Another world, pitch black like ink, akin to the boundless void, with scattered starlight twinkling in the central domain. There, both sides hung suspended, in tense confrontation, their killing intent thick, on the verge of eruption.

Above them lay a vast expanse of celadon-glazed firmament, flowing like incredibly deep water. This strange spectacle was truly a “Blue Depths” in the verb form.

Beneath their feet was a yellow “earth wall” stretching horizontally between heaven and earth, as tall as the Sword Qi Great Wall, extending for countless tens of thousands of miles, like a frozen river of time.

Far from the confronting parties, twelve points of light formed a purely golden circle, arrayed at the outermost edge.

These were the twelve Earthly Branches, including the sword cultivator Song Xu who was stationed in the capital of Da Li. After receiving the imperial decree to slay ghosts in broad daylight, they all used the Three Mountains Talismans gifted by Mr. Chen. They were positioned in mountain and water Daoist sites north of the Da Du River in the Flask Bottle Continent, standing in a circular formation, resembling the rim of a porcelain bottle.

The female ghost, disguised as Gan Qinglu, had previously swept her large sleeves, using a secret technique to carry away the souls of Emperor Yin Ji and others, along with the physical body of Crown Prince Yin Miao. Under the nose of the tyrannical new Grand Tutor of Da Li, she did not take the “陽關道” (sunny road), but chose a secluded Yellow Springs path between light and shadow, attempting to escape the Flask Bottle Continent and return to the Middle Earth Divine Continent by crossing the sea.

But their path was still blocked by a figure in green robes.

This fellow, so persistent, so troublesome?!

The soul of Academician Cai Yushan of the Great Ribbon Dynasty swayed precariously, his face even more somber. His physical body had been shattered into powder, so his mood was naturally poor, and at this moment, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave. Cai Yushan, with a tone of slight reproach, asked the tall woman with a pale face and sleeves reaching past her knees, “Shen, why could he find this Yin-Underworld path that was laid out long ago?!”

Shen was clearly also a bit surprised. The tall ghost, her eyes vacant, gazed at the young sword immortal with a very short Daoist age. Such a young Ascension Realm cultivator was rare in the three thousand years since.

High above, there were seven manifest and two hidden, a total of nine cloud sea vortices, nine streaks of sword light suspended outside the Flask Bottle Continent’s firmament, their “sword tips” slightly shifted, continuously watching her.

This made the ghost, with her keen divine sense, feel a bit of her scalp tingle. How could Lu Zhi’s Natal Flying Sword “Big Dipper” be controlled so skillfully by him? Could the flying sword Big Dipper be used in such a way?

Cai Yushan was somewhat exasperated, “Shen! Don’t delay. Break through the formation quickly and return to Middle Earth. Don’t give this fellow more time to arrange formations. The foundation of the Da Li Dynasty has likely been fully taken over by this Chen fellow. The Grand Tutor’s celebration was merely a formality…”

Shen remained unmoved, ignoring him. A miscellaneous cultivator who followed the path of assisting emperors could not order her around.

Since birds have their paths and snakes have their ways, she who was accustomed to walking the Yin-Underworld naturally had her own unique “woodcutter’s path” to take, capable of evading the surveillance of mountain and river deities and local city gods.

Yin Miao, his soul stuffed back into his body, emerged from behind her, followed by a new ghost who looked like a stray dog, His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Ribbon Dynasty, Yin Ji.

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Yin Ji, as an emperor, your treatment is even worse than a crown prince who is not yet the heir apparent?”

Yin Ji, now a ghost, said in a sinister tone, “As a Confucian disciple of the Saint of Literature lineage, you dare to wantonly slay a mortal monarch. I shall see how long you can rampage.”

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “During the discussions at the Middle Earth Confucian Temple, I saw you a few times and was quite impressed.”

Yin Ji asked in confusion, “How so?”

Chen Ping’an said, “You are the person among the mortal emperors and rulers I have seen who most craves eternal life, without exception.”

Yin Ji seemed to have his thoughts exposed and was speechless for a moment, then said after a pause, “As the ‘Nine-Five Emperor,’ craving power and desiring eternal life, what is there for the young Hidden Official to be surprised about?”

Yes, in the eyes of these sword immortals and煉師 (refined masters) who pursued longevity with heaven and earth, the emperors of mortal dynasties were merely mortals whose physical bodies decayed day by day and whose lifespans decreased.

Chen Ping’an said, “Fear of death is human nature, but those like you whose greed has become obsession are ultimately few. Among the few, you are the second person who dared to disregard the rules established by the Confucian Temple, secretly cross the boundary, and unauthorizedly practice immortal arts. Why, are you imitating the Song family of Da Li in every way?”

Yin Ji laughed heartily, “Fortunately, you didn’t say I was the first. Indeed, your former emperor of Da Li was the first. Chen Ping’an, you are an honest person. If we had met earlier, perhaps…”

Chen Ping’an said, “Perhaps you wouldn’t have had the chance to come to the capital of Da Li. Did you settle the bill for that meal at Old Ying Lake? Did you pay first, or did you let Cao Zhao pay for you?”

Yin Ji looked around and said, “As Cai Yushan said, you are indeed delaying time, trying to find a way to break through this path where everyone is like a ghost hitting a wall?”

Chen Ping’an said, “The deceased are important. You have the final say, you all have the final say.”

