C1 The First Part

The grass was light, and the breeze blew past, mixed with the faint smell of dirt.

The sun was slightly tipsy, dispelling the last trace of coldness left in the winter.

The youth lay on the grass, his head resting on his hands. His eyes only stared at the vast sky, as if the world had already been isolated.

The peaceful grassland gradually became lively because of the sheep's "Baa Baa Baa" sounds.

The sun, however, changed from small to large, from warm to lifeless. The sheep ran and made noise, as if it was the last bit of celebration before the night arrived. The youth frowned, looking a little angry.

An old man in his fifties was beside the sheep. Due to the sunset on the grassland, his face was somewhat dark. Winter had just passed. He wore a shoulder made of wool and held a long whip in his hand. He must be the owner of the sheep.

He stood in the distance and looked at the young man for a long time. He did not understand why the young man had to stay on the grass for an entire day. He followed the young man's gaze and saw that the sky was blue and the sun was yellow. However, the sun was about to set on the grassland, so the blue sky was covered with a layer of faint dust.

He looked at the young man again. He felt that the young man had a sense of old age in his bones, which made him feel uncomfortable. "It's better for the child to be more lively. " He thought in his heart.

He slowly walked towards the youth and wanted to chat with him. Perhaps this way, this child would become like a child, happy and happy.

"Child, you. . . " He saw the youth's tightly furrowed brows and continued, "Why aren't you happy?"

In the distance, the sheep formed a group. It looked like a black mass.

"Child, I saw you lying in this place for an entire day. What exactly are you thinking? Look at my sheep, they are running on the grassland to their heart's content. Happy eating grass, fulfilling and fulfilling life, But young man, you have been looking at the sky for an entire day. " The old man placed the whip on the grass. He sat down beside the young man.

The youth sat up and looked at the old man. His eyes were very clear, and his expression was very serious.

"I was thinking. . . This grassland is so vast that I can't even find a path around it!"

The old man found the young man's words very interesting, so he smiled and asked: "Oh? Then do you have any good methods?"

The youth touched the slightly moist grass and said, "I can feel the chill of the first dewdrop on the grassland, the humidity of the earth under sunset. "

He pointed at the sun that was no longer glaring and said: "I can feel the temperature of the sun changing"

He looked at the old man and said: "I can see the different colors of the world and hear all kinds of sounds. I feel like I know everything, but thinking about it carefully, I don't know anything!"

The youth was a bit lonely. His eyes once again turned towards the gradually darkening sky.

The old man dotingly looked at the youth and said, "Since I can't find a way forward, then why don't I turn around and take a look? Follow the way we came from, so we won't get lost! "

"But. . . "

"Under the lead of the sheep, the sheep ate fresh grass while walking back home.

The youth pointed at the flock of sheep and asked, "Do you think it's possible that they don't want to go home?"

The old man slowly approached the young man's head with his thick and warm palm. He gently caressed it again and again, just like a father caressing his son. "Silly children, they are just a bunch of sheep. What's important is what they think?"

"Are their thoughts useless? Doesn't that mean that they don't have any freedom at all? " The young man looked into the old man's eyes. There seemed to be a pool of clear water in his eyes. There was doubt in his eyes, and even his tears were about to fall.

When the old man saw him like this, he felt even more pity for him. He held him tightly in his arms and gently patted his back with his right hand. It was as if his grandfather was hugging his grandson. "Silly child, they are just sheep!"

