In the realm of Mengliang, nestled beside the cloud-kissed Cloudglow Mountain, lay the Yellow Millet Sect, their ancestral home the majestic Mount Lou, situated in Bieg County, Huai’an Prefecture.

Ever since the Yellow Millet Sect acquired the Robe-Belt Peak, a plot of land far from their ancestral home in the mountains west of the former site of the Radiant Pearl Grotto-Heaven, their fortunes seemed to have shifted from ill luck to prosperity.

First, they purchased the Robe-Belt Peak from the Great Li Dynasty for a mere bag of Fortune-Bringing coins as a toll, followed by another bag of Amulet coins, a sum that multiplied many times over.

Then, their esteemed Senior Uncle Liu Hongwen, who was seemingly sent to Robe-Belt Peak for a comfortable retirement, befriended the master of Fallen Peak. It was said that even the master of Fallen Peak, Chen Ping’an, addressed him as “Immortal Master Liu.” Furthermore, Senior Uncle shared a strong camaraderie with Chen Lingjun, the venerable retainer of Fallen Peak, and was even a frequent guest at the Northern Peak’s Cloaked Cloud Mountain’s night banquets, having gained familiarity with Mountain Lord Wei.

As Senior Uncle often boasted, “At Mountain Lord Wei’s night banquets, my seat is always in the front row. Among those below the Nascent Soul realm, my position is always the closest to the host. Why, the water deity of Embroidery River sat across from me twice, and once, it was the City God of Dragon Province! Who in the Great Li’s celestial bureaucracy could compare? In Mengliang, not even the Five Mountain Lords, the highest of the land deities, could sit beside the Embroidery River deity!”

Following these events, a direct disciple of the Ancestral Hall, one who was held in high regard, successfully achieved the Golden Core realm.

And thus, the Yellow Millet Sect planned a Mountain-Opening Celebration to be held in the coming first month.

Three Golden Cores within a single sect.

And the closed-door disciple of Headmaster Gao Zhen, the very one who sought fortune in the Radiant Pearl Grotto-Heaven to no avail, now showed signs of breaking through the bottleneck of the Dragon Gate realm.

Previously, Gao Zhen and Senior Uncle had made a gentleman’s agreement. As Senior Uncle had fulfilled his side of the “bet,” successfully inviting guests from Fallen Peak to the celebration, the Robe-Belt Peak would no longer be sold.

The Yellow Millet Sect selected two of the most scenic residences side-by-side.

The young scholar in Confucian robes, named Li Huai, claimed to be from the Cliffside Academy. Beside him stood an elderly man in yellow robes, seemingly his attendant, named Oulu, without a family name, his Daoist title Dragon Mountain Lord. His credentials indicated that he was a rogue cultivator from Southern Po’sa Continent, with falcon-like eyes and a gaunt frame, yet clad in a wide, flowing robe.

Since this master and servant duo were unexpected visitors, the Yellow Millet Sect speculated that the academy disciple was likely from a wealthy family in the foothills, capable of employing a cultivator as his retainer at such a young age.

At that moment, Li Huai was perusing a book resembling a scholar’s notebook, a yellowed volume he had randomly selected from the corner of a bookshelf. It bore several seals, likely those of Mengliang’s local scholars, indicating a proper lineage. Tucked within the final pages was a note detailing the book’s origin: a gift from a temple keeper from a place called the Fen River Shrine.

Due to Li Huai’s status as an academy scholar, the Yellow Millet Sect provided him with this elegant residence. Plaques with couplets, the Four Treasures of the Study, and seasonal decorations were all in abundance. Several calligraphy jars were filled with scrolls of painting and calligraphy.

Li Huai felt somewhat unworthy of such treatment, but hesitated to proclaim, “I haven’t read much, actually.”

The young Daoist sat on the doorstep, seemingly asleep, diligently studying the ancient manual, *Mountain Refining*, carelessly tossed to him by the Old Blind Man, unfortunately only the first half.

Yet, even this incomplete text had greatly benefited the young Daoist. He and Yuan Shou, the Old Mountain-Moving Ancestor, one of the great demons of the Wildlands, were destined for a grand Dao battle. Yuan Shou’s mountain-moving and the young Daoist’s mountain-chasing techniques were similar in both method and attainment. However, in the art of refining and devouring mountain dragon veins, the demon Yuan Shou, whose true name was Zhu Yan, seemed to have obtained an ancient power from his paramour, Yang Zhi. This gave Zhu Yan an edge, his Dao realm already nearing “perfection” while the Wildlands’ Peach Pavilion was merely at its “peak.” Only with a perfected realm could one possess the capital and confidence to pursue the ethereal Fourteenth Realm.