Yin Ji forcefully suppressed the anger in his heart and said, “Chen Ping’an, there are no outsiders here, so I will be frank with you. As long as you let us return to Great Ribbon, the alliance agreement is still valid. Furthermore, the Song family of Da Li and the Yin family of Great Ribbon can distinguish between main and secondary roles, with you serving as the盟主 (alliance leader). In addition to Great Ribbon, I can also help you win over several strong nations in Middle Earth to participate in this grand event. Consider it a congratulatory gift from me, how about it? Your path to ascension is extremely novel. Once this news spreads, not only will the entire Vast Expanse World look at you with admiration, but it will surely be the will of the people of Da Li. You desperately need to stabilize your realm, which will definitely be helpful. It is a great fortune to gain over a hundred years of cultivation Dao power in an instant without any effort…”

Cai Yushan had a somewhat anxious expression and whispered, “Your Majesty, you must not…”

Chen Ping’an sneered, “You three are still putting on a show for me here. Do you get a reward?”

Yin Ji frowned and said, “What do you mean?”

Chen Ping’an clasped his hands in his sleeves and lifted his chin, “Yin Ji, the real master, hurry up and bark a few times.”

Cai Yushan’s expression changed slightly, and he quickly glanced at Shen. With your ancient secret technique concealing the human world’s aura, how could you be exposed?

Chen Ping’an said indifferently, “Since you are extremely afraid of death, you will only be more afraid of death. Shen is a 14th Realm ghost. The ruler of a nation at the wine table in the courtyard is only accompanied by Crown Prince Cao Zhao of the Great End Dynasty, but Crown Prince Yin Miao outside the courtyard is inseparable from Shen. So, what is the truth? Is it difficult to guess? When I asked the question, I was looking at whom, right, Yin Ji?”

Yin Miao, the boy in yellow clothes, or to be precise, Emperor Yin Ji of the Great Ribbon Dynasty, reached out and wiped away a few bloodstains on his Daoist robe. He raised his head, not concealing his appreciative expression, and sincerely praised, “As expected of my senior brother, the Embroidered Tiger, your scheming is indeed profound.”

Yin Ji persuaded, “Aren’t you curious how Shen managed to do this? Aren’t you best at stealing techniques? If you learn it, wouldn’t you have another great divine ability? Cui Chan’s achievements are not yet at their peak. No matter how great his authority as the former Grand Tutor, he always considered himself a minister assisting the ruler. Chen Ping’an, you can surpass him. Why not completely control the destiny of the Da Li Song family’s state? If the emperor is obedient, you assist him. If the emperor is not obedient, you can just change him.”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand. In the palm of his right hand, five thunders gathered, lightning intertwined like golden swimming snakes hissing. Under the illumination of the light, his face was half bright and half dark. “An outsider who can only learn some superficial skills should not talk nonsense about achievements and knowledge. You can’t disgust my senior brother, but you can disgust me. If you disgust me, I will make you swim in hot water before your form and spirit are annihilated. Wei Jia was in Old Ying Lake, but you, Yin Ji, your body and soul are soaking in a deep fryer, like a hot pot. With one chopstick, you can pick up a few pieces of overcooked offal. So from now on, speak carefully and frankly.”

The “boy emperor,” who had already transferred most of his spirit to “Yin Miao,” gritted his teeth and said, “14th Realm, do you know what the 14th Realm is? Others may not understand, but you, the young Hidden Official, have seen many great events and situations. You know best how powerful a 14th Realm cultivator is. Why are you still being so impulsive?!”

Chen Ping’an said, “I know it too well. So I am very clear that the new 14th Realm after the ‘Rain’ has quite a bit of water in it. That’s why I dare to measure how much water there is, to serve as a reference for my second visit to White Jade Capital in the future. To put it in Fellow Daoist Tuan Ni’s words, it is… three blessings in a row.”

Yin Ji sneered, “Madman, truly a madman.”

Yin Miao, with the appearance of an old man, sighed faintly, his eyes pleading, “Hidden Official, liberation, I beg for liberation.”

Yin Ji slapped Yin Miao across the face with a backhand, “How did I give birth to such a good-for-nothing!”

Cai Yushan bowed and advised, “Your Majesty, we cannot delay any longer. The Five Peaks Divine Lords of Flask Bottle Continent have also completed their formation.”

Yin Ji nodded, “Shen, a quick battle. If you can kill him, kill him. If you cannot eliminate him, withdraw from Flask Bottle Continent first.”

The tall ghost nodded. As expected, she only listened to the “boy prince Yin Miao.”

The next moment, the position where Chen Ping’an stood was as if Shen had refined a section of the river of time with supreme divine abilities and cut it into a piece of glass cone. Chen Ping’an, sealed within, didn’t even have the chance to draw his sword, or perhaps didn’t have the idea? This large piece of colorful glass disappeared out of thin air, falling into a backflow of the river of time. How long could it be trapped? A quarter of an hour? Or half an hour? Shen was actually not too sure.

After all, this method had only been tested on a young Ascension Realm cultivator from another continent who seemed to be surnamed Wanyan. That person was neither a strong ascension nor a sword cultivator. It seemed that he had been detained for a few months of time back then?

The twelve Earthly Branches instantly lost their connection with the young Grand Tutor.

