Having journeyed for a time, Zuo You arrived at a place of scenic splendor, a realm of verdant hills and crystalline waters. Clutching a staff of green bamboo, he began his ascent.

Temples nestled at the foot of the mountain, Daoist abodes perched upon its peak, and academies of scholars graced the slopes in between. Even beyond the hallowed grounds of the Great Profound World, this was a common sight.

Zuo You found himself in this foreign land, known as the Blessed Land of Ascension. With time to spare, and unwilling to move his true form, he allowed his spirit to roam, taking this opportunity to explore the wonders of the world.

The land where Zuo You now wandered was revered as a sacred site of cultivation within this blessed realm, hailed as an earthly paradise, a must-visit for hermits seeking immortality, and the foremost choice for pious men and women seeking divine blessings.

Legend spoke of ancient sages who cultivated the Dao and mastered immortal arts within these mountains. Thus, the emperor had decreed the construction of the Verdant Pine Palace atop the peak. Later, a true immortal attained enlightenment, ascending to the heavens astride a green dragon born from an ancient pine, a tale known throughout the land. The reigning monarch, witnessing this unprecedented auspicious sign, immediately changed the era name to the Year of Auspicious Clouds, ordering the construction of the Treasured Accumulation Pavilion to honor the Daoist immortal’s “Ascension to Immortality.” Over a century later, as dynasties changed and the palace’s incense dwindled, the “immortal” returned to the mortal realm for the last recorded time, employing boundless divine power to retrieve the Treasured Accumulation Pavilion, which had mysteriously sunk into the waters, and relocate it to the mountain’s summit.

The emperors of the new dynasty, eager to please, continuously bestowed titles upon the founder of the Treasured Accumulation Pavilion – True Man, True Lord, Heavenly Sovereign – each step ascending higher towards the heavens. They repeatedly presented plaques and Daoist scriptures to the palace, ensuring its incense flourished and endured to this day.

Later generations speculated that this immortal, upon ascending, not only joined the ranks of immortals but was also granted a Green Jade Writ of the highest order by the Heavenly Emperor, holding a position akin to a minister of the Six Ministries in the mortal realm. Hence, wherever he went, mountain spirits, lake deities, and reclusive immortals of the sea all came to greet and pay homage.

Zuo You, of course, knew that these tales were embellished legends, intended to glorify the blessed land. The old cultivator revered as an “enlightened immortal” was merely a Grandmaster Hall custodian in a sect of the Tongye Continent. His ultimate achievement was the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm. Unable to break through and extend his life, he faced the decay of his form and spirit. Then came the massive invasion of the Savage Lands. Whether the old cultivator felt his end was near and saw no point in prolonging his existence, or there was some other reason, he chose to die in battle against the demons landing on the shores of Tongye Continent. The Blessed Land of Ascension, unable to escape the calamity, fell into the hands of a demon army tent.

The blessed land was supposed to be carried by a direct disciple of the sect to the Treasure Bottle Continent, to be handed over to Old Dragon City, so that the sect cultivators could exchange it for a place of cultivation with the Grand Li Dynasty.

The Blessed Land of Ascension was sparsely populated due to its thin spiritual energy. Furthermore, the “Old Heaven,” the sect that held the blessed land, was unwilling to invest heavily in it, resulting in few cultivators of significant talent throughout its history. For a Tongye Continent immortal sect, it was truly a lackluster blessed land. Pouring money into the blessed land, if it hindered the cultivation of the disciples on their own mountain, would ultimately be a losing proposition. Moreover, a sect leader, even if he had reached the Jade Purity realm, was still mortal if he couldn’t ascend to immortality. He had a limited view of the future. He dared not consider how the blessed land would fare after a thousand years. As for the other elders, custodians, and direct disciples, their realms were lower and their Daoist arts shallower, so they would be even more shortsighted. It wasn’t necessarily that they couldn’t see the long-term benefits of improving the blessed land. It was just that “how would a thousand years in the future benefit my Great Dao?”

However, for the Grand Li Song clan, it could solve some pressing needs by relocating the residents of the vassal states in the southernmost part of the continent. The low grade of the Blessed Land of Ascension was actually a good thing, as it posed minimal hidden dangers. The conflicts between those on the mountain and those at its foot, between cultivators and ordinary scholars, could be almost completely ignored. Resettling refugees was almost cost-free.

As for why the blessed land ultimately fell into the hands of the demon army tent, Zuo You was not particularly interested. Whether it was human greed or unforeseen events, the result was that he, Zuo You, was now being detained here.

The incense pilgrims along the road paid little attention to the Confucian scholar with his green robe and bamboo staff, as he was a common sight.

