(With year-end duties piling up, updates are quite sporadic. It will get much better next month.)

Chen Ping’an glanced towards the Shiwan Mountains, that region seemingly cleaved from the primordial wilderness by Old Blindman’s single stroke, a partitioned landscape. A hazy golden light shimmered across the land, reflected by the golden-armored golems tasked with moving mountains. Above, autumn clouds rose like peaks, dissolving and filling the vast expanse.

Chen Ping’an recalled the contest at Lotus Flower Blessed Land. It was highly probable that within the next century, the various heavens would witness an unprecedented era, with all vying for opportunities along the Great Dao.

Thinking of something else, Chen Ping’an softly said, “Sir has chided me, I was rather slow to realize something, quite inexcusable indeed.”

Ning Yao curiously inquired, “What is it?”

The Sage of Culture, willing to rebuke his prized disciple?

Chen Ping’an said, “Sir reminded me that when we are together, I shouldn’t always let you initiate the conversation.”

Perhaps many misunderstandings between people arise from unintended, careless words, spoken casually, while deliberate, heartfelt words are sparingly uttered. Whispered self-talk behind closed doors is mistakenly assumed to be understood by the other.

Ning Yao’s expression was peculiar.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Is it not so?”

Ning Yao shook her head, saying, “Of course not.”

When they were together, regardless of location, even in complete silence, Ning Yao never felt awkward. Besides, she wasn’t one to force conversation. Chatting with him was never dull.

Ning Yao couldn’t help but smile, “The teacher and student, one truly dares to teach, and the other truly dares to listen.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Then I am relieved.”

As Ning Yao was about to speak, Chen Ping’an proactively said, “Even if you don’t mind, I will make an effort to speak more in the future.”

Chen Ping’an continued, “Previously, with the Sage of Rites present, there was no difference between my unspoken thoughts and spoken words. Near the inn entrance, the Sage of Rites was direct because, ultimately, he regarded you as a powerful figure worthy of equal discourse, hence the lack of formality.”

Ning Yao nodded, “Understood, the principle is sound.”

That was why she remained silent then. Completely understandable, though not necessarily fully accepted. But since the other party was the meritorious Sage of Rites, her silence was the greatest respect.

The Sage of Rites from the Central Earth Confucian Temple, the Grand Master of White Jade Capital, one embodying propriety, the other virtue, both highly respected.

“The scattering of the Three Teachings’ Founders, is that why you hurried to break through after returning home?”

Ning Yao directly posed two questions, “What about over there?”

Ning Yao was no stranger to the scattering of the Dao. In fact, the Dispersal of Essence by cultivators resembled it, though it was a helpless act of cultivators who failed to attain enlightenment and could not overcome the threshold of life and death. After the Dispersal of Essence, one’s cultivation and fortune would flow unpredictably, all returning to Heaven and Earth uncontrollably. Du Mao, the Ascendant Realm cultivator of the Tongye Sect, was once chopped to pieces by Zuo You. In his final moments, Du Mao attempted to leave a portion of his Daoist essence and glazed golden body to the Yu Gui Sect. Then there was Grand Ancestor Tuo Yue, who could control his own fortune and ultimately benefit a desolate heaven, causing the breakthrough of demon cultivators in his homeland to be like bamboo shoots after rain. Fei Ran, Shou Chen, Zhou Qinggao and the like were, without exception, dragons rising from the shallows, veritable darlings of Heaven.

As for Ning Yao’s “over there,” she was referring to the old Heavenly Court that Zhou Mi had ascended to and taken over.

