The setting sun bled into the great river, painting it black, while the rising moon cast a silvery sheen upon the ten thousand mountains.

Silence reigned, broken only by the occasional crackle from the bonfire in the great hall.

All eyes turned towards the man standing outside, weathered by travel. Though his face was that of a man in his thirties, his bearing, perhaps from having perused a few books, possessed a tranquil and composed air.

Qing Rang remained silent, while Xian Zao was as still as a cicada in winter. Seeing Xian Zao’s ghostly pallor, Qing Rang’s initial uncertainties solidified.

In this moment, it was as if a clay idol, typically receiving incense and offerings in a temple, had materialized before them.

Strangely, the number of demon cultivators in the desolate wilderness who revered the young Hidden Official was countless, certainly surpassing that of the Great Landscape, and their devotion was especially sincere.

“Sun rises, moon sets, a thousand times counted, Lord Chen’s great name, ten thousand times shouted.”

This was no exaggeration.

After all, most cultivators in the Great Landscape only heard the tales as lively rumors, while nearly every demon cultivator who had participated in the war had witnessed the spectacle firsthand.

To go to the Great Landscape, one had to first pass through the “great gate” that had been hewn out. The demons only needed to raise their heads to see the eye-catching crimson Daoist robe.

Moreover, this man named Chen had personally slain a Jade Purity Realm demon who had dared to fly above his city wall, or rather, *torn him apart* with his bare hands.

Then, he casually tossed the corpse down from the city wall.

Such actions were commonplace among the demons of the wilderness. Winning a duel and devouring the defeated demon on the spot was a common way to satisfy hunger.

But for a disciple of a sage, supposedly from the Great Landscape, to do such a thing was quite novel.

Thus, cultivators of the Great Landscape would likely never understand the complicated emotions of the Golden Emerald City’s female immortal, Qing Jia, when she passed through the Pai Fang at Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

A young Hidden Official of foreign origins, Ning Yao’s Dao companion, slayer of Leaving Truth cultivators, challenger of an entire Jiashen camp, a man whom Chen Qingdu himself was willing to entrust with important tasks. The last person to inscribe their name on the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Silence hung in the hall. The scholar outside the hall was in no hurry to cross the threshold.

The woman with the sword at her waist stood up, her body tense. She took a deep breath, her hand gripping the hilt of her blade, her eyes fixed on the “weak scholar” standing outside the hall as if he were a traveling student. She cut straight to the chase: “How did the Hidden Official find us?”

Her nickname was Dou Kou, and she was among the hundred sword immortals of Mount Tuoyue. Perhaps it was from spending too long in foreign lands, but she spoke in the elegant tongue of Tongye Continent.

Xian Zao’s face instantly turned ashen, as if struck by lightning. Qing Rang, however, remained relaxed, showing no sign of being in imminent danger.

As for the two natives of Tongye Continent who were still in the dark, they were even more confused. Was this scholar a notorious figure in the local martial arts scene?

Was he a ruthless killer, or a pampered young master with a powerful family or sect? Chen Ping’an, however, replied with the most authentic and fluent wilderness dialect, smiling, “Don’t the books always write about a poor scholar going to the capital for the imperial examination, sleeping in a dilapidated temple, and encountering a beautiful woman? Such a romance isn’t intentional; it’s all just a matter of coincidence.”

The captivating woman chuckled, probably finding his words amusing. He appeared to be in his early thirties, leaning on a green bamboo mountain staff, standing there in the bright moonlight.

Chen Ping’an looked at the woman who called herself Dou Kou. “Since you’re one of the hundred most promising young sword cultivators of Mount Tuoyue, and ranked quite high, why don’t I seem to recall seeing Miss Dou Kou on the city wall?”

These young sword cultivators, upon whom the wilderness placed great hope, had all practiced their swordsmanship on the city wall for varying lengths of time. During that period, sword cultivators would often visit the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall for a glimpse, euphemistically calling it “guarding the gate.”

“He helps us guard our home. Hidden Official Chen is a very good person.”

The woman with the sword said in a low voice, “I kept my distance from the Hidden Official. I’m solitary by nature and don’t like to join in on the fun. My swordsmanship is mediocre, and my ranking is neither high nor low. Even if we had met, I probably wouldn’t have been able to speak with the Hidden Official.”

This was the truth. Half of their city wall practice area had people helping to “fend off” visitors. Zhou Mi’s direct disciple, Liu Bai, was fine; she didn’t like to talk much. But Li Zhen, the closed-door disciple of the great ancestor of Mount Tuoyue, was a foul-mouthed individual whose cursing skills improved daily, nobody knew who he learned it from. He would often ridicule those who wanted to join the fun with phrases like, “You think you’re worthy of talking to the Hidden Official?” Moreover, the grey Daoist robe he wore belonged to the Dragon Sovereign, one of the great demons of the old throne. Ordinary sword cultivators, without any backing, would not dare to be presumptuous.

