Liu Xiang glanced at the mountain path that seemed to lead to the heavens and chuckled, “Divine Lord Wei, Clan Head Lu, please continue your business. We’ll simply enjoy our tea.”

Lu Shen appeared slightly embarrassed. With Chen Ping’an not present on the mountain, further discussion with Wei Bo was pointless. His purpose in coming was merely to offer a favor regarding Ma Kuxuan’s direct disciple to Fallen Mountain, nothing more. Furthermore, Lu Shen preferred to avoid Zheng Juzhong altogether, let alone sit at the same table, finding it too draining on his Daoist power. As for “Liu Xiang,” Lu Shen had been required in his youth to participate annually in an ancient sacrificial ceremony held by the Lu clan, even playing the role of a Daoist priest ascending the altar to chant prayers. The name inscribed on the main spirit tablet, the recipient of incense offerings, was the true divine title of “Liu Xiang.”

Liu Xiang, however, seemed unwilling to let Lu Shen off the hook, “Scholarly pursuits have their familial traditions, academic studies have their methodologies. Openly committing violence, highway robbery, murdering in back alleys, all are preferable to one who acts as a Buddha by day and a demon by night.”

Like a landlord directly berating a tenant farmer, Lu Shen had no choice but to take a seat. The joint appearance of Liu Xiang and Zheng Juzhong was enough to give anyone a headache.

Chen Lingjun was bewildered, glancing at Wei Yeyou. As expected of a good brother from Piyi Mountain, he was as lost in the clouds as himself.

Wei Bo, on the other hand, was surprised by Liu Xiang’s presence alongside Zheng Juzhong, and even more curious about their purpose and the dynamic between them. What was it they intended to “learn” from Lu Shen?

Hearing that the esteemed guests desired tea, Xiao Mili told them to wait a moment, then scampered off to boil water. Immortal Attendant Daoist also went to fetch the first-flush wild tea, hand-picked and roasted by the old cook.

A table was set at the foot of the mountain. Liu Xiang naturally took the seat facing away from Fallen Mountain, the position of honor. With the Mountain Lord absent, Wei Bo acted as host, seating Zheng Juzhong opposite himself. Lu Shen took the lowest seat, facing Liu Xiang who sat facing south. The green-robed child, having just gained a cheap relative and risen a generation in seniority, was now grinning foolishly, oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around the table.

Wei Bo and Lu Shen held mutual disdain, but they treated entities like Liu Xiang, a high-ranking Mountain God, and an Yin-Yang Master capable of discerning the five elements of the Heavenly Dao, with far greater respect than ordinary cultivators.

To witness Liu Xiang, a manifestation of the Grand and Righteous World, was a rare opportunity for “seeing the Dao.”

It was like a merchant lamenting that he had never seen great wealth in his life, only to then encounter the living embodiment of wealth, Liu Juba.

With Liu Xiang present, Wei Bo, though slightly restrained, was not entirely silenced. Since Liu Xiang intended to listen in, Wei Bo was happy to leverage Liu Xiang’s influence for Chen Ping’an and Fallen Mountain. Wei Bo cleared his throat and continued their previous topic, “‘Qi,’ a fitting ‘Zhiqi.'”

The character “Qi” implied rugged mountains, barrenness, sparse vegetation, and a lack of vitality. According to the Mountain’s terminology, it belonged to “empty mountain,” similar to “straight water.” Following the principles of Feng Shui, Fallen Mountain, being large and empty, would not easily accumulate Qi, making it unsuitable for establishing a major Daoist site. Either the construction of such a site would deplete the Refiner’s spirit, or the Daoist would need to fill the Feng Shui void with a great many external objects and exotic treasures. In short, the Refiner and the site would be in conflict. Given this, what was the use of buying such a place?

Lu Shen said, “Superficially, this mountain is truly a white elephant, thus it does not enter the discerning eyes of ordinary Qi Refiners. However, in the long run, it is compatible with Chen Ping’an’s fate.”

Wei Bo sneered, “Lu Wei is at least an Immortal, why not secure Fallen Mountain first? Even assuming Lu Clan has the first-mover advantage, they should have cast a wide net. Not only Fallen Mountain and Heavenly Capital Peak, but also Jumping Fish Mountain and Fuyun Luan should have been included in the portfolio, connecting them in a line in the south, what difficulty would it be? The logic doesn’t add up. I request Clan Head Lu’s guidance.”