Zuo You stopped halfway up the mountain at a place crowded with stalls, including one with a banner proclaiming, “The Last Place to Drink, Drink Your Fill!”

It reminded people that sincerity was required for burning incense, and those who loved to drink should satisfy their cravings here. Otherwise, if they climbed higher and drank while intoxicated, the divine immortals with their all-seeing eyes would be displeased, and their prayers would be ineffective.

Besides devout pilgrims, the followers of the divine path that climbed the mountain to burn incense also included many porters who earned money through hard labor. They either carried luggage for the pilgrims or hauled stones up the mountain to allow the palace on the summit to accumulate stones and construct new residences. The former earned less, while the latter earned more, but the hard-earned money was truly hard-earned. Therefore, some wealthier pilgrims would let the porters rest here and offer them a bowl of wine to bolster their strength and morale.

Zuo You paid for a bowl of cheap wine. There were many drinkers, occupying several tables. Unwilling to share a table with others, Zuo You was about to walk further away.

Seeing that the customer was going to drink far away, the stall owner quickly shouted to ask him to pay a deposit, otherwise he couldn’t go too far to drink.

“If we encounter unscrupulous drinkers who finish their wine and casually throw the bowl off the cliff, you’ll save effort and be generous, but who are we small stall owners supposed to ask for compensation?”

Zuo You had no choice but to return with his wine and paid a few extra coins to the stall owner before walking to the railing by the cliff, gazing at the distant landscape, where the winding mountains and rivers resembled a scene in a盆景(penjing, a miniature landscape).

Earlier, Lord Shouchen’s “Sword Inquiry” with the Tongye Sect had proactively given the Tongye Sect a great future. Regardless of the demons’ intentions, it was clear that they wanted to turn the Tongye Sect’s misfortune into a blessing. After all, the scholar going by the name of Zhou Mi had already appeared. As the second-highest-ranking Great Demon of the Savage Lands’ Royal Seat, his oaths and promises could indeed be trusted.

One should know that at the southernmost edge of the Tongye Continent, during the Grandmaster Hall meeting of the Jade Tablet Sect, where the sect leader was absent, the suggestion of the cotton-clothed, round-faced woman was rejected, and they did not hand over the Cloud Cave Blessed Land controlled by the Jiang clan. As a result, the demon army’s attacks continued relentlessly, without holding back any longer.

The hot-tempered Law Enforcement Ancestor of the Jade Tablet Sect was cursing Jiang Shangzhen as a bringer of bad luck while simultaneously battling and killing demon cultivators.

“If I die one day, and the Jade Tablet Sect and the Cloud Cave Blessed Land are fortunate enough to survive, let Jiang Shangzhen come to my grave and kowtow in gratitude, and make sure it’s loud enough, or I won’t hear it.”

This was probably what they called the wheel of fortune turning. Those who liked to watch others being a joke often became a joke themselves.
For several years, Jade Standard Sect had reveled in the grand jest that was Leaf-of-Paulownia Sect. Now, it seemed, it was the Leaf-of-Paulownia cultivators’ turn to witness Jade Standard Sect’s folly. And the opportunity to do so was within easy reach, a mere nod away.

If the Ancestral Hall of Leaf-of-Paulownia Sect seized this chance, perhaps they could even annex Jade Standard Sect in the future, turning that old adversary into a subordinate sect. It wasn’t an unrealistic aspiration.

However, the hearts of the Leaf-of-Paulownia Sect cultivators were on the verge of shattering, yet remained unbroken. The reason being, the number of those within the Ancestral Hall holding differing opinions was split right down the middle.

This near-equal division was actually quite unexpected. Initially, it was believed that every Leaf-of-Paulownia cultivator, young and old, would immediately turn their backs and collectively expel him. Contrary to this, the younger cultivators, with lower seniority, were willing to shoulder the immediate and long-term concerns together. Not only did they refuse the invitation from the barbaric lands, but they also sought out Zuo You, daring to say, “We earnestly implore Master Zuo to stay. We will take responsibility for everything behind you.”

The old cultivators, who had lived for centuries, desired to live longer. Yet, the young ones, who had only walked the path of cultivation for a few years, were willing to die for it.

At that moment, Zuo You suddenly felt that the world was genuinely improving.

Rarely had the world put Zuo You in such a non-dilemma situation.

For instance, in the past, when encountering those sword immortal aspirants who relied on their strength and the power behind their swords, Zuo You would find himself in a difficult position: to kill them outright, or to cripple them half to death.

As long as Zuo You remained in Leaf-of-Paulownia Sect, with his sword energy present in Leaf-of-Paulownia Continent, he would be a thorn in the side of the barbaric lands, something they desperately wanted to get rid of.

