The repeated slashes of the Fourteenth Realm had truly broadened Yu Xuan’s horizons, especially Bai Ye’s sword strikes against the six Throne Realm demon kings, each unerringly finding its mark, leaving Yu Xuan in utter admiration.

The sword qi was vast and awe-inspiring, a magnificent sight to behold.

Some things, it seemed, could only be accomplished by Bai Ye, and even then, he appeared to possess ample reserves of strength.

To slice and dice those six Throne Realm great demons like vegetables was beyond the reach of even those who considered themselves peaks, such as Bai Ying. At the very least, Yu Xuan wouldn’t dare claim a guaranteed victory, much less a certain kill, against any one of those Throne Realm beasts.

The only explanation was that Bai Ye’s swordplay was simply too unreasonable.

Upon hearing that Liu Cha was also on his way to Fuyu Continent, as he had predicted, Yu Xuan could only offer a wry smile.

Not only was there indeed a seventh Throne Realm demon king, but it was undoubtedly Liu Cha.

A Throne Realm great demon who could call Ah Liang a brother and exchange sword techniques with him was indeed the perfect trump card.

Each of the great cultivators at the apex of the Vast Expanse, just a step away from ascension, received Mountain and River Reports that were far more substantial than those read for leisure by ordinary immortal masters from Sect-level establishments.

Yu Xuan quickly composed himself and mentally reminded Bai Ye, “The spiritual energy here is strange. But now that I’m here, you can safely draw upon the heaven and earth spiritual energy within a hundred miles. Any farther, and don’t even think about touching it. Even a trace of contamination will lead to endless troubles.”

Yu Xuan had used his signature talisman techniques to forcefully break through three layers of Heaven and Earth Restrictions, barely managing to reach the battlefield where Bai Ye was.

Truly befitting of the Central Earth Divine Continent, not only did he break through the barriers, but Yu Xuan also used tens of thousands of rare talismans to cast a mystical art called “Supporting the Mountain Waist.”

Traveling all the way south from the north-central region of Golden Armor Continent, then crossing the sea to Fuyu Continent’s celestial barrier, didn’t take up much of Yu Xuan’s time. However, the act of breaking through the barriers alone consumed a full quarter of an hour, showcasing the determination of the Wild Desolate World to eliminate Bai Ye.

It should be known that when it came to the art of opening mountains, Yu Xuan claimed to be second to none.

The native Daoist teachings of the Vast Expanse were divided into two main branches: Talismans and Alchemy.

The talisman branch, along with a Daoist sect outside White Jade Capital in the Azure Abyss, was collectively known as the Three Altar Sanctuaries. Yu Xuan occupied one of them.

Yu Xuan’s act of snatching the title of “Talismans” from the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Residence was a feat almost comparable to the Northern Assembly Continent taking the “North” title from the Snowy Continent.

Legend had it that there wasn’t a spatial item or a pocket dimension that Yu Xuan couldn’t open, nor a Mountain Protecting Array or a Saint’s Heaven and Earth he couldn’t break. There was even a saying: “Others have universes in their sleeves, I have my cultivation grounds.” He especially enjoyed napping in the sleeves of his Ascension Realm friends, such as the Fire Dragon True Man and Sun Huaizhong of the Profound Capital Temple, with whom he had traveled the Vast Expanse in his early years. Whenever he crossed continents, he would always ask for a free ride. The Fire Dragon True Man, when blocked outside the gate of the Greenwater Pit, was truly helpless against that ancient Water God’s summer palace, which had already been refined by the fat woman. He once sent a talisman sword message to Yu Xuan, urging the old Daoist to come and help him open the door, promising to share the spoils afterward. Yu Xuan replied to the Greenwater Pit with a talisman cloud-water dragon, claiming in a secret message that he was in seclusion for a life-or-death breakthrough, teetering on the brink of death every day, and unable to extricate himself.

The talisman dragon ran out of spiritual energy just outside the Greenwater Pit’s gate, revealing its true form: a green bamboo staff covered in talismans. After the Fire Dragon True Man left the Greenwater Pit holding the bamboo staff, he did some calculations and felt that something was off. The timing didn’t add up. Besides, how could someone in the midst of a perilous, peak Ascension Realm life-or-death breakthrough have the leisure to receive and reply to messages? The Fire Dragon True Man changed his mind and didn’t return directly to the Northern Assembly Continent. It wasn’t until the Fire Dragon True Man returned to the Central Earth Divine Continent that he learned the old Daoist was attending the Green God Mountain banquet in the Bamboo Sea Cave.

This time, Yu Xuan traveled to Fuyu Continent alone, not only using talismans to prop open three layers of Heaven and Earth Restrictions but also temporarily creating three great gates. Yu Xuan naturally wanted to ensure his freedom of movement and, if possible, take Bai Ye with him.

However, he never expected that the moment he arrived on the battlefield, all his talismans would simultaneously shatter, and the three great gates would instantly collapse and be destroyed. Yu Xuan lamented incessantly, “Woe is me, woe is me, I cannot return!”

Bai Ye chuckled, “Not quite the usual style of Yu Xuan of Talismans. I appreciate the sentiment, but the spiritual energy is not a problem.”

Yu Xuan of Talismans in the Central Earth Divine Continent was notoriously unwilling to engage in life-or-death battles. Whenever he made a move, it was always a friendly exchange of Daoist techniques, because Yu Xuan would first ensure his own invincibility, and then use the opportunity to learn and study the art of talismans. When faced with opponents of similar Daoist strength, Yu Xuan almost never used overly domineering offensive techniques. Without a fight to the death, there would be no harm to harmony. And how could those whose Daoist strength was inferior, those who were dead, harm his harmony?