At the time, the Da Li Empress, Nan Zan, whose real name was Lu Jiang, had not yet become an abandoned pawn of the Central Earth Lu Clan. She held great power in the court, with at least half the spies under her control. At that time, everyone thought this was a balancing act by the late Emperor. Embroidered Tiger managed the government, Prince Song Changjing was responsible for the border army, Nan Zan managed intelligence, with each interspersed with elements from the others, preventing any single faction from becoming too powerful and monopolizing power. Besides these, there were also the Upper Pillar Kingdom surnames… In short, no one was allowed to become too powerful, dominate the court, or wield power despotically.

Of a hundred things, history can explain ninety-nine, but there is always one thing that belongs to creating new history, to be used as a reference for future generations.

Lu Shen shook his head. “I cannot. My heart is willing, but my strength is insufficient.”

Liu Xiang smiled and explained on his behalf, “Lu Wei was once dealt a severe blow by Mr. Qi, feeling guilty and lacking confidence, he dared not extend his reach too far. Once Embroidered Tiger took over this place completely, the Lu Clan had to act increasingly according to his whims. For example, if Lu Shen wanted to use Heavenly Capital Peak as a base to start anew, he would have to first ask for Embroidered Tiger’s permission. If permitted, he could land on Treasure Bottle Continent; if not, he would have to turn back and look for another opportunity.”

Chen Lingjun was dumbfounded. That Embroidered Tiger, was he really that domineering? He remembered him being quite amiable during their last meeting. Could it be that the National Preceptor saw his clear and extraordinary bone structure and showed him preferential treatment?

Zheng Juzhong seemed uninterested in the conversation, simply looking at the table.

In fact, on the country road earlier, Zheng Juzhong did not intercept Zhao Shuxia’s thoughts, but merely explained to Wei Bo that Liu Xiang wanted to see Chen Ping’an’s school. Wei Bo, of course, trusted Zheng Juzhong. The problem was, even if he didn’t trust him, what could he do? Wei Bo could only wait for Chen Ping’an to return and bring up the matter, letting Chen Ping’an handle the headache himself.

Liu Xiang looked at Lu Shen, “Unable is the truth, but ‘my heart is willing, but my strength is insufficient’ is a double negative. It’s actually ‘my strength is more than sufficient, but my confidence is lacking’ that is the truth. I bet when Cui Chan went to Heavenly Capital Peak and found you, he was sure that you wouldn’t dare to gamble. For example, Cui Chan would deliberately persuade you to bet heavily on Treasure Bottle Continent, and if you succeeded, he would help you deal with Zou Zi? You really dared not gamble. You can only help Cui Chan watch Chen Mountain Lord’s travels, Treasure Bottle Continent, out to sea, Sword Qi Great Wall, Tongye Continent, Book Brief Lake, North Ju Lu Continent… Like a new doorkeeper replacing Lin Zhengcheng, Cui Chan and the Da Li court didn’t even have to pay a salary, and they could use a Perfect Ascension Realm Yin-Yang Master for free. Lu Shen would pay even more attention than him to every contact between Zou Zi and Chen Ping’an.”

Lu Shen remained silent. At this table today, it was easy to say too much and make mistakes.
Wei Bo inwardly sighed. If the God of the Land had dared to gamble back then, with the support of the Land family of the Central Plains, wouldn’t the Savage Desolation have suffered even more in the two battles of the Southern Old Dragon City and the Central Great Li secondary capital?

The reason the God of the Land didn’t agree was, of course, because he didn’t believe that Embroidered Tiger, Cui Chan, had the strength to compete with Zou Zi, much less the possibility. The God of the Land was utterly certain that no matter how capable Cui Chan was, his two hundred years of cultivation were a fixed limit. He simply couldn’t be on par with Zou Zi.

Since they were already seated, he might as well make the best of it. While the God of the Land pondered the true intentions behind Zheng Juzhong’s visit, he asked, “Was it Chen Shanzhu’s own idea to travel south, or was he guided by a sage?”

Wei Bo shook his head, saying, “Chen Ping’an never mentioned anything about it.”

The God of the Land wasn’t really asking Wei Bo, but rather hoping that Liu Xiang would say more on the matter.