Chen Ping’an squatted down, placing his palm against the city wall, gently caressing it, and glancing at the sky. He said, “What to do over there, the Three Teachings’ Founders surely have plans. I can only be certain they won’t abandon it. I went to the Central Earth to attend the Confucian Temple council, and there was a highly secretive riverside meeting. Aside from me, who was somewhat of an exception, a large group of Fourteenth Realm cultivators gathered, many of whom I was meeting for the first time. The Sage of Rites was in charge of the meeting, it was like…a grand examination. The examinees were the great cultivators already standing at the peaks of the three heavens, but none of the Three Teachings’ Founders appeared at the riverside. But the specific content of the assessment, after the meeting, seemed to have been forgotten by everyone. I thought it was a bit strange at the time. Why would the Three Teachings’ Founders go to such lengths? Later, Sir took me to the peak of Mount Sui, and I saw the Most Holy Teacher. I sensed a hint then, and the Most Holy Teacher didn’t hide anything, saying something to me…a praise of sorts, which was equivalent to acknowledging the matter.”

Chen Ping’an guessed that it was a questionnaire with life and death as the subject. The answers were the respective results of the Fourteenth Realm cultivators’ introspections. For example…a large group of Fourteenth Realm great cultivators, going to the new Heavenly Court, would they dare, would they be willing, would they be able to sacrifice themselves for the common people of the mortal realm?

Chen Ping’an once had a Q&A with the four figures in the painting. Regarding saving people requiring killing, Zhu Lian’s answer was to not kill and not save, because he worried that he would be the “what if”.

Chen Ping’an didn’t say much then. In fact, Senior Brother Cui Chan had given another extreme answer: not only must people be saved, but one must proactively become the “one”. Of course, Senior Brother Cui Chan, with his extreme pursuit of accomplishments, would only be willing to become the “one” if the person saved was the entire populace, and the deed was that of reversing the decline of the heavens.

Chen Ping’an reminded her, “Be careful of Lu Chen eavesdropping.”

A thought immediately arose, “How is that possible? This Daoist isn’t that kind of person!”

Without hesitation, Ning Yao moved her intention, and a sword light fell straight down, following the source of that thought, breaking through layers of mountain and water restrictions, and layers of blinding formations, directly finding the hiding place of the Third Master of White Jade Capital. A young Daoist wearing a lotus crown was seen panicking, appearing from the cloud sea above the city, scurrying around, a sword light following like a shadow. Lu Chen repeatedly shrank the earth and rivers, vigorously waving his Daoist robe sleeves, deflecting the sword light many times, shouting, “Good, good, a pair of celestial Daoist companions that this Daoist didn’t hesitate to work hard to bring together, acting as matchmaker! One with literary light shooting into the stars, the other with sword Qi piercing the sky! Truly a match made in heaven, unseen for ten thousand years!”

Ning Yao looked at Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an smiled and shook his head, “Forget it.”

Ning Yao then withdrew the sharp, lingering sword light.

When a Fourteenth Realm great cultivator descends upon another heaven, there are many rules. When Lu Chen traveled to the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, setting up a fortune-telling stall, he followed the old example of the Vast Expanse and suppressed himself to the Ascendant Realm.

Now that Sword Qi Great Wall belongs to the Vast Expanse, Lu Chen, returning “home in glory” from Azure Clarity Heaven, still needs to follow the rules set by the Sage of Rites.
It was merely a saying circulating only at the peak of Great Profound Capital Temple’s Sun Taoist, that White Jade Capital’s Lu Laosan’s Fourteenth Realm meant being unable to defeat anyone, and also being unable to be defeated by anyone.

Besides Lu Chen drifting down onto the city wall, only a few steps away from Chen Ping’an, a middle-aged swordsman resembling a middle-aged man, Xingguan Hao Su, also emerged from the sea of clouds.

Hao Su landed on the city wall, standing beside Lu Chen, squinting as he gazed into the desolate wilderness. Back when he served as Xingguan, he was actually in the prison of Old Deafie, concentrating on cultivating the Dao and practicing swordsmanship.

Hao Su had always been curious as to why the Great Sword Immortal never made any requests of him until the very end.

Chen Ping’an remained squatting, cupping his fist in salute. Hao Su didn’t turn his head, but inclined his cupped fist towards Chen Ping’an, as a return salute to the Sword Qi Great Wall’s Hidden Official.

The Hidden Official and Xingguan reunited at the Sword Qi Great Wall, both appearing very casual.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Was Nan Guangzhao killed by you, senior?”

