The mountain was shrouded in continuous rain, the verdant foliage most keenly aware of spring’s arrival.

At the foot of what was now called Crooked Waist Mountain, the mountain deity, Song Ji, who had also renamed herself to reflect the mountain’s new moniker, used her divine gaze to peer towards the capital city of Jade Promulgation Kingdom.

She could no longer afford to worry about the fate of the Ma family, but instead fretted about her own Crooked Waist Mountain, bordering the capital, fearing it would be caught in the crossfire. She only wondered what kind of storm that group from before would stir up within the capital. She dreaded the kind of earth-shattering battles where divine beings clashed without restraint. Those three wine patrons who had sought shelter from the rain at her establishment—Liu Xianyang, the current master of Dragon Spring Sword Sect; Gu Can, the direct disciple of Master Zheng of White Emperor City; and Pei Qian, one of the four grandmasters of Bottle Continent—each were once figures so eminent that Song Ji wouldn’t have dared to dream of meeting. Setting aside their identities and power, Song Ji was, after all, a female mountain deity, and thus held the utmost admiration for the young Pei Sect Leader, whose fame had spread throughout the world. If it weren’t for the upheaval in Jade Promulgation Kingdom today, how delighted would Song Ji be to have them drink at her shop? Song Ji sighed wistfully, envying the neighboring water deities who could at least retreat a little further from the storm. She lifted her skirt, revealing a pair of embroidered shoes, lamenting that the golden statue of the deity in her mountain shrine was “footless” and unable to move.

Just then, an elderly man dressed like a peasant farmer appeared out of thin air at the doorway, startling Song Ji so much she nearly knelt to pay her respects on the spot. After all, this was her direct superior’s superior, their divine ranks vastly different. The newcomer was none other than Tong Wenchang, the Mountain Lord of the Western Peak of the continent, now to be respectfully addressed as Divine Lord. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stepped across the threshold and said, “No official business today, no need to be so formal. I’m just looking for a place to drink. You’re the host, I’m the guest.”

Song Ji was shocked, yet also relieved. With Divine Lord Tong present, her small mountain shrine was surely safe. She immediately relaxed her worried brow.

Inside the capital, Gu Can used his Earth-Shrinking magic, leaving the palace in a single step. He went straight to the vicinity of the Imperial Observatory, not even bothering to greet his nominal maidservant. He wandered the street stalls like a tourist, casually browsing books in a shop selling rare editions. He selected a book of immortals falsely attributed to a certain Realized One, and instructed the shopkeeper to place it in a prominent location. In the marketplace, such books weren’t particularly popular. Gu Can casually opened a page that described how a mountain immortal cooked various medicinal meals. According to the book, the delicacies of the immortal’s mountain wilderness held great mysteries, and eating them was invigorating without causing weight gain. They could turn turbid Qi into lightness, and over time, the diner could become as light as a leaf, swift of foot, and traverse mountains and rivers as if walking on flat ground… Gu Can shook his head with a smile. For an alchemist to enter the mountains to cultivate and reach the state of lightness and agility, it wasn’t that simple. However, a comment in the book was insightful, as if it revealed a secret of heaven, “Ancient Sages refined elixirs, gathering herbs from remote mountains and rivers.”

A charming woman swayed into the shop, deliberately staggering and twisting her waist, falling towards Gu Can’s embrace. Gu Can didn’t even look up, only reaching out to stop the woman’s forehead and push her away. The shopkeeper, watching from the side, was wide-eyed, not expecting this customer who only looked but didn’t buy to be such a virtuous gentleman. Had it been him, he would have also reached out to “assist,” but in his haste, he might have accidentally pressed down on the wrong part of the beauty’s body.

The woman straightened up, covering her mouth and giggling, “Was the esteemed young master’s journey stable?”

Gu Can ignored her, instead asking the shopkeeper, “Do you sell any ‘One Hundred Swords Immortal Seal’ manuals?”

The shopkeeper was puzzled and curiously asked, “Who compiled it? Is it an original or a replica?”

Gu Can smiled, put down the book in his hand, and left the shop with Gu Lingyan. Walking down a relatively quiet alley, he roughly inspected Gu Lingyan’s haul and collected it all, giving a mediocre appraisal, “Passable.”

Gu Lingyan took out a square item shaped like a mountain ghost charm from her sleeve, happily taking credit, “There’s this too.”

Gu Can asked, “What is it?”

Gu Lingyan said, “They’re all old calendars, from different years, and some professional books related to calendars. Calculations aren’t my forte, they give me a headache, so I just stuffed them all into this tiny object.”

Gu Can separated a sliver of his divine sense and examined the contents of the charm. He casually glanced through it, only taking out a few thin booklets, as if picking the very best, and tossed the tiny object back to her, “Return the rest of the calendars to the Imperial Observatory.”

Since ancient times, human dynasties had the established practice of compiling and issuing calendars. Some enthusiasts on the mountains liked to collect them, treasuring calendars from different dynasties and years. However, Gu Can only kept the laws and calendars compiled and edited by his predecessors, and some corrections to the attached tables of the sun and moon’s positions. He seemed uninterested in calendars. Seeing her looking discontented, Gu Can roughly explained, “According to marketplace sayings, if you collect a full cycle of sixty-year calendars, your home will be struck by fire.”

