In the wind and snow of night, a figure in crimson robes emerged from a cave, having bypassed the mountain’s water-sealing barrier. He paused at the entrance, turning to gaze at the cliff carving that read “Creation Grotto.”

“Reed Flower Isle? The Creation Grotto that once concealed a Great Demon in the Ascension Realm?”

He lifted his eyes and looked into the distance. The snow continued to fall, flakes as large as mats, a scene of magnificent beauty. The world was a thousand miles of white, illuminated by a perfectly round moon.

Earlier, Chen Ping’an had experienced three dreams, and then awakened. Was he truly awake, or had he merely entered another dream?

As Chen Ping’an opened the entrance, ripples surged outward.

The seaside immortal estate, always on edge, immediately sensed the anomaly.

Sword light and treasure radiance flared, piercing the night. In a matter of moments, a dozen or so cultivators converged on the Creation Grotto from various directions, encircling it.

Instantly, Chen Ping’an lightly touched his crimson robe with a finger, transforming it to the color of the white snow. He then covered his face with a mask of a youthful visage.

Chen Ping’an reached out to catch a snowflake, as if to confirm whether he was still dreaming.

The cultivators formed a defensive array, as if facing a great enemy.

A Core Formation Realm sword cultivator, hovering in the air on his sword, took the lead. His expression was grave, fearing that a notorious Great Demon, known for committing crimes at sea, was making a desperate stand. In recent years, the number of immortal estates and sects destroyed at sea had surpassed even the Great War, all due to those demonic cultivators fleeing from the Five Continents.

Beside the elder in tall headdress stood two young sword cultivators, a golden boy and jade girl. It would be a pity if they were not a pair of immortal lovebirds.

The three sword cultivators each wore a jade seal at their waist, tied with a golden tassel. The ancient seals were engraved with flowing water patterns and a miniature flying sword.

Seeing so many people at once was something that had not happened in years. It made Chen Ping’an feel somewhat unaccustomed. He held the snowflake, feeling the cool sensation in his palm.

Chen Ping’an had already recognized the background of the three sword cultivators. They were outsiders to Reed Flower Isle. Judging by the style of their jade seals, they were direct disciples of a sect from the Great Swathe Water of South娑婆洲 (Po Suo Continent).

From the mere appearance of these three tonight, Chen Ping’an could infer much about the current state of affairs.

Reed Flower Isle, along with Rain Dragon Sect, served as a crucial nexus connecting the former site of the Upside-Down Mountain and the Tongye Continent. Yet, only one Core Formation Realm sword cultivator was stationed here, and he was even dispatched from South Po Suo Continent across the sea. Could it be said that the world was truly at peace? South Po Suo Continent had not only successfully defended its own territory, but also had the spare capacity to dispatch cultivators across the sea after the end of the Great War? How long had he been dreaming these three dreams? Where were the Upper Five Realms Great Demons of the Savage Desolation? Had they all been exterminated by the Magnificent World? Otherwise, crucial locations like Rain Dragon Sect and Reed Flower Isle would certainly have Upper Five Realms cultivators responsible for guarding them, and at least two or three. If it were in the final stages of the war, it wouldn’t be excessive to have an Ascension Realm Great cultivator lead a force of twenty or thirty Upper Five Realms cultivators to cut off the demons’ escape route.

As Cui Chan had said, he had missed much.

But the world was, in fact, stable.

The three sword cultivators noticed the young man’s gaze, which had become gentle, especially when his eyes fell upon the three of them, it seemed particularly…familiar.

This caused the young female sword cultivator to subconsciously move closer to the elder. The secretive young man had a handsome face, but he turned out to be a philanderer.

He was tall and slender, with a jade hairpin in his hair, wearing white robes. Only his posture was slightly, almost imperceptibly, hunched.

He seemed to possess the aura of a Golden Core Realm cultivator.

The elder Core Formation Realm sword cultivator remained vigilant, and asked in somewhat clumsy Central Earth Divine Continent’s standard language, “Who are you?”

The young man replied with a smile in Tongye Continent’s standard language, “From Tongye Continent, a Second-Class Guest Elder of the Jade Decree Sect, Cao Mo, traveling here, I hope I’m not disturbing anyone. I have long admired the Creation Grotto and only wanted to sneak in and out, but I couldn’t help myself and accidentally triggered the restrictions.”