Qing Rang chewed on the elk meat, a helpless expression on his face, and mumbled, “With the Hidden Official’s current luck, he shouldn’t have been able to find me. Which one of them implicated me?”

Chen Ping’an answered obliquely, smiling, “So, you’re also a diviner, capable of reading people’s fortunes? If we were to meet by chance and set up stalls next to each other, maybe we could even exchange pointers and compete for business.” This man alone had nearly derailed the dredging of the Great Ditch in Tongye Continent. The various forces, including Fallen Phoenix Mountain and the Green Ripple Sword Sect, had invested tens of thousands of Immortal Coins, and all of them were Grain Rain Coins. Wei Wenlong and Master Zhong had made a rough calculation. Because of this man’s random talisman attacks along the Great Ditch, not only had he delayed the dredging progress, but he had also caused various changes among the forces on the mountain and the countries below, resulting in various losses. The amount of Grain Rain Coins lost was between three and four thousand.

Just consider the Upper Fifth Realm cultivators who were searching for him, including Mi Yu and Huang Ting, as well as the Dragon Gate Immortal Lord from Iron Tree Mountain. There were almost two handfuls of them, and they still hadn’t been able to find him.

Keep in mind that this man was only in the Golden Core Realm.

Previously, Yu Xuan had failed to use the remaining talisman that Cui Dongshan had brought back to Fallen Phoenix Mountain to track him down.

Only Liu Xianyang could remotely deliver a sword strike in his dreams, but he still hadn’t seriously injured him.

How much commotion had one desolate wilderness Golden Core Realm talisman cultivator caused?

Only now did Chen Ping’an learn of a “Qing Rang.” He didn’t even know if it was an alias or a Daoist title.

After carefully examining his own Mind Palace’s library, Chen Ping’an discovered that neither the secret archives of the Summer Palace nor the documents of the Central Earth Confucian Temple and the Great Li Dynasty seemed to have any records related to “Qing Rang.”

So, he was a rising star who was “blooming inside the wall but fragrant outside” for the various military camps in the wilderness?

The great war had ended so many years ago, and cultivators from various continents had been endlessly searching the mountains in Tongye Continent. Who would have thought that this man, who had caused so much suffering and courted death, could still be alive and kicking today?
Chen Ping’an asked curiously, “Qing Rang, do you have a distinguished lineage? Or are you a great demon’s avatar deliberately staying here? Of course, you don’t have to answer.”

“Answer? Why wouldn’t I answer? I’m more than willing. To chat with Hidden Official for just a moment is a boon.”

The man wiped his greasy hands. “Coincidentally, like Hidden Official, I came from humble beginnings. Whoever stepped on me back then would probably have thought they soiled their shoes.” Without standing up, he simply squatted, stretching his hands to the fire. The firelight illuminated his angular, plain face, making it unusually bright. “Since Hidden Official can achieve great things in the Wildlands, I can certainly do a few small things in the Great Alignment World.”

The young female cultivator, whose origins were always unclear, no longer looked dull. Her eyes shone, “Now that we’ve finally met, and I’ve been caught red-handed by Hidden Official, are you thinking of flaying me alive, drinking my blood, and eating my flesh?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, smiling. “My tastes aren’t as heavy as you describe.”

The aloof female cultivator, whose Daoist name was Xian Zao, braced herself and asked, “May I be so bold as to ask Hidden Official what your current realm is?”

Chen Ping’an smiled gently. “My realm isn’t high. I couldn’t even get rid of Consort Scarlet back in the Swaying River. But, even if I’m being modest, taking out a Golden Core cultivator is more than enough.”

Qing Rang had a better eye. “According to the Sword Qi Great Wall, he’s a genuine Sword Immortal.”

Xian Zao sighed, resigning herself to fate. What else could she do? Even if she imitated Hidden Official and was being modest, and Chen Ping’an was merely a terrestrial immortal, could she escape? This fellow was famous on the battlefield for being ruthless, cunning, and having a high chance of winning in battles of equal strength. Back then, the Jiashen Camp had meticulously set an ambush, with prodigies like Zhuqie, Yu Si, and Tan surrounding one person. If Fei Ran hadn’t intervened, several of them would have been killed instead. Chen Ping’an asked curiously, “Miss Xian Zao, do you happen to have a twin sister who oversees the Willow Branch division, whose Daoist name seems to be Yin Su? Why didn’t you return home with your sister, hide in the Cold Moon City, continue managing your Frost & Snow division, and enjoy a life of ease based on past merits?”

Cold Moon City was one of the three sect-level establishments under Consort Scarlet. The leaders of each division were all terrestrial immortal female cultivators with excellent qualifications.

Compared to the “nobles” from the Jiashen Camp of the Wildlands, who had good origins, aptitudes, and backgrounds, they were probably just nameless small characters.

