A paper-mache Immortal?

Such audacity, daring to disregard a genuine Immortal!

Han Yushu disregarded the soaring, imposing aura at the mountain gate, finding the youth’s remark refreshing.

Worthy of being a distinguished scion from a great Zhongtu sect, his words were amusing, his tone bold. In short, despite his well-intentioned advice, the arrogant youth remained oblivious to the impending doom.

Beyond the Taiping Mountain of the Grand Sect Leader of Bai Yujing, Han Yushu possessed some understanding of the divine sects of Bao Pingzhou, Cao Rong, a direct disciple of Lu Chen, the Third Sect Leader of Bai Yujing, cultivating on that mountain in the former Bai Shuang Dynasty, and Xie Shi, the Daoist Heavenly Sovereign of Beiju Luzhou, especially the Pa Di Peak of True Man Fire Dragon, including the lineage of their Daoist traditions and the various paths of their Daoist arts and divine powers.

Jiang Shangzhen grew increasingly anxious, speaking rapidly, “Good Fellow, are you drunk? What ‘paper-mache’ nonsense is this? Sect Leader Han’s talismanic arts are unmatched in Tongye Continent, rumored to be second only to Yu the Grand Virtue. He is not to be underestimated; do not be careless! Especially Sect Leader Han’s authentic Three Mountains Secret Records, possessing a grand and imposing presence, in terms of origin, they are no weaker than the Five Thunders Orthodox Dharma of Dragon Tiger Mountain, particularly adept at Water and Earth talismans, making him unpredictable. Not to mention his Planchette Spirit Invocation, a unique and unparalleled unorthodox Immortal art…”

Han Yushu allowed the meddlesome Jiang Shangzhen to expose his secrets, allowing the youth, who seemed moved by Jiang Shangzhen’s revelation, to listen attentively.

Han Yushu was unconcerned. His daughter, Han Jiangshu, glared and angrily said, “Jiang Shangzhen, are you disregarding the rules of the mountain?!”

Jiang Shangzhen stopped speaking, turning to her with a playful smile, “Following the rules, of course! How could I not? If I didn’t, would Sister Jiangshu cast affectionate glances my way?”

Han Yushu casually waved his sleeve, indicating that his daughter need not be angered. Jiang Shangzhen of Jade Regulation Sect was precisely this kind of glib, frivolous individual.

His Immortal sleeve also simultaneously shattered the talismans the youth had secretly concealed in the surrounding mountains and waters. Displaying such formations before him, Han Yushu, was akin to displaying silk before a master weaver—utterly laughable.

Of course, Han Yushu was indeed wary of a former Sect Leader of Jade Regulation Sect, and even more so of Jiang Shangzhen’s fragment of a willow leaf. There was a terrifying saying that even when Jiang Shangzhen was in the Jade Purity Realm, a single willow leaf could sever an Immortal. This was not Jiang Shangzhen’s boast; he had fallen from the Ascension Realm to the Immortal Realm. If it weren’t certain that Jiang Shangzhen’s natal flying sword was no longer suitable for use, Han Yushu would have only rescued his daughter and immediately left Taiping Mountain’s territory.

In short, as long as Jiang Shangzhen didn’t personally intervene, then regardless of whether Jiang Shangzhen spoke or not, or whether he revealed secrets, Han Yushu, in terms of both person and Daoist arts, remained superior, looming high above the youth.

Perhaps due to Han Yushu’s shattering of the formation’s key points, the youth sullenly retracted the talisman he was pinching between his fingertips.

Han Jiangshu felt a sense of satisfaction. A formation master? A laughable display of ignorance! Did he truly believe that the title of “Second Talisman Immortal” was just a casual joke among the Immortals of Tongye Continent?

Jiang Shangzhen looked at Sister Jiangshu, who had an expression of triumphant revenge, with increasing pity.

“Talismans for Immortals are a matter of course. Another Talisman Immortal? Never heard of it.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Never heard of it, but having seen it with my own eyes, it seems only so-so. Barely suitable to be an incense boy or brush-holding acolyte for Old Immortal Yu.”

Han Yushu dismissed it with a smile.

Jiang Shangzhen clapped lightly, “Losing in character but not in spirit, as expected of my Good Fellow. It was not in vain that I helped to look after Sister Jiangshu.”

However, Jiang Shangzhen was slightly puzzled. Chen Ping’an hadn’t directly attacked today? It didn’t seem like the usual style of his Good Fellow Mountain Lord.

Regardless, it was a pity that Yu Xuan was still in the Fourteenth Realm of Dao Harmonization. Otherwise, hearing Chen Ping’an’s sincere words would be so comforting, like drinking fine wine, refreshing the spirit. The key was that, unexpectedly, Chen Ping’an had never even met Yu Xuan the Talisman Master, yet he spoke such heartfelt words so naturally and effortlessly. Jiang Shangzhen felt that he couldn’t do it, couldn’t learn it. Once he deliberately tried, it was estimated that both speaker and listener would feel awkward. So, this could probably be considered Chen Mountain Lord’s innate talent, his destined divine power?

