In the lands of Xiao Sizhou, where the Leize Lake shimmered under an ethereal sky, lay the Isle of Plum Blossom Peak. Upon this isle, the plum blossoms, slender and poetic, bloomed in defiant grace. Dame Yang Qing, a nun of Taoist order, strolled amidst them, a sprig of the fragrant blossom clutched in her hand. Beneath her feet, the very earth was adorned with clouds, not of water, but of condensed water-essence, swirling in flower-petal shapes of wondrous design.

Beside her walked Lei Yu, one of the two Lake Masters, an entity of the demonkin who had carved her place in Xiao Sizhou, ascending step by step to co-rule the vast Leize Lake as its mistress. Not long ago, they had journeyed beyond the celestial sphere to offer felicitations to the Daoist Fu Lu, who had successfully merged with the cosmic river.

Lei Yu chuckled, “That Xu Xuyuan, his gaze upon you held no restraint. Tell me, Dame Yang, will you entwine destinies as wedded Daoist partners, or merely indulge in a fleeting, dew-kissed romance?”

Yang Qing smiled faintly, shaking her head. “Spare me, Lei Yu, I’ll not leap willingly into that inferno.”

Lei Yu scoffed. “Matters of the heart, the dance of yin and yang, are ordained by the heavens. Your rigid adherence denies you a world of pleasure.”

Yang Qing remained silent, her mind adrift in contemplation. As the most accomplished Daoist of the venerable Yang Clan of Hongnong, Youzhou, and bearing the Daoist title of Mirage, she also held the prestigious position of Vice-Master of the Mountain Watch Pavilion. A predicament arose from these conflicting loyalties, compelling her to seek solace in this secluded haven, far from the clamor of her duties. Alas, even here, the self-proclaimed libertine Xu Xuyuan had found her, shattering the peace she so desperately craved.

Whispers had reached the ears of those interested in such matters of the newest “Ten of the Realm,” a misnomer, for there were truly eleven, two souls sharing the tenth rung: Wang Sun, the Daoist “Empty Mountain” of Xuandu Monastery, and the warrior Xin Ku, of the Leap Month Peak. Before them, in the zenith of the list, stood Yu Dou, with Lu Chen in second place, followed by the Mistress of Azure Cloud Grotto, the Daoist domicile nestled within the pearly moon, and the nun Wu Zhou, who had but recently claimed an underwater lotus shrine as her abode. These four were universally acknowledged as mighty cultivators of the fourteenth sphere.

Then came Sun Huaizhong, the current Master of Qizhou’s Xuandu Monastery; the warrior Lin Jiangxian; Wu Shuangjiang of the Year’s End Palace; Gao Gu, of Youzhou’s Earth Lung Mountain Huayang Palace; and Yao Qing, the elegant Chancellor of the Azure God Dynasty.

Rumor had it that Wu Shuangjiang, during her last visit to Xuandu Monastery, had manifested the aura of a fourteenth sphere cultivator. Did this signify that the esteemed Sun Daoist had secretly ascended? Had the warrior Lin, of the legendary eleventh realm of martial prowess, already been attained? What of Gao Gu, the “Gigantic Mountain,” ranked but one place below Wu Shuangjiang? These questions hung in the air, shrouded in mystery.

A wind stirred, and the mists swirled, obscuring the truth like a veiled dancer.

Then, from the heart of the plum grove, materialized a hunched, wizened Daoist, clad in a snow-white robe, his form warping the very fabric of space. In his gnarled hand, he carried a wooden box of ancient make. This place, where he stood, at the foot of Plum Blossom Peak, was known as Dragon Tail Dike. The mountain’s summit, where ships were said to have been stranded, was called Stranded Ship Peak.

Lei Yu leaned against the gnarled trunk of an ancient plum tree, arms crossed, a scowl twisting her features as she regarded the unexpected guest. “Wang, what brings you here?”

The stooped old Daoist bowed low, gently placing the box at his feet. “This humble servant comes to offer a word of counsel, Lake Master. Do not drag Xiao Sizhou into the chaos of the realm. It is not worth the price.”

Lei Yu scoffed, “A lake split in twain, and you dare presume to advise me? I, in turn, counsel you to tend to your geese and cease meddling. Beware, lest discord rend your own house asunder!”

