A sage once said, “Heaven is about to assign a great task to this person, first it must inflict suffering on their mind and hardship on their body.”

Wei Bo ran to Fallen Phoenix Mountain almost every day, bringing Chen Ping’an precious medicinal materials from the Package Shop.

Although Wei Bo could not truly empathize with Chen Ping’an’s miserable situation these past twenty days, he was surprised by Chen Ping’an’s resilience and the old man’s ruthlessness.

Just how “great” must this “task” be to warrant such tribulation? Surely it wouldn’t require this young man, when disaster strikes Upside-down Mountain during a cataclysmic event, to then demand that this boy become a one-man army capable of facing a million soldiers?

As soon as this thought surfaced, Wei Bo himself found it absurd.

Heaven is so high and distant, and the earth so vast. Baoping Continent is merely the smallest of the nine continents in the Great Hao Ran World, not to mention that the continent closest to Upside-down Mountain is the lush and verdant Southern Po Suo Continent. Even individuals like Cao Xi, already highly skilled terrestrial sword immortals, cannot be considered the absolute apex in Southern Po Suo Continent. The truly dominant cultivators are figures like the ancestors of the Yingyin Chen clan.

During this time, Song Yuzhang, the mountain deity of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, proactively sought an audience with Wei Bo. Wei Bo only exchanged a few bland words with him, far less courteous and enthusiastic than their first meeting. The reasons for this were tacitly understood by both parties. Song Yuzhang wanted to be a loyal minister, blindly devoted to the interests of the Great Li Dynasty. Back then, in the mountain deity temple on the mountaintop, Song Yuzhang had been forthright about Chen Ping’an even in Wei Bo’s presence. Wei Bo was not a clay Bodhisattva without any temper, so the meeting ended on an unpleasant note.

Today, Wei Bo leisurely ascended the mountain, carrying a satchel. Upon reaching the bamboo building, he noticed Chen Ping’an, who had just finished practicing the Sword Furnace Stance near the railing before their usual sparring session on the second floor, surprisingly taking the initiative to greet him. Wei Bo tossed the satchel, worth ten thousand taels of silver, to the pink-skirted girl, glanced at the blue-robed boy sitting cross-legged on the cliff, and then lightly jogged up to the second floor, his footsteps creating a series of “thump, thump, thump” sounds. He seemed less like the soon-to-be golden-edict-bearing Northern Mountain God and more like a shop assistant scurrying about.

Although Chen Ping’an was about to “go to the execution ground,” he still smiled and said, “Thank you, Immortal Master Wei.”

“No trouble, no trouble at all, just a few steps. Besides, I get to stroll around and enjoy the scenery every day. And after all, I am a mountain god, with patrol duties to fulfill.”

Wei Bo leaned an elbow on the railing, turned to face the youth, and asked, “Just half a pot of wine, and it’s this effective?”

Chen Ping’an blushed and said, “I don’t know why, but after drinking it, my mood is just completely different.”

Wei Bo nodded and said, “Good thing.”

The old man’s booming voice echoed from inside, “Come in and enjoy the blessings!”

Chen Ping’an smiled helplessly, bid farewell to Wei Bo, who also returned a bitter smile. Enjoy the blessings? It was a wonder the old man could even say it.

The term “disarmament” sounds interesting, but what is the reality? It requires Chen Ping’an to tear open his own skin and lift his own fingernails!

The phrase “extracting silk” demands that Chen Ping’an himself pull at his own tendons!

The true test of character in this cruel method lies in deliberately making Chen Ping’an do it himself, and he must keep his eyes wide open, and not rush. Little by little, he has to “peel away the layers” himself.

However, amidst his own scalp-tingling dread, Wei Bo was also filled with anticipation for Chen Ping’an’s martial arts prowess.

How solid would the foundation of the third realm be after such tempering? How powerful would his combat strength be when he fought against others in the future?

Chen Ping’an took off his straw sandals and entered the empty room. After closing the door, he saw the old man sitting cross-legged, frowning as he flipped through the “Mountain Shaking Manual.”