Yu Xuan was also unaware of the profound mystery of Bai Ye’s Fourteenth Realm integration with the Dao.

He could only nod.

The short old man who dominated the world of talismans was currently suspended in the air, exactly a hundred miles away from Bai Ye. The old Daoist formed hand seals, and around his hands, the sun, moon, and stars seemed to move in an orderly fashion, with streaks of fireflies trailing behind, forming a celestial phenomenon.

Getting too close to Bai Ye would inevitably hinder Bai Ye’s swordplay. Bai Ye was fighting six Throne Realm demon kings alone, and in such a peak-level battle, even a slight difference could mean the difference between heaven and earth. Yu Xuan couldn’t possibly have traveled all the way across continents just to burden Bai Ye.

But if he was too far away, Yu Xuan didn’t think of himself as some omnipotent old immortal who could help in any way.

Beneath the feet of the white-haired, purple-robed old man, a black and white Taiji Eight Trigrams diagram appeared. The old man’s body remained still, but the Taiji diagram beneath his feet slowly rotated. Occasionally, a spark of light would ignite, crackling and turning into wisps of barely perceptible green smoke. Clearly, it was the subtle and deep machinations of Wen Hai that had been tampering with the spiritual energy of this continent’s mountains and rivers. It was only when it came into contact with Yu Xuan’s Eight Trigrams diagram that a few traces were caught.

Heaven and earth, yin and yang, all things past and present, the beginning and end of life and death, the Taiji diagram revealed and transformed everything.

Naturally, it was far more Daoist and flawless than the heaven and earth spiritual energy.

The appearance of this diagram was no mere trivial skill in Yu Xuan’s eyes, but a trump card even more potent than the “Supporting the Mountain Waist” divine power.

It would neither hinder Bai Ye from wielding the Immortal Sword Taibai to slay demons, nor prevent Bai Ye from taking a few steps back to safely draw upon the heaven and earth spiritual energy.

As Bai Ye drew his sword, he still had the presence of mind to speak to Yu Xuan, “There’s still time to leave.”

Bai Ye held the Immortal Sword Taibai in one hand, and the scabbard behind him in the other.
Yu Xuan glanced at the sword sheath, then looked up at the sky, shaking his head and saying, “Forget it, forget it, since I’m already here, I’ll play it by ear. It would be a shame not to show off a few tricks. Just don’t worry about me. This old talisman master’s self-preservation skills are still passable.”

In truth, Yu Xuan could have left earlier, but the old man hesitated slightly, and the three talisman gates shattered too quickly, missing the only opportunity to slip through and escape tens of thousands of miles away.

Of course, that would require Bai Ye to offer his sword and escort him, otherwise, the six Great Demon Kings would never allow this cunning talisman master Yu Xuan to come and go as he pleased. If Bai Ye didn’t offer his sword to escort him, it would likely result in the notoriously meticulous Yu Xuan suffering loss after loss, possibly even leading to a drop in his cultivation realm.

Yu Xuan stroked his beard and narrowed his eyes, continuing to observe the battlefield, intending to carefully seek out the fundamental origins of the six Great Demon Kings.

Seeing Bai Ye wielding his sword ceaselessly, each time merely raising and lowering it, a sword light would illuminate tens of thousands of miles. Even Yu Xuan felt his mind swaying slightly, truly a sword that shattered ten thousand techniques.

It was a pity that Bai Ye wasn’t a sword cultivator and didn’t possess a Natal Flying Sword.

However, Yu Xuan quickly reconsidered, the heavens were wary of perfection. Such a learned scholar like Bai Ye was already glorious enough to be remembered for millennia.

He saw Bai Ye thrust out his sword, repelling Yuan Shou, who had revealed his true form of ten thousand feet tall. The long staff in the old ape’s hand was struck by the brilliant sword light, sparks flying in all directions, like fire gods forging a sword embryo. The sparks scattered, burning countless landscapes depicted in ink wash paintings.

Yuan Shou’s massive body slid backward for hundreds of miles, he roared, stamping his foot in the void, as if thunder rumbled. Ripples splashed at the point where he stomped, even stirring up some waves in the River of Time. Yuan Shou remotely smashed down his staff, with such force that the staff bent into an arc.

Bai Ye struck again with his sword, wantonly shattering the gale winds created by the staff, causing tornadoes to appear in the heavens and earth.

Yuan Shou lightly released his grip, then clenched the staff again. The staff clashed with the sword light, buzzing and humming. The mere reverberation and rippling tremors of the staff were enough to shatter any ordinary magical treasure that came near.

Yuan Shou lowered his head to look at his palm, finding it riddled with white bones. Although flesh regenerated in the blink of an eye, it was still a vexing matter. Yuan Shou was renowned throughout the desolate lands for his mastery of close combat.

In countless battles over the past ten thousand years, he had never been so frustrated. Yuan Shou had yet to truly approach Bai Ye.

Then, the Great Demon Yang Zhi, controlling one of her Natal Treasures, a Dragon Palace Water Mansion, traveled tens of thousands of miles in an instant. Wherever it passed, water flowed torrentially, manifesting countless ethereal water fairies and spirits, like a vast escort of monsters.

Relying on this treasure, Yang Zhi temporarily moved closest to Bai Ye, then sacrificed another Natal Treasure, suddenly descending from the sky, pressing down on Bai Ye.

Yu Xuan frowned, looking up. This old crone’s foundation was not shallow. As expected of a pinnacle Great Demon King of the desolate lands, she was not lacking in good things.

