The Wind Kite ferry was approaching Immortal Capital Mountain.

As expected, that immortal from Iron Tree Mountain, Daoist named “Dragon Gate,” had been surveying the surrounding myriad miles of Immortal Capital Mountain. Everywhere he looked were broken walls, remnants of buildings, and a desolate, ruined landscape. The entire area was in dire need of reconstruction.

Returning on the wind to Dense Snow Peak, he indeed found his disciple sitting with Zheng Youqian on the railing of a viewing platform, idly chatting.

It seemed the old saying about girls being drawn outward held true. Tan Yingzhou was saying to Zheng Youqian, “You’re useless at everything, but when it comes to finding Junior Uncle, you’re better than anyone.”

Indeed, those senior brothers and sisters, including himself, were actually senior uncles and aunts to many Iron Tree Mountain cultivators.

Not wanting to embarrass his disciple, Dragon Gate silently landed on the roof ridge, a level of consideration rarely seen in a master.

After all, he was an immortal, and not just any immortal. Things that the ghost immortal Yu Jin couldn’t see, Dragon Gate could discern with a single glance.

For example, Cloud Vapor Mountain and Tightly Woven Mountain, which formed a tri-mountain configuration with Immortal Capital Mountain, had their obfuscations penetrated by Dragon Gate. He could clearly see the words on the stone steles erected on their peaks.

Cui Dongshan, with a single step that shrank mountains and rivers, arrived beside Dragon Gate, laughing, “Daoist Dragon Gate has sharp eyes.”

Dragon Gate smiled faintly, “I couldn’t restrain my gaze, please forgive my intrusion.”

Cui Dongshan waved his hand and chuckled, “Daoist Dragon Gate, you’re being too polite.”

Dragon Gate looked around and couldn’t help but praise, “Stacking mountains and piling stones, it’s a whole other field of knowledge. In my view, it requires a mind with a vast landscape within, even more so than painting. Moving a few mountain peaks, shifting a few rivers, piecing together a picturesque scene of mountains and water isn’t too difficult. The difficulty lies in seamlessly patching it together, so that the Great Daos harmonize. Just take this Dense Snow Peak, the earthworks, roads, flowers, trees, and the rendering of smoke and clouds, while seemingly rough at the moment, are all marvelous. Once you put in more effort in the future, transplanting ancient trees, arranging them with varying density and slant, managing the blueprint, and adjusting the heights and depths, it will truly be a scenic wonderland.”

“Daoist Dragon Gate flatters me,” Cui Dongshan said.

Cui Dongshan clasped his hands behind his head, shaking it and laughing, “In terms of grand aura, I can’t compare to the old blind man of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. As for the refinement of subtleties, we have an old cook back at Fallen Phoenix Mountain who is the real expert.”

Dragon Gate couldn’t help but chuckle.

It was like wholeheartedly praising someone’s poetry as exceptional, only for the person being praised to say they’re not as good as Li Bai or Su Shi.

How was one supposed to respond to that?

Cui Dongshan looked into the distance, where the Wind Kite ferry was about to dock. He clapped his hands on the roof ridge, his bottom sliding down, ultimately landing lightly near the viewing platform.

Facing this white-robed youth, Zheng Youqian and Tan Yingzhou used the same title: Sect Master Cui.

Cui Dongshan nodded to the little girl as a greeting, then turned to Zheng Youqian, complaining, “Why are you calling me Sect Master? Call me Junior Brother!”

Zheng Youqian could only change his address.

Around the amiable and humorous Sect Master Cui, Zheng Youqian actually felt quite relaxed.

Cui Dongshan excused himself and transformed into a streak of white light, heading straight for the Wind Kite ferry.

Seeing Liu Jinglong and Bai Shou, the master and disciple pair, Cui Dongshan greeted them with a smile, “Sect Master Liu, Brother Bai.”

Seeing that only Cui Dongshan was present, and not *that* person, Bai Shou immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He smiled and cupped his fists, unusually refraining from calling Cui Dongshan brother, and instead used a proper title, “Sect Master Cui.”

Cui Dongshan suddenly bowed to Liu Jinglong and said, “Sect Master Liu, much appreciated, much appreciated.”

Liu Jinglong could only return the bow.

The matter of Mi Yu’s sudden retreat into seclusion had already been communicated to Dense Snow Peak via flying sword.

Cui Dongshan asked telepathically, “When will Sect Master Liu enter seclusion?”

Liu Jinglong answered honestly, “It’s hard to say at the moment.”

Cui Dongshan was, of course, very concerned about this matter.

In the future, if Mister needed assistance in the Azure Billow Heaven, the ones who would assist without hesitation and possessed the strength to help would undoubtedly be Liu Xiyang and Liu Jinglong, besides Matriarch.

Zhang Shanfeng might be added to that list, but this highly regarded disciple of Crouching Peak seemed to be in no hurry to breakthrough in his cultivation.

Personally leading the group off the ferry, Cui Dongshan suddenly thought of something and rubbed his chin. Could this be considered an unintentional stroke of good fortune?

His own Azure Lotus Sword Sect.

Liu Xiyang’s Dragon Spring Sword Sect, Liu Jinglong’s Grand Radiance Sword Sect.

Plus the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect and the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake?

That made five sword dao sects already.

However, Cui Dongshan was currently curious about one thing: why hadn’t Zhang Shanfeng arrived yet?

Tan Rong, the enforcer of Cloud Grass Hall in Pu Mountain, was already at Immortal Capital Mountain, staying at the Dense Snow Peak residence. Upon learning that his Mountain Lord had exchanged blows with Chen Hidden Official, and had actually advanced from the Qi Vigorous layer of the Stopped Realm to the Returning to Truth, Tan Rong cupped his fists and offered congratulations, “Congratulations, Mountain Lord.”

