Upon a bustling city’s stone arch bridge, wild grasses stubbornly sprouted from the cracks of the aged flagstones.

A royal mausoleum, neglected for a mere handful of years, had already become a desolate haunt for foxes and rabbits.

Mountain and marsh spirits, in unruly packs, abandoned their hidden grottoes and caves, rampaging through the market streets, brazenly clamoring outside Confucian temples, city god shrines, and mountain deity altars, fearing nothing.

A monarch, drunk on wine and lost in the embrace of a beauty, repeated in a muddled voice, “The fault lies not with me.” The woman gently stroked the dragon-embroidered robe of the man, while earlier in the grand hall, generals stood pale-faced, and civil officials implored him to surrender the imperial jade seal and flee the city.

During the recent Lower Yuan Festival, on the fifteenth day of the tenth month, when the Water Official traditionally absolves karmic debts, with customs of burning incense sticks to enrich the fields, offering gilded paper money, and releasing sky lanterns for blessings, this year, incense sticks lay unlit, gilded paper went unburned, and prayer lanterns remained grounded.

A father and son, serving as prime minister and vice-minister of the nation, respectively, were closeted in a secret chamber, conferring with a venerated celestial master. The old man, the pillar of civilization for the kingdom, reassured himself, repeating that there must be a way out, it was impossible for them to be utterly eradicated, to have everything swept away, leaving nothing behind.

In a county town, the opera stage stood adjacent to the village school. Ordinarily, the old scholar would detest his students watching the painted women sing on stage, but tonight, under the cloak of darkness, the scholar sat on a long bench with his young pupils, listening to ghostly tales sung by ghostly voices.

In a remote, small kingdom untouched by the flames of war, a Daoist temple clung to the face of a cliff, accessible only by a winding, narrow mountain path.

A Confucian scholar in a robe and a young-looking sword cultivator slowly ascended the mountain. The humble temple nestled against the cliff was once briefly occupied by a “True Man of the Taiping Mountain lineage,” who casually accepted a nameless disciple there. The incense smoke was faint, but a legacy, however weak, persisted. It was a chance act, and the disciple proved unremarkable. For a cultivator, he aged swiftly, reaching decrepitude at little over a century. His own disciples were even less gifted, truly a case of each generation worse than the last. Likely, the old Daoist still didn’t know who the “young” master whose portrait hung in the ancestral hall truly was.

The scholar and sword cultivator, traveling together, sought nothing specific. The scholar had returned from Tongye Continent, and the sword cultivator happened to be near a military encampment, so they agreed to visit this place for some respite.

Previously, three great demons had schemed for a long time in Tongye Continent, and among them, the “young Daoist” who had successfully become a direct disciple of Taiping Mountain deserved the most credit. The so-called exposure of the plot by a young spirit channeling sorcerer, which forced him to act ahead of schedule, seemed to ruin everything. However, in the long run, it was a stroke of unexpected luck. It was just a pity that he couldn’t join forces with the white ape to kill Zhong Kui. Since he was now missing, most likely having been dealt with by the old Daoist of Guandao Temple, then they should help consolidate what remained of his influence in the Great Bright World.

The scholar said, “You shouldn’t have killed her. Killing any random Jade Purity Realm cultivator is fine, but she was not to be touched. You were even willing to protect an entire Jade Mushroom Hill for her sake.”

The sword cultivator said, “Sir, I couldn’t help myself when I saw how pathetically she begged for mercy.”

The scholar chuckled in exasperation, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Fei Ran said something like that, but it doesn’t sit right coming from you, Shou Chen.”

Shou Chen nodded, “I grew complacent in Tongye Continent, and became a bit conceited.”

The scholar said, “Originally, the incident at Jade Mushroom Hill could have been a turning point for the situation in Tongye Continent, meaning that the continent’s lands could have gradually transitioned from chaos to order. Then I could have helped record a merit for you in the Jiazi ledger. I should have thrown you to Taiping Mountain to help protect your junior brothers and sisters, so that two of them wouldn’t have fallen. You included, it’s not that you couldn’t die, but dying so early is a waste of your talents. You haven’t even had the chance to apply what you’ve learned.”

Two fellow disciples had died in battle. Shou Chen, as their senior brother, felt some sadness, but no remorse.

The scholar was Zhou Mi, and the sword cultivator was Shou Chen. They were master and disciple.

Zhou Mi led his disciple Shou Chen along the small path, and they could already see the small Daoist temple.

Daoists observe the stars and moon; Daoist temples contemplate the Way. Looking up at the celestial phenomena and examining the earthly landscapes, Daoist temples are often located on mountaintops.

Zhou Mi wasn’t in a hurry to enter the closed-door temple. He led Shou Chen to gaze at the mountains and rivers, and then chuckled softly, “A person who has seen the sun, moon, and rivers and then goes blind suffers more than someone who was born blind.”