An old man from Reed Flower Isle immediately asked in Tongye Continent’s standard language, “Since you are a guest elder of the Jade Decree Sect, have you ever visited the Cloud Cave Blessed Land?”

Chen Ping’an was waiting for this. He nodded and said, “Naturally, I have visited all eighteen scenic spots of the Cloud Cave.”

Back at the Summer Palace, during rare moments of leisure, he would browse through those long-sealed secret documents and was quite familiar with both the Tongye Sect and the Jade Decree Sect.

The old man from Reed Flower Isle smiled and said, “Since Immortal Master Cao has traveled to the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, then he should know about the Rotten Rope Pavilion at the Cloud Gate Ferry. What is usually sold there? What are the old woman’s selling habits?”

Chen Ping’an raised his hand, producing a jade bamboo folding fan. He tapped it lightly against his palm and sneered, “As a guest elder, would I visit that Rotten Rope Pavilion that scams a few snowflake coins from outsiders? I would lose face. When I visit the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, I only go to the Yellow Crane Islet to drink three bowls of moonlit wine, then sleep in a pile of white clouds on Cloud Record Peak. At dawn, I sweep the clouds with a white reed broom, collecting the white clouds into my sleeves, without the restriction of a single pound, every time it’s three pounds, and the price can even be discounted by 40%, aren’t you envious?”

The old man from Reed Flower Isle was quite startled, believing most of it. Especially the aura of this young man with the face of a Tongye Continent cultivator, was familiar to the old man. In the early years, the registered immortal masters of Tongye Continent were all like this, birds whose attitude made one want to beat them black and blue. The younger they were, the higher their eyes were on their eyebrows. Fortunately, most of these kinds of people in the Tongye Continent had now rolled into the Fifth World.

The old Nascent Soul sword cultivator from Great Swathe Water spoke in mental voice transmission, “Tiger Minister, first confirm whether the other party is a demon.”

The direct disciple named Tiger Minister complied with his master’s order and immediately offered up a natal ancient mirror. The young man silently chanted a spell, holding the mirror in one hand and forming a hand seal with the other, gently brushing the surface of the mirror. The sound was clear and melodious. Two circles of inscriptions were engraved on the ancient mirror, and two strings of golden characters began to rotate, shimmering with brilliance. “Ancient Mirror Illuminates the Spirit, Body Essence Stores Purity, Return to Truth by Moonlight,” “A Round Moon Contains True Law, All of Creation Cannot Hide.”

Chen Ping’an continued to tap his palm with the closed folding fan, looking up and squinting his eyes. It was the Pure Moon Mirror, one of the six categories of demon-revealing mirrors in the Magnificent World. Judging from the ripples of heart and soul and the traces of thunder techniques revealed by the young cultivator, he was probably using a Divine Thunder Dao technique among the thunder law side branches, specifically used to suppress demons and mountain spirits, as well as to slay bizarre ghosts and impure shrines.

The young sword cultivator raised his arm high, holding the ancient mirror, which shot out a dazzling light, clear and penetrating, enveloping the white-robed young man at the entrance of the Creation Grotto.

Chen Ping’an remained calm, only gently tightening his grip on the jade bamboo folding fan.

In the eyes of those cultivators.

The young man stood motionless, simply allowing the pale white mirror light to shine upon him.
Clad in white robes as pure as snow, the youth possessed an elegant bearing.

Chen Ping’an smiled, saying, “Greetings, fellow Daoist. This Su Yue Ancient Mirror of yours has actually had an illusion cast upon it by your elders. Its true form is the higher-grade Macaque Gazing at the Moon Mirror, is it not? This is a magical treasure that can be used as a semi-immortal weapon. If I were a jade-pure realm demon, I would also be unable to conceal my true form. No wonder you, a mere Dragon Gate cultivator, can train here. It turns out you hold a treasure in your hands, giving you confidence. At such a young age, you are already a direct line sword cultivator of the Da Rang Water sect and possess such a defensive and offensive immortal treasure. Cao Mou will treat you as an equal to a golden core cultivator.”

Only those who have formed a golden core are worthy to be called our peers.

Chen Ping’an smiled and clasped his fist, shaking it slightly, while reciting a sour poem: “Dreaming of scooping the moon from the water, personally witnessing the ancient customs of the macaques.”