It was indeed a cause for celebration. For a martial artist to reach the Stopped Realm required innate talent, foundation, and opportunity, all three indispensable. And after that, breaking through the Qi Vigorous, Returning to Truth, and Divine Arrival layers of the Stopped Realm was even more difficult.

Ye Yunyun nodded, “It’s all thanks to Sword Immortal Chen’s helping hand. This enormous favor will not be repaid by Pu Mountain. I will handle it myself.”

In any case, she would be serving as a guest elder of Immortal Capital Mountain, and as a Jade Purity Realm Qi cultivator, she certainly wouldn’t lack opportunities to repay the favor.

Tan Rong recalled a secret matter and asked, “How did a direct lineage disciple suddenly appear in the Ancestral Hall for no reason?”

It turned out that a black-robed youth, using the alias Cui Wanzhan, had, under Tan Rong’s secret arrangement, become the newest direct lineage disciple of Cloud Grass Hall in a relatively inconspicuous manner. It was publicly announced that Cui Wanzhan was a pure martial artist of the sixth realm.

Tan Rong had previously received a secret letter from Ye Yunyun. Although this enforcer elder was completely bewildered, she could only do as she was told. Logically speaking, this kind of thing was against the Ancestral Hall’s regulations.

Only after arriving at Dense Snow Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain did Tan Rong realize that the youth was actually the first Sect Master of the Fallen Phoenix Mountain’s lower sect.

Ye Yunyun shook her head and said, “Don’t ask.”

Tan Rong glared and was about to get to the bottom of things. Did she think that the Pu Mountain enforcer was just a decoration?

“There will be a day when the truth comes to light. Enforcer Tan might as well wait and see. It’s not a bad thing anyway.”

Xue Huai quickly tried to smooth things over, laughing, “It’s just, why did Sect Master Cui choose such a strange alias, Cui Wanzhan?”

Ye Yunyun thought for a moment, “Wasn’t there a well-known Stopped Realm martial artist in Golden Armor Continent with the nickname Han Wanzhan?”
Tan Rong had no choice but to temporarily suppress his doubts and nodded, “I heard from a friend in the mountains that his real name is Han Guanghu, the top martial artist in Golden Armor Continent. He’s also a Zhen Guo Great General of a dynasty, renowned for his military exploits. Han Guanghu was one of the key figures who directed the war that devastated an entire continent, his troop deployments were very methodical. In the end, he and the ‘Sword Immortal Xu Jun’ who appeared out of nowhere, stopped the crazed Wan Yan Lao Jing. I heard Han Guanghu was severely injured in the process, causing his cultivation realm to regress, which is why he couldn’t participate in the Literary Temple discussions.”

Xue Huai sighed, “He’s a true warrior.”

A pure martial artist’s cultivation realm regression has more severe consequences than that of a Qi refiner.

Tan Rong suddenly realized, “Is he the Han Guanghu who assisted and deposed six monarchs?”

It’s no wonder Tan Rong was ignorant. Tongye Continent was already isolated, and Pu Shan Yun Cao Tang was notoriously unwilling to inquire about matters beyond the mountains.

In the past, even the neighboring Bao Ping Continent to the north, Tongye Continent cultivators had only heard of some mountain peaks. At most, they knew a little about Old Dragon City in the far south, the Zhu Ying Dynasty with many sword cultivators, the Shen Gao Sect of the White Jade Capital lineage, and the Yun Lin Jiang family with its long history. They’d be completely lost beyond that.

The only cultivator whose name they knew was probably the rebellious first disciple of the Literary Sage, the Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan.

As for Song Changjing, the martial artist of the Da Li Dynasty, Tongye Continent only began to hear about him after he reached the Zhijing Realm.

Suddenly, Tan Rong pulled out a landscape bulletin from his sleeve and slammed it onto the table in front of him. “Mountain Lord, tell me, besides the matter of Sect Master Cui, how many other things are you hiding from me?”

Xue Huai maintained a straight face, barely suppressing a laugh. Palace Warden Tan was quite angry today.

Tan Rong pointed at the bulletin, fuming, “Such a huge matter, why hide it from me? What kind of Palace Warden am I, really!”

Tan Rong had only learned of this matter from a friend who came by the peach leaf ferry in the Great Spring and handed him a copy of the landscape bulletin.

Generally speaking, bulletins from a Sect-level immortal mansion in Vast World are quite particular. There are many unwritten rules. Even if it’s extremely important and exclusive news, other landscape bulletins wouldn’t copy it directly. If they encountered an easy-going sect, they might turn a blind eye, but if they met one with a bad temper, they would directly scold them, and even send someone to question them. For example, in Northern Ju Continent, the Ancestral Hall was destabilized because of such minor matters countless times.

Ye Yunyun was completely bewildered. She reached out and grabbed the bulletin, quickly skimming through it. She rubbed her brow, “Tan Rong, whether you believe it or not, I just learned about these things in the bulletin as well. If you hadn’t brought this bulletin, even if I had attended the Lower Sect Establishment Ceremony at Fallen Phoenix Mountain and become a registered guest elder of the Azure Float Sword Sect, I would still be kept in the dark.”

Xue Huai was immediately curious. He asked his master for the bulletin, and his eyes widened, his expression solemn, his heartstrings instantly tightening.

Seeing that the two didn’t seem to be lying, Tan Rong said, “Mountain Lord, from now on, our Pu Shan can no longer be ignorant of world affairs.”

Ye Yunyun nodded, “The Mirror Flower Water Moon and the Landscape Bulletin will be entirely under your management from now on. You’ll get the people and the money you need.”