Shou Chen understood the implicit meaning of his teacher’s words.

A person who loses something and then regains it will cherish what they have even more. Therefore, the survivors on and off the mountains of Tongye Continent, as long as the plans of the Barren World are properly executed, won’t thank the Great Bright World for what it has done. Most will secretly rejoice and be grateful for the Barren World’s leniency, and then hate the Central Earth Confucian Temple for causing the suffering of all living beings in Tongye Continent, viewing Confucianism as the culprit for all their misfortunes, and will hate all the continents that have not been devastated by war.

A young gatekeeper Daoist, swaggering, walked up to the two, gave a perfunctory Daoist salute, and then asked the scholar in the kingdom’s official language why he had come.

The young Daoist was about seven or eight years old, and his words were full of arrogance. He performed the Daoist salute only because he felt he had learned the proper etiquette from his grandmaster, and couldn’t let it go to waste. Otherwise, why would he bother being polite to two mortal scholars whose flesh would soon decay?

His master, the old abbot, was an old immortal of the Sea Gazing Realm, rarely matched within the kingdom. Wherever he went, he was respectfully called an immortal or a True Man. His master had secretly said that his grandmaster was only two steps away from the so-called “earth immortal” described in Daoist books.

These two people from the mundane world below the mountain, what did it matter if they had a little money? What did it matter if they came from wealthy families? Weren’t they still people from below the mountain coming to see people from above the mountain?

Zhou Mi glanced at the young Daoist again, then turned and smiled, “After searching far and wide, it’s right here before us. It seems that the Heavenly Timing and the Grand Way of Tongye Continent are indeed on our side. Shou Chen, have you seen anything unusual?”

Shou Chen was at a loss, “Please enlighten me, teacher.”

Zhou Mi reached out and grabbed the young Daoist’s arm, then tapped the other’s wrist lightly with two fingers. The young Daoist, as if he were being carried like a chick, had to stand on tiptoes, but whether it was a stroke of good fortune or not, he stubbornly refused to curse at the scholar from below the mountain.

Shou Chen concentrated his gaze, and saw that after his teacher used his supernatural ability on the young Daoist, faint strands of light rose from the child’s palm, quickly dissipating in the wind.

The young Daoist’s hands previously looked as if they had been stained with ink, not completely cleaned, leaving some residue.
Zhou Mi released the little Daoist priest’s wrist and asked, “Was there once a Daoist named Liu Cai in this Daoist temple who went on a journey to the clouds? When he left, did he carry some gourds, big and small?”

The little Daoist priest rubbed his wrist, took a few steps back, and said timidly, “How do you know about these things? But we don’t have any Liu Cai in our Daoist temple. There’s only a country bumpkin nicknamed Liu Mutou, who can do any odd jobs like a fisherman, hunter, or woodcutter, making money however he can. According to my master, he could even sell rouge and powder if there was a nunnery on the mountain. The country bumpkin comes to our Daoist temple every now and then to swindle money. He’s a very big benefactor of our temple. My master didn’t bother with Liu Mutou all these years because he was the one who brought the country bumpkin here in the first place. The last time the country bumpkin came to the temple, he carried a basket of pine resin and a few large green fish. He didn’t want copper coins or silver, but went to the warehouse and picked out many broken gourds that had been gathering dust for years, saying he would use them to offset the silver. At the time, I felt it was strange. He held those broken things in the warehouse, one by one, raised them to his ear, and shook them.”

The so-called warehouse of the Daoist temple was actually a woodshed for storing old and discarded items.

Zhou Mi glanced at the small Daoist temple and smiled, “Everything is linked. Truly a master.”

Shou Chen asked in a mental voice, “Sir, did Liu Cai obtain the two Sword Nourishing Gourds, ‘Heart’s Desire’ and ‘Immediate,’ from here?”

Zhou Mi shook his head and said, “Liu Cai had the two Sword Nourishing Gourds first, and then the two ‘Natal Flying Swords.’ Otherwise, the founding ancestor of this place, as a cultivator in the Upper Five Realms, wouldn’t have such poor judgment as to not recognize the quality of the Sword Nourishing Gourds. Moreover, he had a penchant for collecting Sword Nourishing Gourds. So, what really made him unable to see the truth and depth was those two strange flying swords.”

The gentleman’s following words made Shou Chen’s expression even more solemn.

“That big benefactor of the Daoist temple is most likely Liu Cai’s Dao instructor and protector because the Liu Cai who comes to this Daoist temple is just an Nascent Soul traveling far away. His true body might not even be in Tongye Continent.”

Shou Chen asked, “Sir, you want She Yue to find Liu Cai not only to suppress Chen Ping An, but also to meet that ‘benefactor’?”