Earlier today, while Chen Ping’an was practicing the Sword Furnace Stance, the old man had a whim and said he wanted to take a look at the boxing manual for the stance. After Chen Ping’an explained, roughly mirroring what he had told Miss Ning, that the manual was entrusted to him and did not belong to him, that the boxing techniques and illustrations recorded in the manual could not be passed on, and so on, the old man became so annoyed that he almost gave the boy a thrashing on the spot.

“This is that Mountain Shaking Boxing Manual?”

The old man casually tossed the manual back to the youth, chuckling with mockery. “The opening lines of the boxing technique state, ‘In my hometown, there is a small insect called the ant, which throughout its life, unlike its counterparts elsewhere, carries stones into the water.’ Hahaha, so it’s from the southeastern part of Ju Lu Continent, this martial artist. Listen to these petty words, full of earthy smells. It’s easy to imagine how much potential the pugilist who wrote this manual had in his life!”

“Fortunately, this fellow has some self-awareness, knowing to write clearly in the manual, ‘I have never reached the ranks of the high and refined styles of contemporary boxing manuals.’ Otherwise, this old man would have cursed him for being shameless.”

“‘My boxing skills differentiate between life and death, not victory or defeat; they emphasize intent, not moves.’ Tsk, tsk, these words are truly spoken as if a toad wanted to swallow the sky and earth. What big talk! Chen Ping’an, do you know why the boxing manual describes it this way? It’s simple, because when it comes to victory or defeat, losses always outweigh the wins, so he focuses on life and death. What does it matter if one simply dies?”

Chen Ping’an said sullenly, “If the boxing manual is so terrible, why does Elder still remember the principles in the book so clearly?”

The old man laughed. “The boxing techniques it contains are indeed lacking, but this fellow isn’t afraid of talking big, and I find it quite amusing to watch. Just treat it as a messy travelogue.”

Chen Ping’an did not retort, but he was a little unhappy.

He cherished this boxing manual, immensely!

Chen Ping’an’s gratitude for the Mountain Shaking Fist was, deep down, no less than his appreciation for the three strands of sword qi from the sword spirit.

One was a life-saving medicine, and the other was a talisman. There was no distinction between superior and inferior, nor should there be. Chen Ping’an roughly knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Mountain Shaking Boxing Manual, because Ning Yao thought it was very ordinary. Learning the boxing method step-by-step was acceptable, but she didn’t think it would lead to any great achievements. Later, Zhu He also personally witnessed Chen Ping’an’s stance practice, and similarly felt no amazement.

But Chen Ping’an didn’t care about any of that.

Even if Chen Ping’an spent another ten years, a hundred years, no matter how high his martial arts achievements were at that time, his fondness for the “Mountain Shaking Fist” would only increase, not decrease!

The old man asked with a smile, “Before you practice boxing today, I’ll ask you a small question. If you answer correctly, there will be a surprise; if you answer incorrectly, hehe…”

Chen Ping’an swallowed his saliva, feeling a little apprehensive.
The old man suppressed his smile and asked in a deep voice, “Leaving aside the stances and forms, what’s your favorite line from the boxing manual?”

Chen Ping’an replied without hesitation, “For those who practice my Mountain-Shaking Fist in later generations, even if facing the founders of the Three Teachings, remember that our boxing may be weak, and the will to victory may be lost, but the spirit of the fist itself must never retreat!”

The old man abruptly stood up. “Practice the fist!”

On the south side of the small town, near the blacksmith’s workshop, a young girl was complaining to her father, “Why won’t you let me help with forging the sword?”

The burly man glanced at the direction of the brand-new sword furnace. “Do you know why your father agreed to forge this sword for that girl?”

The girl nodded. “Yes, she gave us such a large piece of Dragon-Slaying Platform stone. It’s enough to buy a good sword.”

