In the Azure Vault Heavens, three thousand Daoists entered the Fifth Heaven in an orderly fashion. White Jade Capital occupied the largest share, with over a thousand individuals. Following them were the Profound Capital Temple, Year-End Palace, Immortal Staff Sect, and Corpse Dissolution Mountain, all first-rate major sects, each with two to three hundred Daoists. The number of Daoists from the next tier of immortal families decreased accordingly. Regardless of their sect origin, most belonged to the orthodox Daoist officials of the Azure Vault Heavens, as the Daoist register system was universally recognized.

In addition, there were three thousand Buddhist disciples.

And a flood of itinerant refugees poured into the Fifth Heaven, numbering nearly ten million within two years of its opening.

Below the Nascent Soul cultivators, members of the Three Teachings and Nine Schools were present. Daoists from the mountains, Confucian scholars from the mundane world, a mixed bag of individuals, experiencing the great sorrow and joy of surviving the calamity, showcasing the myriad aspects of sentient beings.

They came from the Eastern Tung Leaf Continent and the Southwestern Soaring Wind Continent. However, the numbers from the Soaring Wind Continent and Tung Leaf Continent were vastly different. The Soaring Wind Continent only experienced migration from the eastern coastal areas, while the Tung Leaf Continent was fleeing as an entire continent.

Two Great Sword Immortals were responsible for opening up the two gateways.

The one who opened the gate with his sword was the old Sword Immortal of the Great Wall of Swords, Qi Tingji.

From the lineage of the Sage of Literature, Zuo You.

These two Sword Immortals, in addition to being responsible for opening the gates, also had to guard them to prevent them from being destroyed by great demons.

The three thousand Daoists were generally located in the East. White Jade Capital Daoists had already joined forces to create a vast sea of clouds, a majestic expanse of purple energy, descending showers of sweet rain to nourish the earth.

The sea of clouds was uneven, and all mountain peaks rising above the sea of clouds were contested by White Jade Capital and other Daoists.

Some mountain peaks were not far from the ground, while others were tall but still could not rise above the sea of clouds, due to varying degrees of spiritual energy and fortune.

Following the instructions, with minor differences, from the Five Cities and Twelve Pavilions and their respective sects, the White Jade Capital Daoists tried to select five adjacent mountain peaks, inscribe the True Forms of the Five Peaks, and suppress the peaks with magical treasures to gather spiritual energy. Whenever the Five Peaks were formed, it was the embryo of a great dynasty or a vassal state. In addition, there was another wonderful use: the vast and mighty spiritual energy of the heavens and earth was “detained” near the mountain peaks of the Five Peaks. Many hidden treasures of heaven and earth within the Five Peaks region would often be unable to conceal their precious light and unusual phenomena. Once the White Jade Capital Daoists followed the clues, they could immediately search for them. This was somewhat similar to the method of draining a pond to catch all the fish, but in fact, it did not damage the spiritual energy at all. Instead, it could condense scattered fortune into strands of luck, which would linger around the Five Peaks, or drive them into the great rivers and stabilize them, as the future site selection for the residences of mountain and water gods.

However, the Sword Immortal lineage of the Profound Capital Temple was the most infuriating to the White Jade Capital Daoists. They only occupied a few mountain peaks with decent spiritual energy and began to deliberately sabotage, doing things that were obviously detrimental to others and not beneficial to themselves. They would wait until four of the Five Peaks True Form diagrams were painstakingly inscribed before secretly drawing a Sword Immortal Guiding Map of their own temple on the last one. If even one diagram was missing from the Five Peaks Diagram, it would be completely useless. It was extremely difficult to select a new mountain peak site. Moreover, the losses were immeasurable.

Because of the insane actions of the Sword Immortal lineage of the Profound Capital Temple, several top immortal families, including the Year-End Palace, had unexpected gains. They signed contracts one after another, roughly delineating their respective territories, trying to minimize unnecessary conflicts, all in order to, as much as possible, seize those blessed lands with the potential of Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands before White Jade Capital did.

In short, the three thousand Daoists each had their own long-term plans, and minor and major conflicts were constant.

The three thousand monks were located in the West.

The refugees fleeing from the Soaring Wind Continent poured into the North.

The itinerant refugees from the Tung Leaf Continent were located in the South.

The city occupied by the Sword Cultivators of the Great Wall of Swords was in the center.

Ning Yao was the first to travel alone to the East, and after seeing the sea of purple clouds full of Daoist intent from afar, she pondered slightly and went directly to the South.

The mountains and rivers were long and distant, and the heavens and earth were desolate.

However, there were two more strange heads in the inch-square object.

But the fighting was far more than just two battles.

This of course meant that the Fifth Heaven, which was still unnamed, was extremely dangerous.

On the side of the Celestial Gate, Lu Chen stretched out a finger, rubbing his lips, and said with a smile, “Daoist Sun, it’s not appropriate to hurt the peace like this, is it? If I go back to White Jade Capital, it will be difficult to explain to my senior brother. That’s enough. You know my senior brother’s temper. When he gets angry, he likes to ignore everything. When he goes to the Profound Capital Temple, I can’t persuade him.”

Little Junior Brother Shan Qing stood aside, his expression solemn.

The little Daoist boy who was slung over his shoulder with the “Measuring Cup” sword-nurturing gourd, was a little gloating, wishing that Lu Chen and Daoist Sun would scratch each other’s faces.

Daoist Sun said guiltily, “These disciples and grandchildren of mine do not obey the ancestral precepts, and are like wild horses that have broken free from their reins. The young people have a lot of fire, and they do things without any sense of propriety. What can I do? Otherwise, if I break the rules, I will go and persuade them for you, and be a peacemaker?”

The little Daoist boy, who had been pricking up his ears to eavesdrop on the conversation, thought that Daoist Sun was really good at talking nonsense with his eyes open, and he had to learn from him. In the future, when he met that old scholar again, no one would know who was scolding whom.

