First, a Confucian scholar in robes ascended the city walls, instantly obliterating a vast swathe of the demon horde with unfathomable divine abilities.

Then, Xie Songhua offered a sword from his bamboo case, utterly shattering the natal flying sword of a Jade Pure Realm Sword Immortal demon. This caused the latter to immediately plummet to the Nascent Soul realm, and even that realm was teetering on the brink of collapse. Whether this demon could still be considered a sword cultivator in the future was doubtful. After all, innate sword embryos were exceedingly rare. It wasn’t as if a sword cultivator could simply gestate another one after their natal flying sword was destroyed. Therefore, this unfortunate demon who had suffered such a setback in the initial siege warfare had essentially lost everything. It had not only lost its cultivation realm but also the added advantages that came with being a sword cultivator. Even if it were to switch to cultivating other techniques and arcane arts, returning to the Upper Five Realms would be exceedingly difficult, especially since it would no longer be a sword cultivator of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, making the ascent to immortality even more arduous.

The demonic onslaught on the battlefield where Chen Pingan, Liu Xianyang, and Qi Shou were positioned noticeably faltered.

According to the rules of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, Xie Songhua, having expended all his effort in today’s strike, with the opportune timing, advantageous terrain, and support of the people, could be said to have performed a miraculous feat.

This war merit was not insignificant. Because the demon who launched the sneak attack was the most prized sword cultivator in the wild lands, Xie Songhua could be considered to have slain half a Celestial Realm demon, or the equivalent of a complete Jade Pure Realm demon. However, the choice between the two depended on the swordsman’s own decision. Choosing the former meant having to slay another half Celestial Realm demon to exchange for the corresponding spoils of war. Choosing the latter would result in a slight loss, but the advantage was that one could immediately obtain money and treasures from Lord Yin Guan.

However, Xie Songhua clearly hadn’t had his fill and was contemplating launching another attack.

Qi Shou sighed in lamentation, “All the good fortune has gone to Sword Immortal Xie. I need to be more cautious.”

Qi Shou decisively summoned his last flying sword, Jumping Pearl, forming a sword array around himself to prevent being secretly ambushed by an Upper Five Realms sword cultivator demon.

Qi Shou turned his head and asked, “With such a large reward, do you get a share?”

Chen Pingan, sitting cross-legged on the ground, reached out and pressed down on the sword forged in the sword workshop that lay across his lap. He shook his head, “No.”

Being the bait came with no extra reward, not even a single copper coin.

Liu Xianyang asked with a smile, “Are you two friends?”

Chen Pingan shook his head again.

Qi Shou sneered, “Friends my ass, we’re rivals. As soon as we’re off this city wall, this Second Shopkeeper would love nothing more than to scheme me to death, and I’d love nothing more than to crush him with my cultivation realm.”

Liu Xianyang nodded, “That’s similar to our hometown, with its simple and honest customs.”

The wild lands had a large number of supervising officers and war inspectors. Once the demonic army showed any signs of halting their offensive, they would begin a bloodbath.

Therefore, the demons in the battlefield where the three were located continued to charge forward. Not only that, but they seemed to have come up with some countermeasures, including a group of demon cultivators who had a rudimentary understanding of talismans and Taoist arts. They threw a bunch of miscellaneous yellow paper talismans, attempting to obscure the battlefield’s visibility. For a time, dust and earth filled the air, and spiritual energy became chaotic. The leading line of demons was composed of massive beasts responsible for being the first to die. They seemed to want Liu Xianyang to make as many moves as possible, so as to find more clues and hints about his abilities.

Qi Shou responded as usual. On the battlefield, Flying Kite and Heartstring darted about with extreme speed, and many demons several zhang tall had their limbs severed by the sword light, falling to the ground and wailing in agony.

Qi Shou’s swordplay in killing enemies was always like this. Besides immediate torture and slaughter, flaying and dismembering until only bare bones remained, there was also the current method of intentionally severely wounding them without killing them, leaving them to struggle futilely on the battlefield, passively waiting for death. This was especially true for those demon cultivators who could transform into human form. They often suffered this calamity under Qi Shou’s flying swords, their bellies ripped open and their intestines hanging out. If any demon cultivator felt compassion and tried to rescue them, it would result in a series of similar fates.