The young Dragon Gate cultivator put away the ancient mirror.

The old Golden Core cultivator from Lu Hua Island said helplessly, “There are truly no immortal opportunities left in this Cave of Creation.”

The young man seemed to have a reckless nature, honestly saying, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I would never have given up.”

The old Golden Core cultivator said, “Immortal Master Cao intruded into Lu Hua Island without permission and triggered the restrictions of the Cave of Creation, breaking our sect’s rules. You need to make a trip to the ancestral hall.”

The young man laughed, “I’ve been questioned, the demon-revealing mirror has been used, so there’s no need to go to the ancestral hall for tea, right?”

The old Nascent Soul sword cultivator from the Southern Suo Po Continent’s Da Rang Water sect said, “Since you have already broken the rules once, I advise Immortal Master Cao to abide by them this time. Once we send a flying sword message to the Divine Seal Peak and receive a reply, we will naturally let you go. Until then, Immortal Master Cao might as well be a guest on Lu Hua Island for a few days.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I am just a guest elder of the Jade Tablet Sect. The name Cao Mo is not on the Divine Seal Peak’s records. When the great chaos broke out, I couldn’t go to the Fifth World, so I had to hide. Now that the world is at peace, I dare to come down from the mountain to travel.”

None of the many cultivators had a good look on their faces.

Their gazes had changed from suspicion, as if he were a thief, to undisguised contempt and disdain.

How could the Jade Tablet Sect, known for its unyielding spirit, accept such a guest elder? Perhaps he was a guest elder of the Tung Leaf Sect?

The female sword cultivator said, “Where is your guest elder token?!”

The young man blinked, “Back then, Sect Master Jiang of the Jade Tablet Sect invited me and Lu Fang to go to the Divine Seal Peak to help, but I was afraid of death and didn’t dare to go. So, I sent a flying sword message to the Jade Tablet Sect and returned the precious jade token.”

The old Golden Core cultivator from Lu Hua Island was slightly surprised, “Could it be that Sword Immortal Lu has not yet shed his mortal form and passed away?”

The young man seemed to regret his loose tongue and stopped talking. The two groups of cultivators glared at each other, hesitating for a long time before he said, “Lu Fang and I once traveled together in the Lotus Flower Blessed Land and cultivated on Bird’s View Peak, but I left the blessed land earlier.”

The old Golden Core cultivator was clearly very familiar with the Jade Tablet Sect and the Tung Leaf Continent. He began to communicate with the three sword cultivators of the Da Rang Water sect through secret voice transmissions.

The old Golden Core cultivator finally said, “One last question. Immortal Master Cao, please tell us about Sword Immortal Lu. Please be honest and tell us everything you know, and be careful with your words. Sect Master Jiang, Sword Immortal Lu, and I have all shared a table and drank wine together!”

The young man became a little annoyed, turned his head, and stretched his neck, “Are you not tired of bothering me?! Why don’t you just kill me? Come on, slash at me with your flying swords! You Da Rang Water sword cultivators are so tyrannical. It’s a wonder that Sect Master Jiang secretly discussed heroes with the lovesick Sword Immortal Lu, saying that among the sword immortals of your Southern Suo Po Continent, people like Cao Xi are not even worthy of carrying his shoes. Only the Primal Sword Immortal of the Da Rang Water sect is truly a combination of man and sword, worthy of his toast.”

The three Da Rang Water sword cultivators immediately looked a little more amiable.

Their own sect and their own master were so admired by the Sect Master of the Jade Tablet Sect. How could they not be sincerely happy?

However, deep in their eyes, there was also a hint of sadness.

The Da Rang Water sect had a total of five branches, not all of which were sword cultivators. Only one branch was passed down from Sword Immortal Yuan Qingshu.

The old Nascent Soul sword cultivator waved his sleeve, seemingly finding this cowardly fellow too offensive to the eye, wanting him to leave as soon as possible.

Chen Ping’an tucked the jade bamboo folding fan into his belt and once again clasped his fist towards the three sword cultivators, riding the wind and leaving Lu Hua Island to go to the Tung Leaf Continent to visit the Jade Tablet Sect.

Jiang Shangzhen was still alive and had become the Sect Master of the Jade Tablet Sect?

Truly worthy of being a nominal offering of Fallen Mountain.

