The young Daoist, drenched in sweat, clutched the jade token, pushing his way through the dense crowd. His progress was met with countless curses. Finally, a steward from Dazhao Mountain, stationed near the coveted Heaven-class seating area, noticed the clueless youth. With a stern expression, he approached, ready to reprimand him. However, the young man held out his hand, revealing the exquisite jade token inscribed with “Heaven-Class Suite B.” The steward’s face immediately softened, replaced by a welcoming smile. He inquired in a low voice, “Are you a guest of Suite B?”

Having spent over half a month aboard the Dazhao Mountain Kunlun vessel, the stewards had familiarized themselves with the general appearances of the esteemed Heaven-class guests, hence the question.

The young Daoist mustered his courage and replied, “I am Zhang Shan, currently traveling and training. Although a distant relative of the Zhang family of Longhu Mountain, I have not yet been formally registered under the Qingci Sect, a branch of Longhu Mountain in Juluzhou. I am a… friend of Chen Ping’an, who resides in Suite B. I was delayed and have come to see the Misses Chunshui and Qiushi.”

The words left his mouth, but the young man immediately regretted his impulsiveness and audacity. He shouldn’t have accepted the token and then acted ungratefully. With a sensitive and introspective nature, he tended to overthink things. He felt foolish, realizing that he acted this way in everything, whether it was eagerly studying the Dao or recklessly fighting demons.

While the young man, with his wooden sword strapped to his back, was lost in regret and anxiety, the steward, relieved, smiled even more brightly. He gestured with a hand, indicating that the young Daoist could proceed, and said respectfully, “Please, Immortal Master Zhang, follow me.”

After reaching the vicinity of the seats and hearing the situation, Chunshui graciously offered her chair. Another rosewood chair was added by Dazhao Mountain, and the young Daoist sat down as if in a dream.

The graceful maid had just vacated the chair, leaving a lingering warmth. This made the young Daoist, with his thin skin, incredibly uneasy. His face flushed, and he quickly shifted, sitting only on the edge of the chair, as if failing to do so would be sacrilegious towards the young lady.

Qiushi, witnessing this scene, found it amusing.

Chunshui, while curious about the connection between Chen Ping’an and this down-on-his-luck Daoist, didn’t reveal anything on her face. As a maid from a prominent immortal sect, the ability to read people was a basic skill. Qiushi noticed things, but Chunshui, of course, wouldn’t miss them. She pursed her lips, inexplicably comparing the Dragonhu Mountain edge-case Daoist, whom she had seen several times on the viewing platform, with their guest, Chen Ping’an. Both were from humble beginnings, both were traveling far from home by ship, and both were experiencing the larger world for the first time. The younger Chen Ping’an was noticeably more composed and would never be so awkward.

The young Daoist, filled with trepidation, suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned and handed over the jade token. “Miss, this is Chen Ping’an’s token. I return it to you.”

Chunshui didn’t take the token without permission. She said softly, “Master Chen will return shortly. Please return it yourself, Immortal Master Zhang.”

Being gazed upon by those spring-water eyes at such close range, the wooden-sword Daoist blushed once again. Any semblance of composure or an immortal master’s demeanor had completely vanished.

The young Daoist was terribly thirsty, but seeing only a plate of tea leaves and no tea, he was too embarrassed to ask for a drink. He could only endure.

Qiushi, who found the young Daoist endlessly amusing, picked up a cold Kudingcha leaf and placed it in her mouth, teasingly saying, “Immortal Master Zhang, this is how you eat tea leaves. No need for the trouble of brewing tea.”

Chunshui was slightly exasperated but didn’t want to reprimand her younger sister’s rudeness at the moment.

However, she knew very well that a narrow-minded or easily offended person might hold a grudge.

Fortunately, the young Daoist was a gentle soul. He merely flushed red, reached out with two fingers, and picked up two tea leaves, placing them in his mouth and chewing lightly.

