A jade disc soared into the azure skies.

The celestial beings were serene and at peace.

It seemed that Xiao Mo’s sword light was too dazzling, her sword-flight speed too swift. Surely a great sword immortal had manifested! Thus, many cultivators in various states, within their respective dojos, mounted the wind, seeking to investigate. After all, the famed sword immortals of the Azure Underworld could be counted on one’s fingers, and when it came to sword immortals, the Radiant Land naturally took the crown.

The Azure Underworld often saw cultivators riding the wind to visit the bright moon, now suspended alongside the radiant moon, regarding it as a scenic wonder. The White Jade Capital did not heavily restrict this, but cultivators were not allowed to linger in the moon for too long. Bringing mountain delicacies and setting up furniture was fine, and appreciating the fourteen states as a hors d’oeuvre while drinking wine was permissible.

The old master squinted, disliking their disturbance of his refined drinking session with Xiao Mo. He joined two fingers together and flicked them towards here and there. *Bang, bang, bang.*

A sound akin to slapping a fly with a fan resonated, sending those nascent celestial Azure Underworld officials tumbling back to the ground. The Ascension Realm cultivator was fine, his figure swaying as he retreated with discernment, albeit a bit disheveled. Some of the Celestial Realm cultivators were not so lucky. It was as if they had been struck squarely on the head with a blunt weapon, their eyes seeing stars as they struggled to regain their composure and steady their Dao hearts. They dared not curse aloud, but grumbled inwardly.

Among them was a Jade Purity Realm cultivator from Zhu State. Though her cultivation was not high, she possessed a wind-riding treasure of immense speed, her figure like a golden serpent ascending towards the bright moon.

If she were to collide with the old master’s “Finger Flicking Divine Skill,” she would likely be severely injured, and at the very least, her treasure would be lost.

Xiao Mo glanced at the female Daoist and also curled her finger, flicking out a thread of sword light. The sword qi did not travel directly, but rather like a drifting gossamer, instantly spreading out over millions of miles.

Finally, the sword qi enveloped the cultivator’s flying shuttle-boat, gently tugging it back to the human world, landing her and her treasure atop a mountain peak.

The young female Daoist, still shaken, quickly retrieved the rune-boat, her sect’s treasured artifact. She offered a Daoist salute towards the bright moon, as a gesture of gratitude.

Seeing Xiao Mo’s intervention, the old master picked up his wine bowl and took a sip of his self-brewed wine named “Millennium.”

In the ancient ages, Xiao Mo had always been more lenient towards female Qi refiners.

The old master nodded and said, “It’s a pity you woke up late, Xiao Mo. The Profound Capital Temple snatched him away first.”

Xiao Mo smiled. “According to the meridian theory proposed by Daoist Bixiao at Fallen Treasure Beach, if I had woken up earlier, I might not have met young master, nor been able to accompany him on that journey. In the Demon Suppressing Pagoda of Treasure Bottle Continent, I would not have conceived of that path to Dao integration that suits me.”

The old master chuckled. “That is the reasoning.”

Ten thousand years had passed, and Xiao Mo’s core personality remained unchanged, but her way of speaking had improved greatly.

Xiao Mo’s swordplay was at the pinnacle of artistry, like flying a kite on a spring day, a single thread across the azure sky.

Such a commotion made a White Jade Capital Heavenly Immortal, who lived in secluded cultivation within the radiant moon, unable to remain still.

Before leaving his abode, the old Daoist habitually performed a divination. Strangely, unlike before, today was finally auspicious for travel. He immediately rushed to visit Cave Master Bixiao.

Within the radiant moon, besides Cave Master Bixiao’s temporary alchemy dojo, there was another neighbor, a white jade palace with spirit energy so dense it flowed like water.

The master was a Heavenly Immortal official from the Jade Pivot City of the White Jade Capital. He had previously received a decree from the Second Instructor, Yu Dou, allowing him to cultivate here. In exchange for a large amount of merit from a certain book in the Highest Pavilion of the White Jade Capital, he sought a shortcut, hoping to break through the Celestial Realm bottleneck and achieve ascension by “uprooting the house” within the moon dojo, far from the human world.

Though they were neighbors, visiting each other was like a long journey across several states on land.

Xiao Mo remained seated with Daoist Bixiao, unmoving. Wang Yuanlu, being of lower generation, had already stood up under the eaves, waiting to greet the guest.

As for the young Daoist boy sitting on a stool inside, refining pills, he disliked greetings and farewells the most. He simply changed his sitting posture, pointing the large gourd slung across his body towards the outside.

The old master was tall and imposing, with a flowing beard, truly possessing the air of an immortal. Even sitting and drinking, the old Daoist’s height was nearly the same as that of his standing disciple, Wang Yuanlu.

The visitor was the third-in-command of Jade Pivot City, an old Daoist named Xu Zujing, holding a whisk. His position was similar to a Law Enforcement Elder of a sect, but he was known for his kind heart.

The old Daoist was the personal disciple of the previous City Lord of Jade Pivot City, his Dao age long, but his talent was not considered outstanding. Of course, this so-called mediocrity was compared to the other Dao officials of the White Jade Capital.

Zhang Fenghai, who had read all the books in the Jade Pivot City library by the age of thirty, was this old Daoist’s only junior brother.

Just as the old Daoist was about to speak, the old master said calmly, “Xu Zujing, speak the Radiant Land’s formal language. This Dao friend of mine is from the Radiant Land and does not understand the Azure Underworld’s tongue.”

This was no obstacle for the old Daoist, who offered a salute. “Xu Zujing of the Jade Pivot City of the White Jade Capital, greets Cave Master Bixiao.”