On Lu Hua Island, Chen Ping’an did not ask any more questions.

What he should know, he would eventually know.

What he didn’t want to hear or know, he certainly couldn’t stop.

The Nascent Soul sword cultivator of the Da Rang Water sect concealed his aura and followed him from afar using the water escape technique.

Chen Ping’an pretended not to know.

But after about an incense stick’s worth of time, he moved his mind, circulated the water-attribute primordial object of his natal item, and used a water-repelling magical power, instantly escaping the Nascent Soul cultivator’s field of vision.

The old sword cultivator returned to Lu Hua Island and said, “He shouldn’t be a demon. But we still need to send flying sword messages to the Rain Dragon Sect and the Jade Tablet Sect separately. This Cao Mo is deeply hidden, likely a Nascent Soul cultivator, and extremely skilled in water techniques. No wonder he was able to become a guest elder of the Jade Tablet Sect. He probably came to covet the Cave of Creation.”

The female sword cultivator said indignantly, “There are the most people like this in the Tung Leaf Continent! Their ability to escape is the best in the world!”

The old Golden Core cultivator from Lu Hua Island lamented, “To put it bluntly, it’s better to be a coward and hide in the mountains than to be a bastard who relies on demons and does evil!”

The old sword cultivator sneered, “Such a large Tung Leaf Continent, ten mountains empty, more than half of them have run away. They deserve to have the Treasure Bottle Continent cultivators come south and infiltrate them on a large scale. And they still have the face to argue in the Central Earth Wen Temple? If I were a sage of the Wen Temple, I would have slapped them across the face.”

Chen Ping’an walked on the sea as snow started to fall again.

The wind and snow were vast, standing alone, suspecting that he was in the Jade Capital.

Chen Ping’an immediately produced a small item from his sleeve. There was nothing to worry about; it was a gift from Cui Chan and did not have any mountain and water restrictions set on it.

After looking around and confirming that there were no cultivators spying on him, Chen Ping’an took off the white jade hairpin.

Chen Ping’an could never have imagined that this would be the case.

When he immersed his mind in it, he discovered that there was a group of children from the Sword Qi Great Wall living inside the shattered small grotto-heaven. They were all embryos of sword immortals, the oldest seven or eight years old, the youngest four or five years old.

These children were all very familiar with each other, after all, they relied on each other for survival in the small grotto-heaven inside the white jade hairpin.

The territory of the small grotto-heaven was not large, but it was small yet complete. In addition to houses, mountains, rivers, grass, trees, pots, pans, firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, everything was available.
Even possessing a Dragon-Slaying Cliff, a place to hone flying swords, the plinths outside the mountain shrines were priceless.

Chen Ping’an retrieved one of the talisman-powered ferry boats from his miniature universe. Of the three ferry boats within, one was a Flowing Sunset Boat. Chen Ping’an chose a relatively simple talisman ferry, large enough to accommodate thirty or forty people. He led the children out of the small grotto-heaven one by one, then refastened his white jade hairpin.

A boy with his hands behind his back, head held high and brows slightly furrowed, demanded, “Who are you? Where is the Hidden Official?”

“I am Chen Ping’an.”

Chen Ping’an squatted down, rubbing his forehead. “Names.”

The five boys: He Gu, Cheng Chaolu, Bai Xuan, Yu Xiehui, Yu Qingzhang.

The four girls: He Xiangting, Yao Xiaoyan, Nalan Yudie, Sun Chunwang.

Seven lower-tier sword cultivators, two grotto realm sword cultivators: Bai Xuan, Yudie.

Chen Ping’an said, “First, you are not allowed to tell anyone your hometown. I will teach you both Treasure Bottle Continent and Tongye Continent’s refined languages every day.”

He Gu crossed his arms, puffing his cheeks, “Why can’t we talk about our hometown? Is it embarrassing you? What kind of Hidden Official are you? If I’d known, I would have put you at the bottom. Learning refined languages? I don’t care to learn!”

He was lucky he’d discarded Old Deaf, one of the peak ten sword immortals, and replaced him with the young, low-realm Hidden Official.

Yu Xiehui nodded gently, acting like an old man, “We sword cultivators express ourselves with our swords.”

Chen Ping’an ignored the children’s complaints and continued, “Second, practice your swordsmanship diligently in the future. That’s it. Only two requirements.”

