The pair descended the mountainside on foot. Without warning, a soft rain began to fall, and Lu Chen, smiling, conjured forth two oiled-paper umbrellas. He inquired of Chen Ping’an if he desired a raincoat, but Chen Ping’an shook his head, accepting an umbrella instead. After a moment’s hesitation, he began his descent, then sought a flask of wine from Lu Chen. They walked and drank, quite literally braving the mountain rain with wine. Beneath the shelter of their umbrellas, they walked away from the Dragon Palace ruins, venturing onto the country road that led back to the village school. Chen Ping’an lowered his umbrella and spoke, “Whether one possesses a flying sword, or can ever truly become a swordsman, hinges upon… Zhu Lian?”

Lu Chen vigorously shook the raindrops from his umbrella, and chuckled, “He who sees through, but does not speak, gains no friends.”

Chen Ping’an glanced down at his cloth shoes, soaked and stained with mud, and sighed. He then lifted his gaze, smiling, “I call it righteous friendship.”

None doubted Lu Chen’s wisdom or skill, for he was acknowledged as a master of many arts. Had he been born seven millennia prior, he would surely have stood among the Ten Heroes of the ancient world.

In a way, Chen Ping’an’s recent use of talismanic avatars, crafted to hone his spirit and forge a unity of the Three Teachings, paving the way for the creation of three thousand small worlds within the Caged Bird and Well Moon, was itself an imitation of Lu Chen’s “knowing when enough is enough.” For instance, the Sword Spirit, or rather, the one who wielded it, had once let slip a secret: that Lu Chen might be secretly practicing fist techniques, seeking to scale the peak of martial arts. This was one reason for Chen Ping’an’s speculation by the water’s edge. Since it was all guesswork anyway, why not be bold and imagine that the gradually serious Sect Leader Lu Chen was incredibly powerful, perhaps even…the most powerful being in the future of humankind.

Lu Chen raised his folded umbrella, holding it as if it were a sword. He swung his arm in a circle, and confessed, “Whether one becomes a swordsman is not entirely beneficial. For my own cultivation, it would be fraught with consequences, a foolish path that constricts my potential. If Lu Chen, a Taoist aspiring to the fifteenth realm, were to forsake the ethereal and embrace the practical, transforming into a pure swordsman, it would only be out of dire necessity. The Third Sect Leader of Jade Capital must elevate his combat strength to avert a crisis, a truly unfortunate state of affairs.”

Here, Lu Chen turned to Chen Ping’an, a smile gracing his lips. “Fear not, it concerns you little. These are but remnants of historical problems that have never been fully resolved.”

Every family has its troubles, and so it is with every realm.

“Taoist Lu is acting with foresight, a pre-emptive strike, one might say.”

After offering this fair assessment, Chen Ping’an paused, then spoke, “A principle without example is as good as unsaid. For instance?”

Lu Chen, still gripping his umbrella, poked at the ground as he walked, resembling the youth Liu Xianyang from years ago. “For instance, the Celestial Season shifts, and Jade Capital teeters on the brink, a realm’s lineage in peril. Or perhaps, the developments in Azure Sky have forced Senior Brother Yu to fight against half a realm, alone and vulnerable. The invincible Senior Brother Yu now faces a threat to his very life, and the incense of Jade Capital, once believed to burn for millennia, now threatens to be extinguished. Therefore, I must transform from observer to comrade, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Senior Brother Yu.”

“To be worthy of standing beside Senior Brother Yu, facing the tides of the world, I have but two choices. Either I leap into the pseudo-fifteenth realm, overwhelming all heroes under Heaven, forcing Azure Sky to abandon their hopeless struggle.”

“Or, I must slap my own face, undoing three thousand years of cultivation, my Five Dreams and Seven Hearts, all my hard work amounting to naught. Instead, I must choose a single path of the sword, ascending to a height that infinitely approaches, yet infinitely diverges from, the fifteenth realm. What I could not achieve in the past three thousand years, I may never accomplish in the next six thousand. I must act alone, taking the reins of the Sect Leader’s power from Senior Brother Yu, without the hundred-year limit. I will take my place in Jade Capital, in a position akin to the Grand Swordsman of Sword Qi Great Wall.”

“An eye for an eye. Whosoever breaks the law shall die.”

And so, Lu Chen of old would cease to exist in the world.

Bai Ye would then have no need to visit South Bloom City.

Having said his piece, Lu Chen casually tossed the empty wine flask into the stream. “Merely thinking about it is agonizing, yet not thinking about it is even worse, so I can only continue to be more miserable.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, offering comfort. “Like rice yields a hundred flavors, a three-year reign will earn a dog’s ire, let alone a century as ruler of Heaven.”

Lu Chen’s expression grew peculiar. He realized that back in Jade Capital, he, as the junior brother, had used similar words to comfort Senior Brother Yu, only to be met with a scowl, his sentiment unappreciated.

Chen Ping’an asked, “When you spoke of half a realm, were you referring to half of Azure Sky outside of Jade Capital, or does Jade Capital itself stand divided?”

Lu Chen laughed heartily. “Perhaps both, perhaps neither.”

“Little Daoist” Jiang Yunsheng of Divine Firmament City, “Little Yu Dou” Zhang Fenghai of Jade Pivot City – they were all natives of Jade Capital. Yet their paths diverged, their cultivations and hearts set on different courses. One “coincidence” after another, hinting at an inevitable truth.

The fourteen realm Taoist arts that Lu Chen had lent Chen Ping’an were now showing their side effects. It was like forcing a plant to grow too fast. Chen Ping’an temporarily possessed a power that was not his own, surveying the lands of Treasure Bottle Continent with the lofty gaze of a fourteenth realm cultivator, as if it were a map spread across his palm. Once the power was returned, the contrast would be jarring, like a pauper suddenly made rich, then stripped bare once more. If this was not properly addressed, Chen Ping’an would one day fall into…despair.

Therefore, Lu Chen’s return to Radiant Sun was not solely for finding Ning Ji; that was a matter of business. He also harbored a personal motive: to assess Chen Ping’an’s current state of mind. If the opportunity arose, he would offer some words of wisdom and, if he was willing, Lu Chen would lend a hand in patching up any cracks.

This was why Lu Chen was Lu Chen, why there could only ever be one Lu Chen in the world.

And Chen Ping’an did not disappoint. Seven visible, two hidden, for a total of nine talismanic avatars scattered across the continent, some in bustling cities, some at the foot of mountains, none reaching higher than halfway up.

This was Chen Ping’an’s attempt at remediation, to deepen his impression of the world and its peoples before reaching the upper five realms.

Of course, there was also a hidden, perhaps unconscious, motive behind Chen Ping’an’s elaborate act of “self-deception”. Lu Chen had already guessed it by the Ancient Pool, the reason for Chen Ping’an’s painstaking efforts to deceive and conceal.

As for the true self, Chen Ping’an went by the name “Chen Ji,” or “Traces of Chen.”

Even earlier, while sharing wine with the River God Gao Niang of Slender Brow Creek, Lu Chen had detected faint traces of it, though Chen Ping’an himself had dismissed it, and Gao Niang had taken it as mere flattery.

Many words are spoken without intention, yet heard with careful ears. And there are other words, spoken with purpose, yet falling on deaf ears.

Such as “Already Traces, may those who view it later also find empathy here, and with these writings,” and “Yet another long-term observer, unable to leave.”

Lu Chen looked at Chen Ping’an and clapped him on the shoulder. “In some things, you are far stronger than I.”

Therefore, Lu Chen was willing to pretend he knew nothing, to see through, but not speak of it.

For Chen Ping’an, at this moment, was destined not to understand. Lu Chen changed the subject. “Unable to possess a Yin God, you settled for the next best thing, establishing the Northern Dipper Star Formation, dividing yourself into nine. You need not belittle yourself, viewing it as a clumsy imitation of my Five Dreams and Seven Hearts. How old are you? To achieve such mastery is quite impressive.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Taoist Lu’s methods of self-praise are even more impressive.”

Lu Chen inquired, “May I venture to ask, why did you fail in your two previous attempts at breaking through?”

In the private Daoist courtyard within Secret Snow Peak’s Spring Everlasting-Grotto Heaven, Chen Ping’an had twice failed to ascend to the Jade Purity Realm. Therefore, his third attempt must be approached with utmost caution.

Chen Ping’an hesitated, then openly shared the rough process and results of his two secluded cultivations. “The first time, I encountered an immense number of inner demons, unlike anything described by Yuanying cultivators. Yet, these demons were surprisingly fragile. Though the situation seemed perilous, and I experienced difficulties, I managed to slay them all. It was a false alarm, merely startling but without actual danger. It was then that I sensed something amiss. So, I hesitated at the threshold of the Jade Purity Realm, fearing a hidden trap. Before the second seclusion, I made a series of targeted preparations, confident of my success. However, things were different in that realm. No specific, manifested inner demons appeared. Heaven and earth were a vast emptiness, and I stood alone. Then I realized that my memories were failing me. I couldn’t remember many people and events, and with each step forward, I forgot more. If I stood still, time would also freeze, unchanging. If I took a step back, I would recall someone or something. Since this was a seclusion for breaking through, I couldn’t simply wander in circles, going around in the same area, lost and confused. I walked for who knows how long, how far, until I reached a river, not wide, but impassable. On the opposite bank, stood faceless figures, staring at me. I knew that they recognized me, that they were the most important people in my life, but I couldn’t remember them. The more I tried to recall them, the wider the river grew. The most terrifying thing was that when I looked back, the faces of those beside me, once so clear, became blurred. My Daoist heart did not collapse, but grew stronger. In that moment, I seemed to have made a decision through countless calculations and deductions: to choose the lesser of two evils. However, my intuition told me that this seemingly rational choice was a path that… did not lead straight to the Great Dao, but could still ascend, even to the peak, but would result in two…of me, two Chen Ping’ans.”

Rarely sighing, Chen Ping’an released a long exhale after sharing his heart.

Lu Chen laughed. “Would withdrawing from such a strange state of mind feel like overthinking things?”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “I thought about it for a long time in the courtyard, without finding an answer. When I left the courtyard, I was forced to cut off those thoughts to avoid affecting my daily life.”

Lu Chen stretched out his arm, holding his “sword,” gently brushing aside the roadside plants. He spoke of something else, revealing a celestial secret. “I made some deductions in Jade Capital, using an external object, and discovered that the Immortal Painting in Ye Yunyun’s possession at Cloud Grass Hall of Mount Pu is best left unopened. For it contains a false Qi Jingchun, created by…”

Lu Chen pointed to the sky. “Created by *that* one’s imagining of Qi Jingchun. If you were to open the painting in Emerald Leaf Continent and encounter this Qi Jingchun, you would be in great trouble. Not because it would hinder your progress at the Earth Immortal level, but on the contrary, it would help you break through a similarly false inner demon, allowing you to effortlessly enter the Jade Purity Realm within Green Plume Sword Sect’s Daoist courtyard, and even rapidly ascend past the Immortal Realm into the Ascended Realm. It’s like forcing a plant to grow. Using a qi refiner’s Daoist heart to nourish and strengthen your divinity. The result would be similar to my abandoning the Five Dreams and Seven Hearts in exchange for a pure sword. A blessing in the short term, but a calamity in the long run.”

Chen Ping’an was shaken.

After speaking these words, Lu Chen couldn’t help but curse. He reached up, wiped his nose, and found it bleeding. He looked up, gently rubbing his nose to stop the bleeding. Finally, he completely let loose, cursing at Zhou Mi, calling him an unrelenting dog, daring him to come to the human world and fight Lu Chen face to face, calling him a bastard, relying on an ancient heavenly court as his Daoist courtyard, bullying a Lu Chen whose Yin and Yang Gods had yet to return, how impressive indeed…

Chen Ping’an turned to look at Lu Chen. Lu Chen waved his hand, smiling. “It’s nothing. After all, we’re far apart, and that dog Zhou Mi can’t exert his full strength. It’s only the full force of a fourteenth realm cultivator, a light rain, nothing to worry about…”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a moment, then reminded him, “Taoist Lu, your nose is bleeding again. Wipe it off.”

Lu Chen reluctantly wiped away the blood, muttering curses, ranting like a shrew, cursing Zhou Mi to have a son without an anus, to be struck by lightning while walking, to die and not be able to afford a coffin…

Chen Ping’an was about to say something.

Lu Chen instantly transformed from looking feeble and sick to being full of vigor and energy, speaking with a strong voice. “What are you thinking? To turn Lu Chen in your heart into Zhou Mi is too soon. What chance of victory would you have? Don’t be impulsive on the battlefield, only to give your head away, you were once the Hidden Official, surely I don’t need to explain such a simple truth.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “How bad is the injury?”

Lu Chen swaggered. “No matter how close we are, how good friends we are, you and I will inevitably face a Daoist duel in the future. How could I let you know the extent of my ability to take a beating so soon?”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Since Taoist Lu said so, then I shall believe it.”

Lu Chen nodded vigorously. “Don’t worry about anyone, I’m going to brag about my ability to take a beating right here, right now!”

Having entered Chen Ping’an’s heart, Lu Chen had faced that being.

He knew the key to Chen Ping’an’s self-imprisonment, the formation of each book city, each book mountain, was secondary. The critical elements were those blank, empty, intersecting “fences,” the lines of deliberate “forgetting.”

From this, Lu Chen understood why Chen Ping’an had failed twice to return to the Jade Purity Realm.

Lu Chen had once made a careless remark: all new habits are a form of forgetting, a betrayal of oneself.

And Chen Ping’an’s “inner demon” was even deeper. To contend with it, Chen Ping’an would have to actively forget the beautiful people and events in his life.

This inner demon could be as light as a feather, easily overcome as long as Chen Ping’an was willing to take that step.

But could Chen Ping’an do it?

This was the true difficulty and terror of the inner demon that cultivators face.

Just like when Zouzi sold candied haws in Apricot Blossom Lane, all the children in Coiling Dragon Grotto could eat those haws without any problems, except for the orphan from Mud Bottle Alley.

In short, we may be able to escape a Lake of Books laden with hardships, but we may not be able to escape a Falling Phoenix Mountain filled with beauty.

The unbearable past should be faced away from, walking forward in life, each step without looking back, until we can finally let it go.

Lu Chen suddenly said, “Who, among ordinary people, dares to say for certain whether it will rain or not tomorrow? How many people carry an umbrella with them every time they go out?”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “I understand now.”

The sudden mountain rain in the Dragon Palace ruins was naturally caused by Lu Chen.

In Great Li Capital, when Chen Ping’an sought out Zhou Haijing, the female martial arts grandmaster in the slum, he also wore cloth shoes, yet his shoes remained spotless.

Because of this, the meticulous Zhou Haijing misunderstood, mistaking Chen Ping’an for the kind of mountain cultivator who either condescends to experience the world or merely toys with it.

In Lu Chen’s view, it was enough for you, Chen Ping’an, to leave behind one pair of cloth shoes, preserving and cherishing them.

The rest of the cloth shoes should be worn, regardless of sun or rain, walking on the roads, getting dirty and then washed. To be overly precious with them would be contrary to the intention of the person who gave you those shoes.

Lu Chen smiled slightly. “If all the beauty in your heart becomes a burden, then what is the meaning of that beauty? If that is the case, then we must have done something wrong.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Only now do I realize that Taoist Lu is a master of reasoning.”

Lu Chen laughed. “Only now?”

After that, they walked and chatted.

They talked about the three kinds of immortal coins that gather Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, once the scattered remains of divine corpses from the River of Time, now solidified into physical form.

The establishment of a sub-sect of Falling Phoenix Mountain was inevitable. In Lu Chen’s view, having Green Plume Sword Sect on Emerald Leaf Continent was not only not rushed, but the timing was perfect. Otherwise, everyone would crowd on Falling Phoenix Mountain. Even though there were several vassal mountains there, even if Little Mo and Bai Jing did not absorb the local spiritual energy, the influence of powerful cultivators on the mountain’s feng shui was considerable and far-reaching. If Falling Phoenix Mountain didn’t branch out, then with Cui Dongshan, Mi Yu, and others staying on the mountain, it would be too bloated, too monolithic, and would invisibly dilute the qi of Falling Phoenix Mountain, even the Qi of Azure Cloud Mountain and the entire Northern Mountain region.

They missed certain people.

Longing is a drunken village that needs no wine. The only way to leave this drunken village is through wine.

Young people are vigorous and dare to reject the world’s many irrationalities.

The hearts and minds of certain old gentlemen have been opened up by history and suffering, so they are willing to say good things about the words and deeds of young people, to offer affirmations.

Lu Chen suddenly asked, “Whether or not you have Yuan Huajing, you would go to that Vinaya sect temple, perhaps just changing your identity, eating vegetarian meals, copying scriptures, and occasionally climbing the mountain with the young monks to watch the clouds rise, right?”

Chen Ping’an nodded.

Lu Chen said, “But without Yuan Huajing’s impromptu descent from the mountain, and his candid conversation with you, without his reminder, you might copy more sutras there without learning that allusion, without knowing that the temple contains an imprint of the stone that the Sixth Patriarch used to husk rice.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “Of course.”

Lu Chen smiled. “This is Buddhist affinity.”

Chen Ping’an asked in confusion, “What are you trying to say?”

Lu Chen said, “The Arhats of Buddhism, the sixteen Yingzhen, constantly reside in the human world to protect the Dharma.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Taoist Lu, stop beating around the bush.”

Lu Chen said, “Bamboo Branch sect has two mountains. Nowadays, the line of Cloth Cutting Mountain is in power, but the ancestral mountain was Chicken Foot Mountain, and there, in history, there was an Arhat who constantly resided in the world. As for the reasons behind the Buddhist affinity, the history is long, there’s no way to verify it, and there’s no chance to ask face to face. I can only make some reasonable speculations, such as the Eightfold Divinities of Buddhism, one of which is the Dragon Deva, and in the ancient Shu region, dragons are the most numerous in all the realms, without exception.”

“Your senior brother Jun Qian, and that Chen Qingliu who caused the Dragon Slaying Battle, Mr. Zheng’s mentor, that Immortal Lord Chen who has now returned to the fourteenth realm, cultivated in Green Palace Mountain of Flowing Sunset Continent, but attained enlightenment in Treasure Bottle Continent, and his path to becoming a fourteenth realm swordsman was similar to a Buddhist vow.”

“Cui Dongshan’s long-desired but elusive Cicada Sloughing Grotto-Heaven, with its sword immortal remains and many dragon bones, has not been without cause.”

In the past, every dragon kiln within Dragon Spring County had an experienced old master responsible for overseeing things. Chen Ping’an’s kiln was run by old man Yao.

Buddhism speaks of the Saha World, where everyone is in a burning house.

“The maritime and terrestrial dragon kings under the ancient heavenly court were in charge of controlling the clouds and rain, so their main superiors were the two Rain Masters.”

“In your hometown, there was also a kiln worker named Su Han, and his niece, Yang’s martial arts disciple, Su Dian, nicknamed Rouge. Old man Yang only taught martial arts, never imparting immortal arts or Daoist techniques.”

Chen Ping’an finally spoke, nodding. “I understand.”

In the eyes of old man Yang at the medicine shop, after ten thousand years, only a pure martial artist would have the opportunity to break through a true path to becoming a god.

It was a path that was only a step or half a step away from being completed ten thousand years ago, but since the ancestral founder of the military family failed to reach the top, it remains a brand new path ten thousand years later.

The ancient female Rain Master, reincarnated in Coiling Dragon Grotto, was named Su Han, and was a man who was ridiculed for being effeminate.

Fate is ever fickle, unknowingly, the Rain Master tends the fires.

Back in the day, the dragon kilns in Chen Ping’an’s hometown all claimed that their thousand-year-old kiln fires were unbroken. Chen Ping’an and Liu Xianyang’s kiln, eventually, due to Su Han’s negligence, had its fire extinguished, which led to a series of twists and turns, with the storm clouds gathering, obscuring the world, before being dispersed, leading every young member of the town to their own futures.

Chen Ping’an and Lu Chen slowly walked back to the village school. Zhao Shuxia and Ning Ji hadn’t slept, which was normal; it would have been strange if they could sleep.

The old scholar was still sleeping in the house. Lu Chen was ready to take his leave. He had drunk his wine and had his midnight snack. If he didn’t leave, he would be a bit of an eyesore.

Lu Chen took off the black cloth pouch from his waist and handed it to Ning Ji, laughing. “A relic of an old friend, it’s of no use in my hands, only gathering dust, a waste of heavenly gifts. Ning Ji, you like to go up the mountain to gather herbs, so I’ll give it to you. If you encounter any dangerous situations in the future, and you have no helpers, no protectors, you can save yourself with this. Remember the code we agreed upon, shake the green pouch and call out a name. As for how to save people in the future, during your journey of study, your mountain climbing, there’s no rush, take it one step at a time.”

The young man was still simple, and didn’t hurry to accept the parting gift, looking puzzled. “Sect Leader Lu, what code?”

Lu Chen playfully smiled and forced the green pouch into Ning Ji’s hand, patting Ning Ji’s shoulder. “It’s a three-word name, related to our…friendship. I told you it once before. Think hard.”

Ning Ji thought for a moment, then seemed to remember that name, Little Shifu? Although Ning Ji didn’t understand the rules of the Confucian sect or mountain cultivation, his intuition told him that this might be inappropriate, so the young man subconsciously turned to Chen Ping’an.

Although Chen Ping’an was unaware, he trusted the young man’s nature and Lu Chen, smiling. “With Taoist Lu, there’s no need to be so rigid. You can be more casual.”

This was Ning Ji’s own destiny. For a teacher, imparting the Dao, instructing in the profession, and resolving doubts. It was wrong to think that making students or disciples into oneself was good, it was a major taboo.

Before this, Lu Chen had also given Ning Ji a pair of seals, one with “Opening a book is beneficial” and the other with “Ning Ji has read this.”

Including the green pouch, the heaviest gift was, of course, the seemingly ethereal name: Little Shifu.

This was also Lu Chen making an exception, taking on something for himself. He didn’t completely hand over Ning Ji, who had already offered his tea of apprenticeship, to Chen Ping’an. Meaning, with this relationship in place, whatever Ning Ji did in the future, good or bad, Lu Chen would have to share a part of the karma.

Lu Chen laughed. “Don’t worry about the Yongjia County of Jade Proclamation Kingdom, your grandfather will have good fortune in his later years.”

“Ning Ji, before we part, I want to say some platitudes to you. For those who seek knowledge, it’s about aspiration, not knowledge, and for those who cultivate the Dao, it’s about the Dao, not the arts.”

“For qi refiners who are just starting to climb the mountain, the first thing they cultivate is the Inner Canon. Inner refers to the heart, and canon refers to phenomena. Outer phenomena are the things outside the human body, the small world, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, clouds, rain, snow, and all things, while inner phenomena are the things within the skin, flesh, bones, meridians, organs, and soul. The heart dwells within the body, pondering and contemplating, counting the stars. The mysteries within cannot be described in words, and you will need to experience them yourself in the future.”

“For a young man to have lofty ambitions, a chivalrous spirit, and to write like white snow, of course, is a good thing, but remember one thing: if a person has no capacity, if there’s no place for others in his heart, it will only be a matter of private passions, and ultimately just a skill. I’m afraid it will only narrow the road beneath your feet.”

The former is a Daoist secret, the latter is a Confucian principle.

Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him to fish. For a young man who studies and cultivates, having ambition is the most important thing.

“The so-called imparting the Dao means the master leads you in, but the cultivation is up to you. The so-called protecting the Dao is like taking someone to burn incense at a temple, entering the mountain gate, the incense still has to be burned by oneself, it still has to be fragrant by itself.”

Lu Chen pointed to a mountain not far from the school, speaking seriously. “Having seen this mountain, and finding the scenery good, when you go to see Azure Cloud Mountain, you’ll think it’s even better. This is good, but if you don’t think this mountain is so good anymore, is that really good?”

Lu Chen coughed. “What I mean is, in the future, you can’t only see Mr. Chen’s good qualities and think that I’m bad in every way.”

Chen Ping’an was very supportive, laughing. “Ning Ji, don’t admire the Taoist prowess of Sect Leader Lu and then despise your own teacher’s shallow learning.”

Ning Ji smiled shyly.

Lu Chen laughingly asked, “Do you know what the first talisman in the world was?”

Ning Ji was at a loss.

Unlike Ning Ji, Zhao Shuxia, because he had been influenced by Falling Phoenix Mountain and had traveled in two continents, began to frown in thought.

Lu Chen laughed. “It’s far away in the heavens, but right in front of your eyes. I’ve already given you the answer.”

Ning Ji was even more puzzled.

Zhao Shuxia remained silent.

Chen Ping’an had actually guessed the answer.

He had only had a few guesses before, but now that Lu Chen asked this question, Chen Ping’an was sure.

Lu Chen’s answer was difficult to guess, but also simple, it was “Sound.”

For example, the Confucian sages spoke with the authority of Heaven, the Daoist immortals spoke and it became law, and the secret mantras of Buddhism.

One of Chen Ping’an’s talisman avatars, the elderly Confucian scholar copying scriptures in the Vinaya sect temple in Yu Province, would be invited to a mountaintop gazebo whenever the clouds rose.

“Chen Ping’an” would always strike a strange pose and recite a string of syllables.

Lu Chen smiled and shook his sleeves, gently snapping his fingers.

In Ning Ji and Zhao Shuxia’s vision, the subtle lines in the air rippled and undulated like a watercolor painting of a water surface.

Why is the threshold for talisman cultivators so high?

The reason is simple, the “Daoist” most suitable for drawing talismans should have been a pure martial artist who walked the path of becoming a god.

One breath.

“Ning Ji, in the future, you can study mathematics with your teacher.”

Lu Chen put away that strange phenomenon, smiling and suggesting, “The hundred schools of thought are a great sight to behold, but the mathematicians spend a lot of effort on paper, but in the end, they’re treated similarly to the merchants, regarded as a lowly path. This is definitely wrong.”

Among the disciples of the literary sage lineage, perhaps other than Chen Ping’an, everyone else is a master.

Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun were the kind of people who could see the answer at a glance.

They could even “solve problems” for this world, or even “create problems.”

In addition, Senior Brother Zuo You and Senior Brother Jun Qian were relatively inferior. With Senior Brother Cui Chan and Junior Brother Qi Jingchun shining in the Daoist lineage, they seemed unremarkable.

As for Chen Ping’an, he often flipped through books on mathematics in his spare time at the Summer Resort Palace, which is why Chen Ping’an admired that prince in Mirage City’s Yellow Flower Temple.

On the Sword Qi Great Wall, Guo Zhuijiu, who later became Chen Ping’an’s disciple, would often spread out those books on mathematics, pointing and speaking to herself, I’ll let you be impressive for now, I’ll clean you up later. On the other hand, Lin Junbi, Cao Gun, and other swordsmen from other regions were clever people who treated solving math problems as a pastime, and liked to challenge others with their own questions. The only swordsman who could support the local swordsmen and regain face had to be the Sword Immortal Chou Miao.

Lu Chen turned to look at the young martial artist. “With both patience and a good teacher, I believe that you will definitely achieve great things in your later years.”

Zhao Shuxia was stunned, and against propriety, cupped his hands to thank Sect Leader Lu, who seemed to have suddenly uttered a prophecy.

In fact, Zhao Shuxia didn’t think much about his martial arts achievements, or what height he could reach in the future.

Before, in the bamboo building on the second floor of Falling Phoenix Mountain, Zhao Shuxia had become Chen Ping’an’s closed-door disciple in martial arts.

But this identity was a kind of internal arrangement, and it couldn’t be shown on Falling Phoenix Mountain’s golden jade chart. It was like the relationship between official history and private history books.

Of course, it wasn’t that Chen Ping’an couldn’t teach others martial arts just because he had accepted Zhao Shuxia as a closed-door disciple, it was just that the title was set, and anyone who learned martial arts from Chen Ping’an in the future, like Ning Ji, would really just be learning martial arts.