The old master remained seated.

Xiao Mo rose, cupped his hands in return, and smiled. “My Dao name is Xizhu, personal name is Mosheng, sword cultivator. Honorary Guardian of the Falling Soul Mountain of the Radiant Land. Heavenly Lord Xu, a pleasure to meet you.”

The old master extended a hand.

Xu Zujing sat down at the table. Xiao Mo intentionally picked up a pot of “Ten Thousand Years” wine to treat the guest, because he had heard young master say that Jade Pivot City and Divine Firmament City were quite good among the five cities and twelve towers of the White Jade Capital.

As for whether he was being generous with someone else’s belongings, he and Daoist Bixiao never bothered with such calculations. If the wine wasn’t enough, he would blame Daoist Bixiao for being lazy in brewing.

Wang Yuanlu happened to bring a white bowl from the kitchen.

As soon as the white bowl was placed on the table, the wine followed.

Wang Yuanlu felt a warmth spread through his heart. Senior Xiao Mo, he was definitely his kind of person!

These days, the gaunt Daoist had been cultivating here, his heart constantly in his throat, worried that one day when he left the radiant moon and went “down the mountain” alone to gain experience, he would be ambushed.

There was only one reason: his old master was simply too bad at “socializing”!

Take the “slapping mosquitoes” just now. They hadn’t even actually knocked on the door to bother him, they were just on their way to the radiant moon when they were slapped back to the ground by the master. Was that necessary?

You, Master, displayed your mighty powers, inspiring awe and keeping everyone from saying a word, but *I’m* the one who still has to roam the world later!
Xu Zu-jing expressed his thanks, took a sip of the wine. The immortal brew entered his mouth, and in an instant, spiritual energy surged from his throat, flowing into his organs like a cascading waterfall, refreshing every meridian point and cave.

The old Daoist couldn’t help but exclaim, “Excellent wine!”

The old master of the Daoist temple, however, didn’t appreciate the sentiment. He bluntly stated, “You’ve had your fill of wine. Speak your business. If not, be on your way. I still wish to reminisce with Little Mo.”

Xu Zu-jing chuckled, “I merely came to pay respects to a senior here. If I could also hear a few more tales of the ancient times from you, that would be even better.”

Hearing stories is never as good as witnessing events firsthand. Examining old calendars later is never as good as listening to the personal accounts of those who lived through them.

The old master scoffed but, surprisingly, didn’t immediately order him to leave.

Xu Zu-jing could only sit there quietly, silently drinking his wine. Fortunately, Little Mo, seeing that this Heavenly Sovereign immortal official from Jade Pivot City wasn’t very talkative, took the initiative to chat about various topics, such as who the previous Wind-Riding Daoist officials were, their identities, and their origins. This made the atmosphere at the table less strained.

Xu Zu-jing naturally answered everything he knew without reservation. The affairs of Azure Clarity were, after all, the affairs of the White Jade Capital. Xu Zu-jing was one of the three Daoist officials from Jade Pivot City who could participate in the meetings of the White Jade Capital, so he knew all the details intimately.

After slowly finishing a jar of the unknown immortal wine, Xu Zu-jing stood up to take his leave.

Little Mo then presented two jars of Longevity Wine and two jars of Millennium Wine as parting gifts, to express the hospitality of a host.

Xu Zu-jing quickly thanked him and accepted the gifts without any hesitation.

The old Daoist was already so familiar with the other party that he was addressing him as “Little Mo, Mr. Mo,” even omitting the title of Daoist friend.

The old Daoist’s impression of this sword immortal senior with the youthful appearance was that his sword skills were extraordinarily high, his temper was excellent, and he was a man of refinement.

Within the White Jade Palace dojo of Bright Moon Glory, besides Xu Zu-jing, who was in seclusion, there was also a direct disciple and a grand-disciple, both Daoist officials with excellent aptitude in Jade Pivot City.

Especially the old Daoist’s grand-disciple, who was renowned as the “Second Zhang Feng-hai of Jade Pivot City,” among the younger generation of the Five Cities and Twelve Towers, his aptitude was among the top three. This was only because among the younger Daoist officials, there was someone with the Daoist title “Green Mountain,” who was a close disciple of the Dao Ancestor. Therefore, Xu Zu-jing specifically brought this grand-disciple with him when he opened a dojo in Bright Moon.

However, the old Daoist knew very well that compared to the descriptions of his junior brother Zhang Feng-hai back then, such as “Jade Pivot City Remnant Star,” “Second Remnant Star of White Jade Capital,” and “Young Headmaster of White Jade Capital,” this was… completely incomparable.

After Xu Zu-jing displayed the divine ability of “Shrinking Mountains and Rivers,” the old master smiled and said, “Xu Zu-jing probably doesn’t even realize that you’ve seen the inside and out of his dojo.”

Little Mo smiled, “One can alter the landscape but not the disposition.”

Although tens of thousands of years later, whether in duels, Daoist debates, or swordplay, compared to the carefree days of tens of thousands of years ago, there were too many constraints and rules, Little Mo, after leaving Chen Ping’an, was indeed more like the sword cultivator Little Mo of the past.

The old master said, “Better safe than sorry.”

Tens of thousands of years later, cultivators and secular scholars were like wearing the same robe, called rules, and the divine power of the robe was worldly wisdom.

The old master laughed, “If it weren’t for that young and vindictive last Hidden Official from the Great Wall of Swords, Bai Jing and you could have each occupied a day and a month, complementing each other. If you two could have joined the Fourteenth Realm, and remained pure sword cultivators, a so-called immortal couple would have been no more than that. Unique in ten thousand years. What a pity.”

