Mount Luopo.

The Taoist Xianwei scratched his head, finding it utterly baffling, yet a voice seemed to echo within his mind, more like lingering whispers around the wooden hairpin. The young Taoist, while fiddling with the hairpin, hurried up the mountain. Finally, at the peak of Ji Ling Peak, he found two heads huddled together, whispering secrets. He told the blue-clothed boy and the black-clothed girl that the Mountain Lord would be home soon.

Little Mi Li and Chen Lingjun exchanged smiles. Raising their hands, they slapped palms. “Alright, we’re off to roam the jianghu tomorrow!”

Central Divine Continent, Dragon and Tiger Mountain Heavenly Master’s Residence.

The young sword cultivator temporarily staying as a guest had a relaxed expression, devoid of any worries.

Zhao Tianlai, whose handsome face was now full of white hair, smiled and said, “The one sword and one seal passed down through generations of the Heavenly Master’s Residence might not be truly destroyed. The real dharma sword and dharma seal are within all of us Dragon and Tiger Mountain Taoists, including this poor Taoist… within the Tao and within the practice.”

Xiao Mo nodded, “I couldn’t agree more.”

Zhao Tianlai said, “Why doesn’t Mr. Xiao Mo rest at the residence for a few days?”

Xiao Mo politely declined, “I won’t stay here and disturb my fellow Taoist’s pure cultivation.”

Zhao Tianlai smiled and nodded, “Understood.”

Xiao Mo directly summoned the Three Mountain Talisman and traveled across continents to Mount Luopo. As his cultivation lowered, upon reaching the mountain peak, his figure began to sway. A girl wearing a mink hat managed to hug him, laughing heartily.

The ten-tailed celestial fox, perched on the high platform and curled into a circle, softly asked, “Heavenly Master, are you truly not even a little bit pained?”

Zhao Tianlai replied with a smile via mental projection, “How could that be? But if I don’t make such a public declaration, how will I explain it to the people at the ancestral hall later?”

She nodded understandingly, smiling sweetly.

Savage World, the unnamed cave dwelling in the southeast direction, Zheng Juzhong stood beside several newly accepted unofficial disciples.

Deep within the Savage World, “Lu Chen” felt relieved, his expression joyous. The Taoist recited, almost chanting, “Can the form truly be like withered wood, and the heart truly be like dead ash?”

A moment later, Lu Chen shouted, “Fellow Taoist Chen! When you have some free time, remember to save this humble Taoist! It’s okay if it’s a bit late, just remember to come!”

Azure Netherworld, Bai Yujing. Yu Dou glanced at Yao Qing in the Sui Chu Palace, who raised an eyebrow and retorted gruffly, “What are you looking at?”

Outside the Heavens.

Ignoring Gu Can’s repeated urging to hurry on their journey, Liu Xianyang was reluctant to leave. However, looking at the tangible scenes of “divine path collapse,” he rubbed his chin and sighed with emotion, “Just gone, just like that. What a shame.”

Gu Can sneered, “Old Master Liu, you’re truly big-hearted, still feeling pity here. If it hadn’t disappeared, who would break it? You? Three full-fledged sword inquiries, just tickling Zheng Juzhong…”

Liu Xianyang said, “I don’t stoop to the level of things that are neither human nor ghost.”

Gu Can felt utterly helpless. In his current situation, going down the gradually fading azure path would only… He had no choice but to say, “Old Master Liu, Sword Immortal Liu, Sect Master Liu, Groom Liu, we can truly set off now.”

Liu Xianyang nodded.

Just at that moment, from an immeasurably vast distance, a vague, ethereal figure drifted over. The other party had a strange expression, looking at the two fools who were unwilling to leave.

Liu Xianyang felt a rare sense of inferiority. Was this the old blind man from the Hundred Thousand Mountains? Now, looking at him, his bearing and handsome appearance were simply unreasonable.

Gu Can immediately asked, “Senior, how long will this return journey take?”

Zhi Ci glanced at the gradually fading azure path, did some calculations, pondered for a moment, and smiled, “Roughly speaking, it should take about ten years on the road. Chatting for a bit longer will delay it by a few years. For example, now that we’re chatting like this, it’s hard to say.”

Gu Can took a deep breath. Fine, he would just drift slowly through the vast void with this scoundrel Liu Xianyang. But what if they took a wrong turn, for example, in the wrong direction…

Liu Xianyang bowed, “Senior, if you have any instructions, this junior can help relay them. I will also do what I can to help with anything I can. More than that, it’s truly difficult to promise.”

Zhi Ci nodded. This was a thoughtful young man. Even at the risk of possibly delaying his own wedding for a long time, he chose to stay here and take a gamble.

Perhaps it was at the dawn of a new era for heaven and earth that he encountered such a somewhat reliable young sword cultivator. Zhi Ci’s mood improved considerably. He glanced at Gu Can and said, “What you chose to shatter impulsively before was not your true physical body, but your vital essence porcelain, Gu Can. As for your true physical body, it was probably hidden somewhere by Zheng Juzhong long ago. After you return, go and ask him for it yourself. However, Zheng Juzhong may not give me any face.”