Tan Rong asked softly, “How did Sword Immortal Chen do it?”

Back at Pu Shan, from the first time he saw Chen Pingan, Tan Rong had believed that he hadn’t underestimated him in the slightest, but he didn’t expect that he had still underestimated him.

Ye Yunyun glanced at her own Palace Warden. *I* went to the Wilderness, are *you* asking *me*?

Tan Rong couldn’t help but sigh, “Such a feat, even an outsider like me, just looking at the bulletin, just thinking about it, would cause my Dao heart to become unstable.”

Xue Huai took the bulletin and repeatedly read it over twice, deeply agreeing with Palace Warden Tan’s heartfelt words.

Hidden Official leading, Lu Chen accompanying.

Ning Yao, the number one person in Five Colors World, Qi Tingji, the Old Sword Immortal who engraved words on the city wall, Xing Guan Hao Su, the Great Sword Immortal Lu Zhi.

Such a lineup…

This trip successfully killed two Ascendant Realm great demons, one of whom was the founding disciple of Grandfather Yue’s Tuoyue Mountain.

Traveling together, they instantly swept away an ancient battlefield, casually destroyed the Sect-level Baihua City, wreaked havoc in the Cloud Pattern Dynasty, interrupted the highest hairpin city in the world, fought the demon concubine Fei Fei of the King’s Seat, dragged the Yeluhe River, cleaved Tuoyue Mountain with a sword, moved the bright moon to the Azure Firmament World, and Zhen Wudi of the White Jade Capital personally welcomed this round of bright moon…

Forget doing it one by one, these were all things that one wouldn’t even dare to think about.

Even Xue Huai felt a little regret.

If only he were a sword cultivator.

Tan Rong asked, “Mountain Lord, if Sword Immortal Chen didn’t use his sword techniques, but only relied on his pure martial arts to exchange punches with Wu Shu, who would win?”

Xue Huai was also very curious about this matter. Since his master had already lost, then if they only talked about fist techniques, the only person in Tongye Continent who could compete with Mountain Master Chen was the Martial Sage Wu Shu.

The Zhijing Realm martial artists in the world are different from the peak great cultivators. Every millennium has a “good year” and a “bad year,” with obvious differences. The total number of Tenth Realm martial artists fluctuates slightly. Apart from Middle Earth Continent, the remaining eight continents have an average of two each. Some busybodies have roughly calculated the numbers. In the so-called small year of martial luck, when the situation is not good, the Zhijing Realm martial artists of the eight continents have never been fewer than fourteen people. In a good year, it would not exceed twenty people.

In Northern Ju Continent, Gu You of the Da Zhuan Dynasty and Sword Immortal Ji Yue of Ape Cry Mountain exchanged lives and died some years ago.

So now, among the martial arts grandmasters in the three eastern continents, besides Chen Pingan and Pei Qian, there are also Song Changjing of Da Li, Li Er of Lion Peak, Wang Fushuo, Wu Sheng Wu Shu, and Huangyi Yun of Pu Shan.

Ye Yunyun obviously already had an answer in mind and gave her conclusion without hesitation, “If it’s just a competition of fist techniques, Wu Shu wins. But if it’s a fight to the death, Chen Pingan lives.”

Tan Rong smiled, “It’s okay, anyway, Sword Immortal Chen is now considered half a Tongye Continent person.”

Xue Huai wanted to agree, but Ye Yunyun was already annoyed and said, “Have some shame!”

Xue Huai immediately nodded, “That’s inappropriate. Mountain Master Chen may not be happy to admit this statement, and furthermore, if this statement spreads, it will be a disgrace to our Tongye Continent.”

Fallen Phoenix Mountain is only choosing Tongye Continent as the location for its Lower Sect. As the master of the Upper Sect, Chen Pingan’s household registration and mountain records are still in Bao Ping Continent.
Tan Rong glanced at Xue Huai, who had defected to the enemy, and chuckled, “A reed shaken by the wind.”

The old General Yao Zhen was hunched over his desk, compiling a military treatise, not only summarizing the gains and losses of his life’s major and minor battles and training records, but also organizing the martial arts insights of the Yao family’s successive military generals.

The old man had spent his life on the battlefield, and he wanted to leave something behind for the Great Quan Dynasty.

This mansion was probably the only residence on Secret Snow Peak that used the mountain’s “earth dragon” technique, where the earth’s energy warmed the air, making the climate like early spring.

Therefore, there was no need for fire basins indoors, nor to wear thick cotton clothes or fox fur coats.

Yao Xianz’s knocked on the door and entered, limping as he sat down at the table. The prefect had just received an intelligence report from Mirage City. He gently placed the information on the table and smiled, “Grandfather, this Yu Dynasty is quite interesting. The old emperor hasn’t passed yet, and the Ministry of Rites is already secretly working on something. As soon as the crown prince Yu Lin ascends the throne, they will immediately change the reign title to the First Year of the Divine Dragon. As expected of the Yu Dynasty, which has close ties with Old Dragon City, they know how to plan.”

The old general smiled, “It’s not exactly opportunistic, but they might just get burned and end up shooting themselves in the foot.”

The newly appointed Water God of the Eastern Sea was Wang Zhu, the only true dragon in the world. The Yu Dynasty’s use of the “Divine Dragon” reign title was clearly an undisguised gesture of goodwill.

It was just unknown whether the legendary Ascendant realm female cultivator in Treasure Bottle Continent would appreciate this gesture.

