Clad in a fresh set of Daoist robes, Chen Ping’an stood amidst a world of white. The robes, a vibrant crimson, stood out against the snow-covered landscape.

A tall tree, ablaze with fiery red leaves, pierced the wintry scene.

Upon the city wall, Zhou Mi, for reasons unknown, had shrunk his form to that of a common man.

Only then did Ma Kuxuan realize he had finally encountered the real target. He was considerably shocked. When had Chen Ping’an entered the ancestral hall? He himself had been sitting at the entrance, yet he had detected nothing. Ma Kuxuan had believed he had not underestimated Chen Ping’an’s Daoist cultivation. He had risked much, going against his principles, and employing a thunderous divine ability he had long despised. Yet, in the end, Chen Ping’an had merely used a doppelganger to deal with him?

He had thought that by unleashing the meticulously planned Zhou Mi, even if he couldn’t kill Chen Ping’an, he could at least damage his Daoist cultivation, causing the newly ascended immortal to fall back to the Jade Purity realm.

Ma Kuxuan communicated mentally, “Did something go wrong with releasing Chen Ping’an’s inner demon? Even if he saw through it, you should have pressed on relentlessly. That guy has been through countless battles and is full of tricks. Don’t be fooled by him!”

This was the reason Ma Kuxuan had been unconcerned while standing within the array. Let Chen Ping’an take the initial advantage; little did he know that the mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. To try and usurp the host’s role wouldn’t be so easy. Logically, a cultivator’s inner demons were at their strongest during the Nascent Soul realm bottleneck, or when secluding oneself to ascend to the Upper Five Realms. This was the necessary path for ancient Daoists. Only by overcoming the inner demon could one be considered a true earth immortal. By using Zhou Mi’s hand, employing some long-lost ancient divine power, and opening the cage of the heart, Chen Ping’an’s inner demons would be released. Then, the very array that had isolated the world and granted Chen Ping’an an advantage would become his greatest obstacle. The more pristine this world, the more it would resemble the inner demon’s flawless Daoist temple. The inner demon Chen Ping’an would be like Chen Ping’an himself, and at that point, the Dao would rise one foot, and the demon would rise ten…

At that time, Chen Ping’an would have to face not only Ma Kuxuan but also the conjured, counterfeit Zhou Mi, plus the inner demon Chen Ping’an. That would be three immortals!

Zhou Mi replied with a smile, “It’s not that I couldn’t release them, but there’s no need. Chen Ping’an’s inner demon is very strange. To us, it has no destructive power; it’s meaningless. I can’t possibly expend my Daoist cultivation to release an inner demon, only for it to stand by and watch the show.”

Ma Kuxuan couldn’t help but curse under his breath, “I knew that guy was a monster!”

Zhou Mi said, “My existence makes him wary. This shows that my true form left him with an unusually deep impression.”

Ma Kuxuan casually said, “How many people are worthy of Cui Chan and Qi Jingchun joining forces to fight? And later, even the Three Daoist Founders had to be invited to suppress him?”

In ten thousand years, only this one person.

Ma Kuxuan made a beckoning gesture, and the remaining Daoist essence of the Heavenly Tribulation Five Thunders, scattered across the world, gathered towards the city wall as if receiving an imperial decree, pulling up colorful threads and shattering countless snowflakes.

Chen Ping’an didn’t stop him, letting Ma Kuxuan gather them.

Zhou Mi shook his head, “Anyway, the path is already shattered. No need to collect it. Wait until you defeat him. Be careful not to let the sword intent contaminate you; you’ll be inviting a wolf into your house.”

Ma Kuxuan only listened to half of his words. He didn’t withdraw the decree but abandoned the idea of storing them in his sleeve. Tens of thousands of colorful threads converged at Ma Kuxuan’s side, condensing into a sphere the size of a knot, its precious light flowing and shimmering, like a heaven-obscuring net of thunderous magic. Ma Kuxuan was the one holding the cord.

Mortals don’t understand the difference between immortal techniques and divine abilities, viewing them all as means of the mountain. This is not knowing the distinction between gods and immortals.