Zhou Mi said with emotion, “The art of Yin-Yang evolution in the world, one person occupies half of the territory.”

Jade Tablet Sect’s ancestral mountain, Divine Seal Peak.

The old Sect Master Xun Yuan had already died a heroic death. A flying ascension realm great cultivator, his glazed golden body shattered and scattered throughout the world, mostly intercepted by great demons.

The current Sect Master Jiang Shangzhen proved that he was still alive and kicking with the fleeting glimpse of his appearance in the mortal world.

However, with the collapse of the general trend, a celestial being in the Immortal Realm who has lost the protection of heavenly timing cannot support the crumbling building alone.

The Peak Master of Nine Yi Peak, Wei Ying, who was originally more likely than Jiang Shangzhen to inherit the position of Sect Master, went to Treasure Bottle Continent to serve as the Sect Master of the Lower Sect, temporarily working for the Great Li Song Clan, destined to be unable to cross continents and return to the Jade Tablet Sect.

The old Ancestor in charge of discipline glanced at the chair opposite him, then glanced at the two empty chairs under the portraits in the Ancestral Hall.

Jiang Shangzhen had moved from the opposite seat to the bottom of the portraits.

It was too heartbreaking to look at it one more time.

He glanced at the moonlight outside the door.

A God of Wealth who manages the immortal money and natural treasures of the Jade Tablet Sect, named Song Shengtang, said angrily, “Why is our Sect Master Jiang still wandering outside? Does he want to watch the sect die every day? Where can he swing his sword? He won’t even assist his own mountain. What’s the meaning of this?”

Calling Jiang Shangzhen “Sect Master Jiang” was a bit redundant, not directly dropping the surname to just “Sect Master.” This was a subtle attitude.

Jiang Shangzhen had not truly won the hearts of the people in the Jade Tablet Sect’s Ancestral Hall.

However, an important reason for his awkward situation was that the old Sect Master Xun Yuan had been alive until recently.

In addition, the Cloud Cave Blessed Land controlled by the Jiang family had always been a similar existence to a separatist feudal town within the Jade Tablet Sect, which was too unpleasant. Therefore, Zhao Shengtang and Jiang Shangzhen had always been at odds. Whenever the Divine Seal Peak’s Ancestral Hall closed its doors for discussion, it was known as a dogfight, with fur flying everywhere. However, Jiang Shangzhen always had the upper hand, and Jiang Shangzhen even gave him a nickname: Bald Old Dog Song, who sheds fur.

An old female Ancestor, surnamed Liu Huamao, had a deep hatred for Jiang Shangzhen. Her aptitude was not outstanding, and she had barely reached the Upper Five Realms by spending a lot of immortal money and natural treasures in her early years.

Jiang Shangzhen almost always greeted Liu Huamao first whenever he held a meeting.

Sister Liu, what a great name. Flourishing with youth, always eighteen years old, with a face that looks like today every year.

In such a dangerous situation, Liu Huamao had to force herself to say a word of conscience for Jiang Shangzhen, “There must be a Great Demon of the Throne watching this place, responsible for killing Jiang Shangzhen. Maybe there’s more than one old beast, waiting for a rabbit to appear.”

Don’t even think about her calling Jiang Shangzhen Sect Master.

The reason she said this was because, when she was young, she wanted to properly travel around the Cloud Cave Blessed Land since it was nearby. As for tempering her Dao heart, that was just a bonus.

As a result, Jiang Shangzhen, that bastard, was still the young master of the Cloud Cave Blessed Land at the time. He secretly attached himself to a woman from the Blessed Land using strange mystical powers, then met and hit it off with Liu Huamao, addressing each other as sisters. After that, the two of them naturally traveled together. Then, one time, while touring a place in the Cloud Cave Blessed Land called Hibiscus Shore, during a pleasant moonlit night, in a secluded place, that woman shyly took off her clothes, even blushing. At the time, Liu Huamao even teased her a few times, pinching the “woman’s” pink cheeks.

Thinking about it now, it was a tragic past that was like the sky falling and the earth cracking.

After that, Liu Huamao began to cultivate frantically, just to be able to catch up with Jiang Shangzhen’s realm so she could find a reason to beat that bastard half to death.

Unfortunately, on the road of cultivation, talent, roots, and temperament are always higher than the last. And Jiang Shangzhen, who was recognized as the next Peak Master of Nine Yi Peak, didn’t seem to cultivate diligently, but he was always casually two realms higher than her. Once, after she caught up to him by one realm, Jiang Shangzhen met her, pestered her, and flattered her excessively. As a result, not long after he turned and left, he broke through that day.

The Jade Tablet Sect’s Ancestral Hall meeting had an interesting situation.

Those who spoke more and had louder voices had little to do with their realm. It depended on who had a worse relationship with Jiang Shangzhen.

