A traveling swordsman from the Great Wall of Sword Qi?

Wei Jingcui harbored doubts. Weren’t the surviving swordsmen of the Great Wall of Sword Qi said to have followed a city and fled to the Fifth World?

As a ninth-realm martial artist, Cui Gongzhuang had already decided to remain a mere spectator. Another half-punch from him would be considered his loss, a self-inflicted death.

His thoughts were much simpler than Wei Jingcui’s. He simply believed one thing: no swordsman in the world would joke about the Great Wall of Sword Qi, especially with the current Sect Master of the Taiwei Sword Sect standing beside this person.

Although the Northern Entire Reed Continent liked to constantly compete with other people’s ancestral halls, in reality, sword duels were never minor affairs. Especially such grudges between two sects that completely tore apart their relationship, outsiders would only watch, not gamble.

For the sake of a chief guest elder title, Cui Gongzhuang didn’t need to gamble his martial arts future and his life.

If Liu Jinglong had simply delivered a sword remotely to Lockcloud Sect and left, it would be completely different from walking all the way up Yangyun Peak, acknowledging his identity.

Chen Ping’an turned to look at Yang Que and asked with a mental voice, “How did you know I was trouble? Did you have to ask about my background before deciding whether to attack?”

Throughout the climb, Chen Ping’an believed he had restrained himself greatly. There was no reason for Yang Que to think so highly of him.

Yang Que cupped his hands in salute and replied with a mental voice, “I have a swordsman friend from my hometown, whom I met in the pugilistic world many years ago. He never visited Lockcloud Sect, but had some personal friendship with me. After returning to his hometown from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, he mentioned a few people to me, with great admiration in his words.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “What’s his name and what mountain does he come from? Sect Master Yang might as well tell me, I might know him.”

Although many swordsmen from the Northern Entire Reed Continent went to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, with various backgrounds, both registered and rogue, Chen Ping’an remembered all their names.

Yang Que apologized, “I won’t say his name. My friend has his own unspeakable secrets.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “What, did your swordsman friend drink wine at Sun Juyuan’s mansion, or drink tea with me in the Yan Chi Alley?”

Yang Que was silent for a moment and slowly said, “Wine shop, seal, gambling den. No more, Sword Immortal Chen, don’t try to probe further.”

Chen Ping’an folded his hands in his sleeves, pondered for a moment, nodded, and narrowed his eyes with a smile, “For the sake of your unknown friend, you can step aside. Today’s sword duel has nothing to do with you. Anyway, your title as Sect Master of Lockcloud Sect is just a decoration. The grievances with the Taiwei Sword Sect are mainly because your Uncle-Master Fei Qing couldn’t control his mouth.”

Yang Que really took a step back, seemingly disregarding the sect’s reputation entirely, intending to stand aside with Cui Gongzhuang, a half-outsider.

Wei Jingcui, who had become an isolated figure on his own territory, couldn’t help but turn his head and scold, “Yang Que! Faced with a sword challenge, you retreat without a fight, standing idly by, you’ve lost all the face of Lockcloud Sect! What face will you, Yang Que, have in the future to offer incense in the ancestral hall, to offer incense to the past masters?!”

The Immortal Ancestor’s voice was loud, and it was estimated that all the peaks of the ancestral mountain heard these words tonight.

Yang Que said calmly, “It’s better than Lockcloud Sect losing its inheritance in my hands tonight. Whether Senior Uncle Wei comes to take the position of Sect Master himself, or gives it to that master and disciple of Leuyue Peak, I don’t care, I have no complaints.”

Chen Ping’an folded his hands in his sleeves and shook his head, “Stop arguing, quickly make way. After we leave, you’ll have plenty of time to chat while repairing the ancestral hall overnight. Whether the elders clean up the sect, or the juniors betray their masters, it’s all up to you.”

He glared at the ninth-realm martial artist again, “You’re not young, but you have no martial ethics. As a martial artist, you are hasty and impatient, how can you succeed? Of the three of you, I dislike you the most. I’ll tie you to a stone and sink you to the bottom of the water to grow flowers later.”

Cui Gongzhuang felt his scalp tingle and immediately used sound transmission to apologize to the Sword Immortal, “Sword Immortal Chen, please calm down. It was Cui Gongzhuang’s blindness earlier, and I was harmed by this damn guest elder title, accidentally offended Sword Immortal senior, the death penalty can be avoided, but the living penalty is inevitable. How to punish me specifically, Sword Immortal senior just say the word, Cui Gongzhuang has no complaints, let alone resentment.”

As a ninth-realm martial artist, he couldn’t even beat this “youthful” Sword Cultivator who maintained his complexion in his specialty, fist and foot combat, and had to wear the Sanlang Temple Spirit Treasure Armor and the military strategist’s Golden Crow Armor.

Cui Gongzhuang even suspected that the “young” Sword Cultivator in front of him was the old Sword Immortal Qi Tingji who founded a sect in Southern Savasy Continent.

However, he had heard that Qi Tingji was handsome, and the person in front of him didn’t seem to match the appearance. Cui Gongzhuang was a bit unsure of the truth, but what if the old Sword Immortal had a face-changing technique besides the mask, to deceive the Lockcloud Sect cultivators?

Chen Ping’an sneered, “Is it the death penalty or the living penalty, is it up to you to decide?”

Cui Gongzhuang was terrified and miserable. Among the four most difficult ghosts on the mountain, Sword Cultivators ranked first, so the most difficult to deal with was, of course, the top five-realm Sword Immortals among Sword Cultivators.

