As Huang Zhen and Zhu Lu savored tea and listened to wandering minstrels beneath wisteria vines on the Hua Yang Palace mountain path, Zheng Juzhong and Liu Xiang crossed the mountain gate archway, stepping onto the desolate lands of Falling Star Mountain.

A battleground etched into ancient ruins, a theater of freshly drawn blood.

The earth itself was scarred with ravines, a landscape of desolation. The force of fists, the sharpness of swords, and the potent power of martial fate intertwined in a swirling chaos that obscured the heavens.

It seemed the very firmament threatened to crumble, with melted, glazed shards of Daoist essence dripping upon the mortal realm.

Two figures brushed past, each an echo in this realm of chaos. Jiang Sheh twisted his wrist, and the body he had bisected at the waist fell apart in the air.

Even Jiang Shangzhen, witness to countless such scenes, felt a tremor in his soul. It was said those who cultivated the Dao transcended humanity, but what then was their Mountain Lord?

Cui Dongshan remained impassive, his gaze locked on Jiang Sheh. Flawless, terrifying, the martial artist stood as an insurmountable obstacle.

Ten thousand years had passed, seasons had turned countless times. Once revered, the First Ancestor of the School of War had become a hollow title, a name devoid of the scent of burning incense.

His spirit remained unanchored.

Five strands of martial fortune, an unruly tempest within the body of an eleventh-realm warrior, forced Jiang Sheh to fight a war both internal and external.

Adding insult to injury, the grand Dao of Zheng Juzhong weighed heavily upon him.

And ever watchful, Wu Shuangjiang circled, a predator poised to strike.

Yet even so, Jiang Sheh beat down upon the divinity of Chen Ping’an, forcing the latter into a desperate defense.

A towering incarnation took form. Jiang Sheh’s colossal golden body, a monument to martial prowess, stood at the heart of the ruined battlefield, hammering at the soft, clay-like barrier of the sky, testing the tensile strength of Wu Shuangjiang’s enchanted talismans.

Wu Shuangjiang clicked his tongue. Left unchecked, Jiang Sheh threatened to tear the heavens asunder.

Chen Ping’an had barely weathered the impact of Jiang Sheh’s fist. His golden bones were laid bare, his god-flesh mangled. Countless golden threads of his divine form were severed by Jiang Sheh’s onslaught. Only his divine constitution saved him from utter annihilation, though he teetered on the brink.

Jiang Shangzhen, an unwilling witness to this brutal dance of death, had journeyed from initial dread, a desperate prayer for survival, to a forced composure, attempting to view the battle with the detached eye of a Daoist. Now, he was simply numb. He could no longer find the words to describe this one-sided “performance.”

Wu Shuangjiang broke the silence, a smile playing on his lips. “Jiang Senior, the victor is clear, yet neither can deliver a killing blow. Why not rest for a spell?”

Jiang Sheh dispelled his golden form, his words laced with grim humor, “Speak freely. Confess your last words.”

The rebellious strands of martial fortune, the upstarts who dared to challenge him, were close to being quelled.

Yet Jiang Sheh’s greatest concern remained the silent Zheng Juzhong.

Chen Ping’an broke free of Jiang Sheh’s grasp. Jiang Sheh retrieved his shattered lance.

A moment of respite. Wu Shuangjiang waved his sleeve. “Since a parting gift is in order, then all shall be yours.”

Four imitation swords hurtled towards Chen Ping’an, their tips plunging into the earth, encircling him in a silent vigil.

Wu Shuangjiang had severed all bindings to the weapons, leaving them unclaimed for the moment.

Chen Ping’an felt a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Would Wu Shuangjiang’s striking power be diminished without the swords?

After all, the primary purpose of these swords was to supplement the shortcomings of Yu Dou’s Dao.

Wu Shuangjiang explained, “This is a reward for your protection. Have no fear for my ability to strike.”

Cui Dongshan murmured, “Master, they are hot to the touch.”

Undeniably valuable, each blade was a near-perfect replica of a true immortal sword. Wu Shuangjiang must have poured countless precious resources, immeasurable time, and profound cultivation into their creation. An ordinary Ascension Realm cultivator would likely give anything for even a single one of these imitation swords.

As if reading his mind, Wu Shuangjiang smiled, “To accept or refuse, both carry advantages and disadvantages. The benefits are obvious: you are a swordsman, and you know the myriad ways such blades can be used. It is more than possessing four mere weapons. They are damaged, and their restoration will require both spiritual energy and a considerable sum of Immortal Coins, but the investment is sure to yield a rich return.”