Ignoring Lei Yu’s veiled threat, the old man’s gaze shifted to the foreign nun. “And to you, Daoist Mirage, I say: return and beseech the Yang Clan of Hongnong to guard their ancestral legacy, for such blessings are fragile and easily lost to impetuous action.”

Yang Qing, her countenance serene, nodded. “I shall convey your words to my clan, Taiyi.”

Lei Yu chuckled coldly, “Strange indeed. You share no friendship with Yu, the Headmaster. If memory serves, there exists between you a certain animosity?”

“There is enmity,” the old Daoist confirmed with a nod, “but as you yourself have said, it is a personal matter.”

Yang Qing smiled and inquired, “Taiyi, what drives you?”

The old Daoist spoke plainly, “It is simple. I see no soul in this realm who can supplant Yu, the Headmaster. Since none can take his place, let none sow discord. When the realm descends into chaos, lives are lost, many lives.”

Yang Qing nodded. “I understand.”

Lei Yu chuckled, “Plainly spoken, and I, too, comprehend your meaning. I, too, harbor a curiosity. Now that you are here, I shall pose my question.”

“I will answer truthfully, to the best of my knowledge,” the old Daoist replied.

Lei Yu raised a hand, wiping her lips. “By what right do you presume to interfere in the affairs of my Leize Lake?”

“I possess certain means,” the old Daoist countered. “I wield the fire, water, earth, talisman, and thunder arts, all learned in my life. Above all, I possess the power to vanquish curses.”

Lei Yu feigned astonishment. “I never knew that my neighbor was so versed in the arcane. This makes me wonder, why do you, Wang, not seek to lead the Jade Citadel?”

The old Daoist remained steadfast. “To lead the Jade Citadel is beyond me, but to guide the fate of Xiao Sizhou, I deem myself capable.”

Lei Yu’s gaze sharpened, her spine straightened. “If that is so, now that you are here, you shall not leave so easily. I shall test the measure of this Taiyi recluse.”

Yang Qing chuckled, “Let us decide when the hour is upon us. Until then, as Taiyi has said, let none sow discord.”

The old Daoist nodded. “I have no quarrel with that. It is Lei, the Lake Master, who must decide.”

To avert the brewing conflict, Yang Qing, as an interloper, seized control, saying with a smile, “I must bid you farewell.”

The old Daoist reminded her, “Daoist Mirage, remember to convey my words to the Yang Clan of Hongnong.”

Yang Qing replied with a smile.

The old Daoist vanished in a blink, leaving behind the box at his feet.

Once assured that he had departed the boundaries of Leize Lake, Lei Yu shook her head. “That old curmudgeon, his heart is failing him. Truly, he grows weaker with age.”

Yang Qing quipped, “Your words contradict themselves.”

Lei Yu scoffed, then shattered the box with a swift kick, scattering its culinary delights across the ground. “This meager fare! Does he think it could sate me? It would not even fill a tooth!”

Yang Qing said, “Wang’s message is clear. He bids us to curb our appetites, both literal and figurative, and act with moderation.”

Lei Yu remained silent, gritting her teeth.

Yang Qing said, “Regret not. Had I offered my aid, we could not have restrained him.” She sighed softly.

Like her Yang Clan of Hongnong, and the Huayang Palace of Earth Lung Mountain, such families and immortal abodes were many. And like Taiyi Wang, such officials of the Dao were common beyond the Jade Citadel.

Three Masters of the Jade Citadel, in turn, governed this Azure Sky for a hundred years, wielding the power of life and death.

Grand Headmaster Kou Ming, when faced with a dilemma, would choose mercy over punishment, seeking instead to enlighten and guide toward atonement. Figures such as Zhang Kejiu, the former Lord of Divine Cloud City, bearing the Daoist name “Antiquity,” and the direct disciple of Madam Wei, the Deputy Lord of South China City, were testaments to this tenet.

Second Headmaster Yu Dou, where mercy and justice met, invariably chose the latter.

Third Headmaster Lu Chen, the scales of life and death were weighed by whim.

Suddenly, Lei Yu gasped, her eyes widening with alarm as she saw tears streaming down her friend’s face. “Yang Qing, why do you weep?”

