Like a caged bird, yet seemingly independent within the confines of Night-Sailing Ship Alley, the opposing forces were the only entities that mattered in this miniature world.

In the Azure Billow Heaven, Wu Shuangjiang, the Palace Master of Sui Chu Palace, was the newest Fourteenth Realm Qi Refiner across several continents.

Chen Ping’an, a Jade Purity Realm Sword Cultivator and Tenth Realm Martial Artist.

Ning Yao, the first Ascension Realm Sword Cultivator of the Fifth Continent.

Cui Dongshan, a Celestial Realm Qi Refiner, and the body of an ancient Shu Flood Dragon.

Jiang Shangzhen, a Celestial Realm Sword Cultivator who had fallen from the Ascension Realm.

Wu Shuangjiang stood on the street, one hand behind her back, the other twisting a strand of hair by her temple, a gentle smile on her face, her eyes scrutinizing the white-clad youth with amusement.

Poor Cui Chan, poor Embroidered Tiger.

Chen Ping’an suddenly grabbed Ning Yao’s arm, a fleeting movement, and vanished without a trace, the master of this caged bird taking the initiative to leave this small world.

Wu Shuangjiang glanced at the entrance of the inn, the movement of her fingers twisting her hair pausing slightly, without a word or a ripple of spiritual energy.

Jiang Shangzhen’s sliver of willow leaf, guided by his will, flew towards the space between Chen Ping’an and Wu Shuangjiang, slicing down with a vibrant green sword light, severing Wu Shuangjiang’s unannounced Daoist art. After the Daoist art was shattered, it revealed a snow-white talisman paper that fell to the ground, resembling a child’s origami, folded into a slender snake shape. The two halves of the headless white snake writhed on the ground, clearly indicating that the talisman’s head had followed Chen Ping’an, determined not to let him leave without a trace.

With a subtle thought, Wu Shuangjiang caused the snow-white talisman snake to dissipate.

The talisman’s material was merely a kind of self-made snowflake stationery from Sui Chu Palace, best used by Daoist couples in the Azure Billow Heaven to express their longing.

This was the divine power of a Fourteenth Realm Great Cultivator, capable of turning the ordinary into the miraculous.

In Wu Shuangjiang’s mental vision, a lantern in a certain place outside the small world was extremely bright, but soon it was covered by layers of lampshades, gradually becoming blurred, and in an instant, it became dark and devoid of any clues.

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, knowing that it was not severed by Ning Yao’s flying sword. This talisman was not particularly clever, its only advantage being that it could be cut and broken, but never transformed into “nothing,” unless someone could refine the talisman into their own. Therefore, as a precaution, she had temporarily drawn a symbol on the snowflake stationery on a whim. It was very simple, just two names: Chen Ping’an, Ning Yao. So it became a lost marriage talisman.

It should be that the young Hidden Official used a heretical art? A good maneuver, a proper response. Not some kind of universe sleeve technique, with Chen Ping’an’s Jade Purity Realm cultivation, such recklessness would only lead to self-inflicted trouble.

Jiang Shangzhen sheathed his flying sword, gently wiping the willow leaf with his fingers, removing some snow-white debris, sighing with a mournful expression: “Old Immortal Wu, your calculation is truly profound, instantly revealing my secrets. What am I to do? Why don’t we all sit down and have a good chat?”

After falling from grace, Jiang Shangzhen’s natal flying sword was reduced from a complete willow leaf to a sliver. As a rule, the world believed that “Sect Leader Jiang’s” combat power had greatly declined.

The snow-white talisman paper was previously like a whetstone for sharpening the sword’s edge. Although it was cut into two pieces like cutting tofu, Wu Shuangjiang still instantly discerned the sharpness of the flying sword.

“Worthy of being Jiang Shangzhen, not only exceptionally talented, but also ruthless in his actions, a born Dao fusion candidate. There is a reason why he has been able to cause trouble everywhere and survive to this day.”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, very understanding, and slowly said: “Actually, there is no need to deliberately delay. I rarely come to the Vast Expanse, so I’m not in a hurry to leave. You can feel free to make a scene, so I can learn from some of the most outstanding young people in the Vast Expanse.”

Ning Yao, Chen Ping’an, the half-Embroidered Tiger in white, Jiang Shangzhen of Tongye Continent.

For Wu Shuangjiang, even the oldest Jiang Shangzhen was still a junior, still a vibrant youth.

Jiang Shangzhen’s fall from grace was extremely dangerous and ingenious. In simple terms, it was using the fall from grace to sharpen the sliver of willow leaf.

The appearance of a flying sword as a sliver of willow leaf was real, but the sharpness was still far beyond Jiang Shangzhen’s complete willow leaf in the Celestial Realm. The price was that Jiang Shangzhen’s cultivator physique was greatly damaged compared to the past, becoming relatively weak. That is why Jiang Shangzhen’s temples are now frosty white, looking like he is getting old.