The old man picked up the intelligence report, glanced at it, and smiled, “The current crown prince of the Yu Dynasty is quite good, with General Huang Shanshou wholeheartedly assisting him. In the capital, there is the Verdant Accumulation Temple, and on the mountain, there is also the Azure Seal Sect. They have also established ties with Old Dragon City in the north. Once the new emperor ascends the throne, the nation’s power will rise; this is an unstoppable trend.”

Yao Xianz’s curled his lips, clearly disliking both the Verdant Accumulation Temple and the Azure Seal Sect. When a war broke out, they ran faster than rabbits, adopting the tortoise method: when it was time to turtle, they turtled.

The old man folded the intelligence report again, returned it to his grandson, and said softly, “Don’t look down on these people who don’t care about face at all. First, provoking them easily leads to more harm than good. Second, you have to admit that many things can only be accomplished by true villains and hypocrites, not by noble gentlemen.”

Seeing that Yao Xianz’s was still unconvinced, the old man sighed, “What defeats morality and principles isn’t better morality and principles, but some fabricated, low-class gossip and anecdotes. Often, hundreds of thousands of words of painstaking effort are no match for a few hundred words of erotic novels in later generations.”

Yao Xianz’s looked gloomy because he thought of His Majesty the Emperor. The numerous privately printed erotic books had never been completely banned. Fortunately, compared to the “grand occasion” when almost every scholar and elegant man had a copy, things had calmed down a lot after the great war. You had to know that in the most extreme cases, even officials on duty in the Imperial Academy would read these things, only with the book cover changed.

Yao Zhen smiled and said, “The officialdom is not like scholarship. How to use gentlemen and villains is a great art. The person who uses them best can be called ‘consummate,’ possibly Chen Ping’an’s eldest disciple. Otherwise, you wouldn’t think that the civil and military officials of Great Li are all selfless gentlemen and pure Confucians, born to be capable ministers and officials, would you?”

Yao Xianz’s rubbed his chin, “If only I could be like Mr. Chen, having such an all-knowing and resourceful senior brother, tsk tsk.”

The old man shook his head and said, “You’re just talking without feeling any pain. In fact, having such a senior brother is very stressful. Not to mention that the senior brother is a literary genius, take Treasure Bottle Continent’s Wind and Thunder Garden as an example. Do you believe that if Liu Baqiao didn’t have a senior brother like Huang He, he might already be a Jade Purity Realm sword immortal? Once Li Tuanjing leaves and he inherits the position of garden master, he won’t be able to catch his breath and relax in sword practice. But precisely because there is a Huang He, Liu Baqiao doesn’t have that kind of indomitable spirit. I believe that the reason Huang He went to the barbarian battlefield was not only because he really wanted to practice his sword there, but also to put some pressure on Liu Baqiao.”

A family, a sect, is generally like this. When someone is too dazzling, the others inevitably fade in comparison. Others either develop laziness, enjoying the shade under the big tree, or easily lose motivation.

For example, their Yao family was no different.

Yao Xianz’s tentatively asked, “Grandfather, are you really not going to persuade Mr. Chen again?”

If his grandfather was really determined and strongly persuaded Mr. Chen to serve as the Great Quan Dynasty’s national preceptor, he wouldn’t dare say it would definitely succeed, but there would still be some hope.

The old man shook his head and smiled, “Being old and not dying is being a thief, and relying on one’s seniority is even more annoying. Do more things that help others succeed and fewer things that force others to do what they don’t want to do.”

Yao Xianz’s knew that his grandfather had made up his mind, so he didn’t say anything more.

Unexpectedly, the old man said with a smile, “Besides, what’s the use of that empty reputation? If Great Quan really encounters some difficulties, do we need you to contact Immortal Capital Mountain? I don’t think so.”

Yao Xianz’s praised, “Old ginger is spicier.”

The old man picked up his pen again to write his book and said softly, “Life has all sorts of flavors: it can’t be without salt, and it can’t be without spice.”

He had just been writing about the selection of military generals, and after chatting with his grandson, he inexplicably remembered a sentence and wrote the words “Strong and vigorous, yet not reckless.”

The old man only wrote a few words before putting down his pen again and turning to look out the window.

How great is the Qian! Strong, vigorous, upright, pure, and refined. Clouds move and rain falls, bringing peace to the world.

Perhaps there are always some principles that remain the same from ten thousand years ago to the present and will remain the same ten thousand years from now.

Huang Ting, wearing a lotus crown and carrying a long sword on her back, leaned on the railing, looking out at the newly built ferry outside the mountain.

Standing beside her was Fellow Daoist Yu Fushan, the shopkeeper of the Ink Line Ferry store.

Yu Fushan leaned on the railing and smiled, “This Immortal Capital Mountain doesn’t seem to have a very large estate.”

There was only one Immortal Capital Mountain. Although there were also a few peaks suitable for cultivation, enough to support five or six Earth Immortal cultivators in opening residences and dojos, it still seemed somewhat barren for a sect.

Huang Ting was a little absent-minded, her thoughts wandering tens of thousands of miles away.

Yu Fushan asked, “Miss Huang, who exactly is that guy who helped us connect, allowing you to serve as the chief guest elder?”

Yu Fushan really couldn’t see through the cultivation level of that mysterious figure in a rain cape, so he was always wary of him.

He was always worried that this guy would have something happen with his favorite Miss Huang.

He was a formidable rival.
Upon learning that Huang Ting had journeyed to the Five-Colored World and returned as a Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal, Yu Fushan was filled with ambitious plans for the reconstruction of Taiping Mountain. To acquire a ancestral tablet for Taiping Mountain, he was willing to sell all he owned, such was his ardent desire.