Ruan Qiong shook his head. “It’s more than that. As the founder of my own school, your father hopes that the first sword I forge, no matter for whom, will be a resounding success, letting all the swordsmen of the Treasure Bottle Continent, even the Jade Hare Continent, know its unparalleled sharpness!”

Speaking of this, the blacksmith, who even the wine-selling women of the town dared to tease, exuded an unusual brilliance, like a Confucian scholar expounding on doctrines, a Daoist discussing the Way, or a Buddhist monk preaching Dharma. The man sitting in the chair lightly thumped his knee with a clenched fist, his gaze sharp, and there was none of his usual rustic and taciturn manner. “So who is most suitable to gift it to? Originally, Wei Jin from the Wind and Snow Temple, being practically family, would have been suitable for both personal and logical reasons, but unfortunately, Wei Jin was in seclusion until Ning Yao appeared. Since Ning Yao took the initiative to request a sword and even brought out the Dragon-Slaying Platform stone, of course I wouldn’t refuse. Passing through the Upside-Down Mountain is far more impressive than the sword cultivation sacred grounds of the Jade Hare Continent, more capable of winning the attention of the world’s swordsmen.”

The existence of the Upside-Down Mountain, hailed as the largest mountain-shaped seal in the world, was originally a small seal. After descending from the sky, it became a towering mountain. This was clearly meant to provoke the Confucian Sages. The second disciple of the Dao Ancestor from another world not only hammered this nail into the vast world, but also demanded that all Qi Refiners passing through the Upside-Down Mountain to the Sword Qi Great Wall sign a “Mountain Alliance.”

Ordinary people are unaware of the existence of the Upside-Down Mountain and the Sword Qi Great Wall. After all, they are practically the edge of the vast world. For example, ordinary mountain sects of the Treasure Bottle Continent, small and secluded, may never hear these names in their entire lives. Further up, they may have heard of them, then brush them aside, and it would be difficult to discuss them in depth. Firstly, news is blocked, and secondly, after all, they are separated by thousands of mountains and rivers, and people tend to mind their own business. But even the Wind and Snow Temple, the most prominent sect in the Treasure Bottle Continent, still feels that the scene there is shrouded in clouds and mist, with a veil between them, because of the Upside-Down Mountain, and even more so because it is the work of the Dao Ancestor’s second disciple, resembling a “private garden” built in this world.

Truly audacious to the extreme.

The entire vast world is the domain of you Confucians, yet I, a poor Daoist, insist on opening up a small garden in your home.

No wonder that before becoming a Sage, when the Literary Sage ran to the border between the two worlds and cursed at the Dao Ancestor’s second disciple, it became one of the most prideful feats of the Confucian disciples of the world at that time.

According to some long-standing rumors, after you go to the Upside-Down Mountain, you can look around as you please, and walk around as you please, but certain things you must not spread. If you spread them, the vast world will naturally have the disciples and grandchildren of one of the Daoist leaders come and settle accounts with you. And regarding this matter, the three academies and seventy-two colleges of Confucianism often do not interfere too much, at most mediating a few words.

As for why the Sages with statues in the Confucian Temple choose to turn a blind eye to this, that probably involves a great inside story.

Three words: “Heaven” knows.

Ruan Xiu wondered, “Father, does all this you’re saying have anything to do with not letting me help you forge the sword?”

Ruan Qiong nodded. “That sword is too high in quality, the material too good. Your current realm is already sufficient, and I’m afraid that if you unleash your true skill, it will be too frightening. The small town is now a mixed bag, and the slightest disturbance will be known throughout half of the Treasure Bottle Continent.”

Ruan Xiu was even more puzzled. “I’m just forging iron, can I really hammer out a peach blossom cake?”

Ruan Qiong snorted coldly. “If you only hammered out a peach blossom cake, your father would be much less worried.”

Ruan Xiu gave a slightly awkward “ha” and stopped talking.

Recently, she hasn’t eaten many pastries, and just thinking about them makes her mouth water. It’s a bit embarrassing.

