Throughout the Mortal Realm, it was as if the very earth held its breath, awaiting the ascent of a fledgling eagle.

At long last, Ning Yao matured into a pure sword cultivator of the Fourteenth Realm. The highest hopes and expectations had been placed upon her, yet she never once faltered, never once disappointed.

Ning Yao’s ascension to the Fourteenth Realm as a pure sword cultivator, much like Cao Ci’s attainment of the Eleventh Realm in the martial path, was an inevitability unique to them.

Cao Ci had already touched the divine, and Chen Ping’an knew he must hasten his own progress. For should Cao Ci reach the pinnacle of the Martial God Realm, Chen Ping’an could well imagine that their next exchange of fists would require a debt to be repaid in full, with interest.

In the territory of Mount Caiyu, once a battleground for ancient armies, the river flowed still, its tides ever rising and falling.

Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “Why come to find this version of me first?”

Ning Yao replied, “I arrived in the Vast World long ago. First, I quietly visited the Bamboo Lodge on Fallen Peak, then I watched for a while near the Academy. Hearing the whispers of this place, I hurried over.”

Ning Yao was not so arrogant as to be blind to all else. Amidst the “Heaven’s Weep” rainstorm, as the Grand Old Sword Immortal called it, she had ascended to the Fourteenth Realm by virtue of her affinity with the Grand Dao of the Five Colors Heaven. She knew that in the other four heavens, there must surely be other masters, long preparing, awaiting only the “rain” to break through. Chen Ping’an, alas, had made many enemies. Too many cold, hidden gazes were fixed upon him. Thus, Ning Yao’s first act upon entering the Fourteenth Realm was to worry that some great cultivator, before or alongside her, might seize the chaotic opportunity and strike at Chen Ping’an.

So she made a request of the Central Earth Literary Temple, or, more precisely, she quickly procured a “passport.”

Therefore, Ning Yao’s journey to the Vast World was not merely out of longing.

Chen Ping’an held a profound attachment to the vocation of teacher. Back in Sword Qi Great Wall, near the Wine Shop, he had taught the children of Rhinoceros Alley and Fair-Foul Alley to read, also serving as a storyteller, recounting many tales of the strange and wondrous. In this matter, the Grand Old Sword Immortal was greatly pleased. Sword Qi Great Wall did not reject writing and learning; it merely disliked the Vast World.

Chen Ping’an smiled as he introduced, “Uncle Bai, this is my wife, Ning Yao. The very same Ning Yao.”

Uncle Bai nodded. “No wonder Chen Jiu has been so abstemious here on Mount Caiyu, doing nothing but tending to his duties and fishing. It seems his heart was occupied long ago.”

Chen Ping’an breathed a sigh of relief.

Ning Yao chuckled. “When it comes to matters of love between a man and a woman, I trust him implicitly.”

Because Ning Yao had appeared at the Fallen Peak Sword Inquiry ceremony at Righteous Sun Mountain, she now veiled her presence with an illusion.

Uncle Bai smiled knowingly. “You two chat, wander about Mount Caiyu as you please. I still need to oversee the mining operations at a few old pits.”

The old man then added in a mental voice, “Don’t rush off, lad. Remember to take Miss Ning to the tavern on our property for a meal. Put it on my tab.”

It was a small thing he could do to support the lad. After all, her man had made quite a name for himself.

Truth be told, even if the woman with the sword box was named Ning Yao, if Chen Jiu called himself Chen Ping’an, the old man would likely only sigh at the coincidence.

Could it truly be that this pair were Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao?

Bai Ni, for all his loyalty to the Bamboo Branch Sect, did not believe that his small sect could hold a pair so heaven-made.

Especially since Chen Jiu had served as a Guest Official for so long.

The old man glanced back at the riverside scene, where countless apricot blossoms, battered by the rain, carpeted the ground like a path of flowers.

Chen Ping’an looked toward the old man’s retreating back and called out with a smile, “Uncle Bai, remember! When I hold the banquet, I’ll send you an invitation. You’ll sit at the head table.”

Bai Ni turned back and chuckled. “That’s easily done.”

The boldest thought he allowed himself was that he might share a table with a couple of Earth Immortals. Surely his hand would not tremble when offering them wine?