Gu Lingyan blinked, “What does that mean?”

Gu Can said, “It means your house will easily catch fire and burn down.”

Gu Lingyan asked, “Really?”

Gu Can said, “Some things are better to believe than to disbelieve. There’s no need to test them out for yourself to verify their truth.”

Seeming to be in a good mood, Gu Can rarely spoke a few more words to her, “If a star change causes floods and disasters, the courts of various countries will ‘bring out’ a complete set of sixty-year calendars to perform acts of suppression. Therefore, the place where the Imperial Observatory stores calendars from various dynasties becomes very particular. For example, one of the characters in the name of the book tower will generally have the ‘water’ radical, such as Abyss, Source, Trace, Ford, etc.”

She nodded repeatedly like a chick pecking at rice.

Gu Can suddenly asked, “Where did you get this mountain ghost charm?”

Gu Lingyan smiled charmingly, “The Barbarian Wastelands also have immortal ferries and marketplaces, okay? Can’t I step in dog poop and find a bargain?”

Mountain ghosts are meant to be distinguished from orthodox mountain gods. Mountain ghost charms blessed by Taoist temples are considered pure Yang objects, and can be used to ward off evil and can also be worn.

Even on the mountains, these charms are quite popular, because there’s no concern of inviting a god that’s difficult to send away, and they work well for opening furnaces and guarding treasuries.

Gu Can said, “It’s worth some money, keep it safe.”

Gu Lingyan asked, “Has Young Master still not decided on a location for the sect?”

Gu Can nodded, “It’s not a small matter, no rush. It’s best to look at a few more places.”

Gu Lingyan laughed, “In the end, Young Master is just hesitant and indecisive.”

Even at the cost of antagonizing Spirit Flight Palace, he insisted on intervening to buy the land of Joy Union Mountain from the Green Apricot Kingdom court, which was said to be a miniature Book-Brief Lake.
Gu Can couldn’t possibly find money too hot to handle, could he?

The bottom line was that Gu Can was hesitating. He had impulsively considered establishing the sect within the Hehuan Mountain region, wanting to do something to prove something to someone.

But reason told him that such a choice would be an utterly idiotic move.

Gu Can didn’t want to discuss this with her, so he shifted his thoughts elsewhere and chuckled to himself.

She curiously asked, “What amusing thing has Master thought of?”

Gu Can smiled and said, “Baoping Continent is alright, with its secluded nature and limited information. The flower blooms inside the wall but smells outside. In other places, there are some interesting perspectives. Some believe he comes from a scholarly family, well-versed in poetry and literature since childhood. The reasoning is quite amusing: ‘See how many books he possesses, surely not the words of a commoner.'”

She covered her mouth and giggled, finding it truly amusing.

Gu Can continued, “Even those who understand his basic origins, knowing he was a peasant, would say it’s a case of ‘a noble son arising from a humble family, a high-ranking official emerging from a thatched hut,’ undoubtedly stating that ‘Lord Chen had great ambitions to achieve great things for the world since he was young.'”

Thinking about these flattering words, Gu Can couldn’t help but laugh.

She cautiously said, “If the Central Earth Literary Shrine hadn’t deliberately concealed the truth, it wouldn’t be surprising if people not only respectfully called him ‘Lord Chen’ but even honored him as ‘Chen Zi,’ wouldn’t it?”

Gu Can responded with a smile, not taking it too seriously.

“Master, have you ever thought about what kind of person you absolutely want to become in this life?”

“I’ve only thought about what kind of person I don’t want to become.”

“Give me an example.”

“Like a pretty but useless embroidered pillow like you.”

“Oh, my Master, whether I’m useful or not, you haven’t even tried me out yet.”

Rain falls from the sky to the ground, a lovers’ quarrel at the bedside mends at the foot of the bed, ha ha.

Arriving at a certain place and seeing Gu Can stop, Gu Lingyan asked with confusion, “Master, what is it?”

Gu Can said, “Waiting for someone. We agreed to meet here.”

Gu Lingyan became even more curious, “Is there a hidden expert in the palace?”

Gu Can said, “There aren’t that many loopholes to exploit. National Preceptor Huang Lie, a Golden Core cultivator. I’m recruiting him to be a venerated elder of the sect. He’s familiar with the mountain traditions and officialdom rules, so he can help handle some administrative affairs.”

Gu Lingyan asked, “Is it necessary?”

Gu Can said, “White Emperor City certainly doesn’t need it, but my sect does.”