The old man pointed at the flock of sheep and said, "The morning sun hasn't risen yet, so I opened the door to the sheep's collar and used a whip to chase them out to eat the grass growing in the grassland. I drank the morning dew condensed from the cold night, allowing them to run freely in the grassland, and even helped them drive the hungry wolves. But what if I wasn't there? "

The young man wiped the tears from his eyes and said with some sobs, "It's fortunate that you are there, that they can live so happily and healthily. "

The old man smiled, looked at the sky and sighed: "Yes, if it wasn't for me, the sheep would sleep in. They wouldn't be able to eat fresh grass and drink sweet dew. Not only would the wolves eat them, but they also wouldn't have a home to shelter themselves from the wind and rain. "

The youth raised his head to look at the old man. His eyes flickered with starlight, and even his tears contained a smile. "Fortunately, you are here. "

The old man patted his face, and his turbid eyes seemed to have some spirit in them. He pointed at the crippled sheep at the back of the flock and said, "Look at it. It was born with a leg that cannot be used. I don't like it at all, because it's always dragging the speed of the flock. But I still kept it, Because it can eat, much more than sheep born with it. It's good to be able to eat, it grows fast. When it grows up a bit more, it can eat meat and roast all the sheep. The greasy Jesus is the most delicious. "

"Look at that one again. . . " The old man pointed at a sheep with blood stains on it. The color of blood was especially dazzling on the pure white sheep's body. He said somewhat angrily, "That sheep is usually the most disobedient. Today, it actually ran far away alone. But it met a wolf, luckily I found it in time, so it didn't die "

The old man continued, "When we go back, I'll use it to exchange for a few small shepherd dogs. When the small shepherd dogs grow up, they can help me protect the other sheep. "

The young man looked up at the old man as if he was staring at the gray and blue sky.

The old man pointed at another sheep. The sheep had a bell hanging from its body. The bell rang, indicating the direction of the other sheep.

"It's not young anymore. I'll wait for it to mate and give birth to a few more young sheep. My shoulder can be replaced with a new one. "

The old man let go of the youth and stood up straight, The old man's body seemed extraordinarily mighty and domineering in this world. He pointed at the flock of sheep. He said heroically, "They are all sheep, my sheep. It doesn't matter what they think! Because I am their master, and I decide their fate. Even if they don't want to go home, what can they do?! Say, am I right? "

The youth stood up. He also stood up, his thin body trembling slightly under the setting sun. He looked at the tanned old man, then at the darkening sky. He pursed his cracked lips and said, "Let me think. I want to think. "

Under the lead of the sheep, the flock gradually disappeared into the sunset. The old man next to him seemed to have never been here before.

The youth looked into the distance. It was a building. Because of the distance, it looked like a black stick piercing through the clouds.

That building was very tall. It was said that standing on the roof could trample the clouds.

They couldn't find a path forward, but now, a path had appeared. There was a path that they had to walk on, and there was a mountain that could reach the peak.

The young man moved his feet and arrived next to the four iron chains that connected to the roof. The iron chains were dark and thick, and each of them was pulled straight. It was hard to imagine how the builders of tall buildings could pull the iron chains that spanned tens of thousands of feet so tightly.

Just by looking at the iron chains, it and the building formed a triangle with a right angle between them and the ground. The iron chains were the diagonal edge of the triangle, which was also the closest distance from here to the roof.

Through the iron chain, one could reach the sky. This was the Heaven Reaching Path.

In the Heaven Reaching Path, the road was the road. If there was a road, it could not just be the iron chain.

Looking from the side, There was a parallel line on the diagonal side of the triangle, which was another iron chain. There was only three fingers of distance between the two iron chains. Every point on the right side was at this distance, which was the parallel line.

Looking from the front, there were also two iron chains. Naturally, they were parallel as well. The distance between the two iron chains was three feet.

There were four iron chains, and they could be paved with wooden planks. They were one step at a time, and they led directly to the Heavenly Dao.

The young man crossed his hands behind his back and stepped on the staircase made of wooden planks. The sudden weight did not cause any ripples on the iron chain in the air, and it felt no different from stepping on the ground.

His footsteps were neither slow nor fast. It was as if he was climbing a mountain and looking at the beautiful scenery from afar. The vast grassland was connected to the sky, becoming one with the sky.

The afterglow gradually faded and the coldness spread. The surroundings were pitch black.

The youth felt a little tired, so he stretched out a hand and grabbed the iron chain.