Bai Ni suppressed a laugh and asked in his mind, “There wouldn’t happen to be any of those legendary Jade Pure Realm old immortals, would there?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “The Jade Pure Realm can’t sit at the head table.”

His wedding banquet’s head table would be occupied by his teacher or Fire Dragon Real Person, perhaps Xu Yuanxia or Chen Xi, or even the current Chen Ji. There truly seemed to be no room for the Jade Pure Realm.

Bai Ni nodded.

The old man understood. He knew how this lad had won over Miss Ning.

Ning Yao knew that Chen Ping’an was invariably well-liked by his elders.

Chen Ping’an had once offered a non-answer of an answer: these elders of varying character simply loved their younger selves.

Chen Ping’an led Ning Yao toward the riverbank. Ning Yao asked curiously, “How did you break through two realms in succession?”

She did not use her mental voice.

Before Chen Ping’an could speak, Ning Yao explained, “Since I am here, there’s no need for pretense. Below the Fourteenth Realm, I can sense anyone who dares to pry into this place.”

Anyone who wished to be tested by her sword was welcome to manifest their world in their palm. Alas, the Lu Clan of Central Earth Yin-Yang School had learned its lesson. Otherwise, she would have had a reason to visit the Central Earth Divine Continent.

Chen Ping’an was impressed. He nodded. “That is the Fourteenth Realm.”

Perhaps merely uttering Ning Yao’s name would be enough for her to know.

Chen Ping’an explained, “This seclusion was rather risky, a counterintuitive approach. It was like facing the bottleneck of the Jade Pure Realm in the Nascent Soul Realm, leaving myself no room for retreat. I confronted all my darkness, searched my heart, questioned my inner being, seeking truth beyond good and evil. Then, with this rain, I received some unexpected boons from the Grand Dao, related to Grandpa Cui’s bookshelf and the copper and golden-essence coins I left at the Immortal’s Graveyard. But those are just the obvious clues. It’s related to all my past, to the landscapes I have walked. It’s a kind of…echo. As for the one-into-nine talisman technique, that took a lot of thought. Not to brag, but these fanciful ideas were ingenious, linked together. Would you like to hear about it? Old Real Person Yu, who visited Fallen Peak, thought it quite remarkable…”

Ning Yao nodded. “Tell me in detail. I’m not in a hurry.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled to himself, recalling Zheng Dafeng’s saying: whether it was a rainy day for making shoes or a rainy day for having babies, there was nothing else to do but *hehehe*.

After hearing Chen Ping’an’s detailed description of the seclusion, Ning Yao nodded. “A dangerous path, fraught with peril. That…child, ultimately, chose to leave of his own accord. It may not have been acceptance or approval of his grown-up self, but rather that he was kind-hearted and didn’t want you to continue struggling. Of course, this is just my personal opinion, not necessarily the truth. You needn’t feel burdened by it.”

Chen Ping’an was silent for a long time. He had, in fact, questioned his own pure divinity about this, but neither had a definitive answer.

The observer sees clearly. Perhaps Ning Yao spoke the truth.

Ning Yao said, “In any case, now that you are a Grand Sword Immortal, the road ahead will be clear and straightforward. Right, Grand Sword Immortal Chen?”

In a way, ascending from Jade Pure Realm to Immortal Realm was a major hurdle, requiring more “questioning the heart and seeking the truth.” But ascending from Immortal Realm to Ascension Realm was more about “cultivating power.”

It was merely a matter of completing a nascent Dao Heart on an existing path, discarding the dross, refining the soul. The cultivator would begin to rearrange the microcosm of their body, selecting suitable Qi Residences to cultivate with care, like building a Grotto-Heaven upon the foundation of a Blessed Land. Finally, the Grotto-Heaven and Blessed Land would connect, resulting in Ascension.

Each Qi Residence was a separate Blessed Land. Those born with good aptitude for cultivation, blessed by heaven, had more rice bowls and thus more Blessed Lands, leading to a grander Ascension.

Ascension could occur during the day, on a dragon, with luminous clouds, on a crane, or with the entire household rising. Historically, there were over sixty recorded types of Ascension.

Before coming, Ning Yao’s true concern, her greatest worry, was how Chen Ping’an would return to the Jade Pure Realm and how he would go a step further from there, returning to simplicity and attaining the Immortal Realm. Since ancient times, no fool had ever climbed the mountains of cultivation. Thus, how a sufficiently clever person would face an even cleverer Heart Devil was a tremendous challenge.