What Yang Zhi sacrificed was a Jade Gangmao, a style that had been abandoned by White Jade City thousands of years ago. It had inscriptions on all four sides, displaying dazzling red, blue, white, and yellow colors. The foremost side was inscribed with “On the first month, the Gangmao is prepared,” and the other sides were inscribed with “The sharpness of knives and swords shall not prevail,” “Expel spirits and ghosts, order Kui Dragon to manage water,” and “A single thing contains the Great Dao.”

It was both an ancient relic, the Gangmao, and a six-sided Dharma Seal that had been refined and completed by Yang Zhi, its Heavenly inscription reading “Azure Sky,” and its Earthly inscription reading “Nether Springs.”

As soon as this seal appeared, heavenly might was boundless.

The white jade Dharma Seal rotated and fell, carrying the momentum of a celestial tribulation for immortals breaking through their realm.

In particular, one side of the white jade Dharma Seal, inscribed with “The sharpness of knives and swords shall not prevail,” innately suppressed sword cultivators and swords. The inscription gleamed, and the ancient seal script flashed, transforming into a celestial phenomenon that dissipated in all directions.

This caused Bai Ye not only to fail to cleave open the Dharma Seal with his sword, but also to have some of his mighty sword Qi absorbed by the Dharma Seal, making its descent even more powerful.

Bai Ye didn’t entangle too much with the mountain-like Dharma Seal, letting it fall rapidly. When it was only three thousand zhang away, Bai Ye simply thrust his second sword toward Yang Zhi.

The sword shaved off the diadem on Yang Zhi’s human-headed, dragon-bodied crown. The beaded strands that dangled from the diadem, twelve strands of jade tassels connected by five-colored silk threads, were all cut off by Bai Ye’s sword. As the retreating Yang Zhi reached out to hold the falling colored beads and silk cords, a thought flickered through her mind, and this Natal Treasure was restored to its original state. However, in order to compensate for the damage from Bai Ye’s sword, hundreds of flying celestials densely clinging to the seams of her dragon robe, all with beautiful and genderless features, each containing pure water essence, instantly turned to ashes in order to mend the crown’s damage.

Great Demon Yang Zhi had been based in the Yiluo River waters for thousands of years. During this time, she had painstakingly refined three hundred members of the seated troupe, all with elegant appearances and graceful demeanor.

In total, Yang Zhi had refined eighteen hundred members of the standing troupe, with magnificent costumes, brilliant colors, graceful postures, jade ornaments jingling on their slender waists, and pearl-stringed coughs breaking the formation with music.

In addition, there were sixteen thousand water official servant girls in the Yiluo River, all seamstresses and weavers of dragon robes and imperial crowns.

Yang Zhi didn’t want to be too far away from her Natal Treasure Dharma Seal, nor did she think she could really kill Bai Ye, even though the mountain-sized Dharma Seal and the mustard seed-sized sword-wielding Bai Ye were only hundreds of zhang apart.

She still had to retrieve the Dharma Seal and place it in her Natal Acupoint for nourishment. Bai Ye’s previous sword had cleaved a crack in the bottom inscription of the six-sided seal. However, this seal could innately refine sword Qi, not only repairing the cracks, but also allowing Yang Zhi to deduce the location of Bai Ye’s Dao integration.

Bai Ye laughed: “Spirits and monsters are prone to disturbing the secrets of heaven, be careful of your soul sinking into the Northern Fengdu.”

Hearing this, Yu Xuan stroked his beard and smiled. Bai Ye’s words were wonderful beyond compare.

Yang Zhi’s expression changed slightly, she reached out to hold her temple, and then clenched the seal in her hand, her wrist trembled slightly, and only with great effort did she stabilize the Natal Treasure.

She spread out her hand to look, and the side of the seal inscribed with “knives and swords” was already in a state of disrepair. Bai Ye’s residual sword Qi had directly damaged the foundation of this ancient Gangmao, meaning that from now on, she would lose a Natal Divine Ability, and would no longer be able to use this ancient seal to suppress and restrain the Natal Flying Swords of the Righteous Path’s sword immortals. Fortunately, the other five sides were still intact.

Yang Zhi was expressionless, but her heart was filled with great hatred. She also felt a bit of regret, she really shouldn’t have asked Bai Ye to “ask the sword.” No matter what path he took, she shouldn’t have been so arrogant.

Yu Xuan seemed to realize something.

Each time Bai Ye drew his sword, he seemed to deliberately avoid trying to kill a Great Demon King with just a few strikes.

That was very thought-provoking.

Could it be that he wanted to cut the six Great Demon Kings until they were no longer Great Demon Kings? To cause several of them to fall from their peak to become ordinary Ascended Realm Great Demons?
Yu Xuan surveyed his surroundings. In fact, at every corner of the heavens, there were talismans subtly deployed by Yu Xuan, supporting the very fabric of the world. These served not only to precisely gauge the celestial cycles but also to slightly resist the encroaching tides of heaven descending and earth ascending. Yu Xuan was, of course, not simply watching Bai Ye’s swordsmanship. The three layers of heaven and earth restrictions were steadily converging, tightening like a fishing net being drawn in. Aside from the increasingly sparse and thin spiritual energy, the opportune moment for the Throne Great Demons would also become increasingly concentrated. According to Yu Xuan’s calculations, once the three overlapping nets finally shrunk to a thousand li, it was likely that even the River of Time would manifest. In the long run, Bai Ye would truly be facing certain death. This most proud man of the mortal realm was walking a path of no return with his sword.

Before Bai Ye could voice his question, Yu Xuan smiled knowingly, “Just focus on your sword, I won’t interfere.”

Bai Ye nodded lightly, his sword-holding hand gently flicking his wrist. A streak of sword light, as bright and clear as an autumn rainbow, suddenly appeared.