Born as an ancient Fushan fish and now a Nascent Soul cultivator, his path of cultivation differed significantly from that of ordinary Qi Refiners. Unfortunately, the path of transforming into a dragon via river navigation was fraught with peril. Previously, he had hesitated to embark on such a journey. Due to his innate connection to the Great Dao, once he entered the waters, he would need to “carry a mountain” on his back, the higher the quality of the mountain, the better. This would inevitably lead to a perilous struggle for dominance among mountains and waters, promising a turbulent journey.

Moreover, success was not guaranteed with a single river navigation attempt. He recalled the tale of the eel spirit near Daquan’s Buried River, repeatedly thwarted by the Buried River Water Goddess.

Therefore, the options were limited for top-tier demon cultivators in the Vast Land. Some, like the Mountain-Moving Ancestor of Zhengyang Mountain, served as protectors of Immortal Abodes, or sought affiliation with powerful clans like the Yunlin Jiang Clan, gaining official status. Others, like Madame Tuoyan of Plum Blossom Garden, had to retreat to Upside-Down Mountain, seeking a stable cultivation ground. Yu Fushan’s initial plan was to travel to the Snowdrift Continent, seeking out Wei She, hoping to impress the esteemed old deity and become a Lord of a Peak. Wei She was known as the “Master of Thirty-Seven Peaks,” with peaks like Refining Sun Peak and Worshipping Moon Mountain renowned throughout the Vast Land, serving as havens for demon cultivators.

Huang Ting did not mind Yu Fushan’s attempts at gaining an advantage with words, but reminded him, “In Immortal Capital Mountain, remember to curb your temper, be cautious in your speech, and don’t take your cultivation realm too seriously.”

Yu Fushan joked, “I’m at least a seasoned Nascent Soul cultivator, with a foundation in the Great Dao. Can’t I strut around in Immortal Capital Mountain?”

Huang Ting couldn’t help but chuckle, “Is the Nascent Soul Realm really that impressive?”

Strut around? One wrong step, and you’ll be carried out horizontally.

Yu Fushan didn’t actually overestimate his own cultivation realm, but he wanted to chat more with Huang Ting. He continued, searching for topics, “Could it be that Immortal Capital Mountain hides some reclusive master?”

Yu Fushan stole glances at the woman’s smiling face, truly beautiful.

Captivating and mesmerizing, no wonder he fell for her at first sight.

Alas, Huang Ting may have won his heart, but not necessarily his body.

He noticed a figure returning to Secret Snow Peak after a long journey, a foreign cultivator named Guoran.

Huang Ting then asked, “Iron Tree Mountain, you’ve heard of it, haven’t you?”

Yu Fushan couldn’t help but smile. “I’d have to be deaf not to have heard of Iron Tree Mountain.”

If joining Wei She was a good option, then for demon cultivators like them, Iron Tree Mountain in the Central Earth Continent was a sacred place of yearning.

The Sect Master, Guo Outing, was known by the Daoist name “Gloomy Clarity.” This Ascension Realm Grand Cultivator was rumored to have cleaved open the Yellow Springs Road with a single blade, and despite the divergent paths of gloom and clarity, successfully slew a Ghost Immortal on the path to the Netherworld, escaping unscathed. Guo Outing’s combat prowess and killing power were beyond comparison with old Ascension Realm cultivators like Nan Guangzhao. True Fire Dragon once joked that fortunately, there was only one realm between Immortal and Fourteenth.

Unfortunately, Tongye Continent had been too isolated in its early years, and the tales of extraordinary figures and events at Iron Tree Mountain in the Central Earth were outdated.

Yu Fushan was merely a shopkeeper at an immortal ferry, a form of refuge that barely qualified as a minor seclusion in the city.

There were two places in the world that he had to visit in the future.

Besides the “non-blooming” Iron Tree Mountain, there was also White Emperor City in the Colored Clouds.

Huang Ting continued, “Have you met the little girl named Tan Yingzhou?”

Yu Fushan nodded. “I’ve met her a few times. The little girl is always accompanied by a little demon. I advised the two children not to wander around outside, as it’s easy to get into trouble.”

Although the Vast Land was now at peace, it was a chaotic era for mountain and marsh demons. Those with high cultivation realms were better off, as registering with the academies provided a passport and a protective charm. But those demon cultivators below the Earth Immortal Realm, especially in the lower five realms, were like mud, precariously poised. If it weren’t for the fact that the Headmaster of Da Fu Academy was Cheng Longzhou, and the three academies were about to issue clear regulations, the local demons of Tongye Continent, whether they were enlightened or transformed, would likely face a bleak fate, with few survivors.

Yu Fushan was restless and liked to wander around, having explored Green Plume, Banished Immortal, and Secret Snow peaks. He was quite familiar with the children Tan Yingzhou and Zheng Youqian.

“According to Iron Tree Mountain’s lineage, the little girl only needs to call Guo Outing Grandmaster.”

Huang Ting was revealing a secret to Yu Fushan. “Do you think Tan Yingzhou is likely to get into trouble wandering outside?”

Indeed, she was likely to get into trouble, but it was those who provoked the little girl who would be in danger.

Yu Fushan was stunned, unable to believe it. “What?!”

That little brat was Guo Outing’s grand-disciple?

He had just realized that he was so close to Iron Tree Mountain?

Huang Ting nodded. “Tan Yingzhou’s master, the one you said had a poorly chosen name, ‘Guoran,’ is actually Guo Outing’s youngest disciple. He’s not an Earth Immortal as you mistakenly thought, but a genuine Immortal who once joined forces with Sword Immortal Cao Xi in the Southern Poso Continent to defend the Sea-Suppressing Tower. He has earned no small merit at the Confucian Temple. As for killing power, frankly speaking, crushing a Nascent Soul cultivator with a finger would be easy.”

Yu Fushan swallowed hard.

