Conquering the Nine Heavens: An Isekai Xiaxia Cultivation: Conquering the Nine Heavens, #1

By Xi Dang Zhi Lu

In a world of chaos, the voices of the gods have long faded, leaving behind an endless turmoil of conflict and strife. Thus, people strive for a better paradise, but those who fail in their struggle are mercilessly cast aside.

Wu Yu was once such a failure, fortunate enough to have lost his past memories. However, through a twist of fate, he gradually recovers the memories of his past.

The moment he awakens, he is destined for an extraordinary life. The wandering between life and death is but a quest for that unforgettable dream and the unremembered vengeance...
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zhou Yan
• Release date: Apr 7, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224252053

Book preview

Chapter 1: A Fatal Accident

Everything in the world changes; life and death span thousands of generations, with only the strong leaving their mark. They create the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, humans, gods, demons...

Demons follow the path of demons...

Gods tread the path of gods...

...

Quick, go have a look! A person died in Uncle Li’s field. They say he fell from the sky...

Many people were running in the same direction, all eager to join in the excitement...

Some murmured as they walked, What’s been happening lately? Why do people keep ‘falling’ from the sky?

Wu Yu was among the crowd, hurrying to the scene. His dirty, grey clothed attire wrapped his thin frame awkwardly, the only thing out of place being the bulge in his abdomen. Apart from the rows of bright white teeth that showed when he gasped for air while running, his face was almost completely covered in various grime. At first glance, he looked nothing short of a beggar. As he ran, those following behind him gradually caught the strange stench emanating from him, each one covering their noses and disgustingly dodging to continue running. Soon, a clear space formed around Wu Yu.

Everyone nearby almost knew about this man. His background was a mystery; no one knew when he had arrived. The first to see him was an old man named Gao who has since passed away. However, it was known that upon his arrival, he was dressed as a beggar. Moreover, he had a reputation for petty theft.

The site of the incident wasn’t far. By the time they arrived, it was already swarming with people, creating layers of noise and discussion.

It was unclear how many people had fallen from the sky in the past month, initially causing panic among the people. However, the elders in the village said that every hundred years, many such incidents would occur. It was said to be the Heavenly Palace selecting individuals; those who did not conform to the Heavenly Palace’s fate would be demoted to the mortal world. Some would die upon impact, others would survive but end up disabled, lose their memory, or become incapable of taking care of themselves...

Finally making his way to the front, Wu Yu’s unique smell instantly cleared a path for him, allowing him direct access to the inner circle. Standing still, Wu Yu dirtied his nose with a swipe of his hand and hugged the bulge in his abdomen, his dark eyes fixating on the naked person sprawled on the ground...

Damn... I’m late, everything’s been stripped off again... Wu Yu muttered under his breath. Then, he kicked the person lying on the ground with his hole-ridden shoes and murmured, Such a tragedy, demoted and dead without even a piece of cloth. After saying this, Wu Yu took a chicken feather from his chest and placed it on the dead person’s buttocks, laughing, There you go, a little something to cover your shame... Some of the onlookers who often joked with Wu Yu shouted, Dirty tumor, did you steal a chicken again? Whose is it this time?

Mind your own business... Wu Yu replied, clearly dissatisfied. Not finding any loot had soured his mood, and as he left, he loudly cursed the person who had stripped the deceased: May you have sons without butts...

Many in the crowd turned visibly uncomfortable at his words...

This is Clear Water Village, not far from Qianshan Town. The villagers here rely on a few meager fields to sustain themselves throughout the year. Some of the younger and stronger laborers would seek work in the nearby towns. The surrounding area is home to not a few residents across several villages, with the distance between each village not too great...

This small world actually mirrors the larger world of the Yuji Continent, inhabited by ordinary folks and commoners. There are landlords and bureaucrats here as well. Naturally, there are also military conflicts, though these are minor skirmishes. At least, that’s how it seems to those above...

Heaven...

