Reborn Ouyang Ke: From The Condor Heroes to the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 62 Beyond the Heavens

"The Outer Heavens?"

Ouyang Feng frowned slightly, a look of doubt appearing on his face for the first time.

Although he had lived in the Western Regions for a long time, he had heard about the mysterious teachings of Buddhism and Taoism in the Central Plains, but he always regarded them as tricks used by sorcerers to fool the people and never took them seriously.

Ouyang Ke nodded, gazing at the azure sky above, his voice distant: "Indeed, the Outer Heavens! Taoism speaks of thirty-six heavens, while Buddhism speaks of three thousand great worlds."

In my opinion, both the thirty-six heavens of Taoism and the three thousand great worlds of Buddhism can be summarized as "heavens beyond heavens"!

The morning breeze swept through the courtyard, rustling the branches and leaves of the old jujube tree.

The firebird perched on Ouyang Ke's shoulder, tilting its head. Its small, coral-like eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Listening to the conversation between the uncle and nephew, it couldn't help but feel drowsy and almost fell off.

Fortunately, Ouyang Keti reached out in advance and held it in his palm.

Ouyang Feng looked at Ouyang Ke suspiciously. "Ke'er, when did you start believing in the supernatural claims of the Central Plains alchemists?"

His tone carried a hint of disbelief, but more so, confusion. He knew Ke'er; this nephew, though somewhat frivolous in the past, had never believed in such unfounded things.

Ouyang Ke shook his head and slowly said, "Uncle, what I am talking about is not the talk of some sorcerer, but everything I have personally experienced."

"Personal experience?"

Ouyang Feng frowned. If it weren't for his nephew's recent improvement in martial arts and stable temperament, he would have suspected that Ke'er had gone mad from practicing martial arts.

But then he thought again, Ke'er's legs had healed and her cultivation had improved, so there was really no reason for her to fabricate such a bizarre story.

Ouyang Ke slowly said, "I don't know how to describe it to you, Uncle. After leaving Junshan, I mysteriously arrived in the world of Tianwaitian. With my current martial arts skills, I can't be considered a true master in this martial world!"

"With your current martial arts skills, you can't even be considered a true master?"

For the first time, Ouyang Feng's tone became serious.

Just now, the uncle and nephew sparred, and although neither of them used their full strength, it made Ouyang Feng realize that his nephew's martial arts skills were now enough to be ranked among the Five Greats.

Let alone him going all out, even if the other members of the Five Greats, such as Hong Qigong, Huang Yaoshi, and Prince Duan, were to take action, they might not dare to say that they were guaranteed to win.

Despite having mastered such martial arts, Ouyang Ke claimed that his skills were not even considered those of a true master in the martial arts world!

Ouyang Ke shook his head and said, "I am not yet a true master!"

Ouyang Feng couldn't help but feel a surge of curiosity, even forgetting for a moment whether the words were true or false, and asked, "Then what exactly defines a true master?"

Ouyang Ke pondered for a moment and said, "While experts at the Innate Realm aren't exactly numerous, they're not far off. Above them are even more reclusive masters with even higher realms. Although these people rarely make a move, when they do, they can easily kill an Innate Realm expert!"

His statement was not empty talk, but a fact.

If someone like the Evil King or the Empress were to make a move, dealing with masters of the caliber of Yuwen Huaji, Du Fuwei, and Li Mi would be a piece of cake.

Ouyang Feng's expression turned serious upon hearing this. In his opinion, although Ouyang Ke's words were somewhat alarmist, he could tell that his nephew was not lying.

This was because Ke'er's tone, expression, and eyes were completely genuine. This forced Ouyang Feng to rethink his understanding of so-called masters.

As if recalling something, Ouyang Ke's tone revealed a hint of emotion for the first time: "I have been traveling in this martial world for several months and have also heard an even more astonishing legend!"

"What legend?"

Ouyang Feng appeared calm on the surface, but in reality, his curiosity had been thoroughly piqued.

Ouyang Ke looked up at the blue sky, a look of leisurely longing in his eyes: "That is the shattering of the void!"

"Shattering the void?"

A look of doubt reappeared in Ouyang Feng's eyes.

He had never seen these four words in any martial arts manual, nor had he ever heard any master mention them.

Knowing that the concept of "shattering the void" had never existed in the world of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, Ouyang Ke naturally understood the source of his uncle's doubts.

Ouyang Ke said calmly, "The so-called 'shattering the void' means returning the light to the sun and moon, and the darkness to the void. In other words, it means breaking free from the shackles of one's physical body and spirit, thereby escaping the constraints of heaven and earth and entering another realm!"