This was a famous scenic spot in the capital, slightly touched by immortal aura, called Moon Mirror Pool, where various colored carp were raised. Since ancient times, the common people of the Jade Proclamation Kingdom’s capital had the custom of releasing living creatures here. A pavilion was built by the pool, with an ancient mirror hanging on the lintel. The couplet was mottled and extremely old, the content being “Fish, shrimp, turtles, and snakes need not hide, this light only shines on dragons.” It was said that on every bright moonlit night, the water surface here was particularly bright and clear, the ripples sparkling, as if it were indeed as the couplet said, not a false claim. Just now, Gu Can had not entered the pavilion but had stopped near the entrance of a Taoist temple nearby. Nestled in the bustling city, it was a deserted and unpopular temple, the kind that ordinary scholars would miss when passing by. Gu Lingyan looked at the small and quiet Taoist temple, the couplet here also strange, “A piece of spirit combines with the divine, I wonder who else is more qualified.” It seemed more like half a couplet’s text… Gu Lingyan instantly understood, could it be that it and the pavilion’s couplet together made a complete couplet? With that in mind, Gu Lingyan took a better look at this cold and quiet little Taoist temple called “Chongyang,” but unfortunately, she was not skilled in the art of observing Qi, so she couldn’t see more clues. As for saying that some hidden experts playing in the human world were cultivating here, she didn’t take it seriously, let alone care. First of all, the spiritual energy in the temple was thin, and secondly, what was called a virtuous expert? She herself was a jade of excellent aptitude. Could it be that immortals were stationed inside, ascending here to refine elixirs?

She turned her head and saw a… not-so-young Golden Core Earth Immortal approaching.

Was he the master of this Taoist temple?

Gu Can asked with a smile, “Has the handover been completed?”

Huang Lie nodded and said, “According to your instructions, I told Xue Pang the truth. When he heard it was you, he had a face like he was eating shit and didn’t dare to say anything.”

Suddenly realizing that this metaphor seemed a bit inappropriate, the old man hurriedly smiled and said, “A slip of the tongue, please forgive me. Anyway, both sides were polite and parted amicably.”

Gu Can said, “You can speak more casually in the future. Xue Pang could tolerate a National Preceptor who picks lice and takes off his boots. My tolerance is somewhat greater than his.”

Huang Lie smiled and said, “That’s great. On the way here, I was still worried about whether I would be tricked into joining the sect and then be treated differently.”

Gu Can shook his head and said, “You still don’t understand our White Emperor City. The outside rumors are exaggerated and cannot be trusted. Within White Emperor City, native-born cultivators of noble lineage are more unruly when doing things outside, while those who joined halfway are more disciplined.”

Huang Lie carefully said, “Do I have the opportunity to take a quick tour of White Emperor City, just to get a general idea of its appearance? I am really curious and yearn for it, my heart has longed for it for a long time.”

Gu Can said, “In the future, the threshold for White Emperor City will only get higher and higher. This matter is indeed not easy, but it can be discussed, such as when you reach the Nascent Soul realm.”

Gu Lingyan seemed to have just discovered this person, her smile charming, and sarcastically said, “Oh, extraordinary, so it’s a Golden Core Old Immortal.”

Huang Lie laughed heartily, “So-so, average.”

Gu Can glanced at her, reminding her, “Speak human.”

She was obviously someone who listened to advice, and gracefully stepped aside, performing a curtsey, “Maid Lingyan, greetings Senior. I have only followed Master for a short time and do not understand the rules and etiquette. I beg Senior to forgive me.”

Gu Can introduced, “She is now going by the name Lingyan. She comes from a barbaric demon race, a Jade Purity cultivator, with excellent aptitude.”

Huang Lie was not surprised at all. The City Lord Zheng’s esteemed disciple, how could he not have some pomp when traveling? However, just bringing a Jade Purity maid was nothing to be surprised about.

That was what he thought, but the old Golden Core cultivator couldn’t help but feel melancholy in his heart. The seemingly weak young woman in front of him was ultimately an unattainable Jade Purity cultivator, and the key was that she came from the barbaric world.

Huang Lie couldn’t help but ask curiously, “What kind of person is Mountain Master Chen? Is the real scene inside, like White Emperor City, also very different from the rumors outside?”

Gu Can smiled and said, “No need to repeatedly use him to beat me.”

Huang Lie’s scalp tightened, “I dare not, Sect Master Gu misunderstood.”

Gu Can said, “Then try not to let me misunderstand.”

Only at this moment did Huang Lie somewhat truly understand the unique style of the White Emperor City’s native-born cultivators.

Gu Lingyan smiled charmingly.

Gu Can asked, “Where is this?”
Huang Lie smiled, “This place, historically, was once a family temple built with donations from high-ranking officials. Its ancient name was Alchemy Temple, but now it’s called Chongyang.”

Gu Can nodded, “Earlier, I noticed the auspicious aura here, of course, relative to your Yu Xuan Kingdom’s capital. So it was called Alchemy Temple? No wonder I felt this was a good place for alchemy. The name change is excellent, probably by an accomplished individual. Being close to the water allows one to seize opportunities first. The predecessors deliberately chose this place to refine the Water Elixir, no doubt. The name Chongyang further enhances it. Great bellows melt objects, a great furnace molds metal, purple light gradually appears, and red energy becomes even deeper. I estimate that a so-called terrestrial immortal will appear in the future. As for how long that future is, whether it’s decades or centuries, I’m an amateur in the art of Qi Observation, so I’m not sure.”

