130 The Green Dragon Sacred Sword (1/2)
Yi Ping took a deep breath at the sight of the imposing marble columns of the Heaven's Gate. Even though the entire mountains were shaking violently, the Heaven's Gate did not seem to be affected by it as it stood serenely in the midst of the mayhem from the heavens and the earth.
This was the second time that Yi Ping had approached the Heaven's Gate and he was still in awe of the imposing white columns that lined the mountain sides. And beyond the Heaven's Gate was the stairs of heavens that led to the peak of the majestic Unmoving Mountains where the Holy Ascension Sect was situated!
Han Lin winked at Yi Ping as she asked, ”So we are finally here!”
Yi Ping replied, ”Yes but getting past it may be a problem.”
He looked awkwardly at the Celestial Mistress, Han Lin, Yang Min, Jing'Er, Xiao Qian and the Goddess Isa before he turned to look at Yixian, Lele, Lie Qing, Shi Shi, Yunzi and Youxue hoping that they could help him out but they were surprising quiet!
These twelve maidens were all looking affectionately at him and their eyes were full of tenderness!
This was not exactly what Yi Ping had been expecting for this journey after he had reluctantly agreed to take the Celestial Mistress and her entourage to the Holy Ascension Sect. He was expecting a noisy bout to break out anytime given the combative nature of both Lele and Youxue!
But to his utter surprise, Lele and Han Lin seemed to get along extremely well and they were actually very chatty along the way!
And the Celestial Mistress, Jing'Er, Shi Shi, Yang Mi, Yixian, Lie Qing and Lele seemed to get along extremely well!
They seemed to have many things to share and were even exchanging martial pointers on the sly. Even Youxue and Yunzi could not resist the temptation to participate in their martial pointers exchange!
Only the Goddess Isa and the Celeste Wind Maiden remained aloof along the way.
Yi Ping began to recall the events that had brought all these maidens to the Heaven's Gate of the Holy Ascension Gate…
Yang Min had said shyly to him, ”I can't return to the Martial Deviant Clan anymore and I am all alone now. Can I join Shi Shi and you?”
The Goddess Isa said quietly, ”I have promised to help Aiel in the Stellar Sanctuary and I have yet to repay her for saving my life.”
Xiao Qian the Celeste Wind Maiden said to him, ”It is the duty of the Celestial Priestess to protect our Celestial Mistress.”
Han Lin said wryly, ”There are many lecherous men around, you must know. She doesn't even know how to protect herself.”
Jing'Er asked quietly, ”Can I join as well?”
The Celestial Mistress replied unhappily, ”Then who will take care of my sect if all my important sect leaders decide to go to the tiger den? You must know that I am not going there to play.”
The Celeste Wind Maiden said coldly to the Celestial Mistress, ”Oh really? Then why are you going there for?”
The Celestial Mistress replied exasperatedly, ”Qian'Er! You! Who just help you to become a golden practitioner?”
The Celeste Wind Maiden replied coldly, ”That is another matter. I will repay you by protecting you.”
Han Lin had already issued several commands to the protégés of the Aiel Sect, ”Wait here. If the other clans want to enter the Stellar Sanctuary, do not stop them from doing so. However, I want all of you to wait patiently for us for at least three months. If there is no news from us in three months' time, go back to the Celestial Aiel Sect.”
The Celestial Mistress protested weakly, ”Now who is the Celestial Mistress of the Celestial Aiel sect? How dare you make such callous decisions without first consulting me? Who says you can come with me?”
Han Lin laughed softly, ”I am afraid that you will soon regret not having our company. Later, don't you run to me like a crybaby requesting for aid from the company of wolves!”
The Celestial Mistress exclaimed confidently, ”I won't for sure. This, you really do not have to worry for me.”
Han Lin laughed softly, ”Oh really? Very well then, Jing'Er, Xiao Qian. Let's us bide our Celestial Mistress good bye and good luck!”
Xiao Qian started to walk away as she said coolly, ”Good luck then, Mistress.”
The Celestial Mistress was startled as she looked panicky at Xiao Qian, Han Lin, Yi Ping, Yixian and the Goddess Isa, ”Xiao Qian, you are really going? We have come together…”
The Celeste Wind Maiden looked at her coldly, ”I didn't want to come here in the first place. Who is the one begging me to come with you? Who is the one that says without my intimidating presence around you, it will be hard for you to hold the fort against the Mad Conqueror and the rest of the celestial clans? Oh well since you don't need me at the Holy Ascension Sect with you anymore, I shall return home with my followers first.”
Immediately all the Aiel Protégés of the Black Faction began to giggle among themselves!
Everyone knew that the Black Faction led by the Celeste Wind Maiden was the most powerful faction within the Celestial Aiel Sect and that the Celeste Wind Maiden was the most skilled fighter in the sect!