Wei Jingcui, the old immortal, flicked his sleeves and turned to leave, leaving a sentence, “Yang Que, you didn’t use a single technique tonight, voluntarily gave way, allowing outsiders to ravage the ancestral hall, and even blocked me from taking action, causing the reputation of Lockcloud Sect to be ruined in one day.”

On Yangyun Peak, countless golden threads crisscrossed and formed a net. It was not easy for Old Ancestor Fei Qing to control the wind, but fortunately, it was not difficult for an immortal with great supernatural powers. He pinched his fingers, and a treasure flashed, using a sect secret technique, turning his body into a palm-sized finch, carefully avoiding those strict golden sword lights. A snow-white bird sped away like lightning. At the same time, the moonlight-filled hole in Leuyue Peak suddenly lit up, as if building a fairy bridge to guide the old ancestor back to the place of cultivation.

Liu Jinglong suddenly smiled, “The reasoning isn’t over yet, did I let you go?”

Between Yangyun Peak and Leuyue Peak, the golden thread-like sword light cut through countless bright moonlights, with gold and silver colors reflecting each other.

The snow-white finch that Wei Jingcui’s body had transformed into seemed to be imprisoned in a sword light cage with dense fences.
With a thunderous roar, Wei Jingcui summoned forth his golden Dharma body, cradling in its hand the Moon Chasing Mirror, a treasure renowned for its power to suppress mountains. The mirror’s light shimmered, like a white dragon drawing water, condensing all the lunar essence from a deep pool within Leuyue Peak. His emerald “Azure Seashell” robe, a semi-immortal artifact, forcefully shattered the restrictive formation. Towards the two sword cultivators on Yangyun Peak, the aged immortal raised his arm, the mirror’s surface displaying a graceful, ascending maiden, her silken ribbons fluttering, feet treading upon a radiant moon, resembling an ancient goddess riding the winds and moon.

Liu Jinglong reached out, grasping a longsword formed from the surrounding sword light. Towards Wei Jingcui’s golden Dharma body and its mirror-wielding hand, he unleashed a single, devastating strike.

Chen Pingan recognized this swordsmanship, one of former Sect Master Han Huaizi’s signature techniques.

Great Work Cleaves Jade.

Perfect for close-quarters duels between sword cultivators.

As expected, Wei Jingcui’s golden Dharma body not only had its arm severed by the blade, but the force of the sword qi shattered the entire limb. Fragments of the majestic golden body, like jade splinters, rained down upon the world, akin to Yangyun Peak’s white clouds being pulverized by an immortal, creating a snowfall of pure white.

Yet, the “Soaring Grace” Immortal’s treasure mirror and severed arm remained suspended in mid-air, moonlight cascading down like a torrential waterfall, resembling a mighty river flowing from the Yellow River Grotto into the mortal realm.

Liu Jinglong lightly flicked his wrist, the sword light arcing gracefully. On Yangyun Peak, strange phenomena arose. Multicolored clouds gathered like market stalls, painting the heavens crimson. The evening mountain air coalesced into surging waves, mist swirling and rising. The tides carried the stars along, the starlight forming a glittering Milky Way. The horizon turned a fish-belly white, the world blanketed in pristine white. The many cultivators of Lock Cloud Sect, at this very moment, could no longer perceive Wei Jingcui’s golden Dharma body. Only the vast, earth-shattering presence of the Grand Subtlety Sword Sect’s sword light remained.

Yang Que, upon seeing the Moon Chasing Mirror appear, felt a surge of resentment. Successive generations of Lock Cloud Sect Masters were traditionally expected to inherit this treasure, refining it into their natal object. When Yang Que attained the Jade Purity realm and assumed the position of Sect Master, his grand-uncle, Wei Jingcui, used Yang Que’s unstable cultivation realm as an excuse, arguing that he wasn’t yet capable of refining such a weighty treasure and might cause unforeseen issues. This excuse was repeatedly used, delaying the process for three full centuries. In reality, everyone knew that Wei Jingcui, known as “Soaring Grace,” had long regarded this Sect treasure as his own personal possession, a thing he couldn’t bear to see touched by others, considering it vital to his own path. Wei Jingcui had played a clever hand, waiting for a direct descendant from his line within the ancestral peak to reach the Jade Purity realm. Then, he’d have the means to force Yang Que to relinquish his position and install a new Sect Master. At that point, Wei Jingcui could simply hand over the Moon Chasing Mirror with his left hand, only to take it back with his right, just going through the motions.

Chen Pingan approached Cui Gongzhuang. Cui Gongzhuang instinctively took several steps back. Before he could awkwardly cover up his embarrassment with words, the man was already by his side, as if his shadow. He lightly tapped the ninth-realm martial artist’s shoulder with two fingers. This seemingly insignificant action caused Cui Gongzhuang’s shoulder to buckle repeatedly, one foot sinking deep into the ground. Cui Gongzhuang dared not dodge any further, his shoulder throbbing with intense pain. He heard the man praise, “The Golden Crow Armor of the Strategists, I’ve long heard of it but never seen it in person. As a sword cultivator, refining swords drains the coffers. I’ve never had the spare funds for such extravagance. I imagine even if I saw it, I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

Sweat beaded on Cui Gongzhuang’s forehead. Enduring the pain that felt like his shoulder was being shattered, he stammered, “If Sword Immortal Chen desires it, this junior is willing to present it as a greeting gift to the senior.”