Knowing that Ouyang Feng would not easily believe it, Ouyang Ke paused and continued, "In your uncle's eyes, perhaps this is just a vague and ethereal concept, but in reality, it is the highest realm of martial arts in that world, equivalent to the Taoist ascension to immortality or the Buddhist attainment of Buddhahood!"

Ouyang Feng was taken aback at first, then looked Ouyang Ke over carefully. Seeing that he looked normal and showed no signs of madness, he was relieved.

It wasn't that he didn't believe Ouyang Ke's words; it was simply that in the world of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, there was never a concept of "shattering the void." No matter how high one's martial arts skills reached, in the end, they all returned to dust. Bodhidharma of Shaolin Temple, Huang Shang who created the "Nine Yin Manual"—weren't they all geniuses?

In the end, it's all just a handful of dust.

Having spent his life wandering the martial world, Ouyang Feng had encountered many so-called immortals and sorcerers. These people possessed meager martial arts skills and could only fool the rustic villagers with crude tricks. Having witnessed their despicable behavior so often, why would he easily believe in the claims of immortals and sorcerers?

But Kerr is different!

Ouyang Feng's gaze fell on Ouyang Ke, and he said in a deep voice, "What is the level of this Shattered Void Realm?"

Ouyang Ke pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This realm is beyond my reach. Its mysteries cannot be explained by ordinary words. I only know that those who reach this realm are like those who have found a gap in this prison of life and death, drifting away and never returning, or perhaps never being able to return at all, like the Nirvana of Buddha Shakyamuni, or the ascension of Liu An, the King of Huainan, and his entire family. For all martial arts practitioners under heaven, this final realm remains an eternal mystery!"

Ouyang Feng frowned and asked in a deep voice, "If that's the case, how did you arrive at that conclusion, Ke'er?"

Ouyang Ke's gaze shifted, landing on Ouyang Feng. A smile played on his lips as he said, "Uncle, anyone who can reach this level is practically a terrestrial immortal. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they are invincible, unmatched by any army. For example, even if Uncle, Master Chongyang, and the other five masters joined forces, they might not be able to withstand a single casual move from him!"

If an ordinary person had said this, Ouyang Feng would have dismissed it as the nonsense of a country bumpkin.

But he witnessed firsthand the rapid progress his nephew's martial arts skills had made. In other words, neither Wang Chongyang, Huang Yaoshi, nor even Ouyang Feng himself had ever achieved such skill at that age.

Even if only a few years pass, before they grow old and their vitality declines, Ouyang Ke will undoubtedly become the number one person in the world.

Knowing that his nephew was no longer the spoiled brat he once was, and seeing how serious he was, Ouyang Feng's heart was naturally in turmoil upon hearing this.

Ouyang Feng was moved and said, "How could there be such a master in this world?" His voice was somewhat hoarse.

Ouyang Ke looked up at the blue sky and sighed softly, "Of course there is."

He paused, then continued, "As far as I know, there are many more people who have successfully broken through the void. For example, the peerless sword saint Yan Fei, and the celestial master Sun En. Their stories of breaking through the void can be traced in the classics of Buddhism and Taoism. Further on, there were the generation of evil emperor Xiang Yutian, the supreme master Ling Donglai, Chuan Ying, the demon master Pang Ban, and the rain-covering sword Lang Fanyun. They all undoubtedly broke free from the shackles of heaven and earth and successfully arrived at another world."

In the world of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes*, there is naturally no definitive precedent for ascension to immortality. However, the martial arts lineage of Daoist sects like the Free and Unfettered Sect is already comparable to that of the Buddhist, Daoist, and Demonic sects in the Tang Dynasty. At that time, Zen Master Benyin of Tianlong Temple personally admitted that Tianlong was the end of martial arts. Yet, in that era, with Qiao Feng in the North and Murong Fu in the South standing side by side, the Free and Unfettered Sect's lineage unbroken, and Shaolin Temple teeming with masters, Zen Master Kurong still regarded it as the end of martial arts.

This shows that even in a golden age of martial arts, there may still be people who can truly transcend worldly limitations.

However, Ouyang Ke couldn't guarantee whether there was any precedent for it. It's just that in the martial arts world of the Tang Dynasty, "breaking through the void" wasn't just a legend; there were concrete precedents. Perhaps even before Yan Fei and Sun En, someone had already deciphered its secrets and successfully broken through the void. For example, Guang Chengzi in ancient times, and the Yellow Emperor—this can be seen from the *Dongji Jing* and the "Heaven, Earth, and Man" three-piece pendant left by the Yellow Emperor.

"Peerless Sword Saint Yan Fei, Celestial Master Sun En—" Ouyang Feng slowly recited these names, each syllable emphasizing them as if he wanted to etch them into his heart. He suddenly asked, "Are these the people who truly shattered the void in the martial world you went to, Ke'er?"