From the moment Wu Yu awoke, only this word remained in his mind. He had no clue how he came to be here. He only remembered Old Man Gao saying that he was found lying askew in Old Man Gao’s cattle pen, his clothes tattered and body wounded. Fortunately, Old Man Gao had saved him. However, before he could fully recover, Old Man Gao accidentally fell off a cliff and died. The day after Old Man Gao’s death, the landlord came and took away all the valuable things from Old Man Gao’s home, leaving only a thatched cottage. This was where Wu Yu continued to live...

In this cottage, the chimney began to smoke as Wu Yu happily pulled out a dying rooster from his embrace. The rooster’s mouth was clamped shut by a pot, rendering it completely silent. This was Wu Yu’s divine tool for catching chickens. Any greedy chicken that came across it could be caught without making a sound...

Uh... hahaha... delicious... Wu Yu sneered, Damn landlord, mess with me, and I’ll steal one of your chickens every day. The landlord’s surname was Bayev, supposedly related to the Ba family in the city. When Old Man Gao died, the Ba family took away everything he owned, including the worn blanket that had been covering Wu Yu. Wu Yu, despite his amnesia, still harbored love and hate, so it was natural for him to remember the Ba family’s grievances...

Nighttime was when Wu Yu least liked to be awake, not for any other reason but because he would have the same nightmare every night, filled with cold and blood, until he was startled awake. This night was the same, except that he wasn’t woken up naturally but by...

Bang...

Ah... Wu Yu screamed in pain, jumping up from the ground and clutching his lower body: Damn it, my manhood...

Even if Wu Yu screamed loudly in the middle of the night, it only echoed back to him...

The pain lasted for almost half an hour before gradually easing. By this time, Wu Yu couldn’t jump anymore, drenched in sweat, unclear if from exhaustion or pain. Only at this moment did Wu Yu care to look at what had caused him such immense pain. What he saw next filled Wu Yu with an unexpected sense of bliss...

Hahaha... Wu Yu hobbled over...

A well-dressed corpse. Being hit by this thing in the middle of the night was somewhat chilling. However, thinking of it as a pile of shiny silver made it less frightening.

This was the body of a young man, bloodless and without a single wound. According to the elders, once these individuals lose their divinity, the rulers above take away everything that doesn’t belong to them. This includes their divine blood...

A pentagram was marked on the neck of the corpse. Seeing this, Wu Yu was initially stunned, then, he rolled up his pant leg to reveal a mark on his calf as well, but his was an arrow totem.

He had seen many corpses recently, but this was the first with a mark... A thought overwhelmed Wu Yu’s mind: Could it be... I also come from... there?

At that moment, Wu Yu was eager to know his own origins. Regrettably, all he could do was... search the body. A short knife, a small bag of gold coins, a book, a piece of torn cloth, and two talismans...

An hour later, Wu Yu was dressed in black and grey brocade that fit perfectly... and the corpse on the ground was wearing Wu Yu’s old clothes...

Wu Yu sighed, starting to dig a hole. As he shoveled, he said, Almost killed me in the middle of the night, taking your stuff as compensation. I’m kind-hearted, not letting you go naked into the afterlife. Wearing my ancestral holy object, I’ll dig you a grave. Consider it escorting you through your last journey...

Once everything was prepared, Wu Yu looked at the thatched cottage with a big hole in it, then at the whitening sky. Shaking his head reluctantly, he said, I should leave this place. The only shelter from wind and rain has been destroyed. Moreover, if the landlord finds out I took the dead man’s things, he’ll definitely come to rob me...

Wu Yu decided to head to the town first, the dead man’s belongings providing enough for a few days’ expenses.

At noon, several mysterious individuals visited the thatched cottage Wu Yu had been living in. After searching for a while and uncovering a mound of earth to find the buried corpse, one of them whispered, Fetch someone who can talk...

Soon, the man who had joked with Wu Yu the day before was brought in...

Who used to live here? The questioner was clad in black, his face covered by a black scarf, revealing only a pair of eyes shining with a cold light.

