Two figures merged into one. It seemed to be the first time Chen Ping’an allowed his divine nature to dominate, to usurp the nest, letting pure divinity control his own Daoist life, without any further deception.

Jiang She’s vision blurred. The sky was changing? The sky over the battlefield ruins showed a trend of gradual transformation, from the green of spring rice seedlings to the golden hues of autumn harvest, with a juncture of green and yellow.

With a single hand, he sent Jiang She crashing to the ground, then kicked the burly figure, sending him sliding sideways.

Jiang She almost lost his grip on the spear, the “Breaker Formation.” He used the spear tip to anchor himself, flipped his body a hundred zhang away, and landed gracefully, thrusting the spear towards Chen Ping’an’s neck.

Chen Ping’an tilted his head, dodging the spear tip. He reached out, grabbed the spear shaft, opened his palm, and pressed his five fingers towards Jiang She’s chest, gathering five thunderbolts in his palm. He smiled and said, “Off you go.”

In that instant, the sound of bells and drums echoed through the heavens and earth. His hand was like an iron hammer, striking with great force. Jiang She retreated explosively, his body like a kite with a broken string, his face trembling from the shockwaves of fist energy. The hairpin on his head shattered, and his hair fell loose. Jiang She stood barefoot a thousand zhang away, forced to drive the bottom of the “Breaker Formation” into the ground to halt his retreat.

Four immortal swords streaked through the air, leaving four sharp trails, following him like shadows. Jiang She used the spear to deflect two swords. Unlike the previous natal items that shattered upon contact with the “Breaker Formation,” the two imitation immortal swords either spun away or were knocked high, but ultimately did not break on the spot. Jiang She then used a single fist to split an immortal sword aimed at his brow. In his haste, he was still pierced through the ribs by an immortal sword containing abundant Daoist intent. Frowning slightly, Jiang She reached out and grabbed the sword hilt, halting the sword’s momentum. The sword tip trembled, buzzing. Jiang She was slightly surprised that he couldn’t easily crush it. Just as he was about to increase the force in his palm, he saw a pair of purely golden eyes in his field of vision. The next moment, his forehead was pressed down by the other’s hook-like fingers. With a twist of his wrist, he flung Jiang She, along with the “Breaker Formation,” away.

Chen Ping’an bent slightly, waved his sleeve, and a fire dragon as thick as a well struck Jiang She in the back. Jiang She swayed, and thrust the spear skyward, just in time to shatter a water-attribute halberd that appeared out of nowhere.

The immortal sword in Jiang She’s hand was freed. Chen Ping’an pinched his fingers together, casually forming a sword incantation, and controlled the four immortal swords to spin continuously in the air, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

His pair of golden eyes shone brightly. In his vision, he no longer saw Jiang She’s flesh and bones, but a diagram of the true energy flow within this embodiment of the progenitor of military strategists, a grand sight.

Yet he could find no flaw.

Jiang She had just shattered the halberd when a towering mountain with palaces and pavilions in close array, like the residence of an ancient transcendent, refined into a natal item by an immortal, was thrown at him with the most un-immortal and clumsy method.

Like a mischievous child with strong arms, throwing a seal with all their might.

Jiang She used the spear to brace against the “Mountain Seal.” His suspended figure was as small as a mustard seed. One arm was muscled, his sleeves billowed, the veins on the back of his hand bulged, and sparks flew from the spear tip. He forcibly resisted the mountain’s enormous momentum. The spear tip did not pierce the mountain, but strands of golden light, like snakes, began to crawl wildly, spreading rapidly across the bottom of the Mountain Seal. As countless golden strands flowed back like mountain streams, passing over the mountainside towards the peak, the dazzling golden threads wrapped around the entire mountain. As soon as Jiang She retracted the spear, the mountain crumbled, dust filling the sky. From thrusting the spear to withdrawing the “Breaker Formation,” it was only a blink of an eye.

Chen Ping’an didn’t give Jiang She a chance to replenish his pure true energy. He closed in, direct and forceful, exchanging a punch.

Jiang She was sent hurtling into the sky by the punch. With a flick of his wrist, the spear spun, moving like thunder, shattering the lingering sword intent hidden within the fist force.

Chen Ping’an fell straight down to the ground. As he descended, he flipped his sleeves, sending countless fire and water attribute serpents like flying swords, shooting towards the sky.

Jiang She ran his hand across the “Breaker Formation” and gripped the middle of the spear shaft. The “cliffs” of two great mountains, as if sliced flat by a sword, were closing in, attempting to suppress Jiang She between them.

The attack was overwhelming, like an ancient giant raising its arms to clap its hands, crushing the spear-wielding warrior, as small as an ant, between them.

Jiang She forcibly swallowed a mouthful of blood. Stimulated by the martial artist’s true energy within him, it was like oil on a raging fire, mist rising, the blood all transforming into Daoist nourishment, fusing with the martial artist’s true energy.

With a slight twist of his wrist, the “Breaker Formation” spear rotated, and two gusts of wind rose from the spear tip, stirring the two “palm” cliffs into a cloud of dust, and rubble fell like rain.

Jiang She held the spear, suspended in the air, looking down at Chen Ping’an standing in the deep pit.

