**The Whisper of Immortals**

A Daoist master, a figure touched by the ethereal grace of the sword immortal, held power in their very words, capable of summoning frost to the heavens and stillness to the earth.

Xiao Pu, a spirit bound to the mortal realm, stood frozen. A chilling certainty settled upon her: the bloody skirmish at the Ma manor had not been the clash of Jade Purity realms against Jade Purity, with mere martial arts and spiritual powers thrown into the fray.

It had been immortals against immortals.

Xiao Pu and her brother Liu had speculated on the cost of Chen Ping’an and the White Jade Capital’s Master Lu borrowing realms and Dao techniques. Even if Chen Ping’an were a Peak Martial Artist, she believed he would plummet to the Cave Realm. Liu, however, argued that Chen Ping’an’s martial physique was extraordinary. In the Tong Ye Continent, he had reached the Peak through sheer power and martial prowess, a force that might halt his decline at the Golden Core.

Liu Taozhi, ever the diplomat, interjected, “The Washers of Vengeance exiled by Cui Chan were of our Western Mountain Sword Hermit lineage only, unrelated to Qin Buyi and Xiao Pu’s branch. Their movements in the Bao Ping Continent are unbound by the regulations of Great Li. Were it not for the mandate of the grand hall requiring us to guard Master Cheng in rotation, I would not have set foot on this continent again.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, correcting him gently, “Merely escorted out of the borders, not driven away. Senior Brother Cui was quite courteous to the Western Mountain Sword Hermits.”

Xiao Pu, blunt and forthright, bristled at such veiled speech. She nearly blurted out that the diminished Great Li Dynasty, clinging to a mere half of a continent, had no jurisdiction over matters in the south.

Liu Taozhi, using his Inner Voice, cautioned her to hold fast to her Daoist heart, lest she imperil herself. He then explained, “Xiao Pu’s breakthrough from Nascent Soul was fraught with peril. Her heart demon manifested as a man named Chen, tied to her past life. Later, an assassination attempt left her shattered in the Qu City, unable to escape her karmic tribulation, and she became a spirit. Hence, her discomposure upon meeting Sword Immortal Chen.”

A Chen was the heart demon, a Chen-named sword immortal shattered her form, and now, she was dealing with yet another Chen. A bitter draught indeed.

The mention of her painful past brought a snort from the woman in the green dress. The past was the past, but for the stubborn Xiao Pu, it was as vivid as the present.

Her spirit dimmed. In the brutal language of the streets, one vows to seek vengeance or be unworthy of life. But she was already a ghost, still unable to exact revenge. They were irreconcilable, truly.

She was a spirit, and her enemy remained among the living, separated by the veil of life and death. Yet, she walked beneath the sun, while he had vanished to some unknown place. Xiao Pu had risked much, exchanging merits for scraps of information, bartering her meager virtue for “road permits,” all to no avail. In the truest sense, they could not coexist under the heavens.

Chen Ping’an, after a mere journey to the Jade Promulgation Kingdom, had already avenged his grievances. Was it the fate of ghosts to be tormented by the successes of mortals?

Chen Ping’an said, “Cultivators and Sword Cultivator Chen Ping’an can understand, but Junior Brother Cui Chan and the new Great Li state preceptor will not.”

He glanced at Xiao Pu of the Cherry Azure Robes lineage.

Even a Minister of Justice rejected the offer, would they expect him to be a county magistrate? If he refused, would they think him discourteous, not giving them face? Who, then, was being arrogant?

Xiao Pu, a woman transformed into an immortal spirit, hailed from the elite Cherry Azure Robes, assassins by trade. Her Dao heart should have been as unbreakable as iron, as unyielding as a mountain. Yet, her will wavered like paper in the wind.

She remained silent, for Liu had warned her with his Inner Voice. Any more rash words, and he would invoke the regulations of the grand hall.

There were two more reasons that Liu Taozhi left unsaid.

The young sword immortal before them radiated a Daoist aura so potent that it seemed to form its own realm. His yang energy was pure and burning, like fire itself. To a spirit, even his stillness was an invitation to a sword duel. Liu Taozhi, a Sage Realm cultivator who had toiled in the art of Daoist cultivation, could remain unperturbed. But Xiao Pu, merely of the Jade Purity Realm, could easily be swayed by Chen Ping’an’s Daoist aura and state of mind. In this realm, Xiao Pu saw in Chen Ping’an a mirror to her soul, and he, the figure in the looking glass, seemed to control her heart as if she was a puppet on a string.

