These strange and varied beings, each enthroned within their small realms, unleashed torrents of boundless Dao energy, shrouding the skies and earth, encircling the capital of Da Li.

A mere handful created an oppressive pressure, like an invading army.

The green-robed woman, the first to arrive in this human world, surveyed her surroundings. She noticed five mountains on this small landmass, each emanating a hazy light of a different color, forming a single array.

She mused, it bore a resemblance to the Great Mountain True Form Diagram.

She recalled that back then, on the drafts of those two talismans, whether there should be three or five mountains was a point of discussion, but unfortunately, it remained unresolved.

It seemed the five elements theory, derived from Yin and Yang in later generations, had flourished. She couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. What was once a fledgling spring blade of grass had now grown into a vast, lush grassland where the Great Dao flowed endlessly. The wisdom and ingenuity of later generations of Dao seekers were indeed not to be underestimated.

The White Bone Daoist felt a slight discomfort, which quickly turned to irritation. Having already had his avatar shattered by a punch from the martial artist, he was already feeling disgraced. With a flick of his wide purple sleeve, he repelled the surging Dao energy of the Northern Yue of Baoping Province. Instantly, the sea of clouds churned, like the ebb and flow of an aerial tide.

Under the White Bone Daoist’s divine technique, countless clouds clustered densely around one mountain, transforming the Cloud-Cloaked Mountain into a divine general clad in snowy white armor.

The White Bone Daoist saw on the mountain peak a mountain god with golden earrings, hidden within a tortoise shell. Empowered by the array, he possessed a decent level of Dao cultivation. Smiling, the White Bone Daoist offered a few reminders, “Little one, any further provocative actions, and I will consider you seeking a challenge. According to the rules of old, you and I would be drawing the line. The one with higher Dao lives, the one with lower Dao dies! Dao companions and disciples on the side can only watch the duel, and are absolutely forbidden to intervene.”

Wei Bo smiled slightly, “You have your rules, and I have my duties.”

The White Bone Daoist was about to make a few more sarcastic remarks, but realized he was already being watched by that fellow named Chen. He didn’t dare to be careless and immediately stopped talking.

That previous punch, he wondered if it was delivered with full strength, or if he deliberately held back?

Chen Ping’an rolled up his sleeves and said, “Since you have come with such anticipation, it wouldn’t do to let you leave disheartened. You have one stick of incense’s worth of time to linger within Da Li’s borders. Matters of the heavens belong in the heavens.

“A word of warning, whoever dares to disturb the mortals in the city and harm a single life, I will not only kill that person, but everyone else watching will also stay.”

There was no need to send them to the Forest of Merit in the Confucian Temple; Da Li already had a vacant prison waiting for them.

He estimated that Yuan Huajing’s eyes were probably already red by now.

Upon hearing this, the White Bone Daoist shook his head repeatedly. If I were to deliberately kill a few ants and “implicate” a few allies, wouldn’t you fall into a state of being surrounded and beaten? Such an arrogant and reckless fellow, oblivious to the consequences, is undoubtedly seeking his own death!

It reminded him of many old acquaintances from the human world in the past. With better talent, more opportunities, and prolonged success, they all seemed to become so arrogant and ignorant, ultimately meeting their demise halfway. Minor tribulations were easy to overcome, but major ones were inescapable. He wondered how many people, besides himself, could still remember their Dao names and their accomplishments now?

He flicked his sleeves, pointing a halberd-like finger at that tiny green mustard seed figure. “Before the Heaven-Earth Connection, your tone, like a toad swallowing the sun and moon, could be considered your true ability. I wouldn’t mind enduring it; it was even proper for me to avoid you proactively. But what kind of time is it now, Chen Ping’an, don’t you have any sense in your heart? Still playing tricks, making me underestimate the character of human Dao seekers. Since you are like this, those who seek the Dao on the ground are even worse. Has the human world become so unbearable? Pitiful, pitiful, in times without heroes, mere nobodies rise to fame, it is lamentable and regrettable.”

“No wonder Zhou Mi failed to accomplish anything in the barren lands. Since he would lose to such a coarse fellow as you, he must not be very strong.”

“Alas, alas, let me take on the burden, regroup, and personally change the world, restoring the proper order it should have.”

Over by the corridor of the Imperial Tutor’s residence, Song Yunjian was not having an easy time. Although he was in charge of the three great arrays in the capital, having to protect the entire city and also employ a spell of illusion, this manifestation of Da Li’s national destiny, known by the Dao name Yingning, was truly suffering in silence. Of course, the new Imperial Tutor Chen Ping’an was working hard, but Song Yunjian was also having a quite difficult time. In just a few days, how many sights had he witnessed that even old Ascended beings had never seen in their lifetimes? First, there was the disturbance caused by the fourteenth realm ghost, the clam, followed by that Heaven-Earth Connection, and now this!

It was also fortunate that the Imperial Tutor had previously used some secret method to obscure the heavenly secrets beforehand. The people of Da Li’s capital still saw it as a heavy rain.