The unfortunate captive looked in terror at the more than a dozen people scattered around the yard, some of them clutching gleaming knives...

It was Old Man Gao... The unlucky fellow hurriedly responded, tears nearly streaming down his face.

Where is he now?

Dead... dead...

Damn it... the leader of the men in black scolded angrily: When did he die?

One... one year ago... The unlucky fellow almost burst into tears from the scolding.

Damn... Are you messing with me? I’m asking who has been living here recently... The man in black grabbed the unlucky fellow by the collar...

Ah... Sir... I... I didn’t understand your question... Recently... it was a beggar living here... The unlucky fellow quickly replied.

What’s his name? The man in black slightly eased his temper.

Dirty Lump...

I’m asking you his name, damn it... The man in black continued to rage...

Ah... Sir, I really don’t know his name... The unlucky fellow started to cry. Indeed, who in the village would care about a beggar’s name, so everyone just got used to calling Wu Yu Dirty Lump...

Take him away... the leader of the men in black ordered angrily: Take this guy away and get some information out of him... Following the unlucky fellow’s cries, he was then knocked out and dragged away...

Two things... The man in black issued his orders directly: Go to the town, have the town head assist in checking for suspicious individuals, and also, go back and tell the master, just say... it’s lost...

Yes...

Chapter 2 Arrogance

Shopkeeper, find me a decent room, order a plate of chicken and a bottle of good wine... Wu Yu shouted haughtily.

This was the only decent inn in town: Guoyi Hall

With some money in his pocket, Wu Yu also wanted to experience the life of the rich. After all, judging from the shopkeeper’s eagerness, Wu Yu felt very flattered. He couldn’t remember anything before this, and this was probably the first time in his life that someone had treated him with respect...

Money is indeed a good thing... Wu Yu muttered. He had walked for five or six hours before he reached the town. He was indeed a little hungry.

The food was placed directly by the open window, so Wu Yu could enjoy the scenery of the town while eating. After he had eaten about half of the roast chicken, Wu Yu’s gaze turned back into the inn. There were not many people, only two or three tables of guests. Not far from him were three people, an old man and two young men. They were dressed fairly well.

Hey... Wu Yu called out to the people at that table. The three at that table looked at Wu Yu together.

Damn... Wu Yu felt a little upset in his heart: This pretty boy is so handsome!

Wearing a mid-grade outfit, this guy looked so... charming! This was Wu Yu’s first impression.

Come... Wu Yu beckoned to the pretty boy.

The pretty boy looked confused.

Come over, show me... ah no... show me what this character is... Wu Yu said.

... The pretty boy did not look very good. This person did not even say please, how impolite! However, he still walked over. After seeing the two characters written in wine on Wu Yu’s table, he was first stunned, then his charming eyes looked at Wu Yu a few more times. He said, I don’t recognize these two characters...

Sissy... Wu Yu said sourly in his heart, Are these characters so difficult to recognize? Is there really no one who can recognize them?

Hehe... The pretty boy smiled, Actually, it’s not particularly difficult to recognize them, it’s just that these are Heavenly Book characters. Only after entering an Advanced Academy and taking Heavenly Book courses can one learn to recognize these characters...

Advanced Academy? Heavenly Book? Wu Yu muttered, then lowered his head to think about the problem. He left the pretty boy feeling awkward beside him. After a long while, the pretty boy asked, I wonder how this brother came to recognize these characters?

Oh... I saw them on the road... Wu Yu replied casually.

On the road? The pretty boy looked confused. However, Wu Yu ignored the pretty boy. After that, the pretty boy asked several more questions but received no answers. In the end, the pretty boy could only return to his seat somewhat angrily.

Hmph... uncultured... As soon as he sat down, the pretty boy slapped the table and said angrily. His voice was not suppressed, and Wu Yu could hear it all. However, Wu Yu had heard worse than this and did not care at all. He curled his lips in disdain.