Chen Pingan protested, “Present? That won’t do. Just a loan. A gentleman doesn’t seize what others cherish. Just let me admire it for a few days, I’ll return it to you later.”

Cui Gongzhuang’s smile was strained. He thought to himself, it would be best if they never met again in the future. To spend wealth to avoid disaster, he’d treat the Strategist’s Armor Pill as a means of seeing off this plague god.

Cui Gongzhuang understood these unspoken rules of the Jianghu. The manner in which this Strategist’s Treasure Armor left him tonight was the same way it came to him in the first place.

Therefore, Cui Gongzhuang’s expression was resolute, showing no trace of heartache. The gleaming golden Golden Crow Armor instantly solidified into an armor pill. He bowed low, presenting it with both hands to the Sword Immortal Chen.

Chen Pingan pocketed it. “It’s said that a fight brings understanding. Let us keep in touch. If we meet often, we shall become friends.”

Cui Gongzhuang’s smile was bitter.

Chen Pingan looked at him without speaking, his peripheral vision glancing at the Three Lang Temple Spirit Treasure Armor.

Cui Gongzhuang was puzzled, feigning ignorance. He thought to himself, surely a Sword Immortal of the Great Wall of Swords wouldn’t be so shameless as to borrow a Golden Crow Armor and then set his sights on a Three Lang Temple Spirit Treasure Armor? Everyone was just traversing the Jianghu, one should leave others a way out, shouldn’t they?

Chen Pingan said, “Don’t understand human speech? ‘Keep in touch,’ the literal meaning. How can one succeed by only training their fists without reading books? My coming to Yangyun Peak today is ‘one touch,’ correct? This Strategist’s Armor Pill being taken away is ‘one touch’ too, right?”

As the blue-robed, sword-carrying stranger spoke, his fingers lightly rested on the ninth-realm martial artist’s shoulder, continuing to deliver his well-intentioned lecture. “Furthermore, as a pure martial artist, and a ninth-realm grandmaster whose fists and feet can suppress several great nations, your martial luck is already akin to divine protection. What need do you have for so many external possessions? They’re not only useless, but also cumbersome, hindering your fist intent, which is not good.”

Cui Gongzhuang, enduring the tremors in his shoulder and the shock in his heart, reached out, pinched the hem of his robe, and lightly tore it. The Three Lang Temple Treasure Armor shrank into a golden silk talisman. He nodded to the man surnamed Chen, “Senior is absolutely right, this junior was slow to understand.”

Chen Pingan accepted the priceless talisman armor, changing his fingers into a palm, lightly patting the other’s shoulder. “I’m not one to offer advice unless I meet someone with fate. Tonight, meeting each other through a fight, I’ll give you an old saying from the Jianghu: ‘Don’t do things that cause you to frown in guilt, if you don’t believe me, turn around and look behind you.'”

Cui Gongzhuang lamented inwardly, there was no end to it, how would this end?

Were all the sword cultivators from the Great Wall of Swords so sharp-tongued and heart-piercing?

Chen Pingan’s palm instantly transformed, his five fingers like hooks, seizing Cui Gongzhuang’s neck, lifting him high into the air. He smiled and said, “You’ve misunderstood. The sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Swords generally don’t have my good temper. You’re lucky to have met me today. If it were Old Sword Immortal Qi, Grand Sword Immortal Mi, or someone similar, you’d already be on your way to reincarnation. Spend wealth to avoid disaster? Wrong, it’s the money for your life. From now on, for the next century, I’ll have Sect Master Yang keep an eye on you. If there are any more schemes like today’s, lacking in martial virtue, I’ll find the time to visit Grandmaster Cui in the northern Cloud Goose Kingdom.”
Cui Gongzhuang’s feet were dangling in the air, his eyes bloodshot, creating a rather unsettling sight. His legs twitched a few times, like an autumn grasshopper making its last leaps.

Yang Que, standing to the side, felt his eyelids twitch involuntarily.

*Is* this man truly a sword cultivator? Or a hidden master of martial arts at the Limit realm?

The foundation of Cui Gongzhuang, the esteemed guest elder, while in the ninth realm, wasn’t the best among the Peak realm martial artists of the Northern Entirety Continent, yet it wasn’t the worst either.

The reason Wei Jingcui had chosen him as the chief guest elder of the Lock Cloud Sect was that Wei Jingcui saw a glimmer of hope that Cui Gongzhuang might one day ascend to the legendary Limit realm.

Chen Pingan frowned and asked, “Silence means refusal?”

Cui Gongzhuang attempted to muster a surge of his pristine true qi, but it instantly collapsed. As a result, his face flushed crimson, then turned purple, before finally becoming ashen. His limbs hung limply, and his vision blurred.

Chen Pingan released his grip, and a dizzy Cui Gongzhuang crashed to the ground, crouching and coughing incessantly.

Chen Pingan chuckled, “What’s with the acting? It’s so clumsy I’m embarrassed to watch. If you don’t get up, I’ll repay you with a kick that sends your eighth-realm body flying.”

Cui Gongzhuang immediately rose, took a deep breath, and stepped back. Lowering his head and clasping his fist in salute, he said, “I thank you, Senior, for sparing my life. I am eternally grateful. For the next hundred years, I, Cui Gongzhuang, will keep my tail between my legs, secluding myself to diligently practice martial arts, to not waste Senior’s guidance today.”

