Left and right arrived at a scenic place, a true haven of natural beauty. Wielding a verdant bamboo staff, he began his ascent.

Temples nestled at the mountain’s base, Daoist abodes perched atop its peak, and academies of scholars resided on the slopes – a common arrangement, even outside the blessed lands of the Great Balance World.

Currently, Zuo You found himself in a foreign land known as the Ascension Paradise. With nothing pressing to occupy his time, he was unwilling, and perhaps unable, to move his true body. He had, therefore, resorted to astral projection, seizing the chance to explore the world’s wonders.

The region Zuo You now explored was considered a sacred ground for Daoist cultivation within this paradise, hailed as an earthly immortal abode, a must-visit for hermits seeking enlightenment and a favored destination for pious men and women seeking blessings.

Legend had it that ancient times saw many True Immortals cultivating the Dao and immortal arts within these mountains. Consequently, an emperor ordered the construction of the Verdant Pine Palace atop the peak. Later, a True Immortal attained enlightenment, ascending to the heavens on a azure dragon formed from an ancient pine tree, a feat known throughout the land. The current monarch, witnessing this unprecedented and undocumented auspicious sign, immediately changed the era name to the Year of Auspicious Clouds, ordering the construction of the Treasure Accumulation Pavilion to honor the Daoist immortal’s “ascension to immortality.” Over a century later, the dynasty changed, and the pavilion’s incense offerings dwindled. The “immortal’s” last recorded return to the mortal realm involved wielding supreme divine power to retrieve the Treasure Accumulation Pavilion, which had inexplicably sunk into the water, and relocate it to the mountain’s summit.

The new dynasty’s emperors quickly bestowed increasingly lofty titles upon the Treasure Accumulation Pavilion’s founder, progressing from True Man to True Lord to Heavenly Lord, ascending step by step. They repeatedly gifted the pavilion with plaques and Daoist scriptures, ensuring its incense offerings flourished and continued to this day.

Later generations speculated that this True Immortal, after ascending, not only attained a place among the immortals but was also granted a high-ranking green jade decree by the Celestial Emperor, holding a position similar to a Minister of the Six Departments in the mortal realm. Therefore, wherever he went, mountain spirits, lake deities, and reclusive immortals of the sea would all come to greet and pay homage.

Of course, Zuo You knew that these Paradise legends, which aggrandized their own reputation, were mostly embellished tales. The old cultivator regarded as an “enlightened immortal” was merely a Grand Elder of a sect in the Tong Ye Continent, who served as a venerated elder in the Ancestral Hall. His ultimate achievement was being stuck at the Nascent Soul bottleneck, unable to break through and extend his lifespan, leading to his gradual decay. Then, the invasion of the Savage Wilderness arrived. Whether the old cultivator felt his end was near and saw no point in prolonging his existence, or if there were other reasons, the old cultivator chose to die valiantly on the battlefield where the demon hordes landed on the shores of Tong Ye Continent. The Ascension Paradise was unable to escape this calamity, falling into the hands of a demonic military tent.

The Paradise should have been entrusted to a direct disciple of the sect to carry with them to the Precious Bottle Continent, to offer it to Old Dragon City, exchanging it with the Great Li Dynasty for a cultivation site for the sect’s cultivators.

The Ascension Paradise was vast and sparsely populated. Due to its thin spiritual energy and the sect elders’ reluctance to invest heavily, historically few cultivators had achieved success. For a Tong Ye Continent immortal sect, it was indeed a rather useless, lower-grade paradise. Spending vast sums of money on the Paradise, at the cost of delaying the cultivation of the sect’s Qi Refinement practitioners, was ultimately not worthwhile. Moreover, even a sect master at the Jade Tablet Realm had a limited lifespan if they failed to ascend to immortality. They could only focus on the immediate benefits, hesitant to consider the Paradise’s future potential. As for the other elders, venerated figures, and direct disciples, with lower cultivation realms and shallower understanding of the Dao, they were even more shortsighted. It wasn’t that they couldn’t see the long-term benefits of improving the Paradise, but rather that they questioned its value to their personal pursuit of the Great Dao in the next thousand years.

However, for the Great Li Dynasty, it could alleviate some immediate needs, conveniently relocating the people of the southernmost vassal states. The Ascension Paradise’s low grade was actually an advantage, minimizing potential conflicts between those on the mountain and those below, between cultivators and ordinary scholars. Resettling refugees was virtually cost-free.

As for why the Paradise ultimately fell into the hands of the demon horde’s military tent, Zuo You wasn’t particularly interested. Whether it was human greed or unexpected events, the result was that he, Zuo You, was now detained here.

The pilgrims on the road paid little attention to the Confucian scholar in a blue robe and wielding a green bamboo staff, as he was a common sight.

Zuo You paused at a gathering of stalls halfway up the mountain, one of which bore the sign “Last Chance for Wine, Drink Your Fill!”