“The drawbacks are not insignificant either. To casually wield them in battle is to openly declare an alliance with the Sui Chu Palace. Of course, even if you were to be caught in the act, the White Jade City is unlikely to have time to concern themselves with it.”

Without hesitation, Chen Ping’an swept his sleeve, gathering the priceless swords into his possession. “I accept. Why would I refuse?”

Tai Bai, Dao Zang, Wan Fa, Tian Zhen. Each immortal sword that could not be refined contained a lineage to an ancient Dao.

Therefore, each imitation sword was Wu Shuangjiang’s interpretation, his reconstruction of those four ancient paths. They were like detailed annotations, a scholarly commentary on the celestial Dao of old. By possessing them all, Chen Ping’an would, in his future cultivation, essentially be reading four volumes of celestial scripture, each page a revelation.

Furthermore, Chen Ping’an possessed a unique advantage: his bond with Ning Yao, who had access to the true immortal sword “Tian Zhen.”

He also wielded a fragment of Tai Bai, fashioned into the longsword “Night Wanderer.” And then there was his childhood friend Zhao Yao, who possessed a quarter of Tai Bai as well. To call him “Shishu” was only a matter of sentiment now. Soon, he would be known as the Imperial Preceptor in the Dali Dynasty.

Wu Shuangjiang had once challenged the White Jade City, wielding these swords. Now their quality had diminished, making them useless against Jiang Sheh. Better to give them to Chen Ping’an, thereby earning his favor.

Jiang Sheh roared with laughter, “Zheng Juzhong! To the able, the rewards! To the strong, the spoils! It is the natural order! The title of First Ancestor of the School of War, Jiang Sheh’s life essence itself, take them if you dare… provided you can leave this place alive!”

Zheng Juzhong nodded in acknowledgement.

Jiang Sheh turned to Wu Shuangjiang, “I had not expected to find such a hawk in our midst. Fortunate, perhaps. But certainly unlikable. Utterly unlikable.”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled thinly, “Perhaps.”

Within the fragrant, idyllic domain of the Willow Shade, Jiang Shangzhen chuckled. “Jiang Ancestor must be a hidden fifteenth-realm warrior. We will be the prey, all swallowed in one bite.”

From his seat in the miniature world within the Ancient Shu Marsh, Cui Dongshan spat on the ground. “Only by swallowing us whole will he have the chance to reach the fifteenth realm.”

Jiang Shangzhen wrung his hands. “Then I am reassured. I will play the vanguard, the one to draw first blood.”

Cui Dongshan grinned. “Mind you are not slain in but a few exchanges, gifting him your head and emboldening the enemy.”

Jiang Sheh glanced at them, a mixture of self-deprecation and mockery in his eyes. “Such riffraff dare to sit at the table now.”

If Xiao Mo and Bai Jing were to stir the pot, a near fourteenth-realm swordsman and a perfected Ascension Realm cultivator, their experience and power would be worthy of note. But these two immortals? What were they?

Cui Dongshan bristled. “Zhou Chief, he praises my nine lives and calls you, the Ruined True Lord, a dog! Can you abide such insult? I will not! Shall we destroy him together?”

Jiang Shangzhen, who called himself the Ruined True Lord, was unperturbed. He was used to swallowing insults. “These are no longer harsh words, not as they once were.”

If insults could improve one’s Dao, Jiang Shangzhen would have reached the fourteenth realm long ago.

Jiang Shangzhen reached out to Cui Dongshan with his mind, “We share the same surname… is he perhaps one of my ancestors?”

Cui Dongshan replied mischievously, “So what if he is? I betray my Master, you slay your ancestor! We are brothers in arms!”

Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his chin. “True enough.”

Cui Dongshan chuckled. “Last time, when you went to the Daquan Dynasty to surround and beat up old Pei Min, you became their Chief Offering. This time, you’ll earn the title of Vice Mountain Warden of Falling Star Mountain!”

Jiang Shangzhen took a deep breath, his playful demeanor vanishing.

His jests with Cui Dongshan were mere attempts to steel his nerve.

To face the First Ancestor of the School of War in mortal combat… even Jiang Shangzhen, known for his audacity, felt his Dao waver.

Fortunately, Jiang Shangzhen had just acquired a newly forged flying sword, one that was aching to be tested.