Furthermore, Xiao Pu was the Washer of Vengeance most intertwined with Chen Ping’an’s fate, without question.

Liu Taozhi and Qin Buyi saw Chen Ping’an primarily as the young Hidden Official, a disciple of the Sage. Hence, they could meet with clarity, addressing the matter at hand.

But Xiao Pu was different. She had witnessed Chen Ping’an’s past, making it difficult for her to maintain composure. Although, of course, he was still young.

Liu Taozhi was confident that Chen Ping’an had already considered these reasons. Whether they were spoken or not made no difference.

Liu Taozhi said, “The position of leader in Xiao Pu’s lineage has been vacant for centuries. She has toiled tirelessly, traversing three continents, most notably during that great war, where she ventured to the Tong Ye Continent to accumulate external merit, hoping to fill the void. Since Qin Buyi stepped down, the Cherry Azure Robes have failed to produce a figure of both virtue and Daoist accomplishment who could command universal respect. A century ago, the grand hall established a new rule: the one with the highest merit would become the leader, the one with the highest realm would become the law enforcer, and the one with the thickest Daoist power would become the transmitter, responsible for seeking out seeds of immortality.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. Fairness resided in the hearts of men, and earned merit should not be ignored.

He glanced at Xiao Pu again.

If this woman in the green dress was one of three candidates for the leadership of the Cherry Azure Robes, how high were the realms of the other two?

Xiao Pu returned his gaze.

He saw through her carefully crafted mountain and water ban, recognizing her true face? Could it be that, like that prodigious young scholar who had long lusted after Gongsun Lingling, he did not favor slender maidens but women of a certain age and fullness? Was that why he had never appreciated the beauty of Sui Jingcheng? Was it a matter of taste?

Chen Ping’an smiled.

First Gao Zhu’s “excessive indulgence in wine and women,” and now the woman in the green dress’s “mismatched taste.” Were their eyes planted on their posteriors?

Sensing the heavy atmosphere and seeking to defuse the tension, Liu Taozhi chuckled, “Since we have failed to reach an agreement with National Preceptor Chen, and Immortal Yuan of Hu Prefecture has arrived at Chongyang Temple, all subsequent matters shall be entrusted to Xiao Pu’s discretion. The grand hall can find no fault in that. I am happy to be free of these burdens and seek my fortune on another continent. Truth be told, National Preceptor Chen, Great Li’s Song clan may not be as effective as we are in finding promising seedlings of immortality for your Falling Phoenix Mountain. The imperial court can only seek the best talents in the Bao Ping and Tong Ye Continents, while we can quietly toil for twenty years for the grand hall’s honored guest, scouring the eight continents. When Falling Phoenix Mountain reopens after its period of seclusion, the number of registered disciples from the main lineage will surely equal, if not surpass, that of the lower sects…”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, smiling, “There is merit in busyness, and peace in idleness. There is no need for Senior Liu to persuade me further.”

One should not strike a smiling face, and one should not be impolite to one who is being polite. Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment and said, “Henceforth, whether the Western Mountain Sword Hermits remain here to secretly protect your elders or journey beyond Great Li’s Hu Prefecture to guide and uplift, there shall be no issue. However, let me be frank: I will report and record this matter with the Great Li court.”

Liu Taozhi and Xiao Pu, being upright gentlemen, would be treated as such, but it would not be a reason to think that Chen Ping’an and the Great Li court are fools.

Understanding his implied meaning, Liu Taozhi immediately nodded, “If any dispute arises between our sect and Great Li’s Bureau of Justice due to a promising cultivator, the Western Mountain Sword Hermits will yield and seek disciples elsewhere.”

This was the essence of reciprocity, returning a favor with a kindness.

Sensing Chen Ping’an’s gaze upon her again, Xiao Pu added, “I have yet to ascend to the leadership of the Cherry Azure Robes and cannot make any guarantees. However, I will write to the grand hall, suggesting that we yield to Great Li’s Bureau of Justice and Spies. However, the success of this matter depends on the deliberations of the grand hall; my words alone are insufficient.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, nodding, “The foundation of a transaction lies not in coin or goods, but in trust.”