Han Lin clapped her hands happily, ”Good sister! I am so happy to have your company. Jing'Er and Xiao Qian, we have finally got rid of our pestering Mistress for some time…”
The Celestial Mistress raised her alluring eyebrows and looked piercing at them through her veil as she pretended to be angry, ”I order all of you to follow me and that is final. Any protests will be a violation of the sect rules and will be subjected to the most stringent punishments for disobeying the Celestial Mistress!”
Han Lin groaned softly, ”You are so unreasonable…”
Yi Ping wondered as he looked discreetly at the Celestial Mistress, ”Who is she really?”
Even Yixian was thinking the same, ”She is really not Yichi? She really looks like her. If she is not Yichi, how did she knows where my secret martial accupoint? Only my protégé mistress and Yichi know of it. Am I thinking too much?”
The martial accupoint of a martial practitioner was their most secret accupoint channel which was also known as the factual death and life channels. Hitting the death channel of a martial practitioner could render a martial practitioner powerless. Knowing the life channel of a martial practitioner could hasten recovery. However, no one was willing to reveal their factual martial channel to anyone.
Yixian had almost died in the past due to her haste to master the divine skills of the Eternal Ice Palace and therefore she had entrusted her factual martial channel to Yichi.
Lie Qing on the hand was grateful to the Celestial Mistress for treating her injuries but she was also secretly wary of her true intentions but at the same time she was delighted. ”I have finally met a worthy opponent to match my wits. She is really such a good actress.”
After she had met Yi Ping and Youxue, Lie Qing the Heavenly Temptress had become more docile. That was because she had met her match in Youxue. However, she had her way with Yi Ping unlike Youxue. That was only because Youxue was too inexperienced in the affairs of the heart.
But now her fighting spirit was aroused as she thought, ”No matter how good a liar this Celestial Mistress is, I am going to dig her secrets out. And this Han Lin and Goddess Isa as well. Or else I am not the Heavenly Temptress!”
Yi Ping had kept quiet along the way as he was too awkward to say anything as he tried to force himself not to remember what had happened earlier when the Celestial Mistress had undressed herself and everyone to treat their injuries.
At the same time his heart grew heavier as he approached the Holy Ascension Sect. He was in a dilemma to explain to Lingfeng, Ye Yin, Shen Xingyue, Yu'Er and Mei'Er later…
His thoughts were soon interrupted by the approaching sight of some two hundred Ascendant Protégés of the Holy Ascension Sect!
But like the first time, he was stopped by Feng Mantian, Luo Wei and Wu Han again!
This time they were extremely respectable and so were the ascendant protégés that were behind them which numbered some two hundreds. It was obvious that the Holy Ascension Sect was on high alert as the number of obvious guards was ten times greater than previously!
However Yi Ping knew that there were still many more hidden fighters that lie in wait along the stairs of heavens!
Feng Mantian quickly apologized and he looked somewhat disconcerted, ”Master Yi Ping, who are they?”
He also said to Yunzi, ”Our respects to the Protégé Master of the Infinity Sword Celestial Clan!”
He had naturally recognized Lie Qing, Lele, Shi Shi, Yixian, Youxue and Yunzi.
But for the extraordinary appealing and unfamiliar maidens that were also with Yi Ping, he did not recognize who they were. He was immediately wary of them though for their states of divinities were extremely imposing!
The unfamiliar maidens were of course the Celestial Mistress, Han Lin, Jing'Er, Yang Min, Xiao Qian the Celeste Wind Maiden and the Goddess Isa!
Immediately, the Celestial Mistress, Han Lin, Jing'Er, Yang Min and the Celeste Wind Maiden were all startled at the same time as they looked at Yunzi!
It was because they did not know that this maiden was actually the Protégé Master of the Infinity Sword Celestial Clan, one of the most powerful celestial clans in the Celestial Realm!
Yi Ping said awkwardly, ”They…they are my friends. Brother Feng, can you let them pass?”
Yunzi said as well, ”They are our friends.”
Feng Mantian had already noticed that Shi Shi the Stellar Heaven Fairy was carrying a divine sword on her return trip and was slightly startled. What more, two of the unfamiliar maidens were also carrying a divine sword too!
Divine swords were extremely rare in the Celestial Realm and therefore it was a surprise to see two more unknown celestial practitioners with it!
Like Feng Mantian, Luo Wei and Wu Han were also highly attained golden celestial practitioners that could detect the presence of a hidden or unsheathed divine weapon especially in such a close proximity. And they were equally startled by it and began to wonder who the two golden celestial practitioners were!
Feng Mantian muttered at the sight of these beautiful maidens and he was questioning if he was dreaming as he asked, ”Maybe Master Yi Ping can introduce your friends to us first? We cannot allow any unorthodox or heretic sect protégés through the Heaven's Gate.”
Yang Min looked quietly at Jing'Er who in turn was looking at the Celestial Mistress and Han Lin.
Lele added in jest, ”You don't trust the Lord of the Tranquil City or the Protégé Master of the Infinity Sword Celestial Clan?”