Tracing back to the origins, speaking only of the roots of the Great Dao, strictly speaking, the myriad spells and immortal skills are the paths created by the ancient Qi Refiners in their pursuit of the Dao. They all adhered to the principle of collecting Qi, refining Qi, and then calling upon the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, manifesting it outwardly. Divine abilities, on the other hand, originated from the many authorities of ancient gods. Ancient Daoists either inscribed them on purple scrolls, recording these “paths,” which became the origins of some later Daoist scriptures and secrets, or, even more, collected the imprints and traces of many divine abilities in the world, directly moving and engraving them on their own bones, the gates of their vital Qi palaces, or walls, like cliff carvings or inscriptions on walls. And the reincarnation of these ancient earth immortals and enlightened individuals naturally inherited a portion of their previous lives’ legacies, which became the foundation for their attainment of the Dao and their mountain opportunities. This is why the later practice of ascending mountains to cultivate the Dao and become immortals emphasized whether a person had immortal roots and Daoist artifacts.

There were also exceptionally gifted ancient Daoists who could use them directly and improve upon them as their Daoist cultivation deepened, slightly changing their appearance to better adapt to the new world. As for how to use them, speaking only of divine abilities, the key lies in the word “connect.” Divine ability, connecting to the divine, a divine path running through heaven and earth. This is also why later Daoists built altars, imitating divine abilities. Daoists received registers, inscribing their names on the immortal records, so they could “borrow the law” from their ancestors. This method required laying out a path, and to walk this path, one needed a clearance certificate, holding a token and carrying a precious register to pass unhindered. The significance of a Daoist receiving a register lies in this. Furthermore, there were the branches extending from it, such as incarnations outside the body and golden body dharma aspects, all of which were practitioners of Qi refining taking the law from heaven and using it on earth.

So, this is also why Zhou Mi said the path was already broken, as Ma Kuxuan, in his current immortal realm, could not build a second bridge in a short time.

Moreover, Ma Kuxuan’s borrowing of this Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Pool from the Thunder Department already had the suspicion of guarding against theft, belonging to an act of transgression. He would definitely be questioned in return. The fact that he had made such a mess was the price Ma Kuxuan had to pay for treating Chen Ping’an as an imaginary enemy in the immortal realm. It was his nature to act solely based on his mood and preferences, without considering the consequences.

Ma Kuxuan asked mentally, “How’s the dismantling of the array progressing?”

Zhou Mi said calmly, “Very slowly, much slower than expected. His flying swords are of no low quality. Furthermore, we must prevent alerting the enemy.”

Ma Kuxuan said helplessly, “That guy keeps lecturing me repeatedly, saying that fighting is fighting, it’s best not to chatter. Of course, you don’t care. No matter how thick my skin is, it’s still not comfortable.”
Zhou Mi remained indifferent, one hand clasped behind his back, the other held in a fist at his abdomen, two chess pieces nestled in his palm, their gentle clicks barely audible. He wasn’t staring at Chen Ping’an, but rather… at that skin, now undergoing a celestial transformation into a robe destined to be unparalleled, a celestial armament bearing the true name of a demon race. Truly fascinating. Even if Chen Ping’an gifted it to an Ascension Realm cultivator, they likely wouldn’t dare wear it.

Zhou Mi, as if explaining Chen Ping’an’s origins to Ma Kuixuan, said, “This instantaneous formation of arrays, capable of deceiving you, can only be attributed to two possibilities. First, after slaying the culprit, destroying Mount Tuoyue, inscribing words on the city wall, and returning to the Great Domain, he never returned the cultivation he had submerged. He remained at the pseudo-fourteenth realm, two realms above you, borrowing the chaotic arts of the submerged realm to execute them with ease, leaving no trace. Second, his natal flying swords possess innate divine abilities, not only capable of isolating the heavens and earth but also of freely establishing new ones, recreating the world. Sword Immortal Chen, am I mistaken?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, extending an arm and opening his palm, signaling him to continue.

The feeling of having one’s celestial palace flowers severed and merit forcibly scattered is unpleasant. It forced Chen Ping’an to use “I cut myself” to escape, requiring a moment to recover his spirit. Fortunately, what was severed didn’t benefit outsiders but remained within this caged bird world, retrievable sooner or later.

To provide a level assessment, it’s roughly equivalent to taking half a punch from an eleventh-realm martial artist.

