The Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches merely glanced in their direction, and the gathered Great Demons of that elder age visibly restrained themselves.

Chen Ping’an sighed, impressed. This was the unique aura of one destined to become a legendary figure among the ancient Ten Heroes.

Unlike the current martial sects, where reputation often eclipsed true skill, and flowery displays of power concealed hollow foundations, these were warriors who had either directly participated in the Ascension War or witnessed its horrors. Every cultivator who had clawed their way to the apex of humanity in those days was intimately familiar with the art of slaughter. Take Xiao Mo, for instance. Any one of his past sparring partners could be plucked from obscurity and declared invincible by today’s standards.

Though this celestial journey marked their first proper meeting, Chen Ping’an felt an odd familiarity with the Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches, a tangled web of indirect connections stretching between them.

His abrupt detour to Mount Tuoyue during his foray into the barbaric heartlands owed its existence to the very talisman of Three Peaks.

While the Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches hadn’t invented the talisman, Lu Chen had confided that it was after a visit to the verdant city of White Jade Citadel and a philosophical discourse with this forefather that his Eldest Brother had been inspired to create it.

Before the Grand Patriarch Kou Ming’s disappearance, the Jade Imperial City, the “Twelve Towers of Jade, rising majestically in green,” regularly held open sermons for all under Heaven. No barrier was erected, no origin or cultivation level was a constraint. Anyone could pass through the “Great Gates” erected within the realms of several provinces and enter the city. The Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches once concealed their identity and attended such a sermon. Kou Ming discerned the visitor, treated them with the respect due to a senior, and sought advice on the art of talismans.

Furthermore, the Three Peaks blessed land now occupied by the Myriad Jade Sect was once one of the Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches’s sanctuaries.

Chen Ping’an suspected the founder of the Myriad Jade Sect might have been an unacknowledged disciple of the esteemed predecessor.

What other explanation was there for a simple woodcutter from Tongye Continent to stumble upon a celestial painting, bypass all restrictive formations, and gain entry to a blessed land?

At the Jade Plate City of the Cloud Mark Dynasty in the Barbaric Lands, Chen Ping’an had obtained a coral pen holder, which proved to be the key to unlock the Dragon Palace hidden within a calligraphic scroll of the Jeweled Tower of White Jade Citadel.

The ability to encompass a Dragon Palace of such high standing within a single scroll spoke of profound mastery. Lu Chen even surmised that water spirits still dwelled within the hidden ruins. Stranger still, a Lord of White Jade Citadel had spent two or three millennia attempting to break the mountain’s seal without success, attesting to the exceptional skill of the Master of Three Peaks and Nine Marches in the art of talismans.

Suddenly, Bai Jing spoke up, “Mountain Lord, a bargain! While we have a moment to spare, I wish to meet with a friend. Fear not, it will not delay the business at hand. If you doubt my word, I shall swear an oath. Should I fail to return before the array is needed, I shall offer my head in forfeit!”

In truth, Bai Jing was acutely aware that she was largely unneeded here. Her role, overseeing one of the nested formations in the intercalary month, was but a snowflake compared to the storm of the overall grand design. Besides, Xiao Mo was vigilantly watching her every move.

Chen Ping’an observed Bai Jing’s eagerness and nodded. “Return swiftly.”

He doubted Bai Jing would truly betray them. If that were her intention, her departure before the battle commenced would be a blessing in disguise.

As agreed upon at the E’luo River, Bai Jing had promised Bai Ze not to act against the Barbaric Lands. Her interpretation, however, was quite simple: she would not act against Bai Ze.

Since the deployment of the entire Barbaric Lands as a battering ram was the design of the meticulous Zhou Mi and not sanctioned by Bai Ze, she reasoned that a little harmless prodding could hardly be considered a transgression.

Besides, from the looks of Li Gou and the others, they had not come to fight but merely to observe – “to stand by the ditch and watch the flood,” as they say in the local tongue.

And if she truly broke the rules, Bai Ze would surely reveal himself and personally teach her a lesson.

Thus, with Chen Ping’an’s permission, Bai Jing burst into laughter, slapped her brow, reverting to the form of a young girl in a sable hat. In an instant, her figure transformed into a rainbow streak, stretching tens of thousands of miles across the celestial void. The sword light was slender but refined. In a few blinks of an eye, Bai Jing, or rather, Xie Gou, had approached the band of Barbaric Great Demons. With a sudden halt, she pointed a finger at the youth with double pupils. In an accent she’d clearly picked up from somewhere, Xie Gou adjusted her sable hat and grinned. “Li Gou, care to play a bit with your older sister?”

Chen Ping’an asked, “What is Bai Jing doing?”

Xiao Mo hesitated, ensuring his young master wasn’t making light of the situation, before answering truthfully, “She intends to challenge Li Gou to a duel of swords.”