The sword was the same length as his sidearm, and Jiang Shangzhen held the longsword in hand, making a beautiful wrist flower.

This sword came from a half-familiar acquaintance.

A boatman supporting a punt, the harbor master of Huanghe Islet within the Jiang Clan’s Cloud Grotto, going by the name of Ni Yuanzan, a former scholar from the Lotus Blossom Grotto named “Lu Sheng,” stylized as Xizhou. He was Sui Youbian’s mentor. Back then, when the Pure Yang Deity Lü Yan traveled the Lotus Blossom Grotto, he had inspired Lu Sheng, gifting him a beautiful dream. Not long ago, Lu Sheng had received a decree passed down from Old Guan.

That was when Lu Sheng realized that Jiang Shangzhen had not lied to him. The Lotus Blossom Grotto Lu Sheng, the Cloud Grotto Ni Yuanzan, was indeed a sword.

When the heavens speak, how can a native dare disobey?

Besides, Lu Sheng didn’t lose out on much. Now, the skies had opened up for him, giving him freedom in his cultivation, freedom in his studies, freedom to live and die, he was truly carefree.

Jiang Shangzhen’s expression was carefree, saying to himself, “Old Guan has a high level of Dao, but the heart is a little small. You just said a few words of nonsense at Ni Yuanzan’s place, so you had Lu Sheng send a sword, and he sent a junior to his death.”

I have now received Mister’s sword, all light and darkness is spewed forth.

Chen Ping’an waved a hand at Jiang Shangzhen, indicating that he didn’t need help for the time being.

Jiang Sheh twisted his neck, looking towards Chen Ping’an in the distance.

“Don’t think that just because you were the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, you qualify to covet a high position in the military.”

“You are just Cui Chan’s junior, you are not that Embroidered Tiger after all.”

“Your heart is too soft, only fierce to yourself, which is not enough, you are still too particular about benevolence, righteousness and morality towards allies and close friends.”

“Wu Shuangjiang is good, with clear goals and unscrupulous means, he is a straightforward person after all. But can you see even a little of what Zheng Juzhong is thinking, of what his Dao seeks today?”

Coming out of nowhere and cultivating the Dao for three thousand years, building the White Emperor City, the big question is, what exactly does Zheng Juzhong want?

“Are you really not afraid that you will fight each other and the fisherman will benefit? That Zheng Juzhong will first eat Jiang’s Dao, and then catch you all in one go, chew you up and swallow you? Do you really not understand the truth of this ruin? Your Chen Ping’an’s body outside the body, dream within a dream. His Zheng Juzhong’s heart within his heart, belly within his belly. The two stacked together are the prototype of the Dao above the Dao. What joking student Cui Dongshan, what Chief Jiang Shangzhen, willing to die, these are just deceptive tricks, ha, not to mention this Daoist companion. With such a soft heart, and the kindness of a woman, what qualifications do you have to plot a great undertaking with the likes of Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang?”

Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen looked at each other.

Are you really not who you seem to be? Is it possible that you are not real either?

Ning Yao, who had been tolerating all this while, rolled her eyes.

Jiang Sheh put his lance on the ground, let go of his hand, and stretched his muscles, the truth was irrelevant.

“By then, who in all of humanity will be able to hinder Zheng Juzhong’s path of the Great Dao? Is it the three Daoist founders who have already scattered their Dao, or the Sage of Rites who has to keep an eye on the path of Qingdao? Or is it Yu Dou who is busy with internal strife and suppressing rebellions everywhere? Could it be the Bai Ze of the Barbarian Wilderness? Once he chooses to no longer hold back, how can Zheng Juzhong be the second Zhou Mi alone?”

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, “I’m almost convinced.”

Jiang Sheh’s remarks were not scaremongering.

Zheng Juzhong’s expression was as usual, Jiang Sheh’s statement was not a bad suggestion, and was worthy of consideration?

Wu Shuangjiang was helpless, Zheng Senior, don’t scare people.

Chen Ping’an rubbed his eyebrows.

Jiang Sheh looked around, and said to himself, “An incense stick, it is enough.”

The ancestral home of the School of War of the vast world, and the military temples throughout the nine continents, the ancestral portraits hanging on the walls moved without wind, rustling, and the painted clay sculptures of famous generals accompanying the sacrifice in the hall also began to show subtle cracks.