Hao Su nodded. “The price was much smaller than expected, at least I wasn’t detained in the Hall of Merit, fishing with Liu Cha.”

The meaning of the Sage of Rites was that Hao Su’s killing of Nan Guangzhao, a cultivator who ascended from the Central Earth Continent, was a mountain dispute, an old debt. Originally, the Confucian Temple wouldn’t have stopped Hao Su from going to the Azure Billow Heaven, but since it happened after the Confucian Temple’s meeting, it was a violation. The Confucian Temple considered the situation and allowed Hao Su to kill a Great Demon in the Ascended Realm, or two Immortal Realm demon cultivators here.

So Hao Su stayed in the Vast Sky Continent. The Sage of Rites’ opinion was usually one that left others with no opinion.

Actually, with Hao Su’s temperament, it wasn’t impossible for him to force his way through with his sword, because Dao Lao Er would receive him at the junction of the two heavens, but Hao Su didn’t think it was necessary. Besides, don’t provoke the Sage of Rites, no matter who else you provoke.

Lu Chen sat on the edge of the city wall, his legs dangling, heels gently tapping the wall, sighing, “This poor Daoist had to shamelessly beg for charity in City Lord Guo’s territory at White Jade Capital to create a small, shabby study room, naming it Viewing a Thousand Swords Abode. Seems my ambition was too small.”

No one paid him any attention.

If it were at White Jade Capital, it wouldn’t be so silent.

Glancing at the south, Lu Chen reached up to adjust the Daoist crown that served as the symbol of the White Jade Capital’s sect leader, tsking, “This Huang Luan truly has good eyes, knowing to imitate this poor Daoist’s lotus crown, too bad his luck is a bit off, otherwise I would have definitely exchanged pleasantries with him this time.”

Lu Chen turned to look at Chen Ping’an, smiling, “Seeing an angler by the river, may I ask how many years have you been fishing?”

Chen Ping’an coldly replied, “Reel in the rod, hang the fish basket, sickle at the waist to cut autumn chives?”

Ning Yao and Xingguan Hao Su ignored the two of them exchanging riddles. Both swordsmen were people who didn’t like to think too much, coincidentally sitting next to people who were most willing to think too much.

Lu Chen said with a serious expression, “Chen Ping’an, I said back then, if you spruced yourself up a bit, you wouldn’t look bad. You looked so doubtful then, but how about it, do you believe it now?”

Chen Ping’an said, “If I remember correctly, Daoist Lu never said such a thing back then.”

Lu Chen rubbed his chin. “Did you accidentally forget, or did this poor Daoist misremember?”

Chen Ping’an clenched his fists, gently resting them on his knees.

Lu Chen blinked his eyes, looking hopeful, and asked, “Chen Ping’an, when will you visit the Azure Billow Heaven? This poor Daoist can help guide you to White Jade Capital, whether it’s Divine Firmament City or Purple Qi Pavilion, guaranteed smooth passage. You don’t know, among the outsiders in White Jade Capital, you, the Hidden Official, are the most curious and anticipated, at least one of them, and also Miss Ning from Flying Ascent City, Fei Ran from the desolate wilderness, and the martial artist Cao Ci, and the swordsman Liu Cai, who can even suppress Chen Shiyi. But what White Jade Capital is most interested in about Liu Cai is that he possesses two of this poor Daoist’s master’s self-cultivated Sword Nourishing Gourds, slightly better than you guys.”

Currently, Yu Dou, the Second Sect Leader, is in charge of White Jade Capital’s affairs for this century. In the next century, it will be Lu Chen’s turn to oversee the Azure Billow Heaven.

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

The Night Voyage Ship incident made Chen Ping’an feel a bit more secure. According to his teacher’s analogy, even the Most Sage Teacher and the Sage of Rites view the Night Voyage Ship, which comes and goes without a trace on the sea, like an imperceptible mosquito in a mortal scholar’s house. This meant that as long as Chen Ping’an was careful enough and his whereabouts were secret enough, he had a chance to escape White Jade Capital’s sight. Moreover, Chen Ping’an’s chance for Fourteenth Realm Harmonization likely lies in the Azure Billow Heaven.