The Dao rises a foot, the Devil rises ten. This was not some lightly dismissed Taoist saying. And the journey from Jade Pure to Immortal was, according to some peak cultivators, a rehearsal for Ascension Realm to Fourteenth Realm. Although Ning Yao did not quite understand the depths of that, she trusted the words of those at the top. The result: Chen Ping’an had taken the path to the top with one breath, ascending two realms! That released all burden on her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow: her vision was not poor!

Chen Ping’an deliberately ignored Ning Yao’s teasing tone and said in a serious manner, “When I return to Ascension City, I must thank Yuan Zao Hua, that child king. That little girl placed me eleventh among the peak sword immortals of the city, a very visionary decision. Next time we meet, I must teach her a few good fist techniques.”

Ning Yao said, “Recently, a large number of Middle-Fifth Realm Qi cultivators have emerged in the Five Colors Heaven. It’s likely there will soon be a wave of clandestine Jade Pure Realm cultivators.”

If she, as the nominal number one of all beneath the heavens, had not ascended to the Fourteenth Realm and once again widened the distance between herself and all cultivators of the Five Colors Heaven, then the gradually solidifying situation of all beneath the heavens could have undergone earth-shaking changes in a single night.

Chen Ping’an said, “The ancients said that Heaven knows it will let them starve, so Heaven makes it rain grain. Since Heaven rains grain, they must strive to cross first. If they hoard now, they will end up like Cheng Yuanshan, the Arm Saint of Lotus Flower Blessed Land.” He wondered how many brand new Fourteenth Realm cultivators would emerge in the Barren World.

Once, there was Great Ancestor Tuoyue Mountain. Zhou Mi. The Great Demon of the Barren World, who created the Hall of Valor, ascended first. Qie Yun’s teacher, Lu Fayun, who was eaten by Zhou Mi. Bai Ze.

Now, Nameless, Bai Jing, and Little Mo, those long-sleeping ancient cultivators, were all at the peak of the Ascension Realm, poised to cross a major threshold.

There was also Xiao Xun, the former Hidden Official, who had reached the Fourteenth Realm early at the cost of “impurity.” And, of course, Fei Ran, the sword cultivator who had replaced Great Ancestor Tuoyue Mountain as the sovereign of the Barren World. And that “Zong Yuan,” whose sword heart was pure.

This act of dispersing Dao by the Three Sages, coupled with the Vast World’s advance on the Barren World, would inevitably accelerate the ascent of a small number of great Barren World cultivators.

Ning Yao asked, “When will you conclude things in Jade Proclamation Kingdom?”

Chen Ping’an said, “In a few days. I’ve chosen to visit on Qingming Festival.”

Ning Yao asked, “Do you need me to protect the formation?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head and chuckled. “No need. At most, it’s just Ma Ku Xuan and the repentant Yu Shiwu, two Jade Pures. No matter how hard they try, they can’t stir up any waves.”

Ning Yao chuckled. “‘Two Jade Pures, that’s all’? Since becoming a Grand Sword Immortal, your tone has changed.”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “After all, the Immortal Realm sword cultivators of our Sword Qi Great Wall can be considered Ascension Realm Qi cultivators in the Vast World.”

Ning Yao asked, “What now?”

Chen Ping’an said, “I have a few small matters to deal with. Then I can withdraw the formation. It’s harvest season at the academy, time to pick Mingqian tea. I’ll give the students a few days off and have my true body make a trip to the capital of Jade Proclamation Kingdom in advance.”

Ning Yao said, “Then I’ll go to Sword Qi Great Wall and return soon.”

Chen Ping’an chuckled. “No need to worry that I’ll suddenly be struck by a technique from a Fourteenth Realm cultivator.”

Ning Yao said, “What if it’s from Myriad Continent?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Then I’ll respond to their unreasonableness in kind. We’ll see who suffers more.”

After all, he still had a wisp of his spirit wandering beyond the heavens. If Myriad Continent dared to pick a fight, besides being held accountable by the Literary Temple, Chen Ping’an would not mind appearing in the Azure-Dark Heaven in a pure form.