Within Jiang She’s body, five portions of martial luck were vying for dominance. The previous “warm-up” with Chen Ping’an had not completely suppressed them, putting Jiang She at a disadvantage.

Previously, they had both held back, each taking what they needed. Chen Ping’an needed to use Jiang She’s hand to forcibly “disintegrate” a series of natal items with external force, turning them into a chaotic mess.

Jiang She also had to gradually refine the three rebellious martial lucks that were trying to stir up trouble within his personal world. The martial luck, carrying heaven and earth spiritual energy, either formed into organized armies, confronting the martial luck Jiang She had taken from the Azure Heaven world in the “Dantian Battlefield,” mutually battering each other’s formations, or scattered like light cavalry, turning into waves of bandits, invading the meridians and pathways of his body, or acting as a treacherous army feigning surrender, rising up in rebellion, occupying a key natal aperture, and erecting a great banner on the towering city wall… Jiang She’s body was filled with stagnant blood, hindering his soul. How could he control his body as he wished?

Chen Ping’an’s sideburns fluttered. He squinted and smiled, reached out, and condensed the pure killing intent of heaven and earth, manifesting a white and cyan wooden spear, a common weapon on the training ground.

Holding the spear, Chen Ping’an touched the ground with his toes. The bottom of the pit shook, and his figure flashed. Like a carp flipping its back, he shot out from the ground, radiating rings of fist intent, leaving the earth scarred.

It seemed that Chen Ping’an had made up his mind to use whatever Jiang She was most skilled at to challenge him, to compete.

First it was fist techniques, then military strategists’ supernatural powers, and now spear techniques.

Distancing himself from Jiang She, the imitation swords suspended in the four directions flickered with light. The great Dao of the Azure Heaven was like soft mud, and the four immortal swords disappeared in an instant.

While Jiang She was distracted, searching for traces of those troublesome imitation swords, he waited for Chen Ping’an to approach. Close combat, like a narrow path in an alley, was where the brave prevailed.
The battle commenced with a display of exquisite mastery over the Five Elements, specifically the Earth element. He sculpted mountains from the very soil, employing his divine will to command towering peaks that floated in the heavens, raining down upon Jiang She like a relentless storm.

Jiang She shattered hundreds of these earthen mountains, the resounding booms echoing like thunderclaps. Yet, even more mountains took root upon the earth, forming a sinuous line across the land like a slumbering dragon vein.

In the vast expanse between heaven and earth, formations of mountains plummeted in orderly ranks, resembling the flight of wild geese. Jiang She grew weary of this relentless assault. He reasoned that Chen Ping’an should have exhausted his accumulated spiritual energy during their earlier exchanges. Where was this endless source of new spiritual energy coming from? What kind of mystical art allowed him to create something from nothing?

This time, Chen Ping’an employed the “Shrinking Lands and Rivers” technique. He moved with incredible speed, using the peaks of the dragon vein as steps to ascend higher and higher. With each “connection” his feet made with the mountaintops, his form grew larger, until he stood before Jiang She as a colossal giant, a veritable mountain deity. Seeing that Chen Ping’an, empowered by the land, was no mere paper tiger, Jiang She’s shoulders shimmered, and a majestic, awe-inspiring golden Dharmic form materialized around him. Chen Ping’an attacked with direct thrusts, focusing his power on single points. Other times, he employed mystical footwork, his spear dancing like a winding dragon vein. Finally, the tip of his spear erupted with energy, piercing forward like a flying sword, aimed to sever Jiang She’s tendon and tear away a chunk of flesh from his arm.

But Jiang She countered with a sweeping spear strike, cleaving Chen Ping’an in half at the waist. His form dispersed into dozens of sword-lights, reforming elsewhere. Jiang She pressed his advantage, bringing his spear down like a blade, aiming to split Chen Ping’an’s head. Though Chen Ping’an dodged the blow, the air around him fractured with a terrifying, inky-black rift in spacetime.

The two exchanged blows, neither daring to directly confront the other’s power. Each spear strike carried within it the lingering essence of countless martial techniques, creating a dazzling display of light that carved arcs across the azure sky, leaving trails of Daoist intent that lingered long after the impact.

Jiang She’s spear techniques were forged in the crucible of battle, designed for large-scale warfare. They were bold and direct, meant to shatter enemy formations and decapitate their leaders.

In contrast, Chen Ping’an’s style resembled the martial displays of a traveling performer – intricate and varied, but lacking the profound Daoist intent that made Jiang She’s attacks so devastating.

Chen Ping’an twisted his body, turning his wrist without even looking, and thrust his spear backward with tremendous force.

The spear pierced Jiang She’s Dharmic form through the heart. He aimed to tear through the surrounding meridians, hoping to work in concert with the three strands of martial fate dwelling within.

But Jiang She’s spear moved even faster, piercing Chen Ping’an’s neck, lifting him high into the air.

Simultaneously, four flying swords stabbed into Jiang She’s Dharmic form. Two pierced through his hands, while the other two pinned him in place by striking his feet.

Ignoring the swords, Jiang She tilted his head slightly and coldly questioned, “What’s the point?”