He Gu became unhappy again, glaring, “What? That’s it? What kind of Hidden Official are you? My elders said you’re calculating, cunning, and especially good at tricking people after neglecting your studies. They said you could even participate in the peak ten sword immortal discussions on the city walls, even though you’re not a sword immortal. My mother asked how, and my father said, ‘What else? By relying on a silver tongue.’ Why so few words today? Could you be a fake Hidden Official?”

Neglecting studies, especially good at tricking people?

My wine shop is famous for fair prices for everyone, and my gambling house is renowned for everyone making money and sharing the spoils.

Chen Ping’an stood up, smiling, and flicked his forehead. The little troublemaker clutched his head, but wasn’t angry. Instead, he nodded, his childish face full of relief, “No wonder my father said the Second Shopkeeper was a damned scholar, changing his face faster than turning a page. It seems he really is the Hidden Official.”

Chen Ping’an smiled wryly. He must have lost a bet, not a shill, so I can’t be blamed.

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment, “Add one more thing. In the future, call me Cao Mo, it’s an alias, or Teacher Cao. I’ll temporarily be your sword art protector. After you come to my hometown, whether you join my sect or not is up to fate, I won’t force it.”

These children, now traveling to a foreign land, probably held all the sorrow of parting with their families within the white jade hairpin, slowly savoring it.

They were leaving their hometowns; only he was returning home.

“Then let’s give a high five, for good measure. Let’s consider it an introduction.”

Chen Ping’an’s eyes were gentle, and he bent down, extending his palm, giving each of the children a high five. Some children kept a straight face, standing rooted to the spot, not raising their hands or giving a high five. Chen Ping’an didn’t mind.

Chen Ping’an stood at one end of the ferry boat, controlling the talisman-powered vessel as it rode the wind, not too high above the sea. On the other hand, he was having a headache, originally thinking he would travel Tongye Continent alone, never expecting such a noisy scene.

The children leaned against the railing, whispering to each other.

Some were already sitting cross-legged, beginning to nurture their flying swords.

“The water is so vast, I can’t see the end. How deep do you think it is? If we threw our hometown’s Great Wall in here, would we be standing on top of the water or under it?”

“Ask the Hidden Official… ask that Cao Mo. He’s well-read and knowledgeable.”

The talisman ferry skimmed over the sea, during which Chen Ping’an spotted a group of pearl divers from Reed Flower Island far away. He cast an illusion on the ferry and detoured.

But traveling so far on this talisman ferry consumes divine money! Chen Ping’an looked up, hoping a cross-continent ferry boat would pass by, traveling from west to east. The latter was clearly more cost-effective than traveling across the sea in a talisman ferry. Moreover, since these children had come to the Great Harmony World, they would inevitably need to interact with people outside the Sword Qi Great Wall. A relatively stable ferry was actually a good choice. Unfortunately, Chen Ping’an didn’t expect a ferry to actually pass by, after all, Tongye Continent had been too isolated historically, with no such thing.

Chen Ping’an took out the sword-nurturing gourd, tied it to his waist, and gently patted the wine pot, “Old friend, we meet again.”

Then, he tilted and fastened the jade bamboo folding fan given by his student, Cui Dongshan, to his waist. He sat on the bow of the boat, asking the children about the situation inside the white jade hairpin.

The little girl named Nalan Yudie, with a crisp voice and clear logic, recounted her “cultivation” over the years in detail.

The speed of time flowed slowly inside and quickly outside, a veritable otherworld.

So in fact, these nine children hadn’t practiced swordsmanship for long in the broken miniature grotto-heaven of the white jade hairpin.

Chen Ping’an was silent for a long time, suddenly asking, “Tonight for supper, should we eat stewed fish? The taste of sea fish is different from freshwater fish.”

He Gu was the least shy, saying casually, “I don’t really want to, but I can eat it if I have to.”

Yu Xiehui added, “This Hidden Official isn’t domineering at all. Just issue an order.”

The child added, “There are no outsiders here, no need to call you Cao Mo.”

Chen Ping’an smiled.

Yu Xiehui immediately raised both hands, “You’re just fussy. Okay, okay, Cao Mo, Teacher Cao, Grandpa Cao, okay?”

Chen Ping’an sighed.

Why does it feel a bit like having Li Huai by my side back then?