That Old Yu was truly a man of courage. During the White-also Sword Ascending battle on Floating Continent, Yu Xuan was the only one who crossed continents to assist. Afterwards, somehow, he benefited from misfortune, harmonizing with the stars. Unexpectedly, he didn’t rest there, but returned to the human world, and near the inverted mountain ruins, he didn’t hesitate to deplete his own Daoist cultivation, personally detaining an Ascension Realm Great Demon. Rumor had it that Yu Xuan privately joked with the Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, saying he had figured something out. The reason his Immortal Qi wasn’t perfect must be because he lacked a mount that wasn’t majestic enough.

However, in doing so, Yu Xuan delayed his breakthrough for at least three hundred years.

Yang Pu of the academy was constantly carrying an empty wine pot, pretending to drink. Today’s events were overwhelming and caught the scholar off guard.

From his previous intervention until now, the reason Han Yushu wasn’t in a rush to capture the youth was because he had been cautiously observing the surrounding movements, worried that the youth had a higher-realm protector hidden nearby, secretly waiting for an opportunity to strike. The entanglements of grievances on the mountain were the most taxing. If one encountered a stranger, it was best not to provoke the small fry; if it was an Immortal with a recorded lineage, it was best not to provoke their ancestors.

The youth before him clearly possessed both. He was young, with remarkable achievements, which Han Yushu found unbelievable. He was probably not even fifty years old, and not only had he, right under his nose, received the gift of martial fortune, the strongest of the two, but he was also proficient in talismans, far beyond a simple understanding. He was even able to catch his daughter, Han Jiangshu, in a trap. It was a pity that Han Yushu still didn’t know the details of their encounter, nor did he know if Jiang Shangzhen had intervened. If the youth had set up an ambush beforehand, deploying formations and luring Han Jiangshu to actively enter a small world of mountain and water restrictions, that would be fine. But if the two had met on a narrow road and started fighting at the drop of a hat, then this young junior truly had the ability to roam a continent alone.

The reason Jiang Shangzhen seemed so calm and composed at the moment, standing by and watching the youth confront an Immortal, was only because Jiang Shangzhen had already attacked Jiangshu earlier. After all, there was the suspicion of bullying someone with one’s status. Whether it was identity, realm, or combat skills, Jiangshu was far from being able to compete with Jiang Shangzhen. In fact, Han Yushu didn’t even think he could contend with Jiang Shangzhen, let alone determine victory or death.
In the Tongye Continent’s cultivation world, when it came to battlefield merits, Jiang Shangzhen undoubtedly held the top spot. And the gap between him and the one who ranked second was not negligible.

After weighing the situation, Han Yushu preferred Jiang Shangzhen to take action rather than the young man surpassing Jiangshu on his own merit. After all, his daughter Jiangshu was a genuine Jade Purity Realm cultivator. Besides, there was no need for her to gnash her teeth at Jiang Shangzhen as she did. She had never even interacted with Jiang Shangzhen before, so there was no reason for her to hate him so deeply.

Jiangshu had always been sensible and good at assessing situations. Otherwise, Han Yushu wouldn’t have taken her around to build relationships with the various immortal clans in the mountains, and sometimes even have her act as a go-between for the Many Jade Sect.

Someone once uttered a widely circulated golden saying in the mountains: a woman’s smile is the most powerful flying sword in the world. A beautiful one stabs the heart, while an ugly one blinds the eyes.

And that person was currently sitting by the mountain gate, drinking wine.

Yang Pu had a flash of inspiration. He looked at Old Sect Leader Jiang and the Jade Purity Realm female cultivator who hadn’t gotten up yet, then glanced at the confrontation between Senior Chen and Immortal Han Yushu in the distance. Yang Pu felt that something was amiss. For example, could it be that Senior “Mountain Lord Chen,” who had dragged the female cultivator by the hair to ride the wind and then invited him for a drink after landing, had intentionally dug a pit for Han Yushu by revealing Jiang Shangzhen’s identity to Han Jiangshu? Was he deliberately misleading the Immortal to believe that Old Sect Leader Jiang had captured Han Jiangshu? Yang Pu was filled with emotion. If his guess was correct, then Senior Chen was too cunning… no, he was too resourceful.

Han Yushu smiled and said, “First, I’ll help you temper your martial arts with a fight, and then let you slowly stabilize your martial arts realm. Consider it my last bit of patience for a young outsider. Things shouldn’t happen more than three times. I hope you cherish your life.”

Chen Pingan twisted his wrist and gently waved the narrow blade, looking puzzled. “Aren’t you trying to confirm whether I have a protector? Can immortals just blatantly lie? Wouldn’t ascendants just spew nonsense and splatter me with it?”

Han Yushu smiled knowingly.

Han Jiangshu’s face turned purple as she listened. That damned fellow’s words were so vulgar, like some uncouth wild cultivator from the mountains and swamps.

Jiang Shangzhen held back his laughter with some effort. He glanced at the pampered Immortal of the Many Jade Sect. She truly was a Jiangshu sister who wasn’t worth Chen Pingan’s scheming. No wonder Chen Pingan had that “Jade Purity because her life is too good” assessment of her. It didn’t sound like a compliment, but it wasn’t harsh at all.

Jiang Shangzhen shifted his gaze, looking at Chen Pingan from afar. It was hard to imagine that he was the same boy who had mistakenly entered the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. Thinking of Han Yushu, and then of himself, Jiang Shangzhen felt all the more fortunate for their kind of “fighting brings friendship.”