Ning Yao nodded. “Be careful.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly said, “Although I no longer have Yin Divinity or Yang Divinity, I’ve built a preliminary framework for a Dharma Idol, imitating Qi Xian’s Dharma Idol in the Battle of Old Dragon City.”

“Furthermore, Liu Xianyang once taught me a complete ancestral Sword Scripture in Sword Qi Great Wall. Back then, the threshold for that sword art was too high for me. I lacked the ability, couldn’t even begin to learn it. Now I have a chance to try. I practiced it tens of thousands of times in the mental realm when I was facing my Heart Devil. I don’t know how effective it will be yet. But the first target to be sacrificed to the sword might be some remnant of the Barren World hiding in Tongye Continent. That female sword cultivator who goes by the name of Dou Kou is rather persistent.”

“There are many more truths, some thoughts, that I have suppressed, temporarily forgotten. I can only tell you in detail after I withdraw the formation.”

Ning Yao gave a soft “mm.”

Without any lingering, Ning Yao silently crossed the sea. However, she did not head straight to Sword Qi Great Wall but rather to the Northern Ju Lu Continent. There, she visited the heavily guarded Pure-Cool Sect and severed He Xiaoliang’s wrist with a single stroke of her sword. Standing there, He Xiaoliang, her face ashen and helpless, rubbed her wrist. The half-section of red thread that she had deliberately left behind had been sliced into dust by Ning Yao’s sword.

Ning Yao did not bother to speak a single word, heading directly away from the Northern Ju Lu Continent to the Eastern Sea Water Dragon Palace. There, she met the woman who had once been named Zhi Gui, Wang Zhu. Sensing Ning Yao’s current realm, Wang Zhu’s expression visibly soured. When they first met in Mud Bottle Lane, they had clashed from the outset, each disliking the other. Thus, this reunion after many years was not very pleasant. Ning Yao merely reminded her to be careful. Wang Zhu smiled charmingly and made a few barbed remarks, congratulating Ning Yao as the youngest Fourteenth Realm cultivator in history.

Ning Yao tugged at the corner of her mouth, dropping a “Still the same as ever” before departing.

Passing by the New Rain Dragon Sect, Ning Yao hesitated for a moment but still stopped to meet the New Sect Master, Nalan Caihuan.

Nalan Caihuan did not expect Ning Yao to have reached the Fourteenth Realm. She had mistakenly assumed that Ning Yao was in the Ascension Realm. After all, it had only been a few years since the entire city ascended to the Five Colors Heaven, and Ning Yao had already broken through three realms in succession.

Leaving Rain Dragon Sect and arriving at the ruins of Sword Qi Great Wall, Ning Yao stood alone on one of the half-collapsed walls, her back to the unfamiliar north, gazing at the familiar south.

Pei Min was too well hidden; Ning Yao could not find him.

Therefore, Ning Yao had been hesitant on this journey, wondering whether to make another detour to find that Great Demon Yang Zhi, who was now in Tongye Continent, said to be by the side of the eternally youthful Empress Daquan. In the end, she decided against it. Ning Yao believed Chen Ping’an could do better. Just like the Sword Inquiry at Righteous Sun Mountain, she could not have made those sword immortals suffer while also remaining uneasy, disgusted by Fallen Peak.

Ning Yao floated down from the wall, looking up at the large characters on the wall.

The most recent inscription was a single character, “萍” (píng), carved by Chen Ping’an.

Life is like duckweed, fleeting and hurried.

Now, there were many wandering Qi cultivators from other lands visiting this place, lingering among the strokes of the large characters, drinking and chatting idly.

Ning Yao recalled how she used to sit there with her friends.

This time returning to Sword Qi Great Wall, Ning Yao had a selfish motive: to help Chen Ping’an as a lobbyist.

As for whether Qi Tingji would feel resentment, resenting her for poaching talent, Ning Yao did not care.

Qi Tingji, the old sword immortal who had also carved characters on the wall, was still only in the Ascension Realm.

Among the local sword cultivators of Sword Qi Great Wall who had returned home after many years of hiding in the Barren World, only Xing Yun, who came from Fair-Foul Alley, and Liu Shui, whose family was on Great Image Street, had chosen the Azure Duckweed Sword Sect.

