As Fan Er exited the alley, the young woman in green robes had already entered Gray Dust Apothecary.

The moment she stepped inside, the flamboyant women and girls were instantly overshadowed. They exchanged glances, feeling a sense of inferiority in her presence.

Unlike Fan Er’s courteous demeanor, this woman was far from approachable. She strode towards the bamboo curtain, heading towards the backyard.

Not a single woman in the apothecary dared to utter a word to stop her.

Zheng Dafeng sat on the steps of the main house, smoking his dry tobacco pipe.

The green-robed woman surveyed her surroundings, then with a wave of her hand, a small stool instantly appeared behind her from under the eaves of the wing room. She sat down and began to drink.

Zheng Dafeng, of course, recognized her. She was the first person he had seen upon arriving in Old Dragon City on this southern journey—the little-known eldest daughter of the Fan family, Fan Junmao.

The five great families of Old Dragon City were Fu, Sun, Fang, Hou, and Ding.

Leaving aside the Earth Immortal Fu Qi and the Fu family, who possessed four immortal weapons, the Sun family was renowned for its profound foundation, with a nascent soul Earth Immortal seated in their ancestral home.

Although the Fang family lacked a nascent soul to intimidate the masses, they had two seventh-realm martial arts grandmasters and an eighth-realm Golden Core sword cultivator. In the secular dynasties south of Treasure Bottle Continent, especially in the Jianghu, the Fang family wielded immense power. Their silver banks, escort agencies, pawnshops, and inns were scattered like stars in the sky. Compared to the Fu and Sun families, the Fang family earned small profits, taking the path of accumulation.

The Hou family’s top-tier combat power, those middle-fifth realm retainers and guests, offered no advantage. However, they had a prodigal son who had been away from home for many years and was now a sage of the Guanhu Academy. Although that sage had never returned home to worship his ancestors since leaving, the Hou family had undoubtedly benefited greatly. Every year, they would send people to Guanhu Academy to pay their respects during the New Year.

In addition to the intercontinental ferry to Upside-Down Mountain, the Hou family also possessed the most routes from Old Dragon City to Northern Ju Liuzhou. Most of the journeys were not long, ranging from tens of thousands to three hundred thousand li. For example, the Hou family controlled half of the Dragon Walking Road that ended in Shushui Kingdom at the northern end, in scattered pieces, but added together, it was not to be underestimated.

The Hou family had many connections with the immortal sects of southern Ju Liuzhou. Through two hundred years of painstaking efforts, they had fostered several mountain sects there.

The Ding family had almost been removed from the list of the five great families, replaced by an up-and-coming family that had been eyeing them for nearly a century. In particular, the Ding family had angered Chu Yang, the number one Golden Core cultivator in Old Dragon City, who was cultivating in a thatched hut on the Ascending Dragon Terrace. They suffered a great loss of vitality, and their prestige plummeted to the bottom.

But at this time, a young man from the Southeast Continent changed everything. He entered Old Dragon City for the first time, utterly destitute, and in the end, he did not cause even the slightest ripple in Old Dragon City. Before leaving Old Dragon City, he was still destitute.

However, when the Ding family was about to collapse completely, this young man arrived in Old Dragon City in time, bringing people and money to save the Ding family. In the end, he only took away a woman.

Only then did Old Dragon City learn that the young man was actually a direct disciple of the largest clan in the Southeast Tongye Continent, with a surprisingly high seniority.

After that, the Ding family got on the line with Tongye Continent. In recent years, their development has been rapid, and they have vaguely shown signs of being able to compete with the Sun family.

Only the Fan family remained lukewarm, never attracting attention.

There was no tenth-realm nascent soul ancestor in the family, nor any truly powerful Golden Core cultivators, nor any outstanding latecomers. They always followed closely behind the Fu family, enjoying the shade under the big tree. Relying on this relationship, they barely held on to the title of one of the five great families.

Therefore, the Hou family, which had a rift with the Fan family, dared to say that the Fan family was just a watchdog of City Lord Fu Qi, eating leftovers year after year, neither starving nor dying. The successive heads of the family had no ambition and were just waiting to die.

Zheng Dafeng stared through the smoke at the young woman in a dark green robe not far away, leisurely drinking wine.

Regarding this person, the old man did not explain her background in detail, only saying that upon arriving in Old Dragon City, he should first look for her, just to get a glimpse of her, and then go to discuss business with Old Dragon City’s City Lord Fu Qi.