The young Daoist had considered asking Li Huai to plead with the Old Blind Man.

But Li Huai dismissed the notion with two sentences.

“If I were willing to help you, do you really think my half-master would give you the second half of the manual just because I asked?”

“Even if he couldn’t refuse me and gave you the second half, would you dare to cultivate it?”

The young Daoist sighed. His young master was certainly no fool.

Li Huai was being discreet, not directly saying that while the Old Blind Man treated Li Huai with kindness, he might be a different matter to the young Daoist.

The Wildlands’ Peach Pavilion was simply overshadowed by the Old Blind Man. Otherwise, in the shores of Duckweed Isle, from Nan Guangzhao to the Immortal Yun Miao, and even those watching from afar like Qin Zao, Yan Ge, and Tian Ni, who would dare regard this young Daoist as a dim-witted old fool? Before becoming a gatekeeper for the Hundred Thousand Mountains, he had clashed with the Old Seat Yuan Shou, who could provoke such a being? In Wildlands history, there was a rising “young” Ascendant realm cultivator known as “Little Yuan Shou,” whose mountain-moving skills were refined to perfection. Within a mere millennium, he devoured hundreds of mountains and ancestral halls, leading many to speculate on his chances against Peach Pavilion. Some predicted at least a fifty percent chance of victory.

In the end, this once-unstoppable cultivator was blocked by Peach Pavilion on a journey. After a fierce battle spanning a million miles, only Peach Pavilion remained, suspended in the air, patting his stomach and belching, leaving behind the words, “Only five-tenths full.”

Li Huai curiously asked, “Why have there been so many Golden Core cultivators in the Yellow Millet Sect’s history, but not a single Nascent Soul? Is there something strange about the feng shui?”

The young Daoist chuckled. “Perhaps it’s a matter of borrowing and returning.”

Earlier, on the ferry, as the undisputed “Ancestor” of the mountain-chasing lineage, the young Daoist discerned the origins of Mount Lou. It was an extraordinary treasure trove of feng shui, so much so that the young Daoist had to perform calculations to discover an inconspicuous “outgoing vein” hidden within a stone grotto in the cliffs. This grotto was precisely located in the place illuminated by the Dipper’s Pivot Star, where a master once “attained the Dao.” The lingering Dao energy was subtle yet highly concentrated, making it extremely difficult to find. The mountain’s aura was that of a high-ranking official in scarlet robes, easily discernible to anyone with basic aura-reading skills, while the hidden vein was like a treasure gourd buried deep, nurturing an object of longevity, and the grotto was a natural illusion concealing the “official’s goldfish pouch.”

Seeing that his young master was confused, the young Daoist patiently explained, “In its prime, the Yellow Millet Sect, along with its retainers and guest elders, boasted twelve Golden Cores within its Ancestral Hall. In those days, it was undoubtedly a first-class immortal mansion in Treasure Bottle Continent. However, a master who understood the rise and fall of all things accumulated wealth for Mount Lou year after year, eventually turning it into a treasure trove. Unfortunately, no true Dao talent emerged within the Yellow Millet Sect, so they couldn’t find the entrance. This treasure trove requires a key, someone to open the door.”

Li Huai marveled, “Imagine the Ancestral Hall with twelve Golden Core immortals seated in council. What a sight!”

Back then, the Yellow Millet Sect looked down upon even Cloudglow Mountain, which had a Nascent Soul realm master guarding its peak.

Moreover, the relationship between the Yellow Millet Sect and the Mengliang Kingdom was evident from their names.

Compared to Cloudglow Mountain, the monarchs of Mengliang had always been more naturally inclined to favor Mount Lou, and they were willing to support the Yellow Millet Sect wholeheartedly.

The young Daoist chuckled.

In the Wildlands, where cultivation was solely for self-preservation, twelve Golden Cores? Be they Golden Core or Nascent Soul, they wouldn’t be enough for a single mouthful.

Li Huai curiously asked, “Even with Headmaster Gao, a sword immortal, can’t he become the keyholder?”

