As Ye Yunyun took her leave, Sui Youbian departed without a word, immediately mounting her sword and descending the mountain, headed alone for the Fallen Treasure Shoal along the Azure River.

Qiu Du, accompanied by the maiden Hu Chuling, chose a more leisurely path, traversing the mountain ridge that wound through the Peaks of Exiled Immortals.

The two martial duels between grandmasters, held between the Declining Mountain and Pu Mountain, had been quite the spectacle for an old crone.

What impressed her most was the lack of arrogance in the victor and the absence of bitterness in the vanquished, qualities she found exceedingly rare.

Having survived the perilous encounters at the Grand Dú Dragon Palace and witnessed Chen Ping’an’s prowess in the martial arts, the old crone now held the Immortal Capital Mountain in high regard.

Truly, it was a place to look up to.

Besides, the one in the azure robes was, after all, a Sword Immortal.

The old crone gazed into the distance, overcome with a sudden wave of emotion, thinking to herself, “No mortal hand could ever capture the grandeur of these mountains and rivers. Heaven and earth were indeed separated by saints.”

Speaking in a hushed tone, she addressed the girl, “Chucu, your teacher will endeavor to secure a place for you within the hallowed halls of this Immortal Capital Mountain. However, success is far from guaranteed.”

Hu Chuling merely nodded, refraining from inquiring about the sudden change of heart in her master.

The old crone hesitated, then cautioned, “Chucu, should you truly become a direct disciple of this ancestral temple, you must never act impulsively. You must have already noticed that Chen Sword Immortal, despite his youth, is exceptionally kind. Yet, observe the young lady Pei; despite her mastery of the martial arts, she remains respectful and attentive to the rules set by her master. Even Immortal Cui, on the verge of leading an entire sect, remains respectful in the presence of the Honorable Gentleman.”

But what truly instilled faith and trust in the old crone towards Immortal Capital Mountain was not the Sword Immortals, the Sect Leaders, or the pinnacle cultivators, but rather… the genuine, heartfelt smiles.

It was the way Chen Ping’an regarded everyone, and the way everyone regarded Chen Ping’an.

Like those two children whose names and origins Qiu Du did not yet know, they held a deep, almost irrational respect, reliance, and affection for Chen Sword Immortal.

This was a peculiar thing indeed. Within the sects under the Heavens’ banner, the younger disciples, often generations and cultivation levels apart from the elders, would shrink and become uneasy when meeting the enforcers of the law or the ancestral hall’s devotees, not daring to even offer a greeting. Meeting a sect’s founder on the road was even more unthinkable.

Hu Chuling’s bright eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she spoke softly in her native tongue, “I’ll listen to Grandmother in everything.”

Even in Qiu Du’s presence, the girl preferred to call her master “Grandmother” in their village dialect.

The old crone stroked the girl’s head, saying, “I wonder who will be blessed enough to take our Chucu as their bride.”

*Hmm, that young man named Cao Qinglang seems quite promising.*

*And he is a prized disciple of Chen Sword Immortal.*

The old crone glanced at Chucu, hoping that fate would smile upon them, bringing them together in love and harmony.

*A divine couple, growing old together, surrounded by children and grandchildren…*

The old crone chuckled to herself.

At the Sweeping Flower Terrace, Cui Dongshan was reminding the two children, “Remember, keep today’s martial duels a secret. Do not utter a single word about them to anyone.”

Cheng Chaolu nodded in agreement. *Why bother racking your brain over such things? I could be practicing my punches or preparing a feast instead.*

Yu Xiehui, however, was always one to question things, asking, “But it was a good thing, wasn’t it? What’s there to hide?”

*Back home, if I won a sword duel through my own skill, I’d announce it with drums and gongs! Who would dare stop me from bragging at the tavern?*

Cui Dongshan frowned, placing a snow-white sleeve on Yu Xiehui’s shoulder. “Oh?”

Yu Xiehui immediately sighed, “I hear the Sect Leader Cui.”