When Fallen Phoenix Mountain was first established, although Chen Ping’an had obtained the land deed from the Great Li Dynasty, it wasn’t suitable for him to reside there for long, as it would easily deplete his vitality. This was because Chen Ping’an was at his weakest stage, and since the mountain’s soil and water couldn’t nourish people at the time, he couldn’t nourish the mountain either, only causing mutual harm. Therefore, the best choice was to leave Fallen Phoenix Mountain temporarily. Most people thought that the young man’s trip to deliver the sword and see Ning Yao at the Sword Qi Great Wall was the sole reason. However, the God of the Land could naturally see a deeper layer. He was certain that he was guided by a sage, which prompted Chen Ping’an to leave the small town so hastily.

Chen Lingjun’s expression subtly changed, and Wei Bo’s eyes instantly sharpened. Chen Lingjun felt extremely wronged. Wei Yeyou sighed inwardly, “Am I an idiot? How could I discuss such family matters with outsiders?”

In truth, Chen Ping’an’s southward journey was quite significant. Old Yang, the apothecary, personally came forward and asked Li Xisheng of Fallen Phoenix Mountain to perform a divination, which resulted in the saying, “The great path goes straight, with benefit in the south.”

Liu Xiang sighed, “Another ten thousand years pass, and humanity’s book is renewed. How to divide and define the beginning is a great question for both scholarship and cultivation.”

“Speaking solely on the insight into this matter, neither your Land family nor the Jiang family of Yunlin can be considered to have gained it with hindsight. Though it still has a hint of accidental discovery.”

“The first hexagram of humanity’s first book, revered as the head of all classics, is the Qian hexagram. God of the Land, what are your profound insights on this?”

The head of the dignified Land family was being examined by a tutor, just like a young student being tested on a problem.

The God of the Land didn’t dare to be careless, carefully formulating his words and slowly saying, “The guest and host are equally matched. There exist as many as four kinds of half-hidden, half-manifest. First, only within the Li Zhu Cave Heaven does the ancient divine path balance with the current great path. This is a hidden, even reversed, relationship between guest and host. In contrast, the small town, as the place where the true dragon fell, is also a confrontationally reversed display. The three religions had to use four important treasures to suppress the true dragon’s fate. Second, the future Chen Shanzhu and the East Sea Water Lord forming a contract at that time was one manifest, one hidden. Third, someone at the table versus everyone else is one hidden, one manifest. Who this ‘someone’ is, no one knew back then. Perhaps even the apothecary, as the one setting the table, didn’t know who would ultimately benefit.”

In the past, the small town had a locked iron well to imprison the “wicked dragon.” On a snowy night, the trapped dragon finally gained water. In Mud Lane, she secretly formed an equal contract with Chen Ping’an, outwardly becoming Song Jixin’s maidservant. Wang Zhu used Song Jixin’s, the dragon son’s, fortune as food, while “Zhigui” was like chiseling a hole to steal light, pilfering and devouring Chen Ping’an’s fortune from next door.

“Whether it’s called annotating the classics or interpreting the hexagram, Qi Jingchun was the first to truly discern the heavenly secrets, but the price he had to pay was indeed great.”

“Land Zhangjiao’s interpretation takes Heaven as his teacher. It can be considered second best.”

“Cui Chan doesn’t care about ‘people,’ only ‘matters.’ He is responsible for closing the game on the chessboard. Last place is paradoxically another kind of first.”

After patiently listening to the God of the Land’s “exegesis,” Liu Xiang smiled, “Is that all the Land family head has for ‘profound insights’?”

Zheng Juzhong finally spoke, adding, “It’s still an open-book test.”

Seeing the God of the Land at a loss, Wei Bo felt his pent-up resentment somewhat relieved.

However, the boy in azure quickly winked vigorously at Zheng Juzhong, reminding “Nephew Zheng” in a mental voice, “That fellow is surnamed Land. In case he’s a great figure from the Land family of the Central Plains, don’t be quick-tongued and incur his resentment… And advise your friend beside you. If he likes to say big things, he should say his own big things. Don’t learn from Wei Shanjun, always speaking with veiled sarcasm, insinuation. He likes to poke at that ‘Land family head’ for no reason… If this ‘Land family head’ is really related to that ‘Land family head’ ranked very high up there, I can’t protect your friend!”

