Death… and me

Chu Yang had been trying hard to suppress his strength during this period of time. He had promoted his strength so rapidly at firs that repercussions had come up.

It must be mentioned that he hadn't been a King Level Expert of such a high degree even in his previous life. Therefore, he had been promoting his strength crazily in this life. In fact, he had been helping his brothers in promoting theirs as well.

Sword Spirit had been using his suppression to his utmost. And, he too was trying his hardest to help improve Chu Yang's strength.

Until he broke through to the fifth grade of King Level…

Chu Yang finally understood why Sword Spirit had been suppressing him this entire time!

Fifth grade of King Level resembled a great breakdown of energy that had blown up his self-confidence like a pig's bladder. His self-confidence had gone off the charts. However, self-confidence no longer remains 'self-confidence' once it exceeds a certain limit. Instead, it becomes 'arrogance'…

Moreover, this form of self-confidence seems to occur automatically along with exceeding the limit. Then, it takes the form of an inner demon. And, one virtually can't guard against it…

It was possible to be able to brave through it by relying on one's own strength. However, Chu Yang felt that no one possessed such strength… except Meng Chao Ran.

Chu Yang was particularly shocked when he found himself recalling the glorious images of those Supreme Experts proclaiming 'I am the number-one in the world'!

People would scold one for being arrogant if one has excessive self-confidence in peaceful times. But, the world of the Middle Three Heavens followed the law of the jungle. Therefore, having excessive self-confidence was like courting death around here.

Therefore, Chu Yang had been crazily enriching himself these days. He had been frantically focusing on consolidating his strength, and tempering the skills he had mastered before. In fact, he had been fighting using his basic skills to further squeeze out the very essence of them in order to absorb them better.

He hadn't been forcing himself alone; he had also been pressing Rui Bu Tong and Tan Tan. Meanwhile, he had also summoned Gu Du Xing and Dong Wu Shang. And, he had been ruthlessly training and suppressing them as well.

Chu Yang knew that it wouldn't be good if this kind of egotistical self-confidence started to take over one's head and dominate one's temperament… And, that's because it wouldn't matter if it was Gu Du Xing or himself… they'd all be done for!

"This is the period of corrections! The juniors of the big clans are usually sent to people with slightly higher strength than their own once they reach the fifth grade of King Level. And, those people then ruthlessly defeat the said-junior! In fact, they are thrashed a second time if they don't do well the first time. And, they are thrashed a third time if they don't do well the second time… Even ten times in some cases! In fact, they'd be thrashed until they let go of their arrogance in its entirety!"

Sword Spirit continued to explain, "The reason why everyone in the Middle Three Heavens is so arrogant has a lot to do with this threshold of the fifth grade of King Level. And, that's because there aren't too many people here who know of it. And, the ones who know of it but don't know how to avoid it or rectify it are even fewer.

"This threshold is called the 'collapse phase'! That's because there are many collapses in this phase. Firstly, one's self-confidence gets hit and collapses. Then, it breaks and re-establishes. Secondly, the person also collapses when the self-confidence collapses in this way!"

Chu Yang deeply thought about it…

[Collapse phase indeed deserved its name!]

Chu Yang and his brothers would occasionally go out for hunting. However, they would basically spend the rest of the time having hand-to-hand fights.

They had gotten rid of their weapons. They had been fighting by using the power of pure human flesh!

Dong Wu Shang, Gu Du Xing, Tan Tan, Rui Bu Tong… and even Chu Yang would be riddled with scars every day. They would have purple and blue bruises over their entire bodies. And, they would lie down in pain every day. Their bodies would be in extreme pain each day. And, their arrogance gradually started to get erased from their hearts as a result of this.

However, they became more skillful in the end. Moreover, they felt very harmonious and transparent. They were previous a stone that was only good to show-off its abilities. But, they had slowly changed into the rudimentary form of a fine jade now. Therefore, they were ready to blossom with dazzling colors.

No one's cultivation level had gone up during these days; it had stayed at the same place. But, all of them seemed to have a feeling — [I've become entirely different from before.]