Chen Pingan took a sip of the medicinal wine from his Sword Nourishing Gourd and continued to wield his sword to defend against the enemy. For the first and fifteenth, he aimed for a fatal strike. If the demon’s physique was too tough, or if it still didn’t die after a vital acupoint was pierced, Pine Needle or Cough Thunder would add one or two more sword strikes. During this time, there were demon cultivators serving as hidden suicide warriors, attempting to use secret techniques to restrain the flying swords, wanting to die together. However, Chen Pingan was an expert in such schemes, outwitting and outmaneuvering them, added with his flying sword Early One, only slightly slower than Fifteen, its toughness was beyond imagination. Once, an extremely well-concealed suicide demon feigned being injured all along the way, his body covered in blood and gore. He even grabbed a demon to use as a shield against Early One. As a result, that Early One only pierced through the brow of the demon in front of him before flashing away, directly retreating. Precisely timing the moment when the demon’s core exploded, the dying suicide warrior gazed blankly towards the city wall, seemingly somewhat bewildered. And that Early One, which had not fallen into the trap and had only been affected by the spiritual energy fluctuations, was undamaged. However, Chen Pingan’s mental exertion was not insignificant.

Just as Qi Shou had said, over time, Chen Pingan, who was not a true sword cultivator, would not be able to sustain the sword strikes.

And at the moment, it was only the opening act of the siege warfare.

However, Qi Shou also knew very well that when the sword cultivators needed to leave the city wall to fight, Chen Pingan would be more in his element.

Liu Xianyang still did not reveal his personal sword nor his natal flying sword, not showing any sign of making a move. From north to south, above the front line originally guarded by Xie Songhua, as expected, as many enemies came as were destined to die.

There was no reason to explain it.

Chen Pingan couldn’t help but say, “Be careful, you’ll attract the attention of the greater demons.”

Liu Xianyang communicated with Chen Pingan through ripples in his mind, “The biggest and only problem with my swordsmanship is that the level of lethality is far from exceptional. Other than that, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Then, Liu Xianyang continued, “Now listen carefully, don’t miss a single word, memorize it all.”

Chen Pingan was about to speak after hearing the beginning.

Liu Xianyang didn’t even look at Chen Pingan and smiled, “Don’t give me that nonsense. When Grandfather Liu is talking, you just listen obediently. Even if I teach you all the formulas and all the secrets, do you think you can learn it?”

Chen Pingan remained silent.

Liu Xianyang continued to transmit the formulas through his mind, knowing that Chen Pingan had a good memory since he was young, so Liu Xianyang was annotating as he spoke, not worrying at all that Chen Pingan would misremember. Liu Xianyang’s explanation was extremely complex and convoluted.

What he was saying was precisely the ancestral sword manual of Liu Xianyang’s family.
Liu Xianyang possessed two ancestral treasures: the *Sword Manual* and a battered, ancient hide armor. This unremarkable, dark-greenish armor fell into the hands of the Xu clan matriarch of Qingfeng City. Empowered by the mystical armor, the Xu clan patriarch became a formidable Yuan Ying cultivator, renowned throughout Baoping Continent. His immense killing power, coupled with the indestructible armor, elevated Qingfeng City to a prominent contender for the title of a sect, second only to their allies, the Zhengyang Mountain.

The Xu clan’s ability to forge a marriage alliance with the Dali Dynasty’s Grand Pillar State, the Yuan clan, even if it meant the marriage of a direct descendant daughter to a son of a concubine, was still a profitable venture in the long run. The Yuan clan’s willingness to accept this unappealing marriage, despite Qingfeng City’s muddled situation, hinged on the Xu clan patriarch’s cultivation and his potential ascension to the upper five realms.

Liu Xianyang’s original plan was to sell the armor and retain the *Sword Manual*. However, the cost of keeping the sword manual nearly cost him his life. If not for the rules of the Lizhu Grotto-Heaven, that mountain-moving ape would have gladly taken his other half of life as well.

It was a matter of brute force, with little reason involved.

However, Liu Xianyang had now become a scholar, and his near-death experience on the sickbed in Ruan’s Sword Shop had been a blessing in disguise. He had learned the sword in his dreams, amidst life and death. Thus, rules must be followed, and vengeance must be sought, without interfering with each other.

Liu Xianyang asked, “Have you memorized it all?”

As he spoke, wisps of primordial sword intent swirled around him, as if to guard Liu Xianyang.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “I doubt I can learn it. The barrier is too high.”