The young Daoist was momentarily speechless.

He wanted to say that the Yellow Millet Sect’s headmaster was just a mediocre Golden Core sword cultivator, nothing more.

However, knowing that his young master disliked such pronouncements, the young Daoist rephrased his answer. “Gao Zhen is still a bit far from being what I’d call a Dao talent.”

Headmaster Mountain Lord Gao Zhen was a very old “young” Golden Core. Despite cultivating diligently for three centuries and once being regarded as a promising Dao talent, he smoothly broke through the Cave-Heaven and Sea-Gazing bottlenecks in his ascent through the Middle Five Realms. However, he had stagnated at the Dragon Gate realm for nearly two centuries. According to the mountain’s reckoning, his “Dao age” as a Golden Core guest was only forty years.

The sole reason Gao Zhen was able to become Mountain Lord of the Yellow Millet Sect while still in the Dragon Gate realm was his identity as a sword cultivator. For centuries, the Yellow Millet Sect had only two sword cultivators, and the younger one was a child who had ascended the mountain a few years prior. Although he was found in the foothills by a member of a different branch of the Yellow Millet Sect and personally brought up the mountain, the result was unsurprising: he became Headmaster Gao Zhen’s personal disciple, receiving his direct instruction in swordsmanship.

This was a common practice in the vast world of the mortal realm. For instance, Tian Wan of Vermillion Peak of the Righteous Yang Mountain had discovered both Su Jia and Wu Ti Jing, sword immortal embryos who would eventually change their allegiance and leave Vermillion Peak for other peaks. Therefore, even the guide who brought the young sword cultivator up the mountain felt no resentment. He even gifted the sword cultivator a cherished spiritual weapon as a congratulatory gift when he became Gao Zhen’s disciple.

Before entering seclusion, the previous Mountain Lord had left a will stating that if his seclusion failed and he could only resolve his existence through self-immolation, Gao Zhen should succeed him as headmaster.

Gao Zhen’s strained relationship with Senior Uncle Liu Hongwen stemmed from this. Liu Hongwen, like many old-timers in the mortal world, valued face and tradition. He believed that allowing a Dragon Gate realm cultivator to serve as a mountain headmaster was absurd. His ancestors had been affluent, like a prominent aristocratic family in a mortal dynasty. Such a thing would be a laughingstock, unworthy of facing their ancestors in the Ancestral Hall.

Even after Headmaster Gao Zhen successfully achieved the Golden Core and became a renowned “sword immortal” in the southern Treasure Bottle Continent, his relationship with Senior Uncle Liu Hongwen did not improve.

Why should I, Liu Hongwen, a senior uncle of the sect, lower myself and apologize to a junior nephew?

The young Daoist sighed, “Young master, why does a Golden Core cultivator still seem like a worldly recluse to you?”

Li Huai seemed even more helpless. “Don’t they say, ‘Only those who achieve the Golden Core are truly our kind’? Since they’ve become terrestrial immortals, why wouldn’t they be great people? I’ve just seen some great cultivators, but I’m not one myself, am I?”

The young Daoist immediately flattered him, “Your young master’s peaceful heart surpasses my Dao heart by more than a hundred thousand miles. It’s truly rare, truly rare.”

Li Huai continued to flip through the book, reading about half of it before giving up. He recognized the characters, but when strung together, he often couldn’t understand them. It all seemed too mystical, too profound, like the empty rhetoric of a famous scholar. There were no notes or explanations in the margins. Li Huai sighed. He simply wasn’t cut out for reading. He closed the book and carefully smoothed it out on the table. Even if he couldn’t become a scholar who brought honor to his family, he still had to treat the books he touched with respect.

The young Daoist was accustomed to this. Whenever his young master read a book, he would frown. He was diligent, but as for how much he could comprehend, hehe.

The young Daoist had even wanted to let his young master take a look at *Mountain Refining*, but Li Huai quickly waved his hand and shook his head, saying, “Why would I read that? Could I understand it? Even if I understood the text, could I cultivate it with my aptitude? Old Nen, what are you thinking? Are you trying to make fun of me?”

In truth, even if the young Daoist obtained the second half of *Mountain Refining*, he had no confidence in reaching the Fourteenth Realm.

Yuan Shou devoured how many mountains in the Supporting Sky and Chinese Parasol Continents during that great battle? So what? He was still only an Ascendant realm cultivator.