Ruan Qiong held back for a long time but couldn’t help himself. “That kid heard that it was a sword for Ning Yao, and agreed without saying a word. He didn’t even ask how far the Treasure Bottle Continent was from the Upside-Down Mountain. A toad lusting after swan meat, not knowing the immensity of the heavens and earth!”

Ruan Xiu turned her head and said softly, “Father, it’s just liking a girl. Does it still matter if they are well-matched? It’s not like they’re getting married. When that time comes, considering background would still make some sense, but now it’s just liking someone. Heaven and earth don’t care.”

Ruan Qiong was stunned. “You know he likes Ning Yao?”

Ruan Xiu widened her eyes. “I’m not blind, and besides, you know I can see into people’s hearts, so I knew it a long time ago.”

Ruan Qiong was so angry that he couldn’t say a word. He just wished he could walk to the bamboo house on Fallen Phoenix Mountain in one step and then beat that mud-legged brat from Mud Jar Lane to death with one punch.

He’s never seen anyone bully his daughter like this.

Ruan Xiu suddenly laughed. “Father, you don’t think I like Chen Ping’an, do you? I mean, that kind of liking, the liking between a man and a woman.”

Ruan Qiong was a little confused. Although he felt uneasy, he still pretended to be relaxed and said stubbornly, “How could you like that kid? It has nothing to do with background. Your father also came from a poor family. There’s no need to say anything more about that. But Chen Ping’an’s appearance, talent, and personality, your father really doesn’t like. He’s not worthy of my Xiu Xiu.”

Ruan Xiu oh-ed and stretched out her arms, interlaced her fingers, and looked into the distance. “So, you don’t like him.”

The dignified Military Sage was almost angered to death by his daughter’s words.

Ruan Qiong gritted his teeth and asked, “Then what about you, Xiu Xiu?”

Ruan Xiu’s answer seemed irrelevant and like she was avoiding the important point. “Chen Ping’an will only ever like one girl. I know that better than anyone.”

As she said this, the girl smiled happily.
This bewildered Ruan Qiong a bit, unable to figure out what Xiu Xiu was thinking. After all, he wasn’t Xiu Xiu’s mother, and he, a big, burly man, couldn’t exactly pry into matters of love and affection.

Ruan Xiu narrowed her bright, spirited eyes, and chuckled, “Peach blossom cakes are so delicious!”

Ruan Qiong abruptly stood up, muttering, “Dad will go to town to buy you some.”

Ruan Xiu said softly, “Okay!”

As Ruan Qiong walked, he fumed inwardly, “That damn Chen Ping’an! He made my Xiu Xiu only think about snacking for more than half a year!”

“My daughter has lost weight!”

The fact that Sage Ruan Qiong was forging a sword had been secretly communicated to those demons and rogue cultivators who had entered the territory last year. Whether they were willing or not, they were rushing towards the western mountains. As for whether they could avoid disaster and successfully enter the mountains, using the mountain’s spiritual energy to resist the sword intent emanating from the forge, it depended on the attitude of the mountain’s forces. Therefore, the vast majority of demons who had settled here looked rather grim. Some demons who hadn’t taken the matter seriously, thinking their cultivation was profound and wouldn’t be frightened by the sword forging far away on the Dragon Beard River, insisted on staying in their newly purchased residences in town. Local officials from the prefecture and county government didn’t force them, but simply handed over the list to Dali’s spies within the territory.

The marvel of the Grand Dao lay in the fact that Ruan Qiong’s sword forging this time was quite peculiar, claiming to only greatly affect the demon race, with no hindrance to human cultivators. Even ordinary mortals in the marketplace, who were relatively physically weak, wouldn’t be affected by the aftershocks of Ruan Qiong’s sword forging.

No wonder there was an old saying circulating at the “foot of the mountain” in the immortal world: “Without entering this mountain, you won’t enjoy great fortune, but you can also avoid many troubles.” For example, the matter of the spell restrictions in the Lizhu Cave Heaven, from Sage Qi Jingchun to Li Huai, and then to the Li clan’s ancestor and all ordinary cultivators, they were all suffering. In contrast, the common people were completely unaware.