Chen Pingan scoffed, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Liu Jinglong had already sheathed his sword.

The old immortal Wei Jingcui was pinned to a stone wall of Leaking Moon Peak.

Liu Jinglong inquired telepathically, “Do you want to take that Moon Chasing Mirror?”

Chen Pingan chuckled in exasperation, “Does that sound right? We came here today to seek swordsmanship, not to kill and plunder treasures. If word of this gets out, will you, the Sect Master of the Grand Empyrean Sword Sect, still have any reputation?”

After that, Cui Gongzhuang’s courage completely shattered, Sect Master Yang Que yielded the path, and actively removed the ancestral hall restrictions of Cloud Nurturing Peak, allowing Liu Jinglong to gather the mountain’s sword energies, only reducing the ancestral hall into four sections, one horizontal and one vertical.

Chen Pingan then drew his sword from its scabbard on his back, and holding Night Wanderer, he swept it horizontally, bisecting the Lock Cloud Sect ancestral hall into two halves.

At that moment, Cui Gongzhuang felt his heart turn to ashes. That green-robed guest was indeed a sword immortal.

Two figures transformed into rainbows and departed.

The Lock Cloud Sect, from top to bottom, was in mourning. Their sect had suffered such a calamity and humiliation, with their ancestral hall torn down all the way up the mountain by two sword immortals. From now on, they would be the laughingstock of the continent for years to come.

Only Sect Master Yang Que maintained a natural expression, without a hint of grief or indignation. He retrieved a cloud-patterned jade pendant from his sleeve and, with a thought, was about to activate the array center to begin repairing the ancestral hall. Unexpectedly, the ancestral hall’s array seemed to have suffered another round of sword seeking, and the sound of pillars and walls collapsing along a horizontal line rang out like a string of firecrackers. Yang Que frowned, focusing his gaze, and discovered that after the green-robed sword immortal named Chen Pingan horizontally swept his sword and cut the ancestral hall in half, a subtle, almost imperceptible crack had appeared throughout the entire ancestral hall. The sword energy remained concentrated and undissipated, as if supporting the upper half of the ancestral hall.

Yang Que was inwardly alarmed.

Cui Gongzhuang rubbed his neck, still shaken. *Damn* this chief guest elder position, he would rather die than wade into these troubled waters of the Lock Cloud Sect again.

Yang Que turned his head and smiled telepathically, “Chief Cui, no two flowers are exactly alike. Similarly, a single sword light will not strike the same spot twice, do you agree?”

Cui Gongzhuang hesitated, unwilling to completely break ties with the Lock Cloud Sect, which would make things too embarrassing for Yang Que and that Wei Jingcui. So he found a compromise, focusing his sound into a line and quietly said, “I can retain the title of guest elder, but I will not participate in any Cloud Nurturing Peak ancestral hall meetings for the next hundred years.”

Yang Que nodded and smiled, “No problem.”

Cui Gongzhuang sighed, “Yang Que, it would be good if you were a Sect Master in name and in deed.”

Yang Que smiled casually, “It’s difficult, but I’ll strive for it.”

Cui Gongzhuang took a deep look at this Jade Purity realm cultivator and nodded in acknowledgment. The ninth-realm martial artist, who had previously interacted more with the immortal Wei Jingcui, resolved to have more dealings with this Yang Que in the future.

Yang Que glanced at the ancestral hall and simply decided to put it aside for now. Anyway, there was a chance the sect would change masters tomorrow, so why bother going to the trouble?

After Chen Pingan and Liu Jinglong left the Lock Cloud Sect’s territory, Liu Jinglong first sent a flying sword message to the Grand Empyrean Sword Sect ancestral hall. According to Chen Pingan’s instructions, they would not meet there, but instead have Ning Yao and her group go directly to the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven. Chen Pingan then summoned a “Bird in a Cage” talisman and, together with Liu Jinglong, quietly returned to the sky above Cloud Nurturing Peak’s jurisdiction. Liu Jinglong felt that Chen Pingan’s Stele Carrier Talisman from the Ghost Axe Palace was not very effective for concealing their tracks, so he directly drew a formation, and then the two began to look down upon the mountains and rivers, as if waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree.

Chen Pingan took down his Sword Nurturing Gourd and began to drink.

Liu Jinglong sat cross-legged, since everything within sight was under the control of his natal flying sword.

Chen Pingan asked with a smile, “The flying sword messages from the mountain, it won’t be difficult for you and I to catch up to, but the restrictions will be extremely difficult to break, especially for a large sect like the Lock Cloud Sect. Don’t make me wait in vain.”

Liu Jinglong said, “I still have some confidence in dispelling formations.”

Earlier, after the two sides finished their sword seeking and were leaving Cloud Nurturing Peak, Chen Pingan said that the Sect Master Yang Que was acting abnormally, and they couldn’t just leave like that, they had to see if he had any hidden backup plans.

Liu Jinglong accompanied Chen Pingan to this place to wait quietly for any flying sword messages to leave the mountain peaks of the Lock Cloud Sect.