Furthermore, in this vast world, in the Snow White Continent, the young Daoist had already guessed that the once-acclaimed genius cultivator, Wei She, had suffered greatly in the realm of “mountains,” possibly failing to reach the Fourteenth Realm once, or even twice, leading to his disillusionment.

“Old Nen.”

The young Daoist was puzzled. “Young master, what is it?”

Li Huai said, “I have an immature idea. Just listen to it, and if it’s wrong or seems childish, just hold back your laughter.”

The young Daoist began to stiffen his face to suppress his laughter. “Please speak, young master.”

Li Huai softly said, “Old Nen, your realm is already so high. While you can increase your Dao by moving mountains, devouring mountain ranges, and digesting them with your innate abilities, I feel that… it’s still a bit distant from the kind of… Dao that you immortals and enlightened cultivators aspire to. This ancient manual, *Mountain Refining*, isn’t it? After refining the mountains, you should see those places that lack mountains but have plenty of water. Then you could occasionally vomit out a few mountains… Like what I just read in this book, there’s a saying: ‘Accumulate three thousand merits, and that is the foundation of the Dao.’ A foundation is like the foot of a mountain. You can’t just relentlessly take mountains, hills, and dragon veins from the world. Where would it end? You can’t devour all the famous mountains and Daoist temples, can you? If… and I mean if, the entire world can be seen as a great cultivator, a deity, or someone of great virtue, surely they would find it annoying if mortal cultivators endlessly took without giving back, right? That’s just my opinion, though. I’m just an outsider to cultivation, just spouting nonsense.”

At first, the young Daoist looked relaxed, but when Li Huai uttered the word “Dao,” his Dao heart suddenly trembled. He straightened his back and sat up straight. By the time Li Huai mentioned “the foundation of the Dao,” the young Daoist’s expression was fluctuating. After Li Huai spoke of “dwelling in jade-refined mountains,” the young Daoist was ecstatic… and oblivious.

By the time Li Huai finished speaking, his mouth dry, he felt embarrassed, regardless of whether the young Daoist found it ridiculous or not.

His words were disjointed, slipping on every word, with no coherence…

If only Chen Ping’an were here.

The old man in yellow robes suddenly snapped out of his trance, lightly patting the doorstep beneath him, muttering, “I have heard the Dao, I have seen the Dao.”

Li Huai glanced at the cover of the book. The author’s name was Lu Yan.

The young Daoist was invigorated, his eyes brimming with divine light. He looked up and asked, “Young master, who wrote this book?”

Li Huai smiled. “Lu Yan, apparently a Daoist.”

The young Daoist was puzzled. “Which ‘Yan’? The ‘Yan’ of language, or the ‘Yan’ of rock?”

Li Huai said, “The ‘Yan’ of an upper-grade mountain.”

The young Daoist stood up, shook his sleeves, and bowed three times toward Li Huai and the table, honoring Li Huai, the book, and Lu Yan.

Nearby, Chen Lingjun squatted on the steps, watching Guo Zhujiu practice her stances and punches.

The Yellow Millet Sect did not have a tradition of eating New Year’s Eve dinner on the mountain. After consulting with the young Daoist, Chen Lingjun decided to follow the customs of the house, so as not to cause unnecessary difficulties for the Yellow Millet Sect.

Chen Lingjun asked, “Guo Zhujiu, you’re a sword cultivator. Why are you practicing stances and punches every day?”

Guo Zhujiu leapt high into the air, performing a spinning sweep kick. After landing, she said, “Diligence can make up for deficiencies.”

Chen Lingjun rolled his eyes. Was that what he was asking about?

Guo Zhujiu suddenly said, “Is that Huang Cong really an emperor?”

Huang Cong was the first emperor Guo Zhujiu had encountered since coming to this vast realm.

Chen Lingjun stood up, hands on his hips, and boasted, “My brother Huang Cong? He’s definitely an emperor! He’s got no airs, right? It’s just that his alcohol tolerance is a bit poor. Other than that, there’s nothing to complain about.”

Chen Lingjun added with a bitter expression, “I’ve already put in a good word. Guo Zhujiu, can you say a few good words for me to the Master later?”

Guo Zhujiu hummed in agreement. “Definitely.”

Chen Lingjun was stunned. “Ah? You’re really willing to help?”