Daoist Sun smiled again, “However, Daoist Lu must first say hello to the Confucian Sage, so that I cannot break the rule of not leaving the gate for a hundred feet. After all, it was the Sage of Rituals who personally established the rules with both of us. I still respect the Sage of Rituals very much. You are different, Daoist Lu. You are bold, and you have such a good master as a great backer. But I am not so lucky. The founder of the Profound Capital Temple has long gone. I am the most capable of fighting. If I lose in a fight, who can I cry to?”

Lu Chen said helplessly, “This little Daoist is not on good terms with the Sage of Rituals. Isn’t Daoist Sun clear about that?”

Daoist Sun laughed and said, “I’m getting old, and I easily forget things.”

The little Daoist boy admired him very much.

Shan Qing frowned.

If the Profound Capital Temple continued to stir things up like this, it would affect the whole situation. If one step was slow, every step would be slow. The Second Master’s plan to gather five hundred spirit officials through the Fifth Heaven was likely to be delayed for hundreds of years longer than expected.

Lu Chen raised his hand and stroked the lotus Daoist crown, smiling and comforting this lovely little junior brother who had his feet on the ground but his heart in the heavens, “Every result, big or small, is a manifestation of the myriad avenues. Just let nature take its course and observe.”

Lu Chen really didn’t care about the conflicts between the White Jade Capital Daoists and the Sword Immortal lineage of the Profound Capital Temple. But some things had to be said, so that he could muddle through with his senior brother and master when he returned to White Jade Capital or the Lotus Grotto-Heaven. But in the eyes of the little junior brother, things were right in front of him, and they were his own business. They weren’t bad, but they were definitely not good either.
Lu Chen hopped twice, straining his eyes southward, “Little snot-nosed Taoist, you should attend to serious matters. I can help you deliver that iron ring and the Gourd of Nurturing Swords to the Confucian Sage.”

The young Taoist flared up in anger, “Sect Leader Lu, speak to this little Taoist with some respect!”

This fire-tending Taoist from the Temple of Observation had always been quite well-behaved around Lu Chen.

He, in fact, held no fear of Lu Chen himself, but before his master departed for the Azure Heavens, he had entrusted him with three matters, one of which was to avoid enmity with Lu Chen.

Another was to retrieve one of the Lotus Root Paradise and place it somewhere within this Fifth Heaven. That place was currently uninhabited.

In Willow Leaf Continent, there was a Majestic Suppression Tower, an ancient sycamore tree named Demon-Suppressing Tower, much like the Suppression of Bai Ze, mere superficial gestures by scholars.

The Old Master of the Temple had not touched the foundation of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, but without the iron ring belonging to the old Taoist as the linchpin of the grand formation, it was of little significance. Thus, there could be an additional meritorious deed trade. Combined with the Gourd of Nurturing Swords, that made two. According to the young Taoist’s own speculation, if his master carelessly lost in a debate with the Taoist Ancestor, he could at least rely on these two meritorious deeds to have the Sage of Rites plead on their behalf, so that his master and he could return to the Grand Desolate Heaven, without having to put on a pleasing face in the Azure Heavens. As for his master’s true intentions and ultimate actions, the young Taoist didn’t care; he was used to depending on his master.

Lu Chen calling the fire-tending Taoist “little snot-nose” was an insult, a double insult, including his aged master. As the disciple, he could not tolerate it!

Lu Chen said, “Little snot-nose, the Old Master of the Temple has painstakingly accumulated some goodwill for you, and you’re about to exhaust it all. Take it easy.”

The young Taoist asked doubtfully, “What do you mean?”

The fire-tending Taoist had always regarded himself as the head disciple of the Temple, but the old Taoist never considered the little fellow as a true heir, such was life.

Lu Chen laughed, “Splitting the Lotus Root Paradise into four, giving the Willow Leaf Umbrella to Chen Ping’an, was calculated based on Chen Ping’an’s mental journey, knowing he would inevitably worry and settle there to cultivate, to observe the Temple and examine his heart, and then encounter countless trivial predicaments of right and wrong, matters like goose feathers, piling up into a mountain, making it far more difficult to move than the same weight of mountain rocks. In the end, Chen Ping’an could only discover that in the matter of cultivation, only his original intention could be taken care of, from large to small, from complex to simple, from myriad changes to one. Then Chen Ping’an would still be Chen Ping’an, yet not Chen Ping’an, because he would have become like-minded with the Old Master of the Temple, and distanced himself from the Confucian path. Your carrying one of the Lotus Root Paradise with you is the Old Master’s way of reminding me to be patient and accommodating towards you.”

The young Taoist nodded, realizing, “There’s some truth to that.”

Sun Daochang laughed, “One dares to spout nonsense, the other dares to pretend to understand, you two are a perfect match.”

Lu Chen didn’t take it to heart.

The young Taoist reached into his left sleeve, from which he retrieved a sycamore leaf.

It was precisely the location of one of the Lotus Root Paradise. Divided into four, the Old Scholar’s closed-door disciple had taken one share. A young Taoist, thrown into the Paradise by the Master of the Temple, had lost his memory, and then met a traveling scholar, the son of an official from the capital of South Garden Kingdom, in the Northern Jin Kingdom. The youth had a little white ape by his side.

Lu Tai had occupied one share.

Yu Zhenyi of Pine Whisper Kingdom was the first true cultivator in the history of the Lotus Root Paradise. The Paradise he resided in had now been taken to the Lotus Minor Grotto Heaven by the Master of the Temple. That Yu Zhenyi, who had received the Taoist Ancestor’s great prophecy, “Dwelling in the world for a thousand years, forever with the complexion of a child,” was bound to be blessed with great fortune. Even the young Taoist was envious.

After hesitating for a long time, the young Taoist took out an iron ring from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Chen, a person who was not very proper in his conduct, speech, and cultivation.

One must know that this Lu Chen came from the Grand Desolate Heaven, “rebelling against tradition” like no other, even scolding the most Sage Master in his own books through allegory.

The young Taoist had a good relationship with the Old Scholar, but he wasn’t familiar with the Confucian Temple at all, so he was reluctant to deal with those rigid and pedantic sages in his mind. Moreover, he heard from Lu Chen that this world was not very strange, but extremely large, and traveling alone, one had to be careful not to be eaten by those strange things.