Chen Pingan’s Tongye Continent dialect, which he deliberately spoke with a slight awkwardness, was actually quite fluent. So he only sounded slightly like an outsider. Only a few times when he emphasized certain words would he reveal subtle clues, because they were unique rhymes of the Great Elegant Language of the Central Earth Divine Continent.

It was clearly a deliberate act of “too much talk leads to mistakes.”

In other words, Chen Pingan’s “extra” chat with Han Yushu had to be reasonable while also giving an Immortal Realm great cultivator the opportunity to follow the clues, even if they wouldn’t be presumptuous, they would inevitably be doubtful. But if Han Yushu, from the Three Mountains Blessed Land, was not proficient in the Great Elegant Language of the Central Earth, then Chen Pingan would be throwing flirtatious glances at a blind man. However, for Chen Pingan, it was just a few casual words, which didn’t require much effort. Facing an Immortal Realm senior who was helping him temper his martial arts, he had to show some courtesy. In the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was nothing to do anyway, and time passed too slowly. His own thoughts were too numerous and too fast, so he could only ponder on his own every day. There was no such thing as taking on more than he could chew. So, not only could he speak the dialects of the Nine Continents, but Chen Pingan estimated that he could even speak the pure official language of the ten dynasties of the Vast World better than the locals, especially the subtle nuances and precise wording.

When outsiders believed in a certain truth, and Chen Pingan intended to scheme, he would provide one small truth after another to support that line of reasoning.

Jiang Shangzhen increasingly admired his own foresight and discerning eye for betting on Fallen Mountain early on. All it cost him was some immortal money, and he had already secured a registered retainer. Next, he would strive for the position of chief retainer.

Han Yushu was worried about unexpected complications and didn’t want to waste time with the young man. Otherwise, if meddlesome bystanders came to join the fun and tried to play it smart, they would likely use reasons such as the disparity in realms and the sect leader being an elder to smooth things over, preventing him from teaching a lesson to an ignorant junior.

Han Yushu didn’t waste half a word with the young man. He gently patted the purple-润-luster gourd on his waist. The momentum was far less grand than before. Only a wisp of Samadhi True Fire emerged from the gourd, like a slender fire snake, slithering out. With a shake of its head and tail, a fiery rope over a hundred feet long instantly appeared in the sky, sweeping towards the blue-shirted young man. The fire rope drew an arc in the air, as if a god who hadn’t yet appeared was holding a whip, striking mountains and rivers from the sky.

Chen Pingan reached out and grabbed the narrow blade Zhankan, which was stuck in the ground. He bent his knees slightly, stomped the ground, and dust flew up. The next moment, he appeared several miles away from the mountain gate, purely using the walking stance of a martial artist’s body, displaying the supernatural effect of a land immortal shrinking mountains and rivers. The slender figure in the blue shirt paused slightly, slashing at the fire rope that was coming down fiercely. Han Yushu saw this and shook his head coldly. It was a great joke that Jiangshu would lose to this kind of brute. If it were to spread, he, Han Yushu, and the Many Jade Sect, couldn’t afford to lose face.

The blade of the narrow blade Zhankan didn’t land on the fire snake rope at all. The slash missed, and the fire rope instantly wrapped around Chen Pingan’s arm, like a long snake coiled and perched. The Samadhi True Fire suddenly shrank to a dozen feet, binding Chen Pingan’s entire arm holding the blade. The next moment, Han Yushu’s mind stirred, and there was the image of a fire dragon leading water, using the Long Life Bridge of a Qi refiner as a path. The spiritual energy of the various grotto-heavens was like mountains and forests, all of which were to be burned by the fire dragon.
Han Jiangshu’s eyes gleamed with brilliance. Her father’s actions clearly utilized a wisp of the most refined Samadhi True Fire from the ancient artifact gourd. Inside the gourd’s miniature heaven-and-earth, successive generations of Wan Yao Sect masters had used dragon saliva and other rare treasures to fuel the flames. The raging fire had spread for thousands of years, refining countless materials and treasures with wood attributes. Such a True Fire of this quality, nurtured within the ancient gourd with its own heaven-and-earth, could only produce three grains of pure True Fire, each the size of a lamp wick. Powerful offensive treasures could not break it. Even a Jade Pure Realm sword immortal’s natal flying sword would be unable to pierce this technique with a single strike.

Besides being difficult to destroy and extremely troublesome, the greatest mystery of this technique, which was not a part of the talismanic arts, was its ability to quickly bind a cultivator’s three souls and seven spirits, using the heaven and earth spiritual energy painstakingly accumulated by cultivators as kindling. The more unstable one’s Dao heart, the more it would fuel the flames. A slight carelessness could cause a thousand-mile dam to collapse from an ant’s burrow. A single spark could ignite a prairie fire. In an instant, a cultivator’s entire miniature world could become a desolate scene of flames and ash. The more one struggled, the faster one would seek death.

In short, as long as a Qi Refinement cultivator was one realm below the immortal Han Yushu, and had not yet cultivated the coolness of a high-ranking Daoist master, or was not a venerable monk possessing Buddhist supernatural powers, Han Yushu could kill his opponent with this one technique.