The iron chain was very thick, just like the handrails of the stairs on the road to Mount Tai. It gave people a sense of security as they climbed up the mountain. However, the iron chain was much colder than the handrails on the stone steps of Mount Tai.

The young man held the iron chain and continued climbing. He saw a flash of light in the sky, like cinnabar falling into a pool, dying it red. Upon closer inspection, the layer of clouds looked like a paradise.

The sun rose from the east and fell from the west. The cycle repeated itself. The youth stood higher and higher, and the road became more and more difficult to walk on.

The iron chain was frozen into an ice rope, and it was a bit painful to hold onto it. The youth rubbed his hands together, and only then did he realize that his palm was still there.

The wooden planks had also been frozen into pieces of ice. Thus, the wooden staircase had also been frozen into an ice staircase.

The ice staircase was a little slippery, so the youth had no choice but to reach out and grab the metal chain on the other side. He raised his head and looked in front of him. The straight black metal rod pierced straight into the clouds, so overbearing.

Seeing the metal rod, the youth became more motivated. He continued forward, allowing the cold wind to blow against his clothes that had been frozen into ice.

The metal rod was right in front of him. He could see it more and more clearly as he climbed step by step. The corners of the roof, the stone pillars, and the windowsill were the buildings, the Heaven Stepping Tavern .

The clouds seemed to be really close. He should be able to touch it after a few more steps, right? Thus, the young man took a few more steps.

The clouds were still above, but there was no way up. The only person who appeared in front of him was the person who stood on the roof and looked up at the stars.

The youth walked to that person's side and imitated him as he raised his head to look at the sky full of stars.

"I heard that climbing up to the roof can trample the clouds, but now standing here, I discovered that the clouds above are actually still the clouds. " The youth seemed to be talking.

It was a middle-aged man, at the moment when he was strong and strong. The yellow robe on his body rustled in the wind, and the outline of his face was clear as if it was cut by a knife, but it was just that the outline of his face was clearly visible. There was an apathetic look in his eyes. It was an apathetic grief.

When he heard the young man's words, he turned around and looked at the young man's tender face. His indifferent eyes revealed a bit of spirit.

He slightly parted the corners of his mouth and revealed a strange smile. "The clouds are too short. I built this building for the sake of plucking stars. "

He pointed at the sky full of stars and said, "I thought that standing here would allow me to pluck the stars and hold them in my hands. "

The youth turned his head and looked at those eyes that were filled with death energy. He said sympathetically, "What a pity. They are clearly already so tall. "

The middle-aged man laughed as if he had heard the world's funniest joke. He laughed crazily, even laughing out loud. However, no matter what, he didn't laugh out loud.

After a long time, he stopped laughing. The tears from the corners of his eyes were still there. He said, "Look. Actually, there was no difference whether I built this building or not. Standing on the ground and looking up at this building, Perhaps you will think that this building is taller than the sky, but when you stand here, you will realize. . . What you look up at is still the sky that you think you have surpassed. "

"Then we won't do anything?" The youth felt somewhat frightened. "We can't do anything, right?" The youth thought of the happy sheep that were running freely on the grassland, and his entire body trembled. He was scared, scared that he was also a sheep that was being raised.

It was as if he saw the roasted sheep on the bonfire. The oil was boiling and the aroma was spreading. He saw the shepherd dogs by the sheep herding the wolves. He saw the old man who was herding the sheep was wearing a brand new wool shoulder.

The young man was trembling. He was really scared.

"Don't be afraid!" The middle-aged man lowered his head and said, "This building isn't tall enough, and it can't pluck stars. If it can't trample the clouds, then we'll build a few more levels. One day, we'll be able to trample the heavens and pluck stars. "

The youth looked at him and asked with great anticipation, "Really?"

"Hahaha!"