Young... ah... young master, a man sitting next to the pretty boy, who looked slightly younger than the pretty boy, asked in a low voice, What did that guy ask you to do? His voice was also sissy...

Recognize two characters... The pretty boy replied in a bad mood. His gaze still glanced at Wu Yu from time to time.

Haha... The man laughed, Look, he doesn’t even recognize characters. This directly shows that that guy is an uncultured person, why are you angry with him!

The problem is... The pretty boy lowered his voice and said with a red face, I couldn’t recognize them either...

Ah...

The old man sitting beside them listened to the conversation between the two young men and looked at Wu Yu.

After eating and drinking to his satisfaction, Wu Yu returned to his room. He had not slept well the previous night, and half of his sleep had been interrupted by the dead man. Now he could finally have a good sleep. However, while Wu Yu was sleeping, two black-clothed men riding fast horses came directly to the town mayor’s mansion.

This time, Wu Yu did not sleep for long before he was awakened by a burst of noise. Immediately after, his door was smashed open, and a group of soldiers rushed in and dragged Wu Yu, who was only wearing his underpants, out.

Wu Yu was very dissatisfied. He struggled all the way downstairs as he was being dragged. At this moment, there were already many people in the courtyard. It was just after sunset, and one could still see clearly in the courtyard. Wu Yu’s appearance was rather strange. He was the only one sleeping at this time, and now, he was wearing only his underpants. This made many of the women in the courtyard feel embarrassed.

Seeing so many people with knives suddenly appearing around him, Wu Yu immediately became obedient.

Just then, there was a commotion, and then a soldier ran over to the officer in charge and whispered something. The officer in charge’s face darkened, and he shouted angrily, "Arrest them. They’ve rebelled...

Before long, three people were brought in. Wu Yu recognized them as the people from the neighboring table who had asked him about the characters.

The two pretty boys were still struggling and cursing, while the old man was more obedient.

The officer in charge was a little hot-tempered and was about to step forward to beat them up. However, at a critical moment, the old man shouted, How audacious...

Oh... Wu Yu felt a pity in his heart, If that palm strikes him, won’t that pretty boy become a little red face? Too bad...

Do you know who he is? the old man shouted angrily.

Of course I know! Why else would I hit him? the officer replied, and was about to wave his hand again...

That makes sense... Wu Yu nodded internally, praising the officer’s forceful reply.

Hold on, sir, let me show you something first. You can still hit me after seeing it... the elder hastily responded. Just talking wasn’t going to work at this point.

The officer stepped over, his back to everyone, so nobody saw what was shown. However, in the next moment, the officer’s expression changed, and he hastily stepped back, about to kneel. But the elder stopped him, saying, It’s not appropriate to make a scene.

After that, something was whispered among them that no one else could hear clearly. However, shortly after, the officer ordered the withdrawal of his men. This left everyone puzzled. From beginning to end, nobody knew what the soldiers were there for, or what the elder had shown that made the officer leave...

Hmm... It seems necessary to go to their room and have a heart-to-heart talk! Wu Yu thought to himself.

Then, under the watchful eyes full of laughter, astonishment, and disgust from the others, Wu Yu, still in his underpants, returned to his room to continue sleeping.

When he woke up, it was already midnight and pitch black outside.

First of all, it’s certain that the dead man had the Heavenly Book on him, Wu Yu thought to himself. The two characters he wrote in the afternoon were from the book he obtained last night, none of which Wu Yu could recognize, so he had tried asking the pretty boy at the next table.

It looks like a trip to the Advanced Academy is necessary! Wu Yu muttered to himself as he sat up. Ever since he saw the five-star mark on the dead man’s neck, he was eager to know what was written in that Heavenly Book. Perhaps...