Yang Qing, startled from her reverie, touched her cheek, brushing away the tears with a self-deprecating smile. “A painful memory from bygone days.”

Lei Yu hesitated, then held her tongue. She knew that Yang Qing had left the Yang Clan of Hongnong to establish a sanctuary on the Mountain Watch Pavilion in order to distance herself from the ghosts of the past. Yang Qing’s deepest wound was her beloved younger brother. They had grown up together, their bond unbreakable. She had taught him to read, write, and conduct himself in the world. When he embarked on the path of Daoist cultivation at Earth Lung Mountain, she had escorted him to Huayang Palace. During his first sojourn in the mortal realm, she had secretly watched over him, guiding him from the shadows. When he stumbled, Gao Gu, his master, could never bring himself to scold him. Yang Qing would often deliver a stinging rebuke face-to-face, or pen a letter, with her grievances… such was the nature of a devoted elder sister.

Yang Qing’s voice was somber. “I lost my composure for a moment and glimpsed a blurry scene.”

Lei Yu asked directly, “A vision of the future?”

Yang Qing hesitated. “Hard to say. The truth is shrouded in complexity, difficult to grasp.”

Lei Yu grinned. “No matter. Share what you saw, whatever it may be.”

Yang Qing spoke softly. “Mountain blossoms, yearning to ignite. Flowing streams, aflame.”

The old Daoist, having left Plum Blossom Peak, did not return to his Daoist abode on Mount Mu. Instead, he made for the banks of the Tranquil Heart River, where he tended a flock of white geese.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in fury. “Xu Xuyuan, you thrice-damned scoundrel! Return my geese, at once!”

Moments later, his rage only grew. He scanned the surroundings, but the thief had vanished without a trace. The old man cursed and stamped his foot in frustration. “Ungrateful wretch! To steal not just one, but three! Three precious geese, lost! To think I shared with him a portion of the Book of Bing! Is this how he repays his teacher? Had I not seen a flicker of her in his face, I would never have welcomed him into my home. Foolish, foolish me, to visit that she-devil at Plum Blossom Peak. A moment’s inattention, and the serpent stole my treasures. Three Daoist friends, I have failed you!”

Within the Azure Mud Grotto, along the Path of Perfumed Osmanthus, the blossoms rained down like golden tears.

A handsome young man, his features almost feminine, clutched a white goose by the neck in one hand, while two more struggled in his other. He was grinning, shouting. “Elder Sister! Summon the Second Sister! Tonight, I shall fire the hearth and simmer a goose in an iron pot!”

Xu Mian, mistress of the grotto, appeared beside him, sighing, “Xuyuan, is this how you repay kindness?”

The youth brandished the squawking goose as if to frighten his sister.

Xu Mian waved her hand. “You have always been incorrigible.”

Xu Yingning soon arrived from Heavenly Difference Paradise. She laughed at the scene. Unlike Xu Mian, she cheered, “Well done!”

Xu Xuyuan grinned. “Even though you say so, I still favor First Sister a little more.”

Xu Yingning flicked her finger, tapping her brother’s forehead. “You are incorrigible.”

Xu Xuyuan said, “First Sister, Second Sister, I have spoken with Luo Yi and Wu Xi. They disapprove of Zhu Xuan of Yongzhou divining the fates of other provinces without their consent. I am torn. Should I journey to the Fish Talisman Dynasty along the Great Dike?”

Xu Mian replied softly, “Heed your sister’s counsel. Do not wade into troubled waters.”

Xu Yingning chuckled, “Wu Xi, the Protector-of-Woods Marquis of the Right Mountain Kingdom, has only recently established his comfortable dominion over Peizhou. Of course, he does not wish for the young Zhu Xuan to prune the branches of old camphor trees. If the omen is good, it will simply be a blessing to Peizhou. But if the omen is dire, what then? To speak plainly, the province, once blessed, might be turned to ill fortune. In ancient times, many prophecies, whether true or false, or a mixture of both, have led to chaos. What if Zhu Xuan, in her greed, should manipulate the results? The entire Peizhou would be plunged into disarray. Wu Xi has only stabilized Peizhou and secured his dominance through shrewd tactics. Any other would have already marched on the Lotus Shrine. As for Luo Yi, he has likely only echoed Wu Xi’s sentiments as a favor to you, his sworn brother. The Hengyang Dynasty lies beyond the Four Provinces. How did he, bearing the title ‘Fire Official,’ become the founding emperor? From the ranks of lowly soldiers, he climbed the ladder of power through bloodshed.”