After shattering Sword Immortal Xiao Xun’s Gold Body at the Flying Ascension Realm, Xiao Xun went to the relatively stable South Saha Continent, saying he would knock the sun and moon off Chen Chun’an’s shoulders, and at the same time, pay a visit to Lu Zhi.

Therefore, Wooden Clog, a strategist in the Jiashen Camp, suggested a plan, and Sword Immortal Shou Chen was responsible for its implementation. Ultimately, they successfully confined Zuo You within a low-grade blessed land with a total population of less than ten million.

Shou Chen’s apparent sword questioning of Zuo You was, in reality, a feint. His true method was to suddenly open the heavenly restrictions of an Ascended Blessed Land, and viciously hurl it towards Zuo You. Simultaneously, within the blessed land, a Jade Purity Realm demon cultivator, with a death wish, beckoned towards Zuo You. The meaning was clear: either enter the game, or watch as the blessed land shattered before his very eyes.

At the same time, Zhou Mi executed a grand scheme to replace heaven and earth, placing Zuo You within the blessed land.

Zuo You did not allow the blessed land to shatter on Leaf-of-Paulownia Sect’s territory. Besides slaying the demon, he also used his sword energy to travel far beyond the barrier of heaven and earth, using his entire sword energy as a great heavenly 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 greater world, temporarily confining Zuo You within. At the same time, he had the blessed land take root in Leaf-of-Paulownia Continent, aligning it with the grand path of the barbaric lands. He also ordered two Immortal Realm great demons to continuously attack the blessed land’s barrier with spells and divine abilities. The combined might of immortal magic and the grand path constantly eroded Zuo You’s sword intent and cultivation, neither seeking to shatter the blessed land, nor allowing Zuo You to be too comfortable within.

After stabilizing the barrier of heaven and earth, Zuo You began to carefully examine this small blessed land.

His immense sword energy was still far removed from the mortal realm.

It was exceedingly simple for Zuo You to leave the blessed land and return to Leaf-of-Paulownia Continent of the Grand Path World. He could simply open the heavens with a sword strike, disregarding the fate of the Ascended Blessed Land. Not only Zuo You, but even Jiang Shangzhen could accomplish this with a mere willow leaf.

Therefore, trapping Jiang Shangzhen here would be meaningless. Jiang Shangzhen would undoubtedly strike with decisiveness. After his sword strike, he would not feel a ripple in his heart, regardless of whether the blessed land suffered millions of casualties or even shattered, killing ten million mortals.

In the past, Jiang Shangzhen almost capsized in his own backyard, punishing those rebellious earth immortals who were stirring up trouble in the Cloud Cave Blessed Land. The number of deaths, both on and off the mountain, exceeded millions.

But Zuo You intended to reside here temporarily, until he could devise a solution that was not a lose-lose situation.

This rendered Zuo You’s true body completely immobile, as if in deep meditation at his previous location. Zhou Mi’s methods were remarkable. Before Shou Chen launched the blessed land, he had already established a “Grand Path Edict” within, seemingly “acting on behalf of heaven,” specifically designed to suppress mortal sword energy. Therefore, Zuo You could only travel with his Yin Spirit. Otherwise, a single move would affect everything. This so-called heavenly path could not harm Sword Immortal Zuo You in the slightest, but it would cause hardship everywhere in the mortal realm.

For example, when Zuo You previously slew the demon, he cleaved a massive ten-thousand-mile long ravine into the blessed land’s sky with a single sword strike. This was only because Zuo You had tried his best to guide his own sword energy and the operation of the grand path. Otherwise, after slaying the demon, countless disasters would befall the mortal realm for ten thousand miles.

That ten-thousand-mile long ravine, as if tearing a seam in the sky, appeared to the few cultivators who had ventured into the mountains of the blessed land as a hanging sword energy rainbow, suspended between heaven and earth for a long time, with vibrant colors flowing continuously along with the sword energy.

Zuo You’s sword energy had to remain far removed from the mortal realm, used to prop up the border of heaven and earth, preventing the demon cultivators’ spells and divine abilities from wantonly breaking the blessed land’s barrier.

Otherwise, even a slight shift in the celestial phenomena would bring all kinds of natural disasters to the common people of the Ascended Blessed Land, such as continuous heavy rain for ten days leading to devastating floods, or several years of drought with thousands of miles of red earth, or heavy snow covering the entire winter, freezing everything to death.

Initially, Zuo You thought that there might still be hidden ploys left behind by the demons within the blessed land, waiting for an opportunity to act, such as a King Seat great demon hidden here. However, after Zuo You’s inspection, he discovered…

It was also normal. If the blessed land were shattered in a battle, causing the mountains and rivers to collapse, it would be the same as letting Zuo You completely break free from his cage. Then, it would be his turn to strike with all his might…

…and it would not be as simple as Jiang Shangzhen wielding a willow leaf, poking here and stabbing there.