Over time, a Jade Purity Realm cultivator with mediocre talent like Liu Huamao had considerable weight every time she spoke at the Divine Seal Peak’s ancestral mountain.
In contrast, this kind of old immortal, though high in seniority, on par with the old Sect Master Xun Yuan, and possessing considerable cultivation, was often overlooked when discussing major issues simply because he never argued vehemently with Jiang Shangzhen and preferred to play the role of a peacemaker.

“You haven’t even scolded Jiang Shangzhen a few times, haven’t thrown a chair at him! How dare you claim to be wholeheartedly dedicated to the sect?”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor felt a heaviness in his heart, gently tapping the armrest of his chair. “When the tides of fate shift, advantages turn into disadvantages. The old Sect Master should not have revealed himself.”

With the Three Walls and Four Symbols Grand Formation protecting him, Xun Yuan, though having ascended to the Ascension Realm not long ago, possessed a cultivation base that seemed to be at the peak of perfection due to the advantage of opportune timing and location. Once Mount Taiping and the Faji Sect were destroyed one after the other, and the grand formation dissipated, he would immediately be reduced to his original state.

The Old Celestial Master of Mount Taiping, at the cost of his own demise, wielding the Bright Moon Mirror, used the grand formation’s flying swords to kill a Great Sword Immortal from the barbaric lands.

Furthermore, the exorcism of demons and devils by the Mount Taiping Taoists, their countless meritorious deeds, surpassed all others in the continent.

As for the Faji Sect, its Sect Master Ji Hai, managed to endure until after the destruction of Mount Taiping with his Jade Purity Realm cultivation, which was in itself a remarkable feat.

The Jade Decree Sect’s meritorious deeds, on the other hand, almost entirely came from Sect Masters Xun Yuan and Jiang Shangzhen.

Ascension Realm Xun Yuan, killed two Immortal Realm Great Demons, as well as a Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal.

As for Jiang Shangzhen, with a sword here and a sword there, he had unknowingly killed four Jade Purity Realm cultivators, in addition to a large number of Earth Immortal demon cultivators as a bonus.

Song Shengtang asked with puzzlement, “How did that Xiao Xun go from being the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall to a figure of authority in the barbaric lands?”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor sneered, “Does it matter why? What matters is that she shows signs of harmonizing with the Dao of the barbaric lands, and she herself is an Ascension Realm sword cultivator. Our Tongye Continent is now part of the barbaric lands. If Xiao Xun still attacks with her sword next time, instead of just throwing punches wildly, who can withstand her challenge?!”

A less experienced and lower-ranking elder, whose seat was near the door, softly said, “The Tongye Sect still has the Sword Immortal Zuo You.”

The Jade Decree Sect cultivators had a favorable impression of the Second Disciple of the Literary Saint lineage.

A transmission flying sword hovered outside the Ancestral Hall’s gate. The Law Enforcement Ancestor reached out and grabbed it, retrieving the secret letter. After reading it, his face turned ashen.

Liu Huamao, full of worry, carefully asked, “What is it?”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor said in a deep voice, “Zhou Mi personally appeared in the territory of the Tongye Sect and gave them a huge promise. As long as the Tongye Sect removes their mountain-protecting grand formation, the Wutong Heavenly Canopy, they will be allowed to secede and become independent. Not only that, but they will also receive the millennium-long protection of Zhou Mi and Mount Tuoyue. In addition to this, they will also make the new Sect Master of the Tongye Sect the leader of a new military camp. The Tongye Sect will remain the same, except in name, becoming a vassal of the future master of the continent. The barbaric lands are even willing to send two Great Sword Immortals, including a ribbon-wearing official, to serve as elders and guest elders of the Tongye Sect respectively. Moreover, these two will not be qualified to interfere in the Tongye Sect’s Ancestral Hall discussions, but must instead draw their swords three times for the Tongye Sect.”

Liu Huamao asked, “What about the Sword Immortal Zuo You?”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor said helplessly, “The Tongye Sect cultivators don’t need to make things difficult. They don’t need to expel Zuo You from the sect. They just need to remove the mountain and river grand formation and choose to be onlookers when Zuo You draws his sword.”

Liu Huamao frowned. “Wouldn’t Zuo You be isolated then?!”

Zuo You was originally an outsider to the Tongye Sect. His previous defense of the sect with his sword was able to unite the people’s hearts, making the Tongye Sect cultivators willing to risk their lives.

Zhou Mi’s move was clearly intended to turn Zuo You against the hearts of all the Tongye Sect cultivators.

Should he defend the Tongye Sect? If he doesn’t defend it, the Tongye Sect’s mountain and river Qi Luck will be taken into the bag by the barbaric lands. If he defends it, the Wutong Heavenly Canopy has already been removed. Every time he draws his sword, if it affects innocent people, the hearts of the sect’s cultivators will waver.