Song Yunjian quietly lifted the dry tobacco pipe in his hand, a truly ordinary object. Could the Imperial Tutor possess such divine ability?

Once it was determined that this group of ancient beings were enemies and not friends, a fierce battle was inevitable.

Song Yunjian sighed, his Dao heart fluctuating with a mixture of emotions that could be distilled into one sentence: This is f**king exciting!

Yuan Huajing and several other Earth Branch cultivators currently in the capital had gathered together. However, for some reason, even though the few of them gathered together to visit Da Li were more formidable than the clam who landed in Baoping Province alone, the situation in Da Li’s capital was even more perilous now. The Imperial Tutor didn’t even bother to inform them, as if silently saying, just watch the show.

Indeed, as the Imperial Tutor expected, Sword Immortal Yuan’s eyes were burning with a passion that exceeded the churning clouds in the Northern Yue region. However, Sword Immortal Yuan’s heart was filled with thunder, though his expression remained as calm as a still lake. Even if he understood the fundamental Dao of the clam, Yuan Huajing couldn’t bring himself to strike. But this arrogant White Bone Daoist, visiting Da Li with such bluster, was clearly targeting the Imperial Tutor. Wouldn’t it be a golden opportunity if he could seize the chance and refine him into a puppet?!

Considering this, it was indeed necessary to focus more on quickly entering the Jade Pure Realm through secluded cultivation.

It seemed that the semi-immortal weapon and two Dharma treasures in Da Li’s two secret vaults should be re-requested. He could purchase them by converting his military merits, without taking advantage of Da Li’s court or the Imperial Tutor. If the price was too high, he could always borrow some military merits from Zhou Haijing and Lu Hui.

The White Bone Daoist looked down at the green-robed martial artist who had stopped after delivering one punch, and he suddenly clapped his hands and laughed loudly, “Right! The junior is fierce in appearance but cowardly at heart, an empty fort strategy!”

Chen Ping’an appeared to have excellent patience. Only at this moment did he say with a smile, “Are you finished? One stick of incense’s worth of time is the time you all share.”

Cao Ci looked at that Chen Ping’an, feeling quite unfamiliar. Although he had many identities and was heavily burdened by fame and fortune, at this moment, in his green robe and coat, barefoot and suspended in mid-air, he appeared so free in life.

Xu Xie stifled a laugh and said to Cao Ci with a voice transmission, “Now I know why the Central Plains Confucian Temple wanted to seal the news.”

Cao Ci said, “This White Bone Daoist needs to be careful.”

Earlier, when the White Bone Daoist looked at the human mountains and rivers, its “gaze” was completely different from that of the Qingqiu fox tribe.

The latter was surprised, amazed, and filled with joy.

The White Bone Daoist’s gaze was like that of a wicked landlord, seldom venturing out, observing the growth of other people’s crops.

As for its self-proclaimed “this seat,” it was a taboo, which could be a major or minor offense.

In the clear sky above the sea of clouds and rain, a single line appeared.

The White Bone Daoist’s Dao heart trembled. He raised his hand and shook his sleeve. A purple Dharma robe suddenly expanded to the size of a lake, concealing his true form within.

With a bang.

The punch was unavoidable. The punch’s aura collided with the Dharma robe, making a sound like a resonating bell, like a certain word chanted during the lessons in Buddhist or Daoist temples.

The White Bone Daoist, along with the purple Dharma robe, began to rotate and retreated over a thousand zhang, like a purple lake with countless whirlpools.

Chen Ping’an stood with one hand behind his back. He simply delivered one punch and did not pursue, scoffing, “You don’t know the value of time, so much nonsense!”

That was true. To these beings, time itself was the least valuable thing, even something they hated the most. Dao seekers who pursued eternal life were instead imprisoned by the cage of longevity.

Forming hand seals to stabilize himself, the White Bone Daoist, who had rotated dozens of times in the air and was rapidly ascending and retreating, had the edges of his purple Dharma robe flapping in the wind. Compared to the immense Dharma robe, the skeleton of this ancient Daoist was as small as a grain of sand.

The skeleton, which had countless cracks, creaked. Strands of golden light, like a million connecting snakes, restored the skeletal physique in an instant. The Dao intent and spiritual energy that had been dispersed by the punch adhered to the purple robe, returning to their original positions one by one. The speed at which they burst outward and retreated was fast, but the speed at which they returned to the seven hundred and more golden qi points was even faster.

Despite having no eyeballs, flesh, tendons, veins, or blood on its face, observers could clearly sense the changes in the White Bone Daoist’s emotions.

It had to admit, it was a good punch.

This was the unmatched power of a physical body becoming divine. This was the unreasonable power of the eleventh realm of martial arts, which only existed in legends.

The crucial point was that the aura of this punch actually used the true intent of the Great Dao, mimicking the rotation of the heavenly Dao. Therefore, even the White Bone Daoist and his Dharma robe were forced to follow the rightward rotation!

Another line of punch aura came face to face, accompanied by a grating sound like a blunt instrument scraping glass.