In the past, among the three rounds of Bright Moons in the barbaric wilds, the one under the old master’s feet, named “Golden Mirror,” also known as “Bright Glory,” was nominally the dojo of that little girl She Yue, but it was also the place where Little Mo slumbered for tens of thousands of years. So, who was the true master of Bright Moon was hard to say. If Chen Ping’an and his group of sword cultivators had not worked together to move Bright Glory to Azure Clarity, and assuming She Yue had not gone to Treasure Bottle Continent, then when Bai Ze returned to the barbaric wilds and woke up Little Mo, and his disposition had not been stripped away to become the current “Mr. Little Mo,” She Yue would probably have obediently changed her dojo. Although the Jade Hook had fallen into the mortal realm, there was still one moon left in the sky anyway.

There was a dojo with only a foundation remaining, named Moon Palace. The hundreds of buildings that once stretched out above the foundation were razed to the ground in the ancient battle to ascend to the heavens.

When Little Mo woke up at that time, he took away a Moon Palace ruins, similar to a palace city within a capital.

Chen Ping’an would transfer it in Little Mo’s name to Liu Xian-yang as a wedding gift.

Therefore, to say who in the world was most familiar with Bright Moon Glory, it was actually Little Mo, who had returned here today for a nostalgic visit.

According to the old master’s original guess, he believed that Zhou Mi must have left behind some contingency plans in the barbaric wilds, such as helping at least one of the two ancient sword cultivators, Little Mo and Bai Jing. Of course, it was more likely that he would help Bai Jing, whose cultivation aptitude was relatively better, to be the first to achieve the Fourteenth Realm as a pure sword cultivator, and timely fill the vacancy left by the swordsman Liu Cha.

Because the old master, being impartial and not favoring either side, didn’t waste his energy and Daoist skills to calculate.

Zhou Mi ascended to the heavens later, but in fact, “dissipated his Dao” earlier.

It’s just that this dissipation of Dao was similar to Zhou Mi’s method of devouring the great demons of the barbaric wilds back then, somewhat secretive and not very upright.

The Great Ancestor of Support Moon Mountain died and his Dao was extinguished. Later, Support Moon Mountain was cleaved open by Chen Ping’an, who borrowed realm from Lu Chen. The barbaric wilds recognized the new co-lord, the sword cultivator Fei Ran, who was still very young, and half of the Great Wall of Swords had not been completely refined and moved away by Chen Ping’an. Furthermore, with the existence of Old Blindman and the Hundred Thousand Mountains, this led to Fei Ran’s status as co-lord always being suspected of being illegitimate and improper. Fei Ran’s situation was similar to that of the Great Ancestor of Support Moon Mountain.

However, the absence of a Support Moon Mountain in the barbaric wilds was a profound “yielding of the road in Dao.”

Just like the absence of the Saintly Teacher and the Confucian Temple in the Vast World, and the lack of the Dao Ancestor and the White Jade Capital in Azure Clarity, during this “blank” period, anyone could compete on the road.

This meant that the path for the demon races of the barbaric wilds to reach the summit was unhindered. In the coming hundreds and thousands of years, dragons and snakes were destined to “rise from the land” on the barbaric lands, and heroes would “cross over.”

As long as Bai Ze left the Majestic Garrison Tower of the Vast Middle Earth Divine Continent and returned to the barbaric wilds, the matter of raising his realm would be beyond Bai Ze’s own desire to “suppress his realm,” and he would be unable to control himself.

When the wars between the two realms began, causing suffering to the living, the Kingly Wretch, who had long begun to harmonize with a realm’s “tyranny,” was making preparations during this back-and-forth between the barbaric wilds and the Vast World.
Li Gou’s inheritance of Zhou Mi’s “eating the books” to build a city that never sleeps is akin to a human realm library changing its master. Li Gou inherited all of Zhou Mi’s literary legacy from the desolate lands, including the creation of writing and the elegant language of the world. Moreover, Li Gou restored the ancient essence of a “scholar,” opposing the “prominent schools of thought” in several worlds, declaring himself a king in the north.

Scarlet Consort, the new master of the Yiluo River, was guided by Bai Ze to a great path, forging a unique path beyond the traditional water arts.

Furthermore, with the return of ancient great demons like Wuming Shi and Guan Yi to the human realm, they must each take disciples. However, the selection of these disciples would not be their own choice. Zhou Mi must have made arrangements, ensuring that each pair of master and disciple, within a certain timeframe, would one give their all to impart knowledge, fattening the disciple so the master could be satisfied, and the other must cultivate with all their might to survive. They would hone each other’s paths, and ultimately, who devoured whom would depend on their abilities.

But regardless of who survived, the desolate lands would gain a powerful, high-ranking demon of the throne, or even a fourteenth realm cultivator.

“I, Zhou Mi, once devoured many fourteenth realm and Ascension realm cultivators in the desolate lands. Within a century, I will surely return double the number to the desolate lands.”

If one only looked at the surface.

Zhou Mi, who transformed from Hao Ran’s Jia Sheng into a scholar of the desolate literary sea, is the destroyer and creator of all established rules.

Then, looking at the young Hidden Official, Chen Ping’an, who engaged in a great path dispute with him, Chen Ping’an is merely following the rules, the biggest beneficiary within the rules.

Therefore, those who benefit from the protection of the rules often tirelessly maintain the old rules, pursuing a stability that allows for localized fluctuations within a large framework.

The old temple master extended his thumb and rubbed the wine bowl, causing it to spin gently on the table, the wine inside rippling. He laughed, “The Dao of Heaven collapses, and all directions open and rotate. Is it fate or destiny? It has always been so. Host and guest fight each other, what to do? Return to one, time and fate.”