Seeing that the young Grand Tutor had been tricked, Cai Yushan was just about to utter a few sarcastic remarks, but unexpectedly, his feet felt empty. And Shen had no intention of saving him. Cai Yushan found himself in a strange realm in a daze, like watching a horse lantern. Every moment, tens of thousands of images were forcibly crammed into his mind, drifting in the twisted heavenly corridor, for tens or hundreds of years? Billions of lights flashed quickly before his eyes. Cai Yushan’s head throbbed violently, as if a hand was stirring his brain.

Finally, with a stumble, Cai Yushan no longer wandered in that illusion. First, he shook his head vigorously, and then bent over to dry heave. After all, a soul had nothing to vomit. Cai Yushan looked around and found himself standing in a paddy field, his eyes filled with lush green seedlings. The scorching sun was directly overhead. He lowered his head to look and was still holding a handful of seedlings in his hand. He felt as if his back was almost splitting from the sun’s exposure. The mud in the rice field was boiling hot. On his snow-white calves, where he had rolled up his pants, several leeches were biting. In addition to being covered in sweat, pus flowed from his eyes.

Cai Yushan roared in anger, shouting Chen Ping’an’s name loudly, cursing repeatedly. Soon, he was panting heavily, his throat burning with pain. He wanted to cast a spell to break the illusion in the surrounding fields, but he fell into the paddy field. He quickly crawled onto the field ridge. Miserable, suffering. Heaven and earth were definitely fake, but the messy pain was incredibly real. He was extremely conflicted and carefully tried to pull off a leech from his calf. The result was that half of it broke off, and Cai Yushan immediately rolled on the ground in pain and agony.

Academics do not know the hardship of farmers, and scholars are useless in a hundred ways.

Cai Yushan had just recovered when he was struck by a knife on his arm. He was startled at first, then trembled, and then screamed.

Perhaps as the Da Li border army said, whether a scholar has backbone is known after giving him a knife. Cai Yushan obviously did not have much backbone.

Now, the twelve Earthly Branches of the Da Li Dynasty. Except for the martial artist Zhou Haijing who joined last, the rest were selected by Cui Chan.

Song Xu, Mao. A sword cultivator at the bottleneck of the Golden Core Realm, the second prince of the Da Li Song family, the younger brother of Song Geng, and the second brother of Princess Song Lian.

Yuan Huajing, Zi. A sword cultivator at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul Realm, a disciple of the Yuan family of the Supreme Pillar State.

The Daoist sites, towns, and mountain tops under their feet each displayed a character representing an Earthly Branch.

Previously, Mr. Chen had “chatted and laughed” with them. Since both sides were too lazy to use mind voices, they heard clearly.

When Yin Ji actively mentioned that secret technique, Han Zhoujin, Lu Hui, and others looked at Song Xu, who was a prince of Da Li, with strange expressions.

Song Xu said angrily, “Even if we take ten thousand steps back, if Mr. Chen really wants to do this and control the destiny of Da Li, can I say no?”

Yu Yu asked with a smile via mind voice, “Hurry up, old rules, cast a divination and see the approximate danger level.”

The answer she received was relatively concise, “The other party is not bluffing, it is indeed a 14th Realm ghost.”

The young monk put his hands together and chanted a Buddhist prayer, “May the Buddha bless and protect. This disciple will go to the temple tomorrow to donate incense money.”

Since Flask Bottle Continent first proposed the term “Martial Ranking Grandmaster,” it quickly became popular throughout the Vast Expanse World. Following suit, each continent had its own list.

It was an undeniable consensus in the Vast Expanse that as long as one was ranked as a Martial Ranking Grandmaster, they would carry the martial luck of a continent.

However, it was more subtle for Qi refiners to claim that they carried the luck of a certain country, especially a certain continent.

Their numbers were indeed few. For example, Liu Tui, the Continent Master who helped break the spiritual stagnation of Fusheng Continent, or Song Pin, a sword immortal from Golden Armor Continent who possessed a “Fuyao” sword, were undoubtedly worthy.

In the Flask Bottle Continent, which was full of hidden talents, there were at most only two on the surface. Wei Jin of Fenglei Garden, the first person in Flask Bottle Continent to reach the Upper Five Realms purely as a sword cultivator in the past thousand years, and Liu Laocheng, a rogue cultivator from Shujian Lake. Besides them, whether you were the head of the Yunlin Jiang family, the Heaven Sovereign Qi Zhen of the Divine Edict Sect, or even Cao Rong who had already attained Ascension, who dared to say that they carried luck?

Even if others said so, they themselves would not dare to admit it.

It seemed that as soon as someone admitted it, the great Dao of heaven’s will and destiny in the unseen would settle accounts with them.

Simply because their luck was already good, why gamble on the gains and losses in an ethereal ledger?

However, the cultivators of the Earthly Branch lineage of the Da Li Dynasty, if one said that each of them carried a certain amount of the Flask Bottle Continent’s luck, it was a genuine fact. Furthermore, they had been to the auxiliary capital battlefield and verified that it was true. Since they had tangible military merits, they were not afraid of being “settled accounts with.” Of course, the Embroidered Tiger who created the “Flask Bottle Continent Earthly Branches” also made it impossible for them to be timid and hesitant, having gained immense benefits yet daring to be half-hearted.

In the past, the strength of a nation, which was the foundation of a continent, was tilted towards them with immeasurable resources of the Great Dao. The Embroidered Tiger was not afraid of them being overfed, only afraid of them not being full.

Yu Yu, who wore a腰牌 (waist token) with the character “戌”, said, “The Grand Tutor’s major examination for us has begun.”