After confirming that there were no more great demons hidden within the Ascended Blessed Land, Zuo You began to travel with his Yin Spirit.

The blessed land was named Ascended Blessed Land, a grandiose name that was actually misleading. It was truly just the private property of a minor sect in Leaf-of-Paulownia Continent.

In the past, cultivators here would form their Dan and “ascend,” leaving the “Outer Heavens,” Leaf-of-Paulownia Continent. Later, on their path of cultivation, they would be recruited by that Sect-class immortal family. Even if the cultivator hid extremely deeply, the ancestral master of the mountain would still detect the existence of the blessed land of their hometown. Through deduction, following the clues, they would obtain the approximate address, spend decades, and finally salvage this small blessed land from the “near shore” of the river of time.

After that, it was a natural process of opening the gate and descending immortal, surveying the blessed land, plundering the natural treasures born from the fortune, and seeking out the jade talent suitable for cultivation.
This blessed land, alas, is wanting in bounty. The treasures of heaven and earth worthy of note are few and far between. The so-called cultivating prodigies are scarce, and those few who emerge, after being brought out of this land and nurtured with care, often prove inadequate, barely achieving the Golden Core realm. For a celestial family of considerable stature, holding such a blessed land is a constant drain on resources.

As for other immortal masters and scions of wealthy clans who deign to visit this place like banished immortals, their monetary ventures are limited by the land’s inferior quality and rank. The profits are too meager. Therefore, the other celestial factions in Tongye Continent consider it a losing proposition. Over time, Yuhua Blessed Land has remained a lower-grade domain.

Throughout the world, sects eagerly invest vast sums to elevate a middle-grade blessed land to the upper echelon, but few are willing to raise a lower-grade one to even mediocrity. Hence, the saying arose: “A lower-grade blessed land is worse than none.”

In the hands of a great sect, one can invest without regard for immediate return, gaining long-term profits through steady effort. But historically, many smaller sects with insufficient resources have suffered, ultimately selling it to wealthy sects.

The rank of a blessed land depends on its vastness, population, and, most importantly, the abundance of spiritual energy within. If a blessed land spans millions of miles and boasts tens of millions of people, but ordinary mortals cannot ascend mountains for cultivation, and the threshold and bottlenecks are too great, so that cultivators remain in the lower five realms, with the Cave Realm being a distant dream, then “attaining immortality” is merely reaching the first layer of the middle five realms. Such a blessed land can only be deemed “lower-grade.”

However, in this Yuhua Blessed Land, the thirty-sixth generation Daoist of the Azure Dragon Palace on the mountain peak, the founding Abbot of Baoji Monastery, was an exceptional genius, blessed with abundant spiritual energy and fortune. In a lower-grade blessed land, he not only achieved the unprecedented Dragon Gate Realm but also cultivated a Golden Core. Therefore, he was favored by the Great Dao and allowed to break through the celestial barrier and travel afar.

Alas, the vicissitudes of life are unpredictable.

When a cultivator from a blessed land, a fortunate individual bearing the destiny of heaven and earth, attains immortality, trouble often follows for the world.

This Yuhua Blessed Land is fortunate, having been preserved. Many blessed lands in the Vast Expanse were not so lucky. After someone “ascended,” their origins were exposed, and they were not taken under the protection of a major sect. Ultimately, those lands were destroyed, and their inhabitants perished. Many lower-grade blessed lands were drained by short-sighted cultivators, completely severing the path of cultivation for local aspirants.

Of course, it is more common for a lower-grade blessed land to flourish because of one individual in the Vast Expanse.

A young woman in luxurious attire, taking advantage of her elder’s rest, brought her maidservant and, under the pretense of enjoying the scenery, approached the blue-robed scholar who was drinking alone. She lifted her veil slightly, her face flushed, and softly asked, “May I ask, good sir, from whence do you hail?”

Zuo You turned his head and replied, “A place a maiden like you has never heard of.”

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

Zuo You shook his head, “Even if I told you, maiden, you still would not know.”

In the past, Zuo You would have ignored her or answered with a single question.

But since his reunion and farewell with his teacher, Zuo You realized his temperament might need some adjustment.

Perhaps he should treat the advances of worldly women as a form of sword inquiry.

So, Zuo You said a few more words today.

The woman, for some reason, left in embarrassment. The young girl beside her was enraged. This scholar was so dense, wasting his handsome appearance.

Very well, the sword inquiry is over.