The rest, like Gao Shuang, Guo Du, and Huang Ling, seemed more inclined toward the Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect that Qi Tingji had established in the Southern Po娑洲. The Jin Gao family had always had close ties with the Qi family, so that choice was easy to understand. The female sword cultivator Zhu Su came from Xuan Tablet Street and had once been a family retainer of the Qi family. Her choice was also understandable. Zhu An, a former member of the Hidden Official lineage, had been Xiao Xun’s right-hand man.

None of those sword cultivators, either from home or the Barren World, had Ning Yao ever met. The years were too many; they were too many generations apart.

When they left their hometown, voluntarily going to the Barren World as suicide soldiers, most of them were Earth Immortals, or were not even Gold Core or Nascent Soul, except for Huang Ling and Xuan Yang, who had already made a name for themselves in Sword Qi Great Wall. The archives of the Avoid-Summer Palace never recorded these names, fearing that the list would leak out and Tuoyue Mountain would follow the trail. As it turned out, this was both wise and unnecessary, because Xiao Xun, after betraying Sword Qi Great Wall with the Hidden Official lineage’s two Jade Pure Realm sword cultivators, Luo Shan and Zhu An, had never helped the Barren World find any of its spies.

This showed that Xiao Xun truly hated the Vast World and, consequently, the entire Sword Qi Great Wall. She felt too stifled and chose to defect to the Barren World. But Xiao Xun held no resentment toward those hometown sword cultivators who seemed to be waiting to die or die for nothing.

Ning Yao strolled casually through the former battlefield, stopping at one point to squat down and pick up a handful of soil.

On the wall and below, someone had recognized the woman with the sword box, and the news spread, quickly causing a commotion.

The weight of the number one person in a heaven, recognized by the Grand Dao, was something every cultivator knew.

Therefore, no cultivator dared to approach and greet the woman.

On the wall, a group of Qi cultivators from Precious Bottle Continent were proud and delighted. Ning Yao was the Dao Companion of Chen Jianxian of their continent! The other eight continents could go to hell!

Ning Yao soon sensed the sword cultivator’s aura in Walking Ford and greeted them.

Sensing the commotion at Sword Qi Great Wall, Qi Tingji and Wei Jin quickly arrived on their swords, along with some unfamiliar faces, all of whom were sword cultivators.

Ning Yao turned around and bowed to the sword cultivators.

Qi Tingji, being the highest in realm, had the best eyesight. Suppressing the ripples in his Dao Heart, he merely inquired with his eyes.

Ning Yao nodded slightly.

Qi Tingji could not hide his wry smile. If he were not cautious, he would have asked this Ning kid, who seemed to have broken through four realms in the blink of an eye, which path she had merged with.

Wei Jin, the Grand Sword Immortal of Wind-Snow Temple, said apologetically, “It was only with the Grand Old Sword Immortal’s help that I received some sword intent from Senior Zong Yuan.”

Ning Yao said, “If Wei Jianxian’s own mastery of the sword was not sufficient, the Grand Old Sword Immortal could not have helped.”

Wei Jin smiled. “The horizontal scroll in the Wine Shop was not misleading.”

After all, Wei Jianxian was the biggest patron of that Wine Shop.

As a Barren World sword cultivator, the woman Ling Xun and the “young” sword immortal with the Dao name Zhen Ze were clearly curious about this once peerless sword cultivator of Sword Qi Great Wall.

Ling Xun introduced herself first. “My name is Ling Xun. I am Guo Du’s Dao Companion.”

The Immortal Realm sword cultivator smiled. “I follow my master’s surname. My Dao name is Zhen Ze, but I go by Mei Dandang.”

Mei Kan reached out and ruffled the “young” man’s head, smiling. “This disciple of mine reached the Immortal Realm at the age of two hundred. His aptitude isn’t bad.”

Xuan Yang said bluntly, “We all received flying sword messages from Xing Yun and Liu Shui, so we agreed to meet Sect Master Qi.”

Xuan Yang and Liu Shui’s teacher was an old friend.

However, Xuan Yang was not too keen on going to Tongye Continent or Fallen Peak.

Huang Ling asked in his mind, “Ning Yao, Qi Tingji said that Chen Ping’an fell to the Nascent Soul Realm after returning his realm?”

Ning Yao nodded.

Huang Ling chuckled. “Then I won’t go to Azure Duckweed Sword Sect. The Sect Master Cui doesn’t seem to be a sword cultivator.”