Zheng Juzhong laughingly replied in a mental voice, “Wouldn’t that be too much of a coincidence? One surnamed Zheng is Zheng Juzhong, and one surnamed Land is related to the Land family of the Central Plains?”

Chen Lingjun became anxious, hurriedly replying with sincere words, “Nephew, you don’t know. I and the one surnamed Land have always been at odds. Don’t let me involve you… To be honest, there was a very inhuman Taoist surnamed Land who came to the mountain earlier… Forget it, it’s unheroic to speak ill of people behind their backs. That fellow is still very formidable, he just doesn’t like me very much, but that doesn’t diminish his extraordinariness. As for who he is, what his name is, just guess towards someone of high status and unparalleled Taoist cultivation. In short, advise your friend, don’t be considerate of my feelings. Tell him directly that I, Chen Lingjun, and the one surnamed Land, have some mysterious incompatibility. Tell your friend to take it easy. You’re not discussing Taoism with someone, so why bother with verbal victories? In the world, whenever there’s an argument, there are no winners.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “I relayed it to my friend. He doesn’t seem to appreciate it, and replied that my uncle-generation senior is probably too timid.”

Chen Lingjun stared blankly. Liu Xiang was helpless. Of course, he wouldn’t say such things. “Mr. Zheng, are you addicted to being people’s nephew?”
Regarding “fortune-telling,” Chen Lingjun had overheard bits and pieces of conversations between Zheng Dafeng and Immortal Wei. The gist was that virtuous individuals had no need for divination. They only needed a clear conscience, to diligently cultivate virtue, and accumulate Daoist power. Like those sages enshrined in the Confucian Temple, who always sought guidance from the Supreme Sage on matters of benevolence but never on the Dao, because the Dao required no excessive questioning. The Dao was not distant, always present. With profound learning and cultivation, one would naturally come to know the Mandate of Heaven… As the conversation progressed, Chen Lingjun began to develop a newfound respect for them, but they quickly revealed their true selves. Zheng Dafeng extended his palm, asking Immortal Wei, a Daoist who had made a living as a fortune-teller for many years, to read his palm and predict his future marriage prospects and whether he would have any romantic prospects soon, lest he end up like Chief Zhou, either drowned in abundance or parched to death…

Lu Shen hesitated before steeling himself to ask Zheng Juzhong telepathically, “May I ask, Mr. Zheng, what is the purpose of this vigil?”

Which mountain-top cultivator with profound Daoist power doesn’t tirelessly and cautiously seek their own path?

Wei She of the Snowy Continent and the Fire Dragon True Man of the Northern Gulu Continent had both failed to unite with the Dao twice. Even the God of Wealth, Liu Jubao, and the merchant Fan, each sought the Dao through money.

And that great demon of the Ascension Realm from the Central Earth, who was slain by Bai Ye after he left the Daoist temple, how troublesome it was! Its Daoist temple bordered the Yellow Springs. If it hadn’t desperately sought the Dao in vain, its Daoist heart wouldn’t have wavered, and it wouldn’t have tried such a reckless act of “uprooting its house,” hoping to unite with the Dao through such impious means, thereby disrupting the mortal realm. A dozen kingdoms would have had their boundaries between the living and the dead blurred, leading to war and strife, and ultimately resulting in its demise by the sword.

Lu Shen’s seemingly casual “extremely bitter” expressed the sentiments of many mountain-top cultivators.

Lu Shen was naturally afraid of another Zou Zi blocking his path, and now a Zheng Juzhong standing in the way.

Zheng Juzhong gave a straightforward answer: “To borrow a book to kill.”

Lu Shen couldn’t help but wonder, borrow what book? Kill whom?

The young Daoist and the little girl in black worked together seamlessly, fetching water and brewing tea, each with their assigned tasks. As they hurried along the path to the house, Immortal Wei remarked unexpectedly, “That Daoist from afar must be a true master.”

Little Rice Grain asked curiously, “Why?”

Immortal Wei hesitated, then said telepathically, “He has no human scent about him.”

Little Rice Grain understood, “I get it, successful cultivators are detached from the mortal world, ethereal and otherworldly. That’s what the books say.”

Immortal Wei and Little Rice Grain exchanged glances, their minds meeting, and burst into laughter. They were definitely not like that, lacking any divine bearing, far from it.