Clearly, the Fire Official Luo Yi and the Protector-of-Woods Marquis Wu Xi, were both candidates for the Ten of the Realm, Xu Yingning spoke of Luo Yi with far more appreciation.

Xu Xuyuan nodded. “That makes sense.”

Xu Mian added softly, “Luo Yi is a rare breed of hero, a man of righteousness and courage. Wu Xi is more inclined to conceal his thoughts. Xuyuan, remember the distinction when dealing with them.”

The Fire Official Luo Yi, spent his life as a soldier, and wielded a powerful treasure, a Daoist Emperor Bell, rumored to have been forged by the Dao Ancestor himself.

The bell was inscribed with the words “Celestial Guard.”

But the object had passed through the hands of many officials of the Dao, both high and low, throughout the Azure Sky, but none had been able to wield it.

Until Luo Yi came, likely because he had previously obtained a page of the Supreme Purity Jade Book. When Luo Yi was but in the Realm of Grotto, he managed to succeed, and when he rung the bell, it sent fire over thousands of miles.

Xu Xuyuan rolled his eyes. “I know, I know. You are always lecturing. First Sister, if you were not so flawed, you would be a paragon of virtue!”

Xu Yingning teased, “Flatterer.”

As they walked along the golden path strewn with fallen osmanthus blossoms, a melodious bell chimed.

Entering a realm of purity, the heart rejoiced.

The Buddha imparted wisdom with a touch of his finger to a flower. The Daoist cherished the morning bell and evening drum.

The three siblings were lost in their thoughts.

Though they were not in positions of power, how could they remain unaffected should the realm descend into chaos?

The thoughts were vexing and exhausting.

Xu Xuyuan suddenly said, “Before I went to Dry Lake, I visited Earth Lung Mountain and heard the teachings of Lord Gao. I then heard two pieces of news on the boat ride to Dry Lake. You must know of them already?”

Xu Mian hummed in agreement.

Xu Yingning exclaimed, “Lord Gao, such courage! He truly deserves the title ‘Gigantic Mountain!'”

At the end of his lecture, Gao Gu had announced two things. He would appoint his disciple Gao Fu as the Lord of Earth Lung Mountain.

He would also appoint a Daoist from elsewhere named Mao Zhui as the new Lord of Huayang Palace.

These were strange matters.

Gao Fu was Gao Gu’s youngest disciple, not even a final disciple, but Gao Fu was a great talent among all in Huayang Palace. It made sense that if Gao Fu would replace him as the Lord of Huayang Palace. It would have been better than a nameless figure, to be Lord of Huayang Palace, to make Gao Fu the Lord of Earth Lung Mountain would be to exile Gao Fu from Huayang Palace.

Xu Mian explained, “That Mao Zhui, I suspect he is the White Bone Immortal.”

Xu Xuyuan shook the three white geese in his hands. “This is infuriating.”

In the Azure Sky, there were no Hundred Schools of Thought. All cultivators were Daoists.

The lineage of those who walked the Dao depended on their masters, and what Daoist abodes their masters came from.

There was a saying that becoming a martial artist was like being reborn, they must treat their masters as their fathers. Therefore, in the Azure Sky, to find a master was just as important.

For example, Ruan Qiu, the first Lord of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect of the Vast World, had originated from the Temple of Blizzard, one of the ancestral homes of military strategists in the Bottle Continent. Though he practiced swordsmanship, Ruan Qiu’s identity was that of a military strategist. The knight Xu Ruo was also a swordsman, but he was still a disciple of the Mohist school.

Similarly, the Xuandu Monastery belonged to the lineage of Daoist Sword Immortals. Although there were a great many swordsmen within, it was still an official Taoist abode.

Then there was Yao Qing, the Elegant Chancellor of the Azure God Dynasty. His knowledge was vast, and he favored Confucianism and Legalism. But who would dare to say that Yao Qing was not an official of the Dao?

Xu Xuyuan’s first choice for a mentor was Gao Gu, the “Gigantic Mountain” of Earth Lung Mountain.