At the same time, Han Jiangshu brandished a gloomy green Dharma Blade, slashing through the sky, dragging a trail of shimmering light, heading straight for the young man’s head, like an executioner carrying out a beheading.

The Dharma Blade, “Azure Haze,” was obtained by the Wan Yao Sect’s founding ancestor from a shattered ancient Azure Haze Cave Heaven. It was a genuine semi-immortal weapon. If it had not been damaged and unable to be refined into a natal item, it would have been a veritable immortal treasure. Its sharpness was so great that it could treat a military’s Sweet Dew Armor as if it were mere paper. Although it was not Han Yushu’s natal treasure, its unparalleled sharpness allowed it to be used as a sword immortal’s flying sword. The Three Mountains Blessed Land had a dragon-slaying platform the size of a bookshelf, and in the history of the Wan Yao Sect, Han Yushu had used this Dharma Blade to split it in two on several occasions.

Han Jiangshu, apart from being unable to communicate with her father through mental voice due to the “surveillance” at the space between her eyebrows, was free from any restrictions. Jiang Shangzhen’s actions were extremely measured and did not affect her too much. Therefore, Han Jiangshu could see the battlefield situation very clearly. The Samadhi True Fire from the gourd, when it first appeared, seemed like a flood breaking its banks, but it was merely her father’s tactic to lower his opponent’s guard. After that, he would unleash a grain of lamp wick True Fire, and then behead him with the Dharma Blade “Azure Haze.” That was the immortal demeanor of a quick victory, defeating the enemy with two moves.

Han Yushu formed a hand seal, pointing with his fingers, and a small world of talismanic restrictions appeared around the young man.

Jiang Shangzhen nodded and praised, “Decisive and clean. Guiding the Seven Stars, the Big Dipper decreeing death. Its genius lies in the formation being unspoken and intentional, and the true talisman having no paper. As expected of the second-best in talismans. Jiang is honored to be a fellow cultivator from Tongye Continent with Sect Master Han. It is an honor.”

Each star in life has its value. Heaven birthed me, where is my destiny?

Han Yushu’s talismanic formation technique lay in its ability to draw starlight and transform it for his own use. This obscure supernatural power had far fewer transmissions than methods like consuming the evening glow and drinking the morning dew, or worshiping the moon to refine one’s form. Fewer transmissions meant fewer appearances in the world, making it easier for a Qi Refinement cultivator to use one trick to dominate the world.

Han Jiangshu, whose face was still smeared with blood, had just begun to smile when her expression immediately froze.

She saw the young man standing on a mountaintop in the distance, holding a blade in one hand and raising the other arm high. He was actually gripping the sharp edge of the gloomy green Dharma Blade directly with his palm. The other arm was flowing with golden light, and a fire serpent manifested from the Samadhi True Fire had not only inexplicably withdrawn from the miniature world within his body, but also seemed to have been缠绕缠绕反过来缠绕反过来纏繞纏繞反過來纏繞反過來entwined by a golden dragon. The young man smiled and said, “The Daoist’s sitting in oblivion values the death of the heart. Studying Chan and learning Buddhism requires one to be willing to die first. The so-called ‘willing to die’ is simply resolving to go forward without hesitation. I, a mere Earth Immortal, dare to cross swords with an immortal. Naturally, I am one who dares to die and is willing to die.”

Chen Pingan turned his head to look at the mountain gate of Taiping Mountain and pretended to realize, “I understand. Your father is worthy of being an immortal senior, possessing the demeanor of a grandmaster. When sparring in Daoist techniques with a junior, he likes to let me have two or three moves first? Otherwise, showing off such petty skills in front of me… Jiangshu, shouldn’t you laugh heartily again?”

Chen Pingan lightly stomped the ground, and his fist intent poured out, striking the talismanic restriction that blotted out the sky like a small world. The seven starlights that originally seemed like eternal stars inlaid in the sky, now resembled seven swaying oil lamps, flickering and dimming in the tide of fist energy, no longer possessing the mystical aura of changing the mountains and rivers as before.

Han Yushu was actually quite surprised.

He was not only astonished by the ease with which this person broke the formation, but also puzzled by the complete intactness of the young man’s bamboo clothing Dharma Robe.

Beneath the Blue God Mountain bamboo clothing Dharma Robe, the other party seemed to be wearing a Heavenly Immortal Dharma Robe filled with Daoist meaning, most likely a semi-immortal weapon.

The outer bamboo robe was a smokescreen. These direct descendants of great immortal families from the Central Earth Divine Continent were truly full of cunning.

Samadhi True Fire, Dharma Blade “Azure Haze,” talismanic restrictions – with these three moves combined, even an ordinary Jade Pure Realm cultivator would suffer a great loss of vitality to deal with them.

Of course, Han Yushu could control them as he pleased and would not really kill the young man. Han Yushu had always wanted to explore the other party’s background and sect lineage, such as forcing him to unleash some kind of Daoist supernatural power embedded in the robe. If the Daoist robe hidden beneath the young man’s bamboo clothing was of a higher immortal weapon grade than expected, he could find an opportunity to stop. Cultivating to climb the mountain was not easy, but finding an excuse to back down was simple. Han Yushu was not a reckless person.