Upon entering the house, Immortal Wei exclaimed in surprise, finding the tin cans empty. The tea was all gone.

Zheng Dafeng appeared from nowhere, leaning against the door frame, giving a clumsy excuse, “Could it be a thief? Stealing tea instead of gold and silver, a cultured rogue indeed.”

Immortal Wei looked troubled. Zheng Dafeng slapped his forehead, “I remember now, Grandmaster Wen has been making tea for himself lately, praising the tea highly.”

Little Rice Grain said, “Don’t worry, I’ll go ask Sister Nuan Shu for help.”

Zheng Dafeng chuckled lazily, “Immortal Wei, just use the best tea we have on hand. No need to make a fuss and seem like we’re being obsequious. A passing woodcutter can drink it, so why can’t a visiting deity? That’s not the way things work.”

Little Rice Grain glanced at Immortal Wei, who nodded. As expected, Brother Dafeng had the best ideas, “That’s settled then!”

While Little Rice Grain went to boil water, Immortal Wei asked curiously, “Brother Dafeng, could that Daoist Lu be the Lu from the Lu family of Central Earth?”

Immortal Wei was not as naive as Chen Lingjun. Zheng Dafeng nodded and smiled, “From afar, a deity, such a grand Daoist title, such a grand name, it should be paired with a large surname to be fitting and hold it down. Lu Shen not only is surnamed Lu, but he also oversees the entire clan, everyone with the surname Lu. Well, those on the ancestral tablets don’t count, since Lu Shen hasn’t reached the fourteenth realm yet. And even if he unites with the Dao someday, it seems he still can’t control our fortune-telling Brother Lu.”

It was a pity that Immortal Wei had arrived late, otherwise Zheng Dafeng would have dragged him to bow to Lu Chen every day. Such a spectacle was not to be missed.

The Lu family head, an Ascension Realm cultivator?! Immortal Wei clicked his tongue in wonder, “We’ve met a great figure.”

Zheng Dafeng said with a chuckle, “Indeed, we have met a great figure.”

Immortal Wei sighed, “I’ve truly broadened my horizons since settling down here.”

Zheng Dafeng stroked his chin, looked up at the sky, and said with a smile, “When Heaven sends forth its intent to kill, dragons and snakes rise from the land. When man sends forth his intent to kill, Heaven and Earth are overturned.”

Immortal Wei patiently waited for Little Rice Grain to boil water and casually said, “I think the wind and clouds come from Heaven, the gentleman is respectful and cautious. Dragons and snakes rise from the land, heroes emerge, full of vitality.”

Zheng Dafeng crossed his arms and lowered his gaze to the courtyard, “You’re right, may your words bring good fortune. I’m just a martial artist who knows how to throw punches and kicks, while you’re a proper Daoist scholar. Your words are always more reliable than mine.”

The dispersal of the Three Teachings Ancestors’ Dao is like a convergence of four waters into a single hall for the entire human world, and Falling Phoenix Mountain will be no exception.

Immortal Wei smiled without further comment. Brother Dafeng always liked to say strange and nonsensical things. He was too thin-skinned to accept the compliment so frankly.

Zheng Dafeng sighed.

Logically speaking, the Lu family of Central Earth originally had the opportunity to cooperate with Falling Phoenix Mountain.

He feared that a good thing that could benefit both sides would be ruined by an incompetent person who was more trouble than they were worth and liked to act clever.

Wu Shou of the Package Shop had been rebuffed by both Cui Chan in Treasure Bottle Continent and Chen Ping’an in Tongye Continent, and it was only through the personal intervention of Ancestor Zhang Zhi that the mess was cleaned up.

Lu Wei, who had been plotting in the Li Zhu Cave Heaven for a long time, was in a similar situation for the Yin Yang School’s Lu clan, or rather, the family head Lu Shen. Would Lu Shen mend the fold after the sheep are lost, or would he add a dog tail to a sable coat?

When the heavens doze off, some visitors knock directly and rudely, while others know to wait patiently outside the door.

The Yunlin Jiang clan was very cautious. Even if they sensed changes in the heavenly secrets, they remained patient and did not dare to act rashly.