Wang Yuanlu craned his neck to look at the wine bowl on the table, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Xiao Mo nodded lightly, Bixiao Daoist friend has taken a good disciple.

Because that young Daoist felt that his master’s so-called “return to one” might not be entirely accurate.

Xiao Mo smiled and said, “The book says that if a person can endure humiliation and bear burdens, their family and descendants will surely have a late bloom. Sword Qi Great Wall and the Young Master belong to mutual achievement.”

The old temple master laughed and said, “In the past, Zhu Lian called him Old Master, now Daoist friends call him Young Master, the second shopkeeper of Sword Qi Great Wall, Chen Eleven of several worlds, Southern Reward Official, Northern Hidden Official, there are a lot of nicknames. I never thought that a mud-legged man who stepped on chicken droppings and dog feces in a shabby alley every day would also become Young Master Chen.”

Xiao Mo said, “Heaven moves strongly, the earth is receptive. A gentleman strengthens himself through virtue and carries out endless vows, it is not surprising to have a place in the human world.”

In the past, the first Daoist who led the way on the road had built countless rest stops along the way, though simple, they could provide shelter from the wind and rain.

Moreover, every time that Daoist with a wooden hairpin passed on a Dao lineage or a technique, it was also an invisible roadside rest stop.

The old temple master smiled and dismissed it, changing the subject, “Xiao Mo, I originally prepared two congratulatory gifts. For example, the Sun Palace with its sea of fire and sword refining platform still existing. I originally thought of giving it to Bai Jing Daoist friend who would one day become your Dao partner. Now, I’m sorry, it already belongs to Wang Yuanlu.”

The gaunt Daoist with his sleeves tucked under the eaves felt a pang of tension. The treasure had already been secured, but the master mustn’t go back on his word.

Xiao Mo laughed, “It’s okay, they are all external possessions.”

Initially, as a gift for accepting a disciple, he gave Wang Yuanlu a palm-sized miniature palace, which was the legendary, long-destroyed Sun Palace.

The Dao child surnamed Xun, whose Dao name was “Golden Well,” was extremely envious.

An ancient terrestrial immortal once said, “The dragon lies hidden in the green water pit, and fire assists the Sun Palace.”

The Green Water Pit is the Daoist field of Madam Dan Dan, the water transport master of Hao Ran Continent. It was once the summer retreat of the water god, one of the five supreme ancient deities.

However, the grade of the Sun Palace is much higher than that of the Green Water Pit. It is said that besides being the main Daoist field of the fire god, it was also one of the sword casting places of the sword holder.

According to the boy, this Sun Palace is one of the top five treasures in his Old Master’s belongings.

As long as one lives long enough and has high enough Dao cultivation, their wealth will be terrifyingly thick.

Xiao Mo is like that, and the old temple master is even more so.

Bai Jing’s possessions are not as good as Bixiao Daoist friend, but they are definitely much wealthier than Xiao Mo.

Wang Yuanlu breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the words of that senior. A senior is indeed a senior, with the demeanor of an immortal!

How could the master have such friends? Could it be a kind of complementary personality?

In fact, this is because Wang Yuanlu doesn’t know much about Xiao Mo’s past, thinking that this senior is polite and “easy to talk to” with everyone, and is truly easy to talk to.

Great demons Yang Zhi and Zhu Yan would definitely not think that Xiao Mo is easy to talk to.

The important reason why the old temple master can become close friends with Xiao Mo is that Xiao Mo liked to ask people about swords in ancient times, so they hit it off.

In the beginning, in order to avoid Bai Jing, Xiao Mo had to visit Falling Treasure Beach, asking about swords several times, and Bixiao Cave Master gave him several jars of wine, and both drank heartily.

Bixiao Cave Master, who “has no opponent since coming out of the cave and does not forgive others,” is not a person with an undeserved reputation.

And Xiao Mo has fought with Bai Ze, who is respectfully called “Old Master Bai” by almost all demons, twice.

Once, he felt that Bai Ze, who had been messing around with Master Little Sage for many years, was not behaving properly and his realm was not good enough, so he had to chop him down.

The other time, he knew it was impossible but did it anyway.

However, this sword questioning was a new story after brewing wine with Bixiao Daoist friend.

Just because Xiao Mo did not understand why Bai Ze, being a fellow demon, wanted to help the human Little Sage cast nine cauldrons on the top of Hao Ran Mountain, inscribing countless demon true names.

At that time, the Heavenly Court had become a “thing of the past,” and the human realm had been divided into worlds. After the human realm was settled, Bai Ze had already proven his magical power through an ascension battle, especially the innate divine power of being able to bestow names, which made demon cultivators very headache. There was once a group of ancient great demons who felt that they could not allow such a “Daoist” to live, so they had carefully ambushed Bai Ze during one of his solitary travels through the world.

As for the result, for example, Guan Yi, who had been sleeping for tens of thousands of years, went to heal his injuries. Those who did not go to heal their injuries naturally had a worse fate. Their true names were stripped away by Bai Ze and erased, and one by one they were forced to disband and leave the world.

Demons ganging up on Bai Ze is no different from the true dragons of the seas and rivers besieging Chen Qingliu.
The more the quantity, the greater the latter’s war merits become.

Old Guan Zhu exclaimed in surprise, “This object is meant for Bai Jing, not for you. Or has your relationship changed so much that you’ve become so familiar?”

Xiao Mo forced a smile, “Could it be that Fellow Daoist Bi Xiao cannot avoid this topic?”

Old Guan Zhu lightly tapped the tabletop with his finger, causing the liquor in the bowl to sway. He used this to obscure the heavenly secrets, then whispered with his mind, “This poor Daoist is merely anxious for Palace Master Wu.”

Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao, Liu Xianyang and She Yue, or Xiao Mo and Bai Jing, and that fortunate one Xu Jun and the Daoist name Fu Kan from Zhao Ge…

Whenever another pair of such divinely ordained couples appear in the world, Wu Shuangjiang’s Daoist cultivation at the fourteenth realm… Tsk tsk. He reaps the benefits effortlessly, his power rising like the tide!

Just consider that young ghost creature Xu Jun, who hails from the Great Tide Sect. Why was he able to achieve so much in less than sixty years? Do you really think it was just because of his clear bones, outstanding aptitude, and boundless good fortune?

One must know that Xu Jun is not the type of Qi refiner with a deep mind and meticulous planning. On his path of cultivation, he does things with a heart full of passion and unwavering courage.

Of course, Xu Jun’s own steadfast Dao heart, pure character, and clear sense of right and wrong are indeed admirable.

However, it would be understandable if such a person were a Daoist official of White Jade Capital, or a direct disciple of the ancestral hall of some top sect. But Xu Jun’s cultivation began at a very low level, with humble status. Furthermore, his spiritual awakening was late. In the Great Tide Sect, Xu Jun’s early cultivation can be said to have been extremely difficult. Forget about being a genius or a Dao seed, compared to those fellow disciples who broke through realms one after another, his cultivation aptitude was not even considered mediocre, but rather at the bottom.

Therefore, in fact, every step Xu Jun took to ascend was due to Wu Shuangjiang’s behind-the-scenes planning and secret protection, which allowed Xu Jun to overcome dangers time and time again.

During Wu Shuangjiang’s so-called closed-door cultivation to comprehend the fourteenth realm, Wu Shuangjiang, or perhaps Wu Shuangjiang’s Yin Spirit traveling afar, had been secretly paving the way for the young people of the Great Tide Sect.

Of course, Wu Shuangjiang’s efforts could only succeed because Xu Jun was able to seize every opportunity, proving his own extraordinary nature.

Back then, the Great Tide Sect and the Two Capitals Mountain, which were originally mortal enemies, formed a marriage alliance. Xu Jun and the female founding ancestor of the Two Capitals Mountain became husband and wife. The difference in their Dao age and realm was vast. Who would dare to believe it?

Moreover, these two top sects had each destroyed the other’s subordinate sects. Not to mention the many promising young cultivators in history who died unexpectedly.

At the wedding banquet, the great cultivators sitting at the main table included four who were among the top ten in the Azure Billow Heaven at the time: Yu Dou, Lu Chen, Wu Zhou, and Sun Huaizhong.

In fact, there was also an old friend of Xu Jun’s, a pure martial artist, known as “Teacher Lin,” the number one martial artist, Lin Jiangxian of Crow Mountain. However, Lin Jiangxian did not reveal his identity at the time, and simply chose a corner to drink.

Wu Zhou and Zhao Ge, two female Daoists, were long-time friends.

As one of the congratulatory gifts, Wu Zhou not only gave Xu Jun, the co-sect master of the two sects, a method of refining objects, but also taught Xu Jun, who had already become a ghost, an extremely high-level ghost cultivation technique.

This Xu Jun, who was blessed with deep fortune and enviable romantic luck, had a catchphrase, “It’s already very good.”

There were also some distinguished guests who did not personally attend the wedding banquet, but sent congratulatory notes, such as Gao Gu of the Hua Yang Palace, Yao Qing of the Azure God Dynasty, and National Preceptor Bai Ou, etc.

Almost every reputable sect and Daoist official in the world sent their congratulations and gifts.

Every Daoist’s congratulations and seat was not only a matter of honor for Xu Jun and Zhao Ge, the newly married couple, but also a benefit to Wu Shuangjiang’s great Dao.

Later, when Chen Ping’an marries Ning Yao, the number one person in the Colorful World, the same will be true.

One of Wu Shuangjiang’s incarnations stayed in Ascension City, naturally, to seek something.

The Dao Ancestor must have seen everything clearly.

However, outside of the Dao Ancestor, perhaps no one in White Jade Capital could know about this.

Only because Wu Shuangjiang’s identity as a military strategist was too conspicuous, it was not even a smokescreen. Wu Shuangjiang clearly intended to use this old path to achieve the fourteenth realm.

Do not forget that within the Martial Temple of the Grand World, there are still two “Killing Gods” from the military strategist school whose positions have been lowered only because of flaws in their merits, surnamed Wu and Bai respectively.

That extraterrestrial demon secretly escaped to the Grand World, traveled to the prison of the Sword Qi Great Wall, and finally settled there.

May I ask, where has been the most frequent warfare in the past ten thousand years?

The Old Guan Zhu’s “conclusion” was based on a guess, and it was literally a guess.

After all, trying to deduce the path of enlightenment of a fourteenth realm cultivator is definitely not a pleasant thing.

As for whether the Dao Ancestor would reveal this matter to anyone, such as his second disciple Yu Dou? Definitely not.

Remembering something, the Old Guan Zhu said, “That guy with the Daoist name Shou Ling, he didn’t recruit Wang Yuanlu into his command early on, saying that it was because beautiful jade should not be carved, but in fact, he was deliberately giving me face, owing him a small favor.”

The Old Guan Zhu smiled and said, “There is a young swordsman in the Azure God Dynasty with excellent aptitude, but he suffers from a lack of guidance from a brilliant master.”

Xiao Mo said, “While Mister Bai Ye has not yet returned to the Xuan Du Temple, I will quickly take a trip to the Azure Mountain Dynasty after drinking today, to instruct him in swordsmanship, and take him as a personal disciple. I will teach him as much as I can.”