Lu Chen seemed to see through Chen Ping’an’s thoughts, patted his chest like a drum, and vowed, “Chen Ping’an, think about it, what kind of relationship do we have? So as long as I’m overseeing White Jade Capital, even if you ascend from the Vast Sky Continent with your sword and crash into White Jade Capital, I can turn a blind eye.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Then it’s settled.”

Lu Chen looked surprised and guilty, embarrassed, “Ah? I was just saying it casually, you took it seriously?”

Seeing that Chen Ping’an was acting like a gourd with a tight stopper again, Lu Chen sighed, look, he’s no different from the Mud Bottle Alley boy back then. He gently tapped his knee with a hand and began to talk to himself, “Often seeing one’s own faults, one is in accord with the Dao, residing in a carefree nest, in a mind-fasting land of peace and joy. First forget form and attain self, then attain meaning and forget words, divine instruments uniquely transform in the realm of profound darkness, all things become one with me, then leave the dust and return to nature…”

Chen Ping’an frowned but said nothing.

Lu Chen raised a hand and conjured a leaf with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. After releasing his fingers, the leaf floated in the air, then fell. Then, he waved his hand, and the leaf was directed to change its trajectory, involuntarily moving closer to Lu Chen’s hand.

Chen Ping’an knew what Lu Chen wanted to say.

This is the dragging of humanity by something else, approaching. And among those “other things”, pure divinity is naturally the most attractive and inspiring.

It was also an extremely hidden and natural method set up by the ancient gods for the human race, both a shortcut on the path of cultivation and a bottleneck limiting the ascent of earth immortals in the past.

There are countless paths under the feet of cultivators in the world. The first-class are the orthodox doctrines and lineages, the second-class are the unorthodox and heretical paths, and the third-class are the crooked and external paths. There are ten thousand kinds of techniques, but only swordsmen and martial artists possess the pure prefix on their paths, and these two paths happen to be regarded as dead ends, one extremely difficult to break through the Ascended Realm bottleneck, and one always stopping at the Tenth Realm.
For millennia, only Chen Qingdu has truly ascended to the Fourteenth Realm as a pure swordsman.

The Dragon Slayer, often a guest in others’ homes and fond of wandering the mortal realm, took a shortcut, entering the Fourteenth Realm through an expedient path, utilizing a certain grand vow-based divine power of the Buddhist tradition.

Next was Xiao Xun, the previous Hidden Official, whose path to harmonization was even further from purity. Harmonizing with the Hall of Valor of the Wilderness was akin to harmonizing with favorable terrain, almost voluntarily abandoning the purity of the sword.

Then came Liu Cha, the former throne occupant, who unfortunately failed to stabilize his Fourteenth Realm, promptly struck down a realm by Chen Chun’an’s resolute action. The magnificent feat accomplished by this paragon of Confucianism, bearing the sun and moon on his shoulders, remains unknown to the cultivators beyond the mountains of the Magnificent World.

As for Yu Dou, the Second Sect Master of White Jade Capital, and the Taoist Priest Sun of the Great Profound Capital Temple, they possessed the most authentic lineages of Taoist teachings and were also swordsmen. Setting aside Taoist Priest Sun, whose loaning of the Immortal Sword Taibai was akin to relinquishing the Fourteenth Realm, the seemingly invincible Taoist Second was so accomplished in Taoist arts that his extraordinary swordsmanship was overshadowed, resulting in a disadvantage in being considered a “pure swordsman”.

Ah Liang, between the Dragon Slayer “Chen Qingliu” and the Hidden Official Xiao Xun, though with inescapable Confucian origins, came closest to Chen Qingdu’s purity as a Fourteenth Realm swordsman. Therefore, cultivators atop the mountains of several worlds, especially those in the Fourteenth Realm, breathed a sigh of relief when Ah Liang’s realm declined, even those like the female Taoist of the Azure Darkness World who attended the riverside conference, despite not being Ah Liang’s enemy or even having interacted with him.