Liu Xianyang chuckled, “Then let’s stick to the old ways. Keep a good attitude and never compare your talent with your granddaddy Liu. Is learning the sword difficult? For me, it’s so-so. For you, of course, it’s difficult. But what’s the most significant craftsmanship in our hometown? Isn’t it porcelain? We learned that, didn’t we? So, you’re in a similar situation to learning porcelain. Back then, you thought you’d never learn it, that you couldn’t become a proper kiln worker? You wore a long face all day, a sullen gourd. Look at you now! The Emperor himself begs you to help him fire a piece or two of porcelain. Would you be willing? You’d have to see if you’re in the mood! My ancestral swordsmanship, of course, has many intricacies. You’re always slower than me, but you’ll eventually learn it. What’s the rush? You’re inferior to your granddaddy Liu in everything, and you need me to teach you everything. You have to accept your fate and get used to it.”

Chen Ping’an softly said, “I’ve truly gotten used to it.”

Liu Xianyang roared with laughter, “Good habit! Don’t change it!”

Along the line between Chen Ping’an and Liu Xianyang, heading south, behind the Demon Race army, stood a massive military tent, heavily guarded. A small, inconspicuous wooden plaque hung at the tent’s entrance, bearing only the characters “Jia Shen.”

Inside the tent, desks of all sizes were crammed together, and scrolls and documents piled up like mountains. Among them were many severely damaged military books, not even original copies, but transcriptions. Yet, they were treated as precious treasures, and the Demon Race cultivators who perused them did so with utmost care.

Few books led to the readers valuing them, willing to examine each word, truly reading instead of simply looking, delving deep into their meaning.

The military tent was vast, housing nearly a hundred Demon Race cultivators, not appearing young due to their cultivation prowess or ageless appearances, but because they were truly young.

Among them was the young sword cultivator named Beiqie, sitting cross-legged, his back resting against a sword rack.

A peer beside him, named Yusi, was flipping through a military book. Yusi was also a sword cultivator who had entered the ranks of the Hundred Sword Immortals of the Wilderness, but like Beiqie, he had no surname yet.

A youth lifted the curtain and stepped inside.

Yusi looked up and asked with a smile, “Tuntan, how was this battle’s harvest?”

“Not as good as last time. Only destroyed three flying swords.”

The youth held up three fingers, then shook his head, squatting down beside Yusi and Beiqie, dejectedly saying, “It’s really difficult to get close to the third sword formation. On my battlefield, any slight commotion brings a sword immortal to suppress the situation, protecting those unstable middle-five-realm sword cultivators. I was almost sliced in half by a sword qi, very dangerous.”

Then, the youth smiled brightly and said, “But I wasn’t too far from the battlefield where Chen Ping’an was stationed. He and Qi Shou are neighbors. Qi Shou has indeed broken through, holding his ground with only two flying swords, impressive. Later, a scholar popped up, his spells were bizarre. Anyone who ran into him, died without knowing how. Also impressive.”

A woman sitting behind a desk glanced at a map and slowly said, “The sword immortal you faced should be Situ Jixue, a rogue cultivator from Jinjia Continent in the Jade Purity Realm. His natal flying sword is ‘Iron Cavalry,’ and his sword is ‘Xiongguan’. His killing power isn’t particularly outstanding, but he’s well-rounded in both offense and defense. Escaping from his sword is already quite an accomplishment. Tuntan, we agreed, battle merits can be accumulated slowly, but don’t die. Your battlefield is under the command of Muji. You are one of the candidates for the Hundred Sword Immortals, don’t drag Muji down. It’s not easy for him to have a chance to bestow a surname. Don’t mess it up for him.”

A shy youth sitting behind a desk near the woman looked up and softly said, “Don’t die. Otherwise, even if I get a surname, I’ll feel guilty for a long time.”

The youth named Tuntan grinned and said, “Got it.”

The Hundred Sword Immortals of the Wilderness are the Great Dao seeds appointed by Tuoyue Mountain, their importance second only to the Ascended Realm Great Demons.

Every sword cultivator, regardless of their current realm, has a valuable life.

If even one dies, the Jiazi Tent and Tuoyue Mountain will investigate, and the punishment will be severe.

At this moment, there were as many as five such individuals in the Jia Shen Tent.

Tuntan, Beiqie, Yusi, the woman who had revealed Situ Jixue’s background, and a withdrawn youth in the corner.

Muji turned to face a desk, habitually speaking softly, and slowly said, “Have you investigated the roots of that Confucian disciple’s magic, especially whether he is a sword cultivator? The casualties on this small battlefield have exceeded our expectations. We must make appropriate adjustments. The previous assassination attempt on Chen Ping’an by a sword immortal has failed, but if you give me a conclusion that requires the deployment of a sword immortal again, I’ve seen the plan, and I think it’s feasible, I’ll send a flying sword message to notify the sword immortal to launch a sneak attack. If that doesn’t work, I’ll personally make a trip to the ‘Jiazi’ headquarters. You don’t need to feel pressured.”