Then, the young man’s expression was a sight to behold.

Like a child tasting a sour kumquat or Coptis chinensis for the first time, he wanted to shudder all over.

Qiushi covered her mouth and giggled, finding it very amusing to tease the young Daoist.

Chunshui, however, was puzzled.

A detail unintentionally revealed by the young Daoist – he used his forefinger below and middle finger above to pick up the tea leaves. It was clearly a habitual movement from years of playing chess, so natural and unconscious.

If he came from a poor family and was just a low-level cultivator, he probably wouldn’t even have the opportunity to see a chessboard. After all, the arts of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting were all matters for the wealthy. Even if one became a cultivator, playing chess required concentration and was endlessly deep. A cultivator below the fifth realm, unless they had loved it since childhood, would never be distracted to learn chess. Which was more important, cultivating temperament or accumulating spiritual power?

From this small detail, Chunshui understood something. She found it truly interesting.

Chen Ping’an, residing in the Heaven-class suite, was a young man from the streets who could stand on the viewing platform every day, practicing boxing and watching the sea of clouds.

And this shy and timid young Daoist was likely a scholar’s disciple, immersed in books and etiquette for many years. His secular background wasn’t too bad, but it was completely insufficient in the land of immortals, ultimately leading him to simply stroll on the deck of the Kunlun vessel.

Chunshui inadvertently saw the child in the arms of the timid man in the row ahead, who turned his head and smiled at her.

Chunshui returned a polite smile.

She thought that the greatest test in the world must be reincarnation, right?

The child, however, was thinking that such a beautiful young lady should be bought to serve as his personal maid. When his hands were cold from turning pages in winter, he could have her warm them.

The child, who resembled his father, tugged at his mother’s sleeve. Although the woman usually had an arrogant expression, she was extremely doting on her child. Smiling, she bent down, and the child whispered his thoughts.

The woman turned and glanced at Chunshui behind her, her eyes indifferent. Then, she smiled at her son and said, “Her aptitude is too poor; reaching the Middle Five Realms is out of the question. Even if we pile mountains of treasures on her, it’s futile. Never mind, when we disembark at Old Dragon City, Mother will find you a Cave Nascent Soul Realm woman to be your maid.”

The woman spoke of having a fifth-realm cultivator as a maid, and not only did her child believe it, but no one around them found it absurd.

The woman spoke without restraint, and Chunshui’s face turned pale.

Her lifelong hope of reaching the Middle Five Realms was nonexistent.

This filled her with despair.
The woman abruptly turned her head again, glancing at Qiushi. “Oh, this little girl has some potential, but she doesn’t look like she can bear children. The previous one looked more auspicious. Son, do you like this one? If you do, your mother can talk to Da Zhao Mountain and buy her.”

The child followed the woman’s gaze, turning his head with a look of disgust. “She’s all skin and bones, just like you, Mother. I don’t like her.”

The tall but emaciated woman wasn’t bothered in the slightest. She rubbed the child’s head and laughed heartily, a sound like a night owl screeching on a branch, eerie and terrifying.

Qiushi wore a blank expression.

Her elder sister, Chunshui, lowered her eyes, her beautiful hands with jade-like fingers resting on her knees, the veins showing.

Although he had a good impression of the Daoist nun, Chen Pingan still used his mind to actively contact the Chuyi and Shiwu swords within the sword gourd.

Only after receiving a response did he feel slightly at ease.

Whether it’s a pie falling from the sky or a rock, one must be careful.

Old Man Yao used to enjoy saying things that his disciples and apprentices loved to hear whenever he drank, mystical and Daoist-like. At that time, Liu Xianyang would find it annoying, and the old man’s other disciples just thought of him as a rambling old drunk, more approachable than usual when he was scolding them with a stern face. As for the content of what he said, they wouldn’t pay attention to it.