He quickly reviewed his words and actions, making sure he hadn’t been disrespectful. Fortunately, he hadn’t patted that Brother Guoran, whose Daoist name was “Dragon Gate,” on the back.

Huang Ting asked, “What’s the name of Zheng Juzhong’s closed-door disciple from White Emperor City?”

Yu Fushan was envious. “It seems to be a favored son of heaven, the madman Gu Can. It’s said that he came from the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven in Treasure Bottle Continent, and somehow became Zheng’s direct disciple. He’s truly blessed.”

Yu Fushan didn’t dare to address Guo Outing and Zheng Juzhong so casually, as Huang Ting did. He didn’t have the same temperament as Huang Ting.

He wasn’t ashamed of being timid, because he wasn’t a sword cultivator.
After waiting for quite some time without hearing Huang Ting speak, Yu Fushan cautiously asked, “And then?”

Huang Ting couldn’t possibly just randomly pull out a Gu Can, could he? Could it be that the little spirit named Zheng Youqian had some connection with White Emperor City?

Yu Fushan’s eyes lit up as he interrupted Huang Ting, answering his own question, “I understand. This little spirit is a direct disciple of the Glazed Pavilion lineage of White Emperor City?”

It had to be!

Master Zheng of White Emperor City had a junior brother named Liu Daochun, the owner of the famous Glazed Pavilion, and Liu Daochun was a spirit by birth, quite famous.

He had managed to extrapolate, hadn’t he?

Generally speaking, in the Great Dao, whether a cultivator was famous enough could be verified in some peculiar ways.

For example, those who had been scolded by Gu Qingsong, offended Liu Daochun, were heard of in Tongye Continent, attended the Green God Mountain wine banquet at Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven, or had their names on a shadow wall in the Master Sword Chamber of Upside-Down Mountain.

It was best not to provoke these cultivators. Gu Qingsong could scold, and Liu Daochun dared to offend, not only because they had exceptional cultivation, but also because they each had reasons that others envied.

One’s master was the Third Master Teacher of Jade Capital, and although Lu Chen didn’t acknowledge this eldest disciple, his direct disciples in the Great Dao, like Cao Rong and He Xiaoliang, were extremely respectful to Gu Qingsong, their unofficial senior brother.

The other’s senior brother was Zheng Juzhong.

Why else would the Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain have descended the mountain back then, carrying the immortal sword “Myriad Laws” and even the Yangping Zhidu Gong Seal?

To subdue demons? Liu Daochun was only in the Jade Purity Realm, while Grand Celestial Master Zhao Tianlai was in the Ascension Realm, so why make such a fuss?

In the end, Zhao Tianlai, with sword and seal in hand, was reminding White Emperor City, or rather, the demonic behemoth Zheng Juzhong, who was Liu Daochun’s senior brother.

“This humble Daoist came down the mountain only to subdue demons, so don’t force me to ‘exterminate demons’ as well.”

Huang Ting shook his head and said, “According to the literary lineage of the Confucian Temple, Zheng Youqian is a genuine Confucian disciple.”

Yu Fushan asked in confusion, “Then why were we talking about Gu Can?”

Huang Ting suddenly didn’t want to say more, “You’ll understand everything tomorrow at the celebration. By the way, after the celebration, we don’t need to rush to leave. You can come with me to Treasurefall Shoal on Qingyi River to listen to Mr. Xiao Mo’s teachings.”

Yu Fushan asked, “Teachings? Who?”

The word “teachings” carried a lot of weight in the mountains, especially coming from Huang Ting.

Huang Ting smiled and said, “Older than you, higher realm than you, broader knowledge than you.”

Yu Fushan hesitated for a moment, then nodded, “I’ll listen in and see how high his Dao really is.”

Huang Ting smiled without responding.

She recalled a strange incident. At Little Dragon Pool, when Chen Ping’an went to Wild Garden, the demon-revealing mirrors that served as mountain and river restrictions shattered on the spot.

At the same time, in the Mi Xue Peak mansion, the old woman Qiu Du, the Ruler of Chilong River, and the young girl Hu Chuling sat on a mat woven from reeds and cattails.

According to mountain rankings, the grass mat was only a spiritual item, warm in winter and cool in summer, something that wealthy officials could afford down the mountain. Around the mat were four mat weights, four exquisite golden dragons, slender and lifelike. The dragon heads had double horns, long snouts, and slender necks, with their tails curled back. They were cast from slender gold bars and etched with scales.

Qiu Du carefully took out some items and gently placed them on the mat.

Unlike the grass mat, these items, treasures from the old Dragon Palace of the Great Rivers, were priceless.

The flood dragons, who once controlled the flow of water under heaven, hoarded countless treasures as masters of rivers and seas. After the Dragon Slaying Campaign, the ruins of the dragon palaces and the shattered secret realms became the two acknowledged great opportunities of the mountain.

On the mat was a night-luminescent pearl as big as a fist, and two ancient mirrors with shimmering light.

There was also a bronze candlestick that could hold two candles of different heights.

Finally, there was a verdant horsetail whisk.

In addition, there were many other relatively “ordinary and inexpensive” treasures that had not yet been taken out, all stored by the old woman in a Spatial Artifact and a Pocket Universe item.

The old woman looked kindly and said softly, “Cucu, pick two things you like. The rest will be your initiation gift to Immortal Capital Mountain and Sword Immortal Chen.”

No matter what, she had to take advantage of tomorrow’s celebration to help Cucu obtain disciple status from Sword Immortal Chen, even if it wasn’t official for now.

If that didn’t work, she would take a step back and have Cucu become a direct disciple of Sect Master Cui, a Sect Master herself.