Lu Chen held the iron ring, squatted slightly, adopted a martial stance with his Qi sinking to his dantian, then spun around, stepping on the ground with one foot and raising the other, leaning forward, and throwing the iron ring out with force, transforming it into a dazzling rainbow light, breaking through the air to the Confucian Sage’s seat in the sky.

The young Taoist craned his neck, reminding, “Don’t throw it off course, lest the Confucian Sage have to search for it.”

Sun Daochang smiled, “Shouldn’t you be worried that this thing might smash the Confucian Sage on the head? Scholars value their face the most. If the Confucian Temple comes to investigate, Lu Chen threw the iron ring, but the iron ring is yours, so you and Daoist Lu share half the fault each. He can quit and run away, but where can you run with that Paradise?”

The young Taoist laughed awkwardly, “It won’t come to that.”

Glaring at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen nodded, “Steady heart and accurate hand, pointing where it goes, with absolutely no possibility of error.”

Sun Daochang nodded, “Striking where it points.”

The young Taoist became more and more uneasy, looking at Lu Chen who was helping him, and then at Sun Daochang who was speaking for him, unsure of what to make of it.

Sun Daochang shook his head.

This fire-tending Taoist was truly a little fool. The iron ring swept through the air and flew away, millions of miles away. The residual ripples of Qi alone were enough for Lu Chen to more accurately deduce the mountains, rivers, and everything else.

This made Sun Daochang miss that Daoist Chen he met in the Northern Ju Continent.

That was a person who was truly willing to use his brain and think more, and he was indeed worthy of the Old Master of the Eastern Sea Temple’s long-term planning.

Thinking back to the past, meeting on the mountain, both sides treating each other with sincerity, trials and tribulations leading to deep friendship, so that they could part ways on good terms.

“Daoist Chen, one must be honorable.”

“Daoist Sun, business must be fair!”

At this moment, Sun Daochang stroked his beard and smiled. Such intelligent young people were indeed pleasing. It was just that the path he traveled was too barren. Fortunately, the sincere “Daoist, Daoist” at the time of parting had made up for everything.

Shan Qing, who had been silent all along, suddenly asked, “Senior Brother, can I travel alone?”
Lu Chen smacked his forehead and said with a wry smile, “Why ask these things between fellow disciples? Does it mean you can’t even venture a hundred paces if you’re not within the Azure Canopy World?”

Daoist Sun stroked his beard and chuckled, “Daoist Lu, congratulations! You’ve found a fine junior brother.”

Shan Qing offered a Daoist salute to his senior brother and Daoist Sun, then turned and took a single step, crossing a hundred paces. On the breeze, he instantly broke through to the Jade Purity Realm.

Almost simultaneously, a Buddhist Son in the West also achieved a breakthrough.

Lu Chen nodded, shaking his wrist. “Not bad, not bad. I almost couldn’t restrain myself.”

Daoist Sun smiled faintly, “Why make things difficult for yourself, Daoist Lu? Just let this old Daoist know next time. A slap is a slap, who delivers it matters not.”

The young Daoist priest worriedly asked, “Sect Leader Lu, how did you know I would temporarily lend the ‘Measuring Ladle’ gourd to the Confucian Temple? My master personally cast a concealing spell, and you have no knowledge of the Tongye Continent…”

Lu Chen chuckled, “Sitting in a high position with nothing to do all day, what else can I do but let my mind wander, guessing east and west, thinking north and south?”

The young Daoist priest reached out and touched the enormous golden gourd behind him.

Lu Chen said, “This Measuring Ladle, the old temple master, you, the sages here, the Central Earth Confucian Temple, the Embroidered Tiger of Treasure Bottle Continent, old man Yang – it will ultimately find its way into the hands of a young lady surnamed Li.”

The young Daoist priest frowned. “Is this just another wild guess from Sect Leader Lu?”

He was a little reluctant to part with it, even though the “Measuring Ladle” would surely be returned eventually.

Lu Chen smiled, “Have you ever considered who was originally responsible for crafting the seven gourd vessels?”

A single vine bore seven sword-nourishing gourds. Ultimately, they all originated from a single “one” in the vast world.

Seven threads of energy flowed, converging into one.

The Dao Ancestor idly observed the Dao through this, in the same way he would sit and watch the blooming and withering of lotuses in a pond, contemplating where a drop of water might fall.

The Dao Ancestor’s magic was boundless, yet he wouldn’t truly interfere. Naturally, the Confucian Temple had no reason to disrupt these threads rooted in the world.

The young Daoist priest said, “Of course. And then?”

Daoist Sun smiled faintly, “Playing the lute to a cow, speaking gibberish.”

That was quite the four-way insult.

Lu Chen said helplessly, “Daoist Sun, I still deeply respect my master.”

Daoist Sun asked with feigned confusion, “What was that? This old Daoist is getting senile, my ears aren’t so good anymore.”

Lu Chen simply smiled.

Since his master didn’t care, there was no need for a disciple to meddle.

That left the young Daoist priest with a muddled mind.

All he knew was that the gourd vine personally planted by the Dao Ancestor, after “bearing fruit,” produced the seven best sword-nourishing gourds in the world.

The “blessed by heaven and earth” gourd vine of Spring Banner Hermitage of the Upside-Down Mountain was far from comparable.

The golden gourd behind the young Daoist priest, as one of the rarest seven sword-nourishing gourds in the world, was called “Measuring Ladle.” It contained an immeasurable amount of water from the Eastern Sea, so much so that the water level of the entire Eastern Sea was rumored to have dropped several feet. However, his master didn’t let him nurture swords in it, instead using it to capture and raise flood dragons. Especially before he “ascended” to the Azure Canopy World, the old temple master quietly accomplished a great feat.

The reason why not a single flood dragon rested on the Resting Dragon Rock when Li Liu and Gu Can reunited there was due to this fact. Almost all the water dragons in the seas on both sides of the Tongye Continent had been captured by the old Daoist. Many water dragons from other seas also actively entered the “Measuring Ladle.” This made it so that the weary dragons needed no intermediate stop at the Resting Dragon Rock to rest in the Dragon Trench located between the Upside-Down Mountain and the Rain Dragon Sect.