It served as a reminder that incense burning required sincerity. Those who enjoyed wine should indulge before ascending, as arriving at the mountain with a drunken aura would displease the all-seeing immortals, hindering their prayers and wishes.

Besides devout pilgrims, the procession up the mountain included numerous laborers earning their living through hard work. Some carried luggage for pilgrims, while others hauled stones up the mountain, enabling the mountain’s palace and pavilion to accumulate stones for constructing new residences. The former earned less, while the latter earned more, but this hard-earned money truly came at a great cost. Therefore, some wealthier pilgrims would allow the laborers to rest and offer them a bowl of wine to boost their strength and morale.

Zuo You paid for a bowl of crude wine. The tavern was crowded, with customers occupying several tables. Unwilling to share a table, Zuo You intended to move further away.

The stall owner, seeing that the customer was heading off to drink in the distance, hurriedly called out, demanding an upfront deposit, otherwise he couldn’t allow him to wander too far.

If he encountered unscrupulous drinkers who tossed the empty bowl off the cliff, saving everyone trouble, who would the poor stall owner turn to for compensation?

Zuo You had no choice but to return to the stall, paying a few extra coins before walking to the cliffside railing to gaze at the distant scenery. The mountains and rivers meandered and undulated like a landscape painting in a basin.

Earlier, Shou Chen’s “sword questioning” of the Tong Ye Sect had proactively offered the sect a great opportunity. Regardless of the demon horde’s intentions, it was clear that they intended to turn misfortune into fortune for the Tong Ye Sect. After all, the scholar known as Zhou Mi had revealed himself. As the second highest-ranking Great Demon of the Savage Wilderness throne, his oaths and promises could indeed be taken seriously.

It must be known that in the southernmost part of the Tong Ye Continent, at the Jade Tablet Sect’s Ancestral Hall meeting where the sect master was absent, the proposal of the cotton-padded-coat round-faced woman was rejected, and they did not hand over the Cloud Cave Paradise controlled by the Jiang Clan. As a result, the demon horde’s army launched relentless attacks, no longer holding back.

The Jade Tablet Sect’s hot-tempered Law Enforcement Elder cursed Jiang Shangzhen as a jinx while fighting off the demon cultivators.

“If I die one day, and the Jade Tablet Sect and Cloud Cave Paradise are fortunate enough to survive, let Jiang Shangzhen kowtow to me at my grave and thank me. And make it loud, or I won’t hear it!”

Perhaps this was the so-called turn of the wheel of fortune. Those who enjoyed watching jokes often became the joke themselves.
For several years, Jade Decree Sect had reveled in the uproarious joke that was Tung Leaf Sect. Now, it seemed, it was Tung Leaf Sect’s turn to witness Jade Decree Sect’s humiliation. And this opportunity, so easily grasped, required but a nod.

If Tung Leaf Sect’s Ancestral Hall seized this chance, perhaps they could directly annex Jade Decree Sect in the future, transforming their old nemesis into a tributary sect – a dream not beyond reach.

However, within Tung Leaf Sect, the hearts of its cultivators were on the verge of shattering, yet not quite broken. The Ancestral Hall was evenly divided, half in favor, half against.

This division was already a surprise. It was originally thought that every Tung Leaf Sect cultivator, young and old, would immediately turn against him, eager to expel him from their territory. Unexpectedly, the younger cultivators, of lower seniority, were willing to shoulder the near-term anxieties and long-term considerations, and refused the invitation from the Wildlands. They dared to say, “We beseech Left Mister to stay. We will take responsibility for everything behind you.”

The older cultivators, who had lived for centuries, still clung to life, while the young cultivators, who had barely begun their path of cultivation, were willing to die for it.

At that moment, Left Mister suddenly felt that the world was truly getting better.

Rarely had the world spared Left Mister such dilemmas.

For example, in the past, when encountering those sword immortal prodigies who relied on their power and flaunted their status, Left Mister would be conflicted: should he kill them outright, or just beat them half to death?

As long as Left Mister remained in Tung Leaf Sect, and his sword energy lingered in Tung Leaf Continent, he would be a thorn in the side of the Wildlands, a grievance they couldn’t swallow.

After Xiao Xun shattered Xun Yuan’s golden body in the Ascension Realm with his sword, he went to the relatively stable South Po Suo Continent, saying he would knock the sun and moon off Chen Chun An’s shoulders and, incidentally, meet Lu Zhi.

Therefore, Jia Shen Zhang’s wooden clogs offered advice, and Sword Immortal Shou Chen was responsible for the specific implementation and planning, ultimately using a low-grade blessed land with a total population of less than ten million to successfully confine Left Mister.

Shou Chen’s questioning of Left Mister was merely a facade. His true method was to suddenly open the world’s restrictions of an Ascended Blessed Land, viciously smashing it towards Left Mister. Simultaneously, within the blessed land, there was a Jade Purity Realm demon cultivator with a death wish, beckoning to Left Mister. The meaning was clear: either enter the game or watch helplessly as a blessed land shatters before your eyes.