Gai Yan charmingly smiled, “I didn’t expect to meet a fellow traveler. If we succeed in killing this, it will be a great tonic.”

Their boxing instructors included Song Changjing, the foremost of the Four Great Martial Ranking Grandmasters, Xu Ruo, a Mohist knight-errant who taught swordsmanship, secret arts of observing Qi from the old Mountain Lord of the Da Li Dynasty, and Aunt Feng who often imparted various strange and unorthodox techniques to them. As for the mountains of spiritual books and secret manuals piled up in the Da Li treasury, they were free to browse and cultivate at their leisure.

In the past, when the Da Li iron cavalry marched south, they collected and organized countless Daoist scriptures from the mountains, either genuine manuscripts from the secret collections of immortal mansions and sect founders’ halls, or copies submitted upon orders. It was no exaggeration to call it a mountain of books.

Killing Earth Immortals and Jade Purity cultivators, they were extremely skilled at it and had become accustomed to it.

However, they had not yet had the experience of killing immortals in battle formations or challenging Ascension Realm cultivators.

However, they had assassinated demonic cultivators on the auxiliary capital battlefield. At that time, the Da Li Earthly Branches were just beginning to be established, and the youngest among them, such as Yu Yu, had not yet joined, making the name even more undeserved.

Therefore, the cultivators of the Earthly Branch lineage, no matter which mountain faction they belonged to, were very proud at that time. They felt that they could run rampant not only in the capital of Da Li but anywhere in Flask Bottle Continent.

Thus, the eleven cultivators, who were only missing a pure martial artist to preside over the formation eye, had three “experiences” in the capital of Da Li at short intervals. The result was that they all encountered that “Mr. Chen.”

In the center of heaven and earth, Yin Ji reminded via mind voice, “Shen, you definitely can’t delay for a quarter of an hour. That Chen fellow is known for having many tricks up his sleeve and being extremely cunning. Pay attention to breaking the formation quickly and don’t be arrogant.”

The tall ghost nodded.

This Daoist site, which covered the sky and blocked the sun, was created by her covering it with countless green hairs. It was the most eerie, its target being all living creatures.

It was like a conical hat bowl overturned on a table, covering Chen Ping’an and the Da Li Earthly Branch lineage.

Shen manifested a colossal Dharma Idol reaching ten thousand zhang, and took both the usurping Emperor Yin Ji and the scapegoat Crown Prince Yin Miao into her sleeves.

The twelve characters, shining brightly at the boundary of the Daoist site, were like rising full moons. The clear light and the inky blackness intertwined, tearing at each other.

Without the ghost making any move, twelve sounds of firecrackers exploding rang out in succession on the large circle. Had Shen instantly killed all twelve Earthly Branches?

Yin Ji watched from within the sleeve. Beside him, Crown Prince Yin Miao, with the appearance of the emperor, was surprised to see this scene. Had it been resolved so easily?

He personally saw the physical bodies of the twelve Earthly Branch members all turn into ashes, which was no illusion.

However, unexpectedly, the next moment, the twelve people reappeared in their original forms at the same spot, all looking as usual. They communicated with each other via mind voices, each performing their duties, and began to activate the second great formation.

Shen seemed to have anticipated this outcome. This time, she attacked with even greater momentum. Black clouds rolled around the twelve private Daoist sites, like inky dragons rolling, each responsible for strangling one person and overturning a Daoist site.

A 14th Realm ghost, operating her Natal Divine Abilities within her own Daoist site, still crushed the opponents without suspense. After all, they did not even have a single Upper Five Realm cultivator.

However, compared to the overwhelming victory the first time, the time taken to kill the twelve people this time seemed slightly longer.

A cultivator had a calm expression. He reached into his sleeve and took out a handful of golden body fragments polished into pearl shapes. He put them into his mouth and chewed carefully, like eating salted soybeans, which were crunchy.

Yu Yu asked, “Still okay?”

He replied calmly, “Very okay.”

His name was Sui Lin, Yin.

Sui Lin was a cultivator skilled in Yin-Yang and Five Elements, and Fengshui. He could not be said to be untalented. Without external objects, he could reverse a section of the river of time within a small world. This was a God-given innate ability. However, this action was indeed too rebellious and would easily incur the displeasure of heaven. Heavenly tribulations were manifest, while heaven’s displeasure was hidden. The former would appear when a cultivator wanted to break through a major bottleneck, while the latter was omnipresent and could strike the cultivator cold at any time. What was particularly terrifying was that if heaven’s displeasure accumulated, it would lead to the legendary heavenly punishment.

Therefore, Sui Lin had many taboos and paid a great price to use this divine ability. If he hadn’t been led into the Earthly Branch lineage by Grand Tutor Cui, Sui Lin, who was at the Earth Immortal realm, could at most use it once with all his strength, which would cause his longevity bridge to collapse and turn him into a cripple.

Sui Lin had only read this shocking description in ancient books and didn’t quite understand it. He also didn’t want to understand it, and it would be best if he never understood the true meaning of this term in his life.

Just as the old saying goes, heaven always leaves a way out. Cui Chan helped him find a way to avoid disaster, which was to eat those golden body fragments, as if pretending to be a god with a physical body.

In addition, one of Song Xu’s two Natal Flying Swords, “驛路” (驛路), could allow all eleven of them to help Sui Lin share the damage and collectively bear the backlash of the Great Dao.