Subsequently, nearly a hundred rogue cultivators hidden in the town’s marketplace had several conflicts on their way into the mountains, fighting to the death over the slightest disagreement. The Dali Dynasty didn’t intervene, as long as the fighting didn’t damage the mountain’s feng shui, they turned a blind eye. However, a sixth-realm demon who was unwilling to move from the town had a dispute with the county official who came to inform him. His ferocity erupted, and he punched the official, causing him to vomit blood, and also injured a martial arts secretary accompanying him. As a result, in less than an incense stick’s time, a flying sword message arrived at the newly built prefecture north of the mountain. Prefect Wu Yuan personally ordered the demon to be executed on the spot.

From beginning to end, the prefecture didn’t use the old ancestor cultivators from the town’s major clans, nor did they drive those other demons who were living there and absorbing spiritual energy. Instead, they dispatched three martial arts secretaries with higher ranks, cooperating with two hundred elite Dali soldiers, led by a military general, to surround the demon’s residence until it was impenetrable. The rooftops were filled with archers with extraordinary strength, their powerful bows and crossbows loaded with specially made arrows from a secret workshop of the Ministry of Works. In the end, they were strangled on the spot.

Xu Ruo, a renowned Moist chivalrous hero from the Central Plains, and his confidant Liu Yu, stood side by side on a nearby rooftop, watching with their hands in their sleeves, not interfering.

At the time, there were many foreign forces who had bought mountain peaks watching from afar.

If Dali had dispatched a powerful cultivator to crush and kill the demon who didn’t obey the rules, the impact on those who were watching would have been far less than what they saw—the Dali martial arts secretary, who was from a military family, cooperating with battle-hardened soldiers, everyone advancing and retreating in an orderly manner, handling the strong kill of the demon with ease. The two groups, belonging to the mountains and the foot of the mountains, were able to cooperate seamlessly.

This was the true terror of the Dali Dynasty.

Today’s fist practice was only to temper the soul, but Chen Ping’an suffered even more.

When he was carried out by the boy in green, he was twitching and foaming at the mouth. Even after being placed in the large medicinal barrel downstairs, he was still so miserable.

By the time Chen Ping’an climbed out of the medicinal barrel, changed into clean clothes, it was already late at night. He picked up the wine pot, exhaled a breath of foul air, stretched, and sat between the boy in green and the girl in the pink skirt. Chen Ping’an took a sip of strong liquor. It still felt sharp and unpleasant, but it felt good, even better than the first time he drank it.

Chen Ping’an took small sips of wine, squinting his eyes, slightly tipsy.

He took advantage of the alcohol to ask, “I know there are sword-nurturing gourds in the world. Do you think Bao Fu Zhai sells them?”

The two little fellows exchanged glances.

The boy in green sighed, “Master, it’s not that I’m unwilling to lend you money. Even if Bao Fu Zhai sells them, first, you might not be able to get one, and second, even if I sold everything I own, I might not be able to afford even the most ordinary sword-nurturing gourd.”

Chen Ping’an was a little shocked. “So expensive?”

The boy in green nodded vigorously. “There is no most expensive, only more expensive! So expensive that all middle fifth-realm cultivators feel the pain!

The boy in green stood up, emphasizing his words, “Take my Yujiang River God brother, his biggest dream in this life is to have a sword-nurturing gourd in his left hand and a sword-nurturing gourd in his right hand. He’s not even a sword cultivator, but he wants to infuriate those sword cultivators who hold their noses high. As a result, he’s only saved up enough for a very low-quality sword-nurturing gourd. Of course, this has to do with his extravagant spending. That fairy alone has made him squander four or five hundred years of savings, and there are many others who admire him, and he always spends a lot of money on them. Alas, beautiful women are a disaster! So you’re lucky, Master, you don’t have any romantic luck, so you don’t have to worry about these things.”