Guo Zhujiu asked, confused, “When I see my master, I’ll have a ton of things to say. Saying a few good words for you is just like putting a small dustpan inside a big basket. Why wouldn’t I be willing?”

Chen Lingjun nodded quickly, feeling warm inside. He almost burst into tears.

Ten Mountain Lords Wei who don’t abide by the code of the mortal realm are no match for one chivalrous Guo Zhujiu!

Guo Zhujiu suddenly stopped practicing. “Let’s go find Li Huai.”

Chen Lingjun stood up and casually asked, “What for?”

Guo Zhujiu had always been impulsive. With a tap of her toes, she leaped onto the wall, saying, “Let’s go find Li Huai and have him use his innate ability. Senior Sister said it’s very effective, it never fails!”

Chen Lingjun’s head throbbed. He knew what Guo Zhujiu was talking about: Li Huai drawing random patterns on the ground and writing Chen Ping’an’s name, which would lead to Master appearing. Chen Lingjun looked up at the figure already standing on the wall. “Li Huai’s talking nonsense, Pei Qian’s spreading rumors, and you actually believe it?”

Guo Zhujiu flew away like a bird, leaving behind the words, “If you believe it, you’ll get money.”

Chen Lingjun thought about it. Seemed right?

He immediately shouted, “Wait for me!”

But Guo Zhujiu’s habit of scaling walls instead of using the gate was truly exasperating.

Next time he saw her master, his Master, he would definitely offer a few words of advice.

A paper kite with a talisman was sent from the mountain gate to the Ancestral Hall of Mount Lou. The kite flapped its wings, drawing a golden streak in the air, heading straight for the ancestral home.

It was both a message and a report of good news.

The two young cultivators, a man and a woman, who were temporarily serving as gatekeepers were both in the Cave-Heaven realm, the Yellow Millet Sect’s hopes for the future. This was a small-scale mortal training for them. As for the more experienced true gatekeeper, he had recently led a group of guests up the mountain and had yet to return.

The two of them, their faces flushed red, stared intently at the figure in blue robes, as if missing a single glance would cost them money.

If they encountered the figure in blue robes outside the mountain, they wouldn’t recognize him.

Chen Ping’an had no choice but to smile and nod in greeting. The man grinned and the woman pursed her lips, as if they couldn’t decide how to speak politely, so they remained silent.

The Divine Edict Sect, as the former leader of Treasure Bottle Continent, was a well-known entity to the continent’s cultivators.

But the Autumn Hair Temple was completely unheard of.

The Cloud Grotto Blessed Land of Chinese Parasol Continent was also famous, the private territory of the revered Old Sect Master Jiang of the Jade Tablet Sect.

For Master Ni to be a guest elder of Cloud Grotto Blessed Land and to arrive with Chen the Hidden Official, he must be an extraordinary figure with high Dao attainment.

The only one who was a complete mystery was the female cultivator named Qing Tong, who claimed to be from the Immortal Capital Mountain of Chinese Parasol Continent.

“When luck departs, gold is like iron; when fortune arrives, iron is like gold. The Yellow Millet Sect has encountered a good time, and they’ve also worked hard themselves. For at least three to five hundred years, Gao Zhen can truly rest easy.”

Lu Chen crossed his arms and looked up at the Ancestral Hall of Mount Lou, chuckling inwardly. “I heard that the current headmaster of the Yellow Millet Sect, Gao Zhen, is a sword immortal? Headmaster Gao’s name is well-chosen, very well-chosen. When I return to the Azure Underworld, if I find a promising Daoist embryo and decide to take them as my direct disciple, I’ll bestow upon them a Dao name: Worry-Free. And I’ll tell him or her that if they succeed in their cultivation and can travel to this vast realm, they must visit the Yellow Millet Sect and thank the sword immortal named Gao Zhen.”

Chen Ping’an glanced at Lu Chen.

Lu Chen mimicked the gesture, glancing at Qing Tong.

Qing Tong felt helpless. She couldn’t compare to those two, but she wasn’t a fool.

Of course, Qing Tong had understood Lu Chen’s underlying meaning.