Ouyang Ke nodded and slowly said, "That's right! The names of these people are a secret in that martial arts world. Only the hidden sects with a thousand-year history know about their past."

"A reclusive sect with a thousand-year-old history?"

Ouyang Feng's heart stirred, as if he had been completely captivated by Ouyang Ke's words.

As a martial arts fanatic, how could Ouyang Feng not have the ambition to pursue a higher level of martial arts?

Especially after hearing his nephew's words and witnessing the miraculous changes in himself, he was even more certain that what his nephew said was true. In his entire life, from White Camel Mountain in the Western Regions to the martial arts world in the Central Plains, from being defeated by Wang Chongyang to now mastering the Nine Yang Divine Skill, every step he took was to fight for the title of "Number One in the World".

But now, Ke'er tells him that there are even higher mountains beyond that heaven.

Ouyang Feng finally asked, "Ke'er, you can still go to that Outer Heaven?"

Ouyang Ke nodded and said, "Alright, as long as the conditions are met, I can open the passage and take you there, Uncle!"

Ouyang Feng then asked, "And how should those conditions be met?" His tone was clearly anxious.

Ouyang Ke shook his head and slowly said, "Uncle, you only need to trust your nephew. The process involved is too mysterious and bizarre to be explained in words!"

"good!"

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Feng did not ask any further questions.

Looking across the world, the only person worthy of Ouyang Feng's trust is naturally Ouyang Ke.

He was naturally suspicious and never easily trusted anyone in his life.

But Ouyang Ke is an exception.

Ouyang Ke looked at Ouyang Feng and continued, "If conditions permit, Ke'er might invite one or two more people to go." Ouyang Feng's brow furrowed, and he pressed, "Ke'er, wouldn't that expose your secret?"

Ouyang Ke shook his head: "Please rest assured, Uncle. Apart from me, it will be difficult for anyone to open the passage."

"That's for the best." Ouyang Feng was relieved to hear this. He was ruthless in his actions and naturally understood how his nephew's secret could stir people's hearts.

However, if the control over opening the passage is entirely in the hands of his nephew, there is no need to worry about others using underhanded tactics. No matter how many schemes those people may have, they cannot reach that realm without Ke'er's approval.

Then, a thought struck Ouyang Feng, and he asked, "You don't mean to invite the old beggar and the others, do you?"

"As expected, I couldn't hide it from my uncle." Ouyang Ke did not deny it.

Are the talents of people like Hong Qigong and Huang Yaoshi truly inferior to others? For example, are the talents of people like Murong Longcheng, who created "Dou Zhuan Xing Yi"; Duan Siping, the ancestor of the Duan family; Dugu Qiubai, the "Sword Demon"; Huang Shang, who created "Nine Yin" and "Nine Yang"; and the Drunken Monk inferior to those of Yan Fei and Sun En?

The reason their achievements paled in comparison to those of the aforementioned individuals was simply due to the limitations of their own worlds. Dugu Qiubai, Huang Shang, Murong Longcheng, and others possessed extraordinary talent, but unfortunately, their abilities were constrained by the world they inhabited, naturally trapping them in their current positions. If they were in the martial world of the Tang Dynasty, they might very well have been able to shatter the void.

For example, among the Five Great Masters, if it weren't for the unexpected turn of events that Master Chongyang organized the first Mount Hua Sword Tournament, most of them would have stopped progressing at around Qiu Qianren's level, and naturally there wouldn't have been the flourishing martial arts world that followed.

Martial arts are about exchange. A master needs an opponent who can push them to their limits to break through, and in this respect, the world of *The Legend of the Condor Heroes* is far inferior to that of the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, the two worlds have significantly different foundations. Even with masters like my uncle, one of the Five Greats, exchanging martial arts and honing their skills through battles, it would still take at least several hundred years to rival the Tang Dynasty's martial arts. As for the emergence of masters at the Void Shattering level, it would likely take even longer.

After a moment's thought, Ouyang Feng earnestly advised, "However, this matter requires careful consideration. Ke'er, you must not be hasty."

Ouyang Ke smiled slightly and said, "Please rest assured, Uncle, I will never reveal this matter rashly. I will only reveal it to Chief Hong and the others when the time is right."

He naturally understood Ouyang Feng's concerns. At present, the martial arts skills of the uncle and nephew were far from being able to completely control the situation. If they were to reveal this matter, they first needed to ensure that they could completely control the situation in terms of martial arts.

Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust Chief Hong's character, but rather that he wanted to be prepared to avoid unnecessary arguments later.

Furthermore, only if his martial arts skills surpass those of Chief Hong and others will these people be more willing to believe what he says, thus saving him the trouble of trying to persuade them.

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