Sadly, his intentions were seen through. Gao Gu did not believe that he could inherit the lineage of Huayang Palace, or carry the mantle of Earth Lung Mountain.

Xu Xuyuan had hoped that if he could enter Huayang Palace, even if he could not become the Lord, he could one day become the Lord of Earth Lung Mountain.

His second choice was Wu Zhou, a cultivator of the fourteenth sphere.

His father had agreed. But he could not even enter the gates of her secret abode. She did not think his talents were adequate.

His last choice was the recluse Wang. Fortunately, it went well. He was desperate, and he found a true doctor after all. After staying there for some years, he became an unregistered disciple. The two got along well. The Dao was not given lightly, and it was granted to Xu Xuyuan in the end, that “matured” Book of Bing.

Xu Xuyuan said, “First Sister, Second Sister, what do you think?”

Xu Mian said, “As daughters, we have our responsibilities. I must seek redress for the sealing of Azure Mud Grotto.”

Xu Yingning said, “I am different. I heed Father’s words, I shall not walk on muddy roads.”

Xu Mian asked, “Xuyuan, you have met Yang Qing. What is her attitude?”

The curator named Mirage was said to be well-versed in Zi Wei Dou Shu and Taiyi Shen Shu. She was recognized to be the foremost fortune-teller in the realm.

It was best not to provoke such a Daoist who could predict the future. To get tangled with them was more difficult than facing a sword cultivator of the same realm.

Xu Xuyuan laughed suddenly. “First Sister, I heard that you got an inkstone and a folding fan from that old scholar in the Celestial Beyond.”

The Daoist officials of Azure Mud Grotto and Heavenly Difference Paradise admired Cao Ci and Chen Yinguan more, respectively.

Xu Yingning laughed. “That is true. I can attest. Not only that, but your First Sister shamelessly got the Exemplar of Hundred Swords and Exemplar of Two Hundred Swords from Saint Wen.”

Xu Mian sighed. “I simply got these items for two alients in the Grotto.”

Xu Yingning made tutting sounds. “Neither true nor false.”

Xu Xuyuan nodded. “I was heartbroken when I heard this from Lei Yu. My First Sister, who had sworn never to marry, now had marriage in mind.”

Xu Mian was too lazy to explain.

Xu Xuyuan snorted. “If Chen Ping An wants to be my brother-in-law, he must first pass me! He is a sword cultivator. I shall test his swordsmanship!”

Xu Mian smiled. “You are talking nonsense.”

Xu Yingning teased, “Why not say that he is a martial artist of the realm of stillness? You could test his martial skill instead?”

Xu Xuyuan shook his head. “I am not that foolish. I am already afraid to test swordsmanship. Not to mention martial skills. I have it. I can test his drinking and poetry!”

Xu Xuyuan laughed suddenly. “Getting a gold brick every three years when you have a wife! I heard that Chen Ping An is in his early forties. To marry First Sister would get him many gold bricks!”

Xu Yingning nodded. “Your sister’s dowry is the Azure Mud Grotto. That is appropriate. But be wary of being tested by Ning Yao.”

Xu Mian glared, embarrassed. “You two, shut up!”

Xu Xuyuan said softly, “I recently heard Father mention a matter from long ago. He said that when First Sister was young, you passed through a small place called Zouchi. You met an unknown master of physiognomy and word interpretation, and he read your fortune, after seeing the words you wrote at the fortune-telling stall. He said that First Sister was a reflection of her heart, and the words showed the person. Literature and the Dao were the same. He gave you a prophecy. ‘Xu Mian, you are gentle and pure, but your roots are cold. Your spirit is fit for immortals, but your coldness is deathly.’ Fortunately, you had great fortune back then, you thought he was a charlatan, you were willing to pay to ward off ill fortune, and he gave you guidance on how to do so. He told you to avoid vulgarity and not cultivate emptiness, and that is how you gained what you have today.”

Xu Yingning suppressed her laughter. “What she wrote was not a few words, but two words, the two words that she believes are most durable in the world…”

Xu Mian snapped, “Xu Yingning, do you want me to tear your mouth!”

Xu Yingning gasped. “I am frightened. Someone is going to forsake their kin.”