In terms of seniority, Consort Scarlet was Xian Zao’s great-grandancestor, but this former throne demon respectfully addressed “Yu Si” of the Jiashen Camp as “Young Master.”

It was truly infuriating to compare oneself to others.

Although she and her sister, Yin Su, were both sword cultivators, the threshold for joining the Hundred Sword Immortals of Supporting Moon Mountain was far too high.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Fellow Daoist Qing Rang, with your talent, there’s no reason for you to risk your life so recklessly. The saying ‘fortune favors the bold’ doesn’t suit someone like you.”

Seeing that Qing Rang remained silent, Chen Ping’an continued, “Is there some grudge, some resentment that you can’t wait for, that you must settle here in Tongye Continent?”

They both looked at Qing Rang. It was indeed strange. Before they met in Tongye Continent, they had never heard of Qing Rang. Now, they regarded him with completely new eyes. The longer they spent with him, the more they found Qing Rang to be unfathomable. If he had another hundred or several hundred years of cultivation, his achievements would be boundless.

There was no reason for him to risk his life in Tongye Continent, especially targeting Chen Ping’an and the Azure Canopy Sword Sect.

Saying that he was accumulating military merits here so that he could win the favor of one or two throne demons when he returned to the Wildlands was a lie.

He had to survive to return home first.

With Qing Rang’s talent and cunning, he didn’t need to rely on this kind of superficial “reputation” if it meant potentially losing his life here.

Qing Rang was silent for a moment. “There is indeed a bit of a personal issue, but to be honest, the grudge isn’t that big. I don’t blame Hidden Official for being ruthless. We’re on different sides, and we each have our own responsibilities.”

There was a mentor, a friend regardless of age, who had guided him onto the path of cultivation, and who had died at Chen Ping’an’s hands. He was at the Jade Purity Realm. Back then, the two were far apart in status and realm. The mentor, without planning anything in return, selflessly taught Qing Rang all of his Daoist knowledge and abilities, but he still said that he wasn’t qualified to be Qing Rang’s Dao instructor. He would help Qing Rang find a good master, one who was no less talented than Zhuqie or Tan. The reason was that Qing Rang’s aptitude was too good. If his master’s cultivation wasn’t high enough, it would be a waste of talent, easily hindering his future. Especially after Qing Rang became famous and attracted attention from the mountains, everyone would know how great his future achievements would be. Without the protection of an Ascension Realm cultivator or a large sect, he would easily die as soon as he left the mountain.

Qing Rang slowed down, carefully chewing the venison.

Chen Ping’an said to himself, “Bodhisattvas and sages fear the cause, we mortals fear the consequence.”

Qing Rang nodded. “I didn’t understand any of this before. After coming to Tongye Continent and reading some of the books here, I wholeheartedly agree.”

Chen Ping’an got straight to the point. “Miss Douchou, Xiao Xing, who was hiding in the Lotus Root Blessed Land, saw you, and remembered you vividly. That’s the same as me seeing you.”

Then, the young Hidden Official said something that made the outsider, Xian Zao, feel horrified, “So these days, I have been very ‘concerned’ about Miss Douchou.”

Qing Rang sighed. As expected, he had been implicated by that woman. However, Qing Rang didn’t really blame her. Only Xian Zao was a person who does more harm than good.

Douchou was horrified, but still puzzled. What could seeing her accomplish? There were countless spells on the mountain. Was there such a divine ability? Xiao Xing belonged to the Guiyou Camp of the Wildlands. She was severely injured by Ning Yao on the Sword Qi Great Wall battlefield in her early years. When Xiao Xing landed in Tongye Continent, she and Douchou were good friends, so they traveled together. After Xiao Xing fell into Chen Ping’an’s hands and had her memories searched in a unique “mountain search,” Xiao Xing’s perspective included the female cultivator Douchou. Therefore, Chen Ping’an’s mind now had a vivid image of Douchou.

Back when they met again on the Sword Qi Great Wall, Liu Xianyang had selflessly taught Chen Ping’an the ancestral Dreamwalking Sword Art. Liu Xianyang was always like that, generous when it came to friends.

But Chen Ping’an couldn’t learn it at the time. The threshold for that sword art was too high. Even today, with the support of his current realm, Chen Ping’an only dared to say that he had learned a little bit of the basics.

But Chen Ping’an had been restrained, not rushing to attack, because he didn’t want to cause a disturbance. If Douchou was really traveling through Tongye Continent with that slippery talisman cultivator, it would be easy to lose more important opportunities over small gains.
As it turns out, this choice was correct.

He had been waiting for an opportunity, waiting for her to doze off into a dream. However, cultivators rarely dream. Therefore, Chen Ping’an patiently waited.