Last time, the nine of them had been caught by the Grand White Goose’s ability to store the universe in his sleeve. Except for Sun Chunwang, they had all suffered greatly. Bai Xuan, who feared nothing, now saw Cui Dongshan as something akin to a ghost. Yu Xiehui’s memory was just as fresh. *Never mind, once I’ve won a sword duel against Cui Wei, you’re next, you big white goose!*

Cui Dongshan, all smiles, suddenly wrapped his arm around Yu Xiehui’s neck, bringing their heads together. Lowering his voice, he said, “It’s already difficult enough to win a sword duel against your master, the Law Enforcer Cui. And you dare think of challenging this Sect Leader of the Lower Sect? That’s quite a bold ambition! Who lent you the courage of a bear? You have the gall to usurp my position as Sect Leader? Tell me, who put that idea in your head?”

Yu Xiehui stiffened, immediately looking towards Chen Ping’an and shouting, “Sect Leader Cui, if you continue to accuse me falsely, I’ll report you to the Hidden Guardian!”

Chen Ping’an turned and smiled, “Since our Lower Sect is a sect of the sword, and you are a sword cultivator, wanting to engage the likes of Sect Leader Cui in a sword duel is part and parcel of your cultivation here. It’s the very purpose of your sword practice. What is there to fear? I’ll say it here and now: whether you defeat your master or Sect Leader Cui, I’ll treat you to a drink.”

Yu Xiehui’s confidence returned, and even with the Grand White Goose’s arm around his neck, he began to chuckle, “Hidden Guardian, then I’ll start practicing my drinking skills right away!”

*He heard that in his hometown’s little wine shop, the Hidden Guardian had never been drunk, despite countless drinking sessions.*

*Of course, the Second Manager never lost money when he hosted.*

Chen Ping’an jested, “Actually, my alcohol tolerance is mediocre. It’s just that the drunkards at the shop can’t hold their liquor. It’s all about having good company.”

Cheng Chaolu regretted that Nalan Yudie wasn’t there to record these golden words.

Cui Dongshan took to the wind, leaving the Sweeping Flower Terrace, with a mountain of complicated affairs awaiting his attention.

On his windy journey, he secretly glanced at Huang Yiyun and Master Xue, who were walking towards Dense Snow Peak.

Noticing a wisp of white cloud, Ye Yunyun looked up and waved at Cui Dongshan.

Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue in admiration, thinking, *Truly worthy of having just reached the first layer of Returning to the Source, a pinnacle martial artist.*

*Moreover, Ye Yunyun’s disposition is particularly suited to our Immortal Capital Mountain. Impressive!*

Hesitating for a moment, Cui Dongshan changed his mind and decided to meet Huang Yiyun alone. With the speed of lightning, his snow-white form drew an arc in the sky, landing on the blue stone path between the azure cliffs. Approaching Huang Yiyun, he bowed with a smile, “Congratulations, Mountain Master Ye, on reaching a new level in your martial arts.”

Ye Yunyun had already stopped, returning the bow with a respectful gesture, and said frankly, “Thanks to Mountain Master Chen’s assistance. Otherwise, when I faced Wu Shu in a martial duel, I would have been in great trouble. One wrong move, and I would have ended up like Wang Fusuo of the Northern Majestic Continent.”

Cui Dongshan sighed, hesitating to speak.

Ye Yunyun smiled, “Sect Leader Cui, just speak your mind. We’re all friends here, after all.”

Cui Dongshan then revealed, “To be honest, after returning from the Barren Continent, the Honorable Gentleman was severely injured. His martial arts cultivation, in particular, had regressed from Returning to the Source to the Qi Strength level. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had to ask Old Immortal Lu of Azure Tiger Palace for a furnace of Ascension Pills. This happened just recently.”

Ye Yunyun was shocked. *Chen Ping’an was only at the Qi Strength level when he sparred with me?* She immediately turned to Xue Huai, “How many Ascension Pills are left from the two furnaces Azure Tiger Palace sent us last time? Send a flying sword to Elder Tan; bring whatever is left, no matter how few.”

Xue Huai was even more surprised than Ye Yunyun. The old scholar could not hide his astonishment. The regression of a pure martial artist was no small matter. It was rarer and more troublesome than the regression of a Qi practitioner. Yet, even so, Mountain Master Chen had agreed to the martial duel with his teacher.