Speaking of this, Zhi Ci raised his hand, two fingers together, and pointed into the air, immediately writing a Taoist scripture. Liu Xianyang and Gu Can only read the first few sentences before their eyes felt dizzy and their minds reeled, and they dared not look at it again. Zhi Ci casually applied hundreds of restrictions, “closed the book,” and pushed it towards Gu Can. “There are some true meanings related to the foundations of the three religions in here. The saying that opening a book is beneficial is always true. You can either trace back the source from this, or derive fresh alternative interpretations from it. It all depends on Zheng Juzhong’s own reading ability.”

Gu Can bowed in thanks.

Zhi Ci teased, “It’s also Chen Pingan’s misfortune to be saddled with such a stubborn and unrepentant troublemaker like you.”

However, on the other hand, it was precisely this stubbornness that became one of the keys to resolving this deadlock. How many unintentional successes and failures there are in the world are all ultimately a landscape. People may not see it, but it cannot be absent from the human world.

Liu Xianyang sighed, seemingly defending Gu Can, “Senior Zhi Ci, why are you scolding him? Gu Can is already in this state, Senior, please don’t rub salt in the wound.”

Zhi Ci looked at the distant human world, separated by countless stars, and smiled, “One phrase, ‘Those who know me are but two or three.’ How unfortunate, how fortunate. You are all good.”

Collecting himself, Zhi Ci said, “Liu Xianyang, I do have something to entrust to you, but you are a Confucian scholar, an upright gentleman. I won’t make any deals with you…”

Gu Can chuckled. Good, very good, excellent.

Liu Xianyang initially pretended to be magnanimous, but finally couldn’t help but get anxious, “Senior Zhi Ci, if you say that, you’ll break my heart. I don’t expect any amazing Taoist scriptures or terrifying meritorious treasures. There should always be a few trivial sword techniques. I earnestly request Senior to teach them to this junior. This isn’t a transaction or a deal. When a senior with high morals and reputation meets a junior with a pure heart, they don’t hesitate to offer guidance and pointers, and it doesn’t prevent Liu Xianyang from being a gentleman or a scholar.”

Zhi Ci shook his head and said, “Truly none.”

Liu Xianyang saw that this senior did not seem to be faking it, and instead stopped thinking so much. He smiled, “Alright, Senior, just speak your mind. Honestly, being able to meet ‘Taoist Zhi Ci’ and chat for a bit is already a gain. In the future, I’ll have a large number of disciples and grandchildren. As a master and grandmaster, I won’t need to draft anything when I boast to them, haha, just thinking about it… is beautiful!”

Zhi Ci patiently listened to Liu Xianyang’s heartfelt words and said, “When you arrive in the human world, please help take care of Li Huai a bit. His mind has always been simple, but the world ahead will be even more complicated. You are all outstanding figures as sect masters and are fellow villagers. It’s always good to help each other more. On the path of the great Tao, you help him once, he supports you once, and you’ll both overcome your difficulties and be able to walk together for a long time and to a high place.”

Zhi Ci glanced at Gu Can, who had just been feigning schadenfreude, “He’s also a clever one.”

Zhi Ci waved his sleeve, slightly stabilizing the azure path, and smiled, “Go in peace.”

Liu Xianyang first put Gu Can into his sleeve, and following that route, began to fly back home with his sword. He hoped to arrive back in the human world on the fifth day of the fifth month. Heaven and earth are vast, but marrying a wife is the most important!

He might as well scold that fellow a few words… but on second thought, Liu Xianyang couldn’t bear to say anything harsh.

Thinking again, Liu Xianyang looked around and chatted with the little snot.

Thinking about returning to the human world and his hometown, surely all tomorrows will be better than today.

On the Cypress Boat, the woman gazed wistfully back at the human world before retracting her gaze.

She held something between her two fingers. She immersed a speck of her mind into it, her expression gentle, her eyes narrowed in a smile. There was a small town there too, with an old pagoda tree, a well, a memorial archway, and a Mud Bottle Alley, and a straw-sandal boy. But she had gone to that small alley earlier than her. At any rate, the girl with the ponytail saw the boy earlier than the girl in the green robe.

Mount Luopo.

The white-clothed boy with a mole between his eyebrows was swinging his sleeves, accompanied by the chief Zhou in a green robe and long gown. The two brothers were discussing who would become the “Deputy Mountain Lord.”

Zhu Lian had removed his mask, restoring his true appearance, and was busy in the kitchen preparing a late-night snack.

A dusty old scholar stood at the door. Wow, the smell of fireworks, the aroma of food.

The new chapter of the human world was like an extremely long extra for Chen Pingan, but it was also the main text of the new human world.

In the gentle haven where his heart found peace, Chen Pingan, slightly tired but smiling, fell into a deep sleep.

In the instant before Chen Pingan fell asleep, and when he would certainly wake up, he opened his eyes and looked at us.

It was as if he was saying silently, My name is Chen Pingan, Ping An of peace and safety. I am a swordsman.

He saw us.

Finished! Mwah!

Next will be the extra chapters.

Sincere thanks to everyone, all of “us”.