With Bai Ye’s green-robed figure as the center, a massive mirror surface materialized out of thin air, all condensed from a single line of sword light.

It was as if the heavens and earth were severed, a sword offering a distant salute to Wen Hai’s meticulousness.

However, this sword light should have cleaved the old Taoist behind Bai Ye in half, but as it passed the Taiji diagram, it was continuously bent and folded, ultimately bypassing the talisman master Yu Xuan completely.

The old man’s single feat was enough to shock the world.

Yu Xuan, after all, was standing on a great formation, remaining stationary and allowing Bai Ye’s sword to miss.

Yu Xuan stroked his beard and smiled. Bai Ye’s sword was at its peak, grandly unrestrained and elegant.

He had unintentionally avoided the sword, purely by chance. As long as he could leave Fuyu Continent alive this time, such secrets need not be elaborated upon. He could visit a certain shameless sword cultivator sect that hung Bai Ye’s portrait in their ancestral hall, drink a few cups of tea, and chat briefly. Despite having no discernible connection to Bai Ye, they dared to hang his portrait, wanting to become Ancestral Hall Ranked Immortals. They would have to make the sword cultivators circle the mountain on their swords, reciting Bai Ye’s three hundred poems in one breath, unbelievable!

As for the six Throne Great Demons, each a colossal being, their true forms and Dharma Images were all cleaved in two.

The three unfortunate Great Demons whose true forms were sliced by the sword light’s surface were restored to their original state, each suffering a slight loss of vitality. Because they had all used their natal treasures to block the attack, the sword light was still unable to shake the very foundations of their Dao.

Yuan Shou picked up a tilting, falling head with his hand and placed it back on his neck.

Yang Zhi’s dragon tail fell hundreds of zhang to the ground before rising again on its own and rejoining his upper body.

The six-armed Great Demon Niu Dao’s legs were cleanly severed at the knees, discarded without a second thought.

As for the other three Great Demons’ towering Dharma Images, they recovered even faster.

Qie Yun stood on the shoulder of his own Dharma Image, golden light shattering and scattering in all directions. With a slight thought, Qie Yun’s golden body was reconstructed.

Among the six Throne Great Demons, Qie Yun was the most leisurely. At this moment, he even had the leisure to size up the uninvited guest, the talisman master Yu Xuan. Especially the natal wine gourd at the old man’s waist, which made Qie Yun extremely envious.

Yu Xuan clicked his tongue in wonder. These Throne Great Demons were truly capable of fighting and enduring, each one unreasonably savage.

They were all directly withstanding Bai Ye’s sword, which slashed at their true forms and cleaved their Dharma Images. Ascended Realm cultivators from the Great Bright World would never dare to clash so head-on. When it came to physical resilience, human cultivators were simply no match for the beasts of the Wild Desolate World.

If it were a normal Ascended Realm Great Demon from the Wild Desolate World, whether in true form or Dharma Image, after taking such a sword strike, they would obediently go and recuperate. How could they still be as brave and fierce as Yuan Shou and Yang Zhi, fighting with even greater vigor?

However, the old man couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The Sword Qi Great Wall had stood for ten thousand years, with nearly a battle every century. How many attacks had it endured?

However, that Chen Qingdu was indeed unreasonably stubborn. Legend had it that when the Dao Ancestor rode his ox past the pass in the past, Chen Qingdu didn’t even give him a proper look. He slapped one of the Throne Great Demons back into the bottom of the ancient well, and Chen Qingdu still turned a blind eye. Later, the second child of the Dao finally left the White Jade Capital and took a trip to the Great Bright World, capturing and releasing an Ascended Realm Demon. It was said that Chen Qingdu almost made an exception and left the city wall with his sword, and the second child of the Dao left behind the largest mountain character seal in the world, the Upside-Down Mountain.

The only people who could keep the second child of the Dao from killing were Chen Qingdu in the past and the Old Scholar later. The truth of the matter had become a mystery. Perhaps future generations would wear out the old almanacs and still not find the answer.

It was the same.

Just like many of the things Yu Xuan had done in the past, they were also many unsolved mysteries in the Great Bright World today.

Which great cultivator standing on the mountain peak didn’t have a series of landscape stories and climbing traces left behind in the mortal realm on their path to cultivation and ascension?

For example, there was still a small kingdom mountain in Flowing Rosy Continent that Yu Xuan had lifted with a talisman, suspending it several zhang in the air for as long as six hundred years. The talisman still shimmered with brilliance, with no signs of spiritual energy dissipating or the talisman core shattering.

It was said that the mountain deity of that land had acted strangely and accidentally angered Yu Xuan, who was traveling in his territory, so Yu Xuan gave him a small punishment as a warning.

After Yu Xuan cast that talisman, he returned to the Central Earth Divine Continent, but he only spread the word that if the mountain deity didn’t come to his mountain gate and kowtow in apology, the mountain would never be able to settle down again.

In fact, the small kingdom mountain deity had already looked for Yu Xuan once, but Yu Xuan deliberately left the mountain, and after waiting bitterly for several years at the mountain gate without success, he could only return empty-handed.

Even though a kingdom mountain deity had fewer restrictions than a mountain god or land deity, not to mention traveling across continents, even leaving the borders of a kingdom was already extremely difficult.

Especially since crossing continents required wading through tens of thousands of li of water, it was said that the mountain deity had gone through untold hardships, borrowing or begging, and used countless mountain and water incense affections to finally reach the outside of Yu Xuan’s mountain gate, only to learn that the Immortal Master was traveling in other lands and didn’t know when he would return. Whether it was an immortal playing in the mortal realm or the Dao heart being unpredictable, Yu Xuan simply deliberately avoided the mountain deity.