The Old Guan Zhu shook his head, “There is no need to be so serious. You only need to teach him a few passable sword techniques, and that will be enough for that kid to benefit for life.”

Xiao Mo said, “Since I am teaching, I must be serious.”

The Old Guan Zhu nodded and said nothing more. Since they are fellow Daoists, there is no need to be polite.

The Old Guan Zhu lightly stomped his foot, then joined his two fingers together and swiped casually, and a map of mountains and rivers rose on the table in a cloud of water vapor.

The Old Guan Zhu asked with a smile, “Can you see any clues?”

Xiao Mo glanced at it and nodded, “Celestial phenomena, immortal layout. Obviously, it has been guided by a high-level person with sufficient Dao age.”

Although Xiao Mo did not know that the map on the table showed the distribution of the Great Tide Sect, the Two Capitals Mountain, and all their affiliated mountains, Xiao Mo’s Dao age and vision were there.

Therefore, Xiao Mo raised his hand, and a star map was suspended on the table, corresponding to it. It was a celestial sphere with the Big Dipper, the Ziwei Enclosure that had been dimmed for ten thousand years.

It did not regain its brilliance because of Zhou Mi’s ascent to the throne and taking over the old Heavenly Court.
As long as it isn’t unity itself, be it half, almost, or even infinitesimally close, even if Zhou Mi’s cultivation is equivalent to a Fifteenth-Realm Qi Practitioner, capable of managing the appointments and changes of various divine positions within the old Heavenly Court, he still cannot become the true master of the “Purple Palace” at the heart of the Celestial Market.

Therefore, Zhou Mi still cannot become… a Sixteenth-Realm!

The Old Abbot leaked some heavenly secrets, “The founding ancestor of the Two Capitals Mountain was that little girl from Asgard, she used to be a woman registered in the Court of Heaven. However, in the Azure Billow World today, very few people, including the cultivators of the Two Capitals Mountain, know about this old secret.”

“So Xu Jun must die once. How else can he become an heroic spirit and embark on a ethereal path to ascension?”

“When the Purple Palace flag stands upright, a Son of Heaven will emerge. Hehe, Son of Heaven. That little girl from Asgard is ambitious, but not excessively so, which is good.”

Xiao Mo chuckled, “When it comes to scheming, today’s cultivators are stronger.”

The Old Abbot nodded, “All the twisting and turning wastes so much effort.”

“What is meant by Transformation of Dao?”

Rarely encountering an old friend willing to drink and chat freely, the Old Abbot, feeling moved, posed a question and answered it himself.

“Chen Ping’an’s ancestral home to Mud Bottle Lane is a form of Dao Transformation. The Li Xisheng family mansion to Fortune Street is also. And Falling Auspice Mountain to the old site of Lixhu Grotto Heaven is even more so.”

“First, one must not move, not simply floating on the water’s surface, a duckweed swirling in a backwater, not like those low-status boatmen of Red Candle Town who aren’t even allowed to set foot ashore, but like a nail driven deep into the geography and the heart, carrying a strong spirit and essence, truly and enduringly influencing the customs, sentiments, and morals of a place. But this kind of Dao Transformation is still temporary, superficial, not solid, merely tracks on the snow.”

“Mister Three Mountains Nine Marquis once stayed in the house next to Chen Ping An’s ancestral home, but not for long. Qi Jingchun’s old school, which educated for about sixty years, and the backyard of the Yang Family Pharmacy where Azure Child Heavenly Lord stayed for ten thousand years, become mere fleeting clouds once they are gone, leaving behind only some lingering connections between hearts and events, none of which can be considered Dao Transformation.”

The Old Abbot flicked his sleeves, extending a finger and drawing a circle in the air, “More importantly, it hasn’t formed a small, self-contained world that operates in an orderly cycle.”

“Of course, this is intentional, not because they can’t, but because they don’t want to. Like how I deliberately left a well in the Great Spring Mirage City of the Eastern Sea Taoist Temple, not truly closing the door.”

“Do you know why the Sage Teacher couldn’t defeat the Dao Ancestor? It’s because even though the Vast Expanse World reveres Confucianism, it still has the Hundred Schools of Thought.”

“For the Sage Teacher, each school of thought is a burden. Outside of one tree, a hundred flowers bloom, a splendid scenery, but the owner must pay the price of seeing a beautiful courtyard every day.”

Hao Su, the executioner of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, once used his Natal Sword, “Chánjuān (Moon),” to transform the Bright Radiance of the moon, thereby severing the connection between the moon and the Great Wilderness.

Afterwards, the sword cultivator Hao Su resided here for a period, to erase that “Dao Trace,” lest the great cultivators of the Azure Billow World come to observe the Dao and, based on this connection, deduce more truths about the Natal Sword, researching a method of suppression early on. Mountain peak Qi Practitioners, except for a very few, are happy to possess several trump cards specifically targeting sword cultivators.

The Old Abbot waved his sleeves, revealing landscape paintings of various parts of the Great Wilderness, “As for this kind of passing through, despite the significant changes that occur at the moment, the local area will quickly heal itself, like a person recovering from an injury, gradually eliminating the influence.”

These are the ten places where the several sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi stayed in the Great Wilderness, stopping and going along the way.

White Flower City of a sect, Dragon Abyss ruins of an ancient battlefield, Grand Mountain Azure Mountain, Jade Tablet City of the Cloud Pattern Dynasty, Spring Creek Mountain, Hairpin City, Wine Spring Sect, Yeyluh River, Moon-Bearing Mountain, Bright Moon Radiance.