Xiao Pu could not help but feel uneasy. More than once, this man had gazed at her figure rather than her face.

Did men always look at a woman’s bosom rather than her face? Did they favor the waist and hips over the eyes and brows? Was he truly of the same taste as that Jiang rogue?

Chen Ping’an’s true interest, of course, was not in the matters Xiao Pu imagined.

Rather, it was the woman’s multi-layered enchanted robe, which seemed to be a semi-immortal weapon, perhaps even of immortal grade.

The more Chen Ping’an looked, the more familiar it seemed. The childlike Real Person Cheng Qian of the Harmonious Joy Mountain possessed a magnificent robe passed down through generations of the Golden Citadel Sect, inherited from a disgraced disciple of Heavenly Sovereign Cao Rong. It was itself a “wordless Daoist book,” helping Cheng Qian traverse the gate between the living and the dead, to a degree ignoring the barrier between the yin and yang. The extent of his journey in the underworld, however, likely depended on his merits and Daoist power.

But the green-robed woman’s robe differed. It was not merely of a higher grade, but possessed the celestial aspect of the sun and moon, and the five stars of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, with a distinction between left and right rotation. Cheng Qian’s robe was left-rotating, while the woman’s was right-rotating. This made sense.

Real Person Cheng Qian was a living being, while Xiao Pu was a spirit. They needed opposite rotations to reverse the yin and yang, eventually arriving at the same destination, each using it to traverse the paths of the underworld.

Liu Taozhi chuckled with his Inner Voice, “Xiao Pu, our Inner Voices, even as we speak, are audible to National Preceptor Chen. Whether he can discern our thoughts beyond the Inner Voice, I cannot be certain.”

Xiao Pu’s Dao heart jolted, her face paling. She was more shocked than surprised.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “My realm is low. We are merely close, and being near the water, I get the moonlight first. I can barely hear your vague Inner Voices. As for thoughts, they are so hidden, I cannot decipher them. I can only guess, and my guesses may not be accurate.”

Liu Taozhi chuckled, “National Preceptor Chen is indeed sincere.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “I suspect that was not a compliment.”

Xiao Pu sighed softly. It seemed that anyone named Chen was to be avoided.

Was she in debt to them in a past life?

Chen Ping’an clasped his hands in a salute, “Farewell. Until next time, for a drink.”

Liu Taozhi returned the salute, “Our next encounter will likely be on another continent, as fellow wanderers. Then, I shall taste the Second Shopkeeper’s Green God Mountain wine and see if it is truly as it claims.”

Chen Ping’an laughed it off.

The Green God Mountain Lady of the Bamboo Sea Cave had not even spoken of its authenticity during the deliberations at the Confucian Temple. The opinions of outsiders held no weight.

Liu Taozhi prepared to return to the stone platform, complete his duties, and depart from Chongyang Temple and Bao Ping Continent.

As the figure in the green robe took his first step to leave, the woman transformed. It was as if someone took over her body. Xiao Pu’s spirit, along with the immortal-grade robe, became like a piece of clothing wrung dry of water in the hands of a woman by the stream. It became twisted into a rope-like point, resembling a short spear or a green sword, aimed straight at the young sword immortal’s back.

The anomaly was sudden, swift, and silent. Liu Taozhi had just touched down onto the platform when, relying on his assassin’s instincts, he sensed danger. He turned abruptly, and gaped. Even with his stalwart Dao heart, he realized that stopping her was impossible. Yet, Liu Taozhi refused to allow the situation to worsen. He wanted to seize “Xiao Pu’s” spirit, even if it meant tearing her soul from her robe, damaging her path. It was preferable to “Xiao Pu’s” renewed attack, and her willingness to destroy herself for the sake of destroying Chen Ping’an.

In a flash, Liu Taozhi felt the heavens and earth spin. The scenery shifted rapidly, as if someone were holding his head and forcing him to gaze at dozens of paintings on a scroll.

Finally, Liu Taozhi found himself in a boundless, dim void, where a galaxy shimmered and a golden bridge spanned the vast expanse of space.

“Xiao Pu’s” spirit, along with the green robe, launched an unstoppable assassination. Liu Taozhi frantically cast spells of assistance, but he could not hold “Xiao Pu’s” spirit in the slightest.

He could only watch as the green point pierced the fragile, paper-thin, illusory realms, emitting a series of tearing sounds.