The mountain deity endured bitterly for several years, acting as a guardian god for the mountain gate for several years, before kowtowing and leaving. From beginning to end, he didn’t even resentfully slam his head against the mountain gate archway, which was considered broad-minded of him.

There were also mountain cultivators who were at odds with the Daoist Talisman Sect and therefore at odds with Yu Xuan, who criticized this, feeling that Yu Xuan was too inhumane, relying on his realm to wantonly bully a small kingdom mountain deity. Since your talisman skills are the best in the world, why not simply go to Sui Mountain and try it out? What’s the point of showing off your skills to a mountain deity from another continent?
Why that mountain had been suspended in mid-air for six hundred years by a single talisman, why the mountain’s roots had been severed yet the Mountain God’s shrine and golden statue remained steadfast, and why the mountain’s spiritual energy showed no signs of weakening – those watching the spectacle cared little for such trifles. Even more uninteresting was the Mountain God’s cautiousness over the past six centuries, his diligent efforts to stabilize the region’s fortune in contrast to his past overbearing demeanor.

The affairs of the world were as numerous as hairs on an ox, perhaps not truly lethal, but those things that extinguished were the youthful spirits within.

Bai Ye, seemingly prescient like Yu Xuan, chuckled, “Such is indeed my plan, and it is equally true that a King’s Seat is difficult to kill. I must rely on drawing my sword to find a way to break this substitute death method.”

The Immortal Sword Taibai was peerless in its sharpness, but if it did not strike true, Bai Ye’s every strike would be meaningless.

At least one King’s Seat demon possessed a form of immortality. Perhaps, before arriving in the Great World, they had secretly gained permission from the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue or Zhou Mi of the Literary Sea to merge their souls with a part of the desolate wilderness. Or perhaps a robe or armor yet to be revealed was connected to the desolate world’s mountains and rivers. Regardless, even if Bai Ye could have originally slain a King’s Seat with a single strike, he would only shatter mountains and rivers in some desolate corner of the world. Thus, Yuan Shou’s feigned plea for death, his so-called life exchange, was a deliberate act.

This was the most troublesome aspect.

The contests of sorcery on the mountain were already full of strange and unpredictable twists, and the battles at the summit were naturally even more baffling.

Yu Xuan was deeply troubled.

These King’s Seat beasts were already so difficult to kill, and there was still this mysterious substitute death method, even more profound than my own?!

Was it that detestable Jia Sheng’s disgusting trickery again?

Yu Xuan glanced sideways at Qi Yun, whose face was stitched together from women’s skin, and asked with a smile, “A one-on-one duel?”

Qi Yun quickly waved his hands with a smile, “Talisman Yu Xuan, imbued with the aura of immortals, is deadly. I dare not duel, I only dare collect corpses.”

Yu Xuan truly regretted coming here.

Had he known Bai Ye’s swordsmanship would be so astonishing, he wouldn’t have joined in this mess. He couldn’t help, and it was difficult to leave. What a pointless endeavor. He’d indulged in a moment of impetuousness, only to find himself in such an awkward, unheroic situation.

Yu Xuan couldn’t help but ask, “What is to be done?”

Bai Ye smiled faintly, “Draw my sword, that is all.”

As the restrictions in the continent grew stronger, the world seemed to shrink.

Bai Ye remained oblivious.

The next moment, Yu Xuan sighed, “I always thought Bai Ye deserved the top spot among the Ten of the Central Land, but I believed the difference between Talisman Yu Xuan and Bai Ye couldn’t be too great. Only after seeing him today do I realize how wrong I was.”

Deliberately disregarding the three sages of the Confucian Temple, the Ten of the Central Land in the Great World were subject to differing opinions on the mountain, but there was almost no disagreement that Talisman Yu Xuan ranked in the top five, at least sixth. Even the ranking of the White Emperor City Lord and the female martial god Pei Bei was constantly debated, earning the Mountain and Water Gazette countless divine coins.

The debate over the Ten of the Great World was even more uncertain.

For example, sword cultivator sects often favored including A Liang and Zuo You, especially those in the Northern Ju Lu Continent, who wished the Ten of the Great World, besides the Most Sage Master, the Ritual Sage, and the Sub-Sage, at most including their own Fire Dragon Real Person, to consist entirely of sword immortals. Bai Ye was not a sword cultivator, but he wielded Taibai, so he counted as one of their own. Fourth place was the lowest he could be ranked. The Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was also included, as he also used a sword, making him half of their own. Moreover, A Liang of the Sub-Sage lineage and Zuo You of the Literary Sage lineage, one having never lost a fight on the mountain and the other possessing unparalleled swordsmanship, were both worthy. As for Zhou Shenzhi of the Central Land, he was grudgingly included to make up the numbers, being a true sword cultivator… The old sword immortal Zhou Shenzhi once blushed deeply over this, almost mounting his sword to cross continents and curse and slash people in the Northern Ju Lu Continent. It was said that the Old Ancestor of the Huai family had spent a lot of money on this widely circulated and vastly sold Mountain and Water Gazette.

It wasn’t that Talisman Yu Xuan was being self-deprecating, it was just that Bai Ye’s swordsmanship was too elegant and too extraordinary.

For example, at this moment, Bai Ye used his mind to divide the world into six.

“A lone boat sets out, bidding farewell to the White Emperor amidst the colored clouds.” Yuan Shou was puzzled, looking around, wondering why he was suddenly standing on a cliff.

Bai Ye wielded his sword, his white robes like snow, standing on that lone boat, and with a single strike, he beheaded Yuan Shou.