This mystical ability could probably be called dream-traveling into another’s dream. Regarding the same sword technique, Chen Ping’an and Liu Xianyang had different paths to its initial understanding.

Xiao Xing knew she couldn’t defeat Ning Yao or Chen Ping’an by force, so she wanted to create a plague that would sweep the world within the blessed land.

And a large part of these karmic consequences would be attributed to Chen Ping’an, the “landlord” of the blessed land.

She opened bookstores there, hired manual laborers, and sold altered erotic books at a loss, and she also secretly hid several dried corpses of plague gods.

Through the tens of thousands of books sold, plus the onlookers who didn’t buy books but still leafed through them, the number was considerable. Once a plague broke out, it would sweep the world in an instant.

If they were of equal cultivation level, such meticulous planning could have succeeded in the Lotus Root Blessed Land, just as Qing Rang might have succeeded in the Tongye Continent, or even Xiao Xing herself.

But everyone’s cultivation level is earned through their own ability, and one can’t simply lower their level for the sake of fairness.

Besides, when it comes to lowering one’s cultivation level, Chen Ping’an is in a league of his own in terms of frequency.

The pair of lovebirds who were resting there were most bewildered.

What Hidden Official, Broad Cold City, Vast World, Wild Desolate World – they were just making a living in the lower realms, they didn’t understand. They only knew that the topics being discussed were very grand.

However, even if they were slow to understand, they could tell that the two parties were enemies.

That scholarly man carrying a book box had come to block their path.

The pale-faced man had already composed himself and tentatively said, “Esteemed immortal seniors, why don’t you let us leave first, so we don’t delay your reunion?”

Immortal Algae sneered, “Leave? Where can you go? The entire mountain is now within a formation. Even if you had a hundred years, you’d still be going in circles.”

The man said with a tearful face, “It’s your immortals fighting; why involve us common mortals with a bit of martial skill?”

The woman subtly pulled down her collar, revealing some fair skin.

Qing Rang said with a chuckle, “Who told you to be so handsy and not choose a place? You’re getting your retribution, aren’t you?”

Immortal Algae looked bitter and asked carefully in a heartfelt voice, “Why hasn’t he made a move yet?”

They had ruined Chen Ping’an’s plans in the Tongye Continent, so they should be particularly hostile when enemies meet. He had been patiently chatting with them for so long, it didn’t seem like the Hidden Official’s style.

Don’t be fooled by the young Hidden Official’s polite address of “Immortal Algae, Miss Bean Sprout,” and “Fellow Daoist Qing Rang.” He was a merciless demon slayer.

“Nan Shouchen, North Hidden Official” – the reason this saying spread was because these two sword cultivators had the least sword-like style and the most insidious swordsmanship.

Falling into the hands of the Hidden Official today, she knew her likely fate.

Chen Ping’an hadn’t made a move all this time, it couldn’t possibly be because he was lusting after her beauty, could it? Bean Sprout said, “Upon discovering our tracks, he must have rushed over as quickly as possible, cast a wide net, and needed to confirm our identities before closing the net, to prevent any big fish from escaping. I wonder how many grand formations he has set up inside and outside this mountain before showing himself.”

Qing Rang’s answer was probably closer to the truth, “You are just incidental prizes. Chen Ping’an’s target is me. To ensure he can catch me, he has to expend a lot of extra effort.”

Immortal Algae asked, “Why do you address him by his given name?”

Qing Rang almost couldn’t help but curse. Chen Ping’an is already here, what difference does it make if you call out his name?

Indeed, as the talisman cultivator said, Chen Ping’an’s real goal was Qing Rang, a big fish whose talent was praised even by Yu Xuandu. Bean Sprout and Immortal Algae were just extras.

Qing Rang said another stark truth, “Because the Hidden Official suspects that my true body is most likely not here, so he is currently searching for clues elsewhere.”

Hearing this, not to mention Immortal Algae, even Bean Sprout wanted to curse. We were brought here by you, but your true body is hidden elsewhere?

Chen Ping’an sighed, “It was very difficult to find you all.”

“You should know that I am currently in a crucial period of closed-door cultivation. Fortunately, I searched far and wide to no avail, only to find it right before me.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I would also like to learn from the three fellow daoists’ high-level escape techniques.”

When a Qi cultivator descends the mountain, whether for worldly experience, visiting immortals and exploring mysteries, or seeking treasures and saving people,

they naturally won’t be invincible. They will always encounter some difficult opponents or be ambushed by enemies. Therefore, Qi cultivators must have both lethal moves and backup escape methods.

As Guo Zhujiu said, when encountering a strong enemy, don’t panic, just run.