The Wan Yao Sect, secluded in the Three Mountains Blessed Land for thousands of years, had painstakingly accumulated a profound foundation and planned for the long term. Since they had decided to move the ancestral hall’s divine seat out of the Blessed Land and come to the vast world of the Tongye Continent, there was no need to provoke a great sect from the Central Earth Divine Continent. Because Han Yushu aspired to gradually grow the Wan Yao Sect in his hands into a leader of the continent, like the Tongye Sect and Jade Kwei Sect of earlier years.
Now, the Wen Temple in the Central Earth strictly prohibits cultivators from the mountain peaks from engaging in unauthorized battles. Once discovered, if it even slightly endangers the mountains and rivers of the mortal realm, the Wen Temple will immediately send two cultivators from the Upper Five Realms across continents to the Central Earth Wen Temple. Each will receive fifty strokes of the board before a decision is made. Therefore, there are already more than a handful of cultivators from the Upper Five Realms who are seemingly guests but are actually under house arrest in the Hall of Merit. If they dare not go to plead guilty, each continent will have a Transcendent Realm cultivator, who is not a sage or saint from the Wen Temple, specifically responsible for “inviting” people to the Moral Forest for reflection. If they dare to resist, they will be killed on the spot, and merit cannot redeem them.

In the Moral Forest, where the Vice Sect Leader of the Wen Temple, Elder Dong, personally entertains guests, it is rumored that old friends from different continents often reunite, with dialogues such as, “You’re here too, not so lonely now,” “What a coincidence, let’s drink, let’s drink.” Among these people, there is even a Confucian sage, Zhou Mi, the former head of the Old Yu Fu Academy.

Han Yushu had an idea. It seemed that this fight had to be fought even more fiercely, with heavier blows.

There could no longer be any talk of stopping after a point. Otherwise, he and his daughter, Jiangshu—one a celestial, the other a jade paragon—would lose face on this Mount Taiping and find it difficult to recover.

Han Yushu’s mind stirred slightly. He proactively removed the last glimmer of light from the talisman array and asked with a smile, “Judging by your martial fortune, are you currently at the Distant Excursion Realm, or rather, the Peak Realm? Since you have obtained the title of ‘Strongest,’ you must be very confident in your own fist techniques?”

Jiang Shangzhen said with a chuckle, “Jiangshu, did you see that? Learn more from your father in the future. Being able to take and let go is true heroism.”

Han Jiangshu’s expression turned gloomy.

On the battlefield where they were engaged in a fierce battle, Chen Ping’an looked amused, holding a saber in his right hand, and said with a smile, “Guess?”

Not to mention Han Yushu, even Jiang Shangzhen, who knew him inside and out, probably didn’t know the reason.

Chen Ping’an deliberately spoke a few more words to Han Yushu, not just to show off his literary knowledge, but because Chen Ping’an had to divide his attention and delay Han Yushu.

It turned out that when Chen Ping’an previously reached the tenth realm of martial arts with the strongest ninth realm, he discovered that the gift of martial fortune was divided into two, one real and one illusory, unlike the past when martial artists simply received the martial fortune of the world, creating a separate world. No wonder Chen Ping’an felt that the martial fortune was not enough.

To the extent that Chen Ping’an had to travel thousands of miles in his mind, immersing himself in it, as if he was being dragged into a vast and ethereal world, eventually reaching a mountain peak. The martial fortune in that world was so dense that it was like thick water. Chen Ping’an was immersed in it, like walking in the river of time for the first time.

On that mountain peak, there were eleven positions, just enough to stand “eleven people,” forming a circle. As far as the “seats” were concerned, there was no distinction between high and low, making it impossible for Chen Ping’an to distinguish the level of each martial artist.

The tenth realm of martial arts, for ten thousand years, only the strongest person in each realm stood at the highest point, one person per realm.

It wasn’t that the strongest person in each world could come here to stay and then wait for later martial artists to squeeze them out.

However, if someone had the title of “Strongest” in multiple realms, which was enough to be “unprecedented,” then they could occupy multiple positions.

For example, Cao Ci, dressed in white, stood in four different positions, occupying four seats alone, representing the martial artist at different ages and realms.

In addition, Chen Ping’an recognized Pei Bei, but this female martial god only had one position.

A man in a bright red robe, with his hair loose.

It was Chen Ping’an himself.

The tenth realm Chen Ping’an seeing the ninth realm Chen Ping’an.

That feeling was extremely strange.

What made Chen Ping’an feel even more mixed emotions was that among the eleven positions, there was a small, dark girl with her arms crossed, staring wide-eyed, wondering what she was thinking or looking at.

Apart from Chen Ping’an, who had reached the Limitless Realm and came to this mountain peak, whether it was Pei Bei and Cao Ci, or this pair of master and disciple, everyone was just an illusion here on the mountain peak.

Chen Ping’an walked to the small, dark girl, subconsciously bent down slightly, raised his hand, wanting to knock her on the head with a smile.

As the founding disciple of the Falling Mountain, she had seen her master, why was she spacing out?

But Chen Ping’an raised his hand and then lowered it. As a master, he couldn’t bear to. Even if this disciple wasn’t actually here.

Practicing martial arts was actually very difficult.