“To the west, Taibai has a bird path, capable of crossing the peaks of Mount Emei.” Bai Ye wielded his sword, walking out from the mountain peak under the moon, and with a single strike, he beheaded Qi Yun.

“A great waterfall plunges down three thousand feet,” transforming into a sword, its light descending to cleave the Five Peaks.

“The birds have flown away, the lone cloud idles,” a pavilion rises, a swordsman in green robes draws his sword and beheads the great demon Yang Zhi in the water.

“A long wind blows for ten thousand miles, autumn geese fly far away,” leaning against the railing at a high place, the sword light chases after the golden-armored deity.

In a battlefield ruin, shattered armor and piled-up bones, Bai Ye’s sword beheads Bai Ying.

Besides these, Talisman Yu Xuan remained where he was, in the original world, still a hundred or so li away from Bai Ye.

Strangely, this was the first time Yu Xuan and Bai Ye had met face-to-face.

Before this, they had only passed each other twice from a distance, without even a word exchanged.

After Bai Ye gained his most acclaimed reputation, he soon sealed his mountain and his sword, retreating into seclusion for many years on an isolated island, keeping company with books and the sea.

Some great cultivators in history, not believing in fate, had considered exploring to find out how a scholar who was clearly not a sword cultivator could wield such an unruly immortal sword.

But the results were not good. Finding no restrictions was the best luck. Those who did find them often saw only sword light, not Bai Ye, and had to shamefully return home to recuperate.

Yu Xuan asked with a smile, “Immortal Sword Taibai, does it truly have a sword spirit that can transform into a human?”

Bai Ye nodded, “It can. But Taibai does not wish to show itself.”

Yu Xuan laughed loudly, “You have resolved a great doubt in my heart!”

Regarding the four immortal swords that had stirred several worlds, there had always been rumors that each contained a sword spirit capable of condensing a human form to accompany its master. The sword spirit’s own combat power was equivalent to an Ascension Realm sword cultivator. Therefore, owning an immortal sword was equivalent to having an Ascension Realm sword servant who shared the same path. However, even Yu Xuan had never personally seen the human form of the four sword spirits. His old friend, the Fire Dragon Real Person, as a non-hereditary Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, had only told Yu Xuan that he had seen the sword spirit twice, but its appearance was uncertain. Once, its waist was hung with…
The young Daoist guarding the Heavenly Master Seal once appeared as a female sword attendant carrying a scabbard.

Yu Xuan was skeptical about this, as the Fire Dragon True Man was notorious for his unreliable tales, especially when dealing with those closest to him. He recalled how the Fire Dragon True Man had been rebuffed at the Heavenly Master’s Mansion some years ago, and subsequently traveled through the Central Earth, accompanied by a young Daoist, Zhang Shanfeng, his direct disciple.

The master and disciple never climbed mountains; instead, the Fire Dragon True Man would have Yu Xuan descend to receive guests, claiming his disciple was too timid.

That child, whether bold or foolish, upon learning Yu Xuan’s name, looked at him with genuine sympathy, almost lamenting his misfortune of sharing a name with the talisman Yu Xuan, and the ridicule he must have endured on the mountain for it.

The three Immortal Swords, including Taibai, were renowned. Each appearance of an Immortal Sword would shake the heavens and earth.

For instance, Bai Ye’s sword cleaved a grotto-heaven, bringing the waters of the Yellow River down from the sky. Another example was Dao Lao Er, who alone challenged the entire Great Profound Capital Temple with his sword, personally slaying a peerless genius from the Azure Nether World.

Then there was the current Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, the youngest to ever inherit the title. At a tender age, he descended the mountain with his sword, wandering the mortal realm for a century, traversing the six continents of the Great Righteousness, and consecutively slaying eleven demons above the fifth realm, driving away countless ghosts from Dragon Tiger Mountain. Hence the well-known saying, “Wherever demons wreak havoc in the mortal realm, there will be a Heavenly Master from Dragon Tiger Mountain.”

Only the fourth sword had never been seen in ten thousand years. It was said that the Sword-Suppressing Tower of South P娑洲, one of the nine majestic fortified towers, was built to suppress this sword, to restrain its sword spirit. Others claimed that the Dragon Slayer who appeared three thousand years ago wielded this sword. After slaying the dragon, he casually discarded it, sinking it into the sea.

Rumors occasionally surfaced on the peaks of the Great Righteousness that a fifth Immortal Sword existed, but its whereabouts were even more obscure.

The Immortal Sword Taibai, lent to Bai Ye by the Great Profound Capital Temple, was actually named Xuandu, with Taibai as its alias. It was only after falling into Bai Ye’s hands that the latter’s fame eclipsed the former’s.

At the Dragon Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master’s Mansion, one of the Grand Heavenly Master’s sword seals was the Immortal Sword named Wanfa (Ten Thousand Laws).

And the Immortal Sword wielded by the Second Headmaster of the Jade Capital, revered as truly invincible, was named Daozang (Daoist Canon).

Bai Ye turned and asked with a smile, “Are you really not leaving? This is your last chance. Once your Yin spirit dissipates, coupled with the gourd of your life force remaining here, I fear that even your Ascension Realm will be difficult to maintain, Old Immortal Yu.”

Bai Ye’s six heart-image worlds could not contain those six great demons for long.

Yu Xuan was deeply concerned. He couldn’t offer much help, and certainly wouldn’t hinder him. Moreover, his presence here could give Bai Ye a glimmer of hope.

In truth, he had indeed traveled to the Floating Cloud Continent with his Yin spirit, concealing his true body elsewhere, but he had brought all his belongings, including the wine gourd, with him.