Chen Ping’an activated his water magic, condensing a fishing rod that looked like jade, then using a wisp of martial artist’s true energy to condense a fishing line and hook, without any bait, just casting it far away into the sea.

Then he began to close his eyes and concentrate, relying on the subtle vibrations of the slender fishing line to search for fish swimming nearby.

Xiaoyan exclaimed, “Cao Mo is so magical.”
Yu Die raised an eyebrow, bursting with pride, “Of course! Otherwise, how could my sister be so wholeheartedly infatuated with Yin… Master Cao?! All the Immortal Coins my sister painstakingly saved went to the Yan family’s shop to buy seals, silk fans, and the *Bǎi Jiàn Xiān Pǔ* (Spectrum of a Hundred Sword Immortals). She’s gone to the wine shop countless times, but hasn’t caught a glimpse of Master Cao once. Yet, every time she returns home, she’s still ecstatic. Grandpa says she’s bewitched, and she won’t listen to any advice. She’s neglecting her sword practice, often secretly practicing calligraphy, imitating the inscriptions on the fan surfaces, making chicken scratch.”

Xiao Yan softly asked, “When will we get to see Sister Wanwan?”

Yu Die sighed, “Hard to say. All I know is that my sister followed Fatty Yan and the others to Inverted Peak Mountain.”

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes, right hand holding the fishing rod, left hand taking down the Sword Nourishing Gourd, tilting his head to take a swig of wine.

The long-missed taste of liquor. It was the *shaodaozi* (burning blade) from his own shop.

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t drunk in too long, perhaps it was because there were no pickled vegetables to accompany the wine, perhaps it was because there wasn’t a bowl of scallion noodles waiting to be devoured. So even just a small sip was enough to make him almost shed a tear, his guts tied in knots.

On the road of life, one encounters many fleeting figures, with no chance of reunion after a single farewell. Yet, in the heart, a passerby might be someone else’s long-term resident. They still smile, still speak loudly, still drink and become drunken at the same table. They still make you feel, when you think of someone, that they are gazing back at you, wordlessly leaving you speechless.

Chen Ping’an slowly turned his head, looking at the children chattering idly or silently practicing their swordsmanship.

The dream seemed real, and the real seemed like a dream.

This was probably what was meant by being in a state of *huǎng ruò gé shì* (as if separated by lifetimes).

Chen Ping’an didn’t dare to drink too much, turned his head, and called out to those little sparrows that seemed to come from the city walls, “Hey.”

The children who were chatting all turned their heads in unison, and even those practicing swordsmanship perked up their ears.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “When you get to the Vast Expanse, if anyone dares to bully you in the future, I’ll beat them to death.”

Bai Xuan asked, “If you encounter an Immortal, or even a Soaring Ascension Realm cultivator in that Tóngyè Continent, you definitely won’t be able to beat them.”

This child liked to put his hands behind his back, pretending to be an adult.

Chen Ping’an shook his head with a smile.

Among the native cultivators of Tóngyè Continent, there were likely no Soaring Ascension Realm cultivators left.

As for Immortals.

Whether he could beat them or not, he could let them try.

It was just that those Upper Five Realms cultivators who had stayed in Tóngyè Continent, since they hadn’t left back then and had survived, were all well-deserved heroes or overlords.

It was best to avoid fighting if possible; harmony brings wealth.

When Chen Ping’an no longer needed to merge with half of the Great Wall of Swords, he both lost his reliance and broke free from his cage.

As for how Cui Chan had done it, heaven knows.

Because Nianxin’s sewing skills carried the true names of great demons, Chen Ping’an was essentially always practicing boxing. Ubiquitous, constant, he would be invisibly suppressed by the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth.

The small world within the human body, the muscles and bones, flesh and blood, meridians and Qi reservoirs, and even the soul, seemed like the entire ten-thousand-mile mountain and river small world, without exception, were all enduring a profound and mysterious pressure, all trembling incessantly, all being ruthlessly fed punches by several Grand Masters, tempering Chen Ping’an’s physique. This familiar feeling was also a long-lost… peace of mind.

So, earlier in the Cave of Creation, when he opened that landscape restriction, Chen Ping’an had been careless and failed to adapt to the Heavenly Qi, forcibly “falling” to the Golden Core level. Otherwise, with Chen Ping’an’s cautiousness, he wouldn’t have allowed those cultivators to detect his presence.