It broke through the dense formations of swords, charms, and lightning, as well as the protective fist intent. The point, whether spear tip or sword tip, struck Chen Ping’an’s back, piercing through it.

“Xiao Pu,” still consumed by hatred, sought to exploit her advantage, intending to crush the young sword immortal’s body and shatter his soul, ensuring not merely a decline in realm but complete annihilation!

Perhaps the resilience of Chen Ping’an’s physique and spirit, coupled with the presence of the Bird in the Cage and the Moon in the Well, had exceeded the assassin’s expectations.

In the boundless void, the assassin sighed, defeated at the last moment. Was it truly so difficult to kill an immortal?

If she only inflicted injury, Chen Ping’an’s wounds, no matter how severe, even if he were reduced to a mortal, would be meaningless.

He might be young, but he was far harder to kill than she had anticipated.

It was fate.

Was there truly no shortcut to the path of the Fourteenth Realm?

Since the attack had failed, she could only retreat.

Liu Taozhi felt as if he were drowning once more, his breath catching in his throat.

The painted scenes receded like a tide.

At the same time, deep within Xiao Pu’s spirit, a “guest” within a mustard seed of the mind shattered, scattering into a wisp of green smoke, stolen away.

The slender river of time cast earlier was this person’s path of technique.

Truly, there was no better way to erase traces and destroy evidence.

The entity uttered a surprised exclamation. The young Hidden Official had remained rooted to the spot, refusing to be swept away by the river of time, choosing to be injured rather than follow the current back to the point where Xiao Pu and Liu Taozhi had been just moments before.

Chen Ping’an spoke in a hoarse voice, addressing the entity from afar, “Wait.”

Everything returned to normal. Outside the Chongyang Temple pavilion, Xiao Pu stood pale and shaken, as if waking from a dream.

Liu Taozhi was filled with trepidation. If Chen Ping’an had merely come to question them, he could have mediated. Now, how could this be resolved?

At best, it was the Cherry Azure Robes and Western Mountain Sword Hermits acting out of spite, assassinating a national preceptor. At worst, it was a conspiracy between the three Washers of Vengeance lineages and the Savage Lands.

Chen Ping’an, however, turned, his expression calm.

He had expected to suffer an inexplicable attack from the Azure Billows Continent.

He had never imagined that a spirit would strike first, intent only on killing. What, then, was the spirit’s motive?

Years ago, at the top of the city walls, Chen Ping’an, newly appointed as the Hidden Official, had been similarly attacked without warning by a native swordsman of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Having learned from that experience, Chen Ping’an would not repeat the mistake. Hence, he had come prepared for his second visit to Chongyang Temple, wearing several enchanted robes and military armor.

A thousand days to guard against a thief; practice makes perfect.

Even the Fourteenth Realm nun’s sword attack across the world was something he was ready to defend. If he could not withstand even this attack, he might as well hide on Falling Phoenix Mountain or study at the Confucian Temple’s Merit Grove.

Thus, while Liu Taozhi and Xiao Pu found the ambush terrifying, Chen Ping’an, the target, was relatively unharmed.

Why had Chen Ping’an repeatedly stared at Xiao Pu’s robe?

Even if he was “greedy for money”, Chen Ping’an valued propriety. Why would he repeatedly stare at a woman?

Generally, when a new Fourteenth Realm cultivator of the Savage Lands sought to launch a quick attack at Chen Ping’an, they would first have to overcome the hurdle of the Sage and the Confucian Temple. It was not impossible, but unlikely. The Sage was in the heavens, watching the “Azure Path.” Thus, Chen Ping’an’s greatest concern was a clandestine “detour,” such as a grand cultivator assassinating him through an underworld passage.

That was why Chen Ping’an had paid such close attention to the woman’s robe, exercising extreme caution.

Xiao Pu was naturally unable to explain herself. She swallowed the words she wanted to speak.

Liu Taozhi was also helpless. How could he explain this to Chen Ping’an, to the Confucian Temple of the Central Earth Continent?

The assassin, regardless of how it had possessed Xiao Pu, was of unfathomable realm and secret methods.

A trump card of a Peak Ascension Realm cultivator?

No, he was at the stage of completion, just half a step away.

Was a “candidate for the Fourteenth Realm” deliberately targeting Chen Ping’an, launching a treacherous and premeditated assassination?