The art of Qi Observation is different from ordinary immortal techniques and supernatural powers, and also from the so-called Heavenly Eye. Its origin and wonderful functions are all different. This method is similar to the art of talismans, with a high threshold, emphasizing the cultivator’s talent and innate qualities. Success or failure seems to depend not on human effort but on destiny. Only mountain and water spirits, even unlicensed shrines not recognized by the court, can immediately master this method once they have gilded statues and established temples. Besides the imperial astronomers of various countries, there are also wandering eccentric scholars and fortune tellers.

Huang Lie said, “Want to go in for a cup of tea?”

Gu Can shook his head, “Let’s wander around somewhere else, wherever we end up.”

The mundane world, with its myriad desires, taints the human body; the furnace of heaven and earth forges the golden elixir.

People say immortals are good, a single golden elixir ensures eternal life. But little do they know the difficulty of cultivation, the heart may be refined to ashes.

Stopping and going along the way, sorrowfully watching the willow colors, chasing after the deepening spring.

Within Chen Ping’an’s inner world,

On the city wall, Ma Ku Xuan was standing behind a Zhou Mi, resembling an unlicensed deity of the mountains and waters, his golden body gleaming, his smile serene, as if he were only missing the words, “Finally, we meet again.”

Although knowing it must be an illusion, Chen Ping’an still felt strange and frowned, asking, “How did you do this?”

Ma Ku Xuan calmly said, “Summoning souls.”

Ma Ku Xuan’s eyes burned, as if he had presented a great mystery for Chen Ping’an to solve. “Isn’t your memory always good? Didn’t things like this happen often near Apricot Blossom Lane and Mud Bottle Lane in the past? Forgotten? When children are frightened and lose their souls, their parents would lead them through the streets and fields, calling out their names, to help the lost souls find their way home. So many ancestral crafts in the human world have been lost, I’m just picking them up again. How’s the effect? Gave you a scare, didn’t it? To be able to make Chen Yin Guan, the sword immortal who has seen the world, so apprehensive, it’s worth my painstaking efforts and countless dark deeds, not a loss.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Have you thought about the consequences?”

The interaction between man and heaven, which cultivators are always thinking about, refers to the resonance between man and the universe. Are you, Ma Ku Xuan, not afraid that Zhou Mi, who occupies the old site of the Celestial Court in Heaven, will establish a connection with the human world? That he will separate a body and descend to earth? What if something goes wrong? Especially at this crucial moment when the founders of the three religions have already dispersed.

Ma Ku Xuan looked like he had heard the funniest joke, “You’ve already come to my door to kill me, and you’re advising me not to go all out? What am I keeping this kind of trump card for, to use during ancestor worship next year?”

Chen Ping’an was silent.

Ma Ku Xuan stared intently at the guy who had held a grudge for so many years and said in a deep voice, “I’ll give you two choices now. Either you immediately withdraw from the Ma family, and the old grudges will be written off, and I’ll also persuade them to give up the idea of enjoying incense offerings and achieving immortality through the divine path, growing old and dying naturally day by day. Or, for the sake of avenging your personal vendetta, you’re willing to risk dragging the entire human world into a vortex, to be my enemy. Of course, it’s just a risk. I didn’t say that this summoned soul behind me necessarily has the ability to harm the human world. You can gamble!”

Chen Ping’an said, “You’re mistaken. The consequences I’m talking about have little to do with this world. Starting from scratch and cleaning up messes are both things I’m good at. I’m talking about yourself. You really want Ma Yan Shan and Ma Yue Mei to offer a few cups of wine to you, their elder brother, who they see as the pillar of the family, during the Qingming Festival next year? Granny Ma of Apricot Blossom Lane once delivered me. Your grandmother may not remember the old days, but I have to remember this kindness. Although this matter is ultimately a business transaction, one of the many businesses she has done, I heard people say when I was young that the process of my mother giving birth to me was not easy, quite dangerous. That’s why my father left the original Bao Xi kiln and went to your kiln to be a master potter and take apprentices, because he remembered that kindness. The Ma family of Apricot Blossom Lane has its own family teachings, and the Chen family of Mud Bottle Lane has its own family traditions. That’s why I’ve been advising you all along, advising you not to go too far, to leave yourself a way out. I can wait for you to come and take revenge on me later.”

Ma Ku Xuan was silent for a moment and said, “Then you’re also mistaken. I don’t intend to take any revenge for them one day. I only think about repaying their kindness for bringing me into this world, and then we’ll be even. So your coming to take revenge is a dead end between us. Why did I earn that bag of money when I was young, and deliberately reveal the news of you and Ning Yao hiding in the Immortal’s Tomb? Would I covet that little bit of gold and copper coins? Why did I think that you and I were fellow travelers, the same age as everyone else in the entire Li Zhu Cave Heaven, and you were the most pleasing to my eye, but I had to deliberately increase the karma between us, just so that you and I could meet one day and quickly decide life and death, without any hesitation? Whoever died could settle the scores between the two families. But your performance today makes me very…”

Ma Ku Xuan paused slightly before slowly uttering two words, “Disappointed.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Ma Ku Xuan, it’s not me who’s conflicted, it’s actually you. Because you’ve never recognized and accepted your roots. Deep down, you无比 abhor your own distinct origin and can’t see your fate for tomorrow. That’s why you became the only friend with Yu Shi Wu, who had the same circumstances. You don’t accept where you come from, and you can’t find where you’re going. You’ve become a rootless duckweed in this world.”