At the same time, Zhou Mi used a grand scheme to replace the heavens and earth, placing Left Mister within the blessed land.

Left Mister did not allow the blessed land to shatter within Tung Leaf Sect’s territory. Besides slaying the demon, he also used his sword energy to travel to the barriers of heaven and earth, using his own sword energy as a grand array to protect the blessed land.

Without hesitation.

Then, Zhou Mi restored the original mountains and rivers, and Shou Chen immediately closed the blessed land’s restrictions, isolating the small world from the larger one, temporarily imprisoning Left Mister within. At the same time, he ordered two Immortal Realm great demons to continuously attack the blessed land’s barrier with spells and divine abilities. The Immortal spells, combined with the power of the Great Dao, were used to constantly erode Left Mister’s sword intent and cultivation, neither seeking to shatter the blessed land nor allowing Left Mister to be too comfortable within it.

After stabilizing the boundaries of heaven and earth, Left Mister began to carefully examine this small blessed land.

His boundless sword energy was still far from humanity.

If Left Mister wanted to leave the blessed land and return to the vast world of Tung Leaf Continent, it would be extremely simple. He could simply open the sky with a single sword strike, ignoring the life and death of the Ascended Blessed Land. Not only Left Mister, but even Jiang Shang Zhen, wielding a willow leaf, could do the same.

Therefore, trapping Jiang Shang Zhen here would be meaningless. Jiang Shang Zhen would inevitably draw his sword decisively. After the sword was drawn, he wouldn’t care if the blessed land suffered millions of casualties, or even if it shattered, wiping out ten million mortals. Jiang Shang Zhen wouldn’t have the slightest ripple in his heart.

Years ago, Jiang Shang Zhen almost capsized in his own gutter, punishing those unruly earth immortals who led the trouble in Cloud Grotto Blessed Land. The casualties, both on the mountain and below, numbered in the millions.

But Left Mister intended to stay here temporarily until he found a way to resolve the dilemma.

This meant that Left Mister’s true body was unable to move, as if in a meditative state at his previous location. Zhou Mi’s methods were remarkable. Before Shou Chen smashed out the blessed land, he had long established a “Great Dao Edict” within, seemingly acting “on behalf of Heaven,” specifically used to suppress the sword energy of the mortal realm. Therefore, Left Mister could only send his divine spirit on a long journey. Otherwise, moving one hair would affect the whole body. This so-called Heavenly Dao could not harm Sword Immortal Left Mister in the slightest, but it would cause hardship everywhere in the human realm.

For example, when Left Mister previously slew the demon with his sword, he cleaved a huge ravine tens of thousands of miles long in the sky of the blessed land. This was only because Left Mister had tried his best to guide his own sword energy and the operation of the Great Dao. Otherwise, after the demon was slain with a single sword, countless disasters would befall the human realm for tens of thousands of miles.

That ravine, as if tearing a seam in the sky, was like a hanging sword rainbow in the eyes of the few cultivators who set foot on the mountain within the blessed land, suspended in the heavens and earth for a long time, its shimmering light flowing endlessly with the sword energy.

Left Mister’s sword energy had to stay away from humanity, used to prop up the borders of heaven and earth, preventing the demon cultivators’ spells and divine abilities from wantonly breaking the blessed land’s barrier.

Otherwise, even the slightest disturbance in the heavens and earth would cause the living beings of the Ascended Blessed Land to suffer various natural disasters, such as torrential rains for ten days, leading to devastating floods, or years of drought and red soil for thousands of miles, or heavy snow falling throughout the winter, freezing everything to death.

At first, Left Mister thought that there were still demon remnants left behind in the blessed land, waiting for an opportunity to act, such as a king-level great demon hiding here. However, after Left Mister’s inspection, he found that…

It was also normal. If the two sides fought fiercely and shattered the blessed land, it would be equivalent to letting Left Mister completely break free from the cage. When it was his turn to strike with all his strength…

It wouldn’t be as simple as Jiang Shang Zhen wielding a willow leaf, poking here and stabbing there.

After confirming that there were no more great demons hiding in the Ascended Blessed Land, Left Mister began to let his divine spirit travel afar.

The blessed land was named Ascended Blessed Land, a name with great ambition, but in reality, it was just a misnomer. It was truly just the private property of a last-rate immortal family with a sect name in Tung Leaf Continent.

Years ago, a cultivator here completed his golden core and “ascended,” leaving for Tung Leaf Continent in the “outer heavens.” Later, on his path of cultivation, he was recruited by that sect-named immortal family. Even though the cultivator hid himself extremely well, his hometown blessed land was still discovered by the sect’s patriarch. After a series of deductions, following the clues, he derived a general address and spent decades finally salvaging this small blessed land from the “near shore” of the River of Time.