*Mountain Master Chen is indeed a gentleman. His actions are generous and upright, his character as radiant as the moon.*

*No wonder Mountain Master Chen, at such a young age, was able to serve as the last Hidden Guardian on the Sword Qi Great Wall as a swordsman from another land.*

*With Mountain Master Chen’s character, he must have been highly respected and praised on the Sword Qi Great Wall.*

He had to admit that Pu Mountain owed Immortal Capital Mountain a great debt. But wasn’t owing such a debt a rare and fortunate thing?

A mere martial duel at the Sweeping Flower Terrace had helped his teacher reach the first layer of Returning to the Source. In private, the Cloud Grass Hall of Pu Mountain had become even more formidable. In public, the advancement would deter those cultivators from other continents who harbored ill intentions. Even if Martial Saint Wu Shu was not in his hometown, as long as his teacher stabilized his cultivation, even a great Sword Immortal like Xu Xie would have to be wary and avoid a martial duel with him.

Cui Dongshan quickly waved his hands, “It’s not for this that I’m confiding in Mountain Master Ye. With Old Immortal Lu sitting in Qingjing Mountain, my Honorable Gentleman will never lack Ascension Pills. The reason I’m bringing this up is, as Mountain Master Ye said, we’re all family here, so there’s no need to keep secrets.”

*Fortunately, Huang Yiyun is already a Jade Purity Realm cultivator. If she were still a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, then trying to break through the bottleneck to reach the upper five realms, she would have to face her inner demons… The consequences would be unthinkable. The Honorable Gentleman would probably have to deal with yet another unwarranted romantic entanglement.*

Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeve and scratched his face, asking softly, “Mountain Master Ye, could I ask you for a direct disciple identity from the Cloud Grass Hall of Pu Mountain? But regarding my true identity, only three people in Pu Mountain can know: you, Xue Huai, and Tan Rong, the enforcer of the law.”

“No problem.”

Ye Yunyun answered quickly, nodding in agreement without hesitation.

She knew about the trouble caused by the seventh Immortal Painting of Pu Mountain.

As the three walked together towards Dense Snow Peak, needing to pass Ancestral Mountain Green Sprout Peak, Ye Yunyun showed a rare expression of difficulty, hesitating for a long time before tentatively opening her mouth, “Sect Leader Cui, could I be so bold as to ask, how exactly does your Honorable Gentleman cultivate his punches?”

Cui Dongshan clasped his hands behind his head and said slowly, “In his hometown, in foreign lands, on his travels, on his return, in the mountains, outside the mountains, in the world, in people’s hearts, in the splendid rivers and mountains, in the sun, moon, and universe, in the beauty of the world, on the muddy paths of life, in the place of swordsmen, after hope, despair, and renewed hope, the Honorable Gentleman has always been practicing his punches alone, questioning the heavens and the earth, questioning himself.”

Turning his head, the white-robed youth smiled, “That is why my Honorable Gentleman never sees Cao Ci as a great enemy, a deadly foe, or a nemesis. Having Cao Ci in the world, having a peer like Cao Ci ahead on the path of martial arts, is, in the Honorable Gentleman’s eyes, a great fortune. It only encourages the Honorable Gentleman to climb higher and move faster.”

Hearing this, Ye Yunyun’s heart surged, her thoughts taking flight.

After a moment of silence, she couldn’t help but ask, “There was an earth gazette that said Chen Ping’an’s punches in the martial duel with Cao Ci in the Garden of Merit were not… particularly refined? From beginning to end, it was punches to the face?”

Cui Dongshan turned and spat fiercely, “Nonsense! What kind of scoundrel would slander my Honorable Gentleman with such a lack of conscience? It’s utterly despicable!”

Ye Yunyun was skeptical.

Meanwhile, at the Sweeping Flower Terrace, Chen Ping’an was having Pei Qian imitate Ye Yunyun and Xue Huai’s punches. Pei Qian had already mastered about 70 to 80 percent of their sixty-odd stances.

Even the signature moves that Ye Yunyun and Xue Huai kept hidden had been learned by Pei Qian, filled with spirit and intent, even more authentic than a direct disciple of Pu Mountain.

This left Chen Ping’an, who had originally intended to act as a teacher and help his disciple find flaws and make improvements, in an awkward, speechless position.