Chen Pingan took a sip of wine and asked, “Yang Que is a very deep man. I tested him once earlier at Cloud Nurturing Peak, but got no results, so I simply made him think I had believed him. It’s a bit like using suspicion to dispel suspicion, deliberately adding details unnecessarily. I almost believed it, mistakenly thinking it was the mountain immortals’ unorthodox methods, but after this Lock Cloud Sect tour, I feel that one Wei Jingcui alone couldn’t have made the Lock Cloud Sect’s style become like this.”
Liu Jinglong handed over a thick booklet, “Besides the Qionglin Sect, there are some other suspected parties, all listed here. It records that Yang Que possesses a unique Compass Inscription Art. This art is not part of the Yun Suo Sect’s Ancestral Hall techniques. It’s publicly claimed to be a geomantic skill used to locate shattered blessed lands and hidden realms, something Yang Que acquired by chance in his youth. I’ve deduced it several times, and it’s not that simple. I suspect it can identify a cultivator’s true identity. For instance, if it saw me, I speculate that Yang Que’s natal compass would display the words ‘Taihui Sword Sect’, ‘Liu Jinglong’, etc., which, when pieced together, would reveal the truth. However, this secret art must have rules and limitations; otherwise, this single technique would bring Yang Que a fatal disaster.”

“This art is simply essential for traveling the world. If I have the chance, I must consult with Sect Master Yang and learn it,” Chen Pingan said.

Chen Pingan nodded, directly turning to the Yun Suo Sect section and carefully browsing Yang Que’s cultivation journey. It wasn’t long, just a few thousand words.

Coincidentally, he had some experience in the art of inscription and had also learned a not-yet-mastered Confucian “Word-Breaking Decree” at the Hall of Meritorious Deeds.

Liu Jinglong asked, “How long do you plan to stay here?”

Chen Pingan pondered, “Three days should be enough. I’m eager to return to the Treasure Bottle Continent.”

Liu Jinglong said, “It’s fine, I can stay here longer.”

Chen Pingan shook his head, “You are, after all, a sect leader. Neglecting official duties for personal matters is unacceptable.”

Liu Jinglong smiled, “Then you don’t know about my Master and Grandmasters. When they were young, you wouldn’t believe how they abused their power for the sake of their friends. Afterward, they were punished at the Taihui Sword Sect’s Ancestral Hall. The Grandmasters would scold them to their faces, then laugh about it behind their backs. It’s just that these things aren’t recorded in the official archives; outsiders don’t know. They’re passed down orally through generations within the sect.”

Liu Jinglong suddenly narrowed his eyes, “Here it comes. I’ll stay here and keep an eye on things, to prevent any other fish from slipping through the net.”

Chen Pingan stood up. Liu Jinglong glanced at the direction of the messenger flying sword and told Chen Pingan its approximate location. He chose a mountaintop as the place to act, asking Chen Pingan to use his thunder techniques to create an abnormal weather phenomenon, intercepting the flying sword. After bringing it back, Liu Jinglong would help lift the restrictions on the flying sword, without damaging any of the mountain and river formations, allowing them to read the secret message inside. After reading the contents, they would return the flying sword.

Among cultivators, some reclusive wilderness cultivators possessing unique secret arts, often Land Immortals of considerable realms, are often called “fishermen” of the mountains, their doings being to lie in wait and intercept messenger flying swords, euphemistically calling it “three years without a catch, but one catch feeds you for three years.” However, after succeeding, the flying sword would naturally be destroyed, leaving behind some clues. They could never do it as flawlessly as Liu Jinglong: “perfectly intact, returning the item to its rightful owner.”

Chen Pingan quietly departed and returned about half an hour later, carefully holding a miniature flying sword engraved with cloud patterns in his palm.

Liu Jinglong drew a talisman with his finger, while also focusing his mind to oversee the mountains and rivers of the Yun Suo Sect. He unraveled the layers of restrictions on the flying sword, methodically and effortlessly.

Chen Pingan squatted to one side with his hands in his sleeves, watching intently. Liu Jinglong didn’t care if this talisman divine ability was learned by Chen Pingan. As a result, Chen Pingan widened his eyes, watched for a long time, and shook his head, “Can’t learn it.”

Liu Jinglong smiled, “For the path of talismans, those offensive, powerful talismans, while seemingly having intricate steps, are actually quite simple in their underlying structure. However, they require the sect’s secretly transmitted unique Dao incantations. This is an invisible chasm. As for the mountain and river talismans for flying sword communication, they require the person dismantling them to have broad knowledge, unable to be stumped in any aspect. Then, by grasping the key points, one can naturally resolve the problem. For example, this Yun Suo Sect messenger flying sword, its ingenuity lies not only in the Moonpetal Peak’s moon essence hook patterns, coordinated with the water pattern reflection of the old Dragon Pool, and the brush stroke essence of the plaque on the Little Green Ganoderma Mountain. The real difficulty lies in the inclusion of several secret talismans from outside the sect. I enjoy reading miscellaneous books, so it just so happens that I understand them all.”

Chen Pingan nodded and said, “Coincidence, coincidence. Sword Immortal Liu makes it sound so easy.”

Liu Jinglong stopped his unsealing actions, raised his head, and smiled slightly, “Sword Immortal Liu what?”

Chen Pingan laughed, “Sword Immortal Liu doesn’t like to drink alcohol. Others may not know, but would I not know?”

After opening all the restrictions, Liu Jinglong took out a secret letter. It was from a Dragon Gate realm cultivator named Zong Sui from Yun Suo Sect’s Moonpetal Peak, one of the direct disciples of that Nascent Soul Ancestor, sent to a cultivator named Han Cheng from the Qionglin Sect. Zong Sui didn’t use the Moonpetal Peak’s Sword Pavilion, so he was very cautious.