Yu Xuan sat cross-legged atop the Gold-Filled Peak, grinning widely and patting his knee.

Lu Yan stroked his beard and smiled. Chen Mountain Lord’s question was somewhat redundant.

Chen Ping’an frowned. “Isn’t she afraid of being surrounded?”

Li Gou and the other five Great Demons were the cream of the crop among the Barbaric thrones. Fei Fei and Huang Luan were overshadowed by these ancients, whose ages spanned tens of thousands of years. Though Bai Jing was a genuine Ascendant Realm swordsman, she was not yet a pure swordsman of the Fourteenth Realm.

Xiao Mo explained patiently, “Bai Jing never thinks when she fights.”

Then, Xiao Mo added, “Bai Jing is one of the rare few swordsmen unafraid of being ganged up on.”

In other words, Bai Jing enjoyed taking on a crowd and was exceptionally adept at turning the tables.

That was why Bai Jing had no enemies in the ancient ages.

First, Bai Jing wouldn’t provoke those she couldn’t hope to defeat, like Master Xiao, Bai Ze, or the Cave Lord of Azure Skies. This was Bai Jing’s cunning.

Furthermore, Bai Jing never sheathed her sword until her goal was achieved. In short, anyone who earned her enmity could expect unending persistence. Legend had it that while still an Earth Immortal, Bai Jing had spent three decades relentlessly pursuing a senior Ascendant Realm cultivator, cultivating to break through boundaries and launching constant ambushes, engaging in a farcical game of chase and flight. When Bai Jing finally reached the Ascendant Realm, the tormentor finally perished, their path extinguished.

Among Guan Yi’s band of Great Demons, only No Name and Li Gou were true acquaintances. The others were barely allies.

If Bai Ze wasn’t holding them in check, they could be bosom buddies one moment and battling to the death the next.

Xiao Mo had long grown accustomed to this lifestyle and never bothered to ponder its meaning. But after a casual chat with Zhu Lian at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, the old gentleman’s words had struck him like a thunderclap.

“If you still seek pure freedom, then your greatest enemy is not rules, but the freedom of others.”

On the battlefield, Li Gou glared at the witless Bai Jing and said, “Are you ever going to give me a rest?”

They had already clashed at the E’luo River.

He couldn’t fathom what he had done to offend her.

Surely she didn’t covet his treasures? Bai Jing’s own accumulation was vast.

Xie Gou waved her hand dismissively. “Those who are not concerned, step back and clear a space for Li Gou and me! No dawdling, let’s make this quick!”

The burly man crossed his arms and stood firm, grinning. “I’ll pass on moving. Just pretend I’m not here.”

Xie Gou shifted her gaze. Guan Yi and Hu Tu used earth-shrinking magic to vanish into the distance. The old crone grunted, tapping her staff. Though she was full of complaints, she dared not linger on the battlefield, lest she be caught in the crossfire. The old Taoist in the bamboo hat flicked his horsetail whisk. The white deer leaped several times, creating rings of multicolored ripples in the celestial void, fleeting as birds flitting from branch to branch.

Xie Gou grinned. “Shall we begin?”

As for No Name standing there, he was merely an eyesore, but not a hindrance.

Li Gou remained impassive and silent.

In an instant, the youthful Li Gou’s head was severed, flying high into the air. It seemed to be struck by something unseen, as if kicked away, exploding with a resounding boom like a thunderclap.

For most demons, having their heads cut off would prove fatal.

Far away, Guan Yi, observing the duel, wore a complex expression. This was the terrifying power of Bai Jing’s two natal swords combined.

No sword aura, not even Bai Jing’s intent, was required. The seemingly non-existent swords, flowing within the river of time, could easily claim a life.

It was said that Bai Jing had casually named her two natal swords “Upstream” and “Downstream,” much like her endless string of aliases.

This meant that when Bai Jing had left the grand array presided over by the young Hidden Official, she had already challenged Li Gou to a duel. She had given him no opportunity to refuse the challenge.

Since the “flow” of the river of time was an enigma that had plagued all peak cultivators of humanity for millennia, how could one counter Bai Jing’s preemptive advantage? It seemed impossible.

How could a cultivator rooted in the “present” defend against the swords that came from the “past” and “future”?

Yu Xuan, sitting atop the Gold-Filled Peak, raised a hand, resting the back of it on his knee, his fingers forming incantations, squinting at the distant battlefield. “Pure Yang Daoist, facing such unreasonable swords, is tricky indeed.”

Lu Yan smiled. “Even for the one forced to accept the duel, it’s not an immediate disadvantage.”

Yu Xuan exclaimed, “These ancient beings who have lived for tens of thousands of years truly have tricks up their sleeves.”