Dispelling his manifestation of the “Law of Heaven and Earth”, Chen Ping’an raised his left hand to wipe his neck, his palm covered in scalding golden blood.

Jiang She, without missing a beat, retracted his Dharmic form. Blood trickled from the wound on his chest, but the injury was superficial and could be safely disregarded.

The wooden spear in Chen Ping’an’s hand dissolved into dust, carried away by the wind.

Jiang She slowly retracted his spear, and plucked a needle-like replica of a sword from his temple, crushing it between his fingers.

Fortunately for Chen Ping’an, this was just one more fragment of great Daoist fortune to add to the swirling chaos that constituted his being.

Jiang She said, “I know you haven’t used your full strength. You’re deliberately weighing yourself down with extraneous thoughts. If you’re just trying to stall for time, waiting for reinforcements, I can wait here and chat with you. But if you want a proper fight, stop holding back. Let’s see what we’re both truly capable of.”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, replying, “I’m not deliberately holding back thoughts. I truly cannot control them.”

Those who had seen Chen Ping’an unleashed in his manifestation of pure divinity, especially those earth branch cultivators in the Great Li capital, would know just how troublesome that could be.

Those carefully selected, expensively provisioned disciples of Cui Chan, the finest talents of the continent, nurtured with the court’s endless resources, were humbled merely by a skirmish with Chen Ping’an escaping the restrictions placed on him. Many of them developed demonic impediments as a result. Had that thing, the manifestation of divinity, not held back out of fear of the Sage of Rites, “Chen Ping’an” alone might not have been able to subdue it.

Jiang She smiled. “In terms of soul techniques, you are far inferior to Cui Chan. You are just an uninspired student with no talent, relying solely on diligence. In this current form, though, you bear some resemblance to the Old World.”

Chen Ping’an raised an eyebrow.

Jiang She nodded. “What? Are you worried that I’m secretly colluding with the Old World, and we’re going to divide you up? Such things are certainly possible.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “Nothing would please me more. Bring it on.”

Better to kill a thief in an instant than to live in fear of them for a thousand days.

Creating a vast array of magical treasures to overwhelm one’s enemies was meant to be the work of solidifying his Daoist foundation, to ensure his Immortal Realm was extraordinarily robust. He would strive to open all thousand-plus apertures of the human body, in preparation for ascension. He only awaited verification of the ascension technique he had privately imparted to the Daoist Ding, to be assured of its feasibility. Then perhaps Chen Ping’an’s breakthrough would, from the outside, appear to happen in an instant.

Relying on self-deceptive “forgetting,” sealing away past memories to create a cage, using walls of text as moats and barriers to imprison divinity, was ultimately a second-rate solution. So, each of the lifebound objects created was another shackle on his divinity. While cultivating in seclusion in the Fufeng mountain range, Chen Ping’an planned to seek a radical solution once he had reached the Ascension Realm.

At that time, there would be three clear goals for him: to locate the missing fragments of his natal porcelain, and reassemble the complete celadon paperweight; and to engage in a pure debate on the Dao with his divinity. With his soul and Daoist heart unhindered, he could then try to find a path to merge with the Great Dao and ascend to the Fourteenth Realm.

The greater the differences in speech, actions, personality, and characteristics between Chen Ping’an’s true self and the “Divine Chen Ping’an,” responsible for creating a Lesser Thousand World, and for writing “A Young Man’s Book” for the Daoist Ding, the more irreconcilable the two sides would be. At least in the Immortal Realm, Chen Ping’an had no chance of victory.

But Jiang She’s arrival, instigating this battle of the Great Dao, was unexpected.

The Great Refinement, which should have been a brilliant move, had ironically become a burden, for the sheer quantity of lifebound objects meant to suppress his divinity.
Therefore, Chen Pingan, without the slightest hesitation, acted decisively and went against the grain. He used Jiang She to shatter his natal artifacts, turning them into a chaotic mess. Then, borrowing the “cataclysmic shifts and terrestrial sinkholes” within Jiang She’s own world, Chen Pingan had to divide his mind into many parts, like scouts on a battlefield, following subtle clues to find the two Qi mansions that might connect like paradises. Once found, he would record them, ready to perform the act of creation—cleaving through the chaos and separating the pure from the impure.

Confronting Jiang She while also diverting his attention to cultivate amidst battle, akin to simultaneously dispersing and practicing Tao, was immensely dangerous. The hardships involved were beyond description.

Forced by the situation, facing Jiang She, whose destructive power far exceeded expectations, this was the only way to fight.

As Jiang She shattered a series of natal artifacts, Chen Pingan actively shattered the restraints of true Qi that forcibly suppressed his realm, allowing his divinity to fully unfurl, like a mountain of seals being completely lifted, returning to its original, unadorned state.

One could understand it as Chen Pingan’s humanity had been holding him back, causing his divinity, or rather his true complete self, his Dao heart, to be bogged down and unable to reach perfection.

When sparring with a Boundaryless Martial Artist or asking a swordsman for guidance, Chen Pingan could rely on his many skills to gloss over his flaws. But against Jiang She, he was full of openings.