Zheng Dafeng was accustomed to the old man’s evasiveness, both in smoking his dry tobacco pipe and in doing things. Therefore, he was too lazy to get to the bottom of the woman named Fan Junmao. When he initially observed Fan Junmao at the eighth-realm martial artist realm, she was just a naive cultivator who had not yet entered the middle fifth realm. But now, after entering the ninth realm, when he observed her again, Zheng Dafeng realized that he had been wrong. Fan Junmao was clearly a Golden Core realm Qi refiner.

The woman only drank and did not speak.

Zheng Dafeng accompanied her in silence, anyway, the woman was beautiful, he was taking advantage of it.

Zheng Dafeng suddenly uttered a series of tsk-tsk sounds, “Amazing, amazing, I always thought that in Old Dragon City, I wouldn’t see any more exaggerated oddities than in small towns. Today, I’ve really broadened my horizons.”

It turned out that while “Fan Junmao” was drinking, she had entered the tenth realm, the nascent soul realm, becoming a terrestrial immortal in the eyes of the secular world.

Although she had tried her best to suppress the slight traces of breaking through, Zheng Dafeng still caught a glimpse of it and was amazed in his heart.

Confirmed.

The old man was determined to get this person.

Perhaps this person was already one of the old man’s trump cards.

Fan Junmao finally spoke her first sentence, “From now on in Old Dragon City, you will be at my command.”

Zheng Dafeng frowned.

The green-robed woman stood up, sneering, and then made an extremely strange movement, raising her arm and making a throwing motion, her face stern with a smile. She gently poked at Zheng Dafeng’s heart with both hands, and slowly said: “Swoosh, dead.”

Zheng Dafeng stood up, and at this moment, he was no longer the smiling apothecary shopkeeper.

It was Zheng Dafeng who had had five “seeking death” battles with Li Er, the one who had killed dozens of gatekeepers outside the small town who had come to the Li Zhu Paradise to seek opportunities.

The woman smiled slightly, “I can’t beat you now.”

But she quickly added, “For the time being.”

Her whole body turned into wisps of dark green mist, and then instantly rushed into the sky, merging with the sea of clouds.

The next moment, she sat on the edge of the sea of clouds, her feet dangling in the air, gently swinging them, so that the entire sea of clouds also rose and fell slightly, like a girl in the market swinging on a swing. She drank her wine and looked out at the sea.

A bright moon rises over the sea.

In the bright eyes of the woman viewing the scene, was also this scene.

At dawn, Chen Ping’an was already practicing his stance in the small courtyard. The world was silent, only the morning light lazily lying on the young man’s shoulder.
As the Golden Core Sword Cultivator Ma Zhi emerged from the doorway, Chen Pingan had already completed his stance training and was seated at the stone table, perusing the book titled “Sword Arts Canon.” Chen Pingan had never ceased his reading, even amidst his fist practice. He had amassed various books he had purchased along the way, as well as landscape travelogues “stolen” from the magistrate’s residence in Caiyi Country. Naturally, there was also the Confucian primer gifted by the old scholar. Coupled with his journey alongside his disciple, Cui Dongshan, he had long understood that the term “Canon” was not merely a casual expression, but rather a profound declaration. For a book to be deemed a “Canon” was to reach the pinnacle of worldly literature, and the addition of the word “Sword Arts” only amplified its significance.

Although Zheng Dafeng appeared frivolous, he was, in truth, not one to be trifled with in certain matters.

Zheng Dafeng disliked Chen Pingan, but did Chen Pingan harbor any affection for this gatekeeper of the small town?

However, mutual dislike did not warrant focusing solely on the other’s irritating qualities. Similarly, mutual fondness should not blind one to the other’s shortcomings.

Like Gu Can, who at a young age possessed a somber disposition. Chen Pingan greatly feared that, under the tutelage of Sixth Master Mao, disciple of True Lord Interception, on Book Mountain, Gu Can would eventually transform into the kind of person he himself had loathed in his youth. And Li Huai, when he first left home, was a typical bully in his own backyard. Chen Pingan wondered how he had changed now. Would he dare to stand up for his friends when they were being bullied, instead of always hiding behind Chen Pingan, as he had done during their travels to the Great Sui? Lin Shouyi, although precocious and composed, a fine jade for cultivation, was diligently seeking the Dao. Chen Pingan worried that while seeking the Dao was a noble pursuit, if it became his sole focus, would he consider his companions in hardship, Li Baoping and Li Huai, as mere hindrances on his path, and disregard their past affections, drifting further and further away?