Cheng Chaolu thought Pei Qian’s punches were very beautiful, but she felt that the Honorable Gentleman’s punches were even more pleasing to see.

Yu Xiehui, on the other hand, felt that it was a shame that Bai Xuan wasn’t there today.

Pei Qian stopped, turning to look at her master.

Chen Ping’an, with his hands in his sleeves, smiled, “Not bad.”

Leading Pei Qian towards Green Sprout Peak, Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “Was there something you wanted to say earlier?”

Pei Qian said, “In my sparring match with Master Xue, his final punch should not have been him standing still, as if waiting to be defeated. As a pure martial artist, I don’t think that’s right. I wanted to say it at the end of the match, but I thought Master Xue was an elder, and there were too many outsiders present, so I was too embarrassed to speak.”

Chen Ping’an smiled without speaking.

Pei Qian thought she had probably said the wrong thing.

“That is a very good point, and it should be said to Master Xue.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “But not necessarily at that moment. So your hesitation, your eventual silence, was appropriate. In your master’s eyes, it may have been even more right than the right thing itself.”

Pei Qian was greatly surprised, even showing a rare moment of shyness.

From the days of the Little Black Charcoal to the present Pei Qian, she had always believed in one thing.

All the good principles in the world were with her master.

As for herself, she knew nothing.

Chen Ping’an smiled softly, “When we reason with people, it is not to negate them. Moreover, giving kindness to others, besides our own clear conscience, also requires a sense of proportion. This is the difference between ways and techniques. The Great Way is one, but techniques are a thousand. They vary from person to person, from place to place. That is why being a good person is so difficult.”

He raised his hand and gently patted Pei Qian’s head, his expression gentle, and he said softly, “Now that you can think this way, your master can teach you two self-created boxing techniques, and a ‘half-punch’.”

In fact, Chen Ping’an’s self-created two punches were both boxing techniques and sword techniques. One was extremely simple, the other extremely complex, like two extremes. One of these punches, or rather sword techniques, was named “Fragmented Moon”. It was quite powerful, with a high lethality, most suitable for delivering sharp punches in a battlefield surrounded by enemies.

Chen Ping’an added, “But there’s no rush. I’m about to return to the little grotto-heaven for closed-door cultivation. After the ceremony, I’ll find some free time to teach you boxing properly.”

Now that his disciple was at the first layer of the Qi Strength Realm, Chen Ping’an was a little apprehensive about feeding Pei Qian punches.

Pei Qian was relieved.

Chen Ping’an’s state of mind was peaceful, looking at the scenery outside the mountain.

Endless distant mountains, indistinct clouds and water.

The reason why Cao Qinglang hadn’t appeared at the Sweeping Flower Terrace today was that this “internally designated” next sect leader, who was a cultivator of the Dragon Gate Realm, had officially begun his closed-door cultivation to form a Golden Core.

Both learning and cultivation were not delayed.

Such a promising disciple was hard to find even with a lantern.

However, Cao Qinglang’s current place of closed-door cultivation was not at Green Sprout Peak or Dense Snow Peak of Immortal Capital Mountain, but on a new mountain that had yet to appear, hidden by Cui Dongshan with formations, so that even Ye Yunyun and Qiu Du couldn’t see the truth.

Cui Dongshan named the other two old mountains Cloud Rising Mountain and Cherish Mountain.

The main peaks were named Our Cao Peak and Prosperous Star Peak, with steles erected at the top of each peak, Cui Dongshan personally carving “Our Cao Will Not Emerge” and “Heaven and Earth Purple Qi”.

Cui Dongshan would publicly propose one thing at the first meeting of the Ancestral Hall: among the younger generation of cultivators included in the Lower Sect’s genealogy in the future, the first swordsman to reach the Jade Purity Realm would be able to enter and reside at Our Cao Peak.

And Cao Qinglang was the first cultivator of the Prosperous Star Peak of Cherish Mountain.

It was obvious that Cui Dongshan intended to create a Lower Sect tradition: each next sect leader of Green Sprout Sword Sect would be the peak master of Prosperous Star Peak.

Therefore, the Green Sprout Sword Sect’s territory had already taken a rough shape: Immortal Capital, Cloud Rising, and Cherish; three mountains rising together, one main and two auxiliary.