Jiang Sheh stepped forward slowly, grinning fiercely, “You ungrateful disciples and grandchildren, are all traitors who like to be rebels!”

Chen Ping’an’s mind moved slightly, and the golden long sword that had always been “sitting on the wall” broke through the air and landed in his hand.

Seeing this, Jiang Sheh twitched the corner of his mouth, and just moved forward slowly, without saying a word, and hooked his finger at Chen Ping’an, come here.

The long sword slashed on Jiang Sheh’s arm, as if gold and stone were intertwined, splashing endless sparks in the world.

A hand blade chopped off Chen Ping’an’s entire right arm.

The unparalleled sword tip swept across Jiang Sheh’s cheeks, like a cone rubbing against glass, squeaking.

Jiang Sheh slapped it on his face, and the sword wielder instantly lost his head.

A series of fierce golden sword qi cut through the heavens and the earth, and the sword light reached the cyan sky barrier, stirring up spiritual energy ripples like a surging tide.

Jiang Shangzhen was relieved, at least there was more than just being beaten.

This was also the first time Jiang Shangzhen had witnessed Chen Ping’an wielding this sword with his own eyes.

I thought that Chen Ping’an holding the sword would fight with Jiang Sheh for a long time, but unexpected events occurred, and the long sword in Chen Ping’an’s hand flew out directly, turning into a dazzling rainbow light, breaking through the cyan sky and disappearing in an instant. Jiang Shangzhen initially thought it was a trump card, but almost at the same time that the long sword rushed into the sky, Cui Dongshan saw that his Master seemed to have a moment of distraction, and Jiang Sheh took this opportunity to punch through Chen Ping’an’s heart, let go of his fist, and stirred hard with his five fingers, pulling all the golden threads of the divine body to concentrate on the heart, causing Chen Ping’an’s face to become distorted.

Jiang Shangzhen noticed something was wrong, and exclaimed, “What’s going on?!”

Cui Dongshan said hatefully, “That dog Zhou Mi is messing around again.”

Jiang Shangzhen felt heavy and had a headache, “What should we do?”

Cui Dongshan said shamelessly, “What are you afraid of? Old Zheng is here.”

Jiang Shangzhen was about to feel relieved, when he witnessed a liver-splitting scene.

Unlike Jiang Shangzhen just now, Wu Shuangjiang immediately looked up at the cyan sky hole pierced by the long sword. Just as it was about to close, he saw a powerful sword light with a completely different aura, dazzling, descending from the sky, and the speed of the sword light was so fast that even Wu Shuangjiang was shocked. The sword light instantly passed through Chen Ping’an’s head.

It was like a long sword that was beyond imagination in length, just “nailing” Chen Ping’an to the spot.

Jiang Shangzhen was anxious, “Is this long sword also Zhou Mi’s sneak attack?”

Cui Dongshan narrowed his eyes, “No.”

Jiang Shangzhen muttered, “I think the problem is not big.”

But Cui Dongshan said, “It’s not small either.”

A soaring platform that was not connected to the earth.

It seemed to be a thin fishing line hanging in the sea.

Countless stars, they were far or near, large or small, strange and colorful, hanging on both sides of this divine path.

Zhou Mi was leisurely, sitting alone on the steps, smiling gently, looking at the tall woman who was slowly climbing the steps.

He was actually waiting for the Old Blind Man, waiting for Zhi Ci to ascend to the sky from here again.

Zhou Mi and Chen Ping’an were exactly half of one. Neither could be more than the other by a thread, and neither would lose a hair.

Occupying the new heavenly court, well-deserved high achievers, their forms were at ease but their minds were tired. After all, being blocked at the door by the three Daoist founders, Zhou Mi was not relaxed.

Those who are lower were tired in form but at ease in spirit. Chen Ping’an seemed to be busy in the world, deliberating and planning, and there were too many people and things that he needed to face.

The fifteenth realm fought against the fourteenth realm, it was like a young man with strong blood energy wrestling with a child, it was like playing.

So, how did the sixteenth realm clean up a few fifteenth realms?

She walked to Zhou Mi’s level of steps, and a pseudo-supreme god’s head was placed next to Zhou Mi’s feet.

It was Zhou Mi who had forcibly promoted her to one of the supreme ones before, which led to her having to come here temporarily.

However, this kind of behavior could not be repeated, and Zhou Mi also had his own concerns.

Zhou Mi lowered his head and looked at the sword light long line that appeared extremely abrupt in the world, and smiled, “Not tacky.”