And his best friend, Liu Xianyang, had long declared his intention to see the tallest mountains and largest rivers beyond their hometown, vowing never to die in such a small place. But would Liu Xianyang, after growing accustomed to majestic peaks and mountain vistas, simply never return to his hometown?

Chen Pingan was constantly plagued by such worries, which was why he sincerely envied Fan Er’s carefree nature.

Chen Pingan was different from his neighbors, Song Jixin and Ma Kuxuan, from Apricot Blossom Lane. Both were destined to soar to great heights, favored by the heavens. If Song Jixin saw something desirable he could not obtain, he would likely resort to sarcastic remarks. If Ma Kuxuan was in a bad mood, he might simply smash it to pieces, thinking, “If I can’t have it, neither can you.”

Chen Pingan slightly gathered his thoughts and continued to leaf through the sword manual temporarily titled “Sword Arts Canon” by Zheng Dafeng.

If “Canon” was grand, then “Sword Arts” was quite small, because Sword Arts were the techniques of martial artists and swordsmen. Only sword cultivators among the Qi refiners could speak of the “Sword Dao.” The Sword God of Caiyi Country, the Sword Saint of Combing Water Country, Song Yushao, the Sword Revered of Ancient Elm Country, Lin Gushan, and the Sword Immortal of Pine Creek Country, Su Lang, all of whom were slain by Ma Kuxuan, were martial artists from the foothills of mountains, generally embroiled in the affairs of the martial world, and not regarded as peers by those on the mountains.

That fellow with the bamboo hat and sword was an exception. Despite being the most remarkable sword cultivator in the world, he still preferred to call himself a swordsman, roaming freely.

This sword manual contained only six sword techniques: two offensive forms, Avalanche and Divine Head Subjugation; two defensive forms, Mountain Stance and Armor Plating; and two forms for tempering the swordsman’s body and spirit, not for killing enemies but for nurturing life. One was Refinement, and the other was Divine Entry. Refinement was somewhat similar to the six-step stance in the Mountain Shaking Fist manual, while Divine Entry resembled the Sword Furnace Standing Stance, one moving and one still.

Among the six sword techniques, Chen Pingan particularly favored the Avalanche form. The swordplay was extremely swift, with the person following the sword, like a chaotic flurry of snow, dazzling to the eye.

The six sword techniques corresponded to six illustrations.

The page with the illustrations was quite mystical. The paper differed from the adjacent white pages, possessing a faint silver hue. The depicted figure was constantly practicing swordsmanship, from the initial stance to the concluding posture, repeating the sequence meticulously. Moreover, a golden thread flowed slowly along a specific trajectory within the swordsman’s body in the illustration.

Ultimately, the most intricate and complex sword moves were still static. Martial geniuses could grasp the superficial resemblance after seeing them a few times. The key lay in the true Qi circulation path during the execution of the moves. This was why a superior martial art often became a family secret. The starting point of a martial artist’s true Qi, which orifice it passed through, and where it ultimately stopped, the speed of the circulation, whether it traversed all the orifices in one breath, were all matters of great importance and profound knowledge. Why was there such a thing as a personally transmitted disciple? Because such knowledge was often not recorded on the pages of secret manuals but rather passed down orally from master to disciple, generation after generation.

The cover bore four characters: “Sword Arts Canon”.

The preface consisted of several dozen words, roughly describing the origin of the sword manual.

The main text detailed the Qi circulation methods for the six sword techniques.

The annotations were Zheng Dafeng’s own insights and understanding.

For these four sections, Zheng Dafeng had employed four distinct calligraphic styles: charming and delicate, dignified and elegant, bold and unrestrained, and sickly and delicate like a willow branch.

There was rich, inky brushwork, like the mature woman from the Dust and Herbs Apothecary; there was dry, astringent brushwork; and there was moderate brushwork.

Undoubtedly, Zheng Dafeng was showing off his calligraphic skills.

However, it was undeniable that Chen Pingan greatly admired Zheng Dafeng’s display, thinking that the gatekeeper, who spent his days idly drawing on the ground with tree branches, had managed to develop such solid calligraphic foundations.

Only after Chen Pingan closed the sword manual did the Golden Core old man slowly sit opposite the youth. “This place is already shielded by the aura of the ancestral osmanthus tree on the mountain peak. As long as the movements are not too excessive, the ferry passengers outside will not notice. Chen Pingan, I have already told you about my cultivation level. Today is the first day of sword testing. Before that, I will explain some things. If I mention something you have already heard, you can tell me directly, and I will skip it.”

Chen Pingan nodded and sat up straight.