The Confucian Sage did not stop this, as the Confucian Temple had its own considerations.

The six other invaluable sword-nourishing gourds were named according to the number of swords they nourished, the gourd containing the most swords being called “Countless Hairs.” The name was not flattering, but its grade and power were astonishing. It was also the best at helping its owner gain favor with sword cultivators and sword immortals on the mountain.

The gourd that shaped the fastest destiny flying sword embryo was called “Zhongnan Mountain Road.” The more talented a sword cultivator was, the more destiny flying swords they possessed. Once they owned this gourd, they complemented each other perfectly.

The gourd that tempered the most resilient flying swords had an odd name, just one character: “Three.”

The gourd with the sharpest edge, capable of cutting through all laws with a single sword, and whose swords could break all other swords, was called “Heart’s Desire.”

The gourd containing the smallest and finest flying swords, capable of the fastest strikes, which could be refined to true invisibility, ignoring the River of Time, was called “Immediately.”

The gourd most capable of nourishing its owner’s body, suitable for containing wine, where cultivators could absorb sword qi without any hidden danger, was called “Fine Wine.” It symbolized the beautiful things in the world, with fine wine being the most important.

All seven sword-nourishing gourds remained in this world.

The tiny Treasure Bottle Continent was blessed by the heavens with two of them. The Purple-Gold sword-nourishing gourd “Countless Hairs” of the Righteous Sun Mountain was once given to Su Jia, a female sword cultivator who was expected to achieve great things.

Of course, it wasn’t an ancestral treasure of the Righteous Sun Mountain. The Righteous Sun Mountain didn’t have that kind of foundation. It was something they acquired along the way.

The Wind and Snow Temple also possessed a snow-white sword-nourishing gourd. It was acquired early on by Wei Jin, a sword immortal who reached the Upper Five Realms at the age of forty. The young Daoist priest suspected it was the “Fine Wine” gourd.

In addition, the eldest disciple of the White Emperor City Lord of the Central Earth Continent obtained the “Three” gourd. Liu, the God of Wealth of the Jade White Continent, half-bought and half-stole the “Zhongnan Mountain Road” gourd, which he treasured and rarely showed to others. He even announced that it would be one of the betrothal gifts for his heir, Liu Youzhou.

The Great Sword Immortal Bai Shang of the Northern Earth in the Northern Club Reed Continent obtained the “Zhongnan Mountain Road” gourd.

However, the “Heart’s Desire” and “Immediately” gourds, which were the most suitable for sword cultivators to fight against each other and had the greatest attack power, had always been missing.

The young Daoist priest wanted to regain some ground, so he asked playfully, “Sect Leader Lu, would you like to meet a descendant of the Lu family?”

Lu Chen meeting Lu Tai. The thought of it was amusing.

Lu Chen laughed, “There’s no need to meet a child who can’t even light the Three Purities incense in Upside-Down Mountain, right?”

Daoist Sun looked into the distance and marveled. Shan Qing was indeed something.

He claimed to be traveling, yet headed straight for a newly occupied mountain peak of the Mysterious Capital Temple. It seemed he intended to slaughter all the Daoists of the Mysterious Capital Temple below the Nascent Soul Realm.

Lu Chen exclaimed in dismay, stomping his foot, “Unreasonable, unreasonable! Isn’t he afraid of being beaten to death by Senior Brother for Daoist Sun?”

Daoist Sun nodded, “Cornering a dog will make it jump over the wall in desperation.”

Since Daoist Sun himself said that, Lu Chen had nothing to say.
Grandmaster Sun chuckled, “The reasoning is sound, but is it truly so easy to kill him? He possesses countless treasures, and his combat prowess is amplified. Even if his cultivation is increased by a realm, so what? My Xuandu Temple’s Sword Immortal lineage may not be as rich as the carefree immortals of Bai Yujing, but when it comes to fighting, we have some skill.”

A young Buddhist monk from the West attained a breakthrough almost simultaneously with Shan Qing.

A young female Daoist from Xuandu Temple, with a sword on her back and graceful demeanor, broke through slightly later.

However, she possesses the strength to face Shan Qing in battle. Although it would undoubtedly be difficult to win, she could stall him for a moment.

The practitioners of Xuandu Temple, when venturing down the mountain, either remain amicable and allow others to insult them without easily engaging in combat, or they strike directly, and always aim for a decisive blow.

Furthermore, the Daoists of Xuandu Temple also… most enjoy calling upon fellow disciples and friends to collectively assault their opponents.

Therefore, the lower five realms Daoists of Xuandu Temple have often witnessed grand spectacles.

Of course, after ascending to the upper five realms, such blatant actions are no longer appropriate. According to the founding patriarch, it would “sound unseemly” if word got out.

As for what happens privately, in a less than honorable manner, Grandmaster Sun is constantly traveling and cannot see or hear, so he naturally cannot interfere. When accepting disciples, and disciples accept their own students, he only focuses on imparting Daoist techniques and swordsmanship. Whether they bring honor or disgrace to Xuandu Temple during their future travels down the mountain is their own responsibility.

In fact, Sun Huaizhong has always been unconcerned with trivial matters.

Because he has a favorite saying, “I have attained Daoist enlightenment, therefore my heart is at peace.”

The old Abbot only concerns himself with significant events.

Therefore, he also has a favorite saying, “I have diligently practiced swordsmanship my entire life, am I to reason with fools?”

Lu Chen, in fact, had been frequently calculating ever since the opening of the two great gates in the fifth world.

Grandmaster Sun asked, “So concerned about the Great Vastness world?”

Lu Chen smiled, “I ran a fortune-telling stall in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven for many years, so I can’t help but feel some attachment.”

Grandmaster Sun flicked his sleeves, raised his hand, and rapidly performed calculations, exclaiming with surprise, “How coincidental! I never imagined that Daoist Lu, despite having traveled far away for only a few years, far less than myself, would have such deep karmic connections. Furthermore, I never expected that our paths, although diverging, would still have such karmic intersection. However, mine is a fortunate connection, while Daoist Lu’s is a karmic debt. I am concerned for you.”

Lu Chen echoed, “Yes, concerned indeed.”