If Universe in the Sleeves is a mystical ability that all Jade Purity Realm cultivators must learn, and Viewing Mountains and Rivers in the Palm is a skill that all Nascent Soul Realm cultivators must master,

then mastering one or two life-saving escape techniques is a cultivation lesson that all those who ascend the mountain and cultivate must go through. Over the millennia, Qi cultivators have researched hundreds of strange and bizarre stealth escape techniques. Among them, the Five Elements Escape Technique is a large category, such as “relying on the mountain to eat from the mountain, relying on the water to eat from the water,” either escaping into the earth’s veins or parting the water to flee, briefly transforming their body into a void, and cooperating with their Natal Treasure. Whether it’s creating thick smoke out of thin air or transforming into a wisp of green smoke and shrinking into the clouds in the sky, they all have their own methods.

There are also many incredible secret techniques, such as “instantaneous corporeal liberation,” but this move is destined to greatly damage one’s cultivation, equivalent to a losing business that simply gives up the physical body.

There are also those who connect to the netherworld, bridging yin and yang. The Land Officials of the Yin-Yang School’s Lu family disciples, according to their cultivation level, can visit a different number of City God Temples.

In the final analysis, the most superior escape technique has only one purpose, and that is to ignore all mountain and water formations and the heavy restrictions that isolate heaven and earth.

Chen Ping’an had already learned all the methods that Xiao Xing knew. Of course, Chen Ping’an wanted Bean Sprout and Immortal Algae to have as many secret and self-protecting techniques as possible.

Escape techniques have always been Chen Ping’an’s weakness. The early Earth Shrinking Talisman was only used by the martial artist Chen Ping’an in a reversed way, changing its purpose and turning defense into attack.

It had been said that he pursued the ultimate in lethality too much and was not diligent enough in the art of escape, belonging to walking with a limp. Therefore, Chen Ping’an is now repeatedly practicing that sword escape technique. Chen Ping’an finally crossed the threshold, and the content of his speech also began to enter the main topic, looking at that Immortal Algae, “I heard that when you arrived in the Tongye Continent, you liked to run around, kill people and ask for credit, and your reputation is not small. Are you trying to get Yu Si’s favor? You have some guts.”
“Your guts aren’t small, daring to snatch a man from the Grand Supreme Ancestral Master’s rumored concubine?”

“Yu Si, ah, I remember him, just one of my defeated opponents. Back in the Jiashen Camp, where geniuses gathered like clouds, he wasn’t particularly outstanding.”

Immortal Algae was speechless, and Dou Kou also felt that Chen Ping’an’s words were incredibly boastful, yet undeniably true.

“I’m in dire need of magical treasures right now. Your natal flying sword, whatever its name, whatever its mystical powers, from today onwards, it’s mine.” Chen Ping’an didn’t forget the swordsman Dou Kou, “The correctness or evilness of people and things, there’s great learning within, and the key lies in who’s using it and how. I have a bad habit, which is to enjoy teaching others. From now on, remember to keep your eyes wide open and watch carefully.”

Chen Ping’an then looked towards Qing Rang, “That method of yours, the talisman for taking your place in death, is there anything special about it?”

Qing Rang generously smiled, “A self-created talisman, tentatively named ‘Kite’. Whether or not to attach a mustard seed of my spiritual essence to the substitute talisman can be considered as needed.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly understood; it was like releasing several kites, with Qing Rang’s true body lightly holding the strings. If danger arose, he simply had to let go?

No wonder even Yu Xuandu couldn’t follow the trail and find this person’s whereabouts. The difficulty was akin to a mortal trying to grasp the wind and capture shadows.

Earlier, he had deliberately mentioned the word “seer” to Qing Rang. Chen Ping’an wasn’t just picking flying swords from a “basket”; he had a purpose.

He not only looked at appearances but also at the bones of a person. In addition to observing a person’s fortune, he also observed the fortune of a country and a continent.

This Qing Rang, in addition to his main path of talismans, must be proficient in geomancy and numerology.

Qing Rang frankly said, “If I were to truly set up a fortune-telling stall in the marketplace, Hidden Official’s business might not be as good as mine.”

Chen Ping’an asked with a smile, “How so?”

Qing Rang said, “Hidden Official is determined to mend the flaws of Tongye Continent, which will clash with the remaining barbaric dao intent of the continent. During this period, I, being of demon race origin, am in a situation exactly opposite to that of Hidden Official. With one side diminishing and the other growing, I dare to take action. Whether you’re building a lower sect, driving a nail into Tongye Continent, or opening a large canal in the middle to connect points and lines, hoping to eventually cover the entire area, all of this requires the consumption of your own and your sect’s fortunes. This is an unavoidable battle of luck, like a swordsman facing an opponent for a long time, exhausting their spirit. You must first slowly wear down the barbaric luck of Tongye Continent with the Azure Billow Sword Sect, but that’s not enough. So you came up with another idea, to carry away the remaining barbaric luck with a surging, sea-bound canal. Now, the Dragon Lord of the East Sea is a true dragon, and accepting this barbaric luck is actually a real benefit to her Dao practice. Others cannot accept it, but Wang Zhu is stable enough, and you have the opportunity to help this neighbor take another step forward, harmonizing with the ‘water transportation’ of the East Sea and entering the Fourteenth Realm. If Wang Zhu had already harmonized with the Dao before that, it could also add icing to the cake, helping her stabilize her realm. This is also one of the reasons why Wang Zhu is willing to invest money to support the creation of a large canal in Tongye Continent. She’s not just seeking East Sea water transportation; she’s also coveting this barbaric luck, which money can’t buy, no matter how much she spends.”