Chen Ping’an had been injured in his battle with Ma Kuxuan.

This attack, like adding snow to frost, had exacerbated his injuries.

Chen Ping’an coughed, concealing his mouth with his fist. After a moment’s rest, he lowered his hand and smiled, “It is nothing.”

He added, attempting to ease the atmosphere, “Senior Liu, there is no need to dwell on it.”

Liu Taozhi forced a wry smile. Could this be considered nothing?

Even Xiao Pu wanted to give him a thumbs-up. Such magnanimity, worthy of a hero!

Chen Ping’an pondered for a moment and explained, “Liu Taozhi, Xiao Pu, you need not feel guilty. I should thank Xiao Pu for bearing the calamity for a friend.”

Otherwise, would it have been for Zeng Ye of the Bamboo Scroll Lake? Or for Xue Ruyi, the female ghost of the capital?

Chen Ping’an had pieced together a rough outline. He looked at the woman in the green dress, smiling, “But Xiao Pu should also thank me once, for averting a tribulation of blade and fire, removing any hidden dangers in her flawed Dao heart. It balances out. We need not exchange empty thanks.”

“Cultivators, relying on external objects and acting impulsively, risk crossing the boundary between the yin and yang to seek clues to their enemies in the underworld. This cannot be repeated.”

“He who walks by the river is bound to get his feet wet. Going out on that night road all the time is bad. Seeking vengeance does not mean handing one’s head to the enemy.”

“If I am not mistaken, the Chen-named enemy you seek has either long since attached himself to that spirit in the underworld or has been… utterly consumed by it.”

Perhaps each spirit in the mortal realm was a ferry stop, allowing it to “fly across.”

Was the name “Chen Ping’an” like the green banner of a tavern at a celestial ferry?

Xiao Pu patiently listened to the young man’s teachings, unperturbed.

She had never been so receptive, even with her most revered Senior Sister, Qin Buyi.

Knowing that Senior Brother Liu was here to protect her, the thought that she, on a whim, had come to the Jade Promulgation Kingdom, wanting to witness Chen Ping’an’s revenge against the Ma clan of the Black Hat Alley, was this truly her own thought? What sorcery was this?

At that moment, Xiao Pu felt a great weight lift from her chest, clarifying her Dao heart.

Seeing her still, Chen Ping’an could only remind her, “Xiao Pu, for safety’s sake, you should have that robe re-enchanted by the grand hall.”

Realizing the danger, Xiao Pu hastily seized a corner of the robe, tearing it off. She did not dare hold onto it, handing it to Liu Taozhi, who quickly stored it in his sleeve. He did not let his guard down, applying several spells of suppression.

She was still dressed as a woman in green, but perhaps due to the coexistence of the illusion and the robe, her face and figure changed, exuding the beauty of fullness.

Within the pavilion, the figures of the youth were obscured by a hazy mist, making it difficult to see clearly.

Chen Ping’an understood.

Liu Taozhi had accepted the hot potato without hesitation. The Sword Immortal had not even considered turning it down. This demonstrated the close, sincere relationship between the three Washers of Vengeance lineages.

Any lingering resentment in Chen Ping’an’s heart vanished.

He had only been polite in saying that he would not hold it against them; now, he truly would not.

This was the true embodiment of sincerity.

Liu Taozhi seemed to sense Chen Ping’an’s test and smiled wryly.

On the wall of Chongyang Temple stood a young woman with a bun.

It was Pei Qian, who had hurried here from the City God Temple in the capital.

Hearing Pei Qian’s secret message, Chen Ping’an nodded, smiling, “What a coincidence.”

Zhou Fangyu, the highest-ranking City God in the mortal realm, was currently on a private visit to Bao Ping Continent with General Fan.

A malevolent act by an underworld spirit, right under his nose, forced Zhou Chenghuang to return immediately to his City God Temple in the Central Earth Continent and invoke a merit-laden artifact forged by the Sage and sanctified by the Confucian Ancestor, making a personal journey to Fengdu. Before departing, Zhou Chenghuang had Pei Qian deliver an apology to her master and reveal a secret. According to Zhou Fangyu’s deductions, the spirit, long barred from the Fourteenth Realm, sought to slay Chen Ping’an, the last Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, to replace the souls of all the Savage Lands demons who had died in battle at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, helping them to “seek justice.” In doing so, he hoped to earn a large sum of yin virtue to fund his ascent to the Fourteenth Realm.