Chen Ping’an had been through it and knew the hardships best.

Chen Ping’an began to look around, wondering what mysteries there were in coming to this place. He couldn’t leave, and his mind couldn’t leave this place temporarily. With nothing else to do, Chen Ping’an had to guess whether the “eleventh realm” martial artist was Pei Bei, or him, Cao Ci, or someone else besides Pei Qian. Anyway, there were only four people left.

A voice sounded, echoing throughout the world, “What is the purpose of reaching the summit?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and replied from the bottom of his heart, “When I deliver a punch, my peers in martial arts only feel that the heavens are above.”

The owner of that voice seemed dissatisfied with this answer. “Not enough. Answer again.”

Outside that mountain peak world, Han Yushu truly disregarded any pretense of being a senior.

Even Jiang Shangzhen restrained his expression and watched the battle in silence.

Having sheathed the Dharma Saber Qingxia back into his sleeve, Han Yushu summoned another ancient artifact, a Taoist ritual instrument called a Yun’ao, or cloud drum, said to be modeled after the ancient gods’ implements for moving clouds. It was a tall wooden frame, much larger than the later Yun’aos with small gongs. The wooden frame was refined from ten-thousand-year-old ancient pine resin. The celestial Han Yushu, his Yin spirit venturing out of his body, dressed in fluttering white robes, which was also an ancient Dharma robe, stood before the Yun’ao, holding a small mallet. The six characters “Personally Made by the Lady of Shangyuan” were engraved in ancient seal script. It was still a lost treasure from an ancient secret realm.

The Yin spirit Han Yushu, stepping on white clouds, lightly struck the gongs and drums with the small mallet, coordinating with incantations. Both were extremely rhythmic, full of ancient meaning, “Yunlin’s Yun’ao, true immortals descend, light shines in the sky, spiritual winds carry strange fragrance, divine harmonies…”

As he spoke, a woman who was faintly visible in the sea of clouds opened a pair of golden eyes and, strolling in emptiness, came to the side of the Yun’ao. She extended her finger and, following the small mallet, gently touched the surface of the Yun’ao drum, as if chanting in harmony with Han Yushu.

Within a radius of hundreds of miles around Mount Taiping, clouds and mist rose everywhere on the earth, like a fairyland on earth. In the white clouds, the sea of clouds surged, like rolling waves of snow.

Han Yushu’s true body, on the other hand, gently exhaled, creating white clouds with a celestial’s breath, and from one of his vital Qi reservoirs, a pure water-attributed green talisman emerged.

Han Jiangshu’s expression changed drastically.

Was her father determined to kill this person?

Otherwise, why would he offer this talisman?
This is one of the six arcane talismans of the Three Mountains Blessed Land. Although this talisman has been passed down in an orderly fashion within the Myriad Jade Sect, only one cultivator in each generation possesses it. Even if others secretly pore over the secret manual until it’s tattered, mastering the Daoist formulas within, they still cannot craft this talisman.

The true profundity of talismanic arts lies in using the secrets inscribed in cinnabar to refine the inner world of the human body, achieving the true pinnacle. Otherwise, talismans held in hand, no matter how high their spells or great their power, are ultimately external objects for Daoists. One needs to refine the talisman in the true sense, like inscriptions carved into a cliff, merging it with a Golden Core or a Nascent Soul Yin Spirit. As a verse in the Immortal’s Ascending Ode says: “The Five Peaks are all piled bones, the Three Mountains appear as mere clods, take a step and leap into the clouds, open a celestial gate lock, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the profound truth.”

For Han Yushu, the Sect Master of the Myriad Jade Sect, to successfully craft this “Spit Saliva into River” talisman, besides possessing the fundamental, essential talismanic scripture, he must also constantly empower it, making it far from a one-time effort. Every sixty years, during the winter solstice, when water returns to its winter flourishing in the rivers, lakes, and seas, he must take exactly one *dou* (approx. 10 liters) of water. In the life-source qi-chamber where the talisman is placed, he must inscribe the four characters “Edict of the Rain Master” again. Then, on the summer solstice, he must take it out, using the scorching sun to circulate the water. With his left hand, he gathers a thunder seal, inscribing a Water Dragon Thunder script on his palm. His right hand forms the Five Dragons Opening Qi Gesture. He then burns over ten water-method talismans, including the “Great River Overflowing” talisman, drinks the entire *dou* of water, and pours it into the water mansion, continuously deepening a well within his human microcosm. Thus, he can achieve a mutual resonance with the waters of the five lakes, four seas, nine rivers, and eight streams. When the talisman-wielding cultivator faces an enemy, he only needs to silently recite the true incantation and a few secret formulas. Instantly, he embodies the laws of heaven and earth, and a torrent like the great river surges forth, gushing for hundreds of *li* (approx. 500 meters), overflowing like a river, using water to topple mountains.

Jiang Shangzhen sighed, “Such talismanic water techniques can move seas, shift lakes, and transport rivers. ‘A mouthful of spit can drown a man,’ the ancients were truly not deceiving me.”

Han Jiangshu’s expression changed drastically.

He saw that his father truly had murderous intent and sacrificed another ancestral mountain talisman that only the Sect Master could refine.