Ma Kuixuan wanted to buy time for Zhou Mi to break this barrier, while Chen Ping’an also needed to replenish pure true energy and subtly rearrange certain formations, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

In this battle where neither side fully understood the other’s depths, both couldn’t afford a single misstep.

Both desired to eliminate the other. Ma Kuixuan refused to tread the path of divinity, and Chen Ping’an certainly wouldn’t accept a fall in realm.

Yet, both sensed that, at any moment, a single action could determine life or death.

Be it Ma Kuixuan’s arcane power, or Chen Ping’an’s fist or sword.

Zhou Mi stated, “Thus, he possesses at least two natal flying swords. One separates the heavens and earth, erecting a framework, establishing boundaries, inviting guests into an urn, the host deciding whether to offer punishment or welcome. The other encompasses myriad things, based on a river of time formed from golden copper coins, allowing him free arrangement on both banks. Two swords, two abilities, seamlessly intertwined, equivalent to a Three Teachings Sage carrying a previously unmovable, seated dojo. The only drawback is the inability to elevate one’s realm within it, while the advantage is that the past, present, future, and all directions are within this realm.”

Ma Kuixuan found it troublesome, frowning, “Can’t it be one natal flying sword possessing multiple divine abilities?”

Zhou Mi knowingly smiled, “Have you forgotten the list of the ten youngest talents across the realms compiled by Zou Zi? Aren’t you curious why only that wild mountain cultivator, sword cultivator Liu Cai, had the names and origins of his two flying swords intentionally revealed by Zou Zi? Even the two sword-nourishing gourds possessed by Liu Cai were disclosed? Clearly, Zou Zi hinted at something, like a letter announcing it to the world, making it unnecessary to deliver the letter to someone. Liu Guan is also the only genius to ascend the list in the Golden Core Realm. Conversely, the last Hidden Official, ‘Chen Eleven,’ was able to join the ranks by simultaneously being a nascent soul sword cultivator and a Wind Riding Realm martial artist. If I’m not mistaken, the flying sword ‘Azure Skies,’ nurtured in the sword-nourishing gourd ‘Heart’s Affairs,’ its sudden appearance aimed at…”

Zhou Mi raised his hand, sleeves rolled up, “This vast world. No matter how boundless your skies, how well-balanced your yin and yang, how orderly the Great Dao’s circulation, a sword cultivator can shatter myriad laws with a single sword. Liu Guan can shatter myriad swords with a single sword, reaching the azure skies above and the yellow springs below, rendering cages and barriers meaningless.”

“The Dao Ancestor’s other sword-nourishing gourd, ‘Immediately,’ allows Liu Cai to refine the sword ‘White Steed,’ perfectly countering the river of time in this world. In short, two swords countering two swords, an utter nightmare.”

Chen Ping’an clapped his hands and laughed, “Impressive, impressive. Although it’s a counterfeit, still some distance from a true masterpiece, it’s not too clumsy.”

Ma Kuixuan said, “Don’t forget you’re the one at the bottom, how can you be so happy?”

Chen Ping’an laughed, “I’m at the bottom of the list of the ten youngest talents across the realms, so as the top of the list of the ten youngest talents of Precious Bottle Continent, are you happy?”

Ma Kuixuan twitched his lips.

Chen Ping’an said, “Could it be that Zou Zi secretly told you when compiling the list that you’d rather be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix, so you gave me the bottom spot?”

Ma Kuixuan rubbed his cheeks and grinned, “You’ll have your moment to cry.”

Chen Ping’an said with a smile, “Ma Kuixuan, you have a nasty habit since birth, you can’t stand seeing others succeed and always want to be above everyone. Also, you only do things that you think you can do well. Kuixuan, that’s not good, you need to change, of course, only if you still have a chance to change your ways.”

Ma Kuixuan was disgusted by the phrase “Kuixuan ah”.

Zhou Mi looked at the red stain in the snow.

Ma Kuixuan mocked, “The old scholar’s nemesis said that being fond of instructing others is a great affliction of mankind. I heard you weren’t satisfied with lecturing, so you ran to the countryside to be a schoolteacher?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I think there are two great afflictions of mankind. Besides the saintly teaching of being fond of instructing others, there is another, which is being ashamed to be a disciple.”