Everyone has their own destiny. A thick one is like the stone-paved road of Taoye Lane in Fulush Street, not afraid of wind and rain, or even knives falling from the sky. A thin one is like the mud road in a small alley, which becomes muddy with a little rain. An even thinner one is like a piece of paper, easily broken. Even if the heavens bestow good things, they become bad things because one cannot hold onto them.

Chen Pingan always sat in the farthest place, silently memorizing them in his heart.

Interestingly, Old Man Yao usually didn’t like to say anything to his apprentice Chen Pingan, but Chen Pingan was the one who listened to his words the most, and was most willing to believe them.

It’s rare for a bad person to do a good deed; how many people get to see it? But if a good person does a bad deed, especially if it falls on your own head, you probably won’t even have time to cry.

Chen Pingan didn’t want this meeting to be some conspiracy.

If it was an inescapable misfortune, then he suspected it was most likely related to the sword in the locust wood sword box on his back. Even with Wei Bo, Ruan Qiong, and Old Man Yang working together to conceal it, traces were still revealed.

Chen Pingan slowly ascended the stairs, opened the door, and entered. There was no sign of the Divine Edict Sect Daoist nun in the main hall. He looked around and finally saw the woman standing beside the desk in the study.

The beautiful Daoist nun was wearing a Daoist robe, but she had removed the fishtail crown she always wore, replacing it with a lotus crown. Her Divine Edict Sect was a rather strange existence within the Daoist tradition. The Daoist lineages were complex and mixed, with chaotic inheritance. All three branches of Daoism were venerated, making it a muddled mess.

He Xiaoliang rested one hand on the desk and got straight to the point, “Chen Pingan, I’m here to see you on behalf of someone. Sect Leader Lu…”

The word “Leader” almost slipped out. He Xiaoliang calmly changed her words, “Lu Chen, the Daoist who once visited Niping Lane. He is now in Longquan Town, but it’s inconvenient for him to meet you, so he asked me to retrieve a medicinal formula, the last one, the one stamped with the four-character vermilion seal. In addition, he wants me to return to you…”

At this point, He Xiaoliang smiled slightly, “…a bezoar stone. From then on, your debt to him is cleared. You go your own way, and he’ll take his own difficult path. He said, ‘If we have the chance to meet again in the future, we can sit down and share a cup of wine in the spring breeze.'”

Chen Pingan both exhaled a sigh of relief and felt a breath catch in his throat.

It wasn’t for the sword Ruan Qiong had forged, but for him personally.

He Xiaoliang smiled and said, “He also asked me to tell you that from now on, take care of yourself, and remember to stop and disembark in the Nanxun Kingdom.”

Chen Pingan nodded, “Okay.”

He Xiaoliang pointed to the table in the main hall. The two sat facing each other. He Xiaoliang thought for a moment, then with a wave of her hand, a national seal that had been lost among the people after the fall of a kingdom appeared on the table. It was square and upright, but its texture was as smooth and round as suet. This was an item of “span-foot” space, even rarer than the already precious “inch-square” items. The young Cui Chan carried one with him, and that was how he had pulled out dozens of magical treasures on the top of Dongshan in the Great Sui Academy overnight, earning the title of “Ancestor of the Cai Family.”

Then, He Xiaoliang raised her hand again, and above the span-foot national seal, a simple inkstone carved with cloud inscriptions floated. After that, a jade book ran out of the ancient inkstone, and finally, a small lotus leaf floated out of the jade book. In the very end, a bezoar stone rolled out of the inch-square lotus leaf, the very one that Chen Pingan had given to He Xiaoliang to pass on to Lu Chen.

One item of span-foot space, three items of inch-square space.

This was a silent display of wealth.

And the display of wealth was seamless.

Perhaps any tenth-realm Qi cultivator in the world would have their eyes pop out upon seeing this.

Others at most earned money lying down, but He Xiaoliang was accepting blessings lying down.