The White Bone Daoist and his Dharma robe turned to rotate leftward, continuously tilting, ascending, and retreating. The skeleton instantly turned to dust, and the vast, billowing purple Dharma robe also developed tens of thousands of holes of various sizes.

Restoring its original appearance again, the White Bone Daoist was about to say a few words, willing to sincerely praise the opponent’s divine boxing…

The next moment, another unremarkable punch came. The powerful punch aura rotated both left and right. The result of the clashing Daos was the instant tearing of the White Bone Daoist and his purple Dharma robe into two halves.

Perhaps delivering this third punch wasn’t entirely effortless, the green figure floated and landed on the head of that giant fox, choosing a good landing spot.

Her face was full of malice, and she vigorously shook her head, “You Chen fellow, get off!”

Chen Ping’an stomped his foot, pressing down on her head, causing her to collide with the wall of the outer city of the capital again.

Song Yunjian, who was in charge of the grand array, also lost his balance. Imperial Tutor Chen, sigh, that foot was unnecessary!

Chen Ping’an remained angry, stomping on the fox’s head again, “Damn it, you dared to use the honey trap on me, you found the right person.”

She couldn’t speak, and it was difficult to express her thoughts with voice transmission. She could only convey her intentions through her innate divine ability. Originally, this method was her trump card for enchanting and instigating ancient earth immortals, capable of silently planting a “seed of affection” in the opponent’s Dao heart.

“Chen Ping’an, if you continue to humiliate me like this, I will abandon my Dao and my life and be at odds with you forever!”

Chen Ping’an was about to stomp again, using the “Decapitation Technique” to chop off her head.

He suddenly remembered something related to a conversation he had with Xu Xie during a casual chat. He lifted his foot and stepped out, leaving her head and walking onto the city wall.

He even had the nerve to not forget to apologize to her nicely.

Perhaps it was because she had been kicked twice, her head was spinning, and she was momentarily confused, unsure whether to accept the apology or curse back a few times.

Song Yunjian’s vision blurred. With one hand, he held the dry tobacco pipe for someone, and with the other, he supported the corridor pillar, inwardly groaning.

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes and looked at the sky. The true name of the great demon, the old master of Qingqiu, by his side, was recorded by Nian Xin, the seamstress. Unfortunately, that White Bone Daoist, who was skilled at showing weakness, was not. Even more unfortunately, he hadn’t practiced martial arts, otherwise, it would have been even simpler.

On a snowy white high platform, the ancient shaman with the colorful face cried incessantly, staring fixedly at the human man in the green robe. As if he had finally confirmed the truth, his expression was desolate. He reached out to clutch his face, his fingers like hooks, tearing his face into a bloody mess. He sobbed in pain, “Not now, not before, at the time of the Heaven-Earth Connection, neither of you were…”

He prostrated himself on the ground, as if in a devout posture, kowtowing to the heavens and earth. Soon, a pool of fresh blood appeared on the high platform from his kowtowing, mixing with the colorful paint. He roared in ancient language, “I ask, where are the true gods, where is the Heavenly Lord?!”

The green-robed woman sighed. This Dao friend, who had no distractions and only sought “oneness in sight,” would have been better off not coming on this journey.

At Furonglu’s private Daoist field, separated by a single door, cicadas buzzed outside in the summer heat, their voices gathering like a tide. Inside, the void was boundless, and the galaxy was brilliant. Xie Gou, with eyes closed and hands forming seals, sat cross-legged on a futon.

Three layers of imagery.

The sable-capped girl, cultivating her sword and refining her qi while protecting her Dao, achieved both simultaneously with the technique of heart fasting.

Behind her stood a woman in white, ethereal with piercing eyes, watching the Daoist Ding who believed “My contemplation is the universe.”

Further back was the true form of the demon race, the sword cultivator Bai Jing.

Xie Gou suddenly opened her eyes. In an instant, her avatar, Dharma body, and true form merged into one. Her figure floated out of the room, reached out, and grabbed the green bamboo staff leaning against the wall outside the corridor. Her figure turned into a rainbow, opening and then closing the Daoist field’s restriction. Xie Gou sent a voice transmission from afar to Xiao Mo, who was cultivating in seclusion within the snail shell Daoist field of the Gray Mist Mountain, telling him not to give up halfway. She would go meet two old acquaintances and he could safely leave it to her… She quickly turned her head and glanced at Flowery Shadow Peak, her expression immediately changing. She roared, “Deputy Gan, let’s go, follow me out of the mountain to slay demons and eradicate evil!”

Old Deaf sighed with a bitter face, instructing those who were learning the Dao. When he returned, he would check their qi refining progress. Walking quickly out of the teaching hall, Old Deaf transformed into a sword light and followed Chief Xie to the capital of Da Li.

Xie Gou kept one hand in her sleeve, holding a short sword in reverse.