So, the twelve people of the Earthly Branch lineage were truly “fellow travelers” in the literal sense.

When the twelve of them formed a formation, their minds were not only connected, but their Great Daos were also closely related. Lu Hui clearly felt the anger of this person and joked with a smile, “You don’t even know how to learn from Mr. Chen’s example when cursing. There’s no bite to it at all.”

The cultivators of the Earthly Branch lineage were originally “born with a silver spoon” and were accustomed to spending lavishly. However, when Sui Lin was recently led by Rong Yu, one of the maids in the Grand Tutor’s mansion, to a secret vault room, she opened the door, and Sui Lin’s eyes instantly widened, filled with gold. “So much?! It’s all mine?!”

Rong Yu said calmly, “Cultivation is something you all need to work hard on individually. The Grand Tutor said that he will let you see what true heaven and earth are like. You can no longer be frogs at the bottom of a well, making small moves.”

Sui Lin reminded, “The tide of the Great Dao is surging again. Mr. Chen is watching, so don’t be too passive. I don’t care, you few ‘enforcers’, decide for yourselves.”

According to Yu Yu’s predetermined plan, they would endure three waves first to see. In any case, the general direction was to delay as much as possible. After all, there were the Five Peaks Divine Lords and the Grand Duke guarding the second level outside. Of course, they shouldn’t delay until night. Mr. Chen said, they must slay ghosts in broad daylight!

A black rope, as thick as a mountain peak, heavily struck the Daoist site of the female formation master of the Earthly Branch lineage.

The “午” formation master, Han Zhoujin, had already taken a step forward. As she did, celestial phenomena generated around her. Without needing to perform hand seals or chant incantations, or follow specific steps, an immortal palace with red soil and mountains and abundant purple Qi like flowing clouds appeared out of thin air. Ancient halls and pavilions were built along the mountains, arranged in a staggered manner, as if countless Daoist True Persons were studying there. Spiritual treasures chanted praises endlessly, resonating with heaven and earth.

This Daoist site was the site of an immortal palace ruin that the fortunate Han Zhoujin had accidentally entered when she was young while climbing a mountain. It was part of the ancient Tongbai Blessed Land, and also one of the ancient Vast Expanse True Person’s governance sites.

That rope heavily struck the heavenly music formation created by the chants of the True Persons and the celestial decrees of the palace. In an instant, the earth shook and the mountains swayed. Cracks appeared in the formation barrier, which was like snow-white glass.

Han Zhoujin looked up at the barrier that almost shattered after being hit just once, and inevitably felt a bit of shock. This celestial decree barrier was something she had just successfully refined from a Daoist book. She was not the kind of person who was overly conceited, and still felt quite proud inside. She never expected it to be so fragile.

Shen seemed to remember something. Her originally lifeless eyes became cold. Attacking this mountain first was a subconscious action, but at this moment, the ghost had a look of hatred. She swung her sleeves, wielding her divine ability. A majestic Dharma Idol, like a god holding a whip to strike mountains and break temples, was determined to turn that extremely dazzling Daoist site into powder. Whip after whip shattered the barrier made of the Daoist meaning of the words contained in the celestial decrees. Not yet satisfied, she completely destroyed the palaces, leaving no sound of spiritual treasures chanting praises. In the blink of an eye, an ancient mountain had become a terrifying place with crisscrossing ravines, filled with sticky ink-like liquid, flowing like streams throughout the mountain.

The female formation master was even more powerless to resist. She was instantly struck on the crown of her head by a whip, and was once again struck to her death and the annihilation of her spirit. There was merely an additional riverbed in the mountain.

Shen did not look at the ravaged immortal mountain and turned to attack the second checkpoint. It was an elegant Daoist standing on a small mountain ridge. The entire small mountain was broken open as if a turtle had flipped its back. The young Daoist’s figure soared up, lightly stepping on the broken rocks, maneuvering skillfully. Shen only moved her divine sense slightly, and the broken mountain instantly closed, suffocating him.

At the third location, a whip actually missed, and a whip crack sounded in the vast and boundless world, tearing open a沟壑 (ravine) thousands of zhang long, filled with wailing and sobbing sounds. Countless white bone skeletons were gathered and rolling inside, trying to escape from that waterless ravine of boundless bitter sea.

Shen was slightly surprised and looked closely. It was a Golden Core Realm woman whose Dao power was so weak that it was almost negligible, and she was also a ghost.

Just a small Golden Core, yet she could unleash such a Dao power illusion? That’s right, Shen instantly understood. It was the eyebrow painter on the mountain. Her realm was not high, but her talent was acceptable.

The enchanting woman quickly glanced at the pile of white bones in the ravine. Instead of finding it eerie, she felt greedy.

She was overjoyed, having been right. If they could kill it together, it would be a great tonic for her! Perhaps she wouldn’t need to consider finding resources for the Great Dao in her entire life?

The opportunity for the Great Dao that Cui Chan spoke of in the past, the chance to reach the Upper Five Realms through unorthodox methods, was this 14th Realm ghost, and it was today?!

Gai Yan, Hai of the Earthly Branches.

She was a ghost cultivator, currently in the Golden Core Realm. She was both an eyebrow painter for a mountain painter and the behind-the-scenes owner of that “famous” immortal inn in the capital. She dressed up colorfully every day until she met Zhou Haijing, who was also adorned with jewelry, and then she met her match. It was no wonder they disliked each other at first.