A man shook his head and said, “We need more deaths to get more clues.”

Muji nodded.
The woman stated, “Chen Chun’an of Southern Bosuo Continent has personally arrived at the Great Wall of Sword Qi. That scholar must be from the lineage of the Quasi-Sage, without a doubt. In truth, we can appropriately reduce our troop deployment on the battlefield he’s stationed at. Because the city walls will surely soon have hidden flying sword messages sent. Once the Jiazi headquarters confirms everything, they’ll naturally relay the information to us. If the message details his identity, our Jiashen Camp still has two Sword Immortal slots remaining. We might as well use them both. Whether to kill that scholar, or Chen Ping’an, or even, taking a step back, Qi Shou, is up to the two Sword Immortals to decide as they see fit.”

The wooden-clog-wearing youth pondered for a moment, then nodded. “Acceptable.”

Then, the shy lad retrieved a yellow parchment from a stack and folded it into a small paper kite. He gently tossed it towards the entrance of the great tent. “Issue the order: on the Jiashen Sixth Line, slow down the offensive. Except for disallowing retreat, prioritize self-preservation above all else.”

The paper kite soared out of the Jiashen Camp.

The young sword cultivator with the peculiar name, Yu Si, teased, “Tun Tan, although your current realm isn’t high, your methods are plentiful. If you have the opportunity in the future, when the sword cultivators leave the city walls, go and meet this Chen Ping’an. Compared to fools like me and Bei Xie who only know how to charge head-on, you’re more likely to gain an advantage.”

Tun Tan considered it, then nodded. “I’ll give it a try.”

This Jiashen Camp was one of the sixty great camps in the army of the Barren World, named after the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. Except for orders from the Jiazi command tent, each military camp was specifically responsible for the troop deployments in a particular battlefield area.

The fact that it started with the character “Jia” already indicated the importance of this camp. According to military law, even Sword Immortals and Great Demons who dared to trespass into a Jia-level camp would be executed on the spot.

Within the Jiashen Camp, everyone fulfilled their duties in an orderly fashion, and the atmosphere was generally relaxed.

The young woman, who had maps spread out on her table, looked up and said sternly, “For our growth, for the future when we conquer the Great Worlds of the Vast Expanse, we can hold onto several of them. Right now, just speaking of the Jiashen battlefield, nearly ten thousand more soldiers have died in vain. The record of merit for each of us is carved on bones and corpses. Don’t think this is a fun thing.”

A pale-faced youth, sitting alone in a secluded corner, sneered, “Soldiers? Can those brainless ants even be considered a fighting force? It’s better for these ants to die, helping us to compete for the opportune time and saving rations for the army. Our Barren World can’t support so many useless individuals anyway. Dying here is where they belong, at least they’ve made a small contribution.”

He glanced at Bei Xie and Tun Tan not far away. “That Chen Ping’an, leave him to me. Anyone who dares to contend with me, don’t blame my flying sword for being blind and accidentally injuring allies.”

It was Li Zhen, who had transformed from a child’s form into a youth’s countenance. He still possessed a portion of the fragmented soul of the ancient convict Li Zhen, and then used the secret methods of Mount Tuoyue to reshape his physical body, ultimately piecing together a complete soul.

Bei Xie remained unmoved.

Tun Tan still smiled brightly. “No problem.”

Yu Si chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare, I’m not qualified to be Young Master Li Zhen’s ally.”

The arrogant youth suddenly laughed, staring intently at Yu Si. “I advise you not to imitate the people of the Vast Expanse, who like to speak sarcastically.”

Yu Si raised his hands, looking pitiful. “I’ll shut up, I’ll shut up.”

The wooden-clog-wearing youth frowned, looked up, and rarely increased his tone, but still spoke softly compared to Li Zhen and Yu Si’s voices earlier. “Li Zhen lost, only by a narrow margin. Yu Si, that’s not a reason for you to gloat. You are superior sword cultivators, you should have a superior state of mind.”

Yu Si immediately restrained his expression and nodded.