Bai Ye raised the sword sheath in his hand, saying, “I trouble Old Immortal Yu to return this item to the Great Profound Capital Temple. I heard that one of Talisman Yu Xuan’s regrets in life is his inability to travel to the Azure Nether World. Bai Ye possesses some merit, but it is of no use to you. Yu Xuan can use this to ascend and travel between the two worlds. Also, please apologize to Grandmaster Sun on my behalf.”

As long as Yu Xuan accepted the Taibai sword sheath, Bai Ye would unleash a full-force strike, simultaneously cleaving the six demon thrones, creating a path for Yu Xuan no matter what.

He believed that with Yu Xuan’s talisman techniques, even with the desperate obstruction of the throne-level demons, it would not be difficult for Yu Xuan to escape.

Unexpectedly, Yu Xuan shook his head and said, “To only travel with your Yin spirit, only willing to risk half your life, is not grand enough. To retreat at the last moment, to run away, wouldn’t that be a loss of even your immortal aura?”

Once Yu Xuan’s Dao heart was set, there was no more hesitation. He laughed and said, “If you want to return the sword sheath, go return it yourself! I, Yu Xuan, will first meet that Bai Ying. This fellow may be the key to that substitution method. You attack afterward, the same as always. I won’t get in your way.”

A peak Ascension Realm expert, with the potential to merge with the Dao of Heaven and Earth, willing to discard his Yin spirit and a fundamental object of his life force, if that wasn’t grand enough, it would be a complete joke.

Talisman Yu Xuan, truly possessed immortal aura.

The barefoot old man with white hair and purple robes, stepping on the Taiji Diagram, flashed away, taking advantage of the moment when Bai Ye’s heart-image mountain and river were shattered by Bai Ying. He entered the gate through a crack, revealing a dharma form, sleeves billowing, talismans scattering out, endless like snowflakes. He first repelled Bai Ying and the sword attendant back to the battlefield ruins, then used half of the talismans to stabilize Bai Ye’s heart-image world, transforming it into his own talisman array world. The remaining talismans were diverse, strange, and varied.

On the ground, iron cavalry charged, forming a battle array; in the sky, celestial maidens scattered flowers.

In addition, there were hundreds of golden-armored puppets, charging forward with thunderous momentum.

Buildings of jade and halls and pavilions were filled with white-robed immortal masters transformed from talismans, along with various spells and magical treasures, raining down upon the mortal world.

One of the unresolved mysteries of the Great Righteousness was how many talismans Talisman Yu Xuan had crafted. Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? A million?!

At the same time, the throne-level demon Bai Ying, no matter how it contracted the mountains and rivers, remained trapped in the death gate of the Bagua formation.

No matter that you are in the favorable timing of the three great formations of the Floating Cloud Continent, first there was Bai Ye’s heart-image world, then Yu Xuan’s talisman world, and then the Taiji Diagram, all nullifying it one by one!

Bai Ying’s mood was heavy. How unlucky to encounter this Talisman Yu Xuan. Anyone else among the Ten of the Central Earth wouldn’t be so troublesome.

Unwilling to reveal its roots, Bai Ying had to imitate Talisman Yu Xuan, using quantity to overcome quality, displaying various magical powers, using many against many.

Yu Xuan had many talismans, so Bai Ying re-manifested the dharma robe as the throne of withered bones, controlling armies of Yin spirits, fighting against the dense talisman puppets on various battlefields.

In fact, the entire world they were in, heaven and earth, was a battlefield.

Although Yu Xuan was only holding back one throne-level demon, Bai Ying, it still made Bai Ye feel much lighter.

Firstly, Bai Ying was highly likely to be the key hidden move set up by Jia Sheng. Secondly, Bai Ye, whether as a successful sword immortal or a frustrated poet, never relied on others. Therefore, this battle was the first time Bai Ye had fought alongside someone.

Apart from Bai Ying, the five throne-level demons had all broken free, simultaneously revealing ten-thousand-foot dharma forms. The last of the spiritual energy frantically gathered in five places.

The abundant spiritual energy of a continent had been completely exhausted.

Either it had been used by the six throne-level demons to control their natal objects, or it had been swallowed by Bai Ying’s cloud sea, reverent dragon robe, and the Rhythm-Nourishing Sword Gourd.
The five sword formations descended, once more trapping the five Throne Realm cultivators within.

Bai Ye’s poetry was invincible.

Only when the poems in his heart were exhausted would Bai Ye’s spirit and vital energy wane.

Before that, his poetry was invincible, and his sword even more so.

Bai Ye was a true Sword Immortal, putting many a sword cultivator to shame.

The Azure Vast World.

White Jade Capital, with its five cities and twelve towers, was the foremost spectacle under the heavens.

Immortals rode whales, returning to the city with loose hair, or rode yellow cranes, soaring across the sky. Old immortals on high platforms forgot their mortal forms, and subtle Dao patterns rippled like water outside the towers. Ancient immortals within the city wore Five Peaks coronets formed from gathered purple clouds. Moreover, the finest jade, most suitable for cultivation, could be found in the Azure Vast World. In the darkness, the Yin spirits traveled to White Jade Capital at night, visiting the five cities and twelve towers. Immortals bestowed azure decrees or imparted the secrets of longevity with a gentle touch.

Currently, Dao the Second was stationed in White Jade Capital.

The Third Sect Leader, Lu Chen, was responsible for dealing with the endless Extraterrestrial Demons in the Outer Heavens.

However, Lu Chen often secretly slipped back to White Jade Capital.