On the surface, if a cultivator could foresee the future and was skilled in divination, they might be able to react to the seemingly chaotic movements of the swords. However, on a battlefield where events changed in an instant, especially against an Ascendant Realm swordsman, no cultivator could afford to divert their attention to calculate the swords’ trajectories.

Zheng Juzhong glanced at Xie Gou.

Bai Jing, as expected of a swordsmanship prodigy who had risen to fame ten thousand years ago, had somehow partially “replicated” their nested array. The trajectory of her swords originated from the array. Furthermore, she intentionally traced it back in reverse, making her swords exceedingly fast and destined to become even faster.

Although Bai Jing’s imitation was rather crude, lacking in refined intent, it was still impressive. Even if she were not a swordsman, her accomplishments on the Great Dao would be considerable.

If the first sword was a courtesy greeting,

what followed was a true sword duel.

As Zheng Juzhong predicted, Xie Gou seemed to preside over a grand ritual, offering sacrifices to three thousand six hundred deities, aligning with the celestial constellations. As if an ancient god had descended, Xie Gou raised a hand and said with a smile, “Lower the Banner.”

Three thousand six hundred sharp sword lights, occupying the positions of the stars, converged in an instant on Li Gou, whose body had already been separated.

Li Gou was riddled with sword holes, his flesh mangled, his bones shattered, and his entire internal world blown apart.

Yet, no one believed Li Gou had fallen, or even been injured.

Li Gou instantly reconstructed his complete body, and with a wave of his hand, reattached the head that had been haphazardly stomped, circulating Dao energy, radiant and luminous, his face as before.

As for No Name, he remained rooted to the spot, even pulling out a flask of wine. With only the boundless strength of his fists, he deflected the “passing” sword lights.

Furthermore, upon closer inspection, the intent of this Ascendant Realm and Apex Martial Artist was divided into no less than ten layers.

What followed were two grand Daoist rituals. The number of sword lights from Bai Jing gradually decreased, but their sharpness increased exponentially.

However, after three strikes, Li Gou would recover his original form in the intervals before the next strike.

When the Seventy-Two Weather Sword Formation was activated, seventy-two “Bai Jing” stood at various points, trapping the double-pupiled youth at the center of the array, each holding a sword in one hand, pointing at Li Gou. Seventy-two sword beams, like white dragons woven from lightning, crashed down on Li Gou, turning him into a pool of dissolved golden light, intertwined with countless threads and veins.

Bai Jing’s subsequent sword strikes followed a set pattern, making them seem somewhat rigid, as if she was showing off.

Compared to the blank-faced youth from before, the restored Li Gou now had a fervent gaze, fixed on Bai Jing.

Upon seeing this, Bai Jing laughed. “Oh, getting upset because of a little drizzle?”

Xiao Mo explained through mind-speak, “Although Li Gou is only at the Ascendant Realm, his defenses are comparable to the Fourteenth Realm. Bai Jing’s relentless pursuit of Li Gou is to find a unique sword technique that can break through the ‘unbounded one.’ She needs to choose a path between two sword arts. One way is to use truth to break illusion, using an infinitesimally small mote of sword light to sever an infinitely large realm. The other is to use a larger illusion to encompass the illusion, and ultimately… consume the opponent. The ‘casting of the net’ earlier was an example of Bai Jing’s manifestation of this path. The reason she can mimic our array so quickly is fundamentally because it is compatible with her other sword art, allowing her to adapt and apply it on the spot. All this is because Bai Jing wanted to accomplish a great feat ten thousand years ago: to kill a Fourteenth Realm cultivator before she reaches the Fourteenth Realm.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. Bai Jing’s mind might qualify her to enter the Summer Retreat Palace.

Chen Ping’an teased, “Xiao Mo, how do you know such secrets about Bai Jing’s foundation on the Great Dao? Is Miss Xie so candid with you?”

Xiao Mo said helplessly, “She didn’t tell me. It’s just that after interacting with her for so long, we have a good understanding of each other.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly asked, “Wouldn’t my two natal swords then become excellent nourishment for Bai Jing’s Great Dao?”

Xiao Mo smiled. “She wouldn’t dare.”

Chen Ping’an laughed self-deprecatingly. “Unless I’m alone.”

Xiao Mo narrowed his eyes.

Chen Ping’an said irritably, “Just joking. Don’t take it so seriously.”

Xiao Mo said, “Unless it’s unavoidable, I don’t want to be her enemy either.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “That’s the right attitude.”

Li Xi-Sheng gazed into the distance and said, “Zhou Mi intends to force that entity in the Barbaric Lands to reveal himself.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping’an grew concerned and asked, “Logically, shouldn’t that entity in the Barbaric Lands oppose Zhou Mi’s actions?”