As for the spirit’s identity, it was not yet appropriate to disclose it. However, the Fengdu Underworld and the City God Temple guaranteed that the matter would be addressed.

Previously, a thunderous voice had resounded in that ungoverned region outside of Fengdu’s jurisdiction, echoing across a vast area of the underworld.

“I shall eradicate a demon for the heavens, and strike down the living Chen Ping’an!”

Before the countless spirits of the underworld could react, the voice gradually faded.

Countless demon cultivators from the Savage Lands, now wandering spirits, looked up, clamoring and waiting for good news.

None came, and no one knew if the Chen Ping’an had been slain. Under the curses and whips of the underworld officials, they had no choice but to continue their journey.

The Fourteenth Realm candidate spirit, using several life-saving methods that greatly damaged his cultivation, abandoned his Daoist field and fled, never to be seen again.

Zhou Fangyu revealed his majestic form, raising an arm and holding the artifact, like holding aloft a blazing sun, melting away the darkness as he led four spirit generals, including Gan, Liu, Fan, and Xie, as well as several Yama Kings from a Fengdu palace, to the spirit’s abandoned Daoist field.

Pei Qian asked anxiously, “Master, are you alright?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “A small wound, a light drizzle. Your master is not yet reduced to writhing on the ground, losing all composure.”

Pei Qian grinned.

Chen Ping’an bid farewell to Liu Taozhi and the others, shrinking the earth to walk to the wall, before jumping down with Pei Qian and heading towards the small residence.

Liu Taozhi, once again in the guise of a stalwart Daoist, returned to the stone platform. Xiao Pu, unwilling for her two junior disciples to see her true face, reapplied her illusion and sat on the edge of the platform.

Liu Taozhi laughed, “Why do you not speak your mind, and instead, exchange barbs with him? Every word you say is unpleasant.”

Xiao Pu’s nature could be gleaned from her friendships with Zhu Quan of the Hemp-Clad Sect and Xie Songhua of the Jade White Continent.

“I am shy. I cannot speak as lewdly as Zhu Quan and Xie Songhua.”

Xiao Pu said irritably, “Besides, there is a difference between men and women. If Senior Brother Liu expressed admiration for the young Hidden Official, it would be a case of men appreciating each other. If I, a woman, did so, he might misunderstand and think I am interested in him.”

Liu Taozhi asked a good question, “Interested?”

Xiao Pu answered, seemingly avoiding the question, smiling, “Meaningless.”

Liu Taozhi laughed loudly.

In the pavilion, the two children were astonished. Their master was showing genuine emotion. It was a rare occurrence.

Xiao Pu asked, “He clearly approves of our principles. Being an honored guest of the grand hall is a wonderful opportunity. Why does he refuse? He is the only one who has truly mastered and inherited the essence of the meritorious learning passed down by Embroidered Tiger. It is understandable that the closed disciple of the Sage would not want to join us, but why does he still refuse, even as the National Preceptor of Great Li?”

Liu Taozhi said, “Master Chen has already provided the answer.”

Xiao Pu raised an eyebrow, “How so?”

Liu Taozhi smiled, “How did he evaluate Cui Cheng?”

Xiao Pu understood. That was it.

Fist techniques do not transgress boundaries; Daoist learning is above it all.

Did the layers of identity mean nothing to Chen Ping’an, if he remained, first and foremost, a pure sword cultivator?

Liu Taozhi said, “Moreover, Sword Immortal Chen’s situation is unique. Practicing the sword is his first priority, and he cannot afford to be complacent. That is why he rejected even the invitation from the Confucian Temple. Outsiders may see him as having ascended to the Immortal Realm in his early forties, swiftly and effortlessly, but he himself may not see it that way. Perhaps he feels that he is too slow? Some old grievances, obscure to outsiders, are known to us Washers of Vengeance.”

“Practicing the fist sustains his life, leading to a new path, and the restoration of the Bridge of Longevity. Having finally become a sword cultivator at the Great Wall of Sword Qi and returned alive to the mortal realm, with the prospect of reaching the pinnacle, he cannot afford to be distracted. He must focus without reservation, with no other concerns.”