The girl reached out a palm, pressed it against the night-luminescent pearl, and gently rubbed it. Then, she picked up the horsetail whisk, lightly swung it, draped it over her arm, and pretended to be an immortal. The girl was overjoyed. She put down the whisk and picked up the two ancient mirrors to play with for a while, before finally putting them all back on the mat. She clapped her hands and smiled, “I like them all. Grandma, you can pick one or two for me.”

The old woman shook her head and said, “On the path of cultivation, having a good eye is very important. Cucu, you have to choose yourself.”

Hu Chuling’s gaze wandered. Finally, she gently tapped the bamboo mat with one hand, then pointed to the red-gold dragon-shaped mat weights and smiled, “Grandma, I want these two.”

The old woman smiled and nodded, neither approving nor disapproving of Cucu’s choice.

The old woman just reached out her withered hand, picked up a mirror with a silver-white surface, gently breathed on it, wiped it with her wrist, revealing a look of reminiscence, and whispered, “This mirror is called the Water-Fetching Mirror. It can draw water from the moon. Cultivators who hold the mirror to the moon can absorb the essence of the bright moon. It is most suitable for cultivators practicing water techniques to refine as their Natal Treasure. It was once Miss’s dowry.”

Hu Chuling pointed to the other ancient mirror with layers of golden ripples on its surface, which was similar in style to the Water-Fetching Mirror, like a pair of Dao companions. The girl asked curiously, “Grandma, what’s so mysterious about this mirror?”

The old woman smiled and explained, “Usually, you just need to put it in the sunlight to nourish the ancient mirror, like a cultivator exhaling and inhaling, it’s wondrous. It can accumulate sunlight. In the cold winter, cultivators only need to pour a little spiritual energy onto the mirror, and it can shine for a hundred miles, as bright as day. Legend has it that if a cultivator suspends this mirror in the air and walks in the light, they will be immune to all ghosts even on the ghostly road, but no one has ever tried it, so I don’t know if it’s true.”
These two ancient mirrors were once a gift from an enlightened Daoist roaming the lands to the Dragon Palace of the Great Deep as a token of his visit. Their grade wasn’t particularly high, merely magical artifacts, but they were personally forged and refined by that Daoist master, making them quite significant.

Regrettably, the old woman was still young when that Daoist visited the Dragon Palace, and she didn’t witness the terrestrial immortal in person. She only knew a Daoist title mentioned by the older Dragon Palace instructors: Pure Yang.

They also said that this Daoist’s origins were unclear, and he was unrestrained and unconventional. His words were bolder than the heavens themselves, once stunning all the guests present by saying that all the terrestrial immortals and golden cores in the world were fake.

The Daoist tapped his wine cup with his chopsticks, composing a “Knocking on the Trigrams Song.” It’s said that the Dragon Palace had historians record this Daoist verse-like text, not daring to be careless, and even inscribing it on extremely rare Azure God Mountain bamboo slips. However, the characters on the bamboo slips vanished on their own in less than three days.

The most mysterious thing was that all the guest cultivators present unanimously only remembered the last line of that Daoist verse:

“Refine a supreme elixir, and you’ll know my Dao is not a false claim. If you ask where this elixir comes from, then contemplate the two words Pure Yang.”

Logically speaking, such an enlightened master playing in the mortal realm should not only be famous throughout the world, but shaking an entire continent wouldn’t be difficult. There should be at least some immortal traces and anecdotes.

But over the years, Qiu Du had never heard any news about that “Pure Yang” master.

As for that unremarkable candlestick, it was actually a lamp ward, belonging to the type of “snail shell dojo” as they say on the mountain.

If you light the two Dragon Palace-made candles, cultivators can reside within it. At first glance, it’s just a small house, but when you open the door, it becomes a mirage-like thoroughfare. The only difference is that it lasts for one day and one night.

In fact, the two mirrors and one candlestick can complement each other. In the end, the two lamp ward illusions are equivalent to connecting day and night into one, and the sun and moon combine to form an elixir, consummating merit and achieving a golden core, then whisking one away on the road to immortality.

Therefore, it is most suitable for a pair of Daoist companions below the level of terrestrial immortals to cultivate together, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Hu Chuling blinked her eyes. “Granny, did I pick the two least valuable items?”

The old woman quickly waved her hand, laughing heartily, “No, no.”

Seeing that her master didn’t want to say more, Hu Chuling didn’t ask further.

Before the Dragon Slaying Campaign, the secular dynasties used an ancient ritual to worship mountains and rivers, “burying” for land mountains and “sinking” for rivers and seas.

And these four red gold walking dragons, used by Qiu Du as paperweights, were the key sacrificial objects in the “burying earth and sinking water” ceremony of the first female emperor in the history of the vast world.

However, there were a total of eighteen back then. The Dragon Palace of the Great Deep in Tongye Continent only obtained one from the East Sea Dragon Palace, and then collected four through various covert means.

The swordsman Tao Ran, who set up a stall near the Ten Thousand Li Phosphorus River, was stepping into Immortal Capital Mountain for the first time.

Anyway, there wasn’t a single acquaintance in the mountain, so he lived alone in a mansion on Dense Snow Peak, enjoying the peace and quiet. He had yet to see the blue-robed saber wielder who claimed to be “Chen Ping’an.”