Consequently, these people had declaratively passed through this 'collapse phase' with a calm mental state and by being reserved.

It had already been three months by now…

Chu Yang and his four brothers had changed beyond recognition by now. Then, they went to look for Ji Mo and Luo Ke Di.

However, Dong Wu Shang, Gu Du Xing, and the others were gob-smacked when they saw each other!

[Is… is this the same dandy and useless Luo Ke Di? Is it the same lazy Ji Mo who wouldn't feel a need to move the whole day?]

Luo Ke Di's face was solemn and cold. His body was as straight as sword. He had an expression of cold and acute thirst of blood in his eyes. He stood there like a sharp sword covered in blood. He was emitting a frightening murderous aura! Moreover, he was a fifth grade King level Expert now!

The expression in Ji Mo's eyes was somewhat dull. But, the imposing aura on his body was extremely violent. It seemed as if he had gone to a battlefield leading an army, and his army had gotten defeated on the battlefield; he was the only one left, and he had been fighting millions of enemies by himself. He had the kind of boiling blood that would force him to fight until death… that would leave him unyielding till the very end…

He stood there in a manner that his frail body seemed to be as deep as sea and as high as mountain. In fact, a single man appeared like a mountain pass that ten-thousand men couldn't force open!

He had become a fifth grade King level Expert as well!

These two were fifth grade King Level Experts too. But, they were different from Chu Yang and the others. They didn't need any 'collapse phase' because they were the 'pursuers'! They had always had an inferiority complex in their hearts. And, they had pursued with their all might under such circumstances. So, how could they have had any time to be arrogant?

In fact, these two would perhaps never get a chance to think that they were terrific in front of these extraordinary men…

"I've seen you before!" Tan Tan suddenly became pleasantly surprised and called out. He pointed towards Luo Ke Di, "He helped me at that time. This guy is very kind. I like him."

"So, it is you." Luo Ke Di also smiled. The cold and solemn aura suddenly disappeared as he smiled. Then, he regained the appearance of the former Luo Ke Di. He winked and asked, "How are things? Did you succeed in getting hold of that Young Miss Xie?"

Tan Tan heaved a deep sigh, "I've succeeded in obtaining her heart… but not yet in person."

"You're useless!" Luo Ke Di disdainfully squinted, "Want me to teach you a trick?"

"What?" Tan Tan's eyes lit up.

"First, let's talk about it." Luo Ke Di spat out saliva as if he hated Tan Tan for not meeting his expectations, "You first make her belly bulge if her family doesn't consent under any circumstances. Won't they agree then? Fu*k! How can they not agree? In fact, you can be like… humph, humph, you people want your daughter to get married quickly? Well, I will have to think about it first…"

"Great idea!" Tan Tan shook his brows up and down. In fact, he was so happy that he was grinning from ear to ear.

"Also…" Ji Mo had also heard about such a topic. So, how could he be willing to stay silent? He came close to them like a cat goes after sniffing a fishy smell. Then, he secretly blinked, "This thing needs technique. But, you're still young. So, you don't understand these things. So, you will mess up very easily. Wait until we return. Then, I will teach you a few tricks. This is a very important matter of life. You mustn't be sloppy! You won't stand a chance if you don't have perfect mastery over the technique."

Tan Tan repeatedly nodded. His eyebrows bloomed, and eyes smiled, "You two are very good people…"

"We derive pleasure from helping others. We are chivalrous people who serve righteousness!" Luo Ke Di and Ji Mo put arms around each other's shoulders.

"What nonsense are you speaking?" Gu Du Xing bellowed, "Do you two need some spanking?"

Both of them smirked. They then pulled Tan Tan to teach him their experiences, and give him some man-to-man talk.

However, Luo Ke Di's sound was still vaguely audible, "Ji Mo, how do you appear to have such experience? Is it possible that you and Aobo… have already been to the bridal chamber?"

Ji Mo retorted in an angry voice, "Children mustn't ask about such matters."