Although Xiao Mo was building a thatched hut at Fallen Treasure Shoal, he had been paying attention to Cao Qinglang’s closed-door cultivation, as well as the two martial arts duels on the mountaintop.

For a peak Ascendant Realm swordsman, a little distraction didn’t matter.

Xiao Mo was now waiting for that Yu Jin to come and make trouble for him.

That matter had nothing to do with his young master, and nothing to do with Sect Leader Cui.

*That’s right, it was I who raided your old lair at the bottom of the sea and emptied your home. How can you tolerate this?*

As long as that fatty nodded slightly, Xiao Mo would only “practice” with him at the Jade Purity Realm.

At Sweeping Flower Terrace, only Cheng Chaolu and Yu Xiehui were left, two fellow villagers who didn’t feel any hardship being in a foreign land, sitting on the railing and chatting idly.

“Little Cook, is it that even if I gave you a few hundred years of effort, you wouldn’t be able to have our Hidden Guardian’s boxing realm today?”

“It’s a must. Even a thousand years wouldn’t do.”

“Why do I feel like you’re quite proud?”

“Ha.”

“Do you want to drink with me in the future?”

“I should pass. Master would be angry.”

“That’s the spirit! Fearing your master, what kind of swordsman are you?”

Among the nine peers, Bai Xuan, Yu Qingzhang, and He Xiangting came from humble alleys. Even Bai Xuan’s master had nothing to do with the high walls and huge doors of Elephant Street and Jade Tablet Street.

And Nalan Yudie, He Gu, and Yao Xiaoyan were all children from wealthy families.

Sun Chunwang wasn’t bad either, considered a distant relative of Jade Purity Realm swordsman Sun Juyuan.

Yu Xiehui and Cheng Chaolu were in the middle, their families not lacking money, but not having much either.

So when it came to origin, family learning, or lineage, everyone had their own fate.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, they didn’t like to compare this. Being born well was also a skill. If you didn’t like it, then use your swordsmanship and battle merits to move from the humble alleys to those five streets.

Because Grand Swordsman had established an unshakeable rule: wealthy families whose houses were on the five streets had to send someone to fight, unless there was not a single swordsman left in the family. If even only one lower five realms swordsman remained, regardless of age, they had to go to the battlefield. If you thought you would die if you went, then move out of those five streets before the battle came.

Therefore, on the Sword Qi Great Wall, besides the absence of graves, there wasn’t even such a thing as an ancestral house. Even the ancestors of several old swordsmen whose names were engraved on the city walls had moved houses in history. Like the Dong family, they had almost failed to protect their ancestral house during the hundred years when Dong Sangeng traveled alone to the Barren Continent.

The five streets were made of iron, the swordsmen flowed like water.

Because of Grand Swordsman Mi, these children were no strangers to the green-god mountain wines, the Dumb Lake wines, and the amulets with nothing written on them that were from their hometown wine shop.

Grand Swordsman Mi had been a idle hooligan in Declining Mountain, and he liked to chat with Bai Xuan the most whenever he went to the Sword Worship Terrace, telling him about the great achievements of Spring Banner House and Summer Retreat Palace.

Yu Xiehui and the others would sit aside on small stools during their sword practice, as if listening to storytellers.

They heard from Mi Yu that the wine shop jointly opened by Hidden Guardian and Great Shopkeeper Diezhang had an old Golden Core cultivator who, one day, got drunk and hung a blank amulets on the wall.

“When it comes to swordsmanship, I can’t beat Little Dong. But when it comes to drinking, even if I put all three of my legs on the table, I can easily beat Little Dong. If you don’t believe me, come find me.”

After being beaten up, he returned the next day, bruised and swollen. Taking advantage of the fact that the wine shop had just opened at dawn, he ran over again, only to add a sentence on the back of the blank amulets: I was drunk yesterday, don’t take my drunken words seriously.

As a result, it was useless to sneak home, he still got hit with a flying sword.

Yu Xiehui suddenly said, “Little Cook, we must form a Golden Core, raise a Nascent Soul, and reach the upper five realms in the future.”

Cheng Chaolu nodded, “Must!”