In other words, Jiang Shangzhen’s fall from grace was real, absolutely certain, but the quality of his natal flying sword was almost equal to staying in the Ascension Realm. However, Jiang Shangzhen was too shrewd, always using the fall from grace as the best camouflage, taking the opportunity to deceive the world.

Jiang Shangzhen was really not polite, flipping his wrist, he produced a pot of wine, his face sincere: “Since we are so compatible, let’s have a pot first?”

Once the “small talk is over,” it will no longer be a competition of Dao techniques to determine victory or defeat.

But to directly fight Wu Shuangjiang to the death!

If Wu Shuangjiang dares to be arrogant, that would be best.

But no one would underestimate Wu Shuangjiang, after all, she was a cultivator who could “teach a lesson” to the old Daoist Sun Huaizhong.

Cui Dongshan stood on the roof of a shop, suddenly holding a mountain-walking staff in his hand, waving his hands in circles, ripples rippling, stirring up layers of halo, layer upon layer, like a golden line drawing, a miniature white sun hanging in the air. Cui Dongshan playfully said: “Palace Master Wu, nice to meet you, nice to meet you.”

Then he reached out and grabbed the radiant miniature white sun in his hand, shaking his wrist, like a round ball rolling in his palm, spinning endlessly.

Shining in all directions.

The white-clad youth’s five fingers moved slightly, and twenty-eight characters appeared around the sphere, like stars arranged in an array, the Four Symbols of Heaven and Earth, the Nine Fields, and the Twenty-Eight Mansions array map, appearing one after another.

Wu Shuangjiang had no murderous aura at all, ignoring the white-clad youth’s display of creation power in his palm, instead nodding to Cui Dongshan with a smile, as if reminiscing about old times: “It’s a pity I can’t see the Embroidered Tiger, but seeing half of him is worth the trip. Mr. Cui’s current appearance is of good quality. What Lu Chen said is true, Old Scholar is good at accepting disciples, which others can’t envy.”
As he spoke, Wu Shuangjiang of the Frost Descent Palace pinched his fingers together and gently tugged, pulling the young innkeeper, whose body he had usurped, right out as if he were a paper doll, folding him up and casually tucking him into his sleeve.

Wu Shuangjiang of Frost Descent Palace revealed his true form.

This frequent member of the Azure Billow World’s top ten was merely an average-looking middle-aged man, but his aura was concentrated, and the Great Dao manifested into a towering, ethereal Dharma body, clad in scarlet sky robes, a violet knotted scarf, and white cloud shoes, standing amidst the misty clouds.

A jujube-red seal like an opening eye was located at the center of the Dharma body’s brow. Ribbons coiled around its arms, fluttering gracefully. Behind the Dharma body was a halo of solidified treasure light.

Jiang Shangzhen stood at the end of the street, rubbing his chin. He knew that Wu Shuangjiang’s manifestation of the Great Dao was the so-called Celestial Appearance. To be in harmony with the Great Dao, for man and heaven to be as one, that was the fourteenth realm.

The only and biggest problem was not knowing what Wu Shuangjiang’s fourteenth realm was in harmony with.

So, Jiang Shangzhen smiled and asked, “May I ask how Palace Master Wu has achieved harmony with the Dao? Please tell me, don’t worry about scaring this junior.”

As soon as he asked this question, even Jiang Shangzhen admired his own sincerity and honesty. As expected, one is influenced by one’s company. Spending time with the Mountain Master made him naturally inclined to treat others with sincerity.

Wu Shuangjiang smiled slightly. “Harmony with Humanity.”

Jiang Shangzhen smiled wryly, repeatedly wondering what to do. Cui Dongshan looked solemn, nodding like a chick pecking at rice, echoing Chief Zhou from afar.

The fourteenth realm of those in harmony with Humanity were all troublesome, troublesome beyond words.

Especially the fourteenth realm of those who knew of harmony with Humanity, yet did not know what they were in harmony with, was the most troublesome of all. If Wu Shuangjiang were in harmony with Celestial Timing or Terrestrial Advantage, it would be far better than harmony with Humanity.

Bai Ye wielded his sword in the Floating Cloud Continent, taking on several thrones alone with his sword, still seizing the initiative, completely disregarding the encirclement because this most triumphant person in the human world was in harmony with the poems in his heart. The poems were endless, so he was invincible, which was extremely mysterious. In addition, Bai Ye held one of the four immortal swords, the Great White, making him even more unreasonable.

The former Lotus Abbess of the Desolate Wilds World, now residing in the brilliant starry river, was the talisman master Yu Xuan. All her life, she had been painstakingly hoping that her harmony would be with Celestial Timing, with the seemingly unchanging sun, moon, and stars, a veritable attainment of immortality in a certain sense.