Han Yushu used sword gestures to write the two characters “Mount Tai”, separating a portion of his mind to pinch a handful of earth within his qi-chamber. Then, following the incantation, he scattered it, instantly forming a great mountain.

The world is full of “Pinch Earth into Mountain” talismans of various kinds. Almost half of the talisman cultivators know of this talisman, but how could they compare to this “Transporting Mount Tai” talisman? In today’s Vast Expanse, it is estimated that only the old chronicles of those great sects would record the mention of “Mount Tai.” Moreover, except for ancient families like the Jiang Clan of Cloud Forest Continent, most books and secret records vaguely and ambiguously state that the true origin of this mountain is unclear.

The mountain was suspended upside down, with its peak pointing downwards.

It formed a landscape where mountains and water depend on each other with that previously suspended and not-yet-fallen overflowing river.

The sea of clouds on the ground was thus set against the mountain and river hanging in the sky, making it seem as if it were high in the firmament.

Han Yushu looked down and coldly laughed, “Whether it’s a Jade Pure one or an immortal, the great tribulation of heaven and earth drawing closer, we will know once we test it.”

He truly did not believe that any young man who randomly appeared could be in the same realm as him before the age of fifty.

Once he decided to exert his full power, Han Yushu no longer had any other thoughts except to create a magnificent restriction with power equivalent to the tribulation of a Jade Pure Realm cultivator.

Han Yushu’s true body then took out a golden talisman paper from his sleeve that was painted with five mountains. With sword gestures, he wrote the two characters “Five Peaks.” The talisman paper itself was only lacking the two characters for the talismanic heart, having long been refined into talismanic cinnabar with the five-colored soil of the mountains. Han Yushu threw out the talisman, sending it towards the firmament. The five mountains were suspended upside down, like five natal flying swords, with the “sword tips” directly pointing towards the formation cage that imprisoned the young man on the ground.

After first seeing the young man being confined in heaven and earth and then seeing this talisman sacrificed by her father, Han Jiangshu wanted to get up. However, that Jiang Shangzhen was simply unreasonable and did not know what was important. A willow leaf was once again nailed into her brow, even deeper than before, causing Han Jiangshu to fall heavily to the ground, her soul trembling incessantly. The flying sword of a sword cultivator is just so unreasonable; even if only some sword qi and sword intent remain, it is still most harmful to the cultivator’s inner world!

Han Jiangshu angrily said, “Jiang Shangzhen, I advise you to know when to stop and not push your luck!”

Jiang Shangzhen blinked his eyes with an embarrassed expression, holding the wine pot between his fingers, gently shaking it, and aggrievedly said, “Push my luck? Jiangshu *Jiejie* (older sister) underestimates Jiang’s little brother, doesn’t she?”

Han Jiangshu did not understand.

Yang Pu was even more confused.

The old Sect Master Jiang’s words were all full of hidden meanings!

Han Yushu turned to look towards the mountain gate and smilingly asked, “Sect Master Jiang, can you release my daughter?”

Jiang Shangzhen shook his sleeves, took out a stack of talismans, dipped his finger in his mouth, and pulled out one of the golden talismans. He held it high and smiled at Han Yushu, “Want this as a gift?”

It was actually a talisman paper that was also only lacking the heart-essence point for “Five Peaks.”

Han Yushu shook his head and smiled, “Forget it, the Myriad Jade Sect does not lack this talisman.”

Jiang Shangzhen said, “I am a sword cultivator. Writing the Five Peaks is more valuable than drawing talismans. Do you really not want it? I don’t lack money, but the Myriad Jade Sect and Sect Master Han do. Besides, Sect Master Han, you really are getting old and your eyes are failing. I clearly said earlier that you almost became my father-in-law. With Jiang’s well-known and unwavering devotion in the mountains, have you not considered why I painstakingly came to see Jiangshu *Jiejie*?”

Han Jiangshu was ashamed and indignant.

Han Yushu frowned slightly.

Could it be that Jiang Shangzhen was not just being glib and frivolous but that there was truly a scandalous old affair that happened in the Three Mountains Blessed Land? Why did Jiangshu not speak? Han Yushu suddenly chuckled. He had heard a direct disciple mention earlier that Jiangshu had indeed chased after a prodigal “Child of Wealth” for no reason. However, according to the Myriad Jade Sect’s intelligence at the time, that person was indeed a direct descendant of the Tung Leaf Sect. Therefore, Han Yushu did not plan to continue pursuing the matter. At that time, the Tung Leaf Sect could be described as being at its zenith. Ancestor Du Mao was both the only Ascension Realm cultivator on Tung Leaf Continent, and he had a natal treasure-swallowing boat that was inherently able to suppress sword immortals.

Han Yushu withdrew his gaze. In short, it was another confusing matter that was better left forgotten. As long as it involved Jiang Shangzhen, it was so troublesome. Fortunately, the current Jade Scepter Sect’s Sect Master is that Wei Ying.

Han Jiangshu remained silent for a moment before she could not help but ask, “Old Thief Jiang, why do you have this talisman?!”

Jiang Shangzhen rolled his eyes and said, “Rich, handsome, devoted, and not dissolute, who is it?”

Jiang Shangzhen turned to ask the Confucian scholar, “Brother Yang, you are a gentleman of integrity, you tell us.”