The heavens and earth of these worlds, and even the greater expanse beyond, held no bounds for a Fourteenth Realm swordsman. Carelessly, one might even traverse the legendary River of Time against its flow. If one possessed additional means to evade the sight of the Three Sages and the Sage of Rites, then, save for Bai Ze, the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue, and the Old Blind Man, these most seasoned Fourteenth Realm cultivators, who could they not slay?

Had Chen Qingdu, as a peak Fourteenth Realm swordsman, not perished in the Battle of Mount Tuoyue and been compelled to self-imprison himself, choosing to harmonize with the Sword Qi Great Wall, would he not have journeyed far, alone with his sword?

Especially if Chen Qingdu were to further advance on this path along the River of Time?

Thus, should a Fifteenth Realm swordsman appear in the human realm,

even the Three Sages would likely be powerless to stop him. All actions would be as he pleases, drawing his sword purely according to his desires, and a single strike could overturn the heavens and earth.

Lu Chen suddenly chuckled, “Chen Ping’an, if you can ascend to the peak of martial arts first, I eagerly anticipate the scene of you asking for a fist fight at White Jade Capital in the future.”

Pei Bei, the female Martial Goddess of the Great End Dynasty, and Song Changjing, the martial artist of the Great Li, were not true Eleventh Realm martial artists in the strictest sense, merely having one foot across the threshold.

Chen Ping’an responded, “That’s still a long way off, and whether that day will ever come is another matter. Senior Lu need not anticipate it so eagerly.”

Lu Chen smiled, “Chen Ping’an, your fist style is well-known. The Green and White dispute at the Gongdelin has now been heard throughout the mountains of the Azure Darkness World.”

Chen Ping’an said, “You overthink things.”

Lu Chen glanced at Chen Ping’an’s wrist and shook his head, “No, you underestimate it.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What are you doing here? Surely not just to chat nonsense with me, right?”

Lu Chen looked up and smiled, “Now that only two of the three moons remain in the Wilderness, this poor Taoist came early to take another look, lest one day only one moon remains, isn’t that so?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Perhaps.”

Two swordsmen of the Sword Qi Great Wall, via an intercontinental ferry, arrived at a ferry port at the ruins of the Rain Dragon Sect, returning to their homeland after having completed their travels through the Flowing Sunset Continent.

One was Chen Sanqiu, increasingly regretting not having sneaked off to the Fifth World, and the other was Diezhang, the head shopkeeper of the wine shop, who believed that she had three greatest fortunes in this life: helping Ah Liang buy wine as a child, meeting Ning Yao and other friends, and finally, opening a wine shop with Chen Ping’an.

In truth, besides the Sword Qi Great Wall, Upside-Down Mountain, Flood Dragon Gully, and the Rain Dragon Sect were all considered battlefield ruins. The largest mountain-shaped seal of Upside-Down Mountain, like the Ascending City, had departed for another world. However, Flood Dragon Gully and the area near the Rain Dragon Sect had been temporarily turned into ferry ports by the Confucian Temple. The current sect master of the Rain Dragon Sect was Yun Qian, the former mistress of the Water Crystal Palace, one of the Four Private Residences of Upside-Down Mountain.

But interestingly, Yun Qian publicly declared that she was only temporarily holding the position of sect master.

Years ago, she led people on a distant training journey, disembarking from the Tongye Continent and heading north, traveling through the Treasure Bottle Continent and the Northern Club Reed Continent, managing to narrowly escape disaster and preserve the Rain Dragon Sect’s legacy.

At a scenic ferry port, the intercontinental ferry named Taigeng, from the Snowy Continent, which had previously traveled south, carrying the cultivators from the Wandering Immortal Pavilion and the Red Apricot Mountain, was now docked. The old steward noticed the unusual behavior of the young cultivators in the group and asked suspiciously, “What happened on this journey? Did you get into a fight? Surely you didn’t encounter enemies near the Sword Qi Great Wall, did you?”