After all, Cao Ci is currently only at the Mountain Peak Realm.

Back then, when he returned to his homeland, he set up a stall in that small town to tell fortunes. Unfortunately, he only had a literary finch by his side to examine literary fortune. If he had also possessed a martial finch, Qi Jingchun’s deception would have been ineffective.

Lu Chen flicked his sleeves and ceased his calculations.

Grandmaster Sun, still calculating within his sleeves, chuckled, “Daoist Lu, are you already unable to endure?”

Lu Chen retorted, “Abbot, stop feigning ignorance.”

Grandmaster Sun laughed loudly, raised his hand, and flicked his sleeves. Even if it was just a pretense, it still counted as a victory over Lu Chen. Upon returning to Xuandu Temple, he would discuss this with his direct disciples, and “remind” them about such trivial matters, but not to mention it to the younger generations.

Lu Chen sighed, “Now that this world has opened its gate, the five worlds are interconnected with a single breath.”

Grandmaster Sun, suppressing his laughter, nodded, “Calculation is the most difficult.”

Both fell silent.

Adding a firewood-carrying Daoist boy who might as well have not heard any of the Daoist teaching.

Lu Chen casually remarked, “It’s a pity I cannot meet Fellow Daoist Frost Descent’s partner. It truly is a significant regret.”

“At most, only half a partner of Fellow Daoist Frost Descent.”

Grandmaster Sun sighed, “The world is merely troubled by emotions, but Fellow Daoist Frost Descent has reversed the process, using emotions to trap his beloved. It’s both infatuated and ruthless. Outsiders have no way to judge right or wrong.”

The most renowned cultivation giant in the history of the Palace of Year’s End, Palace Master Wu Shuangjiang, single-handedly elevated a second-rate sect to the most outstanding sect in the Azure Heavens world.

After he established a firm foundation, a large number of prodigies, including the Watchmen of the Year, rose to prominence.

Wu Shuangjiang himself was once among the top ten in the Azure Heavens world. Although his ranking was not high, being in the top ten of the entire world was still quite a feat.

This person was clearly capable of breaking through the Ascension Realm bottleneck, yet he remained in seclusion.

Because Wu Shuangjiang had not appeared for too long, he fell out of the top ten rankings hundreds of years ago.

The little Daoist boy was most interested in such high-level secrets and curiously asked, “That Wu Shuangjiang, if he fought openly, unrestrained, and unleashed all his techniques, could he defeat the two of you?”

Lu Chen smiled, “Isn’t the purpose of cultivating the Dao precisely to avoid fighting?”

Grandmaster Sun nodded and smiled, “It shouldn’t be solely for fighting.”

The little Daoist boy scoffed, what are the Bai Yujing Daoists and Sword Immortal Daoists doing right now?

Lu Chen stood on tiptoe, observing the flow of Qi Luck in this world, and said without reason, “The first place is uncontested?”

Grandmaster Sun said, “You should be glad that it wasn’t Fellow Daoist Chen who came here. Otherwise, a sword duel in the future could lead to the collision of two worlds.”

Lu Chen laughed, “You’re wrong. If he came here, he would become increasingly restrained, and his Great Dao would stagnate.”

Grandmaster Sun stroked his beard and nodded, “That’s also true.”

The little Daoist boy muttered, “Could you two talk about something I can understand?”

Lu Chen said, “Difficult.”

Grandmaster Sun said, “Extremely difficult.”

In the central area of this world, the two Confucian Sages sitting in the sky, one from the Rite Record Academy of the Sage of Rites lineage and the other from the Riverside Academy of the Quasi-Sage lineage, are both Confucian Temple auxiliary sages.

One recorded everything he saw and heard, while the other watched over the eastern and western gates to prevent upper five realms cultivators from infiltrating, and forbade Nascent Soul cultivators from entering the northern and southern gates.

Both Sages were accompanied by a disciple from their respective lineages, both of whom were gentlemen of the Academy.

One of the gentlemen wore a long sword called “Righteous Qi,” gifted by a friend during his early travels to the Great Wall of Swords.

The two gentlemen, due to the Sages, were able to observe the mountains and rivers and see all the world, witnessing many strange and interesting events.

For example, among the three thousand Daoists, the leader of a major Daoist sect that was one of the ancestral homes of talismanic arts, was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator named Nanshan.

As for their mortal enemy, Caishoushan, there was also a Nascent Soul cultivator, a woman named Youran.

This pair of men and women were not only born in the same year and month, but even their time of birth was exactly the same, without the slightest difference.

In addition to this, the two gentlemen also learned many things about the Azure Heavens world.

Such things were not recorded in the sages’ books of the past.

In the Great Vastness world, there are ten types of rogue cultivators, including tailors and lone riders of the South Sea, who are defined as heretics that everyone has the right to kill.
In the vast Qingming Realm, there also exist ten types of cultivators who, while not exactly reviled, are certainly unwelcome. They wouldn’t dare venture near the hallowed grounds of White Jade Capital.

They are: the Rice Thieves, the Corpse-Dissecting Immortals, the Curtain-Rolling Crimson Hands, the Porters, the Coffin Bearers, the Mountain Patrol Envoys, the Dressing Table Handmaidens, the Ghostwriters, the One-Word Masters, and the Traitors.

This time, among the three thousand Daoists entering the new world, besides the shares allocated to the great sects, there were also several hundred “wild cultivators of the mountains and marshes” from the Qingming Realm. Through fortunate encounters and deep blessings, each received a jade token issued by White Jade Capital, granting passage to this world.

Around the city of swordsmen, after Ning Yao attained the Jade Purity Realm, even though she deliberately distanced herself from the city and traveled far, the Nascent Soul sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, including Qi Shou, were subtly overshadowed by the great Dao of heaven and earth. Especially Qi Shou, who had the greatest hope of breaking through after Ning Yao, found his progress slowed because of her rapid advancement in the Jade Purity Realm. This made his breakthrough much slower than those heaven-blessed figures like Shan Qing, the Western Buddhist disciple, and the Xuan Du Temple nun.

In the nascent days of this world, many great Daos manifested profoundly and clearly. As time passes, they will become increasingly obscure and subtle.