The middle-aged man laughed in a carefree manner. His eyes revealed a trace of ruthlessness as he said," Of course it's true. If I die, you can cover it up. If you die. . . Your son will cover me, and your grandson will cover me. One day, I will crush this cloud and pluck that star. I want to see just what this world outside is like! "

The middle-aged man's voice echoed in the clouds, as if he was swearing an oath to the entire world. His face was slightly flushed, and he felt the anger in his chest subside a bit. It was an indescribable joy.

The starlight gradually dimmed, and the red clouds in the horizon added a bit of vitality to this world.

The red mist drifted in the air, forming a layer of brilliance in the horizon. Then, the brilliance became even more dazzling. When the light reached its peak, it shrank into a black dot.

The black dot could only be seen clearly when it was close to the roof. It was a person.

That person's face was covered in blood, so one could not see his appearance clearly. He was wearing a black heavy armor, which was in tatters. Even his Heart Protection Mirror was cracked open. Blood dripped down from the cracks nonstop. No one knew where the blood came from, and no one knew whose blood it was.

A black cloak floated on his back. After being soaked in blood, the color of the cloak seemed a little strange.

He wore a pair of worn-out straw shoes. Although the straw shoes were worn-out, they could still protect the soles of his feet.

He was holding a knife in his hand. The blade was extremely clean, but it was covered with large and small holes.

With the morning light behind him, he landed on the roof of the building, and the building also warmed up.

He stood in front of the middle-aged man and slowly raised the knife.

The middle-aged man looked at him and said helplessly, "I didn't expect that after standing here for so long, I would die. "

He turned his head to look at the young man lovingly and said, "Remember to scatter my ashes in the Rushing Current River. "

The young man's eyelashes drooped slightly. He bowed and said, "I'm sorry, I can't help you. "

The middle-aged man looked at the morning light brought by the man and stared at the sun in the morning light. His hair fluttered wildly in the fierce wind, and his indifferent eyes became focused. Since he was standing on the Heaven Stepping Tavern , Then his world should be under his feet.

His face seemed to have become alive. His body seemed to be filled with strength, and his fighting spirit had climbed to the highest point at this moment.

"General, the knife in your hand is my knife"

The knife's mouth was full of holes, and the knife was no longer as sharp as before.

"My sword was cut by your knife, so naturally your knife is my knife. " The general's voice was very calm, and his tone was also very firm.

The middle-aged man spread his hands and said, "But, I don't have a blade!"

"You. . . Are not good at using a knife!" The general said.

"Hahaha" The middle-aged man laughed so hard that his waist bent. He pointed at the man, but he could not even speak.

Then, when he saw the man's shoes, he even burst into tears.

He finally didn't have the strength to laugh anymore, so he walked to the center of the roof and supported Hornless Dragon Kiss (Note) to sit down.

(Note: The Hornless Dragon's Kiss - The decorative item of an ancient building. It is a type of lightning repelling item, similar to a lightning rod. )

"Where did you get such a pair of shoes?"

The man said in embarrassment, "When I fought with Lu Tian, my boots were broken. This pair of shoes was given to me by a fellow villager. "

The middle-aged man stopped smiling after hearing this. He tightened his fist and said, "If everyone in the world gives you a pair of shoes, then you might really be able to pluck the stars from the sky. "

The middle-aged man stood up straight. He was the king that dominated the world again. He pulled out the Horned Fish that was tightly connected to the Heaven Trampler and dispersed the dawn.

The Heaven Trampler's Hornless Dragon's Kiss was a six foot six inch iron rod. When it was forged, he gave it a name, Heavenly Lightning Attraction.

Heavenly Thunder Attraction. Thunder rumbled and thunder rumbled. The morning light was instantly swallowed up, and then the night was illuminated by the lightning.

The middle-aged man grabbed the Heavenly Lightning Guide and pointed it at the general and said, "Let's begin!"

The general raised his knife and said, "You first. "

The night was torn apart by the lightning, the dawn was awakened by the thunder, the sheep under the lead of their new sheep, began to run freely in the grasslands.