Leaving his room, Wu Yu tiptoed towards the third floor. This was even more luxurious accommodation than the second floor, where the pretty boy and his group were staying. After stopping and listening for any sound around him, Wu Yu rubbed his nose and headed directly to one of the rooms. He entered the room and moved swiftly. The room had a faint fragrance, unclear whether it was from the furniture or the room’s occupant. His eyes adjusted to the darkness, making the edges of objects clearer. Wu Yu directly moved to the side of the bed...

Damn... Sissies... and they wear perfume... Wu Yu cursed internally, then began to search around. Apart from finding some money, there was nothing else: Wrong place, need to check the old man’s room! I have to see what that old man showed the soldier in the afternoon. Maybe it could be useful to me in the future...

Quickly leaving the room, Wu Yu moved to the neighboring one...

Chapter 3: Seeking a Master

As soon as the door opened, Wu Yu felt something was amiss and immediately tried to leave. However, the next moment, he was held down by a hand as firm as a pair of iron pincers, and before he could even let out a cry, his neck was seized... Feeling his feet off the ground for what seemed like an eternity, Wu Yu was about to pass out when he was finally dropped onto the floor with a thud.

Cough, cough, cough... Wu Yu gasped in pain, taking a while to come to his senses. By then, the room was already lit, and as he caught his breath, Wu Yu realized there were three people standing before him. One was an old man he recognized, and the other two were women, who seemed vaguely familiar. It took him a moment, but he finally exclaimed in surprise, Pretty boy?

Yes, it was the pretty boy, and only now did Wu Yu realize that the pretty boy who had asked about writing in the afternoon was actually a woman in disguise.

Annoyed by Wu Yu’s nickname for her, the pretty boy scolded, Scoundrel, how dare you sneak into our room to steal! You’ve got some nerve...

Wu Yu, unfazed, sat down cross-legged on the floor, looked up at the trio, and said, Don’t put it so harshly. I was just curious about what you had. I just wanted a closer look!

And why did you steal our money? another pretty boy retorted discontentedly.

You all are so wealthy, staying in a luxury room. You wouldn’t miss that bit of money! Wu Yu said nonchalantly, Besides, out of your three bags of money, I only took two. This shows I’m not a bad thief, but a good thief!

Pfft... As if there’s such a thing as a good or bad thief... Trying to put a good spin on it! The pretty boy was fuming.

Ha ha ha... At this moment, the old man laughed. Looking at Wu Yu, he said, Aren’t you afraid we’ll turn you in to the authorities?

It doesn’t matter... Wu Yu spread his hands, shrugged, and continued, I have no parents, no siblings. I’ve been living on swill and dog food. What difference does it make where I live? In jail, I wouldn’t even have to fend for myself for food! Wu Yu explained.

Ha ha ha... A dead pig isn’t afraid of boiling water! the old man continued to laugh, Young man, answer me one question, and I’ll pretend tonight’s incident never happened.

Wu Yu looked at the old man, the very one who had caught him. Though he appeared frail, he turned out to be a skilled practitioner: Go ahead.

Where did you see the two characters you wrote this afternoon? the old man asked.

On the road...

Which part of the road?

On my way to the city, in a small grove, on a rock. Saw it while peeing! Wu Yu replied.

Oh... The old man’s eyes twinkled as he said, Young man, at your young age, resorting to thievery is not the way forward.

I have no choice! I’m the epitome of having nothing. If I don’t steal, I’ll starve... Wu Yu explained. Indeed, during his days in the village, aside from scavenging leftovers tossed aside by one household or another, he survived by stealing. Anything edible was fair game. While others had land to grow food, he, an outsider, had nowhere to turn.

How about this... the old man continued, Come with me.

... Wu Yu looked up at the old man, half-believing he had misheard: Follow you?

Yes! the old man continued, With me, you’ll have food and drink...

And what would I be? Wu Yu asked.

If you don’t mind, you can call me master.

Master... you... Bai Lan looked at the old man in disbelief.

Heh, Lan’er, it’s alright. I’ve met all sorts of people in my life... the old man said.

Who exactly are you people? Wu Yu looked at the three before him and asked.

"Heh, as for