However, with Qi Shou’s exceptional talent and the potential benefits of leading the Executioner lineage, he will undoubtedly become part of the second wave of Jade Purity Realm cultivators within the first decade.

The so-called first wave consists of Ning Yao alone.

Following her will be the second wave, including Shan Qing, the Western Buddhist disciple, and Qi Shou, numbering no more than ten people.

After that, cultivators from all sides who reach the Fifth Stage within ninety years will constitute the third wave.

There will still be few cultivators from Tongye and Fuyao Continents, because compared to the eastern and western gates, the cultivators from the northern and southern continents entering the fifth world, with the exception of a handful of Nascent Soul cultivators, will not be allowed to bring their Nascent Souls. The reason why that small group of Nascent Soul cultivators are exceptions is because the merit of their sects and the moral character of the cultivators themselves have been recognized by the Confucian Temple of the Central Earth. For example, the nun of Taiping Mountain and the sword cultivator Huang Ting. Without exception, they were all forced by their sects to come here, and their sects were prepared to face annihilation, with everyone fighting to the death, leaving only one person to continue the incense for the ancestral hall.

It is now the end of the fifth year of the Jiachun era.

Before this, there was a considerable debate about whether to choose “Jiachun” as the era name or to use the one suggested by the Confucian Temple. The final decision to use Jiachun was only recently made. Before that, two versions were used concurrently, with the Old Scholar using one and the Confucian Temple using another, neither yielding to the other. Of course, when the Old Scholar’s version was used, the Bai Ye brothers, who rarely spoke, surprisingly opened their mouths. Bai Ye said he found the words “Jiachun” extremely beautiful, with a wonderful meaning, and held his sword to his own neck every day, daring the dilapidated scholar not to comply.

In addition, there was another argument about which year to define as the first year: the year the Old Scholar and Bai Ye entered the new world together, or the year the city of the Sword Qi Great Wall landed.

Of course, it was again the Old Scholar alone, arguing with the Confucian Temple.

In the end, the Old Scholar won both arguments. In the matter of the Jiachun era name, Bai Ye first cleared the way with his sword, and later the merit of splitting the heavens was too great. In the meantime, the Old Scholar was not idle either, working diligently and accomplishing much, such as establishing the borders of the land. So the Confucian Temple agreed to the Old Scholar, “Let’s at least give Bai Ye some face.” But everyone knew that Bai Ye, who was known as the most successful scholar in the world, would never interfere in the matter of the era name. Would he hold a sword to the Old Scholar’s neck? It was hard to say who would hold a sword to whose neck.

The decision to place the first year of Jiachun at the moment the city landed was also a matter decided after much dispute. Not long after leaving the fifth world, the Old Scholar triumphantly went to the Confucian Temple, walking with his nostrils in the air, arrogant and swaggering, his two sleeves flying. It turned out that the Old Scholar had stolen the ancestral scroll of the “Searching the Mountains Map of the World” from Bai Ze. Initially, the Confucian Temple still hoped that the first year of Jiachun would be at the beginning of the Old Scholar and Bai Ye’s entry into the new world, but the Old Scholar gave up all his merit in exchange for a share of the great Dao’s luck to protect the city, and added the “Searching the Mountains Map,” which he still did not want for himself but gave to Southern Bosuo Continent. The Confucian Temple had nothing to say.

At that time, the Confucian Temple closed its doors. First, the Old Scholar had a big argument with the vice-master of the Confucian Temple, the chief libationer of the academy, and the masters of the Central Earth Academy.

Later, the Sub-Sage arrived, and even the Sage of Rites arrived.

The Old Scholar said directly that scholars should not only argue behind closed doors, but also close the study door, otherwise he would not be afraid of being unrefined, but everyone was a master of refinement, which was too humiliating and would make the younger generation laugh. So, except for three people, everyone left the Confucian Temple gate and stood obediently in the square outside, waiting for news.

In the end, the two vice-masters, three chief libationers, and more than ten academy masters saw a scene where the three sages walked out of the Confucian Temple together. Originally, the Old Scholar and the Sub-Sage walked on either side of the Sage of Rites, but unexpectedly, the Old Scholar slowed down in a smooth movement, squeezed out the Sub-Sage, and swaggered in the center. Fortunately, the Sage of Rites smiled and the Sub-Sage did not mind, allowing the Old Scholar to violate the rules once.

But the Old Scholar was still the Old Scholar, and he did not restore his status as a Sage of Literature. His statue would not be moved back to the Confucian Temple, and he would not be enshrined with the Supreme Sage.

Finally, everyone dispersed.

Only the Old Scholar sat on the steps, as if chatting with someone, talking about everyday life.

The Old Scholar never looked worried when complaining.

Besides, the Old Scholar complained a lot and showed off even more on this day.

An old man, revered as the Supreme Sage, sat next to the Old Scholar.

The old man wanted to leave to attend to matters, but the Old Scholar held his sleeve tightly, preventing him from leaving.

The old man had to tug his sleeve gently, signaling that it was enough.

The Old Scholar simply sat sideways and grabbed the sleeve with both hands, saying, “Let’s talk for a while, let’s talk for a while! We’ve only just started. I haven’t even talked about how my closed-door disciple found his wife at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Old man, you don’t know, my closed-door disciple is the culmination of my lineage of learning. His marriage is even better than his teacher and senior brother, surpassing them by far!”
The old man sighed, “Bai Ye’s sword strike was relatively restrained.”

Within the southernmost gate, the Confucian school has established two landscape-based restrictions. Once you enter the Fifth Heaven and pass the second boundary line, you can only go out and never return.

Ning Yao controlled her sword and hovered in the air, arriving a thousand miles away, gazing at the gate standing between heaven and earth.

As long as she cleaved the restrictions with her sword, she could cross the gate and go to Tongye Continent.

But in the end, Ning Yao turned around and left.

Ultimately, she changed her mind again, sheathed her sword, carried it on her back, and landed on the earth.

She wore a golden-threaded Daoist robe, carrying the Sword Immortal on her back.

Ning Yao intended to find some Tongye Continent cultivators to inquire about the latest situation.