He Xiaoliang put away the lotus leaf, jade book, inkstone, and national seal, and then gently pushed the bezoar stone towards Chen Pingan.

Seeing that Chen Pingan seemed hesitant to accept the bezoar stone, He Xiaoliang said honestly, “Don’t worry, Lu Chen won’t play any tricks this time. Just like he personally guaranteed this meeting between you and me, no matter what I do or say, he won’t use his divine powers to spy on you. If he says so, you and I can believe it.”

Only then did Chen Pingan control Shiwu, and a medicinal formula floated out, stamped with the four characters “Lu Chen’s Edict.”

He Xiaoliang didn’t reach out to take it, but used a spell to put it into her inch-square lotus leaf.

After doing this, He Xiaoliang’s expression visibly lightened. She even picked up a spiritual fruit called a fire pear, took a light bite, and smiled, “Alright, official business is done. Next is personal business, Chen Pingan, don’t be nervous.”

Chen Pingan smiled wryly, “How can I not be nervous?”

He Xiaoliang asked, “Have you heard that I have left the Divine Edict Sect?”

Chen Pingan shook his head.

He Xiaoliang mocked herself, “It seems my cultivation is still too low, and my fame is too small.”
He Xiaoliang smiled, not hurrying to speak, savoring the candied pears. These fruits could ward off the cold, bringing comfort to the body. As for the spiritual essence contained within a single pear, it was negligible, far inferior to the Evergreen Oranges. Therefore, their price wasn’t high, and they were often a staple for the officials and nobles at the foot of the mountains during the winter and spring seasons.

However, in the celadon fruit platter, Evergreen Oranges were more abundant, with only a few candied pears. If Chen Ping’an hadn’t inquired about the prices with Chunshui Qiushi, he would have definitely assumed the scarce candied pears were more expensive.

In truth, this was precisely the foundation of immortal mountain havens like Dazao Mountain, not stingy in the slightest.

He Xiaoliang ate the candied pears, leisurely and carefree, with a relaxed expression.

Chen Ping’an sat upright, wondering what medicine this immortal master was selling in her gourd.

He Xiaoliang, the Jade Maiden of Dongbao Continent, a continent’s Daoist orthodoxy, had inexplicably announced her departure from the Divine Proclamation Sect. Some said it was because she secretly admired her little martial uncle, who had gone to the Central Divine Continent to oversee the upper sect’s Daoist scriptures. The young Daoist nun finally experienced the stirrings of spring in her heart, a thunderous and earth-shattering love, so uncontrollable that she wanted to follow him as a devoted wife, forsaking her sect’s grace and the path to immortality.

He Xiaoliang relinquished her position as Jade Maiden. In Bao Ping Continent, there were three Daoist sects, and a new Jade Maiden emerged, no longer from the Divine Proclamation Sect, which had a Heavenly Sovereign overseeing it, but from an inconspicuous young Daoist nun from the Autumn Water Sect. Outsiders speculated that He Xiaoliang’s actions had caused outrage within the continent’s orthodoxy, leading the Divine Proclamation Sect to lose the ideal situation of having both a “Golden Boy and Jade Maiden within the sect.” Moreover, He Xiaoliang’s mentor was furious, publicly vowing to cleanse the sect, almost personally descending the mountain to pursue He Xiaoliang’s whereabouts, only barely stopped by Heavenly Sovereign Qi Zhen.

The world knew that He Xiaoliang’s teaching master placed great expectations on her, nurturing her with all his heart, almost treating her as his own daughter.

This was a well-known fact within the Divine Proclamation Sect.

Therefore, it was only natural that the old immortal was heartbroken over this.

However, some couldn’t help but wonder, wasn’t it said that He Xiaoliang’s blessings were unparalleled in the entire continent? Why had she fallen to such a state?