Lu Chen, after returning to the Azure Underworld, finding luck and relying on fate in the future, receiving a direct disciple, this future cultivator with the Dao name Worry-Free, even if the path of cultivation is smooth and breakthroughs are swift, if this person wanted to cross the realm and travel far, then at least they would have to be an Ascendant realm great cultivator. Then arriving at this mountain, seeing Gao Zhen in person, and thanking him. This meant that Gao Zhen of the Yellow Millet Sect would have to wait until that day.

A cultivator wanting to reach the Ascendant Realm spends at least a thousand years, or even two or three thousand years. Even if this person was a direct disciple of the Third Master of the White Jade Capital, with good roots, Lu Chen would be willing to personally impart the Dao and pile opportunities and heavenly treasures upon him. A thousand years, how could it not be a thousand years later?

Even the Pure Yang Daoist said, “Eight hundred autumns have passed since attaining the Dao, and I have never taken a head with a flying sword.”

Lu Yan’s so-called “attaining the Dao” referred to achieving the Golden Core, and the eight hundred years before the flying sword was drawn referred to the years of cultivation before reaching the Ascendant Realm.

In addition, individuals like Ning Yao of the Sword Qi Great Wall and Fei Ran of the Wildlands are ultimately unique cases in the world.

Therefore, the path of cultivation for the sword cultivator Gao Zhen will not be short.

Presumably, the current headmaster of the Yellow Millet Sect, whose achievement of the Golden Core was already extremely arduous, will have a different kind of fortune in the future.

Lu Chen laughed, “What about Dong San Geng and the others? You’ve forgotten them? And what about the Hidden Official before you? You dare to ignore them?”

Qing Tong was uneasy. Was Sect Master Lu hinting that besides the Hidden Official here, there was also Mr. Zheng far away?

Lu Chen rolled his eyes. “Fellow Daoist Qing Tong, are you being too clever?”

Chen Ping’an reminded him, “Don’t cause trouble when you get to the mountain later.”

Lu Chen smiled. “Whenever I go out, I always get along with others.”

Chen Ping’an smiled without comment.

Lu Chen asked, “Do you think Gao Zhen will mobilize the masses and have all the members of the Ancestral Hall come down the mountain to greet us?”

Ni Yuanzan smiled. “The Yellow Millet Sect is a reputable immortal mansion. It’s not like the common people in the city, where the magistrate must beat gongs and drums to show respect.”

Lu Chen suddenly yelped in surprise, rubbing his chin. “This is possible? Sure enough, the Dao has no distinction between high and low, and the law has no distinction between near and far.”

Except for Ni Yuanzan, who was in the Jade Purity Realm and still completely unaware, Chen Ping’an and Qing Tong had also sensed a mysterious ripple of Dao energy arising from the mountain.

Chen Ping’an asked inwardly, “Has Peach Pavilion found a way?”

Lu Chen nodded. “But it’s still a bit short of the realm of ‘great enlightenment.’ This Daoist Peach Pavilion can only be said to have found a possibility, so he no longer needs to despair and wait for death.”

Qing Tong softly said, “Chen Ping’an, since the Pure Yang Daoist personally asked you to find the sword manual pointing directly to the Golden Core, why didn’t you go take a look, even though we passed it just now?”

Lu Chen couldn’t help but laugh. “Fellow Daoist Qing Tong, just rest assured, I won’t be competing with the Hidden Official for this opportunity.”

Oh, a daughter doesn’t stay at home, she’s already turning her elbow towards the Hidden Official? That’s right, they’re both guest elders of the Immortal Capital Mountain.

Chen Ping’an said, “I’m already looking at it.”

————

On Mount Lou, in a quiet courtyard pavilion, Headmaster Gao Zhen was playing chess with a young man in scholar’s robes.

The person playing chess with Gao Zhen was the Emperor of Mengliang, Huang Cong. Standing behind him was a palace woman with abundant water energy and a burly old man with deep Dao energy.

It was the first time in the history of the Mengliang Kingdom that a ruler had not been in the capital during the Lunar New Year’s Eve. The Emperor was usually at his busiest during this period. According to Huang Cong, he was taking some time off. The young emperor was sincerely devoted to the Dao and close to the Daoist sect. On the other hand, the Cloudglow Mountain, the pillar of the Mengliang Kingdom, practiced a path closer to Buddhism. Thus, the emperor did not plan to personally congratulate them on the change of the Mountain Lord, but would send the Minister of Rites to attend the ceremony.