The girl in the pink skirt quickly retorted, “That’s not right! Sister Ruan likes our Master!”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “That’s because Miss Ruan is a good person, not because she likes me. Don’t say things like that in the future, otherwise Sister Ruan will really get angry, and I won’t help you.”

As he spoke, Chen Ping’an secretly clicked his tongue. So sword-nurturing gourds are so valuable. Then the first thing he needs to do when he goes down the mountain is to send a letter to Li Baoping, telling her to keep that silver-white sword-nurturing gourd safe and sound, and not to bump it or break it. He knows that Baoping is a playful girl. Maybe one day she will swing the red rope gourd and run all over the mountain, and maybe *swoosh*, the gourd will be smashed out.

The two little fellows glared at each other, both holding back from speaking.
Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment, then added, “Miss Ruan is different from ordinary people. I can’t quite explain it. If you say Miss Ruan likes me, then I like Miss Ruan too, but this kind of liking isn’t what you all think it is.”

The boy in green breathed a sigh of relief.

He had been a little worried that the taciturn, uncouth man who didn’t seem like a sage would one day come storming to Fallen Mountain, smash Chen Ping’an with a single fist, and then smash him too.

The girl in the pink dress was a bit disappointed.

Of course, she liked their master the most, and then she liked Sister Ruan. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the two people she liked could like each other?

So, who did their master actually like?

The girl in pink knew that their master was secretly fond of a certain maiden.

For example, right now, she was secretly watching their master’s profile, observing Chen Ping’an’s gaze and expression, and knew that their master was missing that maiden again.

Chen Ping’an’s mind drifted ten thousand miles away.

There was a maiden whose eyebrows resembled distant mountains.

Not only was she beautiful, but she was also so very kind.

Even if she were just sitting in the dilapidated house in Mud Bottle Alley, without saying a word, she could fill the youth with hope for the future.

But Chen Ping’an also knew that whether he liked her was his own affair, and whether she liked him was hers.

Regardless, Chen Ping’an felt he had to tell her face to face.

Just like how she had already journeyed far away, but suddenly felt she had to say goodbye to him, so she would turn around, ride her sword, and bid him farewell in person.

Chen Ping’an wouldn’t dare to say that he would only like one maiden in this lifetime, but he would definitely not like two maidens at the same time.

So, he wanted to make a trip for himself.

This was the first time the youth so desperately wanted to do something for himself.

The next day, while practicing his fist techniques, Chen Ping’an casually asked if learning the sword required a good sword manual.

As a result, the old man was furious. The originally planned body tempering turned into soul refinement, and before that, under the guise of “sparring” to assess the effectiveness of his fist practice, he used the divine-drumming stance, landing a full twenty-five punches that nearly made Chen Ping’an cry for his parents.

Barely breathing, Chen Ping’an lay on the ground, half-dead.

He repeatedly mistook it for his actual demise.

The old man looked down from above, sneering, “A man who is never content is like a snake trying to swallow an elephant! You haven’t even mastered your fists, yet you’re thinking of dividing your attention to learn the sword?!”

Chen Ping’an, whose face was covered in blood and barely visible, was filled with grief and indignation. While vomiting blood, he rasped, “I wanted to ask what sword techniques should be practiced after mastering the fists…”

The old man was clearly stunned for a moment. Noticing the youth’s eyes beginning to blaze with fury, the old man gave an awkward smile and kicked the youth unconscious.

Helping with body tempering, whether he was conscious or unconscious made little difference.

As a result, that night, Chen Ping’an came out of the medicinal bath, changed his clothes, and began to curse loudly at the second floor from the first floor, his face livid and his teeth gritted.

His cursing was truly unbridled, worthy of a street urchin from Mud Bottle Alley.

The boy in green and the girl in pink sat nearby, munching on melon seeds. Even the boy in green began to admire their master. After practicing fists for so long, putting aside everything else, just this courage and spirit were remarkably effective!

Afterward, Chen Ping’an sat on a bamboo chair, sullenly drinking wine. He finished the remaining half a pot of wine in one go.

First, set a small goal, like 1 second: