The shattered ruins of White Emperor City lay still, but Zheng Juzhong hesitated to reclaim them. Wu Shuangjiang, ever cautious, unfurled his remaining talismans, reinforcing the constellation of the Violet Forbidden Enclosure. Chen Pingan, suspended in the air, emanated an ethereal, almost divine aura, his flying sword Qingping swirling protectively around its master.

The handle of the Northern Dipper constellation still pointed towards the lifeless bones, and the tip of the flying sword Beidou trembled ever so slightly.

Ning Yao, riding her sword, arrived from the leaning Celestial Pillar and joined the array.

Wu Shuangjiang smiled, “The battle is won. Shall we gather the spoils?”

Zheng Juzhong replied, “Let us wait until Chen Pingan returns to himself.”

Wu Shuangjiang nodded, “Indeed. The lad enjoys dividing the spoils, counting his coin.”

They were, in truth, allies forged in the crucible of war.

Wu Shuangjiang had usurped Jiang She’s seat as the progenitor of the School of Military, aiding the fallen ancestor in establishing a new foundation in the Azure Heavens, raising an army of warrior spirits to rival the orthodox Military School of the Great Balance World.

Chen Pingan had “stolen the name,” for he who felled Jiang She, whose very existence had been erased from the Dao, was the rightful heir to the Military School’s orthodox lineage. This young Hidden Officer was, by right, the new patriarch of the Military School.

This meant that Wu Shuangjiang would soon negotiate a great transaction with Chen Pingan, seeking a more solid claim to legitimacy. The price he and the Winter Solstice Palace would pay was merely the art of haggling, a dance of inflated demands and stubborn refusals. Should they fail to reach an accord, Wu Shuangjiang’s endeavors in the Azure Heavens would not be ruined, but the Lord of the Winter Solstice Palace, obsessed with propriety, would suffer a lasting unease in his Dao-heart.

Zheng Juzhong, however, had truly gained, for the accumulated strength of Jiang She’s millennia of devotion to the Military Dao now flowed into him.

As for the fate of Jiang She’s five portions of martial fortune, that was already decided: three for Zheng Juzhong, and two for Wu Shuangjiang.

The power of a name held sway even after the dust had settled. Jiang Shangzhen still struggled to believe that they, the three of them, had jointly slain Jiang She, one of the Four Great Luminaries of ancient humanity.

Cui Dongshan exhaled a sigh of relief, but his gaze remained fixed on the bones, which had strangely resisted disintegration.

A dense spiritual energy, as viscous as liquid mercury, began to gather, drawn along invisible “veins” that crisscrossed the sky and land.

These veins manifested as five rivers suspended above the ground, each flowing with a distinct hue, echoing the essence of the Five Elements.

These wonders were the aftermath of the destruction of Wu Shuangjiang’s hundreds of magical treasures and more than half a million talismans.

Jiang Shangzhen marveled, “Never have I seen such rivers. If it were to rain, it would be a shower of gold!”

Cui Dongshan tilted his chin, “The real treasure lies scattered upon the ground.”

Splinters of five-colored glazed glass were strewn across the earth, shimmering with an otherworldly brilliance.

These were fragments of the very fabric of time, torn asunder by the clash of Chen Pingan and Jiang She, Wu Shuangjiang’s sorcery against the ancient warrior, and the seven celestial swords. Like stunned fish caught in the floodgates of time, they were treasures beyond measure, far surpassing mere gold coins. They could only be found by chance within the rivers of time or as remnants of ascendant immortals or Fourteenth Realm cultivators who had chosen honorable self-destruction. These fragments were, in a way, the crystallized manifestation of a great cultivator’s “Dao-fruit.”

Cui Dongshan estimated, “Thirty odd fragments, big and small. Enough to fill a small winnowing basket.”

“Like the Dragon-Slaying Stone, they are invaluable, beyond the reach of any mortal coin.”

Jiang Shangzhen’s eyes gleamed with desire. “And more valuable than the Dragon-Slaying Stone. Only sword cultivators can make use of those, while these shards can be used by anyone, cultivators and mountain spirits alike.”

He recalled how the collapse of Du Mao’s Dao had been marked by the appearance of such shards, sparking a fierce conflict on Treasure Bottle Continent that only the Sky Sovereign Qi Zhen and Xun Yuan of the Divine Edict Sect had resolved through quiet negotiation.

Just as dragon descendants gained power from swallowing the serpent gallbladder stones of Li Zhu Cave-heaven, so too were these shards the ultimate tonic for mountain spirits, whether sanctioned by the empire or worshiped in local shrines.

The Military Ancestor’s millennia of accumulated Dao power should have been an intangible thing, yet it was so vast, so concentrated, that it manifested between the five rivers of elemental spirit energy as two strange black and white rainbows, their ripples spreading outwards.

On the battlefield beyond White Emperor City, a halberd stood undamaged.

This divine weapon had once been enshrined within the realm of the Fish Talisman Dynasty in Azure Heaven, within the Lotus God Shrine built atop a submerged mountain at the bottom of a great river.

Jiang Shangzhen sighed inwardly. In terms of worldly possessions, this progenitor of the Military School was truly destitute.

Could it be that ten thousand years ago, this man had ascended to heaven with nothing but his fists and a halberd?

Throughout this meticulously planned ambush, Jiang She’s Yin spirit had never returned to his body.

Jiang Shangzhen started, almost drawing his sword against… a ghost?

Jiang She was not truly dead! His undying spirit lingered!

Respect or no, Jiang Shangzhen did not wish to be on the receiving end of Jiang She’s counterattack.

He saw that Zheng Juzhong and the others remained impassive, and breathed easier.

Between the unyielding and translucent bones, flecks of golden light appeared, resolving into the complete visage of Jiang She.

His execution was real, as was the self-destruction of his physical form. This was not like the freedom-seeking, death-defying escape sought by sword cultivator Huang Zhen.

Jiang She now existed in a liminal state, a remnant of his soul akin to a released Yang spirit, somewhere between god and ghost.

With his Dao-heart and a shred of true spirit, Jiang She had returned to the world, a ghost from another age.

His face was an expressionless mask.

Wu Shuangjiang asked, “Ancestor, why did you not fight harder at the end, grasping at the faintest chance of survival? Why did you merely endure the sword light?”

Jiang She’s leading with his body was an unavoidable state of affairs. But to say that Jiang She could only withstand the sword light with his flesh, without unleashing more tricks, did not match the temperament and power of this progenitor of the Military School.

Had Jiang She accepted his demise and gone for a total destruction, the situation would have been difficult.

While the end result would not have changed, their losses would have been great. Zheng Juzhong would have had to take further action to prevent Jiang She from crashing the astral body of a dying star into the land, as well as to prevent Jiang She from detonating his spiritual form. Wu Shuangjiang would have suffered much more damage to his Dao’s foundation. And Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen would have needed to provide life force and luck to Chen Pingan to fuel the final blow.

Chen Pingan’s fourth natal sword, Beidou, had a high activation price.

Ning Yao, too, would have needed to deliver the final strike, a sword that would have displayed the greatness of the Five Colors World.

Jiang She waved off such discussion. “I lost by Zhou Mi’s hand.”

A snow-white figure wielding a longsword descended like a snowflake, drifting gently to rest upon the ruins of White Emperor City, returning to his true form.

Zheng Juzhong asked, “The result?”

Chen Pingan grinned. “Caught Zhou Mi by surprise, clean and precise. A sword through the head. Too bad I didn’t manage to twist the bastard’s head off.”

“It’s said that this should hold Zhou Mi off for two or three centuries.”

“And some of the more hidden traps he had in the Great Balance and Savage lands have been discovered, and will be removed.”

Zheng Juzhong pressed, “Such as?”

Chen Pingan’s face darkened. “Such as his close disciple Zhou Qinggao and Liu Bai who wears the Fish Tail Cave Heaven magic robes. They both had Zhou Mi’s traps. Similar to discarded immortal molts, they do not seem like much as individuals, but once gathered, they should reach the Fourteenth Realm or be a way for Zhou Mi to return. But that is irrelevant now.”

Zheng Juzhong asked, “The cost?”

Chen Pingan was silent for a moment, then smiled. “Acceptable, within expectations.”

Here, Chen Pingan looked at Jiang She, and his lips moved, as if cursing in a local dialect.

Chen Pingan’s retreat in the Immortal Realm had focused on refining objects. Chen Pingan had been confident he could fill every Qi palace with his crafted items, to prepare for both ascension and make himself one of the strongest ascendants in the human realm. He had planned for how to deploy them in battle… but it was all lost.

They had been forcefully transformed into Chaos inside his body. It might sound cool but Chen Pingan could not contain himself and started cursing at Jiang She.

Jiang She was silent. After fighting the urge, he did not curse back.

Work was done, Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen pretended not to hear anything. They started packing up the arrays and small worlds, and in addition to the places near Willow Shade and Great Shu, there was also the map of star signs and mountain searching arrays, and a painting of a sword immortal on the cliff above Spirit Gathering Peak.

Jiang She looked at him with humor.

Cui Dongshan angrily declared that, being unable to win against his teacher, the ancestor should not bully him. “Looking, are you looking to kill and steal treasures?”

Jiang She clicked his tongue, “Not too great a realm, but you are a flashy one. You made me lose focus twice or thrice.”

Cui Dongshan felt like cursing but he could not match his teacher’s skill. He blamed Jiang Shangzhen instead, “The First Seat will now enjoy the fruits of his labor.”

Jiang Shangzhen did not mind, it was as if his brother was offering him wine dishes.

Jiang Shangzhen laughed, “It looks like I am a lucky general. All great leaders of the past had one or two of us by their sides.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “I have reported the event to the Night Ferry. Chen Pingan, Jiang She, it is a rare chance. Shall we chat a bit?”

Wu Shuangjiang laughed, “We can chat as we handle other matters, we can do it all at once.”

Chen Pingan looked all around him, and his mood worsened. How could the Military Ancestor have no great relics to leave behind?

Chen Pingan in blue robes, Chen Pingan in white robes, Chen Pingan in scarlet robes – the three figures wavered, splitting and reforming.

Ning Yao was worried. “What is it?”

Chen Pingan softly said, “It is nothing, a Dao-heart being pulled too far. Like being drunk. It will be alright in a moment.”

Jiang She was silent for a while before asking, “Zheng Juzhong, what if you and I were to go all out? What would be your chance of winning?”

“You would die. I would live.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “But the price would be high.”

Jiang She massaged his chin and said, “What about ten thousand years ago, before I was attacked? When I was at my peak?”

Zheng Juzhong said, “Perhaps I would have become your strategist.”

Jiang She heartily laughed, “If I had you and Embroidery Tiger to help me, I could have succeeded.”

Jiang Shangzhen quietly said, “I would be good too.”

Jiang She cursed, “You good for nothing, why do you have to have the surname Jiang? You have been the most annoying in this fight.”

Jiang Shangzhen was pleased. He turned to Cui Dongshan, “Heh, he is agitated!”

Cui Dongshan replied, “Is that all you have to be proud of?”

Jiang She glanced at Chen Pingan and laughed. “The ancestors of the Three Teachings have acted, and added in a newly ascended Shrine, forced Chen Pingan to strike Zhou Mi. It was a cunning attack that gave Zhou Mi ‘Humanity’ that cannot be rejected. Now his pure divinity has been polluted. And now Zhou Mi is an illegitimate leader of the New Heaven. He will need to dissect everything, and perhaps Chen Pingan’s name will be forbidden for Zhou Mi for the next few centuries. You did not go to Heaven in vain.”

“It is an amazing feat that the lad’s body did not turn to dust.

“It is because he has not reached the Eleventh Realm. If his body was strong enough, then Zhou Mi would not have been able to be active for just two or three centuries.”

Zheng Juzhong was silent.

That was like what his junior, Cui Chan, would have done.

Wu Shuangjiang was filled with wonder.

The ancestors of the Three Teachings, and the newly ascended Shrine and Chen Pingan had not planned any of this.

Chen Pingan said, “Why do you not go again?”

Jiang She was about to speak.

Ning Yao narrowed her eyes and said, “Jiang She, say another word.”

Jiang She raised his hands, letting them be alone.

Ning Yao was the most hostile.

Chen Pingan and even Zheng Juzhong had warned her twice.

It would be interesting if the Savage Lands also had a female leader.

Zheng Juzhong suddenly said, “That Zhou Qinggao should be a woman.”

The former leader of the Jia Shen Account, the blind cultivator, Mu Ji.

The disciple that Zhou Mi had given a name to, the Jade Purity, the Immortal, the Ascendant that came from the Willow Tendon.

Jiang Shangzhen could not understand why Chen Pingan, Zheng Juzhong, and Wu Shuangjiang had not killed Jiang She for good.

Why leave behind a potential issue? Were they not afraid that Jiang She’s Dao would rise once again?

It would be one thing if Jiang She was just a hero in history, but he was a true figure. Given a chance, he would cause issues.

Zheng Juzhong asked, “How many Dragon Spine Grinding Stones will be given to you by the Zhenwu Mountain as a gift for becoming the National Teacher of Great Li?”

Chen Pingan said, “I gave all of the remaining 40 percent. The daughter of Mountain Master Yue Ding is a sword cultivator, she has a flying sword that can grind Dragon Slaying Stones and be refined. The terms that the Zhenwu Mountain has requested are acceptable.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “I can let Song Jing be taught by Lu Zhi.”

Chen Pingan nodded in agreement.

Zheng Juzhong advised, “If Ning Yao does not mind, she can give her Golden Sweet dew robes to a girl who goes by Cheng Sancai. This will sever some karmic chains. She is the last of the Jiao dragon race in the Dragon Pit. It would be better if she joins Fallen Mountain and ties our fortunes together, but now that she is being taught by Lu Zhi, she should not be tangled up with us.”

Ning Yao laughed, “A small matter. After we leave here, I can head to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect before heading back to the Five Colors.”

Chen Pingan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Perhaps you can remind her that I still stand by my word.”

Ning Yao nodded in agreement.

Zheng Juzhong asked, “Chen Pingan, did you turn that ancient bow into a lifebound object?”

Chen Pingan shook his head and said, “I have it in my dojo in Cloud Soaring Foot. I am afraid to refine that thing, I fear that I will be cursed.”

Chen Pingan had obtained the ancient bow called Long Pines from Night Ferry from the bearded man who went by Zhang San. The Old Daoist had not revealed any secrets the last time he was at Fallen Mountain.

Zheng Juzhong said, “The Hanging Bow Blessed Land that the Literary Temple gave to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect has a secret. The Long Pines is the only key to open that ancient blessed land.”

Jiang She said, “That is also a powerful divine weapon. Weaker than the Halberd but stronger than the Cleaver.”

He did not expect Chen Pingan to have it.

In ancient times, the bow had been used to kill Ascendants.

Jiang She smiled, “If you can refine…”

Chen Pingan cursed.

He hated the word ‘refine’ right now.

Jiang Shangzhen wanted to say something. He felt that the Mountain Master had become a stranger ever since he ascended.

Cui Dongshan explained, “Teacher’s Dao-heart is not stable, so he is a bit irritable. He shows his emotions clearly.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “You can borrow the chance of gifting the bow to discuss with Qi Tingji. You can ask him to be the mayor of Soaring City, but only if the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect joins Fallen Mountain.”

Chen Pingan was noncommittal.

Cui Dongshan’s eyes lit up. It was plausible, the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect was rich even if it had been created recently!

Jiang Shangzhen gasped. What a scheme by Zheng Juzhong! Qi Tingji liked taking away sword immortals that should go to the Great Wall!

Ning Yao said, “I do not mind.”

Qi Tingji’s greed was dependent on who he was being compared to.

Zheng Juzhong continued, “It is a good choice for both Ning Yao and Soaring City. Chen Xi has changed since his reincarnation. In addition to his goal of joining the Dao and being a Fourteenth Realm sword cultivator, he also wants to travel the land alone. Chen Qingdu’s descendant has been stuck at the Great Wall for too long, and wants to be himself. And Chen Ji, even if he reaches the Fourteenth Realm, it is not a big deal if he is in the ancestral hall.

“Ning Yao does not care for fame, and Chen Ji trusts that Qi Tingji can be a good mayor. As for Qi Tingji himself, he is ambitious. Chen Pingan has never wanted the Great Wall to be his Great Wall. With Qi Tingji as the leader, you can watch over him.

“In the Five Colors, Ning Yao is the strongest. Qi Tingji will not be able to and will not dare to fight over it. Now, it is a good chance for him to become the leader of a powerful city. He might not agree to it right now, but you can ask him to consider it.”

“And you can tell him one thing: Ning Yao is a sword cultivator. He will understand.”

If Ning Yao reaches a higher realm, she might not be restrained by the Five Colors, and then Qi Tingji would be the true leader.

Ning Yao was free. Her only concern was Chen Pingan.

Jiang She shook his head and said, “Even if he becomes the first Fifteenth Realm sword cultivator, he might not be able to escape the predicament.”

Zheng Juzhong laughed, “Qi Tingji likes to bet. ‘Might’ is the biggest bet in the world.”

Cui Dongshan nodded, “Wealth comes from risk. Very few people get to bet on something so good. Qi Tingji will be tempted.”

Jiang She cursed.