For mountain qi refiners, especially established cultivators, taking on a closed-door disciple is a major event.

Like the martial artists who were getting old and wanted to wash their hands of the world, they would definitely throw a big feast.

Looking at the entire Radiant Sun, in history, there were cases where great cultivators took on closed-door disciples, but then temporarily regretted it after seeing a cultivator with extremely good roots, but the three disciples would often become a joke.

If it was a pure martial artist, reaching the age of forty would naturally not be young.

But Chen Ping’an was not only a martial artist, but also a swordsman, so he was still very young, and the possibility of Ning Ji becoming Chen Ping’an’s closed-door disciple was low.

Lu Chen said without rhyme or reason, “Ning Ji, when you become successful in your studies, you will always have a day to return to your hometown to pay your respects to your ancestors, then I will tell you a little about the relevant learning. In geography and geomancy, not to mention the scenery at the top of the mountain, but only at the halfway point, there are roughly two schools. One kind of house selection method is purely based on the five elements and eight trigrams, to determine the principle of generation and destruction. The other kind focuses on the shape and form, tracing its source, stopping at its end, and matching the dragons, caves, sand, and water. In the eyes of the shape family, mountains are like plants, with trunks and branches, receiving the qi of the mountains and rivers, like a fire mirror reflecting the sun, and dry bones can bring blessings to descendants. Is it believable that auspicious lands bring good fortune?”

Lu Chen asked and answered himself, “Not entirely believable, but not entirely unbelievable.”

Ning Ji had a complex expression, wanting to say something but hesitating, and finally nodded, putting away the cloth pouch, treating it as thanks to the young man and Taoist Lu for these freely obtained learning.

Although it was only a short rest, at most half an hour, the old scholar seemed to have had a good sleep, with a radiant spirit and smiling face, bending his arms and elbows, and walking to the door, joking. “Sect Leader Lu has so much learning, how did you come to copying and transcribing? If I remember correctly, this content comes from a scholar’s reading notes. What was it called?”

Chen Ping’an answered with a smile, “It’s from the burial art chapter of that book *Gai Yu Cong Kao*, it’s relatively obscure and not many booksellers printed it.”

Lu Chen didn’t feel embarrassed either. In terms of shamelessness, if the old scholar was first in the world, Ah Liang was second, how could I not rank third?

The old scholar stepped over the threshold, seemingly very interested in talking, and spoke slowly to the young man. “Even if the blessings of a gentleman only last for five generations, the sages still only persuade people to do good, and the sages treat wealth and blessings as very ordinary. They’re not afraid that their descendants will be virtuous and poor, but only that their descendants will be unvirtuous and wealthy. Vulgar people only take wealth as blessings, not knowing how to cherish them. How base.”

“Therefore, the sages exist but do not discuss things outside the six directions. There may be something worth seeing in the small Dao, but it’s difficult to achieve great things, so gentlemen don’t do it.”

“Thus, the hundreds and thousands of books on feng shui and land, and the various texts that have been passed down, are just stupid tricks. A gentleman only speaks of self-cultivation, not of land selection, and choosing a burial is just one thing in self-cultivation. Otherwise, why don’t all the powerful clans and immortals in ancient and modern times all get auspicious land and have blessings that last for thousands of years, even ten thousand years? Why do they also have calamities, and even have greater disasters than ordinary people, with the possibility of harming the whole family?”

“Calamities are due to the heavenly season. Governance is due to the national fortune. Hidden merits are due to the ancestors’ merits. Creating sins and doing good deeds are due to human affairs. Assuming that one side of water and soil nurtures one side of people, then the rise and fall of the heavenly fortune will shift with the people, and in turn affect the geography. Taking a step back, looking at thousands of books on geomancy, there is one saying that can be beneficial to the world and people’s hearts. That is, ‘Blessed lands and yin residences will surely shelter those who sincerely sweep and worship in later generations’. Those wealthy and dissolute sons and poor ruffians, even if they go to the graves, are perfunctory. Just imagine,