Zhu Yuan forced a bitter smile, her face pale and haggard. She said, still shaken, “We encountered the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall and had a conflict.”

The old steward was stunned and blurted out, “Then why didn’t you run?”

Jia Xuan said helplessly, “We had to be fast enough to run.”

The old steward nodded in agreement, “Encountering that person, not running is the right move. Standing still and taking a beating might lessen the beating.”

The old steward then consoled them, “Don’t think too much about it. Being personally taught a lesson by that Hidden Official isn’t something to be ashamed of. When you return home, it’ll be quite the tale to tell. It’s a win.”

He glanced at the young couple and smiled, “Cao Ci of the Great End Dynasty fared only slightly better than you. Just relax, this Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall has one good thing about him: fair deals, no cheating the old or the young.”

The old steward, Dai Hao, was an old acquaintance of the Wandering Immortal Pavilion and the Red Apricot Mountain.

Listening to his old friend’s comforting words, Jia Xuan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, and Zhu Yuan could only offer a bitter smile.
The old steward stroked his beard and chuckled, puffed up with pride, like some drunkard at a banquet recalling his past heroic deeds. “You wouldn’t know, back when Upside-Down Mountain hadn’t run off, in Spring Pennant Studio, ha, and I’m not just boasting here, but the atmosphere was so heavy then, swords drawn, bows strung, a palpable sense of killing intent filled the room. We were just businessmen dealing in ferry services, how could we have seen such a display before? Everyone was as silent as cicadas in winter. And then—”

He jabbed a thumb at himself. “How many Sword Immortals from the Great Wall of Sword Qi were there at the time? You couldn’t count them on two hands, a full eleven of them! If you add Chen Yin Guan and the two Nascent Soul cultivators, Yan Ming and Nalan Caihuan, that’s fourteen in total! Tell me, would any ordinary outsider dare to open their mouth in the face of such bloodthirsty sword cultivators? What were they even asking about?”

That council was held in the main hall of Spring Pennant Studio, with a multitude of Sword Immortals arriving from the Great Wall of Sword Qi to Upside-Down Mountain.

Mi Yu, Wei Jin, Sun Juyuan, Gao Kui, Yuan Qingshu, Xie Songhua, Pu He, Song Pin, Xie Zhi, Li Cai, plus Shao Yunyan, the host.

And the two Nascent Soul Sword cultivators, Yan Ming, and Nalan Caihuan.

Eleven Sword Immortals, two Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

Dai Hao sighed, “I hit it off immediately with that young Yin Guan, we were like old friends, talking and laughing. Chen Yin Guan isn’t old, but everything he says is filled with wisdom.”

Jia Xuan could only feign agreement, “By helping to kick off that council at Spring Pennant Studio, you paved the way for the smooth progress that followed. Old Brother Dai’s contribution was indispensable.”

Dai Hao nodded. “Yes, we merchants, reeking of coin as we are, can also be said to have done our best for that great strategy.”

As for the truth of the matter, none of the ferry stewards who were present that day are around now, so Dai Hao can spin whatever yarn he likes.

The reality was that after Dai Hao stood up and uttered some subtly barbed “fair” words, he was ridiculed by that young Yin Guan, and the chair beneath the old man felt like it was bristling with flying swords. He didn’t dare sit down again, no matter what.

The old steward suddenly lamented, “Whether it’s doing business or living life, you have to have a conscience.”

Glancing askance at the two young men and women, Dai Hao smiled. “Learn from your mistakes, or you’ll suffer for nothing. Once you’re down the mountain and out in the world, no one’s going to coddle you like your parents would.”

One a direct disciple of the Ancestral Hall of Wandering Immortal Pavilion, the other a fairy from Apricot Mountain of the Si River. They came to the ruins of the Great Wall of Sword Qi and were fond of exchanging glances on the ferry. Did they really think they were immortal lovers?

Dai Hao runs this Taigeng ferry all year round and has seen all sorts of people. Although the old steward’s cultivation isn’t much, his eyes are sharp. He saw the subtle change in the young couple’s expressions.