Xu Xuyuan smiled. “First Sister, Second Sister, do you know what love at first sight is? It is when you see someone on the street, and you feel like you have collided with them.”

Xu Yingning asked, “Xuyuan, are you in love with Yang Qing at first sight?”

Xu Xuyuan smiled but did not answer.

Xu Mian said, “Stop thinking of these things. Study the Book of Bing that Taiyi gave you. Though it is nominally a medical book, it points to the Dao.”

Xu Xuyuan scoffed. “To be honest, it is her misfortune that it is in my hands. As she said, she can only lament. To give the supreme Dao to the most shallow person, it is fortunate that it is not wasted.”

Xu Xuyuan sighed. “Let it be chaotic. It will be heroes killing heroes, both sides are making a name for themselves. They are all heroes.”

“As Zhu has said, it is not just that the most learned people are unfree. The poorest are the most unfree.”

“Therefore, those poor scholars who curse the world are most free, they know nothing, and they dare to say anything.”

“I will not worry about these things. I will only focus on the geese in the iron pot!”

Xu Yingning exclaimed, “Are you really going to kill them and eat them?”

Xu Xuyuan glared. “Otherwise? I went to great lengths to steal them. Am I going to worship them like ancestors, and treat them like bosses?”

Xu Yingning turned to Xu Mian.

Xu Mian smiled. “I will prepare cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, bean sauce, old vinegar, and sesame oil.”

Xu Yingning agreed immediately, “Add some cooking wine for better flavor.”

Yinzhou.

Great Tide Sect. At the entrance to a forbidden grotto, the words “Deer Terrace Destiny” were carved into a stone tablet, in the shadows.

Yao Qing knew that before, the words “Wu Ding Chaoge” were carved into a stone tablet, but it was carved by a sharp weapon.

Only then did Yinzhou have Twin Capital Mountain, the founder of the mountain was Chaoge, who had once served the heavens.

Yao Qing had been invited to guard this place.

On this jade square atop a lone peak, there was nothing but a person, a table,

Some Daoist books, a pot of wine, a pair of chopsticks, some appetizers.

Yao Qing had been guarding this place alone. Besides reading, drinking, and eating, the Daoist, known as the Elegant Chancellor, was like a statue.

Some ancestors from the Great Tide Sect and Twin Capital Mountain stood distantly at the edge of the formation, trying to ask Yao Qing about the closed-door cultivation. Yao Qing did not even acknowledge them, let alone speak.

Before going to the Great Tide Sect, Yao Qing had told the emperor and the state master Bai Ou that even if the sky were to fall, he would not need to be contacted.

The Azure God Dynasty was in Bingzhou, and it and the Red Gold Dynasty of Ruzhou and the Profound Yellow Dynasty of Youzhou were some of the most powerful dynasties in the Azure Sky.

Youzhou was governed by Azure Cloud Tower, while Bingzhou was governed by Azure Emerald City.

The Elegant Chancellor Yao Qing, styled Zimei, and with the Daoist name “Tombkeeper,” was the chief minister of three dynasties. At only a thousand years old, he was seen to be one of the most likely to enter the fourteenth sphere, along with Gao Gu, who bore the Daoist name “Gigantic Mountain.”

He was recognized to be at the peak of transcendence, which meant that he was one step away from merging with the Dao to the fourteenth sphere.

Yao Qing was often invited to Azure Emerald City to lecture.

The Headmaster Lu, known as “Little Yao Qing of the Jade Citadel,” would always attend and cheer, applauding wildly.

The act that made Yao Qing most famous in the realm was not his title as Elegant Chancellor, but rather his severing of the three corpses. He had not simply killed the three corpses in order to mend his Dao heart.

Instead, he had succeeded in severing his pure Dao heart and creating three immortal corpses, so each corpse besides not being able to train a Yang God, had a Yin God.

The three “autonomous” immortal corpses were at the fifth sphere within five hundred years, added with their Yin Gods, they were the same as six incarnations of Yao Qing.

Yao Qing was said to possess two talismans, one given by the Dao Ancestor, and one created by the Grand Headmaster of Jade Citadel. Yao Qing had benefited greatly from the three-mountain talisman and was well-versed in it.