That Mr. Xiao Mo gave her a Daoist robe in a green bamboo tube. If she had politely declined, it would truly have been strange.

The last time she “entangled” with Mr. Chen who graced the inn with his presence, she was only in the Golden Core Realm, yet she could already make Chen Ping’an, who was both a martial grandmaster and a sword immortal, experience a deviation in vision. If she reached the Upper Five Realms in the future, she could even make people “see is believe.” As for how long the “truth” could be maintained, it would depend on the depth of her Dao power.

It was both a chicken rib and invincible. It was a chicken rib because Gai Yan fighting alone against someone of the same realm or a higher realm was indeed of little significance, especially when encountering a sword cultivator who was best at breaking through all methods with a single sword, which was particularly useless. It was invincible because as long as someone was one or two realms lower than her, she could easily sit back and relax without any effort. She didn’t need to activate a formation or make a move. An illusion would instantly arise, making the cultivators and martial artists within it obediently “die of old age” in the secret realm.

Therefore, if it weren’t for this impromptu major examination, Gai Yan would soon be working in the Grand Tutor’s mansion.

Moreover, Gai Yan was also an enchanting corpse skilled in 彩煉術 (彩煉術) and used a romantic account as her Daoist site. The countless white bones under the female ghost’s skirt would all be her subordinates.

Shen thought for a moment, and the next moment, a giant hand, white as jade, appeared in the inky black firmament, carrying the pressure of the Great Dao as if a heavenly tribulation was descending, “slowly” pressing down.

It instantly flattened the enchanting corpse, who was presiding over a romantic account Daoist site, into a puddle of flesh. The enchanting ghost beauty died instantly, her beauty fading, and the romantic rouge and powder scattered.

However, “before dying,” Gai Yan looked up at the 14th Realm ghost with a look of disdainful smile, clearly speaking silently, “Old thing, just wait. I will always chew on you.”

The 14th Realm ghost, Shen, who was supposed to break through another checkpoint without any “candidate” suffix, actually raised her sleeve and chopped down with a hand blade from afar.

It was like a giant mountain god using a sharp blade to cut off a long river.

However, instead of stopping the flow for a moment, the river of time only followed the posture of her hand blade, falling in an arc, like a tough immortal silk, constantly flowing.

Shen uttered a sound of surprise. Why was this flowing river of time so solid?

Except for the few cultivators who had not yet reshaped their physical bodies and returned to the Yang world, the rest of the Earthly Branch members were “pulled” in this way, causing their souls to tremble violently and suffer a lot.

Yu Yu shouted loudly, “Not good, the thief is going to run…”

The entire Daoist site shook. A large hole broke open in the sky and earth, revealing a swaying arched bridge. The large-sleeved ghost was already walking across one end in a swaggering manner, about to cross the bridge.

In an instant, she had already reached the center of the arched bridge, and the next moment she was close to the other end of the bridge.

Yu Yu raised his hands and clapped them together forcefully. Ancient cloud patterns quickly spread in his palms and on the back of his hands, glowing brightly, like a miniature moon rising slowly. As the moon rose, there was a young sword immortal the height of a hand within it, wearing a lotus crown, dressed in red robes, wearing an ancient sword, with snow-white pearl strings connecting the seams of his clothes. He was handsome and elegant, with a very ethereal immortal aura.

Yu Yu softly shouted, “Go!”

This Yin God, which had long preserved a bit of its true spirit and resided in this sword immortal’s body, received this imperial decree from its master, and its figure transformed into a rainbow. The slender sword light it sacrificed rushed out even faster.

Regarding these Earthly Branch cultivators, Xie Gou had previously made a summary. It was nothing more than using the methods of a seamstress, constantly engaging in acts of transgression. For example, the military little girl casually issued decrees to the Yin souls of ancient sword immortal heroes, Han Zhoujin dared to unauthorizedly refine the governance site of an ancient True Person instead of handing it over to the Middle Earth Confucian Temple, and that little bald head, who could create Yin and Yang and connect the secluded underworld between opening and closing his eyes, especially as a little novice monk practicing Buddhism, could even learn the five thunders righteous law of smelly ox noses. Didn’t his master care?

The Earthly Branch lineage coordinated seamlessly, fully utilizing favorable timing, location, and human factors.

Since they could stand undefeated, the second key was how high their killing power was.

Otherwise, it would be a tedious grind, just to see who exhausted the other, which ultimately meant little.

On the arched bridge, the Earthly Branch cultivators used mountain moving techniques to send the giant mountains of the Five Peaks to block the path. For some reason, as soon as they reached the bridge surface, they instantly became as small as molehills and were casually crushed by the tall woman.

Above the arched bridge, there was still a large, fiery sword light like a waterfall, slashing down at the female ghost. However, Shen simply waved her sleeve and swept it away. A powerful sword attack ended in a hasty manner.

At the bottom of the arched bridge, two chains made of more than ten thousand ghost-exorcising talismans wrapped around Shen’s ankles. Unfortunately, she continued to walk forward without any hindrance, and instead casually tore them apart.

Sui Lin, who controlled the direction of a section of the river of time, no longer cared about being meticulous. Han Zhoujin and others instantly returned to the Yang world. Han Zhoujin’s face was covered in frost, and she gritted her teeth, actually sacrificing her Tongbai Daoist site, which was the foundation of her Great Dao, and smashed it towards the back of the 14th Realm ghost.