Then the wooden-clog-wearing youth turned to Li Zhen and said, “Losing is losing. It’s your lack of skill, Li Zhen. The fact that you could come back to life is also your skill as a closed-door disciple of Mount Tuoyue. I don’t care about any of that. I’m only responsible for the victory or defeat of the Jiashen battlefield, every gain and loss, every slight change, I have to manage. In the future, when the battles become fierce, you, Li Zhen, still need to follow orders. Ignoring military discipline and acting recklessly will implicate the entire Jiashen Camp, you’ll be responsible for the consequences. But when the time is right, as long as you are still willing to seek out Chen Ping’an as an opponent, to settle the score with that person, even if it means trading lives, go ahead. The Jiashen Camp will not stop you. I personally am even willing to contribute the war merits belonging to the wooden-clog-wearing commander of the Jiashen Camp, to help you create opportunities, to let you fight Chen Ping’an to the death, because fighting alongside a Li Zhen who dares to die again is an honor for me, the wooden-clog-wearer.”

The youth in clogs looked around and said in a low voice: “Why did Li Zhen go to war? Why was there a great battle under the city with Chen Ping An? Do you know in your hearts? Are you worthy? How has this become your reason to laugh at Li Zhen? Just because he lost a fight and died once? Then for ten thousand years, our Barren World has never won a fight, not a single one! So many Ascended Realm seniors, along with the entire Tuoyue Mountain, who isn’t a joke?! If you really have the ability, when you reach the Vast Expanse World, laugh at the people there, laugh at them as you please!”

The wooden-clog-wearing youth took a deep breath, his expression dimmed, and murmured, “Saying these words to you doesn’t make me feel happy.”

Li Zhen seemed to listen to the youth in clogs’ words in this Jiashen Camp. He really stopped arguing with Yu Si and the others, continued to close his eyes and cultivate, while refining his five natal artifacts.

The woman joked, “Wooden-clog, you spoke those words very nicely.”

The wooden-clog-wearing lad smiled shyly, blushing slightly.

Bei Xie, who was practically mute, spoke for the first time: “Flying sword from Jiazi Camp, arriving soon.”

Sure enough, a messenger flying sword arrived at Jiashen Camp.

After the youth in clogs finished reading the secret letter, his expression became solemn. “We only know that the scholar is called Liu Xianyang, and is from Baoping Continent. He is not a descendant of the pure Confucian Chen family, so we still don’t know the origins of his cultivation.”

The woman sighed, “Then let’s proceed with the worst-case scenario, using lives to uncover the truth.”

The youth in clogs suddenly said, “Yu Si, take a trip to the battlefield yourself. Remember to disguise yourself, take one sword strike, and immediately retreat from the battlefield, without any hesitation. Chen Ping’an’s sword power is not too great, but his observation of the battlefield is meticulous. With his personality, I dare to assert that his backup plan is definitely not just that female Sword Immortal. As long as you don’t die on the battlefield, another Sword Immortal will soon be responsible for watching you closely.”

Yu Si stood up decisively, his face full of anticipation, but he complained, “Retribution comes so quickly.”
The wooden clogs turned towards the bamboo backpack.

Rain Four darted out of the Jia-shen tent in an instant, not giving the wooden clogs a chance to change their mind.

The wooden clogs then shifted their gaze, speaking to the Yun Tan, “I’ve calculated that, with the war merits you’ve accumulated, you’re still quite a bit short of being able to purchase that ‘Dragging the River’ magical treasure. It doesn’t matter. I’ll take the lead and gather some funds. Those who contribute will receive annual dividends. Who else is willing?”

The woman shook her head, saying, “I’m also saving money; I can’t give any.”

But the wooden clogs insisted, “You can give. You’ll earn it back before the great war ends, believe me. It definitely won’t delay your acquisition of that treasure.”

Li Zhen opened his eyes and said, “Is there a need to buy it? I’ll just go and demand it.”

The wooden clogs shook his head, about to refuse.

Li Zhen had already stood up, saying to the woman, “Which one do you need? Just say it, and I’ll bring it all back together, saving me an extra trip.”

The woman didn’t hesitate, directly stating the name of the supreme treasure, and laughed, cupping her fist high in thanks.

Li Zhen expressionlessly walked out of the Jia-shen tent.

He looked up towards the Sword Qi Great Wall. From here, the northern city walls were blurry, but from the northern city walls, the battlefield below was visible in minute detail.

Li Zhen retracted his gaze, paused for a moment, then turned around, surprisingly cupping his fist and bowing slightly to show respect.

Beside Li Zhen stood a large, bearded man with a saber at his waist and a sword on his back.

The man nodded. “You go ahead and take care of your business.”

Li Zhen rode the wind and departed.

The bamboo backpack walked out of the Jia-shen tent and called out, “Master.”

The man said, “Master wants to see someone, so you, as his disciple, must do something for Master. Kill that Chen Ping’an.”

The bamboo backpack silently nodded.