Yao Qing picked up an poorly carved edition of the *Su Wen*, which he had bought when he was young. The three silvers he spent on the book had been saved by Yao Qing.

After reading the book, Yao Qing looked off into the distance. Beyond the formation, the mountains stretched out, and a great river snaked through.

He retracted his gaze, picked up his chopsticks, and began to drink and eat.

Who in the mortal realm would embrace the pure Azure Sky?

In the Azure Sky, it was rare for a Daoist immortal abode to be dominant, it was often that there were two powerful forces against each other, or a group of top-rate Daoist abodes.

For example, in Zhuzhou, there was the Collection Mountain and the Azure Shrine Palace, one of the ancestral homes of Daoist talismans. In Youzhou, there was the Earth Lung Mountain Huayang Palace, that fought against the Yang Clan of Hongnong and the Mountain Watch Pavilion.

In Yongzhou, the Immortal Staff Sect and the Corpses Sect were neck to neck to try and get ahead.

The Corpses Sect had become all the rage due to two grandmasters entering the Ten of Martial Valor. It had been brought up of how the Corpses Sect had aligned themselves with Song Maolu, the leader of the Rice Bandits, before breaking the alliance and watching the officers of the Dao get punished.

It had been said that when the Rice Bandits had been at their peak, they had hundreds of thousands of private Daoist officials in the water-filled Yongzhou.

In Yinzhou, Great Tide Sect and Twin Capital Mountain were mortal enemies, but now that had all changed, they were as friendly as can be.

Today’s Yinzhou was the most powerful in the land.

During the time that the Lord Xu Juan and his wife Chaoge had been in closed-door cultivation, the lower sects of both the Great Tide Sect and Twin Capital Mountain had been created, but because they had not displayed the images of their ancestors, no invitations had been sent out.

Yao Qing smiled, and turned to the entrance of the grotto.

Chaoge wanted to help others, but at the same time she was helping herself?

She was hoping to help Xu Juan ascend to the fourteenth sphere.

After all, in the Vast World, the Tongye Continent had Zhong Kui.

Yao Qing rarely admired anyone, but he admired Fu Kan. He had cultivated to the peak of transcendence, and threw it all away.

This was the reason that Yao Qing was here, to help.

If not, for him to get involved in the affairs of Yinzhou would cause problems for him with Jade Citadel.

After all, it concerned the potential birth of a cultivator of the fourteenth sphere.

Today, a couple with a great age and power difference had come out of closed-door cultivation.

The nun Chaoge, bearing the Daoist name Fu Kan, looked pale. “My thanks, Elegant Chancellor.”

She had fallen to the level of golden core… a ghost.

Xu Juan, on the other hand, was at the peak of transcendence and was likely standing at the threshold of a great Dao.

Yao Qing was not worried, each had their own path to climb the skies.

Yao Qing stood and smiled. “It is nothing, water and mountains turn. To help others is to help yourself.”

This guarding had been easy. Yao Qing was the center.

Besides him, the upper five sphere cultivators of the sects had been gathered at the various mountains of Great Tide Sect.

Layers of formations were opened.

The money spent did not matter, nor did the crazed drain of spiritual energy to the grotto matter.

Yao Qing said, “Other than Headmaster Lu looking over, there had been nothing unusual.”

Yao Qing had sensed someone looking over. It was indeed Headmaster Lu from Jade Citadel.

After being seen through by Yao Qing, Headmaster Lu said, “Are you saying that I am the only busybody under the heavens?!”

Chaoge frowned slightly.

Xu Juan laughed. “With the Elegant Chancellor guarding this place, and with Headmaster Lu watching over, we are certain to be safe.”

Yao Qing nodded.

This was what made Xu Juan so unique, everything he said came from the heart.

To be the lord of four sects, was unprecedented, and it may never happen again.

Yao Qing said, “I shall take my leave.”

Chaoge laughed. “What sort of hospitality is this? Why not have the Elegant Chancellor manage the lower sects as well?”

Yao Qing smiled. “What sort of hospitality is this? Would this not be repayment in malice?”

Chaoge laughed.

Xu Juan clasped his hands and bowed. “This junior shall see the Elegant Chancellor off.”

Yao Qing nodded.

Chaoge tugged on Xu Juan’s sleeve and whispered, “Husband, I think Yao Qing has reached the fourteenth sphere.”