Pinching a Three Mountains Talisman, she used the缩地 (Suo Di, Shortening Distance) technique to arrive at the outer city wall of the capital. Standing gracefully, Xie Gou, with one hand in her sleeve and the other on her hip, looked at the enormous head of the foxy woman. “Oh my, how did your head get so swollen, fellow Daoist?”

This old master of Qingqiu, whose Dao age was even older than Bai Jing’s by over a thousand years, was also extremely surprised. Confirming the true identity of the sable-capped girl, she didn’t seem to be particularly filled with hatred as if seeing a sworn enemy. She was just curious. Why wasn’t Bai Jing causing trouble in the barren lands, casually usurping other people’s Dao names, but instead doing something in this territory ruled by scholars?

On the city wall and outside the city wall, they stared at each other with wide eyes, each with their own thoughts.

“This foxy woman is so pathetic.”

“Why is Bai Jing so weak now?”

“Take advantage of her illness to kill her! Then chew up this true form of hers. My current realm is low and my appetite is small, but I can have a full meal. Maybe I can directly increase my realm by two? Chewing up Old Cheng Liu isn’t suitable, but chewing her up isn’t much of a problem, the Mountain Master probably won’t stop me? Stick a large pile of self-made Three Mountains Talismans on her true form and move her to Furonglu Daoist field. Wow, the landlord family, though thin and sallow, also has surplus grain.”

“There’s hope of sleeping with her! I just happen to need a maid by my side, heaven helps me!”

Her eyes were like silk, and her fox face could actually make people feel full of spring passion. She slowly opened her mouth and said, “Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, it’s been ten thousand years, I miss you dearly.”

If a beauty in the world’s appearance was fixed, no matter how stunning her looks, capable of overthrowing kingdoms and cities, she could never make everyone fall in love with her. However, the appearance, figure, and demeanor of this old master of Qingqiu, in the eyes of others, varied depending on the person, thus capable of arousing the greatest desires in the Dao heart.

In ancient times, how many earth immortals who had achieved success in Dao were planted with a “seed of affection,” fell into a net of love, and unknowingly churned in the sea of desires, leaking their primordial spirits, and were given as resources for her Great Dao for nothing, leaving only a husk of a body, which was then subjected to the technique of colorful refining, and finally reduced to her subjects under her skirt.

In the ancient Qingqiu region, the fox tribe was inherently weak, unable to achieve quick success in cultivating the Dao and not skilled in combat. Many powerful beings coveted their beauty, wanting to take them as concubines, refine them into cauldrons and then discard them like worn-out shoes. In the early years, this master of Qingqiu gathered her kin, established her Dao lineage and incense offerings, and it was she alone who protected them for thousands of years, maintaining the lineage without faltering.

As a result, the fox tribe had no hatred for the ancient gods, but their hatred for the Dao seekers on the earth was sky-high.

In ancient times, how many Daoist priests on the earth used the lives of dozens or even hundreds of fox tribes as cauldrons to become earth immortals and open up their grotto-heavens?

After the old master of Qingqiu attained ascension, she began to wander the human world. During this time, she encountered many earth immortals with sufficient killing power but lacking in Dao heart, and even two who ascended. One was injured and one died, but in the end, she succeeded. There were a few exceptions, including the sword cultivator Bai Jing, who had not yet ascended back then. Both sides used their methods and engaged in a tangled fight. In the end, she managed to escape, unable to enjoy a romantic encounter. Thinking back on it, she still felt quite regretful.

Xie Gou tugged at her sable cap. Even though her current realm was much lower than this foxy woman’s, she still stared directly at her, smiling and saying with a voice transmission, “Sister Azi, your ability is so great, why don’t you go sleep with our Mountain Master?”

Azi was not her real name, but merely the childhood nickname of this old fox ancestor. The ancient Daoist priests who knew this “maiden name” could be counted on one’s fingers.

Chen Ping’an, who was also standing on the city wall, glanced over.

Xie Gou immediately showed a look of annoyance, and then said righteously, “This foxy woman is disrupting my Dao heart again, this chief and I are irreconcilable!”

The White Bone Daoist, who had been torn into pieces by a punch and had gathered again, caught sight of the sable-capped girl on the city wall and was instantly startled.

How could this fierce woman, Bai Jing, be here? And by the looks of it, she was an ally of that fellow surnamed Chen? Could they even be Dao companions?

Five of them came. Upon appearing, one inexplicably turned into dust and scattered into the human world, only throwing his great halberd into the sea before leaving.

Of the remaining four, the green-robed woman, who was the leader, remained silent throughout. The old master of Qingqiu, who had revealed her true form and surrounded the capital, was called out by Chen Ping’an by her true name and suffered a bit. And that ancient shaman with the colorful face seemed to have gone mad.

Only the White Bone Daoist with the purple robe was now engaged in practice with Chen Ping’an.

Xie Gou pointed at the fox head, which was level with the city wall, and said, “Mountain Master, she is the ancestor of all foxes in the world.”