Song Shengtang stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes, saying, “Difficult. A major problem.”

Putting oneself in their shoes, it would indeed make everyone feel caught in a dilemma.

Liu Huamao asked, “The person who delivered this information?”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor destroyed the secret letter and said, “It’s a young female cultivator named Yu Xin.”

For a moment, the atmosphere in the Jade Decree Sect’s Ancestral Hall lightened up a bit. The Law Enforcement Ancestor smiled and said, “It’s the reincarnation of the mother of our Restorer Ancestor.”

Jiang Shangzhen was good at saying strange things, describing Du Mao as “a prodigal son of Tongye Continent, half a Restorer Ancestor of the Jade Decree Sect.”

This saying was considered extremely clever by everyone in the Divine Seal Peak Ancestral Hall. Gradually, it spread widely throughout the Jade Decree Sect.

Anyway, the Jade Decree Sect and the Tongye Sect had been hostile to each other for more than a thousand years. This was nothing new.

If it hadn’t been for this major event, the Divine Seal Peak Ancestral Hall had even discussed the matter of beating a dog in the water, wanting to gradually devour the Tongye Sect’s foundation. This conformed to Confucian rules and secretly harmed people.

Liu Huamao sighed, “If she’s not careful, this matter alone might bring her a disaster.”

The Law Enforcement Ancestor said, “Then let’s pretend we haven’t seen this information. We should at least have this much integrity. No matter what, no matter what the fate of the two sects may be in the future, regarding this Yu Xin, let’s all be kind in our words and actions, and think of the little girl’s favor. If there’s an opportunity, we can even help her a little.”

The Old Ancestor repeated, “If there’s an opportunity.”

The old man suddenly stood up, and soon everyone followed suit, walking out of the Ancestral Hall’s gate. They saw a young woman wearing cotton clothes outside the mountain and river grand formation, slowly speaking in the Tongye Continent’s refined language, which she had just learned. Normally, the Jade Decree Sect’s mountain-protecting grand formation would have long isolated the heavens and earth, and the other party would not have used any means to temporarily break open the formation’s restrictions, so her voice should not have been heard. However, for some reason, her words were clearly audible to all the Jade Decree Sect cultivators, like moonlight everywhere in the world.

The cotton-clad woman didn’t say much. She just meant that the Jade Decree Sect didn’t need to give up their sect, and the cultivators didn’t need to leave their mountains. They just needed to hand over a Cloud Cave Blessed Land.

A green-shirted swordsman who went by the alias Chen Yin, was tall and slender, with a sword on his back.

He bought a black awning boat at Taoye Ferry. The normally graceful boatwomen and the old scullers who were more adept at reciting poetry than the literati had long fled in all directions.

The green-shirted swordsman could only punt and row the boat himself.

Nowadays, the literati, poets, officials, and nobles of the capital of the Daquan Dynasty had no leisure to take a boat ride and enjoy the scenery.

Therefore, this person must be a foreign immortal master.
The awning boat at Peach Leaf Ferry wasn’t the usual small skiff found in watery towns; its prow was adorned with a heron-like bird carving, and it was this ancient “figurehead” that piqued the blue-robed swordsman’s interest in punting the boat.

He wore a jade pendant around his waist, inscribed with “Ancestral Hall Extends Incense” and “Cultivate Truth on Mount Taiping.”

This pendant was merely a spoil of war from some military encampment, which he had simply taken.

Fei Ran had a favorable impression of the Great Quan Dynasty, with its many scenic landscapes and outstanding individuals. The elite cavalry of the Great Quan border army and the combat prowess of its garrisons across the land had impressed the major military camps of central Tongye Continent.

The overall situation in Tongye Continent was much better than what the Jiazi Camp had anticipated. In short, the performance of the worldly dynasties of Tongye Continent on the battlefield was, in two words, utterly pathetic.

Strong winds reveal sturdy grass, further highlighting the excellence of the Great Quan Dynasty. But weeds are weeds; no matter how tenacious, a wildfire leaves only ashes.

After all, the “heavenly timing” of Tongye Continent was now controlled by Tuoyue Mountain in the Wildlands.

Fei Ran dropped the bamboo pole, and the awning boat moved on its own accord.

But currently, the military camp in the Southern Qi capital was embroiled in a heated debate regarding the fate of the Great Quan’s Liu lineage. One faction insisted on exterminating Mirage City, building a Jingguan (a gruesome monument of skulls) as a deterrent to the dynasties and tributaries of central Tongye Continent. They wanted to behead kings and dukes, and have cultivators hang their heads at the gates of smaller nations as a warning of the consequences of resistance.