—

A group of three left the Water Palace of the Southern Sea, paused briefly at the Resting Dragon Stone, went to the old site of the Grand Du Dragon Palace, which was connected to the sea, and finally landed on the western coast of the Tongye Continent.

A handsome middle-aged man was accompanied by a beautiful maid in colorful clothes and a short, stocky male escort.

It was none other than Li Yehou, one of the newly appointed Four Sea Water Lords. When his feet touched land, his figure froze slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.

The maid, named Huang Juan, carried a qin bag. She loved to eat bookworms in books, and her master happened to be one of the best collectors of books in the vast world.

The short man carried a short spear. He was now a water ghost, but he had been a peak martial artist during his lifetime. By chance, he went to the Moonlit Lake, which had changed owners many times in history, to serve as the chief guest.

Huang Juan admired Liu Qi the most, and hated a certain bragging guy the most.

That Jiu Realm martial artist named Xi Man came from Flowing Cloud Continent, and the foundation of his path was a land earth dragon.

Previously, Xi Man had sparred with the senior Shaqing in the old site of the Grand Du Dragon Palace. Shaqing had suppressed his realm, and Shaqing had won a small victory.

Among the spectators at the time, a timid young man was standing next to True Dragon Wang Zhu, habitually bowing his head, as if he was extremely afraid of Wang Zhu. Even when the young man spoke to Wang Zhu, his eyes would wander around, never daring to look Wang Zhu in the eye.

Huang Juan smiled, “Madam Dan is good at handling people.”

The former owner of Green Water Pit, Dao name Qing Zhong, was now the master of land water transport.

The fishing immortal who guarded Resting Dragon Stone seemed to be in Jidu of the Northern Majestic Continent now.

And those Southern Sea Lone Riders were secretly given to Zhigui by Madam Dan.

It was said that the qiu beads in the Green Water Pit’s treasure house had also been emptied and given away, which was no small amount of money.

Everywhere, they were making connections.

In fact, Madam Dan had made gestures to her master as well, with no light gifts.

Li Yehou smiled, “You should learn more in the future.”

Shaqing asked, “We’re going to talk business with Chen Ping’an, will we be overcharged?”

Huang Juan said angrily, “What overcharged?”

Shaqing said, “That’s what I mean.”

Li Yehou sighed, “Chen Ping’an will be easy to talk to. What I fear is that person who’s responsible for receiving guests.”

Embroidered Tiger.

Or rather, half-Embroidered Tiger Cui Chan.

Shaqing asked, “Can I spar with Chen Ping’an? The previous one wasn’t good enough.”

Li Yehou shook his head, “This is not the right time. We’ll talk about it later.”

During the previous gathering at the Central Earth Literary Temple, a large group of people were fishing at the Yuanyang Sandbar.

The strangest thing was that most of these guys were pinnacle martial artists, and the lowest was also at the mountain peak realm.

It was as if a far traveling realm martial artist didn’t even have the qualifications to sit there and fish.

And among the martial arts grandmasters, there was Zhang Tiaoxia, nicknamed “Longbo”.

Next to Zhang Tiaoxia was a middle-aged man sitting on a bamboo stool that he carried with him all year round, with a small fish basket tied around his waist. In the eyes of outsiders, he had been wandering the ancient battlefield ruins all his life, neither engaging in martial arts duels nor receiving them. However, the fish basket around his waist was not a Dragon King Basket, but a treasure known as “Yousian Grotto-Heaven, Bottomless Pit” at the mountain peak. It was said that it could simultaneously raise tens of thousands of yin spirits and ghosts.

Because this pure martial artist was too isolated from the world, his name was unknown.

Only one person had blurted it out at the dinner table, calling him “Old Zhi”, the “Sky Character” admirer of the Qingshan Goddess, the kind of person who didn’t even dare to look at her from afar, only thinking of her for the rest of his life.

There were also the master and apprentice of the Leigong Temple of White Snow Continent, Pei Axiang and Liu Suiyu. Wang Fusuo of the Northern Majestic Continent. Wu Shu, the Martial Saint of Tongye Continent. And Shaqing, the chief guest of Moonlit Lake.

In addition, there were many offerings from top sects and the Ten Dynasties, totaling about twenty people.