Chen Ping’an’s real hidden danger on the Great Dao was the tug-of-war between humanity and divinity. As long as Chen Ping’an was too heavily tainted by divinity, once he crossed a certain critical point, it would not be a situation where humanity would gradually dissipate, but an instant where he would be completely occupied by divinity. That is to say, Chen Ping’an at that moment would become an supreme deity walking the world.

That would be easy.

All the problems in the heavens and the earth would be solved.

Zhou Mi was happy to see this happen.

Unfortunately, Chen Ping’an was too careful and set up many obstacles to prevent this situation from happening.

“I have envisioned three possibilities, such as one of them, being devoured by me and Chen Ping’an’s entire divinity, so that I become the complete one.”

“In this way, it would not matter if you came back here or not, it would be the best result, ‘Chen Ping’an’ would become the well-deserved new sword holder, you could serve as his sword spirit, or you could embark on an eternal exile in the infinite void.”

The Great Dao of the new heavenly court would be complete. They would have stepped into the sixteenth realm, and those three would be decorations. Even if you added Zhi Ci to fill the gap, it would still be meaningless.

Until that moment, it would be a real earth-shattering change.

Zhou Mi smiled, “The worst result, of course, is that I am eaten by Chen Ping’an, and he becomes one, still a brand new Dao. But this possibility is extremely small.”

As for the last possibility, which Zhou Mi considered to be “neither good nor bad”, it was the result that Zou Zi did not want to see the most.

She asked curiously, “What kind of Dao do you want to create?”

Zhou Mi replied, “It must be more rich and colorful than it is now.”

She fell silent.

Zhou Mi smiled, “I also tried to persuade the Heavenly Duke to shake himself off.”

Jiang Sheh was obviously also a little surprised, interesting.

It was not strange that Zhou Mi wanted to deal with Chen Ping’an.

There was another enemy who made a move first? They chose the right time.

This sword was extremely strange, as if it had an incredible natal divine power that could suppress divinity.

Chen Ping’an wanted to “pull out” his head and upper body from the long sword, but he couldn’t.

He reached out and tried to grasp the sword body, but the long sword was like nothingness, as futile as trying to catch the moon in the water.

Chen Ping’an could only maintain that posture of looking up slightly and leaning back.

This was the swordsmanship of a pure fourteenth-realm sword cultivator.

The second and third swords came again, penetrating Chen Ping’an’s neck and chest respectively, and each tilted and nailed into the ground.

After that, sword lights pierced through the cyan sky barrier, a body, covered in long swords.

Chen Ping’an, who had always firmly believed that if I did one more thing, the world would have one less thing to worry about, seemed to be besieged by things at this moment, asking for trouble, it was really pitiful.

Those long swords seemed to be filled with great hatred, and now that they had taken their revenge, how happy it was.

Every time the sword tip pierced through the body, the person being tortured, either shrugged his shoulders slightly, or his drooping sleeves trembled slightly.

Jiang Sheh, who had recovered his martial arts perfection, was holding a long spear, completing his work in one battle, it was at this time!

Chen Ping’an turned his head slightly and looked towards Zheng Juzhong’s side, and the latter nodded lightly, it was now.

Chen Ping’an’s eyebrows opened like a heavenly eye, and a brand new sword appeared in the world.

The third flying sword appeared.

Huang Zhen, who had been seeking the path and refining the sword for more than a thousand years, and had been hidden in the vortex of the river of time for a long time, wanting the identity of a pseudo-fifteenth-realm sword cultivator, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, who first met Lu Chen and Zheng Juzhong on the river bank, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, who met the offspring of the Yin Yang fish at the Thunder Lake bottom dojo in the Qingming world, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, the middle-aged Huang Zhen standing in the Guanyu Pavilion on the Land Lung Mountain, next to the deaf Taoist, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, who listened to the Dao with Zhu Lu and the others on the mountain road, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, who said goodbye to the evangelist Ma Kuxuan in Bao Ping Continent, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, the young Huang Zhen who drifted in a foreign land and stayed in an inn, was beheaded. Huang Zhen, who had just left the town and looked back at the silhouette of his hometown on the post road, was beheaded… On this long line, countless Huang Zhens were all beheaded at the same moment!

Chen Ping’an stood up leisurely, shook his sleeves, and casually scattered some Great Dao robbery ash and earthly dust, he was really calm.