“Since yesterday was all wrong, then tomorrow will only be more wrong. So you’ve been waiting for today.”
Having said all this, Chen Pingan took a deep breath, smiled, and rolled up his sleeves. “I know this feeling because I’ve walked this path myself. You’re right, we are kindred spirits, at least for a significant portion of our lives, we’ve tread the same ground.”

Ma Kuxuan stated, “It’s a pity we are destined not to be friends. Then let’s make this long-awaited ‘today’ as satisfying as possible. Don’t let it turn out like that Green Peak Mountain wine from your shop, which makes everyone who drinks it frown. I’ve tried it; I even went to the trouble of having someone bring me two jugs. What a rip-off.”

Chen Pingan smiled and said, “That kind of nonsense can only come from someone who doesn’t appreciate wine. Drinking depends on the setting. At the shop, you only need to spend a single snowflake coin, a simple transaction. Drink it then and there, that’s it. But if you ask a friend for a favor, have it transported from the Sword Qi Great Wall, across the Upside-Down Mountain, to the Treasure Bottle Continent, and finally delivered into your hands on True Martial Mountain, will the same wine taste the same? You’re not just expecting the flavor of a snowflake coin.”

Ma Kuxuan asked with a smile, “Why are you suddenly so talkative?”

Chen Pingan pointed to the towering “Zhou Mi,” who stood over two zhang tall. “Isn’t it just to see how long this worthy brother can last? You’re now in the Immortal Realm. If you had summoned a Fourteenth Realm illusion, you certainly wouldn’t waste a single word on me, and I would gladly avoid battle and delay. If it were a Transcendent Realm thug, given your temperament, you’d only put on a show for a few words before interrupting me, so I could retreat while fighting. But now, it seems he’s at most a pseudo-Transcendent, an Immortal Realm cultivator with some Transcendent Realm tricks up his sleeve. He’s burning incense and descending in person, and it will last quite a while, so you’re not in a hurry?”

Ma Kuxuan tutted and said, “As expected of a sword cultivator, truly despicable.”

Snow fell from the sky, thick as goose feathers, unclear whether it fell from above or rose towards the heavens.

Ma Kuxuan had heard that sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, regardless of their cultivation level, had no graves after death, and thus no customs of ancestor worship.

This snow, on the city wall, resembled a tomb, the endless snowflakes like countless white paper offerings, a sacrifice to heroic spirits.

People become ancient, lands become ruins. All has passed.

Ma Kuxuan smiled radiantly and called out, “Chen Pingan.”

Chen Pingan asked in confusion, “Hmm?”

In an instant, anomalies manifested. The entire sky coalesced into a lightning pool, its momentum vast, like the heavenly tribulation summoned by a great cultivator in seclusion. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning as thick as a mountain peak split from it, twisting several times in the air before straightening into a line, becoming increasingly condensed and slender, its contained Daoist essence even more astonishing, like a golden flying sword crashing down on Chen Pingan. Just as this golden lightning was about to strike Chen Pingan’s head, a tremor resounded from the lightning pool in the sky. Chen Pingan, whether unable to dodge or wanting to test the weight of this “heavenly lightning,” did not move, instead delivering a punch upwards to meet the “sword tip” head-on. It exploded with a bang, showering countless golden sparks within a hundred zhang radius, making Chen Pingan seem to be in a blazing fire, forging swords.

This single strike, or rather, this heavenly lightning, possessed power no weaker than a full-force blow from a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator.

Yet Ma Kuxuan had not used a single trace of spiritual energy, holding no talismans and needing no incantations to summon the lightning.

In total, the lightning split into five colors, perfectly embodying the Five Elements cycle, endlessly generating, constantly branching out from the lightning pool, giving Chen Pingan no chance to catch his breath, striking the city wall one after another.

Five Thunderbolts Strike the Summit, this was originally a Daoist term. Because of its immense power and deep-rooted influence, ordinary people and heroes of the martial world often said, “If I break my oath, may clouds appear above my head and the heavens strike me with five thunderbolts.”

Ma Kuxuan had already shrunk the earth veins, moving his body to another location, far from the battlefield, smiling and saying, “Human techniques are mastered by Qi cultivators, but divine powers are our domain.”

After enduring dozens of heavenly lightning strikes, Chen Pingan’s fist was a bloody mess, his bones visible. His entire arm was numb, and he could only shake it, scattering the long chain of electric light that still clung to his arm, like a dozen snow-white electric snakes, onto the ground.

Chen Pingan was somewhat puzzled. Why hadn’t Ma Kuxuan taken the opportunity to throw out a few more lightning divine powers?

Earlier, when they had spoken of Dragon Tiger Mountain’s Celestial Master’s Residence, Ma Kuxuan had seemed arrogant, not highly regarding the Celestial Master’s Five Thunders Righteous Method, even feeling qualified to teach Zhao Tianlai the true meaning of lightning techniques. No matter how high Ma Kuxuan thought of himself, he didn’t believe his attainments in techniques surpassed Zhao Tianlai’s, but Ma Kuxuan was a reincarnation of a deity, originating from the ancient Heavenly Court’s Lightning Department, claiming to be the orthodox lineage of lightning techniques, which was indeed not a problem.