He recalled a conversation he had with Gao Jun, the leader of the Lake Mountain Sect, who had transitioned from a martial artist to seeking immortality in Lotus Root Paradise, the number one expert there.

“Heaven no longer helps, time does not linger, one cannot do two things at once, duty calls.” “Are you not afraid of being an ant trying to shake a tree, a mantis trying to stop a chariot?”

Jiang She, not needing to switch to pure martial artist’s true Qi and not rushing to attack, shook his head. “Sitting in the Summer Palace, serving as the last Hidden Official, bearing the true names of the demons, harmonizing with half of Sword Qi Great Wall. After returning to the Vast Brightness World, Falling Willow Mountain accepted Xiao Mo and Xie Gou, took Ning Ji as a direct disciple, made up for the lack in Palm Leaf Continent, excavated the Great Canal, and so on. Each and every one of these things requires you to bear long-term consequences, potentially lasting hundreds or thousands of years without end. Have you not thought about these consequences?”

It was not that the first Martial Ancestor had great patience; it was that even someone as strong as Jiang She did not have the confidence to quickly end the battle and kill this fellow.

Not that Jiang She could not win the battle, but that Chen Pingan, displaying a “half-of-one” pure divine form, was truly difficult to kill.

Jiang She looked at him with pity, sneering, “One unexpected event after another hinders your cultivation and prevents you from ascending. Aren’t these concrete examples? So young, with such a short Dao age, be careful of being forsaken by the heavens.”

First, the assassination attempt by a fourteenth realm candidate ghost, then the repeated ambushes by a genuine fourteenth realm being, and now being used by Jiang She as a stepping stone to ascend to the heavens.

Three major unexpected events in a row.

As for the meddling of the several demon cultivators led by Qing Rang in Palm Leaf Continent’s Great Canal, compared to these, it was nothing.

Chen Pingan remained silent.

He was mentally prepared. Without some setbacks and tribulations, he would feel uneasy. Since he was destined to bear consequences, it was better that they not fall on the shoulders of others.

It was a pity that Jiang She quickly saw through his trick and refused to personally “disarm” a copy of White Jade Capital.

Otherwise, this fight could have yielded many lessons and would not have been a complete loss.

Except for the Three Teachings Patriarchs and the three Directors of White Jade Capital, Jiang She could be said to be the most qualified to find the flaws in the White Jade Capital’s Great Dao, without equal.

Chen Pingan steadied his mind, his face full of confusion, and asked, “Why not use a spear to break the formation and open up this sealed space? Not even try?”

Jiang She said indifferently, “Does a lion hunting a rabbit need to flee? Do you still have a hidden move? I am waiting for your hidden move.”

Chen Pingan was silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and said with a brilliant smile, “Jiang She, those words are truly a first-class fist!”

This was true invincibility.

Since things had come to this, there was nothing left but to fight.

Chen Pingan had no more distractions, assumed a fighting stance, looked ahead, and muttered to himself.

Jiang She hesitated for a moment, used a divine ability to put away his spear for breaking formations, and laughed loudly, “I accept this fist.”

On the battlefield, both figures moved as fast as lightning, with tens of thousands of afterimages, the space filled with overwhelming fist energies. The two pure martial artists were forcibly creating a place that seemed to ban all spells and divine abilities.

Sword light, like a rainbow, cut through the many prohibitions of this world. It was Ning Yao, wearing the robe of the Golden Rite, carrying the immortal sword “Innocence” on her back, who had arrived across the world.

She was the first to arrive at this ancient battlefield relic, with Ning Yao stopping to the north of the battlefield centerd around Chen Pingan and Jiang She.

In the Chongyang Temple in the Jade Proclamation Kingdom’s capital, the ghost who was a fourteenth realm candidate declared in the Netherworld that he would eliminate a demon in the Yang world by killing Chen Pingan, who was the Hidden Official, and gain the recognition of the wild ghosts on the Yellow Springs Road, hoping to use this shortcut to accumulate considerable Yin virtue and seize the opportunity to harmonize with the Dao, preemptively occupying the single-log bridge of the Ghost Path. He used Xiao Pu, one of the top candidates of the Cherry Green Robe, as a ferry connecting Yin and Yang, and insidiously assassinated Chen Pingan. It happened suddenly, leaving Chen Pingan unable to guard against it. Although his full-powered strike failed, Chen Pingan accidentally used many measures originally meant to guard against surprise attacks, but it still injured him greatly. Not to mention the damage to the robe, but within Chen Pingan’s own world, dozens of basic abodes were reduced to ruins. Of course, before Chen Pingan could seek revenge, Ning Yao had already traveled far to the underworld of Fengdu and killed him.

This swordsmanship result, temporarily only circulated among the mountain peaks, also secured Ning Yao’s position as the “strongest fourteenth” realm cultivator among the new fourteenth realm cultivators.

Ning Yao looked into the distance, her expression cold and stern, making it impossible to guess her true thoughts.

Wu Shuangjiang followed closely behind, his figure located to the east,

Appearing, he used a dharma body, not hiding his cultivation as a fourteenth realm cultivator.

This almost heaven-reaching majestic dharma body held a stack of large talismans he had created, called “Azure Heaven.”