After that, it was a matter of course: the great door opened, the banished immortals descended, surveying the blessed land, searching for naturally occurring treasures and rare materials, and seeking out promising talents suitable for cultivation.
However, this blessed land was too barren, its natural treasures scarcely worth mentioning, and true cultivating prodigies were few and far between. Even when a rare talent emerged and was taken away for nurturing, they often proved to be of limited use, at most achieving Golden Core. For a Celestial of the “Sect” lineage, even with a blessed land in hand, it was a classic case of being unable to make ends meet.

As for other Immortal Masters with ordained positions and wealthy clan scions who, like exiled immortals, spent money to travel and experience the blessed land, their gains were limited by the land’s quality and rank. In the end, the returns were too small, leading other celestial mountains in Tongye Continent to feel they had made a losing investment. Over time, the Feather Ascension Blessed Land remained a low-grade land.

All the sects in the world were willing to invest heavily to upgrade a mid-grade blessed land to high-grade, tirelessly pouring in divine money. Only when it came to upgrading a low-grade blessed land to mid-grade were they unwilling. Thus, the saying arose on the mountains: “A low-grade blessed land is better off not existing.”

In the hands of a large sect, one could disregard immediate profits, and eventually, a steady stream of long-term benefits would turn losses into gains. However, in history, many smaller sects with insufficient foundations often suffered the opposite effect, eventually choosing to sell to wealthier mountain sects.

The rank of a blessed land depended not only on the extent of its mountains and rivers and the size of its population but, more importantly, on the abundance of spiritual energy it contained. Otherwise, even with vast lands spanning millions of miles and a population of tens of millions, if ordinary mortals were unsuitable for climbing mountains and cultivating, if the threshold for cultivation was too high, and the bottlenecks too great, such that cultivators were all in the Lower Five Realms, even the Cave Mansion Realm being a distant dream, or if “attaining the Dao and becoming an immortal” meant only the first layer of the Middle Five Realms, the Cave Mansion Realm, then the blessed land would naturally be assessed as “low-grade.”

And in this Feather Ascension Blessed Land, the 36th generation Daoist of the Azure Dragon Palace on the mountain peak, the first abbot of the Treasure Accumulation Temple, was a cultivating genius who gathered the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and possessed ten thousand blessings. In a low-grade blessed land, he not only cultivated to the unprecedented Dragon Gate Realm but also managed to forge a Golden Core, thus earning the favor of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which allowed him to break through the sky and travel far away.

Alas, the world is impermanent.

For cultivators from blessed lands, some lucky ones who bore the destiny of heaven and earth, the beginning of one person’s immortal fate often marked the beginning of the world’s troubles.

This Feather Ascension Blessed Land was fortunate enough to have been preserved and not yet destroyed. In the history of the Vast World, many blessed lands, after someone “ascended,” carelessly revealed their origins and failed to be taken under the wing and protected by a major sect, resulting in the tragic end of shattered mountains and rivers and the extinction of the people. There were also many low-grade blessed lands that were exploited by cultivators with a “drain the pond to catch the fish” mentality, completely cutting off the path for local cultivators to ascend the mountains.

Of course, it was more common for low-grade blessed lands to rise due to the actions of one person in the Vast World.

A young woman in fine clothes, taking advantage of her elders resting here, brought her maidservant with her, using the excuse of enjoying the scenery with her mother, and approached the blue-shirted scholar who was alone, drinking wine. She lifted the edge of her veil, her pretty face slightly flushed, and softly asked, “May I ask, good sir, where do you come from?”

The scholar glanced sideways and replied, “A place a maiden has not heard of.”

The woman’s cheeks flushed even redder, like rouge, and she smiled, “If the good sir tells me, I will know.”

The scholar shook his head, saying, “Even if I tell you, the maiden still will not know.”

In the past, the scholar would have either ignored her or answered only one question.

However, after his reunion and parting with his teacher, the scholar felt that his temper might indeed need to be changed.

For example, to treat the advances of women as serious sword duels.

Therefore, the scholar spoke a few more words today.

For some reason, the woman left in embarrassment and annoyance. The girl beside her was even more irritated, thinking the scholar was so wooden, wasting a handsome face.

Very well, the sword duel was over.

Clean and decisive, without any lingering.

The scholar turned and walked away, returning the empty bowl to the vendor. The vendor grumbled a few words, complaining that he had been drinking a bowl of wine for so long, delaying his earnings. He thought that scholars were just spouting empty words, either burning incense or trying to deceive wealthy women.

“I have grievances in my heart,” he muttered quietly, “You can hear it, but others can’t. If you scholars aren’t magnanimous, you’ll lose all respect. If it comes to a fight, I’m not afraid of you!”

An ordinary scholar would have ignored it, focusing on burning incense and avoiding trouble.

But the scholar stopped and said, “Say that again.”