Clean and decisive, without delay.

Zuo You turned to return the empty bowl to the vendor, who grumbled, complaining that he had been drinking for so long, delaying his business. “Scholars are all about empty words, trying to deceive wealthy women.”

“I have resentment, but I speak softly, so that others cannot hear,” he thought. “If you scholars lack magnanimity, you’ll disgrace your learning. 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 suddenly flared up, but after glancing at the tall, blue-robed scholar, he averted his eyes, unwilling to meet his gaze. He muttered, “It’s nothing, nothing, you must have misheard.”

Zuo You continued his ascent to 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 overwhelming tide of the Vast Expanse, but Zuo You did not think so.

In the past, when the four direct disciples of the Literary Saint encountered similar minor incidents, Cui Chan would delve into the subtleties of human nature, perhaps using it to observe the Dao of someone or something, consuming months. The Big Fellow was indifferent. It would take a significant event to anger him. Xiao Qi would likely consider the local customs. But Zuo You insisted on confronting others, not giving up until things were clear. Zuo You had suffered much because of this in his youth, forcing his teacher to leave his study to resolve his troubles. This was especially true after Zuo You started practicing swordsmanship.

When he dragged Zuo You to apologize, the Old Scholar would get angry at his stubbornness. He would slap his student to force his head down, reminding him that apologies require humility.

But after each reluctant apology, the Old Scholar would tell Zuo You greater truths, clarifying the true right and wrong. The reasoning involved would extend far beyond the immediate dispute. Finally, the Old Scholar would encourage Zuo You to hold his head higher and read more, not just practice swordsmanship, which only caused trouble. He would say, “When you truly understand the teachings of the sages, even if you pierce the sky with your sword, your teacher will mend it for you. But before that, you must read more! Use the Great Dao and human suffering as your scabbard! Only then can your teacher be at ease with you wielding a sword without reading!”
After ascending the mountain, they saw the Verdant Pine Palace, roofed with green glazed tiles, though these tiles were not of immortal make, but rather symbols of the mortal emperor’s favor.

Instead of visiting the incense-filled Taoist temple, Zuo You chose a quieter spot, even higher than the mountainside, to lean on the railing and gaze into the distance.

He would only trouble the Master, not alleviate his worries.

In this matter, only that hulking simpleton excelled, not to mention his own knack for causing trouble, even Little Qi was better than him.

He endured scolding without retort, blows without retaliation, and stayed by the Master’s side, hardly ever causing trouble.

Zuo You looked up, first furrowing his brow, then relaxing, suppressing a smile.

Someone had punched open the barrier of the heavens and scattered the sword energy screen there, so Zuo You initially thought a great demon of the Ascension realm had arrived, and was worried about the safety of the blessed land.

But when Zuo You saw the uninvited guest’s face clearly, his mood brightened considerably. He subtly released a trace of refined sword intent, so the other party could see it at a glance, and used sword energy to clear the path, helping to conceal his presence, lest his movements within the Feather Transformation Blessed Land attract too much attention.

Sensing Zuo You’s sword intent, the other party immediately restrained his aura, heading straight for Zuo You’s mountain peak. Even so, the entire peak trembled slightly as the burly man’s feet touched the ground, the pine trees rustling, causing the pilgrims to mistakenly believe that immortals had manifested. Many who had already left the Verdant Pine Palace hurried back to offer incense.

Liu Shiliu grinned, “You were hard to find.”

Before coming here, Liu Shiliu had journeyed across continents to Tongye Continent. He first went to the northernmost Tongye Sect, not meddling in their affairs, only asking for Zuo You’s whereabouts. Then, he travelled south, and learned from a sword cultivator named Zhou Fei, who claimed to be a Lopo Mountain offering, where Zuo You was being held in the mountains and rivers of Tongye Continent. Before punching open the gates, he indeed saw the two Immortal Realm “great demons” that Zhou Fei said were terrifying. Zhou Fei also told Liu Shiliu to be very careful. Liu Shiliu was favorably impressed with him. Jiang Shangzhen, who cut down immortals with a willow leaf, was very famous now, and even Treasure Bottle Continent was talking about the Jade Regulation Sect’s new Sect Master’s fighting style, it was truly amazing, and satisfying.

At the same time, the entire True Realm Sect’s reputation was rising in Treasure Bottle Continent.

The only thing that made him dislike this person was that he was too garrulous. He followed Liu Shiliu for thousands of miles, constantly chattering in his ear, asking questions Liu Shiliu couldn’t answer, like whether he would ever have the chance to become the chief offering of Lopo Mountain, and whether the child he was helping Liu Shiliu’s junior brother raise was being naughty at Shujian Lake.