“After enduring so much hardship to reach the highest point, he seeks only to win against Cao Ci in fist techniques and to defeat a certain individual in swordsmanship. The former may or may not come to pass, but the latter must be achieved.”

Hearing this, Xiao Pu gently touched her green robe and murmured, “No matter how talented or intelligent he is, how can he win against that person?”

Liu Taozhi smiled, “Do not rely too much on external objects, and do not dwell too much on the affairs of others.”

Xiao Pu rolled her eyes flirtatiously, saying nothing.

Chen Ping’an, leading Pei Qian, walked down the street. After a few steps, he suddenly understood something: the mugwort hanging at the entrance of the residence, which Lu Chen had given to the female ghost Xue Ruyi, could also be given to Cheng Fenghuan, who should have become the transmitter of White Cloud? Or even used to ward off the intercontinental assassination by that Ascension Realm spirit? With one seemingly casual gesture, Lu Chen had provided him with three favors.

It seemed he had to learn the art of calculation and deduction.

When Chen Ping’an retrieved a hidden sword talisman from within Chongyang Temple, a talisman named “Ripples” that recorded any disturbances, he recalled that it was one of many talismans he had casually created when borrowing a realm from Lu Chen.

This talisman was powerful and required an Immortal to activate it.

Previously, they had been a waste for him. Chen Ping’an had secretly hidden away a box of talismans, but when he had returned the Fourteenth Realm Dao, his realm had fallen to Nascent Soul, rendering them unusable.

Now, with his elevated realm, he had the power. He could use them, sell them for profit, or offer them as gifts.

And in that box, there was still a stack of great talismans that could only be used by an Ascension Realm cultivator.

Pei Qian said, “They have returned.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “You do not need to follow. Activate the Three Mountains Talisman and return to the Great Dadu in the Tong Ye Continent to attend to your duties. Do not worry about me.”

Pei Qian remained silent.

Chen Ping’an, after some thought, could only come up with a clumsy reason, seemingly speaking offhandedly, “Unless you are at the First Layer of Mind Transformation, you cannot be of much help. So, in the Tong Ye Continent, while managing your affairs, you must not slacken in your fist practice. Do not be complacent just because you have reached True Return. You are only at the First Layer of Qi Vigor, while I have returned to True Return and Cao Ci has reached Mind Transformation.”

Pei Qian hummed in agreement, “Do not worry, Master. I will work hard.”

Chen Ping’an immediately regretted it, his heart aching, and immediately changed his tone, “You do not need to work too hard either.”

Pei Qian said nothing, pursing her lips and furrowing her brows.

Chen Ping’an flicked her forehead gently, saying softly, “You must forge your own path, so that you will not feel the need to always think how your words and actions will be received by me. Before I returned, you were doing very well. There is no reason for you to become so hesitant now. It is as if you are deliberately avoiding Zheng Qian, and Zheng Qian is avoiding her master. This is not good.”

Pei Qian remained silent.

Chen Ping’an folded his hands in his sleeves, almost wanting to slap himself. He should not have mentioned Cao Ci or Mind Transformation. No, that was Cao Ci’s fault, or rather, his face’s fault.

Pei Qian took out a Three Mountains Talisman from her sleeve, quickened her pace to walk in front of her master, and then turned around, smiling, “Master, I am leaving now. See you later!”

Chen Ping’an nodded, his eyes tender, making a gesture of affixing a talisman to her forehead.

Pei Qian blushed, activated the Three Mountains Talisman, visualized the three mountains of the two continents, Mount Zhitong in Bao Ping Continent’s Southern Mountain, Qingjing Mountain in Tong Ye Continent’s Northern Continent, and a mountain near the Yunyan Kingdom in the middle of the Great Dadu. Her figure vanished in a flash, appearing on a mountain peak after several fluttering movements.

Chen Ping’an walked towards the residence.

As Liu Taozhi had said, the road to the Great Martial Dao, walking side by side with Cao Ci, and then surpassing him, was indeed one of the greatest aspirations of Chen Ping’an’s life. But the outcome was far less important than the process.

If he could defeat Cao Ci one day, it would be a pleasant surprise. If he lost, it would not be a disgrace either. After all, Cao Ci could defeat him in fist techniques, which did not prevent him from punching Cao Ci in the face.

As for practicing the sword, the process was important, but the outcome was even more so.

A sword to defeat one person was enough.

For example, that person was Yu Dou.