A group of a dozen people, riding the wind on a long journey, farther and farther away from the gate, all were Dragon Gate and Golden Core realm cultivators.

From the terror and uncertainty of their escape, to this place, they formed alliances with each other, united in spirit and purpose. They felt as if they had gained fortune from disaster, from now on, the sky was the limit, the logic was simple, there wasn’t even a nascent soul cultivator nearby!

Moreover, in this world, there were no longer the top five realms!

Three Golden Cores, nine Dragon Gates, would it be difficult to kill a Nascent Soul?

Actually, it wasn’t that simple, after all, paper strength was an illusion, if one or two were killed by the Nascent Soul first, frightening everyone into cowardice, and then breaking them one by one, in the end, whether it was everyone besieging one person, or one person chasing and killing everyone, who would kill whom was hard to say.

But now, the world was vast, and there were no more Nascent Souls.

What Viewing the Sea realm, Cave Dwelling realm, were not qualified to be with them, those thirty-odd freeloading cultivators from various immortal mountain peaks and powerful aristocratic families were gathering forces for them near the gate.

These twelve people had already agreed that they would create the largest mountain “sect,” competing for people, land, power, luck, competing for influence, heavenly materials and earthly treasures, everything they had to snatch into their own hands!

After that, even if their cultivation aptitude was limited, they would use mountains of Immortal coins to break through their respective bottlenecks, as long as one of the twelve people was the first to reach the Nascent Soul realm, a solid, everlasting foundation would be completely secure.

Then they saw the sword-carrying woman walking on the ground.

Everyone was slightly surprised, was she so bold?

Daring to travel alone?

They took a closer look, each with their own intentions, some fancied the woman’s appearance, some valued the woman’s robe, which seemed to be of good quality, some guessed how much the long sword was worth, and some simply had murderous intent. Of course, there were also those who feared the slightest chance and were cautious, unwilling to provoke trouble. And there was also the only female cultivator, Golden Core realm, pitying the poor woman whose fate was sealed, save her? Why? She didn’t have the heart. In this chaotic world where heaven and earth didn’t matter, only cultivators did, if you were so good-looking and your realm wasn’t high, daring to go out alone, wasn’t that courting death?

Ning Yao looked up and saw that they had no intention of attacking, so she continued forward.

The twelve Tongye Continent refugee cultivators, riding the wind and hovering, high above, overlooking the beautiful woman on the ground whose identity was temporarily unknown.

After a moment, the Golden Core female cultivator felt annoyed, were these old men all pure-hearted and abstinent gentlemen, none of them making a move?

So she smiled and said, “I see that woman’s appearance is acceptable, don’t compete with me, I’m missing a maid by my side now, I’ll take her.”

As soon as she spoke, a strong man with fiery eyes reached out and held the slender waist of the female cultivator beside him, chuckling, “It’s good to be a maid, it’s even better to be a bed-warming maid, brother will help you take down that lucky little girl, Jade Cheeks, it’s settled, quickly find an auspicious day, you and I will quickly become husband and wife, maybe we’ll be the number one couple in this world, if there’s some mysterious extra blessing, wouldn’t that be a double blessing…”

In his words, the man simultaneously spoke in his heart to two friends, “Remember to help me guard the formation, besides you, including this slut Jade Cheeks, I don’t trust anyone.”

The man took out a soldier’s armor pill, and a set of divine dew-receiving armor instantly covered his body, before he rode the wind to the ground, walking towards the sword-carrying woman, and laughed, “This sister, where in Tongye Continent are you from, why not travel together? More people aren’t afraid of trouble, isn’t that the reason?”

Seemingly frivolous in his words, the man had already clenched the long knife in his hand, as a Golden Core realm soldier cultivator who had been through many battles.

Ning Yao said calmly, “More people aren’t afraid of death?”

She used a relatively clumsy Tongye Continent refined speech.

In the matter of language talent, he was indeed better, he could speak the refined speech of the three continents, the official dialect of various countries, and many local dialects, he would deliberately use a casual look, using words she didn’t understand, to say some things.

But she knew what he was saying, because she could see his eyes.

The man laughed heartily, “Little lady really knows how to tell jokes…”

The man, starting from the center of his eyebrows, from head to toe, inexplicably split in two.

A set of divine dew-receiving armor, plus the physique of a Golden Core soldier cultivator, was not even as good as a thin piece of paper.

The female cultivator named Jade Cheeks knew something was wrong, and was also cut in half by an invisible sword qi, a Golden Core was wrapped by her soul, spinning around, just about to escape, and exploded with a bang.

Ning Yao glanced at the sky.

The ten cultivators scrambled, each wishing they could plunge straight into the earth, so they could be the first to meet that female Sword Immortal.

It wasn’t that they saw that the other party was a sword cultivator, they didn’t actually know how she made her move, but since she was carrying a sword, they would just consider her a Sword Immortal.

Whether she was a Golden Core sword cultivator with an astonishing Natal Flying Sword, or some Nascent Soul sword cultivator who fell from the sky, they all counted as Sword Immortals! Anyway, killing them was like chopping chickens with a kitchen knife.

Ning Yao suddenly didn’t bother to ask about the situation in Tongye Continent anymore.

He once told her about the mountain and water travels of Tongye Continent, which was also written in the book she always carried with her.

But Ning Yao knew that the Tongye Continent cultivators who hadn’t come to this world were the ones who should come.

So Ning Yao turned and left.

She planned to walk for a while, on the way she came, not far away was a mountain, which produced a strange kind of green bamboo, Ning Yao planned to make a mountain walking staff.

As she turned around, the two friends the man had spoken to earlier in his heart, died on the spot.

In front of a Jade Purity realm bottleneck sword cultivator, thinking they were being cautious by whispering in each other’s heart, they were not cautious enough.

A young-looking sword cultivator floated to the ground, frowning and said, “This fellow Daoist, isn’t your killing intent too heavy?”

The ten cultivators each had their own thoughts.
Because this swordsman enjoys immense renown, being the acknowledged heir of the Immortal Qing Sect in Tongye Continent, named Nie Yun. A Golden Core at a hundred years old, and crucially, a swordsman.