Yang Pu felt a little uneasy and softly said, “Is it old Sect Master Jiang?”
Jiang Shangzhen smiled and handed the golden talisman to Yang Pu, “This is for you, Brother Yang. A small gift, but it carries my sincerity. Don’t think it’s too little. If you do, I’ll give you a few more.”

Yang Pu quickly shook his head, “Senior Sect Leader Jiang, just give me a pot of wine to drink.”

Always pretending to drink with an empty wine pot, Yang Pu felt it was a bit much. Aside from the two Earth Immortals diligently acting as doorkeepers, the others were either Jade Pure realm or Immortals, either Sect Leaders or Mountain Lords. Yang Pu really couldn’t keep up the charade.

Jiang Shangzhen took out a pot of wine, gently patted the talisman onto the wine pot, and tossed it to Yang Pu, “Drink it first, then return the pot and the talisman to me.”

Yang Pu caught the pot, feeling helpless.

Han Jiangshu scoffed, “Sect Leader Jiang is truly generous and knows how to win people over.”

She wasn’t some ignorant scholar of low cultivation. She knew the value of a Five Peaks Talisman.

Ordinary water talismans, even Han Yushu’s Spitting Torrent Across the River Talisman, considered a top-tier secret treasure, could draw water from anywhere as long as you didn’t demand too much quality. But this Five Peaks Talisman demanded extremely high quality mountain soil, because it wasn’t the usual Five Peaks of a country, but the five ancient peaks, including Mount Tai. Later talisman cultivators either didn’t know what Mount Tai was, or even if they knew that the Central Land Mount Sui was also one of the ancient “Five Peaks,” how many cultivators could obtain a handful of its soil? The real difficulty wasn’t even the Mount Zhongnan, hidden in clouds and mist. That mountain was a phantom “mountain market,” even harder to find than chasing after a mirage. The even greater problem than the difficulty of obtaining soil from Mount Sui and the difficulty of seeing Mount Zhongnan, lay in the fact that Mount Dong, another of the Five Peaks, had vanished without a trace for over a hundred years, as if disappearing from the world. This made it impossible to create a genuine Great Five Peaks Talisman in the mortal realm. Therefore, every Five Peaks Talisman in the world, when sold, was always priced exorbitantly.

It was said that only a handful of talisman masters, including Fu Yu Xuan, plus the Talisman Repository of the Liu Clan’s Sixteen Repositories in Aiya Continent, still had some preserved. Estimating at most thirty, scarcity made them precious. The already rare and priceless Great Five Peaks Talismans became even harder to find. On the mountain top, the price of this talisman had increased several times over the past hundred years, and now the asking price had reached a shocking “one talisman for ten Valley Rains,” a truly astonishing figure. After all, every time a cultivator used one, there was one less in the world. Such an exorbitant price, yet cultivators still bought them, not because they had too much money, but because of the true value of this talisman. It was the great cultivators of the mountain top who cultivated earth techniques who hoped to deduce clues about Mount Tai, Mount Zhongnan, and Mount Dong.

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly murmured, “Strange.”

Confined within an Immortal’s talismanic restriction, Chen Ping An leaned on his sword, pondering seven or eight possible solutions, and finally chose a plan that was not very cautious and not in line with his usual habits.

Cultivating for many years, painstakingly saving money…

There was no wine he couldn’t afford, no sword he couldn’t draw.

Chen Ping An released the sword hilt and suddenly shook his sleeves. Yellow paper talismans surged out like two vast rivers, neither trying to break the formation’s restrictions nor resisting the mountain pressing down from the sky.

Thousands of talismans swept low across the ground, finally coming to a sudden halt, forming a large circle spanning several miles with Chen Ping An as the center. At the same time, he quietly unleashed his natal flying sword, Well-in-the-Moon, dividing into thousands, to dot the eyes of the talismans.

Chen Ping An, with his back to Mount Taiping, said softly, “Rise, swords.”

A dazzling sword light rose from the earth, shattering the sea of clouds and a talismanic Mount Tai. The sword light soared into the sky, reaching the firmament.

Han Jiangshu’s face turned pale, and she stammered, “Truly… a Sword Immortal.”

Jiang Shangzhen looked up at that scene, not unfamiliar, because he had been fortunate enough to witness it once in the Northern Ju Lu Continent, and his heart yearned for it. So at that time, he had also offered a complete willow leaf.

But today, looking at that willow leaf, Jiang Shangzhen, his temples slightly frosted, simply put down his wine pot, imitated Chen Ping An by folding his hands in his sleeves, and then turned to look at the empty Mount Taiping.

On that strange mountain peak elsewhere, Chen Ping An walked slowly with his hands behind his back, finally giving his answer again, “One realm higher than your fist.”

Heaven and earth were silent.

After a moment,

His mind withdrew from the mountain peak, Chen Ping An picked up the chopping sword on the ground, sheathed it, and then stepped out, arriving in the sky, and smiled at Han Yushu, “Chen Ping An of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, requests a sword from the Myriad Jade Sect.”

Han Yushu looked sincere and gave a Taoist bow, “Fellow Daoist Chen’s swordsmanship is heaven-defying, I have offended you greatly.”

“Sword, come!”