So after Liu Shiliu parted ways with Jiang Shangzhen, he accidentally flicked his finger and blew up the body of an Immortal Realm demon cultivator.

The immortal’s body decomposed, its remains like a cicada’s husk.

His Great Path damaged, he fell a small realm.

Liu Shiliu did not pursue the fleeing demon cultivator, but attended to more important matters first.

Zuo You remained silent.

Liu Shiliu was used to it, and proactively spoke of the Master’s recent situation and the trend of Treasure Bottle Continent’s affairs.

After Zuo You heard it, he remained expressionless.

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

Zuo You then said, “Call me Senior Brother.”

The blockhead still hadn’t caught on.

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

The most rules among the fellow disciples belonged to Senior Brother Zuo You.

Zuo You then said, “Thank you for your trouble.”

Liu Shiliu tentatively said, “Let’s switch places. It’s easy enough for me to kill a few ancient gods who came from afar in the Grand Azure World, but the rest isn’t really suitable.”

Zuo You thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s acceptable.”

He needed no ceremony with his junior brother, Jun Qian.

Liu Shiliu hesitated instead.

Zuo You frowned. “Jun Qian, speak plainly.”

Liu Shiliu said, “When I went south to Treasure Bottle Continent, I found the Eldest Senior Brother. He seems to know about your situation, so he sent me here to allow you to directly cross continents to Dali’s second capital. Of course, if you don’t want to, you can stay in Tongye Continent, but at most you can only go to the Jade Regulation Sect here, because the Tongye Sect you were protecting earlier has seriously splintered, and some of the younger generation have been imprisoned by several ancestral masters, but don’t worry, those prisoners’ lives are temporarily safe.”

Zuo You said, “Then I’ll go to the Jade Regulation Sect.”

Without any superfluous thought.

Liu Shiliu sighed. As expected, so he had to say what Eldest Senior Brother had long thought of and told him, “Senior Brother Zuo, you haven’t been to Lopo Mountain, have you? Someone hopes that every chair outside the ancestral hall of the Jise Peak has someone truly sitting there, or rather, someone who has actually sat there, and then eventually everyone will complete a painting together. Our Master, before he left, took the central seat. When I left Lopo 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 Zuo sitting outside the door, the painting can still be completed in the future, after all, the current Lopo Mountain doesn’t lack these immortal spells.”

Zuo You was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Then I’ll go to Lopo Mountain first, and then I’ll go to Old Dragon City, to see if Wei Jin’s swordsmanship has improved at all. The Old Sword Immortal once had high hopes for him.”

After that, he would take a trip to Tongye Sect, to teach some people what a sword cultivator who caused Zuo You extreme difficulty was.

The corners of Liu Shiliu’s mouth had just subtly changed when he noticed Zuo You looking coldly at him. Liu Shiliu immediately suppressed the corners of his mouth, first using his aura to envelop the barrier of heaven and earth, plus Zuo You’s sword energy, creating a second barrier of heaven and earth, before taking out a landscape painting depicting Central Mountain, Great River, and Dali’s second capital, and throwing it on the ground. As long as Zuo You stepped on it, he could shrink the mountains and rivers and cross two continents.

In fact, Eldest Senior Brother had smiled and frankly told him earlier that allowing people from afar to cross continents on their own was no ordinary feat, and it was also the first time he, Cui Chan, had created a landscape painting, so even if it didn’t work out, Zuo You was a Great Sword Immortal and wouldn’t be afraid of accidents.

But Liu Shiliu wasn’t stupid, he wouldn’t tell Senior Brother Zuo about these things. Senior Brother Zuo didn’t get along with that Eldest Senior Brother in the first place, they would really draw swords and kill each other.

The junior brother complains, the senior brother suffers. The senior brother fights, the junior brother suffers. It was an old tradition of their literary saint lineage.

The first junior brother was Little Qi, pity the second junior brother, he was Jun Qian.
Especially when encountering some unforeseen misfortunes, the esteemed Mr. would, with an aura of righteousness, comfort his junior disciple, “Little Qi, this time you were indeed in the wrong. Your senior brother, for once, has reason on his side. It’s alright, if you truly can’t swallow your anger, then go ahead and hit Jun Qian. Just remember not to hurt yourself, as that would be detrimental to your reading and writing tomorrow. Jun Qian, come over here. What are you doing standing there like a wooden ox?”