That damn Zheng Juzhong, did he just decide the path of Qi Tingji, the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, Soaring City, and Five Colors?

Jiang Shangzhen asked, “What if Qi Tingji reaches the Fourteenth Realm in the Great Balance? Will Zheng’s plan fail?”

Zheng Juzhong was silent for a moment before saying, “I can make him fail to join the Dao once or twice.”

Jiang She massaged his forehead.

Ning Yao shook her head and said, “I appreciate Zheng’s offer, but do not do this.”

Zheng Juzhong laughed, “It will be hard for Qi Tingji to find a sword Dao in the Great Balance World, unless he wants to fight in the Savage Lands.”

Jiang Shangzhen asked, “What if he takes his sect to the Five Colors world? What if he just creates a sect in the Great Balance and watches what happens in the Five Colors? What if he does not join the Dao so soon?”

Cui Dongshan shook his head and interrupted, “Do not forget that Qi Tingji is also an old sword immortal. Qi Tingji must want to try.”

Jiang She suddenly said, “Jiang Shangzhen, you are smart.”

Jiang Shangzhen was flattered, “Ancestor, please tell me what makes you say that.”

Cui Dongshan rudely said, “You are being compared to us, so you look smarter.”

Jiang Shangzhen said, “Right! I was being humble!”

Jiang She was not sarcastic. “You are valuable.”

Jiang Shangzhen was embarrassed. Did the progenitor see through his plan to kill Jiang She? Was he trying to silence Jiang Shangzhen by praising him?

Jiang She smiled, “How about I give you a big opportunity right now? Do you dare accept it?”

Jiang Shangzhen said, “Am I really your descendant?”

Cui Dongshan massaged his forehead and said, “You forgot that Jiang She has an only daughter with Wu Yan. She has no partner.”

Jiang Shangzhen was confused and said, “Am I a martial artist who was delayed by cultivation?”

Jiang She said, “Decide quickly, or it will be too late.”

Zheng Juzhong said, “Chen Pingan, can you tell the Old Daoist to decide if he wants to take back the Bixiao Mountain or give it to Heaven’s Whisper? This will be reassurance for Liu Tui.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Was the Bixiao Mountain the place where treasures were dropped?”

Zheng Juzhong nodded, “If Gu Can had not chosen the Quan Jiao Mountain, the sect of White Emperor City would have been built on the Bixiao Mountain.”

Cui Dongshan clicked his tongue, “Liu Tui’s plan will not succeed.”

If Heaven’s Whisper worked to rebuild the Bixiao Mountain after the war, then the Old Daoist would give it to him. If they hesitated, then he would take it back.

If the Old Daoist took it back, then there was nothing else to say.

If the Old Daoist gave the mountain to Heaven’s Whisper, then it would be admitting its lineage and being elevated.

Wu Shuangjiang said, “You will need to convince Yao Qing of the Azure God Dynasty.”

Ascendants were easy to fool, but Fourteenth Realm experts were difficult.

Especially because he was wary of them.

Zheng Juzhong laughed, “I have wanted to meet this fellow Daoist for a while.”

Chen Pingan said, “You all divide the shares first.”

“I will just watch.”

Wu Shuangjiang stored the rivers of spirit energy in his sleeves before manifesting a dark armor. It devoured all the spirit energy.

Zheng Juzhong did nothing, Jiang She’s Dao was already within him.

Wu Shuangjiang took the two parts of Luck and turned them into light balls, which he put into his head and his heart. His armor shined.

Zheng Juzhong took the remaining three parts of luck and sent them to the armor.

And with this, Chen Pingan would be left with nothing, but a mere name?

Zheng Juzhong said nothing.

Chen Pingan also said nothing.

Jiang She sat cross legged and laughed, but he did not mock anyone.

Wu Shuangjiang looked at Zheng Juzhong. Zheng Juzhong asked Chen Pingan, “Should we let Wu Shuangjiang write the history?”

Chen Pingan said, “Yes.”

Wu Shuangjiang nodded and seriously wrote in the sky with his fingers.

Jiang Shangzhen was excited as he looked at the words and burned red.

*A real man should be like this!*

“I, Wu Shuangjiang, of the Winter Solstice Palace of the Azure Heavens, and Chen Pingan of the Great Wall and Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, defeated and killed Jiang She on the Night Ferry on the 9th day of the 12th month of the Yuan Ding year in Jia Chen, and I hereby proclaim this to the heavens.”