Liu Jinglong reminded, “There’s a rough record of Han Cheng on page thirty-nine. I’ll pay more attention to this person in the future and find a chance to add more details.”

Chen Pingan flipped to that page in the booklet.

After putting back the secret letter, Liu Jinglong was like a tourist strolling through a garden at night, opening each door of the messenger flying sword one by one, then closing them one by one, without leaving any subtle imperfections, not even a footprint.

In the next three days, Chen Pingan was very busy, going back and forth, intercepting flying swords to receive letters, Liu Jinglong was responsible for revealing the letters, and the two of them would read the letters together, then Chen Pingan would release the messenger flying sword. Most of the letters were Yun Suo Sect cultivators informing their mountain friends, actively talking about the Sword Inquiry incident in the Yun Suo Sect, each with their own plans. There was even a Nascent Soul realm cultivator serving as an Ancestral Hall offering in the sect who planned to leave the Yun Suo Sect to clear their name, so as not to be implicated, and would even find a chance to curry favor with the Taihui Sword Sect, spreading some kind words in the mountains… The myriad aspects of the world, the changes in people’s hearts, seemed to be completely visible in a dozen or so secret letters.

Among them, two secret letters were unsigned, and the mountains receiving the letters were small immortal families that even Liu Jinglong had never heard of. However, after this, Liu Jinglong would visit each of them.

One of the flying sword letters was concise, just three sentences:

The Hidden Officer has arrived at the Yun Suo Sect, joining forces with Liu Jinglong to inquire about swordsmanship. Chen Pingan’s cultivation is indeed a Peak Martial Artist and Jade Purity realm Sword Immortal. This person is very likely already capable of killing immortals, except for sword cultivators.

Liu Jinglong summoned his natal flying sword at Yangyun Peak, which is of extremely high grade and can form its own small world. The sword intent is vast and all-encompassing, but more of his natal divine abilities are currently unknown, and his battle strength must be regarded as an Immortal realm sword cultivator.

Quickly help me seize the mirror, taking the opportunity to frame the Taihui Sword Sect.

Chen Pingan said, “Why is it that we’re both at the same realm, but it seems like I can’t beat you? What kind of vision does this Sect Master Yang have? No wonder he couldn’t compete with Wei Feiqing.”
Liu Jinglong replied, “Then I can help you revise the letter, making it strong enough to defeat a whole bunch of Ascension Realm cultivators. Tell me, how many do you want to take down?”

Chen Pingan chuckled, “You’re talking nonsense again, aren’t you?”

That Liu, the Wine Immortal, had actually reached the transcendent state of being drunk even without drinking alcohol!

Once again quietly embarking on a wind-borne journey, after sending out that crucial messenger flying sword, Chen Pingan returned to Liu Jinglong’s side, his three-day wait not in vain.

Before setting off for the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, Chen Pingan planned to revisit Mount Yangyun with Liu Jinglong, or perhaps go to that small immortal sect called Tonghua Mountain, to see just which mastermind was so incredibly capable. They had assisted Yang Que in seizing a Benyue Mirror, solidifying his position as sect leader, and were even willing to sacrifice a Great Cultivator of the Immortal Realm as a gambit, to fling mud at the Taiwei Sword Sect.

But Liu Jinglong said, “It’s not time to startle the snake yet. I’ll go there first to follow the clues. When the time truly comes to strike with full force, I’ll definitely inform you immediately.”

Chen Pingan nodded, knowing that Liu Jinglong was always measured in his actions. He stood up and said, “Be extra careful yourself.”

Liu Jinglong rose and smiled, “We both will be careful.”

Chen Pingan handed over a flagon of wine, “I saw the Qing Shen Mountain Madam at the Literary Temple council earlier. Any other wine is fine, but considering the matters at Mount Pianran, I won’t try to dissuade you from this one. You have to drink it.”

Liu Jinglong hesitated for a moment but took the flagon anyway. They were about to part ways, so there was no point in arguing about drinking or not.

Chen Pingan did not put away the caged bird, and silently soared away on the wind.

Liu Jinglong did not immediately put away his natal flying sword. He opened the flagon, took a sip, and thought, *Very good. Do they think I’ve never tasted the Qing Shen Mountain wine sold in the shops?*

Chen Pingan traveled south, and at the crossing to the Water Dragon Sect’s Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, he found Ning Yao and the others.

Xiao Mili said that they had already visited Floating Willow Sword Lake along the way.

Chen Pingan nodded with a smile.

***

Shao Yuan Dynasty.

After learning about a certain matter, the Immortal cultivator Yan Ge was speechless, his heart a tempest of emotions, unable to calm down for a long time. He sighed, and ordered someone to summon Yan Li, telling him that he didn’t need to go out anymore and that studying the Great Dao with Nan Guangzhao was over.

Yan Li, who had been glowing with happiness these past few days, felt as if he had fallen from the clouds into the mud. He stared blankly, unable to speak, and couldn’t help but ask his ancestor why.

Already in a bad mood, Yan Ge’s face turned livid with annoyance. Why, why? What did the ancestor know about why? Heaven only knew how a Great Ascension Realm cultivator had died suddenly at the entrance of their mountain gate, his head cut off! Yan Ge raised a hand and slapped Yan Li, sending him spinning a dozen times, knocking him out of the room and into the courtyard. Yan Ge roared, “Get lost!” Yan Li, his cheek swollen red, covered his face with his hand, his heart filled with dread, and left miserably.