“It seems she has experienced the taste of the fourteenth realm, but after years of imprisonment and returning to the human world, her realm has dropped. Her true power, however, is not in her own Dao power or those illusory attack methods, but in her subjects under her skirt. Neither human, ghost, god, nor immortal, each is loyal and devoted, willing to die for her at her command. I don’t know the number of puppets under her skirt.”

“As a rogue cultivator, in terms of battle achievements, this woman is not much worse than me. Mountain Master, don’t be careless and be fooled by her. There are many unorthodox methods, and you can fall into her trap if you’re not careful.”

Having said this, Xie Gou circulated her sword heart, held two fingers together, and gently rotated them a few times. Strands of pink Dao energy were stirred up by Xie Gou and wrapped around her fingers. Xie Gou scoffed, “It’s also thanks to fellow Daoist Yingning who activated the great array and blocked these emotional desires refined by her from seeping into the city. Otherwise, next year Da Li’s capital would have tens of thousands of additional newborn babies.”

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes and asked, “Then wouldn’t she be able to guide the fate of these children?”

Xie Gou pondered seriously for a moment and shook her head, “She can’t control that. Like rogue cultivators who rob, they only care about killing and not burying. As for the matter of making men and women undress, expose their bottoms, and have children, she merely fuels the fire, stirring up the lust of Daoists and mortals. She seems to have known the power of ‘heaven’s aversion’ very early on, and does things with discretion. No wonder this foxy slut had a look of disdain in her eyes when looking at anyone back then. It turns out she had long since seen through some of the heavenly secrets.”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Xie Gou then pointed at the White Bone Daoist, who was rapidly changing his mind, and said, “As for this skeleton, his Dao age is much younger.”

“He seems to be a junior in the Dao. Back then, when techniques rained down like rain, there were some leftover scraps that were never picked up, and he managed to pick up quite a few inconspicuous divine abilities. He’s quite clever. He deliberately didn’t open up a grotto-heaven in famous mountains, great rivers, or vast marshes. In a place with poor spiritual energy, he secretly opened up a private Daoist field, carefully cultivating. He never went out to show off his skills, but stubbornly buried himself in hard training. I estimate he finally felt he could protect himself, so he went outside to show off. When he appeared in the world, he was already at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm. His killing power and Dao cultivation are decent. He called himself some kind of Dharma Lord, I can’t quite remember.”

“When I was pursuing Xiao Mo, I stopped at the edge of the Falling Treasure Beach region. When I watched fellow Daoist Bixiao and Xiao Mo brewing wine from afar, I would hear them chat about Daoists outside. I only heard a few earsful. There was a long string of dozens of Dao names. Of course, I only chose the good Dao names I was interested in and remembered them. As for this fellow’s Dao name, it was probably unpleasant to the ear, so I was too lazy to remember it. But since he could be mentioned by fellow Daoist Bixiao, he shouldn’t be too weak in Dao cultivation.”

“Later, when the Ascension Battle came, he probably cherished his life and was afraid of death, so he retreated again. Anyway, he didn’t show up. As for how he ended up coming here to cause trouble with the foxy woman, insisting on showing off to the Mountain Master, I really can’t figure it out.”

His origins were exposed by Bai Jing in an instant. The White Bone Daoist roughly calculated in his mind and roughly determined that Bai Jing had not become Dao companions with that fellow. He sneered, “It’s better for me to hide and avoid the tribulation, saving myself from the suffering of turning into ashes after the tribulation, than to come out and be a slave and maid to someone.”

Little did he know that the sable-capped girl was not annoyed at all, but instead sighed and waved her hand, “Wrong, wrong, this is called being an official.”

The White Bone Daoist and the others, each with their own divine abilities and methods, had already roughly examined the intricate thoughts of the millions of mortals in the city, plus a small group of cultivators. The White Bone Daoist therefore understood what Bai Jing meant by “being an official.”

The White Bone Daoist secretly mused, “Could it be that Sword Cultivator Bai Jing was harmed, had her body taken over, or was her true spirit suppressed by that fellow surnamed Chen using ancient divine techniques before the Heaven-Earth Connection, forcing Bai Jing to feign compliance and acknowledge him as her master?”

He weighed the pros and cons, convinced he had calculated everything perfectly. With a voice transmission, he said, “Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, I can rescue you today. You only need to become my Dao companion. I have sat in seclusion seeking the Dao for many years and have deduced several methods of colorful refining with double sleeves that point directly to the Great Dao. If you and I join hands, you will surely return to ascension, and I can also return to the fourteenth realm…”

Xie Gou was furious. She drew the short sword from her sleeve, pointing the tip directly at the skeletal figure. She cursed, “I’ll screw your mother!”

The White Bone Daoist pretended to be angry and cursed back, calling her an ungrateful wretch. In reality, he secretly nodded. Cooperating with this seat in a play was good for making that fellow surnamed Chen see through the fog. Although fellow Daoist Bai Jing’s Dao power had greatly diminished, her actions were indeed still in character…

Chen Ping’an thought about it and decided not to say that it was a good thing Xiao Mo wasn’t present.

Xie Gou held the short sword in one hand, who to kill, who to kill? She rubbed her sable cap vigorously with her hand, I’m so angry, I’m so angry.