Fortunately, such instances were rare. Each time, the Mr. would wink and give subtle cues, but Little Qi would never understand, instead quickly calming down and, in a stern manner, lecturing the Mr. that he shouldn’t be so biased towards him, but rather towards the truth. The old scholar would then have a sudden epiphany, striking his palm with his fist, and vowing that he would certainly change next time. Such scenes would often be observed from around the corner, with two heads peeking out to keep watch. The lower one belonged to Senior Brother Zuo You, while the taller one rested gently on Zuo You’s head – that was Senior 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 Fallen Mountain, so that the remaining three direct disciples of the Literary Sage’s lineage could, in the hearts of their people, even though times had changed and things were no longer the same, still somehow find a way to recapture some of that beauty.

Before taking his leave, Zuo You solemnly said, “Jun Qian, regardless of the reason, as a guest here, there have been some celestial phenomena. Earlier, I used sword qi to support the heavens, and there are major and minor tribulations lurking and growing, which will sooner or later descend upon this place.”

Liu Shiliu seemed not to understand.

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

The fellow who loved to act like a senior brother was at it again.

There was no help for it; 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 heaven and earth, but also be responsible for compensating the blessed land somewhat.”

Zuo You lightly tossed the walking stick in his hand to Liu Shiliu, “Jun Qian, I’m giving it to you.”

Liu Shiliu smiled and caught the ordinary walking stick. Back in the day, trying to get anything extra from Senior Brother Zuo You, who was in charge of the finances, was as difficult as ascending to the heavens. Neither the other disciples nor the Mr. could accomplish it.

Then, Zuo You cupped his fist in farewell to his junior brother.

Liu Shiliu returned the gesture.

Zuo You walked towards the painting, his true form instantly arriving to merge with his Yin spirit.

The Sword Immortal and the painting vanished in a flash.

In this small blessed land, Liu Shiliu, because he lacked the burden of suppressing sword qi’s great path, didn’t have as many restrictions on his movements as Senior Brother Zuo You. However, Liu Shiliu had little interest in wandering the mortal realm. While dispelling the celestial phenomena caused by Senior Brother Zuo You’s true form’s departure, he rode the wind to the distant sky, eventually finding a remote, solitary mountain. He stayed there, preparing to follow his Mr.’s orders and, at the very least, take a direct disciple. Talent and aptitude? Did those even matter? Teach him some sage principles, have him memorize a few sentences, and if the disciple could eventually put them into practice, that would be enough.

Therefore, Liu Shiliu, on this solitary mountain peak, was paying attention to a lower-five-realm demon race who hadn’t yet fully transformed into human form. He saw the little demon standing on two legs, with a bowl of wontons of unknown origin on the crude stone table outside its cave. The wontons were cold and mushy. It was using its claws to learn how to use chopsticks, but it couldn’t pick up the wontons each time, and the chopsticks would slip into the bowl. In the end, the little monster became extremely frustrated, slamming the chopsticks into the bowl and raising its claws, cursing at the bowl and chopsticks, “Eat, eat, eat! Eat your mother’s eat! You eat your wontons yourself!”

So Liu Shiliu tried his best to conceal the vast and ancient aura of the Great Dao, landing outside the cave. In addition, the mountain spirit’s horizons and realm were too low; it would probably only see him as a woodcutter who had come into the mountains.

Liu Shiliu sat on the stone stool, picked up the chopsticks, and began to eat the wontons. “Damn it, this is really awful. Could this half-a-worship gift be spoiled? Did I lose out?”

The little monster had just returned, walking out of the cave. It had taken a great deal of effort to bring a bowl of wontons from the village outside the mountain, and it couldn’t let the flat-feathered creatures in the mountain who liked to defecate everywhere spoil them. But it suddenly saw the burly woodcutter, giving it a great fright. “Has someone come to collect debts and demand money?” The little monster was truly afraid. The man was so strong and powerful, he didn’t seem like someone who would talk or discuss things properly. The little bit of immortal magic it had learned haphazardly wouldn’t work, would it? The little monster was filled with resentment. It had paid for the bowl of wontons! Not only had it given a string of copper coins, but it had also deliberately left a few mountain delicacies next to the stove. If it hadn’t read the few sage books in the cave, it would have been a scholarly gentleman long ago! Otherwise, why would it give money? Not only would it steal a bowl of your wontons, but it would even steal the big pot you used to cook them in!

“Good heavens, not only did you get the money, but you have the nerve to come to my house and curse?” How unreasonable, how unreasonable! The little monster lingered at the entrance of the cave, unwilling to leave. He was indeed an uncultured bumpkin who hadn’t read books. It wouldn’t bother arguing with him. He could eat a bowl of sour wontons. Thinking of this, the little monster sighed and mustered its courage, hiding beside the cave without showing its face, deliberately making noises, hoping to scare away the hungry ghost who was devouring the wontons. If he ate too much, it was afraid that an empty ghost would really appear at its doorstep, which would be very unlucky.