Back then, in that secret realm in the Northern Glimmer Continent, the “Sun Daoist Priest” of Mysterious Capital Temple, a guest in the Vast Expanse World, once taught Chen Fellow Daoist a similar principle.

Before that, Chen Ping An had pondered a question.

Not in a superficial way, but attempting to trace back to the origins.

In the Waterside Temple of Azure Canopy Lake, Chen Ping An encountered Du Yu and, after becoming familiar, asked the latter about the “dilemma” of a hero drawing his sword to help those in need.

Speaking of just recently, the temporarily unknown Liu Suo, in the Qingluan Kingdom’s study, after seeing Chen Ping An, his remarks were nothing more than wanting to prove that he had “been to the world of mortals.”

The Old Abbot turned his head and asked, “Wang Yuanlu, let me ask you this: ten thousand years is long enough, isn’t it? Why is it that during this time, smart people were as numerous as cattle, and talents and heroes were countless, yet only the previous three people achieved the Fifteenth-Realm? Is it really that difficult to add just one more ‘one’?”

Wang Yuanlu, squatting back in his original position, seemed to have his hands in his sleeves, but in reality, he was carefully studying the meeting gift inside his sleeves. It must be at least a magic treasure, and perhaps even a semi-immortal weapon?

If the gift-giver, Senior Xiao Mo, hadn’t left yet, with Wang Yuanlu’s usual style, he would have taken a bite out of it as if he had received a piece of gold, checking for tooth marks to determine its authenticity.

Hearing his master’s question, Wang Yuanlu honestly replied, “The Three Teachings’ founders achieved perfect merit and flawless cultivation, opening up three great paths for the mortal realm, thus establishing their teachings and being called ancestors.”

Xiao Mo smiled.

The Old Abbot said, “Speak plainly.”

Wang Yuanlu muttered, “How is the principle learned from books not plain language?”

This scrawny Daoist, who once ranked among the young candidates of several worlds, came from the lineage of Rice Thieves, and was obsequious in front of everyone, only showing boldness and speaking with great courage to a certain acquaintance who almost misidentified his ancestor. Of course, the Daoist who avoids trouble whenever possible will absolutely strike to kill when he chooses to act in unavoidable situations.

The Old Abbot said with a smile, “We have a guest. You are my senior disciple. Perform well. Is that immortal weapon in your sleeve warm yet? If I remember correctly, you haven’t given a discipleship gift yet, have you?”

Hearing that the gift was actually an immortal weapon, Wang Yuanlu immediately perked up, becoming eloquent as if he wouldn’t be worthy of such a valuable gift if he didn’t say a few more words.
“The Founding Ancestors of the Three Teachings were already prodigies amongst prodigies on the path of cultivation, possessing the advantage of being first. It’s like the most accomplished man in the mortal realm who penned the line, ‘I raise my head and gaze at the bright moon.’ Later poets attempting to write about the moon would be at a disadvantage. Writing about looking up at the moon is meaningless, and being accused of plagiarism would be a light sentence. At best, one could write about looking down at the moon, which might have some novelty, but depicting the moon reflected in water can never match the grandeur of the moon in the sky. Applied to cultivation, the ‘Dao’ becomes smaller.”

“They each occupy a world, the workings of the Great Dao complete and unified. The Yin and Yang, the Three Powers, the Five Elements, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers—all sentient beings walk within this Dao, unable to escape its confines. No matter how many Qi Refiners there are, no matter how many paths of cultivation exist, the Ascension Realm is merely a mountain peak; the Fourteenth Realm is still within the mortal realm.”

Xiao Mo nodded.

The old Daoist Priest asked, “Then what do you think it would take for the Founding Ancestors of the Three Teachings to have a chance to reach the Fifteenth Realm if they lived for another ten thousand years?”

Wang Yuanlu was silent for a moment, then softly said, “The best option would be to change the land, like the newest Five-Colored World. It must be large enough to bear the Great Dao. Refining swords, practicing martial arts, unifying the Three Teachings, cultivating ancient divine abilities—these are the only four paths I can think of.”

“Why can’t the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue in the Wildlands reach the Fifteenth Realm?”

It was both because Chen Qingdu, together with Guanzhao and the Dragon Sovereign, jointly sought enlightenment with their swords at Mount Tuoyue, causing the Lord of the Wildlands’ demons to miss the best opportunity to merge with the Great Dao of the Wildlands.

Even more so, because after that, there was the Sword Qi Great Wall, standing tall and unyielding, and the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, rooted in the Wildlands, leading to an “incomplete Great Dao” in the Wildlands.

The Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue’s failure to reach the pinnacle allowed Zhou Mi to seize the opportunity.

These two situations are completely different from the Bixiao Cave Master’s Guandao Temple in Tongye Continent, or the top sects of Haoran, like the Dragon Tiger Mountain in the Central Earth, or the Xuandu Temple and Huayang Palace outside the White Jade City in the Azure Underworld.

Even if these sects have Fourteenth Realm cultivators in charge, they still have a clear distinction of primary and secondary, ruler and subject, compared to the Confucian Temple and White Jade City.

However, the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Ten Thousand Great Mountains are different. They forcibly carved out a large territory from the Wildlands, vying with Mount Tuoyue’s Dao as equals.

The old Daoist Priest smiled and asked, “Xiao Mo, do you know why Dao Ancestor appeared in White Emperor City?”

The old Daoist Priest called out the new name “Xiao Mo” very smoothly.

Xiao Mo shook his head.

The old Daoist Priest sighed, “Zheng Juzhong is a very strange person, always trying to prove that he is not the Dao Ancestor.”