Huang Cong looked at the chess board, picked up a chess piece, his gaze wandering and reminiscing, but he could not decide where to place the piece. He mocked himself, “It seems that the chess officials in the palace are still far behind the chess-playing immortals on the mountain.”

Gao Zhen smiled slightly. “They may be deliberately losing to Your Majesty.”

Clearly, Gao Zhen had no courtly restraints with the Emperor. He would not say things like, “I am the best chess player on the mountain, and Your Majesty is the best chess player below the mountain.”

It was not that Gao Zhen, as a Golden Core Realm sword immortal, was so conceited that he could look down on kings and nobles.

A few decades ago, that might have been the case in most of Treasure Bottle Continent, except for the Great Li Dynasty. However, with the Great Li Song Clan establishing the Dynasty in one state, especially with the steles erected on the mountain peaks, this situation had actually changed. After all, the Yellow Millet Sect was on Mount Lou, and not far from the Ancestral Hall was one of these steles. Even though the area south of the Treasure Bottle Continent Great Rivers had been restored, and were no longer vassals of the Great Li Song Clan, no immortal mansion dared to remove this stele.

There was a rumor that some mountain sects had felt that the stele was an eyesore and had discussed its removal with the mortal dynasty.

However, when a letter of mountain and water was transmitted from the Central Earth Divine Continent to Treasure Bottle Continent, it was completely stopped. They announced to the continent through their own newsletters, with different wording, but the same meaning.

There was no such thing, and whoever dared to maliciously slander would be held accountable!

There was no more embroidered tiger in the Great Li Dynasty, but an Hidden Official had appeared on Treasure Bottle Continent.

And these two were from the same lineage, fellow disciples.

Huang Cong finally placed his chess piece. Gao Zhen glanced at it and smiled, “Your Majesty has lost.”

Huang Cong nodded, hesitant to speak. He swallowed the words back down and picked up another topic, teasing with a smile, “Headmaster Gao, now the Yellow Millet Sect can finally be generous. Just me, the Nalan Water God, and the Mei Mountain Lord, our three gifts must be a considerable income. Not to mention the one from the Cloudglow Mountain, even I am envious, very envious!”

The woman water god named Nalan smiled radiantly. “Before climbing the mountain, I advised His Majesty to incorporate the gifts prepared by me and the Mei Mountain Lord into the royal treasury, after all, Headmaster Gao would not mind.”

The Water God was dressed in emerald silk, with colorful threads wrapped around her arms, and a small talisman hanging diagonally from her green clouds. She looked like an admirer of Su Shi.

Gao Zhen laughed loudly, “We have earned a lot this time. Most importantly, we can finally have the Cloudglow Mountain return the courtesy! It wasn’t easy!”

A rich man gets richer and richer when they celebrate a birthday or earn money. A poor man spends money when they celebrate a birthday, becoming poorer and poorer.

The same is true for the mountains.

If they don’t invite guests, it’s bad for their reputation. If they do, they are puffing themselves up, and the guests eat and leave, while they secretly go hungry.

Similarly, the people on the mountains also have the same feelings.

In the early years, they had a good understanding of the suffering, with the Cloudglow Mountain was nearby, a few steps away. Money was spent like water, especially on red envelopes that were destined never to be returned.

How many gifts did the Yellow Millet Sect send when Cai Jin Jian of the Green Juniper Peak reached the Golden Core, held an opening ceremony, and became a Nascent Soul? It couldn’t be too shabby, could it?

Moreover, there was one Daoist genius after another in the Cloudglow Mountain. Their Daoist couples got married, someone reached the Cave-Heaven Realm and became an immortal of the Middle Five Realms, and some of the old immortal masters of the Cloudglow Mountain’s Ancestral Hall who were familiar with the Yellow Millet Sect had received direct disciples… On the other hand, things had only turned for the better in the Yellow Millet Sect in recent decades. Before that, it was a truly miserable time of eating bitter gourds.

The Yellow Millet Sect’s initial intention for holding the opening ceremony was naturally to make it grand, so they only wanted to… break even.

Due to the unexpected surprise, it was more than breaking even, it was simply making a fortune.

The Yellow Millet Sect had no confidence in inviting cultivators from the Fallen Peak. They sent out an invitation letter with respectful wording, hoping to see what would happen.

Although the young Hidden Official could not personally come to congratulate them, Zhu Lian, as the head steward, had personally written a letter in the name of the Ancestral Hall of Jise Peak, explaining why their Mountain Lord could not attend the celebration.