Xie Gou could only guarantee that she would deliver one sword strike. Before coming, her only thought was to kill the foxy woman and settle old grievances. Good heavens, the old hatred had not been extinguished, and a new enemy had appeared.

The giant fox lazily lifted a paw, its claws lightly scratching the wall, leaving some marks. Bai Jing’s short sword drawn from her sleeve made it narrow its eyes slightly. It tilted its head and smiled, “Anyone who falls into my hands deserves to die. But you, Bai Jing, simply act on your personal preferences, constantly taking without giving. Back then, I advised you to cultivate with me and promised to give you a fortune, but you didn’t believe me. Now that your realm has fallen, you must have suffered from heaven’s aversion, right?”

“Fellow Daoist Bai Jing, what I practice is governing the world with the Dao. Bai Jing, everything you do is for selfish reasons. It is only because your talent is so good, truly so good, that you were given a chance, becoming an outsider to the Heavenly Lord’s reckoning. The high-ranking ancient heavenly court deities wanted to see how far you could go in cultivating immortal techniques in the future, that’s all. But you, after transforming into a female body, insisted on taking the ascension path of a male earth immortal. If the Heavenly Lord Qing Tong had not taken pity on you, you would have turned to ashes at that time.”

“Sister Bai Jing, no matter how many great feats Mountain Master Chen has accomplished, he is now just a pure martial artist, at most the identity of Da Li’s Imperial Tutor. Even if he is sincere, how much can he help you? Even if Bai Jing is lucky enough to return to ascension, what about the fourteenth realm? It is still like seeing flowers in a fog, fishing for the moon in water. But I am an Ascended being who has fallen from the fourteenth realm…”

Xie Gou sighed, actually retracting her short sword, and said pitifully, “Mountain Master, I have repeatedly wanted to kill the enemy but lacked the power to do so. My Dao heart is about to collapse.”

Chen Ping’an stifled a laugh and nodded, “Alright, as your Mountain Master, I will help you vent your frustrations.”

The White Bone Daoist, suspended in the sky, suddenly turned his head and looked in a certain direction. His spiritual sense was extremely sharp. At this moment, he glanced at a mountain peak to the north. Where his gaze fell, layers of cloud sea dissipated on their own. Many forbidden areas of immortal residences and Daoist fields along the way were shaken and about to collapse. The Daoist merely took this glance, without employing any spells, but it caused chaos and panic in many small sects’ Daoist fields, making them mistakenly believe that their ancestral halls were being attacked by enemies.

Finally, the White Bone Daoist found the true culprit. It was a sword cultivator, of low realm, not even an Earth Immortal, yet he could make himself feel like he had a thorn in his back? How did he do it?

Over at Youyi Peak, Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue, “Chen Ping’an, that troublemaker.”

This White Bone Daoist, he happened to know the other party’s background, because he had witnessed one of his duels.

Xin Hun She Yue, who had already put up a woman’s bun, gently reminded him, “Husband, an Ascended being who has fallen from the fourteenth realm should not be treated as an ordinary powerful Ascended being.”

Having said that sickening address, She Yue rolled her eyes. There was nothing she could do; it was a household rule. Liu Xianyang said that as a perfectly matched pair of Dao companions in the early days of marriage, they should be more intimate in their words.

Liu Xianyang nodded, “Wife, I understand.”

She Yue said helplessly, “Can we change the household rule?”

It was simply because the White Bone Daoist’s gaze was fixed on Youyi Peak. Who knew how many mountain peak cultivators were watching and listening.

Liu Xianyang was indeed not boasting. He not only knew the White Bone Daoist’s Dao name, but also understood his technique lineage. There were roughly three Dao veins, respectively mimicking the Zhan Kan Division of the Jade Pivot Court of the ancient heavenly court, the “sound and rhythm” of the True Word Department of the Nine Layers Cloud Heaven Court, and a certain court of the Plague Department. Therefore, he called himself the “Three Courts Dharma Lord,” of course, only after the Ascension Battle ended and the divine Dao collapsed did he dare to claim this Dao name.

The reason why Liu Xianyang looked at the White Bone Daoist a few more times was simply to deepen the “impression” of the sword he was about to deliver.

Delivering a sword after a single glance was not as smooth as delivering a sword after a deep impression.

That White Bone Daoist also had no fear of being surrounded by heroes. Allies? Didn’t he have any?!

He glanced at the green-robed woman and said loudly, “Fellow Daoist, I have already met the benefactor who caused the Heaven-Earth Connection and helped us escape, as agreed. I have paid my respects, and there has been no fighting with that fellow surnamed Chen. Instead, I have followed the agreement of first politeness, then force, and have had some pleasant conversation. So, what happens next is none of your business.”

The fox tails of the master of all foxes swayed slightly. This fellow talked a lot. It seemed that being imprisoned for so long had really driven him crazy.

She looked at the fresh scenes in the city with a look like one would look at a lover, full of tender affection. This was the new human world, so rich and diverse, such a lively and peaceful new human world.