Luo Ke Di smiled in a strange manner. That smile was full of ridiculed intentions. Then, sounds of chasing and beating were heard…

"It seems like it didn't go smoothly for this guy." Dong Wu Shang deeply said, "After all, this guy would've bragged about it non-stop if it had gone smoothly…"

Gu Du Xing nodded and generously said, "That's right. My understanding of Ji Mo leads me to think that he would've told us about every position very clearly… this chap is shameless."

Chu Yang and Rui Bu Tong looked at each other in amazement. It wasn't because it didn't go smoothly for Ji Mo. Instead, it was because it was extremely rare to see Dong Wu Shang and Gu Du Xing ridiculing someone. And, the rarest thing was that they both were doing it together.

….

All the people's shadows had basically disappeared from the Northern Wilderness by now. So, Chu Yang was also planning to go back along with his brothers. He again searched for some elixirs in the final three days. After that, Chu Yang and his six brothers gathered together, and set foot on the way back home in full vigor!

Six Martial Kings of the Gu Clan… or so to say 'six members of the Heavenly Armament Pavilion' had gone back with the people of Dark Bamboo Clan long ago. So, these seven brothers had no cares on their journey. Therefore, they were moving at a lightning speed.

However, Chu Yang turned his head, and gave a glance back while leaving this Northern Wilderness.

[This is where two Supreme Experts took away my Qing Wu!]

[This is where my master left me!]

[How is Little Wu doing now?]

[How is my master doing now?]

Chu Yang deeply inhaled the unique cold air of this Northern Wilderness. After that, he exerted his strength, and exhaled it out… as if he had exhaled all the indescribable sorrow from his heart. Then, he solemnly said, "Let's go."

Ji Mo and Luo Ke Di proposed to push forward while carrying weights as they stepped out of the Northern Wilderness. Chu Yang turned his eyes towards his brothers. And, the seven brothers then carried a thousand kilograms of Star Iron on their back!

The weight had doubled compared to last time!

However, these seven brothers were still trying to overtake each other. They were happy and excited. Everyone secretly had a competitive feeling in their heart even though they wouldn't speak of it. [Let's see who gives up on carrying this first!]

[It won't be me in any case!]

Each one of them thought that they would be able to carry the weight till the end.

The curtains to an entirely new and unique competition opened from here. However, the seven brothers hadn't anticipated that a huge storm was waiting for them a thousand miles away.

They were cracking jokes and having fun along the way. This journey was a long and difficult trek. And, they had been going neither too slowly… nor too recklessly…

Dong Wu Shang was thinking, [Should I have a conversation with my elder brother after going back home? But, how should I go about it…] Dong Wu Shang was carrying a thousand kilograms of Star Iron on his back, and was dripping with sweat while thinking about this…

Gu Du Xing was thinking; [Should I consider getting married to Sister Xiao Miao ahead of time after I get back? Um, what would I say to her?]

Ji Mo was thinking… [Should I get on top of Aobo after going back? Sss~~~… But, that girl is tough and sturdy. I'm worried that I might not be able to tame her. What if I am one who gets turned over…? I will be done for… Um, should I consider using a psychedelic fragrance or aphrodisiac…?]

Tan Tan was tweaking his ears and scratching his cheeks… [The things they said… these seem very… well, you know… he-he… Should I go back and look for an opportunity to find Young Miss Xie Dan Qiong in order to practice those techniques?]

Rui Bu Tong was thinking… [Dammit! I must look for someone. How did they become couples without me finding out? But, where do I look for that someone? This is a headache. I will just steal someone's if I can't find one of my own…]

However, Luo Ke Di was somewhat worried… [Should I talk about it? Would Big Brother help me? This matter is very weird. It doesn't grow hair… Also… alas, what to do…? This is very troublesome. Would Big Brother laugh at me if I tell him about it…? But, I will be very embarrassed, and I won't be able to show my face…]

Chu Yang hurried along the way while thinking… [I should find the Lake of Despair after I go back to the Middle Three Heavens this time. And, I must look for the fourth fragment of the Nine Tribulations Sword…]

…