***

Nine Truths Immortal Hall.

Hall Master Yun Miao and his Daoist partner, who was also an Immortal Realm cultivator, were looking at the secret letter from Nan Guangzhao’s sect, and were both at a loss for words.

As for their direct disciple, Li Qingzhu, he probably wouldn’t have the face to leave the mountain for at least a century.

Yun Miao put down the letter, and said in a trembling voice, “Heaven’s will is unpredictable, and the mysteries of spirits are unfathomable.”

His Daoist partner softly asked, “Who could have such swordsmanship, actually killing Nan Guangzhao on the spot, preventing even this Ascension Realm cultivator from leaving his own mountain gate?”

Yun Miao said, “There’s no point in thinking too much. Don’t guess.”

Even to his Daoist partner, with whom his Great Dao was closely connected, Yun Miao did not speak his mind freely. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he didn’t dare.

In fact, while his Daoist partner didn’t know why, Yun Miao knew in his heart, and didn’t need to guess at all.

It must be the work of the White Emperor City Lord!

Was Mr. Zheng hinting to him to take over that sect which, without Nan Guangzhao, was a flock of dragons without a head?

Was the secret letter sent to Aotou Mountain earlier, asking for that White Jade Ganoderma, for this reason?

Was Mr. Zheng saying that Yun Miao only needed a Demi-Immortal weapon to gain a sect for free?

It was divine calculation!

However, Nan Guangzhao’s mountain was still a large sect, and its foundation was originally far beyond what a Meishan Sword Sect could compare to, so it would be extremely difficult to plot. But Yun Miao thought again, and was overjoyed. It was a good thing that Nan Guangzhao, the old man, was stingy and only cultivated a Jade Purity Realm sect leader who was just a fancy pillow. He treated his direct and personal disciples like that, so the rest of his disciples and grandchildren were even more like that, year after year, raising a nest of useless people. In that case, a sect without Nan Guangzhao was really no match for the Meishan Sword Sect? In the end, it was Nan Guangzhao alone who was holding it up. Of the immortal masters on the mountain, there were less than a hundred, and their abilities and energy were mostly spent on helping the old ancestor earn money.

Yun Miao’s eyes were shining brightly, and he was excited. He must not let Mr. Zheng’s brilliant first move go to waste!

***

Azure Billow Heaven, Great Profound Capital Temple.

Under a peach tree, there was a child wearing a tiger-head hat.

In this foreign land of cultivation, outside the thatched hut was a small pond. A Daoist of the Great Profound Capital Temple had helped plant a pond of lotus flowers, which bloomed with long and wide petals, with distinct green and white colors.

Whenever the wind blew, the fragrance of the flowers was faint, swaying gracefully, making it very beautiful.

Since he was in the Azure Billow Heaven, with countless Daoist temples on the mountain and countless Daoist officials at the foot of the mountain, he simply gave himself a Daoist name, Qing Lian.

Today, the old temple master came over with a person, shouting in a loud voice, “Come and see who’s here.”

Bai Ye turned around and asked with a smile, “Jun Qian, why are you here?”

Liu Shiliu smiled, “I heard from Mr. that you were here, so I came to take a look.”

Bai Ye said helplessly, “Laugh if you want to.”

Liu Shiliu reached out and wiped his mouth, “I’ll try my best to hold back.”

Among all the heavens, only Liu Shiliu, who had once entered the mountain with Bai Ye to visit immortals, could be so familiar with Bai Ye.

Daoist Sun stroked his beard and smiled, “Bai Ye, old brother, the scenery is beautiful, the trees are full of flowers, and old friends meet again safe and sound. When else will we drink today?”

Bai Ye shook his head.

Liu Shiliu persuaded, “Drink a little.”

Bai Ye nodded.

***

In the Ten Thousand Mountains, they had eaten hotpot. Wild Cultivator Qing Mi had eaten with particular care, chewing slowly, after all, one careless move could mean his last meal.

Ah Liang was full and lightly patted his stomach, preparing to travel south on the wind. He asked with a smile, “Brother Qing Mi, do you think that when traveling on the wind, not counting riding a sword, is it better to lie horizontally like a waterfowl, or stand upright more dashing? You don’t know, this question has bothered me for many years.”
Feng Xuetao could only go against his conscience and say, “As long as you, A-Liang, ride the wind, everyone will find it dashing.”

A-Liang nodded, “Words from the heart.”

Feng Xuetao was silent for a moment before he couldn’t help but ask, “A-Liang, don’t you need to practice swordsmanship usually? What are you doing pondering these things?”

A-Liang laughed, “Are you daft? You’re already in the Ascension Realm, and you’re still asking such childish questions. Does a sword need practice? If I don’t ponder this, what should I ponder?”

Feng Xuetao endured it.

After all, this fellow was the first Fourteenth Realm Sword Cultivator across several worlds after Chen Qingdu of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

A Confucian Sword Cultivator from the Vast World, yet he reached the Fourteenth Realm in the Azure Underworld. Breaking through well, and then falling in realm in this Savage World, falling without any hesitation.

A-Liang suddenly asked, “Brother Qingmi, do you know what kind of demon is the weakest in the world?”

Feng Xuetao shook his head, remaining silent.

A-Liang said, “Of course, it’s a *little waist demon* (xiaoyao jing, sounds like ‘small weak demon’).”

Feng Xuetao didn’t catch the homophonic pun. He just assumed A-Liang was being foolish again.