As soon as he appeared, Wu Shuangjiang began to offer talismans, each step of the dharma body accompanied by a major earthquake, raising its hand to “mend the sky.”

Ripples of light created a sky barrier that was like green glazed glass.

He could not allow Jiang She to easily escape far away with a few punches.

The azure Great Dao was only for you, Jiang She, to not leave.

Wu Shuangjiang, along with the Daoist Gao Gu, the monk Jiang Xiu, and the female sword immortal Bao Lin, participated in the siege of White Jade Capital, ending in a disastrous defeat.
Yu Dou, wielding his immortal sword and holding court in White Jade Capital, was essentially single-handedly facing three cultivators of the Fourteenth Realm and a sword cultivator at the peak of Ascension.

This battle cemented Yu Dou’s reputation as the unparalleled number one beneath the founders of the Three Teachings.

Although Yu Dou relied on the White Jade Capital, effectively unleashing the paramount treasure of Daoism in the human realm, it was crucial and indispensable.

After all, the Sage of Rites from the Great Harmony World wouldn’t object, and the shrines of the Ten Thousand Mountains wouldn’t interfere, so whoever said what was what.

The title of “Truly Unrivaled” was bestowed by others. Whether he was truly unrivaled was something Yu Dou was too lazy to dwell on.

Gao Gu, along with the other two, met their demise, their paths extinguished forever.

Only Wu Shuangjiang, through a unique method of Dao integration, quietly returned to the Fourteenth Realm. After a trip to Fallen Mountain, he came to fulfill his appointment here.

In a strict sense, that unprecedented grand inquiry into the Dao resulted in the death of all four, with no survivors.

It’s only said that Wu Shuangjiang’s four imitation “Immortal Swords” of immortal weapon grade all dropped in rank. Among them, “Taibai” and “Tianzhen” were reduced to semi-immortal weapons, while the remaining two imitation swords, “Daozang” and “Wanfa,” were degraded to magic treasures.

From this, one can see the ferocity of that battle and the height of Yu Dou’s Dao power.

The Daoist Gao Gu sought revenge, the monk Jiang Xiu had his own desires, and the sword cultivator Bao Lin had been seeking death for a long time.

Wu Shuangjiang, from a military background, wanted to ignite a chaotic era in a certain Azure Heaven, thereby increasing his Dao power and advancement, so that one day, he could rightfully ascend to a higher realm.

Since the world had suffered Yu Dou for too long, they would make Yu Dou and the White Jade Capital relics of the past.

From the south, a middle-aged scholar in a blue robe and cloth shoes, and a handsome youth with a red mole between his eyebrows, appeared together. They were separated by a considerable distance, each summoning a small world, mountains and rivers intertwined, each presiding over a grand formation, each acting as host. Thanks to the battle on the Night-Sailing Ship with Wu Shuangjiang, Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen, two well-known treasure troves, exchanged what they had, swapping twenty or thirty magic treasures to reinforce their respective formations, plugging any loopholes.

From the west, Zheng Juzhong was the last to appear, his feet landing firmly. He carried three distinct Dao energies on his person.

They intentionally or unintentionally formed a circle, trapping Jiang She, the Primogenitor of the Military School.

Jiang Shangzhen looked at that Lord Zheng, inwardly marveling. Comparing people was infuriating; could someone actually achieve the feat of having a true body, an underworld spirit, and a yang spirit all in the Fourteenth Realm?

Cui Dongshan asked in a mental voice, “Chief Zhou, have you seen the trick?”

Jiang Shangzhen said, “The Confucian flavor and Daoist aura are clear enough. The third Dao intent is harder to pinpoint.”

Cui Dongshan smiled. “Who is the most incompatible with the Military School, whose Great Dao clashes?”

Jiang Shangzhen suddenly understood. “It’s the Agricultural School. No wonder Mr. Zheng has to keep his feet on solid ground. Can it be understood that as soon as Mr. Zheng arrived, he immediately began a Great Dao struggle with Jiang She?”

Worthy of being Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, he never made threats when fighting, more like a reckless hooligan in a street brawl, rushing up and stabbing first.

Cui Dongshan looked around, probing the density of the spiritual energy, and said with a chuckle, “Chief Zhou, you’re quite something. Only three questions, and you answered two wrong on your own. If I hadn’t reminded you, you would have gotten them all wrong.”

“The Confucian school pursues self-cultivation, family harmony, good governance, and peace, so logically, they would definitely dislike war, after all, a chaotic world means ineffective education. But if you read a few more history books, you’ll understand that there are two types of people who lightly advocate war: one is emperors who love grand achievements, and the other is civil officials who have never been on the battlefield or been cut. Generals who have led troops and killed people are more cautious. The Daoist school advocates non-action, and on the surface is also very incompatible with the Military School. However, birth, death, prosperity, and decline are natural laws, and incompatibility is of course incompatibility, but it is not so incompatible. Jiang She has been trapped for ten thousand years. Warfare is ever-changing, and water has no fixed shape. When this Primogenitor of the Military School re-emerges, his Great Dao will also change slightly. If Zheng Juzhong uses the Confucian and Daoist schools to deal with ordinary giants of the Military School, it would be effortless. Dealing with Jiang She is another story.”

