has not appeared for a long time. Why did the Divine Chi Gathering Fish appear all of a sudden? Why have the sky suddenly turned dark in the day?"

"Perhaps, this is a sign of drastic change?" Meng Chao Ran pondered for a long while. However, with his frowned look, something else was probably bothering him.

Chu Yang was equally confused. He was also oblivious to the occurrence of the strange phenomenon when he obtained the Nine Tribulations Swordpoint.

"Tan Tan, since you found the fish, you should keep it in your room." Meng Chao Ran said after returning back to his usual self.

"Yes, master. Both Chu Yang and I share the same room so we will both benefit from it together!" Tan Tan was truly jubilant.

"From today onwards, Chu Yang and you will stay separately!" Meng Chao Ran said with a solemn look.

"Why?" Tan Tan asked disappointedly.

"There is no particular reason. Chu Yang has something important to attend to."

"Then, we should keep the fish in Chu Yang’s room instead." Tan Tan requested with a sad voice, "Although I really want it, Chu Yang will need it more than me as he is about to embark on a dangerous mission. Even if it only helps him a little, it would be better for him to have it. When Chu Yang leaves, he should even bring it with him so that he can harness energy from the Heaven and Earth whenever he needs to."

Chu Yang was touched. He turned and looked at Tan Tan. A warm feeling overwhelmed him completely. He did not know what to say for a long time.

Meng Chao Ran had already explained the valuable properties of the Heavenly Chi Gathering Fish. Although Tan Tan appeared simple-minded at times, he was not foolish. He knew very well the benefits of having the fish around. It was touching that he requested for Chu Yang to keep the fish despite knowing how valuable it was!

"Although Tan Tan wanted it so badly, he still wishes to give it to me?"

"Why?" Meng Chao Ran asked as he looked at Tan Tan with a new kind of admiration.

"I will be staying here with you and it is so safe." Tan Tan said, "Chu Yang definitely needs it more than I do."

"Silly boy." Meng Chao Ran patted Tan Tan’s head and said, "If you truly wish to help Chu Yang, you must first strengthen your abilities. Only then will you be of help when he really needs you one day. Chu Yang will be travelling around frequently. Bringing such a valuable creature around will only result in greater danger. Do you understand?"

Tan Tan’s mouth hung wide opened and his face flushed with embarrassment. He replied slowly, "I shall keep it here then." Then, he turned to Chu Yang and explained, "Chu Yang, I... I am not being stingy with you but this is..."

"I understand." Chu Yang squeezed Tan Tan’s shoulders hard and said kindly, "You’re my good brother! But, how do you know I am leaving?"

"You have been preparing and packing your items in the last few days. Although you didn’t mention a single thing to me, I am not stupid. Having grown up together, how would I not know? Since you are not letting me know about it, I guess it must be a dangerous mission." Tan Tan continued, "Moreover, master has been with you quite a lot recently. I would be a fool if I am still don’t know what is going on."

Chu Yang laughed as he heard this.

Tan Tan suddenly said earnestly, "Chu Yang, I don’t know where you are going. But I will definitely train hard and assist you in the future."

"Sure! I will wait for you! By that time, you and I will fight together to change this world!" Chu Yang said proudly as he felt a surge of motivation.

"With such a good brother, I must definitely work harder! This time, distorting the world’s fate will also change Tan Tan’s fate!"

"How can I let such a kind brother die?"