Ma Kuxuan smiled from afar, “You don’t even use the chance I deliberately gave you to catch your breath, so presumptuous, instead wanting to take the opportunity to refine your fist intent and temper your body at the same time. You Tenth Realm martial artists are truly remarkable, enviable, extremely enviable.”

As he spoke, the lightning pool heavenly tribulation descended lower and lower, the overwhelming pressure suffocating. The vast lightning pool, which had accumulated countless ancient Daoist intents, was like a deep pond of water, diverted by Ma Kuxuan with great divine power, channeled onto Chen Pingan. It created a pattern akin to pouring river water into a well. In one fell swoop, lightning with Daoist intent as thick as slurry, because of the excessive frequency of lightning strikes, connected one after another, without interruption, the originally intermittent booms of thunder became continuous rolling thunder, as if a divine being was drumming in the clouds, with someone pressing their ear against the drum surface. Not to mention Chen Pingan, who was in the midst of it all, even Ma Kuxuan felt a tightness in his chest, reaching out to gently rub his ear, scoffing, “Illusions of the heart are ultimately false.”

It turned out that a portion of the Sword Qi Great Wall had already been shattered by hundreds of lightning strikes. The mustard-seed figure in scarlet stood amidst the ruins, continuing to resist the heavenly tribulation with his bare fists. Each punch he delivered was accompanied by billions of sparks, a magnificent and brilliant scene, indistinguishable between a sea of fire or the scattered stars of the boundless void.

“You still dare to say you’re only fighting me as a martial artist? Are you really not going to use shrinking earth techniques or sword escape?”

“I want to see how long a pure Qi of a Limit Realm Grandmaster can last.”

According to Ma Kuxuan’s calculations, once Chen Pingan took a breath, in the interval between the new and old Qi, he would reward him with another divine hand.
A cultivator’s very being is a “blessed land,” their flesh and bones the mountains and rivers. The so-called cultivation is using a bridge of longevity to connect to the “cave heavens,” refining the spirit and qi within. The Buddhist saying that obtaining a human form is difficult is no mere platitude. Why is it that all the enlightened demon races upon the earth seek so desperately to achieve a human form? There are, of course, advantages to be gained. With a human form, cultivation becomes twice as effective. In a sense, humans are… free deities.

This thunder pool of heavenly tribulation, in theory, could completely suppress a jade-pure realm swordsman, crushing them into dust, their very souls extinguished, with no hope of an afterlife. Even if a great cultivator from the mountain peak, capable of traversing the underworld, tried to salvage the situation, it would be an exercise in futility. With this unique divine ability, slaying a jade-pure cultivator or severely injuring an immortal was the absolute limit of Ma Ku-xuan’s “human strength.” Any further demand, even the slightest, would require Ma Ku-xuan to pay a strict, perfectly equal price, entering the divine path, returning to his divine position, and becoming a god!

And this trend of the Great Dao is irreversible. Therefore, if he were to steal even half a point more of heavenly secrets, Ma Ku-xuan would completely abandon his seven emotions and six desires, no longer bound by karma, even if he retained the memories of this life. So this is a paradox: if he wanted to borrow more of the divine path to help his divine powers become vast and capable of crushing an immortal, Ma Ku-xuan would no longer be Ma Ku-xuan. Since this path had temporarily reached its end, Ma Ku-xuan prepared several gifts for Chen Ping’an on another path, as a way of treating a guest.

In the collapsed bottom, amidst the sky-filling flying snow, golden lightning roamed and raged.

Human power has its limits, yet the owner of that crimson Dharma robe showed no sign of weakening in their majestic fist intent.

Could it be that Chen Ping’an could really “devour” the entire thunder pool in one fell swoop?

Ma Ku-xuan asked curiously, “Are all peak martial artists this formidable?”

Regarding the subtleties of cultivation, Ma Ku-xuan was an expert, with extremely high insight. Only when it came to martial arts had he never personally engaged, knowing very little.

Zhou Mi replied from the side, “Because he is unprecedented in the Qi Gathering realm, uniquely blessed by Heaven, allowing him to endure longer.”

Ma Ku-xuan twitched the corner of his mouth. “If he has the ability, let him endure. It’s actually a good thing.”

Zhou Mi remained noncommittal.

Ma Ku-xuan laughed heartily, slapping his knee. “When he escapes later, this fellow will definitely complain to me, ‘Your methods are too despicable.’ Isn’t that so?”

Zhou Mi reminded him, “Being in the formation, it’s a little early to be happy.”

After all, this barbaric sea of literature, summoned by Ma Ku-xuan through spirit writing, was an existence that Ma Ku-xuan had visualized using ancient secret methods and then “smelted and forged,” essentially using the natal divine abilities of two of the twelve high-ranking ancient deities at the same time, far beyond what ordinary puppets could compare to. Ma Ku-xuan named it “Soul-Calling,” secretly conforming to heavenly secrets, which wasn’t too bad.