Why were there none of our fox tribe, why was there not even one fox tribe member?!

She was instantly enraged, but she caught sight of Bai Jing, who had a short sword hidden in her sleeve, and then thought of the man beside her. She could only look resentful and suppress her anger.

As for the White Bone Daoist’s verbal probing, the green-robed woman simply ignored it.

The White Bone Daoist also just assumed she was someone who disliked talking and would not waste a single word on anyone. He looked down at the city wall, which was like a small brick below, “Chen Ping’an, I am preparing to find a vast expanse of heaven and earth, establish a sect, and call myself ancestor. You are also a hero who has established unparalleled achievements. Are you willing to join me in this grand endeavor? Rest assured, I have always trusted those I employ. With your previous accomplishments, as long as you are sensible and willing to follow me, you will be the Deputy Sect Master!”

So this was about offering official positions and making promises?

Xie Gou grinned. She wasn’t so angry anymore. Later, when refining his bones, she would use fewer torturous methods. She gave the Three Courts Dharma Lord a thumbs up, “Good eye, you have guts. You took a fancy to our Mountain Master at first glance.”

While observing the changes in Chen Ping’an’s expression and the flow of his qi, the White Bone Daoist couldn’t help but wonder. He also asked, “Bai Jing, could it be that your Dao has suffered such heavy damage? Have you also fallen to the point where you need to guard a grotto-heaven for a junior Daoist?”

But his biggest question was not here, but about that fellow surnamed Chen. Since he had such great merit in the human world, why was there no sign of the Great Dao protecting him at this moment?

Was he truly just a pure martial artist following Jiang She’s old path to nowhere?

If Bai Jing was too weak and her future achievements in the Great Dao were limited, then the matter of becoming Dao companions was out. He would first kill that boy. Perhaps he could pick up a great, invisible merit. Then he would chew up Bai Jing’s true form, greatly supplementing his own Great Dao!

It would also be a fitting end for Sword Cultivator Bai Jing, better than lingering on in the world. Bai Jing should be grateful for this fellow Daoist’s good intentions.

Chen Ping’an lightly touched the ground with his toes, and his figure rose.

Looking at the White Bone Daoist’s unusually wide Dharma robe, so that was it. The Heaven-Destroying Strike of the ghost, the clam, still had some residual effects that needed to be dealt with.

Chen Ping’an muttered to himself, “So, it seems your luck has run out, and you are destined to die on the spot, your body and Dao spirit perishing.”

Xu Xie couldn’t help but laugh. The Hidden Official’s words were indeed humorous.

Cao Ci remained silent. In contrast, when they exchanged punches, at least there were no such strange words.

The White Bone Daoist scoffed, “You surnamed Chen, I let you take a few punches, and you really think you’re that martial brute Jiang She?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Human martial arts should always rise step by step, ascending higher and higher. There is no reason for it to be worse after ten thousand years than it was ten thousand years ago.”

Cao Ci nodded slightly.

The White Bone Daoist waved his hand, “Such a boastful tone! Kid, open your eyes and see, are the highest mountains in your human world now taller than those continuous peaks of ours ten thousand years ago?!”

The highest mountain on the landmass of Baoping Province was Cloud-Cloaked Mountain.

Wei Bo had a smile on his face, while the other four Divine Monarchs were all “sharing a common enemy.” Especially the Central Yue Jin Qing, who even comforted the Night Roaming Divine Monarch with a voice transmission, saying that the White Bone Daoist’s words were indeed unpleasant, but Cloud-Cloaked Mountain was our highest mountain in Baoping Province after all, and it wouldn’t become half an inch shorter just because the Daoist said something unpleasant… Wei Bo replied with a voice transmission, and Jin Qing let out a surprised sound, asking why Divine Monarch Wei was cursing, treating his good intentions as something useless.

Chen Ping’an nodded and said, “That makes sense.”

But he quickly added two sentences, “What do the height of the mountains have to do with you?

“The ancient Daoist priest who called himself the Three Courts Dharma Lord, haven’t you always been crawling on the ground, secretly gasping for air?”

Upon hearing this, the White Bone Daoist became implicitly angry. This remark was too cutting. If it spread widely, it could easily ruin his grand plan for all eternity.

At this moment, the green-robed woman calmly responded to the White Bone Daoist’s previous words, “The previous agreement is null and void.”

Having escaped from that prison, the so-called allies were no longer valid. This group of Daoists had no affection or hatred for each other to begin with. For example, if you, the Three Courts Dharma Lord, were determined to kill me, it would be fine. If I were killed by your ability, it would be because my Dao power was insufficient, and I would have no complaints whatsoever.

She was also carefully examining the myriad forms of Da Li’s capital, like a grassland of mental landscapes. Bit by bit, it seemed that the human world and the human heart, overall, had improved somewhat? Or was it that the entire Baoping Province only had this “soaring spirit” in this place?

Xie Gou’s eyes sparkled. The familiar taste, this was it.