Speaking to this point, Qing Rang smiled and said, “But there’s a prerequisite: you two must have formed and then dissolved your covenant. Otherwise, she would be implicated by you and unable to achieve her wishes.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “We dissolved our covenant long ago in the Sword Qi Great Wall.”

Qing Rang continued, “Such long-term planning, taking on great responsibilities, yet not being understood, being mistaken for seeking fame and profit, is indeed very tiring.” Nowadays, many Tongye Continent cultivators are saying that Falling Mountain, from the neighboring continent to the north, Chen Ping’an is ambitious. He was the last Hidden Official in the Sword Qi Great Wall, and he’s become addicted to being an official. When he returns to Haoran, he wants to replace the declining Tongye Sect and become the leader of the mountain, maneuvering all parties through the opening of the large canal, building influence, earning a reputation, and making a fortune in real money.

A swordsman who is only half a century old wants to become the “Dao Lord of two continents.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, squatted beside the fire, and said, “I never thought I would meet another confidant.”

Indeed, as Qing Rang described, the Azure Billow Sword Sect’s choice of Tongye Continent was a silent… Dao tempering.

The Azure Billow Sword Sect is itself a sword Dao sect. If it loses, the lower sect will be silent for a long time. It doesn’t matter; we swordsmen should endure heavenly trials.

This is also why Chen Ping’an has never taken his prized student’s poaching too seriously, allowing Cui Dongshan to strike erratically. It’s really not easy for Cui Dongshan to preside over the affairs of the lower sect.

Since he has acknowledged me as his teacher, he shouldn’t complain to outsiders. As a teacher, I understand.

This is even more so why Chen Ping’an’s initial intention was to have Cao Qinglang take charge of the lower sect, but in the end, he changed his mind and accepted Cui Dongshan’s self-recommendation, allowing him to be a transitional sect master.

The so-called “transition” is Cui Dongshan leading the entire lower sect to face this intangible “tribulation.”

This is also why Cui Dongshan repeatedly emphasized, hinting, why he could be regarded as half a Sword Immortal.

That wasn’t Cui Dongshan trying to get close to his teacher or Chief Zhou, but rather subtly reminding Chen Ping’an.

The sect master of the Azure Billow Sword Sect should either be Cui Dongshan, letting the disciples bear the burden, or it can only be the teacher himself concurrently.

Chief Mi had already seen through Sect Master Cui’s identity as half a Sword Immortal.

By the fire, the two sides were already close at hand.

Qing Rang asked with a smile, “Hidden Official still can’t find my true body?”

Chen Ping’an said, “With an entire Tongye Continent, how can I find you, friend?”

Qing Rang nodded, “It is difficult.”

Chen Ping’an reached out to warm himself by the fire and said, “Let me tell you something, so you can brag about it to your friends in the future.”

Qing Rang said, “I’m all ears.”

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly, “I paid a considerable price to find your true body.”

Qing Rang waited for the rest. Chen Ping’an rubbed his hands, “To this end, I made a deal with the Cave Master of Bixiao and the old Abbot of the Daoist Temple of the East Sea. Of course, you were also a small bonus. Being able to find this place, the old Abbot helped. A Land Immortal roaming freely, searching the mountains and rivers of an entire continent, and also suppressing the luck you carry, the difficulty is unimaginable. There’s no way around it; I can’t continue to let you run rampant here.”

Tongye Continent, who is the real host?

Zhou Mi once went to the Demon Suppressing Tower and met Qing Tong.
This Zhou Mi of the Wild Desolate Literary Sea would absolutely not create unnecessary complications or do anything that could strain his relationship with the Lord of Bixiao Cave. Zhou Mi would never do anything superfluous.

Similarly, since the Old Blindman was stationed in the hundred thousand mountains of the Wild Desolate, Zhou Mi had never once ventured there. There was simply no need to talk.

On this matter, the Wild Desolate shared the same mindset as the Sword Qi Great Wall. Just as Chen Qingdu had brought Ning Yao to see the Old Blindman and received an answer of “no favoritism to either side,” that was enough. Zhou Mi didn’t harbor the slightest hope that the Old Blindman would choose to stand with the Wild Desolate and slaughter his way through the Vast Expanse, or engage in a “duel of generals before the battle” with the most accomplished Bai Ye of the human world. Such a delightful scenario was simply unthinkable. Beyond that, the most important reason, of course, was that both of these “Fourteenth Realm veterans” who had attained Dao tens of thousands of years ago, whether it was the Old Blindman, who hadn’t used the name “Zhi Ci” for ten thousand years, or the Lord of Bixiao Cave of Luobao Beach, who called himself the Cai Prefecture Daoist, they were both incredibly formidable.