At most, they subtly sent the concubine-born Jiang Yun here to seek opportunities and probe the situation, but they would never bet their entire fortune on this.
Moreover, they had even erected a “screen,” dragging out Liu Laocheng from Shujian Lake to ward off disaster. Regardless, the first rogue cultivator of the Upper Five Realms in Bao Ping Continent for nearly a thousand years surely possessed great fortune. The master-disciple relationship between Liu Laocheng and Jiang Yun was like the spirit wall in front of the mountain estate, capable of “deflecting evil” for the Yunlin Jiang Clan.

Although Lu Wei had proposed cooperation with Chen Ping’an in the Dali Imperial Palace, his suggestion at the time lacked sincerity, treating Chen Ping’an like a fool.

Chen Ping’an saw through the scheme with a single sentence, exposing the Lu Clan’s plan. Through the Earth Mirror Chapter, they were selecting a mountain corresponding to Fallen Mountain, to survey the meridians and networks of the Three Eras and Nine Fates, the Six Jia Talismans, and so on.

It could both survey geography and observe celestial phenomena. Perhaps this was Lu Shen’s method of breaking the stalemate, attempting to shatter the invisible barriers set up by Zou Zi, to “emulate the heavens and earth,” and ultimately achieve harmony with the Fourteenth Realm.

Previously, when Zheng Qingjia came to Fallen Mountain seeking Xiao Mo to “recognize her ancestors,” Zheng Dafeng had answered some of her humble inquiries. However, the latter’s knowledge was shallow, and she did not hear the hidden meaning in Zheng Dafeng’s words, nor could she deduce more astonishing secrets from it. For example, the Three Souls and Seven Spirits were linked to life and death. The souls and spirits of the living in the Yang realm were complete, their forms and spirits harmonized. Therefore, after death, the soul ascended to heaven, and the spirit fell to earth, each finding its place. Thus, a series of sacrificial rituals and incense practices arose, seeking for gods to inhabit temples and spirits to be buried in tombs, receiving offerings and incense respectively. The ancient Heavenly Court ruins, the divine positions remained for ten thousand years, never lacking their positions even with the collapse of the Heavenly Dao. Zhou Mi ascended to heaven and became the Lord of Gods.

Old Man Yang, or rather, the Azure Child Heavenly Sovereign, one of the Twelve High-Ranking Divine Spirits, held a flying ascent platform as a red herring, a smokescreen. The place where the true dragon fell was also a red herring to confuse the heavenly secrets, and even the old sword strip hanging under the bridge was still a smokescreen. The true truth that Old Man Yang wanted to conceal was to restore the divine path, to create half of a “one” in the human world. “He” or “she” would eventually enter the Fallen Mountain in the west, ultimately echoing with the ancient Heavenly Court ruins that had hung for countless millennia, heaven and earth resonating with each other.

Therefore, Old Man Yang asked Chen Ping’an why he chose the “godforsaken” Fallen Mountain.

After a moment of silence, Zheng Dafeng suddenly asked, “Immortal Guard, when the night is quiet, you close your books and reflect on life alone, do you ever feel that Fallen Mountain has ulterior motives, actually treating you as a treasure waiting to be sold?”

The young Daoist was radiant, speaking from the heart, blurting out, “I couldn’t ask for more!”

Not expecting such an answer, Zheng Dafeng was dumbfounded and couldn’t help but ask, “Why?”

The Immortal Guard laughed and raised his chin towards the Fallen Mountain’s little ears-and-eyes spirit, signaling that their Brother Dafeng was clueless, and Xiaomili should help answer the question.

Xiaomili had chatted with the Immortal Guard Daoist a lot, and understood the doorkeeper’s thinking best. “You have to be a valuable treasure first, then someone can wait to sell you. The logic is simple and easy to understand!”

The Immortal Guard gave Xiaomili a thumbs up and said with a smile, “And I believe in you.”

Zheng Dafeng asked, “Not believe in Chen Ping’an?”

The Immortal Guard said freely, “I dare not fully believe how generous the Mountain Lord treats me. I’ve been in the martial world for some years, and I’m really afraid to trust anyone easily. It always takes a long time to see true sincerity. But over the years, how the Mountain Lord has treated you, and how you view the Mountain Lord, I have seen it all. Since I know it in my heart, there is nothing to worry about. Just sleep peacefully, diligently watch the gate, honestly earn money, and seriously cultivate.”