The Old Blind Man’s harmony was with the ten thousand mountains, and the Literary Saint’s harmony was with the three continents of Vast Righteousness, both being somewhat “forced” harmony with Terrestrial Advantage.

Bai Ye’s harmony with the poems in his heart was harmony with Humanity.

Su Zi, as well as the pure scholar Chen Chun’an of South Suvarna Continent, were also walking on this path.

Besides them, there were sword cultivators, such as Liu Cha, the Great Bearded Hero, who was originally the third-highest-ranking great demon among the thrones. On the sea, near the Ruins, this sword cultivator, who had originally reached the fourteenth realm, was forced back to the Ascension Realm by Chen Chun’an, who risked his life. This prevented Liu Cha from returning to the Desolate Wilds World and instead caused him to be detained in the Merit Forest by the Literary Temple.

Xiao Xun, the former Hidden Official, betrayed the Sword Qi Great Wall and took a shortcut in the Hall of Valor in the Desolate Wilds World. Although she thus achieved harmony with the fourteenth realm, it belonged to Terrestrial Advantage, unconsciously losing the greatest reliance of a sword cultivator, which was the great freedom without constraint from heaven and earth.

This was also why Xiao Xun, even though she was one realm higher, could never determine life and death with Zuo You on the extraterrestrial battlefield. It was also the crux of why Zuo You had to intercept Xiao Xun from returning to the Desolate Wilds World.

Jiang Shangzhen asked, “Brother Cui, this is getting more and more frightening, what do you say?”

Cui Dongshan said seriously, “You should be thicker-skinned and quickly beg Palace Master Wu for mercy. Didn’t Chief Zhou notice? Palace Master Wu is the one who’s been the busiest, despite saying he’ll let us do as we please. Facing such a powerful enemy, since we can’t win by force or wits, we should just give in and admit defeat!”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled knowingly.

Among the Daoist officials of the Azure Billow World, there was a well-known golden rule: When cultivators below the fifth realm face the Dao heart of those in the middle five realms, they should use the spells and divine abilities of those in the upper five realms to fight the enemy, and there would be fewer accidents.

Wu Shuangjiang still held one hand behind his back and snapped his fingers.

Three natal flying swords circled around him: Cage Bird, Moon in the Well, and a Cut Willow Leaf.

Of course, they were all imitation swords.

But Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen didn’t think that the imitation swords of Hate Sword Mountain in North Ju Lu Continent could compare to these three.

Cui Dongshan revealed the secret, “Fortunately, it can only last for the time it takes to burn an incense stick.”

Jiang Shangzhen’s eyes were full of lament, “The Mountain Master’s hands-off management is truly prescient.”

Wu Shuangjiang held the “Cage Bird” imitation sword with his fingertip and smiled, “Then, may I invite you to join me on a tour of the Stork Tower?”

In an instant, the scenery of heaven and earth completely changed.

A tall building stood on the bank of a great river, which was the scenic spot of the Frost Descent Palace in the Azure Billow World, the Stork Tower.

Wu Shuangjiang waved his sleeve, and the Moon in the Well imitation sword flashed away. The water of a great river rose along with it, like rain clouds hanging upside down over the earth, eventually falling as a rain curtain. Countless raindrops shot up, each raindrop a flying sword, with millions of flying swords in total.

Cui Dongshan, standing in mid-air, heavily struck his green bamboo staff and smiled, “The past and the future are called the universe. Then, I will go from now to the past, wade upstream, catch a big fish, and send it back to me!”

The Confucian sage’s words contained the laws of heaven. The river of time flowed backward.

The three of them thus returned to the true small world of the Cage Bird.

In fact, both times the river of time passed by Wu Shuangjiang, it detoured around him.

Cui Dongshan struck an entirely unnecessary golden rooster pose, one hand raised high, holding up the previous white sun, and the other hand pointing the Walking Mountain Staff at Wu Shuangjiang, “The four directions and above and below are called space. This junior will teach Palace Master Wu what a small world is!”

In fact, before Cui Dongshan struck that comical pose, heaven and earth had already been formed.

Wu Shuangjiang put all three imitation swords into his sleeve, seemingly intending to refine illusion into reality.

Wu Shuangjiang took his first step. As he stepped out, the Celestial Appearance behind him merged with his true body, and a towering Dharma body appeared in place, reaching millions of feet in height. Compared to the extraterrestrial demon’s towering scene in Treaty City, it was even more exaggerated, almost tearing open Cui Dongshan’s heavenly canopy. As he stepped out with his second step, the Dharma body held up the sky with one hand and swept across with the other. The originally stable heaven and earth suddenly became chaotic, and countless torrents of Daoist magic appeared. Each strand was as large as a breached surging river, surging between heaven and earth. A slight tearing sound resounded in a small world.
Cui Dongshan chuckled, twirling the green bamboo staff between his fingers, tracing a circle as he walked. He pinched his fingers together, silently reciting a sage’s teachings, cleaving the world encompassing Wu Shuangjiang and that Dharma Image, compressing it into a mustard seed.