Xu Juan exclaimed, “That is wonderful, why did you not say so before? I should at least congratulate him.”

The man took his wife’s hand gently. To hold your hand and grow old together, through life and death.

Yongzhou.

Old camphor of ten thousand years, spring of eight thousand.

In the Fish Talisman Dynasty, outside the Lotus Shrine, a great ritual was being held.

The empress Zhu Xuan, the chief priest of the ritual, was busy, but took some time to visit a forbidden mountain peak.

She could only stay here for an hour, before returning to the Lotus Shrine.

The birthday of the fourteenth sphere cultivator “Great Yin” Wu Zhou was April 14.

Her abode was in Yongzhou, on a hidden mountain peak.

She had remained out of sight for so long that people believed she had died.

Though the dynasty that her abode resided in had changed, none dared enter, those that had, had perished in her mountain’s array.

There was no Daoist palace within the mountain, but there was a Buddhist monastery of the Pure Land sect.

The founding emperor of the Fish Talisman Dynasty had been a monk of this monastery.

His ancestral home was a small place called West Tail, not far from this mountain.

A young nun was sitting on a futon. Before her was a table with a bunch of counting rods.

An official from the Ministry of War, he was with the empress Zhu Xuan, sitting across Wu Zhou.

He looked at the rods, made of ordinary bamboo, it seemed they came from the mountain.

Wu Zhou looked at the somewhat timid empress and smiled. “Do not worry, I will give you my word. While I am in Yongzhou, no one will cause you trouble. As for whether they dare, I cannot guarantee. I can only guarantee that those that come will not return, so your great ritual will not be stopped.”

Zhu Xuan nodded silently, she did not need to thank them.

Wu Zhou looked in the direction of Jade Citadel, Yu Dou, you refused that deal, so Jade Citadel will pay a price.

Wu Zhou retracted her gaze and looked at the man next to Zhu Xuan. “I heard that you are well-versed in this? Did you always plan before the battles you fought?”

The man laughed. “I do not dare. I merely have a passing interest.”

He studied astrology and divination in his home in the capital, he had established a secret hall called the Fire Pearl Forest.

Wu Zhou laughed. “Cao Zhouhu, I heard that you and the Daoist of the Spirit Manifestation Temple were once officials in the same dynasty, each with your own specialties in warfare?”

Cao Zhouhu said, “His knowledge of warfare is greater than mine, he is the true god of war.”

The Fortress of Peace in Spirit Manifestation City was like the Town Suppression Palace of Azure Cloud Tower. The Fortress of Peace had thirty-six abodes, and the Putting-Out-of-Herds Abode had many abodes, and the Spirit Manifestation Temple was one of them. The temple master was an old Daoist, he and his wife hid and wrote books, this Daoist, who bore the name “Pharmacist,” would sometimes travel, holding a staff, and never left the Fortress of Peace.

Zhu Xuan said, “Cao’s achievements in war are no less than his.”

The man next to her was seen as the backbone of the nation, the first to open up new territories. He was given the posthumous rank of Grand Commandant and the title of Honored Warrior.

Cao Zhouhu and the official of the Spirit Manifestation Temple had a similar status and were buried in a similar manner.

Wu Zhou smirked. “So one is invincible in civil wars and the other is invincible in foreign wars? How befitting of the pillars of the nation.”

In the various realms, there were countless famous generals of old. Wu Zhou knew of this person, not for his achievements, but rather for what he had said in his old age.

Wu Zhou had heard it in the past and remembered him.

When he was twelve, he had been a thief.

When he was fourteen, he had been a thief.

When he was twenty, he had been a general.

When he was an old man, he had killed people to save people.

Cao Zhouhu smiled. “A hundred years is but a flash, achievements limited. Compared to the Embroidered Tiger of the Vast World, we are but brutes.”

Zhu Xuan had come to get some advice, but only received one, so she did not want to leave.

Wu Zhou had sensed two anomalies, one in Crow Mountain of Ruzhou, and one in the Great Tide Sect of Yinzhou.

The latter had been expected, but the former had been bizarre. Why was the Zhuzhou recluse against Lin Jiangxian?

Wu Zhou also knew of divination.

She could learn anything quickly. Others could