It didn’t know how to heal people, and the books hadn’t taught it that. The Taoist books only had some diagrams of worshipping the sun and moon to transform into human form, which it had vaguely flipped through, learning a bit of superficial knowledge and barely getting started.

A self-proclaimed Whirlwind King was not to be taken seriously; it was just something it used to amuse itself.

Liu Shiliu suddenly remembered that he hadn’t been in the blessed land for long, and he didn’t know how to speak Mandarin, nor could he understand any dialects.

He felt a bit awkward, looking towards the cave. Liu Shiliu put down his chopsticks and scratched his head.

The little monster almost cried in fright and anger. “Good heavens, he’s full and has gained strength, and now he wants to hit someone? Don’t hit me, don’t hit me, I’m not human!”

Those woodcutters and hunters who liked to come into the mountains were all fierce people. As long as this man didn’t mind today, it would pack up its belongings and move away immediately, far away!

Liu Shiliu devised a plan. He would grab a half-baked cultivator nearby to first learn the local tongue, thus enabling communication between the three parties. He would treat it as a double blessing, taking in two disciples for the time being, without formally registering them. As for whether he would ultimately accept disciples, whether they would formally acknowledge him as their master, whether they would become his direct line or remain unregistered disciples who never knew their master’s name – all would depend on their mutual fate. Liu Shiliu wouldn’t recklessly accept just anyone. His teacher had reminded them students many times that they must never see accepting disciples as an act of charity, whether taking them into a school or a mountain sect. If a teacher always felt that they were dispensing knowledge or immortal arts from a high position, the heart would only deteriorate.

The little demon, seeing the burly man stride down the mountain, breathed a sigh of relief. Regaining its courage, as if reclaiming a vast kingdom, it strutted out of its cave, full of grandeur. Truly magnificent! The Cyclone King had merely glared, and a strapping man had fled in terror! Why bother moving? Later, it would hang a golden plaque that read “Residence of the Cyclone King!” Thinking so valiantly, the little demon still grabbed its bowl and chopsticks, and quickly returned to the cave to pack a bundle. It carefully packed away the few books it owned. Finally, it knelt before a small grave mound and kowtowed respectfully, muttering in its heart that it would have to visit the immortal elder at a later time. Only after completing the kowtow did the little demon slip away.

Liu Shiliu hadn’t truly gone far. He had cast an illusion and remained close behind the little demon.

In ancient times, some divine and profound arts that directly pointed to the essence of the heart were known to Liu Shiliu. He simply wanted to take a closer look, to be sure. This observation brought him some joy. Just like him, the little demon seemed quite enlightened.

In the central region of Treasure Bottle Continent, above the cloud sea of Dali’s secondary capital, Cui Chan, the national preceptor of Dali, whose Dharma idol held a replica of the Jade Capital, was actually lecturing and teaching to many young Confucian scholars from various countries. Even those scholars from the Lakeside Academy and Cliffside Academy did not possess the title of “Junzi” (gentleman) or “Sage.”

A tall figure in green robes materialized at the edge of the cloud sea. Cui Chan didn’t even glance his way, continuing to explain the subtleties of the various philosophical schools to the young scholars.

Many scholars noticed the anomaly, especially those Confucian students from Lakeside Academy who cultivated righteous Qi. Their divine senses were sharper, and most immediately turned to look at the newcomer.

The figure, not caring about Cui Chan’s continuing lecture, frowned and scolded those who turned to look at him, “Entering the Seventy-Two Academies, did you think it was to become immortals?”

Zuo You then transformed into a vast sword light, heading straight for the Northern Mountain region of the continent, near the Jade Capital. The cloud sea was split by the sword Qi, and it took a long time for it to re-form.

Cui Chan simply continued his lecture, not exchanging a single word with the Sword Immortal who had traveled across the continent, nor hindering the young people’s momentary distraction. He allowed them to be energetic, whispering and guessing the identity of the Sword Immortal.

Zuo You eventually landed on Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Chen Nuan-shu helped open the door. Zuo You first offered incense in the ancestral hall of Jise Peak. Then, Zhou Mili had already placed a chair outside, seemingly positioned with great care, without the slightest deviation.

Zuo You sat down on the chair, the Sword Immortal Zuo You looked around.

It was as if the Teacher was seated in the center, with Junior Brother Jun Qian, Junior Brother Qi Jingchun, Junior Junior Brother Chen Pingan, and Senior Brother Cui Chan.

All were on Zuo You’s left and right.

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

The lineage of the Literary Sage, blossoming and spreading.

Lively and bustling, no longer alone.

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

When Zuo You rose, he would be the Sword Immortal Zuo You. From then on, drawing his sword would no longer be difficult.