The vendor was suddenly enraged, but after taking another look at the seemingly tall and imposing scholar in blue, he reluctantly averted his gaze, not daring to meet the gaze of the hot-tempered fellow, and muttered, “It’s nothing, nothing. You misheard, guest.”

The scholar continued to ascend the mountain towards the Emerald Pine Palace. The death of an old Nascent Soul cultivator in a foreign land seemed like a drop in the bucket against the surging tide of the Vast World, of no benefit. But the scholar did not think so.

In the past, when the four direct disciples of the Sage of Literature lineage encountered similar small matters, Cui Chan would investigate the subtleties of people’s hearts, perhaps using it to observe someone or something and spending months on it. The Big Guy was indifferent, even with bigger things happening to him; if you wanted to make him angry, you had to be capable enough, otherwise it was all for show. Xiao Qi might think more about local customs and the like. Only the scholar insisted on arguing face-to-face, not letting it go until he had clarified things. The scholar had suffered a lot for this when he was younger, causing his teacher to have to step out of his study many times, diverting his attention and energy to solve problems and clean up messes for his student, especially after the scholar switched to swordsmanship.

When he dragged the scholar to apologize in person, the Old Scholar was always furious with his stubborn student who refused to bow his head. The Old Scholar would often jump down and slap him on the head, otherwise he couldn’t press down the student’s head and make him bow and apologize. You have to bow your head to apologize!

But after each reluctant apology, the Old Scholar would take the scholar away from the sight of others and first tell him some greater principles and where the true right and wrong lay. The principles involved had long since moved away from the scholar’s squabbles with others. Finally, he would tell the sullen scholar to hold his head up higher, and higher still to read books, read more books, and not just learn swordsmanship and cause trouble. In the future, if he truly understood the books of sages and worthies and pierced the sky with his sword, the teacher would mend the sky for him. But before that, you must read more books, you must use the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth and the suffering of the world as your scabbard, otherwise, how can the teacher be at ease letting his student practice swordsmanship without reading books?
After ascending to the summit on either side, they beheld the Verdant Pine Palace, roofed with emerald glazed tiles, yet this glaze was not of celestial make, but rather a symbol of earthly emperors’ favor.

Neither of them entered the incense-wreathed Taoist temple. Instead, they chose a less frequented spot, even higher than the mountainside, to lean against the railing and gaze into the distance.

“I’ll only trouble Master’s heart, not ease his burden.”

In this matter, indeed, only that hulking simpleton had done the best. Not to mention him, who stirred up trouble as easily as breathing, even Little Qi was better than him.

Taking scoldings without retort, enduring beatings without retaliation, constantly by Master’s side, rarely causing mischief.

Looking up, Right first frowned, then his brow smoothed, barely suppressing a smile.

Someone had blasted open the heavenly barrier with a fist, casually shattering the sword-qi defense there. Thus, Right initially thought some Ascendant Realm great demon had arrived, and was naturally worried about the blessed land’s safety.

But when Right clearly saw the uninvited guest’s face, his mood brightened considerably. Right subtly released a trace of refined sword intent, so the other party could see it at a glance, while using sword-qi to clear the path for him, helping to conceal his presence in the Feather Transformation Blessed Land from drawing too much attention.

And when the other party sensed Right’s sword intent, he immediately restrained his aura, arriving in a straight line at the mountaintop where Right stood. Yet even so, the mountaintop still trembled slightly when the burly man’s feet touched the ground, the pine trees rustling in waves, causing the pilgrims to mistakenly believe that immortals had manifested. Many pilgrims who had already left the Verdant Pine Palace hastily turned back to offer incense.

Liu Shiliu grinned, “Took me a while to find you.”

Before coming here, Liu Shiliu had journeyed across continents to the Tongye Continent. He first went to the northernmost Tongye Sect, not meddling in their affairs, but only asking about Right’s whereabouts. Then, he traveled south, learning from a sword cultivator named Zhou Fei, who called himself a worshipper of Fallen Mountain, the exact location where Right was being held in the Tongye Continent’s mountains and waters. Before blasting open the gate with his fist, he indeed saw the two immortal-realm “great demons” that Zhou Fei had described as terrifying. Zhou Fei had also told Liu Shiliu to be extra careful, Liu Shiliu was favorably impressed by him. The Yu Gui Sect’s new sect master, Jiang Shangzhen, who could slay immortals with a willow leaf in the Tongye Continent, his reputation was immense. Now, even the Treasure Bottle Continent was talking about this person’s fighting style, truly unparalleled, utterly satisfying.

Along with it, the reputation of the entire True Realm Sect was soaring in the Treasure Bottle Continent.

The only unfavorable impression this person left on Liu Shiliu was that he was far too talkative, following Liu Shiliu for thousands of miles on the wind, constantly chattering in his ear, asking questions that Liu Shiliu simply couldn’t answer, such as whether he would ever have the chance to be promoted to Fallen Mountain’s chief worshipper, and whether the child he was helping Master’s junior apprentice to raise was naughty or not at the Book Brief Lake.