Otherwise, with Zhou Mi’s appetite, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t consumed Fourteenth Realm cultivators before.

First, there was Xiao Xing’s malicious scheming, then Qing Rang lurking in Tongye Continent, and a sneaky Fourteenth Realm cultivator repeatedly attempting to assassinate him in the shadows.

It was indeed annoying and worrisome.

Qing Rang remained silent.

Dou Kou and Xian Zao were even more conflicted.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “It’s not just that. Earlier, when Yu Xuan was at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, I asked Old Real Person to examine Fellow Daoist’s shattered talisman.”

Qing Rang’s expression grew even darker.

Chen Ping’an said, “The true form of your true body should be feeling apprehensive at this moment.”

Qing Rang raised his head, his brows tightly furrowed.

Intentionally doing this to disrupt my Dao heart?!

Chen Ping’an smiled faintly, “Right? That founding ancestor of Jade Talisman Palace, Fellow Daoist Yan Shi?”

Sword Cultivator Dou Kou felt heavy-hearted, and Xian Zao thought it was indeed possible. If Qing Rang was the “puppet” of the Wild Desolate’s number one talisman master, a method for attempting to attain Dao, then it would make sense.

Qing Rang curled his lip, determined not to believe such absurd nonsense. Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Always thought you had created your own world with your own hands, something to be proud of. Never imagined you had such an origin, actually related to that old ascendant with the Daoist name ‘Cloud Deep.’ After all, it’s still very different from Chen Hidden Official’s ordinary background. Fellow Daoist Qing Rang must be feeling very conflicted right now, right?”

Qing Rang threw away the bone, not even a scrap of deer meat left on it, “Indeed, I shouldn’t have provoked Hidden Official so early.”

The implication was that he would wait until his realm was higher, at least in the Upper Five Realms, before provoking this Chen Ping’an, who was so deeply scheming.

Chen Ping’an reached through the campfire, pinched his fingers as if to grab something, and when he retracted his hand, a spark of flame appeared between his fingertips.

“Qing Rang” exploded.

Logically speaking, the self-destruction of a Golden Core Earth Immortal would be extremely powerful, and not to mention this abandoned cold temple, the entire mountain would be affected by the surging energy and destroyed.

However, Qing Rang’s collapse only expanded a tiny bit, about an inch or so, before hitting an invisible barrier, like a vast tide receding as soon as it rises.

Chen Ping’an casually waved his sleeve, gently scattering the talisman ashes. He flicked his finger, and the spark of flame instantly burrowed into Xian Zao’s brow.

Within her human body’s small world, a raging fire instantly spread, destroying everything. It was as if there were millions of fire snakes, either climbing mountains or ascending to the sky.

Yu Xuan once said that at the beginning of climbing the mountain, you want to learn all kinds of techniques. But when you reach the summit, it seems like all techniques are useless.

This is probably the root of attaining Dao: you have to find a path that no predecessor has ever walked.

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Fellow Daoist Qing Rang, it’s a matter of who can outlast whom, the thief who plans for a thousand days or the one who defends against theft for a thousand days. You are welcome to hide for decades or centuries.”

Dou Kou didn’t even look at Xian Zao’s miserable situation to the side, but asked, “Qing Rang isn’t actually a clone of Yan Shi of Jade Talisman Palace, right?”

Chen Ping’an raised his hand and put the empty-skinned Xian Zao into his sleeve, saying, “The overbearing will not die peacefully, and the competitive will surely meet their match. Fellow Daoist, how do you want to die?”

Dou Kou didn’t answer the question, but instead asked, “Just burn it all away, isn’t it a pity? The Ancestral Hall of Guanghan City has many secret techniques.”

Chen Ping’an said, “The tide has ebbed and flowed many times, it’s just that you don’t remember. This is called making the most of everything.”

Dou Kou sneered, “Everything?”

Chen Ping’an said indifferently, “Or else ‘person’? You don’t deserve it.”

Chen Ping’an gently clapped his hands together.

It was as if a dozen or so “Dou Kou” in different situations merged into one.

They all had one thing in common: her natal flying sword had been stripped away.

Chen Ping’an muttered to himself, “I have a flying sword that I’ve had for a long time, but I’ve never understood its mystery. It’s like a Daoist’s Qi Palace has a mountain of a Crown Prince, but it was just missing an auxiliary flying sword, so it couldn’t open the mountain. The mysteries of the Dao are beyond words.”