The other faction believed that Great Quan possessed many talented officials and military leaders who could be utilized, making them worth supporting. If manipulated correctly, a puppet emperor

could become a great asset to the military camp. The young emperor’s abandonment of his realm and treasury, fleeing to the Fifth Continent, could be used as propaganda.

The Great Quan had placed its cities under lockdown, allowing entry but forbidding exit, to prevent citizens from fleeing and being exploited by demons to breach the defenses, leading to national disaster.

But Fei Ran hadn’t come for sightseeing; he was here to meet someone.

Du Hanling, the abbot of Golden Peak Temple. Her cultivation was modest, a nascent soul earth immortal, not a swordsman, but she was clever.

The young man at Water Gazing Platform of Wenyuan Sect met Fei Ran. Fortune and misfortune happened in the blink of an eye. Originally, he had the opportunity to ascend the mountain with Fei Ran to cultivate, but he died mysteriously.

Lu Jianxin, of the old Northern Jin Prefecture, who was ultimately strangled by “himself,” encountered Yu Si. Had Jiang Shangzhen not intervened, he might have undergone a great transformation, gaining immense fortune. Becoming a city lord was secondary; attaching himself to Yu Si, plus a wooden sandal from the Jiashen Camp that observed the Dao through him, would be the ultimate life-saving charms, making it difficult even to die.

Fei Ran had been repeatedly pondering the words of Mister Zhou. The Confucian academies and schools had given too much power to the worldly dynasties, unwilling to use an iron fist to gather and restrain the hearts of the people.

The three Confucian academies and seventy-two schools sounded like a lot, but in the vast Tongye Continent, there were only three schools, including the Great Subdue Academy.

The Wenmiao (Confucian Temple) restricted the gentlemen and sages of the schools, forbidding them from interfering too much in court affairs, and absolutely disallowing Confucian scholars from acting as the behind-the-scenes puppet masters of nations.

As a result, everyone acted independently. Cultivators avoided the world, recluses despised it, and ministers and dukes were mostly fame-seekers, ostracizing genuine sages with their hypocritical morality. Mountain and mundane, nations and regions, were a scattered mess.

But Fei Ran was curious about the core doctrine of Mister Zhou’s new school.

How could this problem be fundamentally changed?

The future coexistence of demons and humans alone was a huge problem.

As for Mister Zhou’s true identity, Fei Ran had heard something.

Zhou Mi was, of course, an alias. He was once a proper Confucian scholar of the Great World.

According to his senior brother, Qie Yun, Mister Zhou was a prodigy with vast knowledge.

But his scholarship was never accepted by the Wenmiao, and after a debate with someone, he became completely disillusioned and journeyed to the Wildlands.

This scholar had proposed a “Twelve Strategies for Peace” to the Confucian Wenmiao.

First, create a cultivation manual for all scholars, roughly categorizing them into family, nation, and world, corresponding to virtuous men, gentlemen, and sages.

All emperors and monarchs of worldly dynasties and tributary states must be disciples of academies. No non-Confucian scholar could be a ruler.

Every academy head should be a teacher of emperors!

Gentlemen and virtuous men should serve as national preceptors.

Whether it be the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers, or the Six Ministries, these central officials should also be disciples of the academies.

Every court should have a position that could disregard palace restrictions, responsible for meticulously recording the merits and demerits of the nation’s ruler, ministers, and dukes, serving as the basis for the academies’ triennial assessment.

Second, exterminate all demons above the Fifth Tier in the Great World. Earth immortal demons would be exiled to one continent and strictly controlled.

Once a demon ascended to the Dragon Gate Realm, it must actively report to the Central Wenmiao and local academies, recording its “true name” in the archives.

After reaching the Golden Core stage, these demons must assist the local mountain and water deities, ensuring favorable weather for a hundred years, primarily by slaying troublemaking ghosts and spirits, similar to a “county constable.” Then, the academies would determine whether they could be granted the title of Mountain Guardian or Water Immortal based on their merits, or whether they should continue toiling for another century. Once promoted to Mountain Guardian or Water Immortal, it would be like transitioning from a polluted stream to a clear one in the human bureaucracy. Their path to promotion would be similar to that of river gods and mountain deities.

Third, select three locations near Inverted Mountain as junctions to South Bosuo Continent, Southwest Fuyao Continent, and Southeast Tongye Continent, such as the former territory of the Rain Dragon Sect.

Then, gradually garrison troops at the Sword Qi Great Wall, first relocating the ordinary scholars and those unsuitable for cultivation among the local residents of the Sword Qi Great Wall to the islands under the Rain Dragon Sect. Subsequently, transfer sword cultivators from the Northern Ju Lu Continent to permanently guard the Sword Qi Great Wall.

All cultivators who committed major crimes in the Great World could redeem themselves through battlefield merits.