When it reached the arched bridge, the Daoist site, which had shrunk to the size of a jade seal, passed directly through the female ghost’s body, and then Shen grabbed it with her hand and threw it into her sleeve.

That snow-white large sleeve instantly rustled and trembled.

A bloody smell of roasting fresh meat kept wafting out. The female ghost’s expression remained normal. Anyway, she was only one step away from reaching the ferry crossing.

Almost at the same time, there was a sound of glass shattering. At the end of the bridge, the guest in green robes was already waiting there.

The world was vast, and the arched bridge was also not small, but at this moment, it was like a single-plank bridge that only one person could walk on. The two sides met in a narrow path.

For the first time, Shen showed a look of anger, but after weighing the pros and cons, she finally stopped. Even though she was only one step away, she still chose to stop.

The Academician Cai, who had been struck by a knife and couldn’t bear the pain, rolled off the field ridge. He gritted his teeth and searched for some herbs in the mountains and wilderness. He finally managed to bandage the wound roughly and endured starvation for several days before the wound healed and scabbed over. He didn’t know when such hard days would end. Suddenly, he saw the sky shattering, the sun falling to the ground, and the paddy fields disappearing. He seemed to have regained his soul in an instant. The ghost, who had fallen from the Upper Five Realms to the Earth Immortal realm, saw Shen’s figure on the arched bridge. After a moment of shock, Cai Yushan quickly shouted for help from a fellow Daoist…

The next moment, he found himself curled up beside a second-hand clothing stall on the roadside. It was the bitter cold of winter, and goose feather snow was falling between heaven and earth. Then he was kicked in the face. The stall owner was burly and strong, cursing and swearing, telling him to get lost, threatening to chop him alive if he delayed his business, and telling him to die somewhere else if he wanted to die… Cai Yushan was in misery and trembled. The Academician of the Great Ribbon Dynasty, who was best at writing poems about snow, was about to gather his strength to curse a few times, but then he saw a group of ruffians strolling over. One of the strong men had burning eyes and muttered, “We can use his butt after washing it…”

But this was just an insignificant interlude.

Yu Yu and the others were relieved. Fortunately, Mr. Chen had blocked the ghost’s path.

Their intuition told them that once the ghost crossed the bridge, the continental formation created by the Five Peaks Divine Lords would very likely become useless.

The problem was that their Earthly Branch lineage hadn’t had time to use those killer moves yet.

Han Zhoujin was somewhat disheartened after losing that immortal palace.

This female formation master of hers was from the Clear Pool Blessed Land of the Divine Edict Sect. The true behind-the-scenes “owner” was the Zi Zhao Yan family, one of the surnames of the Supreme Pillar States. The latter had individually invested a considerable amount of heaven and earth treasures and countless immortal money in her. It was like a three-way transaction between Clear Pool Blessed Land, the Zi Zhao Yan family, and Grand Tutor Cui Chan. The biggest beneficiary, of course, was Han Zhoujin.

In exchange for Han Zhoujin leaving the Daoist register and becoming one of the Da Li Earthly Branch cultivators, the Da Li court promised that in the future, there would be an additional Daoist temple with a sect name in Flask Bottle Continent. It was proven that Cui Chan did not deceive Heaven Sovereign Qi Zhen. Later, the Lingfei Temple within the former Bai Shuang Dynasty territory became the Lingfei Palace.

However, at that time, Yan Jiaoran, as one of Cui Chan’s absolute confidants, felt that since the added Daoist palace was not a subsidiary sect of the Divine Edict Sect, Qi Zhen would not be willing to make wedding dresses for others and might even cause the Divine Edict Sect to lose a portion of the Daoist luck in Flask Bottle Continent. He might not agree. “Grand Tutor, why not change the offer?”

Cui Chan did not explain anything, but just asked Yan Jiaoran to talk first.

The result was… exceptionally smooth. Qi Zhen agreed without hesitation, as if he didn’t care that the Divine Edict Sect had given away a cultivation prodigy with excellent talent and fortune for free, and didn’t care whether the sect-named Daoist lineage received incense from the Divine Edict Sect. Yan Jiaoran later realized that true achievements could not be judged by surface gains and losses, but were actually achieved by working on people’s hearts.

Chen Ping’an had previously advised Han Zhoujin that the immortal mansion ruin had a great origin and she could consult Aunt Feng about it.

Even the knowledgeable Mr. Chen said that it would be a “great fortune.” Although there was a prefix “for her,” its rarity was imaginable.

Aunt Feng saw the little girl who visited the Fire God Temple and helped her reveal a heavenly secret. Han Zhoujin finally found the true core of the formation and became the owner of this Daoist mountain.

It was like an inn, but in the blink of an eye, it became a true Daoist site. Before that, Han Zhoujin was like someone with a treasure mountain, clearly seeing the temple but never offering incense or worshipping the immortals.

Not long after, the young sect master of Taiwei Sword Sect, Sword Immortal Liu Jinglong, during his southward travels, was entrusted by a friend to make a special trip to the capital to find Han Zhoujin and guide her in formations.

The reward was that Han Zhoujin had long been secretly instructed by Mr. Chen, and she was truly grateful for Liu Jinglong’s generous teaching, which was comparable to imparting the Dao. So she invited Liu Jinglong, who “has friends and is never without wine, and does not drink a drop with strangers,” for a proper and friendly drink.