Could it be that she was secretly making a fortune, obtaining even greater opportunities? To the point where she could abandon her master and sect? However, within the Daoist orthodoxy, the rules were strict, not inferior to Confucian academies. Even if He Xiaoliang went to the Divine Proclamation Sect’s Central Divine Continent, bearing such a scandalous reputation, could she truly live together with that scripture-managing Daoist?

Fortunately, the battle between Zhengyang Mountain and Fenglei Garden diverted attention.

The tumultuous and deadly battle seemed more captivating than the tender and twisted entanglements of love and hate.

Chen Ping’an watched He Xiaoliang eat an entire candied pear, but she still showed no intention of speaking. He had no choice but to ask softly, “Immortal Master He, is there something you need from me?”

He Xiaoliang, whose thoughts had drifted far away, regained her composure, but still didn’t speak, instead scrutinizing Chen Ping’an carefully.

Compared to their first encounter on the back of the Azure Ox in the Lvzhu Grotto, the young man was slightly taller, his complexion slightly fairer, and his eyebrows and eyes now possessed a hint of spiritual brilliance.

Lu Chen, the Daoist leader of a sect, had a candid conversation with He Xiaoliang before she secretly boarded the ship to the Wutong Tree.

Besides what He Xiaoliang told Chen Ping’an, there were many other “unspeakable, unknowable” inside stories. For example, Lu Chen was in the next house to the young man’s ancestral home, sitting on a small stool in front of the stove, holding a fire poker, busy cooking despite being a guest. And the young girl Zhi Gui, the master of the house, lazily sat in the courtyard, basking in the sun, occasionally turning her head to look at the kitchen, urging Lu Chen to hurry up.

He Xiaoliang was sitting near Lu Chen at the time. After learning the true identity of the young Daoist, He Xiaoliang felt inexplicably tranquil, which surprised her.

At that time, Lu Chen, with a hint of self-satisfaction, grumbled and complained, “Back then, you, Qi Jingchun, messed up the matchmaking, throwing a huge problem at me. Courtesy demands reciprocity, so I might as well play the role of the matchmaker and see who is the better strategist.”

Lu Chen had a mischievous grin on his face when he said these outrageous words.

But He Xiaoliang was unmoved, both internally and externally.

This made Lu Chen feel deflated.

Her nature was too much like his eldest brother. Someone like his second brother would be more interesting, but while interesting, it would definitely not be easy to get along with.

For example, the boy from Apricot Blossom Lane who walked out of the town, Ma Kuxuan.

While patiently waiting for the rice to cook, Lu Chen bluntly told He Xiaoliang that the two snake gallstones Chen Ping’an gifted were divided between him and her, like two banks of a river, and the few medicinal prescriptions, especially the four vermilion seals of “Lu Chen’s Edict,” were a bridge.

Although this was a far-reaching scheme of Lu Chen, it didn’t involve any malice.

On the contrary, this was half the reason why Chen Ping’an’s luck after leaving town could turn from bad to good. The other half was that his Natal Porcelain was broken, attracting opportunities time and time again, but always missing them, relying only on his natural toughness, a stubbornness he was born with, or rather, his special status as a key pawn, he persevered until the overall situation was settled, waiting for the subsequent invisible compensation from the heavens.

As for the other half, it was Lu Chen’s doing.

Qi Jingchun might have already seen through it, but was willing to go with the flow, believing that Chen Ping’an was blessed by the heavens and knew how to make choices, so he was happy to see it happen. Those who couldn’t see it, like Chen Ping’an himself, naturally remained unaware.

Because after the bridge was built, a mysterious connection arose between Chen Ping’an and He Xiaoliang, sharing fortune and misfortune, and bearing them together.

So, Chen Ping’an had taken away as much as half of He Xiaoliang’s blessings!

Having said that, ordinary people might have died upon receiving this opportunity.

If one’s life was as thin as paper, not to mention a torrential downpour, even a single raindrop would pierce through it.

Or even if one’s life was tough, but stubbornly insisted on taking everything, some seemingly small causes and effects would eventually come like a tsunami, destroying not only the bluestone road of Fortune Street but even the western mountains, leaving nothing behind.