All wild cultivators could purchase mountain elixirs, manuals, and treasures with their war contributions. They may not need to fight outside the city, but they could defend the city during war and work behind the scenes afterward. Using the Sword Qi Great Wall as a base, they could continuously build cities southward, forcing the Wildlands to mobilize troops at least once every thirty years.
The Sword Qi Great Wall, due to its unique geographical nature, inherently suppresses Qi Refiners who are not Sword Cultivators. Therefore, the strategy is to cultivate a sufficient number of pure Martial Artists. Although they are similarly suppressed by the Grand Dao and the pure Sword Intent, unlike Qi Refiners, Martial Artists can use this pressure to temper their physique. Furthermore, the threshold for becoming a Martial Artist is lower than that of a Qi Refiner. Thus, the final war landscape at the Sword Qi Great Wall will be: Everyone a Martial Artist, save for the Sword Cultivators.

Qi Refiners, aside from Sword Cultivators and pure Martial Artists, will mostly serve in supporting roles.

Fourth, all Immortal Realm and Ascension Realm Great Cultivators will be granted additional freedom.

These summit figures will need to contribute, but each and every contribution will inevitably yield greater rewards.

The Literary Temple acknowledges their “superiority.”

For example, if they travel to the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Central Earth Literary Temple promises them that they will not have to fight to the death, nor will their Grand Dao be fundamentally harmed. They will only need to do some “icing on the cake” tasks, such as expanding advantages when the battle situation is favorable, or using non-vital Magical Treasures to resist the attacks of Great Demons when the battle situation is unfavorable, or constructing landscapes and formations to protect cities, battlements, Sword Cultivators, and Martial Artists.

Fifth, the Central Earth Literary Temple will establish seventy-two Daoist Academies in each continent and country, in addition to the seventy-two academies.

Besides actively assessing cultivation aptitude, they will also accept “tribute” from the various national courts annually, taking in the seeds of Daoist cultivation from all over.

This group of Confucian scholars, in addition to their studies, will mainly study the Military School, not the kind of armchair strategist, talking in generalities, but comprehending all of the Military School throughout history.

The final examination for what they have learned will be the ever-smoldering Sword Qi Great Wall.

Sixth, the myriad schools of thought of the Hundred Schools will be divided into nine ranks, with the possibility of promotion and demotion, just like the officialdom.

Those who do not obey the rules will be expelled from the nine ranks, forbidden from learning, all books destroyed, and the founding ancestor of the school will be imprisoned in the Literary Temple’s Hall of Merit.

Seventh, break down the barriers between the mountains and the mundane world. One suggestion is to fan the flames and entice with benefits, promoting the formation of immortal Daoist couples among cultivators.

Eighth, suppress the teachings of Buddhism and Taoism, prohibit all Taoist temples and Buddhist monasteries, and ensure that Confucianism achieves true hegemony in the Vast World.

Ninth, focus on supporting the Military School, the Merchant School, and the Arts School.

In addition, there are three more strategies, specifically and in detail aimed at the two neighboring worlds, as well as the ancient gods.

Fei Ran sighed and put away his complex thoughts, muttering to himself, “In the final analysis, the twelve strategies proposed by Mr. Zhou back then were to seize power for the Central Earth Literary Temple. To allow scholars to gain greater freedom, to usher in an era of peace for all generations.”

Near a ferry crossing at Peach Leaf Ford, two awning boats met.

Fei Ran frowned. Du Hanling did not come alone.

Beside the Nascent Soul cultivator was a young Golden Core cultivator, as well as a City God dressed in official attire.

Fei Ran only frowned, but Du Hanling, along with his grand-disciple Shao Yuanran, and the City God of Riding Crane City in Great Spring, had expressions as if they had seen a ghost in broad daylight. Even someone with Du Hanling’s heroic nature was shocked to see Fei Ran’s familiar attire of a blue-robed, sword-bearing cultivator with a Peaceful Mountain Ancestral Hall jade pendant hanging from his waist, and the vaguely recognizable face. Du Hanling could only think that perhaps it was a case of too many coincidences, otherwise how could it be this person?

Two people walked over from the ferry crossing, Prince Liu Cong of Great Spring and Duke Gao Shizhen, and almost turned around and ran away when they saw “Fei Ran.”

Fei Ran understood in his heart and smiled.

It seems they all recognize Lord Hidden? And from the looks of it, things were not pleasant in the past.

So Fei Ran smiled and said, “Mountains and rivers meet again, long time no see.”

Whenever the little girl in black saw the white clouds flying over the top of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, she would wave her golden carrying pole and green bamboo staff vigorously to greet them, which was called treating guests well.

Hey, hey, hey, I’m the Right Protector here, the Great Water Monster of Dumb Lake! I have two friends, one is called Pei Qian, and one is called Nuan Shu, do you know them? Do you not know?