Once the two heavens collided, whether they grazed each other, obliterating a continent or two, or crashed into each other, creating a massive indentation before rebounding, or whether the Radiant and Barbaric Lands merged… any of these scenarios seemed utterly undesirable to the “landlords” of both heavens. Especially the

third scenario, which was the worst. It would force two “landlords,” each bound to protect their own territory, into a position where there was no room for maneuver, a head-on collision.

Of course, the greatest impact would be on the Sage of Rites.

Evidently, after ascending to the heavens, Zhou Mi considered the Sage of Rites to be the greatest threat. Chen Ping’an was perhaps only second.

Dealing with Chen Ping’an was merely like throwing a chess piece at Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

Targeting the Sage of Rites, however, was like bringing the entire Barbaric Lands as a weapon.

Chen Ping’an knew that every heaven had such an entity, a formidable opponent to the first person of each heaven.

Like the Five Colors Heaven, there was the girl named “Yuanxiao,” a direct disciple taken in by Huang Ting of Mount Taiping. The girl was now cultivating alongside Ning Yao.

In the Azure Darkness Heaven, Chen Ping’an suspected it was the martial artist Xin Ku of the Intercalary Month Peak. After all, Lu Chen had offered too much evidence during their casual chats.

And in the Radiant Heaven, it was the punter of the pole boat who was rumored to “rival” the Supreme Sage. Chen Ping’an even suspected that the “neighbor” slain by the Supreme Sage, and the one portrayed in later unofficial histories as being personally chopped down from the mountains by the Supreme Sage, were all manifestations of that mysterious entity born from the Radiant Heaven.

Li Xi-Sheng shook his head. “Regarding the Radiant Heaven’s counterattack against the Barbaric Lands, the entity in the Barbaric Lands must have sensed a great threat and become extremely angered.”

“Considering the three heavens of Azure Darkness, Radiant, and Barbaric, you have likely guessed that the Dao Ancestor’s suppression of these entities is the most effective. Besides his high attainment in Daoist arts, it is also related to the origins of Daoism and the pursuit of natural laws. Xin Ku, the martial artist of Intercalary Month Peak, has yet to reach the Eleventh Realm of martial arts, and that is with the Dao Ancestor deliberately loosening his restrictions. In the Radiant Heaven, because of the most elaborate rites, the Supreme Sage and that entity are like fire and water. As for the Barbaric Lands, Grand Ancestor Tuoyue is always half a step away from reaching the Fifteenth Realm, which shows that this entity is the most…”

Chen Ping’an said wryly, “Relatively, the most capable fighter.”

Li Xi-Sheng looked away and nodded. “I believe it is related to Zhou Mi’s plans. If he had failed to ascend to the heavens, his retreat would likely have been to ‘merge with the Dao’ with this entity, thereby reaching the Fifteenth Realm.”

Chen Ping’an frowned. “Aren’t these entities extremely difficult to find and impossible to kill?”

Li Xi-Sheng smiled, glanced at Chen Ping’an, and asked, “Must they be killed?”

Chen Ping’an was speechless.

Indeed, imprisoning them would suffice.

On the distant battlefield, the sword light vanished abruptly. Xie Gou pouted. “Just a small squabble, nothing interesting.”

Especially when faced with someone who wouldn’t fight back and didn’t respond to taunts.

No Name waved his hand, dispersing the lingering chaos of sword intent, and laughed. “Bai Jing, have you vented your anger? Are you sure you won’t fight anymore?”

Li Gou’s face was slightly pale, and he remained silent.

He had been whittled down by several centuries of cultivation by the madwoman Bai Jing.

Xie Gou twitched her lips. “White what Jing, Xie what Gou? Now my name is Plum Blossom.”

Being a Radiant Heaven cultivator, Yu Xuan couldn’t help but glance at the swordsman that the young Hidden Official called “Xiao Mo.”

Xie Gou took a step and stood face to face with Li Gou, hands on her hips, glaring at him. “What are you staring at? Still not convinced?!”

If she wasn’t worried about Xiao Mo misunderstanding, she would bash the youth’s brain in.

Li Xi-Sheng asked, “Do you know why the Sage of Rites brought you and Master Xiao Mo here?”

Chen Ping’an looked at the talismans and rivers in front of him and nodded. “Because I have merged with half of the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

Li Xi-Sheng asked, “Are you truly willing? Are you reluctant?”

Chen Ping’an said, “As long as the Confucian Temple credits this contribution to the Flying Ascendancy City, I have no regrets.”

Half of the Sword Qi Great Wall was originally what Chen Ping’an could rely on to attain the Fourteenth Realm in the future.

Xiao Mo reminded Bai Jing that she could return.

Xie Gou suddenly turned around, giving Xiao Mo a bright smile. No longer bothering with Li Gou, she vanished in a flash of sword light, immediately returning to the grand array.

At the very front, the Sage of Rites’s incarnation had already extended a hand, holding back the entire Barbaric Lands.