In an instant, Dou Kou arrived at a landscape secret realm, finding herself standing on a white jade arched bridge, with countless corpses of swords hanging on the mountain road.

Xiao Xing had been waiting here for a long time. She wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, her expression excited, and grabbed Dou Kou’s arm, sobbing, “I’ve finally waited for you.”

Yu Shi Wu leaned against the stone bridge railing, smiling, “No need to introduce yourself, the time is still long, we’ll get to know each other.”

Time here was simply too monotonous, even someone like Yu Shi Wu had to come and see the “fresh, living person.”

Chen Ping’an, sitting cross-legged with his back against his book chest, took out his sword-nurturing gourd, looked at the two people across the campfire, and asked, “Do you know what you’re called?”

The woman didn’t dare to answer, and the pale, burly man answered in a trembling voice, “Adulterous couple.”

Chen Ping’an was speechless for a moment.

The man asked, “Immortal Master, how do you plan to deal with us lowly ones?” Chen Ping’an asked, “What’s wrong with you? You’re just a wicked person accustomed to the world, making people feel that you haven’t committed dozens of murders, you wouldn’t be worthy of your fierce appearance. And you’ve been a wild cultivator in the mountains and swamps for decades, but you’ve never killed anyone in your life?”

Although the man was puzzled, he still whispered, “I’ve been afraid of blood since I was a child. I don’t dare to kill people unless it’s absolutely necessary.”

Of course, he had killed people before. The world of rivers and lakes was deep, and the mountains were muddy. Several times he had encountered life-threatening dangers. As for why this Immortal Master said he hadn’t killed anyone, only heaven knew.
Chen Pingan gestured with his chin towards the woman and said to the man, “Although you’re a pair of mandarin ducks met by chance, and a temporary couple, she treats you well. Treat her the same. If you can find a place to live a peaceful life in the future, then don’t get involved in muddy waters.”

The woman was in reality a female ghost. In life, she had indeed been immoral, committing adultery and dying by being drowned in a pig cage. So, while it seemed the man had “forcibly taken her body,” it was hard to say who was truly at a disadvantage.

The man was bewildered and didn’t understand. How was she good to him?

Chen Pingan took a sip of wine, picked up the last piece of muntjac meat, and smiled, “Since you’re timid, be a long-lived elder in the mortal realm. There’s no need to climb the mountains seeking immortality.”

The man could only nod in agreement like a chick pecking at rice.

Chen Pingan chewed on the muntjac meat and asked, “Haven’t you heard the name ‘Chen Pingan’?”

The man and woman exchanged glances, afraid of accidentally saying the wrong thing and offending this Immortal Master. They would be finished if they did.

They heard that Immortal Masters on the mountain were similar to officials in the government, especially fond of… what was it called? Right, playing riddles!

The man pondered for a moment and said softly, “I am filled with shame and remorse. I have never heard of such a great figure.”

The woman, perhaps relying on a woman’s intuition, wasn’t as nervous. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle. Oh dear, this brute is even using refined language!

Chen Pingan smiled and asked, “Don’t you usually read the Mountain and Water Gazette?”

The man honestly replied, “I don’t waste money on that.”

The woman quickly nudged the man with her elbow. Idiot, why would you be so straightforward?

Chen Pingan drank his wine and ate his meat, “You still need to read a little.”

The woman tried to smooth things over, “Reporting to the Immortal Master, this humble servant has read for a few days.”

Chen Pingan said, “Reading is the same as not reading for you. That’s a waste of money.”

The woman’s expression turned awkward.

The man tried his best to suppress his laughter.

Chen Pingan was thinking about something. Years ago, Lotus Flower Blessed Land was divided into four, becoming four ink-wash landscape paintings.

Therefore, Chen Pingan wanted to overlap the Blessed Land, so that the souls of all the beings in Lotus Flower Blessed Land could fully recover.

Although the old Daoist Master sarcastically made a few jokes, he still agreed to this deal that Chen Pingan had been considering for a long time.

Anyway, he would profit, and the losses would be borne by Chen Pingan, this good-hearted fool who liked to meddle in everything.

Because he had arrived here in his true form, Chen Pingan was not in a hurry to return to the Supporting Clouds Mountain dojo.

He turned to look outside the main hall.

The joys and sorrows of life, a narrow path, a chance encounter.

Far from the mortal world, what is cultivating the Dao? It is slaying bandits in the mountains.

Cultivating the Dao, pursuing knowledge, and slaying bandits, one must strike at the throat.

Chen Pingan was lost in thought, then collected his thoughts, put his satchel on his back, stood up, and smiled, “I ate your muntjac meat for free, thank you. Farewell.”

The man and woman quickly got up, one performed a curtsy and said a few auspicious words, the other said that hearing his words was better than reading for ten years. The scholar, holding a bamboo staff, walked into the night, venturing out of the mountain alone.