Mei Kan smiled and said, “Firstly, Chen Ping’an was once a Hidden Official. Secondly, rumors say that the atmosphere in Tongye Continent is not good. My disciple is, after all, of the demon race, so we master and disciple won’t go to cause trouble for the Hidden Official.”

This was clearly finding a reason for no reason.

“As you wish.”

Ning Yao said, glowing. “But Chen Ping’an is now a sword immortal.”

Her implication was that, excluding Qi Tingji, the rest of them, including Wei Jin, were no match for Chen Ping’an in a one-on-one fight.

It seemed that the job of lobbyist was hopeless. Ning Yao did not force it; a forced melon is not sweet.

Zhu Su suddenly said with a smile, “Even Mi Hu’s younger brother is now in the Immortal Realm? I’ll have to visit Azure Duckweed Sword Sect.”

She only remembered the ugly young man, Mi Hu, and had no impression of Mi Yu.

However, Zhu Su had heard many rumors about the Mi brothers in the Barren World.

It seemed that this group of sword cultivators was determined to stay at the Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect.

Gao Shuang, Zhu Su, Jin Gao, Guo Du and his Dao Companion Ling Xun, Huang Ling, Xuan Yang, Mei Kan, and his disciple Mei Dandang:

All were Upper-Fifth Realm sword cultivators, whether they were retainers or guest elders. Just here, at this moment, there were nine of them.

If you added Lu Zhi, who would surely reach the Ascension Realm, the Jade Pure Realm sword cultivator Shao Jingyan, and the Jade Pure Realm Rosy-Cheeked Lady, would Qi Tingji’s Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect be the undisputed number one sword dao sect among the heavens? In the Vast World today, besides Yu Xuan’s Talisman Mountain and Zheng Juzhong’s White Emperor City, which other sects could compete with it?

Was Qi Tingji willing to stay in the Vast World and establish a sect to wait for this day?

Even Ning Yao could not help but ask, “Are there any other sword cultivators joining Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect?”

Qi Tingji nodded with a smile. “About three or four more.”

It seemed that the sect that had truly inherited the legacy of Sword Qi Great Wall was not Chen Ping’an, the last Hidden Official, but Qi Tingji’s Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect.

Wei Jin joked, “It seems that the reputation of the Old Sword Immortal is more effective than that of the Young Hidden Official.”

He was a named guest elder of Fallen Peak, so he could not side with outsiders.

Qi Tingji nodded. “A sect with more Upper-Fifth Realm cultivators than Lower- and Middle-Fifth Realm cultivators: we Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect are the only one.”

Therefore, the obsessive Qi Old Sword Immortal had decided to raise the threshold for recruiting disciples even higher. He would select the best of the best. He would teach those sword immortal embryos who were sent to the sect by various forces to the best of his ability, but he would not formally accept them. Each young sword cultivator would need his personal approval to be included in the sect’s records. Suppose Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect one day had twenty Upper-Fifth Realm cultivators. Then, the total number of disciples besides “sword immortals” on the Gold-Jade Register would only be nineteen.

Qi Tingji planned to make a trip to Tongye Continent in the near future, personally inviting Xu Jun, the “Sword Immortal Xu” of Gold Armor Continent, to join Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect as the Sect’s Enforcer.

It was fortunate that Ning Yao, not Chen Ping’an, had come here.

Otherwise, Qi Tingji would not have dared to say such a thing. The Hidden Official Chen would not have been as easy to talk to as Ning Yao.

Ning Yao said, “May the strong grow stronger. I hope Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect can continue to work hard and strive for the number one sect foundation in the Vast World.”

She would definitely be biased toward Chen Ping’an and Fallen Peak, but if Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect could thrive, she would think it was a good thing and would be happy to see it happen.

Qi Tingji asked with a smile, “Ning Yao, can you say?”

Ning Yao asked in confusion, “Say what?”

Qi Tingji reluctantly revealed the secret in his mind. “Ning Yao is already a Fourteenth Realm pure sword cultivator.”

The handsome old sword immortal in white robes meant that their Sword Qi Great Wall finally had another person who had reached the peak of the sword dao.