The reason for instantly recognizing his identity lies in the sword at his waist, “Corpse Release,” which is exceptionally eye-catching. Multicolored light flowed from its scabbard, a self-recognizing, semi-immortal artifact!

His name was also bestowed by the Immortal Qing Sect’s patriarch himself, after his protector brought him to the sect at a young age, implying that this child would one day aspire to ascend to the clouds.

Ning Yao remained indifferent.

The young swordsman distanced himself from the woman, walking side-by-side.

Ning Yao said, “Blind eyes, deaf ears, low cultivation, speak less, stay away.”

Nie Yun laughed, “Are you saying I can’t discern good from bad? Not so. It’s just that apart from Xu Tao and Yu Jia, the two Golden Cores, the other two don’t deserve death. A lesson is enough. As long as they’re not utterly wicked, we Tongye Continent cultivators should set aside past grievances, focus on cultivation, and strive for greater heights. Perhaps we’ll soon encounter cultivators from Fuyu Continent, or even those sword cultivator savages from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, who are fond of killing…”

He hadn’t noticed before, but upon closer inspection, this woman was truly captivating.

Not in the sense of coveting beauty, but for a young genius with a pure sword heart, she was simply unforgettable.

Ning Yao continued to gaze ahead, saying, “Cure your habit of ignoring advice after your fall in realm.”

Nie Yun was about to speak.

In an instant, he flew backward, his Golden Core shattered for the most part, blood streaming from all seven orifices, struggling desperately to rise.

His vision blurred, and he faintly saw the woman’s back, slowly fading away.

The other ten looked at each other, unsure.

Should they ride the wave, kill and seize the treasure, taking the “Corpse Release”? Or save him and forge a monumental bond with the Immortal Qing Sect?

Besides the two Nascent Soul patriarchs, almost all enshrined elders, retainers, and direct descendants of the Immortal Qing Sect have entered this new world.

It’s said that even the ancestral hall portrait and divine tablet were carried by Nie Yun, placed within an ancestral miniature artifact.

Someone gritted their teeth, voicing their thoughts, “What bond of gratitude? All just empty words! Who cares about that now? What pedigree immortals? Nowadays, everyone is a wild cultivator! Whoever breaks through and reaches Nascent Soul first gets the semi-immortal artifact, we all swear an oath. The one who obtains ‘Corpse Release’ will be the leader, and that person must protect the rest of us through one realm each!”

Another reminded, “That ‘Corpse Release’ is a self-recognizing semi-immortal artifact, who dares to take it? Who can refine it? If Nie Yun died, that would be one thing, but Nie Yun is not dead.”

One whispered, “Nie Yun fell in realm, yet ‘Corpse Release’ didn’t unsheathe. The talk of recognition is probably just a scheme by the Immortal Qing Sect to enhance Nie Yun’s reputation.”

There were also a few pedigree immortals who didn’t want to get involved, but didn’t want to speak out. Blocking opportunity on the mountain is more resented than cutting off wealth below.

Unexpectedly, just as everyone hesitated to act, Nie Yun sat up. His sword “Corpse Release” unsheathed itself, hovering in the air. He reached out and grasped the blade, without harming his palm in the slightest, as if the sword was helping him rise.

Nie Yun’s eyes were gloomy as he looked at those bastards. Even if he was truly deaf, Nie Yun was not blind and could see the expressions and gazes of those fellows!

Nie Yun released the semi-immortal artifact Corpse Release, swaying, but unafraid of everyone, and gnashed his teeth and said: “A bunch of trash, all that’s left is a broken golden core that knows a little about talisman, and you dare to kill me and steal my sword?”

Nie Yun suddenly lowered his head and stared at his beloved sword, tears streaming down his face, he reached out and covered his heart, and choked, “Why did you play dead before, why didn’t you unsheathe yourself, why didn’t you protect my golden core, don’t kill her, protecting my golden core would be good too…”

The sword trembled, as if weeping.

It seemed even more aggrieved than its fallen master.

It didn’t dare to unsheathe.

Afraid that its master would die.

It’s just that semi-immortal artifacts are often like ignorant children who haven’t been enlightened, unable to speak or write.

Otherwise, this Corpse Release would have clearly told Nie Yun that the woman was very likely the first person recognized by the Grand Dao of this world.

The ten finally realized that the semi-immortal artifact Corpse Release could kill on its own, so they immediately used their own means to escape.

Nie Yun had no intention of chasing them. Firstly, he was unsettled by this calamity, and secondly, after the fall in realm, there were too many accidents, and he was unwilling to provoke them in case of anything.

He had already remembered the faces and clothing of the ten, and also knew the general origins of several cultivators. The green hills will not change, and the green waters will flow forever, and there will always be an opportunity to meet again and reminisce.

The young genius who carried all the hopes of his sect, raised his head and looked in the direction of the woman’s departure, and suddenly realized that she came from the Great Wall of Sword Qi!

Ning Yao arrived at the green mountain bamboo forest, searched around, and finally picked out a verdant little bamboo tree, made it into a walking stick, and held it in her hand.

Seeing that there was no one around, Ning Yao began to open the mountain and learn how to walk with a stick like that person, imagining him leading the opening of the mountain when he was young, imagining him traveling alone after he reached adulthood, imagining him drunk while drinking, imagining him walking in the mountains and rivers, staring wide-eyed at the scenery, and writing it all in a book…

Later, Ning Yao returned to normal, stood on the top of the green mountain, propped the walking stick on the ground, gently called out a name, and then she listened carefully to the sound of the wind passing through the bamboo forest, as if answering.

Earlier, when she first came to the new world, the inner demon of Ning Yao’s Nascent Soul breakthrough was Chen Ping’an in her heart.

For Ning Yao, the inner demon would only be like this.

But with just one glance, Ning Yao took a few more glances and then quickly killed it.

Therefore, breaking through the realm was just a moment.

Both extremely complicated and simple and pure, Ning Yao understood one thing in an instant. The Chen Ping’an in her eyes and heart can never compare to the real Chen Ping’an. The world is vast, and there is only one Chen Ping’an, truly and really.