Jiang Shangzhen, without the slightest hesitation, retrieved from his sleeve a rare copy of the “Searching the Mountains” scroll, revered on the mountain as the “Pacification Edition,” its seniority only slightly inferior to the “Founding Ancestral Teacher.”

He tossed out the painting, enveloping the mustard seed world within it, using one world to contain another.

At the same time, as if receiving an imperial decree, the caged bird miniature world abruptly opened its gate, allowing Jiang Shangzhen to depart without a trace.

Cui Dongshan, with palms pressed together, twisted violently, transforming the world into a vast swamp, teeming with countless coiling dragons and crisscrossed by endless sword lights.

Emerging outside the caged bird miniature world, Jiang Shangzhen caught sight of the young mountain lord meticulously arranging formations. They exchanged a glance, a knowing smile, without uttering a word.

Jiang Shangzhen vanished once more, his sleeves fluttering, erecting yet another world, an ancient secret realm relic he had refined, named the Willow Shade Land.

A flying sword caged bird, a mustard seed world of the Star Chart, a Searching the Mountains formation, already three miniature worlds.

Cui Dongshan’s heart-image miniature world, the Great Swamp of Ancient Shu. Jiang Shangzhen’s refined Willow Shade Land. Plus the forbidden zone that Chen Ping’an was responsible for setting up, making another three small paradises.

In the next instant, Cui Dongshan swiftly passed through the Willow Shade Land, heading outwards, creating yet another world.

The following moment, Chen Ping’an met Cui Dongshan again, unfurling a sword immortal painting brought back from the Sword Qi Great Wall to the summit of Fallen Soul Mountain, with Ning Yao solely responsible for guarding it.

It wasn’t that the miniature worlds of non-cultivators were worthless, but that the three of Chen Ping’an, especially the treasure-laden Jiang Shangzhen and Cui Dongshan, could not be judged by ordinary standards.

Previously, outside the Mirage City of the Great Spring Dynasty, Chen Ping’an alone challenged Pei Min with his sword. Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen had no opportunity to intervene. After that, the three of them discussed the matter all night on Fallen Soul Mountain, eventually drawing in the mountain deity Wei Bo and Liu Jinglong to strategize together.

The Three Mountains Talisman that Chen Ping’an had offered earlier was one of the earliest concepts he proposed on the mountain, a crucial first move on the chessboard, a truly unreasonable play.

Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen also possessed an identical mountain talisman, meaning that whoever encountered a difficult opponent in a one-on-one battle, certain to lose, could invoke the talisman, summoning the other two to instantly join the battlefield.

Initially, the swordsman Pei Min was used as a hypothetical enemy. Later, their deductions even included Fu Yu of the Talisman Sect and the Great Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, all of whom were “invited” onto the chessboard.

Of course, it could also be used against a possible protector behind Tian Wan, in short, all aimed at a flying ascent realm sword cultivator’s combat power like Pei Min.

Even to deal with Wu Shuangjiang, a great cultivator of the fourteenth realm, it was still the same saying: the three joining forces could risk their lives.

After all, Wu Shuangjiang came from the Azure Sky, similar to Lu Chen’s distant travels to the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven, bound by many rules and restrictions. Even if Wu Shuangjiang jumped over the wall in desperation, forced to restore his fourteenth realm cultivation, he would violate the rules of the Rite Sage, naturally suppressed by the Great Dao.

Moreover, the situation had now changed, with the addition of a flying ascent realm sword cultivator, Ning Yao.

She was not only in the flying ascent realm but also proficient in fighting. Therefore, Ning Yao, whether guarding the formation from the side or delivering the final blow, was originally the undisputed best candidate.

However, according to the previous assumptions of the three, they did not expect Ning Yao to be on the battlefield, so that even if she was a flying ascent realm sword cultivator, she could only guard one of them.

Because the superposition of miniature worlds, interlocked and progressive, a slight deviation could mean a world of difference. The order of generation of each miniature world was extremely particular, not to mention the inner mysteries.

Ning Yao had no reservations about this, quietly waiting for that Wu Shuangjiang.

Earlier, she had heard Chen Ping’an say a few words, that these miniature worlds were just the opening moves of a chessboard used to entertain guests.

Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, within the various worlds, shook their sleeves, raining down magical treasures.

This was the Fallen Soul Mountain’s way of entertaining guests: the higher the realm, the more money spent, the more attention paid to the details.