Dai Hao clucked his tongue. “Looks like they got a beating for nothing.”

These two young people lacked backbone but had plenty of arrogance. Maybe that’s just how dogs are; they can’t stop eating shit.

Life isn’t always a dog-slaughtering ground. There isn’t that much melodrama.

But the world is also a dog-slaughtering ground, with dog blood splattered everywhere.

Dai Hao mused to himself, “Old Brother Jia, I’m not familiar with Zhu Yuan and Apricot Mountain, so I won’t play the villain. But to you, I’m willing to offer a word of advice: in the future, when protecting others and traveling down the mountain, don’t let idiots smear your crotch with yellow mud. It’s easy to pull down your pants and expose your ass, but if you don’t, wiping it will look like you’re touching your crotch. In the end, whether you pull them down or not, you’ll be a laughingstock.”

Jia Xuan sighed. “Old Brother Dai’s words may be rough, but they’re true.”

Dai Hao stroked his beard and smiled. “Coarse grains nourish the stomach, rough words keep you alive.”

At the site of the Ancestral Hall of the Rain Dragon Sect, which was being rebuilt on a grand scale, Yun Qian stood on the mountaintop, filled with emotion.

As long as the green hills remain, there’s no fear of running out of firewood.

It was true, just as that young Yin Guan had said.

If it hadn’t been for that young man’s reminder back then, the Rain Dragon Sect’s incense, which had lasted for thousands of years, would have been completely extinguished by those beasts from the Wildlands.

That secret letter sent to the Water Crystal Palace contained only two words: “Northward Migration.”

It had once been casually discarded by her senior sister, but Yun Qian had picked it up again and carefully treasured it.

Besides the words, besides the signature of Sword Immortal Shao Yunyan, there were also two ancient seal characters on the letter: “Yin Guan.”

At the time, she had successfully led away sixty-two registered cultivators, including three Earth Immortals. Later, during her travels, she gradually recruited a dozen more disciples. Adding the cultivators gathered from the islands under the Rain Dragon Sect’s jurisdiction, it still didn’t amount to a hundred people. But that was all that the Rain Dragon Sect had left.

Yun Qian is now waiting for someone, the future Sect Master of the Rain Dragon Sect, the female sword cultivator from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, Nalan Caihuan.

Nalan Caihuan is now a Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal.

Back then, Nalan Caihuan had proposed a deal. Yun Qian wasn’t the type to kick away the ladder after crossing the river. Moreover, for the sake of friendship, reason, and public and private interests, Yun Qian was willing to welcome her as the Sect Master of the Rain Dragon Sect.

On a ferry about to arrive in the capital of Dali, Prince Song Jixin laughed, “Zhigui, you’re already a Ascension Realm cultivator. When should I help you change your household registration?”

In the household registry of Huaihuang County, Zhigui’s origin was still that of a lowborn slave. The state and even the Ministry of Rites of Dali would naturally follow suit.

Zhigui’s eyebrows were gentle, and she shook her head. “There’s no need to change it. It reminds me not to forget my roots.”

It was as if they were still the master and servant from Mud Bottle Lane, carrying water, drying clothes, washing vegetables, and cooking. Spending money freely, adding to their belongings. When the items in the house became too numerous to fit, she would casually sell them off, and that would become her private savings.

Song Jixin smiled. “Then whenever you have the idea, tell me.”

He looked at her profile, which was both familiar and unfamiliar.

The water transport of the Vast Expanse was divided into two by the Confucian Temple of the Central Earth. The Lady of Misty Waters, with the Daoist title of Qing Zhong, was in charge of the land water transport of the nine continents.

In addition, the water transport of the Four Seas was also divided into four, with a Great Water Lord seated in each of the four sea areas. Even divided into four parts, each individual sea area was still vast and boundless.

Three of the Great Lake Water Lords had taken the opportunity to rise to the high position of the Four Seas Water Lords, ranked as First-Rank officials in the newly compiled list of gods by the Confucian Temple of the Central Earth, the same rank as the Deity of Sui Mountain.
As the sole true dragon in this world, she was relegated to the position of Water Lord of the Eastern Sea. Were this the Zhigui from before that great battle, she would have considered the Confucian Temple’s actions as a deliberate insult. However, the current Zhigui merely sneered a few times before accepting the Water Lord position without hesitation.