Cui Dongshan said, “The three Zheng Juzhongs are respectively from the Buddhist School, the Agricultural School, and the Medical School. Not to mention today, one Teaching and two Schools, even if ten thousand years pass, they will still dislike the Military School.”

Jiang Shangzhen was shocked. “Mr. Zheng also has research into Buddhism?”

Cui Dongshan nodded vigorously, laughing. “Zheng Juzhong has been studying Buddhism in the Wilderness. Chief Zhou, this question is superfluous. Have you been staying with Old Ancestor Jingqing in the mountains for too long, getting confused?”

Zheng Juzhong’s style of doing things has always been unreasonable. For example, he merged with the Fourteenth Realm in the Wilderness, forcibly intercepted a huge portion of the Wilderness’s fortune, yet was able to deceive the heavenly secrets, not being caught by the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue and Zhou Mi of Wenhai. During this time, Zheng Juzhong had been hiding in Gold Emerald City, a vassal sect of the River Yiluo, and ultimately moved the entire city along with him to the Great Harmony World. Zheng Qingjia, a female cultivator of the Immortal Realm with the Daoist name of Yuanhu, was granted the surname Zheng. Subsequently, the entire Gold Emerald City was allocated by Zheng Juzhong to his disciple Gu Can’s Fufeng Sect. Within the city was a Crescent Moon Pavilion, which Zheng Qingjia designated as a forbidden area, even the sect master Gu Can was not allowed to set foot in it. Gu Can naturally would not care about such trivial matters.

Cui Dongshan guessed that only one Zheng Juzhong had arrived.

As for the other two, they should be Dao avatars, one main and two secondary.

Daoism. Supplemented by the Five Elements Yin-Yang School, and then combined with the Miscellaneous School, which is known as “combining Confucianism, Mohism, Legalism, and encompassing all the paths”?

Military. Legalism as a supplement, Diplomacy next?

Jiang Shangzhen looked at the battlefield, unable to distinguish who was who, feeling frightened. How did he see the Mountain Master being beaten as soon as he entered?

Fortunately, fortunately, he was fighting the Primogenitor of the Military School with back and forth. With this kind of record, it was shocking enough.

No one would dare to believe it if it spread.

Cui Dongshan’s expression was solemn. “This is because Jiang She hasn’t gotten serious yet… Not exactly, it’s because he hasn’t unleashed his true trump card at the peak of his cultivation as the Primogenitor of the Military School. I guess he’s waiting for us to bite the bait. He’ll hide his skills until he sees us all show up.”

Jiang Shangzhen nodded. “We want to work together to trap him and divide the spoils. This Primogenitor of the Military School, why wouldn’t he want to accomplish everything in one battle?”

Cui Dongshan flicked his sleeves and laughed heartily. “Don’t worry, we have Mr. Zheng here. It’s not our turn to think too much or worry unnecessarily.”
Jiang Shangzhen meticulously observed the battlefield, a complex expression on his face, and sighed inwardly. To engage in combat with someone like Jiang She, who had ascended to the ranks of the Ten Heroes of the world tens of thousands of years ago? A thought he wouldn’t even dare to entertain.

If someone had advised him to do so a hundred years earlier, Jiang Shangzhen would have twisted their head off and used it as a chamber pot.

Compared to the unexpected camaraderie forged during the Night Ferry encounter, today’s situation merely included Jiang She and Zheng Juzhong, with mostly familiar faces.

Wu Shuangjiang, Ning Yao, and those two lively treasures, nodded and greeted him with smiles.

Before any real action commenced, Wu Shuangjiang began discussing the ownership of Jiang She’s five shares of Martial Luck, saying, “Mr. Zheng is responsible for collecting three shares of Martial Luck, which is the interest he agreed upon with Cui Chan long ago.”

Three shares of Martial Luck from an Ancestor of the Military School were merely interest?

One could only imagine what the “principal” and “profit” of the transaction between Zheng Juzhong and Cui Chan were.

The Scholar was unable to speak and concentrate, so Cui Dongshan nodded in agreement on his behalf, “No problem.”

Wu Shuangjiang continued, “The two shares that Jiang She retrieved from Azure Vault Heaven naturally belong to me.”

“As a bonus for this transaction, the Dragon-Slaying Platform of the Sui Chu Palace, as well as the entire stock of gold essence bronze coins, belong to Chen Ping An.”

“But he needs to go and get them himself. If he’s late, there’s no guarantee how much will be left. The Sui Chu Palace makes no guarantees in this regard.”

Jiang Shangzhen’s expression was odd as he muttered, “If we cut out the beginning and end and only look at this scene, aren’t we too much like villains?”

Cui Dongshan lightly waved his folding fan, appearing leisurely and unconcerned with Chief Zhou’s absurd words. In reality, he was calculating non-stop in his mind, asking, “Palace Master Wu came out in such a hurry that she didn’t even have time to bring a spatial artifact to hold a few gold essence bronze coins?”