Zhou Mi smiled. “Men fight for a breath, gods receive a stick of incense. Indeed, it’s appropriate.”

Upon the earth, Chen Ping’an’s fist techniques were so simple that they were almost devoid of any moves, free from convention.

The flourishing of his fist intent was even more vast and unparalleled, like a god unburdened by incense, breaking free from shackles, walking the mortal realm.

Ma Ku-xuan’s face was illuminated by golden light and the color of snow, his eyes fixed, looking at that battlefield where the martial artist seemed invincible, only confronting the heavens.

The countless spells and techniques on the mountain were dazzling and beautiful, but in Ma Ku-xuan’s eyes, they seemed ultimately less enjoyable than relying solely on fists.

Unfortunately, he approached Yu Shi-wu with a purpose in mind, but ultimately couldn’t bear to strike at this friend, to perform a cuckoo’s nest, borrowing a corpse to return the soul.

Ma Ku-xuan couldn’t help but exclaim, “Truly a monster.”

Zhou Mi said, “Unlike soaring realm cultivators, few martial artists of the same era can enter the divine realm, and the opportunities to face each other, to exchange fists, are even fewer.”

Ma Ku-xuan said, “Putting myself in his place, even if I were to convert it into equivalent combat strength on paper, facing this thunder pool, I wouldn’t be able to walk as casually as him.”

Zhou Mi said, “It’s composure.”

The existence of heavenly tribulation, in addition to being a dangerous gateway for cultivators, an inescapable fate, is terrifying. This can be understood from the historical accounts of cultivators who had no choice but to disintegrate and leave the world because they were unable to escape the tribulation. In addition, there is a deeper truth: the existence of heavenly tribulation can reduce merit and sever worldly karma.

If one’s studies are not refined and one meets their end, it is merely a return to the original owner. But if one succeeds in overcoming the tribulation, it is a benefit to the Great Dao, which can help enlightened individuals escape the tribulation, purify their Dao hearts, and keep their Dao bodies untainted by the mortal world. Otherwise, why do enlightened individuals, when imparting heavenly secrets, painstakingly emphasize that one must wait until one’s merits are fulfilled before proving the Dao and facing the tribulation, only then can one have the opportunity to attain the Dao and ascend to immortality?

But to say that the heavenly tribulation is man-made is a completely different matter. A moment of carelessness can lead to one’s three flowers being cut off from the top of one’s head by the heavenly tribulation’s five thunders, and the five qi of the human body, so painstakingly condensed, being extinguished.

What Ma Ku-xuan wanted to do was to have the young hidden official, the master of Falling Lotus Mountain, who had accomplished many great feats, have all his words and deeds, merits, cut off, losing a certain protection from the will of Heaven in the dark.

This move could reverse the situation, causing Chen Ping’an to temporarily lose “heavenly timing.” No matter if you rely on flying swords or other means, to turn the situation around here, I will follow suit and turn the guest into the master.

Moreover, Ma Ku-xuan had even more ingenious uses.

Ma Ku-xuan fixed his gaze on that guy, murmuring to himself, “Cutting off all your merits, not seeking permanence, just for a moment will suffice.”

When a person’s merits are exhausted, they become an unlucky wretch. The old saying goes, “When luck is strong, people bully ghosts; when luck is weak, ghosts play with people,” and this is the reason.

Why do the mountain and water deities of the human world now willingly pay respects to someone passing through? Either appearing to send them off respectfully or secretly protecting them? Why is it that the city god temples of the world have a register recorded in cinnabar ink?

All this is due to the ancient years, when the Sage of Rites made a series of reforms, including a newly ordained “Heavenly Law”: cultivators and mountain and water deities who have merit towards the people will have their territories expanded and their ranks increased.
Human merit is divided into Yin and Yang. What is Yin merit? It is like tinnitus, only oneself can hear it, and others are unaware. It is often advised that gaining wealth and fame is not as good as accumulating Yin merit. The word “accumulate” reveals a secret: the heart is the field of fortune. If the fields are barren and the water source is dry, what harvest can be expected next year?

This is not an empty promise to “deceive” people into doing good. A certain Taoist lineage, which is extremely strict in accepting disciples, requires its disciples to have three thousand merits and eight hundred good deeds.

Even with a heart towards the Dao, ambitions of becoming an immortal, and desires reaching the heavens, one still cannot achieve them without the proper fortune.

If ordinary people in the marketplace encounter benefactors in their lives and seize the opportunity, this stroke of luck is both the result of human effort and the presence of hidden fate.

Picking up gold and silver in one’s own field is good, but transforming that field into the entire world is cultivation.

Zhou Mi suddenly said, “Chen Ping’an’s merit is too little, far below expectations, almost unreasonably low. I suspect something happened and he actively dispersed…his Dao.”

Ma Kuxuan, unconcerned, smiled and said, “It doesn’t matter, the amount of merit he has doesn’t affect the overall situation. I just want a clean result. This method of weakening the Three Flowers and damaging the Five Qi, requiring replenishment if deficient, will create a hole in his fate. Let’s see how he makes up for it.”

Ma Kuxuan stood up, “It’s ready.”