Everyone was a player in the game, there was no such thing as grouping up. They schemed and killed each other, each relying on their own abilities. The one who remained could take everything!

Even though the green-robed woman had turned her back on him, the White Bone Daoist still looked around proudly, “Good, I won’t waste another word with you. I want to see how high the highest level of human martial arts is!”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “Coincidentally, the time for one stick of incense is up.”

A female sword immortal wearing a bamboo gauze bean-green Dharma robe also arrived in the capital region, appearing near the Qing Xuan Cave of Yuanrou Station.

After standing on the cliff edge for a moment, Bamboo Green felt helpless. She had originally planned to enter Da Li’s capital a day in advance, wander around casually, and then escort the Emperor of Da Li to Northern Ju Lu Province the next day. Unexpectedly, she happened to encounter this confrontation. Although she had already reached the Immortal Realm, she couldn’t even enter Da Li’s capital.

Bai Jing had given her a large stack of imitation Three Mountains Talismans, and also a hand-drawn map of Baoping Province’s mountains and rivers to be used for visualizing the three mountains, which saved her a lot of effort in visiting famous mountains. The drawing and annotations for Da Li’s capital area included Qing Xuan Cave.

Although Bamboo Green looked into the distance, worried about the situation over there, half of her thoughts were on guarding against the two men on the peak of the adjacent mountain.

After all, she was a native sword cultivator from Sword Qi Great Wall. She knew too well the simple truth that one could only assist in a sword fight if they were alive.

Xu Xie smiled with a voice transmission, “My name is Xu Xie, and the one next to me is Cao Ci. We are both quite familiar with your Hidden Official Chen.”

Bamboo Green’s eyes lit up instantly, and she turned to look, “You are Cao Ci?”

She apparently overlooked the “Sword Immortal Mr. Xu” whose deeds she had heard a little about.

Xu Xie was momentarily helpless, but it was normal. His few deeds meant nothing in Sword Qi Great Wall.

Cao Ci cupped his hands and said, “Junior Cao Ci, greetings, Senior.”

Bamboo Green smiled, “My name is Bamboo Green. I am a private sword cultivator, hidden in the barren lands, so I contributed nothing to the defensive battle in my hometown.”

Cao Ci continued to cup his hands and smiled, “Greetings, Sword Immortal Bamboo Green.”

He had stayed in Sword Qi Great Wall for several years and was very clear about the meaning and weight of the term “private sword.”

Especially sword cultivators like Bamboo Green who went alone into the heart of the barren lands, going there was almost equivalent to dying in a foreign land.

Even if they stayed in Sword Qi Great Wall, they were still waiting to die, but when they died in battle, at least their relatives and friends were by their side. A private sword, however, was alone, destined to leave their homeland alone and die alone at the hands of the demon race.

On the snowy white high platform, the ancient shaman swayed and stood up. He awkwardly cupped his hands and spoke hoarsely, “That martial artist, I will take your punch.”

Chen Ping’an’s figure disappeared from the void. A streak of green appeared abruptly in that snowy white realm. It was a simple, most unadorned exchange of punches, with no defensive stance whatsoever. The ancient great shaman punched Chen Ping’an in the chest, and the green-robed man punched the great shaman in the neck.

On the high platform, the fierce wind roared, instantly scattering like circles of bright sharp blades. It caused the green-robed woman’s robes to billow incessantly, and the White Bone Daoist’s purple Dharma robe swayed like a tide. Even the old master of Qingqiu had to raise a fox tail and forcefully sweep away the powerful punch aura, sending it towards the sky, turning into muffled thunderclaps.

At this moment, within the realm of Fallen Peak Mountain, a streak of sword light suddenly illuminated the sky.

The sword cultivator addressed the opponent in ancient language, lest the other party receive the sword without knowing what was happening.

“Three Courts Dharma Lord, is that right? You are bent on seeking death, so I will grant you your wish.”

As he spoke, the streak of sword light instantly crossed countless green mountains, clear waters, and cities.

Since both had fallen from the fourteenth realm, it was only fair.

The White Bone Daoist’s heart trembled upon hearing this voice. Oh no, oh no, how could he be here too?!

Seeing that brilliant streak of sword light, the master of the fox tribe was also suddenly startled. A Bai Jing whose realm had fallen severely was one thing, but how was he also in this world?

At the same time, Xie Gou formed hand seals and circulated several divine abilities like stacked arrays. She leaped high, her figure disappearing in an instant. The short sword had already stabbed into the head of the giant fox, quickly pulled out, and then stabbed in even faster, changing locations at a dizzying speed. But the strange thing was that she did not slide down the head and neck to the back, but stabbed upwards with one sword and then poked downwards, without any discernible pattern. The entire river of time seemed to be a mere illusion. The sable-capped girl instantly stabbed the foxy woman over a hundred times.

The green-robed woman looked around. The sky was high, the earth was vast, there were blue skies, white clouds, and yellow earth. It truly felt like another lifetime. Three thousand worlds of dust, ten thousand springs in an instant.