Therefore, after parting with Jiang Shangzhen, Liu Shiliu accidentally flicked his finger, blasting apart the body of an immortal-realm demon cultivator.

The immortal shed his mortal form, leaving behind a slough like a cicada.

The Great Dao suffered damage, dropping him a minor realm.

Liu Shiliu did not relentlessly pursue the fleeing demon cultivator, first tending to important matters.

Right remained silent.

Liu Shiliu was used to it, taking the initiative to talk about Master’s recent situation and the direction of the Treasure Bottle Continent’s affairs.

Then, after Right finished listening, he still remained expressionless.

Liu Shiliu said helplessly, “That’s all I know. I don’t know any more than that.”

Only then did Right say, “Call me Senior Brother.”

The simpleton still didn’t get it.

Liu Shiliu had no choice but to call him Senior Brother Right.

Among the disciples, Senior Brother Right had the most rules.

Only then did Right say, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Liu Shiliu tentatively said, “How about we switch? It’s fine for me to kill a few faraway ancient gods who came from afar in the Vast World, but the rest isn’t suitable.”

Right thought for a moment, then nodded. “Agreed.”

With Junior Brother Jun Qian, there was no need for any courtesy.

Liu Shiliu hesitated instead.

Right frowned. “Jun Qian, speak plainly.”

Liu Shiliu said, “When I went south to the Treasure Bottle Continent, I looked for Eldest Senior Brother. He seemed to already know about your situation, so my coming here this time allows you to directly cross continents to the Great Li capital. Of course, if you’re unwilling, you can continue to stay in the Tongye Continent, but here, you can at most go to the Yu Gui Sect, because the Tongye Sect that you were protecting before has seriously split. A faction of young people has been imprisoned by a few ancestral masters, but don’t worry, those prisoners are temporarily safe.”

Right said, “Then I’ll go to the Yu Gui Sect.”

Without any extra consideration.

Liu Shiliu sighed. As expected, so he had to say the words that Eldest Senior Brother had long thought of and told him to say, “Senior Brother Right, you haven’t been to Fallen Mountain yet, have you? Someone hopes that on every chair outside the ancestral hall on Jise Peak, there will be someone truly sitting there, or rather someone who has truly sat there, and then finally, everyone will complete a painting together. Our Master, before leaving, sat in the center. When I left Fallen Mountain this time, I also moved a chair to a certain position. Of course, whether you go or not, whether there is a real Senior Brother Right sitting outside the door, the painting can still be completed in the future. After all, the current Fallen Mountain doesn’t lack this bit of immortal magic.”

Right was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Then I’ll go to Fallen Mountain first, then I’ll go to Old Dragon City. I’ll take a look and see if Wei Jin’s swordsmanship has improved. Old Sword Immortal once had high hopes for that person.”

After that, he would take another trip to the Tongye Sect, to teach certain people what a sword cultivator named Right was like, someone extremely difficult.

The corners of Liu Shiliu’s mouth had just begun to twitch when he noticed Right looking at him coldly. Liu Shiliu immediately suppressed the corners of his mouth, first enveloping the barrier of heaven and earth with his aura, then adding Right’s sword qi to create a second barrier of heaven and earth. Only then did he take out a landscape painting depicting Central Mountain, Great River, and the Great Li capital, and threw it on the ground. As long as Right stepped on it, it could shrink the mountains and rivers, traversing the two continents.

In fact, Eldest Senior Brother had smiled and confessed to him earlier that allowing a person from afar to cross continents on their own was no ordinary matter. It was the first time Cui Chan had created such a landscape, but even if it didn’t work out, Right was a great sword immortal and wasn’t afraid of accidents.

But Liu Shiliu wasn’t stupid and wouldn’t confess these things to Senior Brother Right. Senior Brother Right and that Eldest Senior Brother were already at odds, and they would really draw their swords and chop at each other.

Junior brother makes accusations, senior brother suffers. Senior brother fights, junior brother suffers. This was the old tradition of their Literary Saint lineage.

The first junior brother was Little Qi, and alas, the second junior brother was him, Jun Qian.
Especially when some unforeseen calamities befell him, Mister would righteously comfort the youngest disciple, “Little Qi, this time it’s indeed your fault. Your senior brother Zuo You is, for once, on solid ground. It’s alright, if you’re truly indignant, then go beat up Jun Qian. Remember not to hurt yourself; it would be unsightly if it delayed your reading and writing tomorrow. Jun Qian, come over here. What are you doing standing there like a hulking wooden statue?”

Fortunately, such instances were few. Each time, Mister would wink and subtly signal. Yet, Little Qi never took the bait, but instead quickly calmed down and lectured Mister in a stern and proper manner, insisting that he shouldn’t show such favoritism and should instead favor reason. The old scholar would then have a sudden realization, slap his palm in understanding, and vow to correct himself next time. Such scenes were often observed from around the corner, where two heads would peek out like sentries. The lower one belonged to senior brother Zuo You, while the taller one rested lightly upon Zuo You’s head – the eldest brother, Cui Chan.