Today, the Right Protector of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, along with the Left Protector of Riding Dragon Lane who had never been promoted, one squatting and one lying down, were waiting together on the cliff for the white clouds to pass by.

The Left Protector of Riding Dragon Lane, a small official with a small seal, could not compare to his big seal, which was bigger than a bowl.

Ha, white clouds and grey dogs.

Among the mountains, it was most afraid of Ruan Xiu, and on Fallen Phoenix Mountain, it was most afraid of Pei Qian, but it liked this little simpleton very much.

It used to accompany Zhou Mili, squatting in front of the schoolhouse opened by the Chen family in Dragon Tail Creek, waiting for the Pei Qian who kept saying “Chasing geese and hitting dogs is the most heroic” to come home from school, often waiting for half a day. The little girl would chat with it for a long time. She would never be like Pei Qian, who would grab its mouth without any reason, skillfully twist it, and ask it what was going on.

Little Mili eagerly waited for the white clouds to visit Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

There was no way, now everyone on Fallen Phoenix Mountain was traveling far away and not coming home. The kind Mountain Master, the Pei Qian who always sprang up without saying hello, her best friend, the old cook who bent over and looked for money on the road, but never found any, the crazy, silly, never angry Great White Goose, the smiling, happy Dafeng who loved to read, the most scholar-like Old Master Zhong, Cao Xiaofu Zi…

Zhou Mili frowned, the more she thought about it, the sadder she became. What if by the time Pei Qian came home, Pei Qian was already as tall as her and Sister Nuan Shu combined, what to do? What if one day the Mountain Master climbed the mountain with a basket on his back, and there was a strange little girl standing in the basket, what to do?

Mi Yu came and sat down beside the little girl.

Zhou Mili clapped her hands and laughed as the white clouds passed through the valley.

But as soon as Mi Yu sat down, he immediately got up, spoke with Wei Bo in his heart, and then Mi Yu immediately summoned his life-bound flying sword “Xia Mantian”, and at the same time, flew his sword to the Ancestral Hall on Jise Peak.

Finally, at the door, Mi Yu saw a scholar and a burly man.

The sword-bearing scholar smiled slightly at Mi Yu and disappeared in an instant, silently, and traveled across the continent.

This time, he traveled far to Treasure Bottle Continent, just to slightly conceal his friend, otherwise his friend’s wind-riding would cause too much commotion. The old scholar had shown his face in Fuyu Continent and quickly slipped away, disappearing without a trace.

Only the tall man was left.

He said to Mi Yu, “You can call me Liu Sixteen. I just returned to the Vast World and came here to burn incense. If I can’t see the Master, I’ll see the Master’s portrait. In a while, I’ll be full of snot and tears, just pretend you didn’t see it.”

Mi Yu was speechless.

After finally calming his mind, Mi Yu said, “The key to the Ancestral Hall is with the girl Nuan Shu.”
The stalwart man nodded, “Then I’ll trouble the Sword Immortal to make the trip. I’ll wait here.”

Wei Bo delivered both the warm tree and the tiny grains of rice to this place.

The two young girls together gave a respectful bow to the so-called “Senior Brother of the Mountain Lord” of Mountain Deity Wei.

Seeing the two lasses, the man’s smile broadened; his junior brother was indeed not bad.

After Chen Nuanshu opened the Ancestral Hall’s doors, she saw the burly man standing outside, his expression solemn. He first straightened his robes before stepping over the threshold.

The scholar who was about to fly across continents on his sword suddenly halted.

He encountered that sneaky old scholar.

He asked, “Why didn’t you appear sooner?”

The old scholar confidently replied, “I had to wait for that big oaf to finish crying.”

The scholar glanced at the heavens.

The old scholar pressed, “Brother Bai, don’t miss this opportunity! Why not deliver a few strikes while you’re at it? What is the elegance of a Sword Immortal if not the inspiration to slay dragons in the wind? Those ancient gods who arrive uninvited are stronger than dragons, aren’t they? They deserve your sword even more! Before, that Xiao Xun, her sword strikes in Tongye Continent were truly astonishing. A mere girl has such sword intent, yet you, Bai Ye, stand eight feet tall, wielding a celestial blade, and you can endure this? Brother Bai, feel free to unleash your full power! If you’re polite with me, I’ll get angry… To be shamelessly honest, I’m good at cleaning up messes, but I must warn you beforehand, three or five strikes are enough. Any more, and I can’t handle it. If you really feel unsatisfied, at most, seven or eight strikes…”

The scholar ignored the old scholar and vanished in a flash.

The old scholar stamped his foot in frustration.

Afterward, he looked towards Falling Phoenix Mountain.

He recalled the past when Bai Ye had sent Liu Shiliu back to the mountain with a song of white clouds.