The vast thunder pool in the sky, as large as a giant lake, had its “water surface” thinned to a mere layer, barely enough to sustain a few more cycles of the Five Elements Heavenly Thunder.

Zhou Mi nodded, “Please issue the decree.”

Ma Kuxuan, not daring to be careless, spoke a few words in his heart.

Zhou Mi, obeying the decree, displayed the “Zhou Mi True Form,” a divine ability he hadn’t had the chance to show on the human battlefield.

Without giving Chen Ping’an a chance to breathe, an untraceable divine ability attached itself to Chen Ping’an. In that instant, Chen Ping’an’s body sank, creating a huge crater in the ground, riddled with cracks.

A pure martial artist, only reaching the Divine Realm of the Limitless, no longer needs to breathe. This is the reason why, even at the Limitless Realm, each layer is still vastly different.

Karma itself is neither good nor evil, but it brings different benefits and drawbacks. Therefore, a person’s blessings and fate, the completeness of their merit and the density of their luck, will “fight,” interweave, increase and decrease, and offset each other, eventually settling at a certain level, resembling the “current appearance” seen by a fortune teller.

Chen Ping’an, who had been throwing punches casually and walking leisurely, frowned, instantly shaking his arms and shoulders, as if trying to shake off the attached foreign object.

This single action brought forth gusts of wind like rumbling thunder across the earth, expanding the huge crater several times, turning dozens of miles into almost flat ground.

As for the few Heavenly Thunders, Chen Ping’an casually dispersed them without much effort.

Chen Ping’an shook his sleeves and looked up at Ma Kuxuan, who had moved to the “cliff’s edge.”

Ma Kuxuan’s laughter echoed in his ears, “Endure it.”

Ma Kuxuan smiled, “I heard that Mountain Master Chen likes to reason and be a good person. Let me teach you a lesson, that being a good person comes at a price.”

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled, “I like these words. You didn’t boast, you truly are a kindred spirit.”

Ma Kuxuan pointed to Chen Ping’an’s shoulder, “Every superior person is a human carrying a ghost on their back.”

“I’m just making it manifest. Your merit was sufficient before, so you couldn’t feel this strangeness. In the marketplace, there’s a saying that people with insufficient Yang energy feel a coldness in their necks and backs, always feeling something behind them, unsure if it’s human or ghost, right?”

“Those who have roamed the Jianghu and stained their hands with countless blood have strong bones and heavy murderous aura when they are young, but what will it be like when they are old, with weakened spirit? Ha, why do those in the Jianghu always say that misfortune should not befall their families, and insist on a golden basin washing ceremony? Why are officials most afraid of familial execution? It is because they fear the consequences they do not understand.”

“Those who died directly at your hands, those who died indirectly because of you, those who traveled along the way, those who stopped at Shujian Lake, those who resided permanently at the Sword Qi Great Wall, whether they were deserving of death, unjustly killed, humans, ghosts, spirits, demons, or gods, are all carried on your back now.”

Chen Ping’an was indeed bent over, his posture showing an overwhelming burden, not a pretense.

Ma Kuxuan asked with a smile, “Have you ever seen the hardship of a ‘back-porter’ climbing a mountain? The kind of porter carrying heavy loads, winding through the mountains with the road. I think you’re about the same as them now.”

Chen Ping’an calmly retorted, “Then have you ever seen a woman carrying a husband on her back?”

Ma Kuxuan was stunned.

Chen Ping’an said, “I have. Do you know how they use bamboo shoots?”

Ma Kuxuan was speechless, and sighed, “Allow me to brace myself and speak honestly for once, Chen Ping’an, you shouldn’t take the suffering of others in this world so seriously.”

Zhou Mi reminded, “Don’t delay.”

Ma Kuxuan nodded, “Then let’s continue, complete the three axes.”

The Chen Ping’an wearing the bright red robe extended a palm, apparently indicating that Ma Kuxuan shouldn’t be polite and should just come at him.

Zhou Mi’s expression suddenly changed slightly.

Ma Kuxuan asked in confusion, “Can’t be created? Did a Fourteenth Realm cultivator foresee this and set up some kind of talisman for Chen Ping’an in advance?”

Zhou Mi shook his head, “It’s even stranger.”

“First create a heavenly tribulation with human power, then manifest karma with secret methods. Next, will you imitate the inner demons of cultivators?”

Chen Ping’an sneered, “If that’s the case, as I expected, then your three axes are truly extraordinary. Ordinary immortals might not be able to withstand them.”

Before Ma Kuxuan even made a move, the immortals facing him would probably be either dead or injured.

The originally dark sky opened a crack, and a ray of golden light flashed, and a dazzling sword light fell straight down.

The tip of the sword pointed, not at anything else.

It was Chen Ping’an.

It only cuts itself, not others.

The bright red robe on his body had already fallen off on its own, rushing away ahead of time.

A man in green robes, carrying a sword, walked out of the Ma Clan Shrine and came to this world, “Finally met.”

Standing in place, he spread his hands, and the bright red robe put itself on.
Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Not easy, to actually be able to force my true form to appear here for a meeting.”

(End of this chapter)