Zheng Dafeng laughed, “Is it because you’ve been hungry and afraid of poverty, that you’ll be afraid until you’re old and understand the truth, that you’ve been a wretched life of a fired-clay jar all your life. Not to mention those that were smashed and thrown in the old porcelain mountain, some porcelains, went up the mountain, went to the imperial family, the noble mansions of dukes and generals, and always entered the hall. What’s more, even the fragments of the old porcelain mountain were initially good foundation of the imperial kiln.”

The Immortal Guard hesitated.

Zheng Dafeng asked, “Have a different opinion?”

The Immortal Guard smiled softly, “This poor Daoist always feels that heaven and earth are a fired-clay jar, and we are all fired-clay jars. As for the so-called exquisite porcelain, it can be the kindness of the human heart, full of green mountains and surrounded by clear waters. It can be the child’s carefree life, the old man’s peaceful death, and the lovers’ happy ending.”

Zheng Dafeng didn’t know how to refute for a moment.

Xiaomili asked confusedly, “That immortal elder, is from the Lu Clan of the Central Earth? That’s a top surname. And a family head? Doesn’t look very rich or imposing, quite amiable.”

Zheng Dafeng came back to his senses and said lazily, “Change the place, and see if his Lu Shen’s aura is heavy, it can scare people to death. It’s just that everyone in our Fallen Mountain is upright and doesn’t care about this.”

The Immortal Guard regretted a little and said softly, “If I had known his identity earlier, I wouldn’t have announced my Daoist title.”

Zheng Dafeng heard clearly without using mental communication at the table and said casually, “I heard a metaphor, the Lu Clan of the Central Earth is the Astronomical Bureau of the Confucian Temple and the Vast Expanse World.”

“The Yunlin Jiang Clan, which moved from the Central Earth Divine Continent to Bao Ping Continent, once held the hereditary position of Grand Prayer Official of Confucianism. The ancestor of the Lu Clan of the Central Earth was the Grand Diviner, also one of the six officials of the ancient Confucian Temple.”

“To put it in an inappropriate analogy, the Yunlin Jiang Clan’s Grand Prayer Official is dedicated to saying good things to the heavens, and the Lu Clan’s Grand Diviner is responsible for figuring out the meaning of every word of the heavens, interpreting, and relaying.”

Hearing this, Xiaomili asked in confusion, “Does the heaven speak? What accent does it have?”

Zheng Dafeng rubbed his chin, Xiaomili’s question was more difficult to answer than the previous question from Fairy Qingjia.

The Immortal Guard couldn’t help but smile and explained casually, “Thunder and rain, wind and water, are all the heaven talking to the human world.”

Xiaomili’s eyes lit up and nodded, “This explanation makes it easy to understand!”

Zheng Dafeng was a little helpless, no wonder they got along so well.

The Immortal Guard asked tentatively, “Brother Dafeng, could it be that I am a cultivation genius? That our Mountain Lord has discerning eyes and values me so much?!”

If he couldn’t get a coveted early start, it wouldn’t hurt to settle for second best, steadily and surely, and earn a late bloomer.

The Immortal Guard’s mind suddenly became active, and he stretched out his palm, “Brother Dafeng always says he is proficient in palmistry, better than my deceitful divination, take a close look, do I have the aptitude to found a sect?”
Zheng Dafeng suppressed his wandering thoughts, casting a sidelong glance as he said, “What’s this? You’ve already made plans, preparing to abandon the Downfallen Mountain and gather your own followers, establishing your own sect? Well, there’s no time like the present. Selecting a site like the Celestial Capital Peak of the Land God, I find it quite suitable.”

Xianwei panicked, his face flushing crimson with shame. “How could that be! I was merely inquiring if I possessed the aptitude for becoming a Land Immortal, wanting to know if I could ever truly amount to something. If it’s possible, wonderful; if not, it’s of no consequence. Brother Dafeng, please, do not misunderstand!”

Xianwei was well aware of his limitations, knowing he wasn’t the material to found a sect. Just regarding cultivation, he’d read those few Daoist texts countless times, but it was always him recognizing the characters, and the characters not recognizing him.

Zheng Dafeng changed the subject, inexplicably saying, “Daoist Xianwei, would you have any interest in writing your own book?”

The Daoist chuckled, replying, “Buying books is better than borrowing them, and reading books is better than writing them!”