Even Qi Tingji, the most selfish of sword immortals, whom even Chen Qingdu did not want to go to the Five Colors Heaven, choosing instead to entrust Ascension City to Chen Xi, was still Qi Tingji.

Qi Tingji chuckled. “Shall we go take a look at the wall?”

Those who discussed matters on the wall in the past were all sword immortals.

In ten thousand years, the only exception was when the Grand Old Sword Immortal personally appointed Chen Ping’an to take over the mess of the Hidden Official lineage.

Ning Yao nodded.

Together, they flew to the wall.

On the wall, eleven Upper-Fifth Realm sword cultivators stood, squatted, or sat.

Some of the sword cultivators who had returned home but no longer had a home were saddened that there was no longer a swing on the wall. Others were saddened that there were no longer any sword immortal private residences where they could visit and drink. Still others were saddened by Fair-Foul Alley, or by not seeing the Grand Old Sword Immortal’s thatched cottage.

Ning Yao asked softly, “Did you invite Old Deaf to join Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect?”

Qi Tingji shook his head. “Having finally regained his freedom, Old Deaf wouldn’t walk into a trap. And Old Deaf is well-hidden; I estimate that no one will find him until the end of the war.”

Zhu Su smiled and teased, “Ning Yao, you came to lobby for your man, but you didn’t get anyone. Aren’t you the least bit bothered?”

Ning Yao said, “There’s nothing to be bothered about.”

Wei Jin said, “Ning Yao, please give Chen Ping’an a message. He can take away the ten-thousand-year pine tree on God-Terrace Mountain if he wants. Just tell him I agreed. In return, Fallen Peak should take care of Wind-Snow Temple’s disciples in the future.”

Ning Yao asked in confusion, “Are you planning to find an opportunity to test swords with Zong Yuan?”

Wei Jin’s silence was the answer.

Ning Yao said, “I’m going to the Ten-Thousand Mountains.”

Qi Tingji said, “If you have the chance, visit Lu Zhi at Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect.”

Ning Yao said, “I won’t persuade her to go to Azure-Dark Heaven.”

Qi Tingji chuckled. “No need to persuade.”

Now, Ning Yao’s mere presence at Dragon-Elephant Sword Sect was more effective than any words of persuasion.

Ning Yao nodded, her figure disappearing from the wall.

After Ning Yao left the wall, several sword cultivators simultaneously exhaled. After all, their age and dao age were what they were; they couldn’t show weakness when Ning Yao was there.

But they had to admit that being so close to a Fourteenth Realm pure sword cultivator was stressful. Moreover, Ning Yao was the number one person in a brand new heaven.

As one of only two outsiders, Mei Dandang asked a big question: “Do Ning Yao and Fei Ran have the best chance of reaching the same realm as the Three Sages?”

If Qi Tingji did not speak, no one dared to answer.

After a long silence, Ling Xun smiled and said, “I’m curious what kind of person the Hidden Official Chen is, that he could make Ning Yao like him.”

Qi Tingji chuckled. “He is an extremely stubborn and clever person. Even if you disagree with his dao and can’t be friends, try not to provoke him.”

Xuan Yang asked in surprise, “That’s high praise?”

Qi Tingji changed to a more vivid analogy: “Think of him as a Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, only younger.”

Someone shook his head, clearly not believing it.

Ning Yao arrived at that familiar hilltop of the Ten-Thousand Mountains.

She saw a girl with rosy cheeks and a sable hat sitting on the edge of the cliff, lost in thought.

The Old Blind Man rarely came out of his hut, smiling. “Ning kid is here? Oh, not bad, not bad. We have to call each other Dao Friends from now on.”

Ning Yao smiled slightly. “Grandpa Zhi Ci.”

The Old Blind Man nodded. “When will you hold the banquet? Remember to reserve a seat for me. I have to sit at the head table.”

Ning Yao said, “I don’t know. I can’t urge him about such things.”

The Old Blind Man nodded. “Outrageous.”

The girl in the sable hat perked up her ears, turned her head, and said with a flattering expression, “Wow, you’re Ning Yao, our Mountain Lord’s wife?”

Ning Yao asked in her mind, “Are you Bai Jing? Have you seen the Five Supreme of the Old Celestial Court?”

Xie Gou rubbed her sable hat, smiling. “I’ve never seen that one, but I’ve seen the other four from afar. I wouldn’t dare approach them. The wielder of the sword, the one in armor, the Water God, and who else? Oh dear, my memory…”

Ning Yao smiled.