However, Pei Bei, Song Changjing, and Li Er were not present at the time.

From the younger generation, Cao Ci, Zheng Qian, and Yu Juanfu were also absent.

Of course, there was talk about Li Er’s boxing skills. The old savage Wang Fusuo had made a “mature and steady” conclusion.

After all, he was the only one who had truly engaged Li Er in a martial arts duel.

“Li Er’s punches are not heavy, and his feet are not fast, just average.”

The Liu family of White Snow Continent’s “No Losing Bet” had been wagered on by half of the peak martial artists, all betting that Cao Ci would not lose a punch within five hundred years.

In fact, the lifespan of a pure martial artist was far less than that of a qi practitioner. Even a pinnacle martial artist who had reached the top had a lifespan of no more than three hundred years.

But there were exceptions, such as Zhang Tiaoxia, or Huang Yiyun of Tongye Continent.

This was also the reason why Zhang Tiaoxia had been at the top of the martial arts world for thousands of years before Pei Bei’s rise, but the old man had refused to engage in martial arts duels for many years. Zhang Tiaoxia was just a free bird, only obsessed with fishing. The reason was simple: in the old man’s own view, it was the greatest impurity for a pure martial artist to be reluctant to die.

Only Yu Panshui, the Supreme Emperor of the Xuangmi Dynasty, and a self-proclaimed “Zhou Kaoshan” didn’t treat money as money, wagering five hundred and one thousand Valley Rain coins respectively, betting that Cao Ci would lose.

But when that young Hidden Guardian, right there at the Yuanyang Sandbar, in front of everyone, had a big fight with the Immortal Yunmiao, and then at the Garden of Merit, an earth-shattering battle between azure and white, with a tricky attack, it was breathtaking.

So some people began to ponder. The Liu family of White Snow Continent said that the betting had been closed.

It was said that this betting game, hosted by the Liu family of White Snow Continent, had gathered about 40,000 Valley Rain coins, paying out at a rate of one to two.

Therefore, many old cultivators on the mountain, as well as a large number of emperors, generals, and wealthy family heads of great dynasties, treated wagering as saving money and earning interest for their sect, for their direct disciples, or for their national treasury. Although it was slow to collect the money and you had to wait patiently for five hundred years, it was guaranteed to be profitable no matter what happened.

The reputation of the Liu family of White Snow Continent was very solid and reliable.

Some good people pondered and felt that something was wrong. Was it possible that Liu Jubao, the God of Wealth, had intended for Cao Ci to lose from the very beginning?

Even if someone really beat Cao Ci, the Liu family of White Snow Continent would still make a lot of money. With Liu Jubao’s speed of earning money, even if he paid out at one to two in the end, he wouldn’t be afraid.

Sure enough, there was no business in the world that Liu Jubao would lose money on.

In the old site of the Grand Du Dragon Palace, after Li Yehou and his group left, the beautiful woman took off her boots, sat by the shore, dipped her feet in the lotus pond water, and gently rippled the water. Gong Yan recalled the confrontation earlier, and she still couldn’t understand how that young man in the yellow hat and blue shoes could have found all of their hidden traces at the same time. In particular, as an Immortal Realm cultivator who was extremely proficient in escape techniques, Yu Daoren’s many methods were accurately found and targeted by strands of sword qi.

The burly man said, “Was it through the voice of the heart?”

Gong Yan shook her head, it didn’t seem like it. Besides, they weren’t new to mountain training, and they would be extremely careful when splitting up, holding their breath and concentrating.

Moreover, listening to the hearts of cultivators was not something everyone could do. Just like the mortal scholars at the foot of the mountain, they naturally couldn’t hear the heartbeats of others. On the mountain, the same was true between cultivators.

Perhaps only the great cultivators who were approaching perfection in the Ascendant Realm, such as Zhao Tianlai of Dragon Tiger Mountain and the Fire Dragon True Man, could listen to the hearts of Immortals or even cultivators in the same realm.

Li Ba, whose Dao name was Cui Zhang, suddenly said, “It’s the strings of the heart, even more subtle than the voice of the heart.”

Yu Daoren rubbed his temples, and said helplessly, “Could it be an Ascendant Realm swordsman? But does our vast world have such a figure?”