From encountering Cui Chan to inexplicably finding himself in the Cave of Creation on Luhua Island, everything was filled with strangeness. When in Rome, do as the Romans do, and get used to it.

Right now, Chen Ping’an needed to use illusion techniques to deliberately disguise himself as a Golden Core Realm Earth Immortal.

The white-robed “youth” tilted his head back and took a big gulp of wine, raising the Sword Nourishing Gourd high, murmuring with a smile, “Wine has a separate stomach; no need to grow up.”

Xiao Yan timidly asked, “What about the fish?”

Chen Ping’an suddenly lifted the rod, pulling a palm-sized fish out of the water and throwing it onto the ferry.

The children looked at each other, one by one.

Just this?

Not a mountain-sized fish?

Cheng Chaolu immediately ran to grab the small fish, only to be called a lapdog by his companions.

Inside the small blessed land, Cheng Chaolu was the one who lit the fire, cooked, and stir-fried dishes; his cooking skills were not bad.

Yu Xiehui said in a low voice, “He Gu, I still think he’s a fake Hidden Official. Let’s be careful; don’t get sold and help count the money.”

The children nodded in agreement like chicks pecking rice.

Chen Ping’an remembered something, and took out a finely woven azure-colored robe made of bamboo silk from his *zhǐchǐ wù* (inch object treasure pouch), put it on, and then peeled off his previous facial disguise, covering it with a middle-aged man’s face. At the same time, he restrained all the Qi of a Qi Refiner, revealing the aura of a Golden Body Realm martial artist, hanging the narrow blade *Zhan Kan* (Cutting Survey) at his waist, and reached out to condense the power of water into a bamboo hat, placing it on his head.

The veritable swordsman Cao Mo.

Moreover, Chen Ping’an’s illusion techniques now involved the operation of the small world within the human body. Without the cultivation of an Immortal, it would be difficult to see through the truth.

Bai Xuan sat at the bow of the boat, still with his hands behind his back, sneering, “Fake my ass! This isn’t Hidden Official? How many sword cultivators at the Great Wall of Swords change their appearance every day, even dressing up as women to scavenge for loot on the battlefield?”

Si Tu Yu Die nodded, “My sister said that the Hidden Official back then was so flamboyant that he was even more beautiful and feminine than she was.”

Chen Ping’an continued to fish, holding the Sword Nourishing Gourd, taking small sips of wine, and smiling as he said softly, “In the ancient post station, the courtyard is filled with snow. A guest arrives on horseback, his hat covered in snow. The knight dismounts and enters the hall. The light of the snow illuminates his face, making it appear even darker. He drinks until drunk and silent, throws down a gold leaf, mounts his horse and suddenly leaves, carrying a short staff, relentlessly chopping down thieves in the snow, his name unknown.”

Yu Xiehui waited for a long time, but didn’t hear the rest, so he started to habitually tear down the stage again, asking, “Where’s the second fish?”

Chen Ping’an said unhappily, “Hurry, hurry, hurry, what are you rushing for? The fish are calling their friends and family, asking their ancestors to come, and they need time to travel.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly raised his head, looking as far as his eyes could see into the distance. Was his luck so good tonight? Was there really an intercontinental ferry going to Tóngyè Continent?
However, before that, it seems I must deal with a cultivator of the Immortal Realm. This person arrived with lightning speed from afar, using a secret technique to manipulate the water’s currents, aiding her in probing the movements within a hundred li radius. Probably still unable to locate that Cao Mo who employs water-based escape techniques, she remains unwilling to give up. Then, she discovered this ferryboat talisman vessel. Transforming into a rainbow, she arrived but did not land on the boat. Instead, she kept pace with the ferry, a hundred paces away, and reminded Chen Ping An, “Travelling the seas at night with so many children, you must be extra cautious.”

Chen Ping An was taken aback for a moment. He put down his fishing rod, stood up, clasped his fist in salute, and asked with a smile, “Senior does not suspect our identities?”

The female cultivator of the Immortal Realm laughed and replied, “The surrounding demon clans, both great and small, have already been eradicated by my hand. What reason have I to suspect you?”

Chen Ping An said nothing more.

She inquired, “Do you truly know Jiang Shangzhen?”