Lu Chen’s initial intention wasn’t malicious, but he didn’t care whether Chen Ping’an would be overwhelmed or suffer misfortune due to blessings.

Afterward, it proved that Qi Jingchun had misjudged the person.

Having heard the leakage of secrets from a Daoist sect leader.

He Xiaoliang’s tranquil state of mind, which had been maintained all along, finally began to show cracks, like fissures appearing on a mirror.
She knew full well that贺小凉, who had enjoyed a life of ease and unparalleled fortune, had reached a precipice. Whether she would embrace the逆流而上 (defying the currents) principle of the Great Dao, mending her broken mirror and ascending to the heavens in a single bound, or take a fatal step, plummeting into the abyss, her body shattered beyond recognition, depended solely on her next move.

Even if she chose correctly, she might not progress as swiftly and smoothly as before, unhindered in her cultivation.

It was the most perilous moment in her otherwise blessed life.

Especially the feeling of being a pawn, controlled against her will, was utterly dreadful.

Cultivation was not meant for becoming a puppet for some great figure, even if that figure was陆沉, the掌教 (leader) of a great sect in青冥天下 (Azure Underworld)!

This was even more unsettling than the previous incident.

Since the day she successfully severed the赤龙 (Crimson Dragon) at the age of fourteen, the young贺小凉 had noticed a change in her master’s gaze.

As time passed, the naive girl began to realize that the gaze, which made her slightly uncomfortable, was no longer the benevolent affection of an elder towards a junior. It was now tinged with the longing of a man for a woman.

However, at the time, the掌教祁真 (Sect Leader Qi Zhen) was in closed-door cultivation, and the entire神誥宗 (Divine Edict Sect) was on high alert.

Before she left the sect for骊珠洞天 (Li Zhu Cave Heaven), the old man had spoken to her frankly, laying his cards on the table, asking her to become his道侣 (cultivation partner)!

The old man even said that for her sake, he was willing to leave the sect and become a carefree pair of “wild mandarin ducks,” unconcerned with worldly opinions, living in the mountains and marshes. If she was unwilling to live a nomadic life, it didn’t matter. They could continue to be master and disciple on the surface, secretly becoming道侣. The old man guaranteed that the fragmented scroll expounding the Grand Dao of dual cultivation could allow both master and disciple to ascend to the Upper Five Realms, far from the vulgar and base arts of the bedroom or “gathering yin to supplement yang.”

贺小凉 was unwilling.

And there was no pretense whatsoever. If the old man hadn’t been uncertain of subduing her silently, he would have already acted.

That was why she embarked on the distant journey to骊珠洞天.

Because some sceneries, she wanted to reach the summit alone and see with her own eyes.

In truth,贺小凉 didn’t particularly care about the world’s view of dual cultivation methods or the taboo of master-disciple relationships. She had no strong prejudice against them.

贺小凉 only valued the Great Dao!

The truly superior dual cultivation secret arts of the Daoist school were far from the vulgar interpretation of ordinary people.

It was a branch of cultivating both nature and life, and wouldn’t even be classified as one of the many unorthodox paths that were still considered “Dao.”

The reason why unorthodox paths sounded derogatory was simply that, in the eyes of mountain cultivators, they could not directly lead to the Upper Five Realms. Yet, they were still remarkable avenues to climb.

After贺小凉 returned from大骊 (Great Li), her mentor completely shed his disguise as a benevolent elder, attempting seduction, verbal coercion, angry threats, and all sorts of tricks.

贺小凉 responded with composure, meeting each challenge with equal measure. But deep down, she felt a sense of pity, because she knew that was the Great Dao the old man had chosen. But it was too small, too narrow. She was unwilling to accompany the old man on this narrow path where the scenery at the end was far from magnificent.