Zhang Shanfeng, after leaving Fallen Mountain, calculated the days and boarded an Old Dragon City intercontinental ferry on his own. He disembarked at the Qingjing Mountain ferry, because he heard that the Old Immortal Lu of Qinghu Palace was a friend of Chen Ping’an, and they were both from the Daoist sect. He thought that Lu would not dislike his cultivation level. However, that Old Immortal Lu, a dignified Nascent Soul old immortal, was more than just not disliking him, he was so polite that Zhang Shanfeng almost mistook him for the next Abbot of Qinghu Palace. Zhang Shanfeng pleaded and begged, and Old Immortal Lu finally agreed to let him leave, personally seeing him off all the way to the ferry, accompanying Zhang Shanfeng on board, exchanging pleasantries with the ferry manager, and finally helping him to get a top-class room before the old immortal disembarked.

He disembarked at the next immortal ferry, which was some distance away from Immortal Capital Mountain, but there was a ferry that could go directly to Ink Line Crossing. Finally, Zhang Shanfeng began to travel on foot on the border of a dynasty that had been restored for only a few years. Anyway, he had calculated the time, and he would definitely be able to make it to the sect celebration on the day of the Beginning of Spring next year. Alone, the young Daoist carried his sword box, walking in the night.

Zhang Shanfeng took out a lamp-lighting talisman made of yellow paper from his sleeve, pinched it with two fingers, and raised it high.

Old Real Person Liang Shuang, with his disciple Ma Xuanhui, left Luo Jing’s Accumulated Emerald Temple and soon found this direct disciple of Crawling Peak named Zhang Shanfeng.

The old real person did not appear directly, but found the Yuan Lingdian who was secretly protecting the Dao. He did not hide his identity, stroked his beard, and smiled, “I am Liang Shuang. I have only met True Man Fire Dragon once. Although I stole his title of Grand Heavenly Master with a different surname, I had a very pleasant conversation with your master. You are Yuan Lingdian of Pointing Mystery Peak, right? Your Daoist aura is very heavy.”

Yuan Lingdian bowed with a Daoist gesture, “Junior Crawling Peak Yuan Lingdian, greets Heavenly Master Liang of Dragon Tiger Mountain.”

Liang Shuang said, “True Man Fire Dragon is so biased towards Zhang Shanfeng, and you senior brothers are still able to maintain this state of mind. Crawling Peak is indeed remarkable, and its family style is almost unique.”

Yuan Lingdian smiled freely, “Worshipping True Man Fire Dragon as our master is originally a universally recognized fact.”

In fact, his master did not quite agree with this statement. I don’t even have a disciple in the Ascension Realm.

But a certain senior brother once quickly added, “Accept Zhang Shanfeng as your disciple,” which immediately made his master extremely happy.

In terms of cultivation, Yuan Lingdian did not think that he was worse than anyone else, but only in this kind of matter was he truly no match for those fellow disciples.

Previously, at that Qingjing Mountain ferry, Yuan Lingdian quietly appeared and made a trip to Qinghu Palace to personally thank Lu Yong.

Every Crawling Peak cultivator, when traveling abroad, would not lack etiquette.

Lu Yong was speechless for a long time when he learned that the other party was Yuan Lingdian of Pointing Mystery Peak in Northern Ju Continent.

Because he had been to Treasure Bottle Continent, he knew a lot about the mountain allusions of that Northern Ju Continent. Even setting aside the fact that Yuan Lingdian was a high disciple of True Man Fire Dragon, just saying that in that Northern Ju Continent, where swordsmen were like clouds, a Jade Purity Realm Daoist who was not a swordsman was said to be “more than capable of dealing with an immortal,” then it could be imagined how high Yuan Lingdian’s combat power was.

Liang Shuang asked, “When are you going to Immortal Capital Mountain?”

Yuan Lingdian said, “It still depends on what Junior Brother thinks.”
The aged True Man cast a few more glances at the young Daoist, lamenting, “It’s a pity that Fellow Daoist Pure Yang isn’t here. Otherwise, your junior brother’s future Core Formation would manifest even grander omens.”

Yuan Lingdian chuckled, “Such matters cannot be forced. Moreover, in my opinion, whether Junior Brother receives guidance from Ancestor Lu or not makes little difference.”

Liang Shuang clicked his tongue in amazement, truly worthy of being a disciple taught by the Fire Dragon True Man, their manner of speech so similar. However, the aged True Man did not entirely agree with Yuan Lingdian’s statement, “‘Pure Yang’ carries a great weight of meaning.”

Yuan Lingdian nodded with a smile. His master had actually mentioned this Daoist of the Pure Yang lineage, and with extremely high regard.

After all, this was a cultivator who could utter the phrase, “A single Golden Core resides within my belly, only then did I realize my fate is not dictated by the heavens.”

His master’s assessment of the Pure Yang True Man could be summarized in two sentences.

“Liu Qi and Zhou Mi’s Willow Tendon realm, one ascended to the heavens in a single bound, one was the pioneer, and the other reinforced the path, adding a few more steps. Wei She of Aiai Continent’s Nascent Soul, compared to Yao Qing of the Azure Vault’s Corpse Severing and Refinement at this realm, it is difficult to determine who is superior.”

“Lu Yan’s Golden Core is unmatched, peerless under heaven.”

The aged True Man and his disciple Ma Xuanhui followed Yuan Lingdian, keeping a distance behind Zhang Shanfeng.

The young Daoist held a talisman, a point of light in the night.

Earlier, Chen Ping’an, at the Scaled Carp River outside the betrothal shop, had requested a copy of the Dragon Tiger Mountain Celestial Master’s Office initiation and investiture rites from the aged True Man.

Even Cui Dongshan wouldn’t dare claim to understand the entire process. In the words of Liang Shuang, the Dragon Tiger Mountain’s honorary Great Celestial Master, it was merely for Fellow Daoist Chen to observe the ceremony in advance.

The aged True Man looked at the point of light ahead, stroking his beard and smiling, a sense of inspiration arising within him.

A person who travels at night, holding a candle, dwells within the light himself.