On Mount Luopo, the Old Chef recently made a small cotton satchel for Xiao Mili to carry even more melon seeds.

Xiao Mili’s fondness for the satchel was in no way inferior to her love for the golden carrying pole. After all, she was never one to tire of the new while forsaking the old.

This morning, after a carp-like leap from her bed, Xiao Mili landed and stomped her foot. Having overslept again, she grabbed a mirror, pointed at her reflection, and scolded, “What’s going on? Sleeping in again, huh?! You even have the gall to smile? No more of that! If you sleep in again, I’m treating everyone to sauerkraut fish! Are you scared?!”

Chen Lingjun still frequented Dragon-Riding Lane every few days, busily chatting with Old Brother Jia. The old and young men endlessly repeated the same topics at the dinner table, yet neither seemed to tire of it. Encountering children “of roughly the same age” in the small town, Chen Lingjun would bounce and sway from side to side, leaping up to throw playful punches.

The Little Mute and Shopkeeper Shi Rou read many books together. He made a special trip to Red Candle Town and lugged back a large sack of books to the shop. Shopkeeper Shi Rou smiled and asked, “Do you have money?” The Little Mute shook his head, directly stating, “No money.”

“What’s the deal?”

“I found the shopkeeper and said Old Chef asked me to buy them, and that the money would be paid later.”

“Does that even work?”

The Little Mute grinned, “I’ll take responsibility. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll return them. Anyway, not a single word is missing from the books.”

“Oh, someone with a master is different, very assertive.”

Once, Zhu Lian accompanied Chen Lingjun down the mountain to Dragon-Riding Lane. The Little Mute gave him a few books, saying they were bought for him by Old Chef. “No need to thank me, just remember to settle the bill in Red Candle Town.”

Zhu Lian’s eyes lit up. He casually flipped through a few pages, coughed a few times, and grumbled, “This old man possesses upright righteousness; how could you buy me such books?”

The Little Mute reached out his hand, “If you don’t want them, give them back.” Old Chef had already slipped the books into his sleeves.

Chen Lingjun sighed and complained to Old Chef, “I advised against the Little Mute going down the mountain to work at the shop. It’s easy to become corrupted there.”

In the Ten Thousand Mountains, with the disciples and watchdog absent, only the Old Blind Man remained. Today’s guest was clad in a green robe, the Dragon Slayer who now went by the name Chen Qingliu.

Chen Qingliu smiled and asked, “I heard that Senior made an unprecedented decision to accept a personal disciple.”

The Old Blind Man nodded.

Chen Qingliu stood at the edge of the cliff and said out of the blue, “I only learned much later that when fishing with earthworms, it’s permissible to leave the hook exposed.”

The Old Blind Man said impatiently, “Spare me these empty platitudes.”

Fu Yu Xuan, who merged with the Dao of the starry river, opened his eyes and saw a young man with a bag hanging from his waist. The latter was truly walking the patterns of the Big Dipper, treading on air, and using the stars as stepping stones.

In ancient times, the Three Mountains governed the registers of life and death. In remote antiquity, the Five Peaks oversaw the operation of the Five Elements.

Yu Xuan glanced at the unremarkable bag, curious about how many talismans it contained, hundreds of thousands, millions?

Today, Chen Lingjun, having nothing to do after chatting with Old Brother Jia, wandered around the small town alone. He finally took a trip to his Old Master’s Mud Bottle Lane to see if there were any thieves. He then rose into the air, intending to return to Mount Luopo. He inadvertently looked down and noticed several unfamiliar faces, who appeared to be cultivators, although their cultivation levels seemed average.

Beside the Dragon Beard River, a middle-aged monk stood by the water’s edge. Outside a school in the small town, an old teacher stood outside the window. And a young Daoist child rode an ox in from the eastern gate.