Later, the Land Sword Immortal魏晋 (Wei Jin) of the Wind and Snow Temple entered南涧国 (South Stream Kingdom). The old man mistakenly believed that贺小凉 had summoned him as reinforcement, and became much more restrained. Unexpectedly,贺小凉 rejected魏晋, who wandered off into the world, drunk and riding a donkey. This made the old man feel like he had found a new lease on life. However, good things often came with setbacks. A young Daoist priest of the same generation as him, with no high cultivation, dared to protect贺小凉, confronting him face-to-face and uttering chilling words, leaving the old man in a difficult position. Ironically, that fellow soon rushed to中土神洲 (Central Divine Continent), so hastily that he could only have a private conversation with贺小凉. Regardless,贺小凉 did not rely on her little martial uncle as the outside world thought. Instead, she chose to remove her name from the register of the神誥宗, which made the old man feel as if a new opportunity had arrived. However,掌教祁真 was quite lenient, overruled the opposition, and did not pursue her betrayal of the sect. The other elders of the sect, although almost everyone was indignant, feeling that the sect had raised an ungrateful wretch, had no choice but to give up since the Sect Leader天君 (Heavenly Sovereign) had spoken. Only贺小凉’s master wanted to go down the mountain to “question” her, but he was still persuaded back to the sect by祁真.

Persuaded back, it was said.

In fact,贺小凉, who was already following陆沉 to大骊, knew better than anyone that掌门祁真 must have forcibly stopped the old man, perhaps even fighting him to a standstill before sending him back to his residence.

Because without her, the old man’s Great Dao, which was already precarious and crumbling, would be completely severed.

With the old man’s stubborn personality, he would never give up.

But everything was destined to be in vain.

Because behind her stood陆沉.

An existence who could freely command 天君祁真.

贺小凉’s thoughts were racing.

She had not answered陈平安’s question.

陈平安 could only wait quietly.

“Even if陆沉 is far-sighted, he is only following the trend.” 贺小凉 suddenly her eyes brightened, and she stood up abruptly, as if she had untied a knot in her heart, “So, destiny is a match made in heaven.”

But贺小凉 suddenly trembled.

She vaguely remembered that the first time she saw the young man, she only saw a connection that was destined to be shallow.

That was her true Daoist heart.

But why did she now feel that the connection was becoming deeper? She even felt that it was a “match made in heaven”?

This must be the result of 陆沉, the Daoist掌教’s, calculations!

Sure enough, a lazy voice with a hint of a smile sounded in her heart, “Not bad, being able to understand this means that after this battle, after asking yourself honestly, you have handed in the correct answer. The cracks in your heart mirror have been completely repaired. Even if there are serious injuries in the future, they will not be as likely to shatter as before today. Next, you can go to俱芦洲 (Ju Lu Continent) to explore.”

“Let me explain beforehand, this poor Daoist did not eavesdrop or peek. I just buried something in your heart long ago. When you get the answer, it will unlock, and this poor Daoist will know.”

“Enough of that, then finally, this poor Daoist has another question for you to ask yourself, how should you deal with陈平安?”
“Hmm, speaking like this is a bit too flowery, not in line with this humble Daoist’s usual style. How about this: ‘He Xiaoliang, caress that well-hidden bosom of yours, and ask your conscience, do you want to uproot the weeds and eliminate the roots, to crush this temporarily unknown whether-fate-is-good-or-evil…fated one before you with a single palm, lest a knot of the heart become a death knot, ruining the very foundation of your future Great Dao’?”

The young Daoist nun, with her exquisite beauty, gazed at the seated youth.

Her face was flushed, her eyes ice-cold.

Chen Ping’an met her gaze.

As if plunged into an ice cellar.

Within the sword-nurturing gourd at his waist, Chuyi and Shiwu were poised to strike.

To kill the youth, or not?

It seemed either choice would be within Lu Chen’s expectations, within his calculations.