Ge Ling sensed Han Zhoujin’s state of mind and reminded her via mind voice, “Immediately compose yourself and don’t let yourself get flustled.”

Han Zhoujin said with a forced smile, “Easier said than done!”

The young Daoist comforted her, “Since Mr. Chen is holding the line, it won’t be a waste of effort.”

Han Zhoujin nodded, finally feeling relieved.

Since meeting this Mr. Chen, their cultivation paths had undergone earth-shaking changes.

Ge Ling, Wei.

He was from Jurong in the southeastern part of Flask Bottle Continent.

Compared to the relatively free and unrestrained Earthly Branch members who were mostly rogue cultivators from mountains and marshes, the young Daoist was an exception. He also had a public official identity, serving as a Daoist Registrar in the capital. Ge Ling was in charge of the Genealogy Department, one of the six departments of the Capital Daoist Registrar’s Office.

If anyone was most likely to reach the Upper Five Realms first, it was of course Yuan Huajing. However, Han Zhoujin and Ge Ling’s future in the Great Dao were the most promising in Chen Ping’an’s eyes.

Han Zhoujin was favored because her private Daoist site was simply too precious. As for the Daoist Ge Ling, in addition to his firm Dao heart, he had an additional opportunity. In the Earthly Branch lineage, if there were military merits, it seemed that Yuan Huajing benefited the most, but it was not the case. The truth was that Ge Ling benefited the most from the Great Dao. This was because their realms were still low now, and they didn’t have many opportunities to fight against cultivators on the peak. This matter was not obvious. It was believed that when they successively reached the Upper Five Realms, they would gradually realize how much potential the Daoist Ge Ling had and how much dividend he received.

Since it was an Earthly Branch, it was matched with the Five Elements. Wei was Yin Earth. If matched with the human body, Hai was the head, and Wei was the spine. If matched with the Earthly Branches and internal organs, Chou and Wei were the spleen.

Therefore, Ge Ling’s existence was extremely crucial.

Lu Hui tentatively asked via mind voice, “Which ‘he’?”

The boy Gou Cun shook his head, “Can’t tell.”

Yuan Huajing had already put away his Natal Flying Sword “Fire Waterfall,” which had returned without success, and felt some emotion in his heart. It was the same sword strike to the head, but the effect was so vastly different.

The young novice monk quickly lowered his head, clasped his hands together, and silently chanted Amitabha Buddha.

On the arched bridge, Shen stared intently at the green-robed sword cultivator with two swords hanging at his waist.

That person said with a smile, “Can a 14th Realm ghost kill with its eyes?”

Shen seemed to have lost patience.

As the 14th Realm cultivator’s Dao heart stirred, the world became even darker, as if the entire river of time was stained with a thick inky blackness of death.

Chen Ping’an glanced at her sleeve, “Song Jixin the crow’s mouth was really right. Yin Ji, you are indeed secretly colluding with White Jade Capital.”

It seemed that during the fragmentation and fall of the Pearly Grotto Heaven, a high-ranking individual from White Jade Capital had secretly infiltrated Flask Bottle Continent while the heavenly secrets were in chaos.

Pang Ding of Lingbao City? Or that nameless Daoist official who blocked Xie Gou’s sword light? Or both?

The green-robed sword immortal gently pressed the hilts of his two swords with the palms of his hands. “This road is blocked. Get back for me.”

Shen no longer had the leisurely demeanor she had when dealing with those ants. In an instant, her snow-white face seemed to be made up of countless eyes pieced together, crowded and rolling, making one feel nauseous.

Since you want to block the road with your sword, let’s have a head-on clash of the Great Dao. Let’s see whether the Dao power of the new 14th Realm is more resilient to consumption, or whether the foundation of the brand new Ascension is thicker?

Shen dispersed her Dao, and her 14th Realm Dao techniques surged towards the bridgehead like a tide.

Vaguely, towering mountains stood, and the martial artist was like a god. He did not meet the enemy with sword techniques, but came down from the mountain like a martial artist.

With a casual stomp, he shattered the bridge surface of the arched bridge. The martial artist alone used his fist aura to split the dark night sky filled with the tide of the Great Dao, and struck the ghost’s Dao body in the abdomen with a punch, causing heaven and earth to shake and the long bridge to break. Then he grabbed the ghost’s neck with one hand and its wrist with the other, and forcefully tore them apart.

The 14th Realm ghost, who was temporarily defying the act of dispersing its Dao, still could not cross that chasm of a step. Instead, it retreated again and again on the invisible road.

Shen’s eyes revealed a shock that involved her Dao heart. Did you really usurp the throne?! You, a mere mortal, actually took charge of the human martial arts?!

With a bang, the ghost’s Dao body shattered and shot out in all directions. A lingering sound echoed in the world, long and continuous.

Chen Ping’an threw aside the severed limbs that were gradually turning into ashes, but wiped her sleeve, from which the Daoist mountain rolled out. Then he patted it with his hand and it returned to Han Zhoujin’s side.

He did not pursue the ghost that had resumed its original appearance in a corner of the Daoist site’s firmament.

Shen looked down from above, her sleeves fluttering between heaven and earth. She looked at the green-robed figure with pity in her eyes and sneered, “That enchanting ghost wanted to eat me, and who wants to eat you?”

He only said calmly to the Earthly Branch lineage, “Continue.”