Dao the Second was too lazy to say much. If the Master said nothing, what use was it for him, the senior brother, to speak? Actually, Lu Chen was only slightly more disciplined when the Eldest Brother was present. And that rare discipline didn’t stem from Lu Chen genuinely believing in the virtues of order, but rather from his respect for the Eldest Brother.

Today, Lu Chen returned to the highest point of White Jade Capital from the Outer Heavens, holding an Extraterrestrial Demon the size of a mustard seed between his fingers. He glanced at the sheathless immortal sword behind his senior brother and laughed, “Planning to travel to the Vast World, sword in tow? What about White Jade Capital? The Master hasn’t been here for a while. Surely you won’t make an exception just for yourself. Perhaps when the Eldest Brother returns to White Jade Capital…”

Dao the Second, a tall man with a middle-aged face, ignored Lu Chen’s provocation and frowned, “Bai Ye was once devoted to the Dao. Why didn’t you intervene?”

The sword behind Dao the Second trembled slightly, as if echoing the immortal sword Taibai across the world.

Lu Chen leaned on the railing, laughing, “I didn’t want White Jade Capital to gain a boring immortal, nor did I want our homeland to lose its most cherished talent. Is this answer satisfactory, Senior Brother?”

Dao the Second remained silent.

Lu Chen paused, then suddenly cursed, “That Sun Daoist is truly lacking in propriety. I’ll go to the entrance of the Great Xuan Capital Temple and scold him later.”

Earlier, Sun Daoist of the Great Xuan Capital Temple had appeared outside White Jade Capital for the first time in ages. He didn’t look at the highest point but instead gazed at one of the capital’s high cities, leaving a single sentence before departing.

“Oh, so White Jade Capital does have true immortals.”

The Central Divine Continent of the Vast World.

At the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Residence, a young Daoist with a jade-like face stood on a Star-Picking Platform, calculating with his fingers in his sleeves.

He wore the Celestial Master’s Residence’s most distinctive Daoist robe, wreathed in yellow and purple qi, the famous Feather-Clad Minister, the Yellow and Purple Noble.

A small sword-bearing Daoist boy materialized on the Star-Picking Platform. The young Daoist turned and made a Daoist salute, but the small Daoist boy, with one hand behind his back, faced the current Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain and returned the greeting only with a single-handed sword gesture.

The Fifth World, Ascension City.

Ning Yao raised a hand to her brow.

Treasure Bottle Continent.

On the golden arched bridge, a tall woman sat on the bridge railing, her sword across her knees, lightly arranging her azure hair.

A sword spirit attendant?

Of course not.

The sword spirit was something she had refined. To be precise, the sword spirit had always been her, but she had never been a sword spirit.

She didn’t want people to know this, so even Yang the Elder, who was the first to withdraw from the battlefield, couldn’t guess the truth. Qi Jingchun, with his gentlemanly demeanor, didn’t want to speculate too much on this matter and therefore remained ignorant.

Only the “Liu Sixteen” of years past, who she had dragged into this place, had guessed some clues, but it still didn’t amount to the whole truth. That was why Liu Sixteen had the question of the “sword attendant’s death.”

When she went to the Sword Qi Great Wall, Chen Qingdu was perfectly aware of her identity. However, the matter was of great importance, and he didn’t know what this senior was thinking, so he had to play dumb and cooperate with her to deceive Chen Ping’an. Even if she told him to “piss off and die,” Chen Qingdu could only hold his nose and actually go far away.

If she were merely one of the sword spirits, no different from the four immortal swords, she wouldn’t be worthy of Chen Qingdu’s title of “senior.”

Ten thousand years ago, one of the five supreme deities of the Heavenly Court, the wielder of the sword, possessed killing power that surpassed the heavens.

She conquered all directions, and the corpses of gods and demonic creatures who had offended her were piled up like mountains beneath her sword.

Even the numerous Blessed Lands and Grotto Heavens, including the Lotus Root Flower Blessed Land, were fragments of the world casually cleaved apart by her sword.

Later, the Fire God, through the Envoy of Mars, joined forces with the Water God to gather the essence of heaven and earth and forge four swords, all modeled after this deity’s sword.

Later still, the art of swordsmanship descended to the mortal realm, branching into four lineages that spread, sometimes hidden, sometimes visible. Besides Chen Qingdu’s lineage at the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was also the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Residence lineage, the Great Xuan Capital Temple Daoist Sword Immortal lineage, and another lineage in the Lotus Flower Buddhist Kingdom.

The damaged immortal sword that Chen Qingdu brought to the Sword Qi Great Wall was no longer suitable for unleashing its full power. Therefore, for ten thousand years, it had been quietly awaiting the appearance of its master. After ten thousand years of waiting, it was finally given to Ning Yao by Chen Qingdu, or rather, the sword spirit had actively chosen Ning Yao. This was the root of why Ning Yao could be so peerless in swordsmanship at the Sword Qi Great Wall.

That was why, when Ning Yao traveled to the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven, she spared no expense to open her third eye and offer up this sword. At that time, she had opened her eyes to see who had inherited the lineage of swordsmanship that she had personally passed down to Chen Qingdu in the mortal realm ten thousand years ago.

During the riverside discussions of the past, she was the one standing farthest away in the Scroll of the River of Time that the Old Scholar took out.

As for why she was willing to be the first to teach swordsmanship to the human race, and why she was willing to stand on the same side as the human race, heaven only knows. In her eyes, the numerous gods of the past were also mere ants.

Therefore, the Dragon-Slaying Battle three thousand years ago that created the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven was, in her eyes, still as laughable as a child’s game.

Because she was not a sword spirit.

Above and below the heavens.

She was the sword master. “Sword, come!”