Wu Shuangjiang said, “We had to come empty-handed. Jade Capital is watching closely, and it’s easy for them to make an issue out of it. It’s understandable to say that we were out traveling and relaxing when we ran into Jiang She, and we fought because we wouldn’t yield to each other. Even if Jade Capital doesn’t understand, they have to grin and bear it. But if Fallen Phoenix Mountain has concrete ‘loot,’ it’s estimated that the Confucian Temple won’t be able to explain it to Jade Capital. Accusations of working with Sui Chu Palace to disrupt the grand situation in Azure Vault Heaven will be too much for anyone to bear.”

Cui Dongshan nodded, “Understood.”

Some things can be done but not said, and some things can only be said but not done.

Wu Shuangjiang glanced at the Ancestor of the Military School, then looked at Zheng Juzhong, sighing, “How does this feel like the Battle of Xiangji Temple?”

At that ancient battlefield site in Azure Vault Heaven, a Daoist recently attained enlightenment and walked the path of merit and completion, ascending to the Fourteenth Realm.

Jiang Shangzhen was confused.

Zheng Juzhong turned a deaf ear.

Cui Dongshan had to help Chief Zhou explain a few words, saying that it was roughly an internal strife, a battle between two armies, with every soldier being an elite, resulting in heavy losses and the decline of the dynasty and national power.

Cui Dongshan took his time, and in that ancient swamp dojo filled with a barbaric aura, exhaled a mouthful of snow-white mist, like a white snake that wandered, twisting and coiling like tying a knot.

At the same time, Cui Dongshan carefully took out a scroll from his sleeve, clenched it in his hand, but did not rush to open this treasure of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, a relic of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

While they were chatting, Jiang Shangzhen was also not idle. Seated in a “Willow Shade Land” formed from an ancient relic, he sat cross-legged on a futon, opened his mouth and spat out a golden sword pill that he had just recently refined.

Bai Ye from the Floating Clouds Continent, Yu Dou who guarded Jade Capital, and Jiang She at this very moment.

Three shocking assassinations, two obvious and one hidden.

The first two directly influenced the trends of the world.

Who knew what kind of far-reaching impact this one would bring to the world.

If Jiang She wanted to return to his peak and restore his cultivation as an Ancestor of the Military School, he would have to bear the calamity of possibly being jointly slain in the second battle?

The first Fifteenth Realm in the new world, even if it was a pseudo-Fifteenth Realm, would have to bear tremendous calamity. As for the second one, it would be much easier.

Regarding the matter of Ascensions Realm cultivators combining with Fourteenth Realm cultivators, everyone was rushing to be first, as one step behind meant being behind every step. But for the old Fourteenth Realm cultivators, going further was a completely different story.

Jiang Shangzhen was radiant, muttering to himself, “To be here at this opportune moment, it is my honor. If I don’t die in this battle, then I, Jiang, will not have lived in vain.”

Cui Dongshan glanced at Zheng Juzhong, who remained indifferent, and smiled, “I’ll personally set up a stall to write about it later.”

Zheng Juzhong from Vast Brightness Heaven, Wu Shuangjiang from Azure Vault Heaven, Ning Yao from Five Colors Heaven. These were the three Fourteenth Realm cultivators!

Slightly freeing up a hand, Jiang She still calmly asked after punching Chen Ping An deep into the ground, “When did you guys get together?”

Those diviners in Jade Capital were truly useless. Even after nearly turning Fallen Phoenix Mountain upside down, they were still so oblivious?

Zou Zi was also incredibly patient, not saying a word when we met at the ancient battlefield in Zhuolu County in Azure Vault Heaven.

A good question, one that revealed what Jiang Shangzhen most wanted to ask in his heart, though it would be better to change “got together” to “formed an alliance.”

Jiang Shangzhen was also very curious about this matter. The Mountain Lord hadn’t told him anything about it.

It was common knowledge that Mr. Zheng and his Mountain Lord traveled together at the crossing of the Pan River in the county town of Central Earth Confucian Temple.

Cui Dongshan frowned slightly, subconsciously rubbing the red mole between his eyebrows. After thinking about it, he felt somewhat relieved. In any case, with Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang helping, the chances of victory were greater.

Zheng Juzhong had visited Fallen Phoenix Mountain once, when the Old Scholar and Cui Dongshan were both on the mountain. However, during that meeting, Zheng Juzhong didn’t talk about serious matters much, at least not about the ownership of the Military School.

As for Zheng Juzhong seeking the Military School, Cui Dongshan had suspected it from the fact that he had Han Qiao Se return to White Emperor City to read more military books and that she had indeed purchased military books with Chen Ping An. Cui Dongshan suspected that Zheng Juzhong might have ideas about the Military School, but Cui Dongshan couldn’t calculate that Zheng Juzhong would be so direct as to directly try to kill Jiang She.

Supporting the dragon had turned into rebellion?

Unlike the complex thoughts of ordinary Confucian scholars, constantly rising and falling with no fixed direction, the thoughts of great cultivators often directly affect the fate of a place, the fortune of a sect, the power of a dynasty, and even the fortune of a continent. The decision of a truly enlightened person is like a “flaw” in the appearance of a commoner, where one move affects the whole body.

Someone once said that when a great cultivator’s Dao Heart arises, the world will respond in kind.