Ma Kuixuan was momentarily speechless.

Chen Ping’an took a deep breath.

Choosing to achieve everything in one battle, seems feasible?

Zhou Mi ignored these two fellow townsmen’s banter, speaking to himself, “The world mistakenly believes that Liu Cai’s emergence, rising from an unknown sword cultivator to the list of the ten youngest talents across the realms, is a result of being born at the right time and riding the wave, favored by the heavens. They think that the Dao of Heaven was unwilling to let Ning Yao have all the glory, just as in the younger generation, there was Cao Ci first on the martial path, then Sword Immortal Chen, so it seemed sword cultivation should be the same, so Liu Cai was compared to Ning Yao, believing that Liu Cai after a century of sword refinement has the opportunity to compete with Ning Yao at the same realm. No one expected that the real enemy of sword cultivator Liu Cai is not Ning Yao, but Sword Immortal Chen.”

Ma Kuixuan’s mind was not ordinary, not only did he not gloat, but he also regretted why he didn’t have such an archenemy.
Chen Pingan was certainly a formidable rival, but the sword cultivator Liu Cai was a crucial strategic move meticulously crafted by Zou Zi for Chen Pingan. The significance was different.

However, the misjudgment that Liu Cai had a chance to contend with Ning Yao in swordsmanship was understandable at the time. Many believed that with the relocation of Ascension City to the Five Colors World, no longer the old Sword Qi Great Wall with its concentrated sword aura, Ning Yao’s progress might slow down. Each breakthrough would be followed by a longer period of stagnation. Thus, Liu Cai, wielding two Sword Nurturing Gourds bestowed by the Dao Ancestor, seemed to have a chance to catch up.

What was the reality? As always, it was a belated realization, a misunderstanding of Ning Yao.

It turned out that whether she refined her sword at the Sword Qi Great Wall or not made no difference.

For the past ten thousand years, human sword cultivators were simply divided into two categories: Chen Qingdu and everyone else.

Now, Ning Yao was showing signs of filling the void left by Chen Qingdu.

The question was, would the heavenly barrier between Ascension Realm and the Fourteenth Realm of Harmony Dao impede her progress?

Ma Kuxuan suddenly noticed Chen Pingan’s strange expression.

What was it? Now that the conversation had turned to his Dao companion, Ning Yao, did he start to feel inadequate, like a kept man?

Everyone in the vastness of the world knew of the Moving Mountain Ancestor of Zheng Yang Mountain’s impressive feats and achievements. He had accomplished a series of astonishing things, such as seriously injuring Liu Xianyang in the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, forcing Chen Pingan and Ning Yao to join forces against him, clashing with Song Changjing, and even challenging Qi Jingchun, all just to move Mount Pi Yun, which now belonged to the Night Wanderer…

But few knew that Ma Kuxuan had also challenged them individually back then.

Ma Kuxuan, even then, had unconventional ideas. He thought it would be interesting if the foreign girl and the Mud Bottle Lane lackey, from such different backgrounds, could come together, sparking a fiery romance and bedding each other. A flower in the muck, he thought, was rather amusing.

Chen Pingan shook his head and chuckled, “A mere puppet is just that, never a real person. It can only follow instructions, never think outside the box.”

Zhou Mi said, “Oh? I humbly request the Sword Immortal Chen to enlighten me.”

Chen Pingan said, “Let me first introduce the original names of my two natal flying swords: ‘Bird in a Cage’ and ‘Moon in a Well.’ Let me also correct you. Liu Cai’s flying sword ‘White Steed’ was initially designed to target ‘Bird in a Cage,’ while ‘Azure Sky’ was meant for ‘Moon in a Well.’ Of course, your current assessment isn’t entirely wrong. My melting bags of gold essence copper coins to forge a river of time, a fool’s dream, trying to create a miniature world within ‘Bird in a Cage,’ that also stemmed from Liu Cai’s appearance. His two flying swords inspired me greatly.”

In other words, knowing that Liu Cai was waiting for him ahead, Chen Pingan didn’t avoid him; instead, he went even further. Your ‘White Steed’ ignores the constraints of the river of time? Then I’ll scour the world for gold essence copper coins and keep throwing money at it. Your ‘Azure Sky’ claims to break ten thousand swords with one strike? Then let’s see how many sets of ten thousand swords you can break—ten, a hundred?