Therefore, Liu Shiliu couldn’t help but feel a sense of regret, as if those beautiful moments were gone forever.

That was why Liu Shiliu agreed to Cui Chan’s request, allowing Zuo You to visit Luopo Mountain, so that the three remaining direct disciples of the Wen Sheng lineage could, in the hearts of their people, even if time had passed and things had changed, still somehow recapture some of that lost beauty.

Before taking his leave, Zuo You solemnly stated, “Jun Qian, regardless of the reason, I am a guest here, and some celestial phenomena have occurred. I previously used sword energy to support the heavens, and great tribulations are lurking and growing, bound to descend upon this place sooner or later.”

Liu Shiliu seemed not to understand.

Zuo You said in a deep voice, “Junior Brother Jun Qian!”

That fellow who loved acting like a senior brother was at it again.

Alas, a senior brother was still a senior brother, and a junior brother was still a junior brother.

Liu Shiliu sighed and said, “Understood. I will not only protect the stability of this realm but also be responsible for compensating the blessed land.”

Zuo You lightly tossed the mountain-walking staff he was holding to Liu Shiliu, “Jun Qian, it’s yours.”

Liu Shiliu smiled brightly, catching the ordinary mountain-walking staff. Back then, obtaining anything extra from Senior Brother Zuo You, who was in charge of the finances, was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Neither the fellow disciples nor Mister could accomplish it.

Then, Zuo You bowed to his junior brother in farewell.

Liu Shiliu returned the bow to his senior brother.

Zuo You walked towards the painting, his true body instantly arriving and merging with his spirit.

The Sword Immortal and the painting vanished in a flash.

In this small blessed land, Liu Shiliu, without the burden of suppressing sword energy, did not have as many restrictions on his movements as his senior brother Zuo You. However, Liu Shiliu had little interest in wandering the mortal realm. While dispelling the celestial phenomena caused by his senior brother Zuo You’s true body’s migration, he also traveled the heavens, eventually finding a desolate, uninhabited mountain. He stayed there, preparing to follow his teacher’s orders and at least take on a direct disciple. Talents and aptitudes mattered not; teaching them some sage doctrines, instilling a few steadfast principles, and ultimately having the disciple put them into practice would be sufficient.

Therefore, Liu Shiliu, atop this desolate mountain, was keeping an eye on a lower-fifth-realm demonkin that had not yet fully transformed into human form. He saw the small demonkin standing on two feet, with a bowl of wontons, of unknown origin, on the crude stone table outside the cave. The wontons were cold and mushy. It was trying to use chopsticks with its claws, but each time it failed to pick up a wonton, and the chopsticks would slip into the bowl. In the end, the little demonkin became frustrated, slammed the chopsticks into the bowl, and, raising its claws towards the bowl and chopsticks on the table, cursed vehemently, “Eat, eat, eat! Eat your mother’s eat! You eat your wontons yourself!”

Thus, Liu Shiliu did his best to conceal his vast and ancient aura, descending outside the cave. Moreover, the mountain spirit’s vision and realm were too low, so it would probably only see him as a woodcutter who had come into the mountains to chop firewood.

Liu Shiliu sat on the stone stool, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat the wontons. “Damn, these are really terrible. Are they spoiled? Is this half of my acceptance gift? Am I at a loss?”

The little demonkin had just returned from the same path, leaving the cave. The bowl of wontons had taken it great effort to carry from a village outside the mountain. It couldn’t let the animals in the mountains spoil them. As a result, it suddenly caught sight of the burly woodcutter, giving it a big scare. “Coming to collect debts?” The little demonkin was truly afraid. The man was so robust and powerful, looking like someone who wouldn’t speak or negotiate properly. Its little bit of haphazardly learned immortal magic probably wouldn’t work! The little demonkin was filled with indignation. “I paid for the wontons! Not just a string of copper coins, but I even deliberately left a few mountain delicacies by the stove! If I hadn’t read those few books of sages in the cave, I would already be a reading gentleman. Otherwise, why would I pay? Not to mention snatching a bowl of wontons, I’d even snatch the pot you use to cook them!”

“Good heavens, having received the money, you still have the nerve to come to my home and curse? Unreasonable, unreasonable!” The little demonkin lingered at the cave entrance, not daring to show its face. “As expected of a rude brute who hasn’t read books. I won’t bother with you. You ate a bowl of spoiled wontons!” Thinking of this, the little demonkin sighed, mustered its courage, and hid beside the cave, intentionally making noises to scare away the gluttonous ghost who was eating so fast. If it ate too much, it feared that a hungry ghost would appear at its door, bringing bad luck.