The first time, He Xiaoliang had to overcome her own hurdle; this time, she had to overcome a hurdle personally set by the Daoist patriarch. Of course, Lu Chen wouldn’t exert his full strength, otherwise it would be no different from directly killing him. He obviously had high hopes for He Xiaoliang, not to the point of slapping his own face.

The beautiful Daoist nun questioned herself a second time. Her chilling gaze gradually softened into amorous eyes, not to mention the blush on her cheeks, which made her originally dignified countenance seem utterly unfamiliar.

However, upon the lake of her heart, ripples surged violently, creating stormy waves, causing unbearable suffering.

Chen Ping’an remained silent, staring intently at the strangely behaving Divine Decree Sect Daoist nun.

He even suspected whether a fox demon, skilled in bewitching the heart, had transformed into He Xiaoliang’s appearance, otherwise, how could she be so different?

But intuition told him that a line between life and death existed between them.

He Xiaoliang couldn’t help but support herself on the table with both hands, which were covered in sweat, and her temples were disheveled with stray strands of hair.

Outside He Xiaoliang’s heart’s door, a sigh sounded softly, as if forcibly suppressing the flood within He Xiaoliang’s heart, “He Xiaoliang, in truth, this humble Daoist has already given you the answer. It is only that you have been blinded by the Great Dao, clouding your state of mind. Whether you kill him, this humble Daoist will stop you; whether you don’t kill him, this humble Daoist will not force you. Both can pass this trial. Yet you can neither pick it up nor put it down, living in a daze, and in the end, you even came up with the worst possible plan, wanting to kill Chen Ping’an, then have a spirit marriage with him, so that you can sever the cause and effect, and also think yourself blameless. Truly laughable. Can such utilitarian methods truly help you reach the summit? Have you ever considered why Chen Ping’an, despite facing so many adversities, has been able to live to this day? You, who have such smooth sailing and outstanding talent, are unable to overcome even this easiest of thresholds?”

He Xiaoliang, this true immortal who was once unreachable within this continent, slumped down onto the stool, resting her head on the table, her face like spring tide, panting heavily, her eyes filled with mist, gazing at the youth across from her.

Her gaze was both resentful and apologetic.

All killing intent was gone.

Chen Ping’an was utterly confused.

What was happening?

He hadn’t bullied her, right? The flying swords in his sword-nurturing gourd hadn’t even been drawn.

Besides, with He Xiaoliang, such a high-level Qi Practitioner, before him, even if he unleashed Chuyi and Shiwu, and even added his performative demon-slaying, it would still be a loss and a death.

He Xiaoliang took a long time to recover, the mist gradually cleared, the spring tide gradually receded, and her mind became stable. She stood up and smiled at the youth. She had finally returned to the divine woman that Chen Ping’an had first met, accompanied by white deer, with celestial aura swirling around her.

She said decisively: “Chen Ping’an, the day you die will be the day you become He Xiaoliang’s husband!”

In the end, she resolutely made half of her original decision, the first decision she had made.

Not killing, but forming a bond.

Upon the lake of her heart, Lu Chen’s deep and resonant voice, carrying undisguised praise, slowly sounded, “Immeasurable Blessings of the Heavenly Venerable. He Xiaoliang, from this moment on, you have entered this humble Daoist Lu Chen’s sect, becoming the sixth direct disciple, and may establish a sect in Julu Continent.”

Chen Ping’an was stunned, and blurted out subconsciously: “Immortal He, what did you say? Did I hear wrong, or can you say it again?”

What dead? What husband?

Chen Ping’an became even more certain that this “He Xiaoliang” was most likely a mischievous mountain fox spirit that liked to cause trouble.

He Xiaoliang was somewhat shy and annoyed, glaring at Chen Ping’an for taking advantage of her.

She took a deep look at Chen Ping’an, and then left.

Chen Ping’an remained seated, his brows furrowed tightly.

Seeming real yet seeming fake, like a dream or illusion.