If Master Chen didn’t want to come, there was no need to go to so much trouble. They could just ignore the Yellow Millet Sect’s invitation.

According to Senior Uncle, the young Master Chen was sincere, kind, and trustworthy, and would never hold us up on such matters. No one in the Ancestral Hall of Mount Lou should think too much about it. Thinking too much would show that they have shallow minds and judge gentlemen with petty hearts.

In the end, two distinguished guests from Fallen Peak came to congratulate them: a Nascent Soul realm cultivator, Chen Lingjun, and a Golden Core immortal, Guo Zhujiu.

It was said that the former was the first registered cultivator to enter Fallen Peak, and he did not need to call him Mountain Lord, but directly called him Master.

The latter was Master Chen’s youngest disciple, so she could be considered half a closed-door disciple for the time being. Since she was the Hidden Official’s direct disciple, what if she was also a sword cultivator?

The Yellow Millet Sect did not dare to publicize this matter, fearing that they would act inappropriately and cause the Fallen Peak to misunderstand that they were trying to get something from them, which would turn a good thing into a bad one.

However, there was no wall that didn’t leak wind. As soon as they heard that two high-ranking cultivators from Fallen Peak had taken up residence in the mansion of Mount Lou, the news spread like wildfire, and some of the guests who originally couldn’t be invited came uninvited. The number of attendees had at least doubled.

Even the Cloudglow Mountain sent a Law-Enforcement Ancestor and two old Peak Masters.

The Emperor of the Mengliang Kingdom even came to the mountain in person. The Mei Mountain Lord, one of the Five Sacred Mountains of the kingdom, and the First River God of the waters, had to protect him, didn’t they?

The old cultivators of the Yellow Millet Sect in charge of welcoming and sending off guests were constantly complaining, but their eyes were full of smiles that could not be concealed.

It had been many years since the Yellow Millet Sect had been so glorious!

Before getting up, Huang Cong hesitated again.

Gao Zhen still just ignored it, his gaze lowered, staring at the chess board. In fact, Gao Zhen knew very well why the Emperor had come to the mountain. The so-called taking a break or attending the ceremony were just poor excuses. The real thought was to see if there was an opportunity to form a connection with the Fallen Peak. Huang Cong did not expect the young Hidden Official to set foot in the Mengliang Kingdom, nor did he expect to be able to visit Fallen Peak without being turned away. He only hoped that one of the registered cultivators of the Fallen Peak, such as Chen Lingjun or Guo Zhujiu, could serve as the Mengliang Kingdom’s offering, or even a guest official.

However, Gao Zhen could not make the decision. If the Emperor did not speak, Gao Zhen would just pretend to be ignorant and would never take the initiative.

This young emperor who ascended the throne during the troubled times had a high heart. Otherwise, if he just wanted to find an offering or guest official for the Mengliang Kingdom, he could have just personally visited the Cloudglow Mountain and found an old Nascent Soul immortal to be the chief offering, which would not have been difficult.

The countries surrounding the Mengliang Kingdom knew that the young emperor had dismounted from his horse and put on the dragon robe.

When Huang Cong was a prince, he had taken the initiative to lead an army to the battlefield of the Great Li’s alternate capital. He had even truly lain in piles of dead bodies, before being found.

During that war, in the Mengliang Kingdom, the Ministry of War, except for the old men, the middle-aged and young officials were almost completely replaced.

Therefore, the Mengliang Kingdom was the first to be restored and remove its vassal status in Treasure Bottle Continent after the end of the war. Many people from the Mengliang Kingdom are still serving in the Six Ministries and the Small Nine Chambers in the Great Li’s alternate capital.

Seeing that Gao Zhen did not respond, Huang Cong smiled self-deprecatingly, with no displeasure on his face or in his heart. Every family has its own problems, and he shouldn’t embarrass Headmaster Gao and the Yellow Millet Sect.

The rules and regulations on the mountain were no less than those in the mortal world.

He will find the Chen Immortal Master, who claims to be “the Little White Dragon in the River, the Little Dragon King on Fallen Peak” and have a drink with him.

However, it would probably just be a drink.

The last time Huang Cong had gone to visit him, the green-robed little boy who looked like a Nascent Soul Water Dragon Old Immortal was easy to talk to, approachable, and especially