Xiao Mo asked, “If he figures it out, regardless of whether the answer is yes or no, will City Lord Zheng try to turn the tables?”

The old Daoist Priest laughed heartily, as if this kind of casual chat was what he needed.

Xiao Mo asked suspiciously, “Can it be done?”

The old Daoist Priest stroked his beard and smiled, “Whether it can be done or not, you have to try to know.”

It was like how he, in the Guandao Temple, had questioned the Dao for thousands of years with the entire Lotus Root Paradise against the Lotus Small Grotto Heaven where Dao Ancestor resided, trying to turn the world upside down, but failed. However, the process itself was cultivation.

Speaking of the current Azure Underworld, in the long run, the greatest threat to White Jade City, in the old Daoist Priest’s eyes, is actually the Intercalary Peak jointly established by Zhang Fenghai and the martial artist Xin Ku.

Parting ways with White Jade City, with both name and substance, is a true Dao Transformation of the world.

If Grand Master Kou Ming were to walk the old path of his master, Dao Ancestor, even if he were to “Transform into Three Purities with One Breath and then merge into One,” returning to White Jade City, it would be difficult for him to reach the Fifteenth Realm.

Unless Yu Dou took an early sword-wielding journey, uprooting all the Qi Refiners led by Xin Ku and Zhang Fenghai, and razing Intercalary Peak to the ground, completely destroying it.

But that doesn’t fit Yu Dou’s style.

Because Yu Dou likes to discuss matters as they are, only debating right and wrong based on the matter itself.

In short, in Yu Dou’s eyes, there is no distinction between inside and outside White Jade City, and even no division between the upper and lower realms.

As long as someone makes a mistake, if they fall into Yu Dou’s hands, regardless of who they are, what their identity is, or what their background is, whether they admit their mistake now or whether they correct it later, it is all meaningless.

Moreover, Xin Ku and Zhang Fenghai cannot support each other for long and resist Yu Dou’s repeated interceptions. So, what if Zheng Juzhong, a troublemaker, were to appear out of thin air?

If the trend of the world does not allow Lu Chen to stay out of the game, and the karma of the mortal world is too heavy, making it difficult to maintain the state of a boat adrift in the void, forcing him to lower his Great Dao by a level, or forcing him to change his path, and then be swept up by the trend and unable to escape, then how should Lu Chen deal with the situation if one, or even several, of the Azure Underworld’s fourteen prefectures were to “sink”? How could he talk about stepping into that Fifteenth Realm, which seems to be just one step away?

Undoubtedly, Zheng Juzhong is an extremely pure seeker of the Dao.

But this does not prevent Zheng Juzhong from taking a desperate gamble, filling the entire Azure Underworld with the heavy traces of the Dao after he “dissipates two, or even three, Fourteenth Realm Zheng Juzhongs.”

This would be enough to change the world of the Azure Underworld.

What if Zheng Juzhong still has a trump card, and then he comes back stronger after destruction?

In this unprecedented chess game of “exchanging pieces,” Yu Dou and White Jade City certainly have a large number of pieces, but they are still limited, not infinite.

Once the game begins, the number of pieces in Yu Dou’s chess jar will become less and less. There may be occasional additions, but the overall trend is still that it is not enough to make up for the losses, decreasing again and again.

However, as long as Zheng Juzhong ensures that he is not killed by anyone, and does not end up in a state of death and Dao dissipation, then even if his number of pieces is currently far less than that of White Jade City, his chessboard is the entire Azure Underworld, and even Haoran, the Five-Colored World, and the Wildlands, and the number of pieces in his chess jar can continue to increase, becoming more and more, increasing again and again.

A new Martial Temple rises in the Azure Underworld, and I, Zheng Juzhong, am like the first god hanging in the center of the portrait.

When the world is in chaos, the smoke and flames of war in the fourteen prefectures will be the endless incense offering to this new Martial Temple.

The old Daoist Priest looked up into the distance.

What he feared was that the Zheng Juzhong in the mortal realm and the Zhou Mi in the heavens had long been in collusion, being fellow travelers.

This kind of collusion is not the kind of face-to-face meeting.

If that were the case, Zheng Juzhong would surely have gone to the Confucian Temple’s Merit Forest long ago.

Rather, it is a tacit understanding of the heart, where both sides do not need to say a word, or even delay them from being enemies at times.

They only need to go their own way, each doing their own thing, but one day, they will eventually converge on the same path.
The old Daoist Abbot tapped his finger on the table. A tiny ant materialized at his fingertip, ripples spreading like a blooming lotus flower, finally solidifying into a meticulously detailed picture.

The ant appeared to be crawling on a vast sheet of paper, amidst dense ink. It was trapped within an intricate labyrinth, constantly encountering obstacles and forced to detour.

The old Abbot smiled faintly, “A puppet on strings, unaware of its manipulated state, is essentially free.”

“The Dao offers no recompense. Perhaps it lies in transcending the limitations of words and language. Or, perhaps it is found in single-handedly pulling the world and people’s hearts towards betterment. All are valid paths on the Grand Dao.”

Myriad years drift by, fleeting as a breath. Those who drink the water quickly forget the one who dug the well.

Why must one know the brewer of the wine they imbibe? If the wine is good, that is enough.

Xiao Mo raised his wine bowl and chuckled, “When sorrow comes, let it come; when there is wine, let us drink!”

The old Abbot roared with laughter, “Xiao Mo, your skills at urging others to drink have become quite formidable!”

Xiao Mo dared not take the credit, explaining, “I have only learned a fraction of such skill from the young master.”

Upon hearing this, the old Abbot immediately turned his head and spat on the ground with a disgusted “Ptooey!”