Jiang Shangzhen was still confused at this moment, wondering why his Mountain Lord was fighting Jiang She to the death.

However, that didn’t stop Chief Zhou from decisively drawing his sword next. After this battle, how could Xiao Mo ever face them again?
Striving for the Chief Position?

On the battlefield at the center of the world, the blurry figures of Mountain Lord Chen and Jiang She collided repeatedly, each impact unleashing boundless boxing intent, causing the entire world to tremble.

Jiang Shangzhen, situated within the small world of the Daoist temple, felt his eardrums vibrate and his chest tighten. He couldn’t help but ask Cui Dongshan in his heart, “Brother Cui, am I really up to this? I feel like I’m just here to make up the numbers.”

He felt that throwing a martial artist of the Perfected Realm or an Ascended Realm cultivator into that battlefield would be utterly insufficient. He didn’t want to be a hindrance.

Cui Dongshan retorted impatiently, “Don’t doubt yourself. If that newly acquired flying sword doesn’t work, and the Old Temple Master intends to make fun of you, then yes, you’re just filling a slot.”

Jiang Shangzhen was momentarily speechless, feeling a bit guilty. “What about you?”

Cui Dongshan smiled, “I can spew nonsense at Jiang She, disrupting his Daoist heart with words.”

Jiang Shangzhen initially wanted to chime in, but seeing Cui Dongshan’s jesting tone coupled with an unusually solemn expression, he rarely saw Cui Dongshan like this, so Jiang Shangzhen began to close his eyes to gather his spirit.

Zheng Juzhong was acting strangely today. Cui Dongshan sensed something amiss, as if he had suddenly remembered something important. He muttered to himself, “Could I have been wrong? Is this guy also trying to initiate a… brand new great river, gathering numerous tributaries and reorganizing the Daoist lineage?!”

Among the Hundred Schools of Thought, almost all had one or two widely recognized patriarchs who possessed a lasting and profound influence on their respective Daoist lineages, such as the Merchant School’s Mr. Fan.

The School of Yin-Yang had the Lu family of the Central Earth and Zou Zi, each occupying half of the landscape, their rivalry intense. Other schools, such as the Agricultural School and the Medical School, could coexist harmoniously.

Even the Military School, often referred to as “One Family of the Three Teachings” (Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism) and capable of being separated from the other schools, revered Jiang Taigong in both the ancestral court of Jixian Panxi and the martial temples throughout the world as their chief deity, with seventy-two famous generals of past dynasties as secondary deities, sharing the incense and martial fortune of the human realm.

Only the Legalist School was an exception.

They had never had a formally recognized patriarch, making the Legalist School more like a loose academic group. High-achievers appeared in every generation, but few Legalists throughout history had been able to meet a good end. This led to the Legalist School being in an awkward position. When in power, they were extremely influential, possessing more worldly authority than any other prominent school. However, their influence was often fleeting, their decrees changing frequently, unable to last. Furthermore, the Daoist lineage within the Legalist School was never unified, resembling a river frequently changing course, swallowing tributaries, blurring the distinction between the main channel and its branches. For example, Wei Liang, the Grand Commandant of the Azure Luan Kingdom in Treasure Bottle Continent, was a Legalist scholar greatly valued by Cui Chan, who had helped the Old Tortoise erect a monument on the peak of the continent, achieving great merit. He had recently served as the Minister of Justice in the secondary capital of Great Li. If asked about the Legalist family doctrine, Wei Liang would likely struggle to say that he specifically followed a certain lineage of the Legalist School.

Cui Dongshan looked grave, temporarily suppressing the doubts in his heart. It was fortunate that Zheng Juzhong was on their side, or else they would have a serious headache.

Wu Shuangjiang’s Dharma Body filled in the gaps in the Great Dao, preventing Jiang She from escaping easily.

His true body stood on the shoulders of his Dharma Body. Wu Shuangjiang overlooked the distant battlefield, holding an ancient weapon that appeared to be made of bronze, covered in rust, a horizontal blade.

Wu Shuangjiang stared at the first ancestor of the Military School, “The violent will not die peacefully, and the competitive will inevitably meet their match. The old path is blocked, it’s time to change the banner.”

Not only Jiang She, who was in the midst of the battle, but even Jiang Shangzhen, a temporary spectator, felt a chilling aura emanating from Wu Shuangjiang’s words. He felt a chill run down his spine.

Leaving aside Zheng Juzhong, Wu Shuangjiang had once been a general enshrined in the martial temple, and like Jiang She, he was also a member of the Military School, essentially “one of their own,” merely representing the upstream and midstream of this lineage of the Military School.

Therefore, regardless of how far-reaching the impact of this battle might be on the overall situation, focusing only on the present, no matter how casual Wu Shuangjiang’s words and expressions might seem, this battle was an all-or-nothing gamble, filled with killing intent.

Zheng Juzhong remained silent, simply nodding to Wu Shuangjiang, indicating that he could proceed.

He would take responsibility and deal with the trump card that Jiang She would use to trade his life.

Wu Shuangjiang understood.

Today’s battle would be a joint effort to slay Jiang She, usurp his position, seize his name, and obtain his substance.

A battle between the old and the new to claim the Dao.

A family feud!