It couldn’t cure illnesses for others. The books hadn’t taught it that. The Taoist books only had some diagrams of worshipping the sun and moon to refine human form, which it had vaguely flipped through, learning a bit of the surface, barely opening its spiritual consciousness.

A self-proclaimed Whirlwind King, but not really. It just used it to amuse itself.

Liu Shiliu suddenly remembered that he had not been in the blessed land for long, and could neither speak the official language nor understand the local dialects.

Somewhat embarrassed, he looked towards the cave, and Liu Shiliu put down his chopsticks and scratched his head.

The little demonkin almost cried in fear. “Good heavens, having eaten enough, gained strength, and now wants to hit someone? Please don’t! I’m not human!”

Those woodcutters and hunters who liked to come into the mountains were all ferocious. As long as this man didn’t hold it against it today, it would pack its belongings and move immediately, far, far away!
Liu Shiliu conceived a plan: to grab a half-baked cultivator nearby, first teach him the common tongue, so the three parties could converse. Considering it a stroke of good fortune, he took in two disciples, names to be recorded later. As for whether he could ultimately accept them, and whether they would formally become disciples, be his direct inheritors, or nameless students knowing not their master’s name, all depended on their respective fates. Liu Shiliu would not carelessly accept disciples. The teacher had reminded them students many times, never think of accepting disciples as an act of charity. Whether taking disciples into the fold, acting as a school teacher, or a mountain master, if a teacher always felt they were bestowing knowledge and immortal techniques from a position of superiority, the hearts of men would only decline.

Seeing the burly man descending the mountain in large strides, the little demon breathed a sigh of relief. Gathering his courage, as if consolidating a vast and beautiful kingdom, he swaggered out of his cave, full of pomp and circumstance. Truly impressive! Whirlwind King glared and scared away a strapping fellow. Move house? Nonsense! Later, this king will hang a golden plaque: “Whirlwind King’s Residence!” Thinking this grandly, the little demon still picked up his bowl and chopsticks, and quickly scurried back into the cave to pack a bundle. He carefully packed away the few books, and finally, facing a small grave, he knelt down respectfully and kowtowed, muttering in his heart that he could only visit the immortal elder later. After kowtowing, the little demon scurried away.

Liu Shiliu had not truly gone far. Using a deceptive illusion, he had been following closely behind the little demon.

In ancient times, the direct pointing to the heart’s essence methods of the gods, Liu Shiliu had learned a bit. But getting closer for a better look could do no harm. As a result, this look made Liu Shiliu happy. He was quite enlightened, like himself.

In the central region of Bao Ping Continent, above the clouds of the Great Li’s secondary capital, Cui Chan, the Great Li’s national preceptor, with a Dharma form holding a replica of the White Jade Capital, was lecturing to young Confucian scholars from various academies. Among the assembled scholars, even those from the Guanhu Academy and Yanya Academy, none had yet earned the title of Gentleman or Sage.

A tall, slender figure in a green robe appeared out of thin air at the edge of the sea of clouds. Cui Chan did not shift his gaze, still explaining the profound nuances of the Hundred Schools of Thought to the young scholars.

Many scholars, however, noticed the unusual phenomenon, especially those Confucian scholars from the Guanhu Academy who cultivated vast and upright Qi, their spiritual senses being more acute. So most immediately turned their heads to look at the man.

Neither looking at Cui Chan, who continued his lectures and reasoning, nor towards those who had turned their heads to look at him, Zhou You frowned and scolded, “Entering the Seventy-Two Academies, is it to become immortals?”

Zhou You then transformed into a magnificent sword light, heading straight for the northern boundary of the continent, the cloud sea near the White Jade Capital. The sword Qi split the clouds, and they remained separated for a long time.

Cui Chan simply continued his lectures, neither exchanging a single word with the Sword Immortal who traveled across the continent, nor stopping the young people from being momentarily distracted, allowing them to be spirited, whispering, and speculating about the identity of the Sword Immortal.

Zhou You finally landed on Fallen Mountain. Chen Nuan Shu helped open the door. Zhou You first offered incense at the Ancestral Hall on Jise Peak. Then Zhou Mili had already placed a chair outside, seemingly in a carefully chosen position, not to be off by even a bit.

Zhou You sat down on the chair, Sword Immortal Zhou You, looking around.

It seemed like the Teacher was sitting in the center, with junior brother Jun Qian, junior brother Qi Jingchun, little junior brother Chen Ping An, and senior brother Cui Chan.

All around Zhou You.

It seemed like behind him there would be the many direct students and disciples of Fallen Mountain.

The lineage of the Literary Sage, spreading its branches and leaves.

Lively and bustling, no longer lonely.

Zhou You straightened his clothes, sat upright on the chair, clasped his hands lightly on his knees, looked ahead, and smiled.

After Zhou You got up, he would be Sword Immortal Zhou You. From now on, his sword would no longer be hesitant.