Zhou Mi suddenly understood. “Unafraid to die embracing the Dao, willing to walk the straight path. So that’s what a sword cultivator is.”

Ma Kuxuan clicked his tongue. “Such stubbornness.”

Zhou Mi revealed a look of admiration and smiled. “Believes in fate but doesn’t accept it. A good habit.”

Ma Kuxuan asked telepathically, “What do you mean?”

Zhou Mi replied, “It’s a bit troublesome. Unraveling the cocoon is already difficult, but I fear there are cocoons outside cocoons. I can roughly deduce that this place is one of the illusionary realms, with dozens more potential candidates. So far, I’ve found the roots of thirty-two. Although their solidity is definitely average, not even as good as this Sword Qi Great Wall, if he uses them to hinder you at crucial moments, that wouldn’t be difficult.”

Ma Kuxuan nodded. “This fellow has always been calculating, good at disguises, extremely cunning. In terms of scheming, Song Jixin wasn’t fit to carry his shoes back then. Truly birds of a feather. I pretended to be a fool, he pretended to be a good person. We both succeeded back then.”

Chen Pingan seemed to sense their intentions and said with a hint of sarcasm, smiling, “Giving you the chance is useless.”

Zhou Mi suddenly said telepathically, “Be careful.”

Ma Kuxuan scoffed. “Careful of what? You continue to break the barrier. It would be best if you could shatter it completely in one go, but if not, it’s fine. I’m not going to indulge him.”

In an instant, the world changed. The blue sky was vast, the moon beautiful, without a single snowflake. The ground, originally covered in thick snow, was instantly devoid of any white.

At the same time, a line cut across the city wall horizontally, without a trace of sword light.

The height of the horizontal line was precisely at the waist level of Ma Kuxuan and Zhou Mi, as if an invisible sword immortal had swung a sword, slicing through the heavens.

Zhou Mi remained calm, standing still as his body was cut in two at the waist. The upper half of his body barely moved, without any blood or gore. His body wasn’t an illusion; the sword light had cut through real substance. However, from the severed waist, streams of dazzling, lustrous light flowed and overflowed. The two streams of light rose and fell, seemingly trying to connect and reassemble the form, but the remaining sword intent blocked their path. This body was like an empty “straw bag,” but the straw within was worth a fortune, actually a body made of liquefied gold essence copper.

Apparently, under some instruction from Ma Kuxuan, Zhou Mi reached out to grab the date pit-sized miniature “Thunder Pool.” Another sword light fell straight onto the city wall, cleaving Zhou Mi in half. The body, originally split into two, was now in four pieces. These two sword strikes weren’t just lines or beams but complete, massive surfaces, the sword light traversing the entire small world.

The sword light flashed extremely quickly, fleeting and continuous, slicing again and again, cutting Zhou Mi’s form into pieces. The crisscrossing sword light remained in place, leaving Zhou Mi shattered on the city wall, barely maintaining a semblance of his former self, a ghastly sight.

Ma Kuxuan’s figure disappeared. Chen Pingan suddenly turned and thrust out his sword.
A speck of dust in the high sky instantly transformed into a towering dharma body thousands of feet tall, its foot stomping down fiercely towards the rather insignificant Chen Ping’an on the earth.

Ma Kuxuan’s external avatar, clad in multi-colored treasure armor and possessing a majestic dharma form, was cleaved open from toe to shoulder by a sweeping sword light, as easily as cutting tofu, without any hesitation.

The sword light not only shattered the dharma form, but the sword qi also exploded outwards, as if a pair of giant spirit hands were forcefully tearing Ma Kuxuan’s dharma body apart.

Chen Ping’an frowned slightly. It would be normal for an ordinary cultivator of the same realm to have their dharma form cleaved open by a single sword strike within their own domain.

But Ma Kuxuan was no ordinary immortal; his golden body shouldn’t be so fragile.

At that moment, Chen Ping’an’s mind tightened. In a flash of lightning, his thoughts raced, and he ultimately chose a compromise, choosing to evade the battle, concealing his tracks, and hiding himself.