The Old Blind Man chuckled. “See, there’s a reason why she can’t sleep with strangers.”

Ning Yao nodded. “No wonder.”

Xie Gou pouted. “I’m busy choosing my path of merging with the Dao. I won’t argue with you.”

Over at Mount Caiyu, after Ning Yao left, Chen Ping’an went down to the old pit to say goodbye to Uncle Bai.

On the way, he encountered two young stonemasons he knew, taking a break from work, holding water bottles and chewing dry rations. Seeing the Outer Sect Clerk, they did not stand on ceremony and called him by name.

The younger generation who made a living on Mount Caiyu liked to talk to Chen Jiu. He was generous, had a good temper, could drink, and could tell many strange and wonderful stories. Stories that others would only tell to five-tenths the greatness, would have the details told perfectly when coming from Chen Jiu, as well as places for idioms that kept going on and on. Chen Ping’an asked the two boys what they were talking about. One of them smiled and said they were talking about the Mountain Lord Chen of Fallen Peak, who was good at establishing a sect, finding a wife, and accepting disciples.

The other boy said that their Mount Caiyu was not bad either, only lacking a Chen Jianxian who knew how to make money.

Chen Ping’an nodded and smiled. “You understand Chen Jianxian.”

“Chen Jiu, you have so much experience in the pugilistic world. Have you ever met Chen Ping’an?”

“At most, I’ve met him twice.”

Once was on Fushui Island in the Northern Ju Lu Continent, and once was in his own mental world.

One boy put his hands behind his head. “I don’t know what I would say to Chen Ping’an if I really met him.”

Chen Ping’an reached out his hand, and the other thin boy expertly tore off half a dried vegetable cake and handed it to Chen Jiu.

Chen Ping’an squatted down to chew slowly, smiling. “Think hard. You can think of something now.”

The thin, dark boy complained, “Chen Jiu, you’re a Guest Official, but you’re always freeloading from us. Do you have any shame?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “The Guest Official is eating your cake; that’s giving you face, okay? You boys are generous to give me cake every time. So that extra complaint is unnecessary. Take it back quickly.”

The boy rolled his eyes. After all, if they were talking about freeloading, they were the more excessive ones. Chen Jiu never managed to keep a few salted fish; they always managed to snatch them away.

The boy who had been seriously thinking about the question came back to his senses and asked, “Chen Jiu, didn’t you resign as Outer Sect Clerk? A good horse doesn’t eat the grass it’s already eaten. Why did you come back?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Young men learn swordsmanship, already possess the eye to see clouds, in the midst of warblers and flowers, raise their heads and survey all directions, recently able to ride a horse, not weaker than ancient heroes, the sword can stand against one person, the book is enough to record names, long wind enters short sleeves, the inner hand is like holding ice, alone in the empty mountains, humming in the box last night, I and you two, our friendship runs deep.”

The boy sighed. Here he goes again. Chen Jiu’s pompous words were not as interesting as his dirty jokes.

Chen Ping’an smiled slightly. “Shall I explain it to you in detail?”

The thin boy slapped his head and took out another cake. “Alright, alright. I knew half a cake wouldn’t shut your mouth.”

Chen Ping’an laughed heartily and did not stand on ceremony with the generous young man.

A graceful girl walked by, her waist slender, her steps light. The boys immediately raised their voices.

In Tongye Continent, in the capital of Cloud Rock Kingdom, Jiang Shangzhen led Xu Jiaoqie, who was going by the name Luo Wan, to find Wen Yu, the Deputy Mountain Lord of Sky-Eye Academy. After Wen Yu read Chen Ping’an’s secret letter, not only did he not hesitate, but he also helped “Luo Wan” to plan and finalize the details of how to realistically impersonate Han Yushu, the Sect Master of the Ten Thousand Jade Sect.

Outside the capital, at Fish-Scale Ford, Liu Youzhou and Liu Suiyu and Yu Juanfu went out to a small restaurant, where they got into an argument with a group of unruly mountain Qi cultivators. The former went for the special food, while the latter went specifically to the small restaurant to experience the hardships of the people. Seeing that Liu Youzhou seemed to be an embroidered pillow, yet was able to bring