Gong Yan quickly patted her chest, smiling flirtatiously, “You scared me to death.”

Li Ba said, “Like that Tender Daoist and Cao Rong the Immortal from Precious Vase Continent, and the swordsman Xu Xie, don’t they all seem to have suddenly appeared? There are many things we already know and don’t know, so get used to it.”

In the water pavilion, Zhigui leaned lazily against the railing, resting his chin on one hand, lost in thought.

At the bottom of the steps outside stood a young man with a slightly protruding forehead.

In Mud Bottle Lane, there had once been a lizard, which Song Jixin disliked and threw into the neighbor’s yard several times, but it always crawled back.

It was often stepped on by the maid Zhigui’s shoes, repeatedly rolling around, or in the early morning, when she went to the iron lock well to fetch water, she heard some snide remarks. When Zhigui returned to her house, she would often kick it.

This young man, who had only recently succeeded in his transformation, was given the surname Wang, named Qiongju, styled Yusha, and given a Dao name, Hansu, by Zhigui.

The young man had a shiny purple gourd slung over his shoulder.

Zhigui turned his head and raised his chin.

The poor young man immediately understood and moved quickly, hiding where the master couldn’t see him, so as not to annoy the master.

Only then did Zhigui laugh, “I heard that there was an execution platform in the ancient heavenly court, with several divine weapons specially used to deal with earth immortals and dragons who had violated the heavenly rules. Besides the Jia Sword and the Mountain Breaking Halberd, there were also two knives, called the Head Chopper and the Cut Surveyor. That Cut Surveyor is in Chen Ping’an’s hands. If I had known, I wouldn’t have let you keep watch on the sea. As soon as you two met, you definitely wouldn’t have liked each other, and then there would have been a snap, tsk tsk.”

The young man was so frightened that he shrank his neck.

—

Xiao Mo began to build a hut at Fallen Treasure Shoal on the bank of Azure River and cultivate. Saying it was cultivation, it was actually just reading books.

For today’s Xiao Mo, the only cultivation was to choose a “path that no one has taken before” to reach the Fourteenth Realm.

Besides, even for a great cultivator at the peak of the Ascendant Realm, finding a path to heaven was still as difficult as a mortal scholar walking on air.

Otherwise, why would there be so few Fourteenth Realm cultivators in thousands of years?

Moreover, Xiao Mo had set a threshold for himself: he had to reach the Fourteenth Realm as a pure swordsman, without taking shortcuts.

Like Pei Min, one of the three wonders of the vast world, he probably had the same idea.

Anyway, Xiao Mo would definitely find an opportunity to have a sword duel with this Pei Min.

Xiao Mo casually placed some futons and benches in the open space outside the thatched hut, as if it were a threshing ground.

Cui Wei and Sui Youbian, two Nascent Soul Realm swordsmen, often went to Fallen Treasure Shoal to ask Mr. Xiao Mo about sword practice.

Cheng Chaolu and Yu Xiehui also went often, and Pei Qian would occasionally listen in when she was busy at the ferry.

Whenever someone came to visit, Xiao Mo would sit on a bamboo chair under the eaves, with a bamboo cane across his lap, as if it were… a place of imparting knowledge and teaching skills at Fallen Treasure Shoal.

Cui Dongshan left Dense Snow Peak this day and came to a blue cliff on Green Sprout Peak, bending his fingers and gently “knocking on the door.”

In the Red Tower Immortal Mansion, Chen Ping’an collected his mind, opened his eyes, and nodded.

Chen Ping’an sat cross-legged, in blue robes, barefoot.

Everything was simple. There were no extra decorations in the room. Compared to before, there was only a long sword lying across the table in front of Chen Ping’an, which he used to travel across continents.

Cui Dongshan was just standing outside the door of this little grotto-heaven, and he said nothing superfluous, speaking to the gentleman about the matter, “A letter was sent from the Dragon Palace ruins, saying that the new Southern Sea Water Lord, Li Yehou, is coming to visit us today. I estimate that he is here to discuss the business of the Yeluhe water transport with you. You can just continue your pure cultivation. Your student can discuss the price with Li Yehou. You can rest assured that even if you don’t show up, Li Yeh