“Let’s go, I’ll take you to fight a *little waist demon*!”

A-Liang waved his hand, “Let’s get this straight, if your waist isn’t good, you won’t be able to defeat it.”

Feng Xuetao had originally thought that after leaving the Hundred Thousand Mountains, they would recklessly charge south with A-Liang, smashing any Savage World sect they came across.

He never expected that next would be another jovial, decadent, and extravagant feast, hosted by a demon cultivator.

A-Liang and the Immortal Realm demon cultivator at the banquet clinked arms, calling each other brothers, and each confided their hardships.

A-Liang seemed like a native sword cultivator of the Savage World, while the demon cultivator, the master of the mountain, spoke like a Qi Practitioner of the Vast World.

This mountain had scraped together a large sum of immortal coins in the past near Embracing Moon Mountain, so the cultivators on the mountain had never crossed the Sword Qi Great Wall to the Vast World.

A-Liang raised a cup of wine, and said earnestly, “Generally speaking, the rules of a wine gathering are that guests don’t bring guests. I’ve broken the rules, so I must punish myself with three cups.”

The demon lord said righteously, “Nonsense, A-Liang’s friend is equal to a sworn brother who has slaughtered a chicken and burned yellow paper with me. Don’t be polite, make yourself at home!”

It raised its chin, suppressing the pain, and signaled to a favored female cultivator beside it to quickly go back to the mountain’s treasury and bring over another jar of its treasured Ye Luo River Water Immortal Brew for that damned guy. This stuff was extremely rare; money couldn’t buy it at all.

The Immortal Realm demon cultivator seemed to understand A-Liang well, and called over a group of fox beauties, graceful and charming, wearing thin veils, barely concealing their forms.

A-Liang glanced at them a few times, seemingly a little disappointed, and waved his hand directly, saying three words.

“Next batch.”

A-Liang quickly explained, “I don’t care, it’s my friend who’s particular, with high standards, it’s quite troublesome.”

The demon lord laughed heartily, “Good, good, a renowned scholar is a true hero!”

Feng Xuetao felt that even if a Sage were here, they wouldn’t curse, they would just beat A-Liang half to death, right?

A-Liang drank until his face was flushed, and squinted at Feng Xuetao, winking, as if saying, I understand you, if the next batch of beauties still doesn’t suit you, we can change them again.

Batch after batch of various beauties were changed at the feast.

That Immortal Realm demon cultivator finally managed to respectfully send A-Liang and that still unnamed person out the door.

It secretly rejoiced that it had listened to advice back then, otherwise, reuniting today wouldn’t have been as simple as drinking and reminiscing.

Back then, A-Liang had put his arm around its shoulder at a banquet, smiling and saying that if it ever encountered him on the battlefield on the Sword Qi Great Wall, in half of his hometown, or heard that it had been there, then the owed wine would never be repaid.

A-Liang and Feng Xuetao rode the wind to a mountain peak thousands of miles away. Feng Xuetao asked in a low voice, “We’re not just going to eat and drink all the way, are we?”

A-Liang tugged at the corner of his mouth, “What are you thinking? Do you really think the Savage World is a land of romance and flowers? I advise you to prepare yourself, because once someone appears to block the way, it will definitely be a fierce battle.”

He raised his thumb and pointed behind him, “My friend has definitely already sent a flying sword message to Embracing Moon Mountain on the sly.”

Feng Xuetao asked, “Aren’t you angry?”

A-Liang squatted down, gazing into the distance, and said indifferently, “The road is narrow and difficult to walk, but the wine cup is wide. Don’t you understand this principle? When drinking, we’re brothers, we can talk nonsense, but once the cup is put down, it’s another matter. Everyone has their own path to walk.”

If it didn’t do that, Embracing Moon Mountain would definitely hold it accountable.

So A-Liang’s trip could be considered that he didn’t drink that cup for nothing.

Feng Xuetao, being a rogue cultivator, deeply agreed with this and nodded, “Makes sense.”

Unconsciously, he was starting to like the local customs here. There weren’t so many rules, or rather, the rules here were something rogue cultivators like Qingmi enjoyed and excelled at.

Feng Xuetao asked, “A-Liang, can I ask you something? What is your Natal Sword called? I don’t seem to have ever heard anyone say. Is it just one, or more?”

A-Liang ignored him, only kneeling on one knee, casually picking up a handful of soil, gently crushing it, squinting his eyes and looking into the distance.

Feng Xuetao said, “Someone’s following us?”

A-Liang stood up and laughed, “Let’s not worry about these cats and dogs for now, let’s continue on our way. They will gather together later, saving me the trouble of searching everywhere.”

Feng Xuetao knew that this guy would always say things that people would mistakenly think he was boasting about, but he wasn’t.

A-Liang seemed to have just come back to his senses, “What did you ask earlier?”

Feng Xuetao said helplessly, “Natal Sword.”

A-Liang smiled, “I like to drink, and there’s only one Jianghu, so I only have one Natal Sword.”

Feng Xuetao was extremely curious, “What’s its name?”

A-Liang turned his head, grinning, “If you become my enemy in the future, and we cross swords, you will know.”

Feng Xuetao sighed and didn’t dare to say anything more.

He knew that A-Liang was hinting to him that if he encountered a life-threatening situation in this Savage World, he could betray his faction and try crossing swords with A-Liang.

A-Liang only had one Natal Sword, named Drunkard. “Sword come!”