It turned out that he saw Zhou Mi on the city wall instantly return to normal, and the entire “person” became incomparably real, his aura undergoing a complete transformation, damn it, he was even more real than Zhou Mi.

In that instant, Chen Ping’an almost thought that Ma Kuxuan had actually colluded with Zhou Mi back then, as a contingency plan left behind in the human world, waiting only for this day to kill him and seize half of One.

Zhou Mi wore a smile on his face, his expression extremely carefree, casually raising his arm, his index and middle fingers joined together, and then slashing down.

Directly pointing at the location where Chen Ping’an was standing, Chen Ping’an had just left, and the next moment, an incomparably deep gully appeared on the earth outside the city, stretching out continuously.

The entire Birdcage Heaven and Earth almost, truly almost, was torn open. The deepest and farthest points of the gully had already nearly reached the edges of the heaven and earth.

Chen Ping’an, who had concealed his tracks, was greatly shaken and frowned in silence.

Could it really be Zhou Mi?

Otherwise, a mountain peak cultivator who had not ascended to the Ascension Realm would not be able to create such a situation.

He heard Ma Kuxuan say the word “come out”, like a Taoist sage whose words carried the weight of law, and Chen Ping’an was dragged out from a secret realm, forced to reveal himself.

Clouds rolled, a golden palm stirred up a hole, and with lightning speed, stretched towards Chen Ping’an, who was suspended in mid-air and unable to dodge.

A sword was delivered, indeed piercing through the golden palm as large as a mountain, but it still smashed down with tremendous momentum, forcing Chen Ping’an to meet it with a punch.

The earth trembled, dust flew, Chen Ping’an, who was smashed down, knelt on one knee, located in the center of the pit, and vomited a mouthful of blood.

Ma Kuxuan said he didn’t learn boxing, so why was this palm, whether it was a technique or a divine ability, not weaker than Cao Ci’s boxing?

Without turning his head, Chen Ping’an delivered a sword strike with his backhand.

But Zhou Mi, who was like a shadow, easily pinched the tip of the Night Wanderer Sword with two fingers. Zhou Mi raised his hand, and sword qi condensed into a long sword, returning the favor with a sword strike, slashing towards Chen Ping’an’s shoulder.

Chen Ping’an’s figure transformed into more than a dozen sword lights, and in an instant, re-condensed into his true form hundreds of miles away.

The next moment, he saw Ma Kuxuan, as if foreknowing his moves, pulling open a boxing stance on the ground, already delivering a punch towards him.

The boxing energy was vast and unstoppable.

Between this punch and Chen Ping’an, it was as if hundreds of mirrors shattered with a bang, splashing in all directions, creating a dazzling scene.

This was the advantage of occupying the opportune moment and favorable terrain. Even with the temporary Mirror Corridor set up to block this punch, Chen Ping’an still needed to shrink the distance and move horizontally to avoid the boxing energy.

Very strange, Zhou Mi made a hand seal and chanted a word of withdrawal. The gully on the ground disappeared in an instant, as if time had reversed, returning to its original state.

Ma Kuxuan beckoned to Chen Ping’an.

Chen Ping’an was about to speak when Zhou Mi slowly stepped forward and smiled, “The swordsmanship of the person who carved words on the city wall, Sword Immortal Chen, is disappointing.”

Chen Ping’an said, “You don’t even dare to say my name, are you afraid that I’ll find your hiding place, or are you worried that your true body will detect a trace of something, and he’ll shatter your glass golden body with a single thought?”

Zhou Mi said, “I don’t dare to call you by your name, Sword Immortal Chen dares to call Zhou Mi by his name?”

Chen Ping’an laughed indifferently, “I’m a waste, but that doesn’t stop you from being even more useless.”

Zhou Mi said, “I read two stories in a book. The protagonists in the stories survived not because they were the protagonists, but because they were able to survive that they became the protagonists.”

“The setting of one story begins in a place called Mud Bottle Lane in Huaihuang County. The protagonist’s surname is Chen.”

“The earlier story begins in a scholarly family in Middle Earth Divine Continent, turns at the Sword Qi Great Wall, spends the most time in the Wild Desolate World, concludes in the Vast Ocean, and the ending is temporarily undecided.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “I understand, good methods.”