The old man said slowly, “There is a saying on the mountain that a Jiazi (sixty years) old Qi refiner, that is, someone who only enters the middle five realms at the age of sixty, is not considered a cultivation genius. However, a sixth realm Cave Dwelling cultivator, even if they break through at the age of one hundred, is still considered a promising and youthful Qi refiner. Why?”
Without Chen Ping’an needing to speak, the old man answered his own question, “It’s quite simple. We sword cultivators possess the greatest killing power beneath the heavens. Becoming a Qi refiner is already difficult, becoming a sword cultivator demands even greater talent. Finally, whether one can nurture a Natal Flying Sword is another great threshold. And after finally raising a flying sword, whether one can afford to feed this little ancestor that devours gold mountains and swallows silver seas is even more difficult. I, Ma Zhi, am two hundred and seventy years old. Eighty years ago, I ascended to the Golden Core realm, causing quite a stir in Old Dragon City. Four of the five great surnames simultaneously offered me generous sums to serve as a protector… A hero doesn’t dwell on past glories, so let’s not talk about stale sesame seeds and rotten millet. I only realized one thing at the beginning of my breakthrough: in this lifetime, I don’t even need to think about becoming a Land Immortal in the Nascent Soul realm. Why?”

The old man again answered himself, “First, my talent is insufficient. Second, I’m truly penniless.”

The old man chuckled self-deprecatingly, “If the Fan family were willing to expend half their family’s wealth to help me temper my Natal Flying Sword, purchasing rare and precious materials everywhere and constructing a sword furnace, perhaps they could help me break through the ninth realm bottleneck. But no matter how good the Fan family is, they couldn’t possibly do that, because I don’t bear the name Fan.”

Although the old man understood this perfectly well, he was still filled with disappointment, with a trace of unconcealable loneliness on his weathered face.

The Fan family acting in this way was reasonable and justifiable.

The Golden Core old man seemed to be trying to convince himself, to put his mind at ease, muttering to himself, “It’s just like Dragon Tiger Mountain, which stands shoulder to shoulder with the three Taoist sects, still distinguishes between the Heavenly Master Manor’s Yellow and Purple Nobles and Heavenly Masters with different surnames. Throughout the ages, many Heavenly Masters with different surnames have possessed extraordinary talent, even surpassing the Great Heavenly Master of the Heavenly Master Manor in Taoist magic. However, that Heavenly Master Seal and that immortal sword will never fall into the hands of a Heavenly Master with a different surname.”

Chen Ping’an found this easy to understand, nodding, “Weapons are tools of ill omen. Those great immortal aristocratic families are not much different in strength from a country. Speaking of a single family or a country, if they don’t adhere to any rules, even if they achieve temporary prosperity, they will only plant the seeds of future trouble, and their descendants will likely have to expend several times the effort to set things right.”

“Indeed!”

The Golden Core old man agreed, nodding. He had always mistakenly believed the young man before him to be a scion of a noble family, so he wasn’t at all surprised by Chen Ping’an’s insights.

The Golden Core old man then sighed, “Though that is so, in this complex world of immortal masters and demon aberrations, there are still many who act solely according to their own preferences, wanting only to shatter everything with a single fist and a single sword. It’s not to say that they are completely wrong. To be honest, such unrestrained and carefree joy inevitably stirs some envy in the hearts of bystanders. However, such people can exist, but they absolutely shouldn’t be universally admired. Especially after watching the excitement for too long, if one truly believes that a fist or a sword will inexplicably smash down upon their own head one day, it will be truly bitter.”

Clearly, the old man had suffered such unprovoked disasters, where misfortune fell from the sky.

The old man sighed. The Golden Core realm, especially for sword cultivators, would have a place even in the Central Earth Divine Continent, merely changing from the top scholar of a country in Treasure Bottle Continent to a successful candidate in the imperial examination. But in the end, one still couldn’t become a truly free and unfettered immortal.

Ma Zhi suppressed the ripples in his heart and smiled, “Young Master Chen is a martial artist, but since you want to practice swordsmanship, using me as a hypothetical opponent, you should know the details of Qi refiners…”

Ma Zhi suddenly stopped speaking, “Presumably, the Young Master is already aware of these things, so I won’t ramble on?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “Sir, please speak freely. Good words are never too much.”

Ma Zhi smiled slightly, “The five realms of Qi refiners are Cave Mansion, Sea Gazing, Dragon Gate, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul. I am in the Golden Core realm, which can condense the entire sea of Qi into a golden pill. As for the quality, size, and imagery of the Golden Core, it varies from person to person. Generally speaking, the quality of the Golden Core can be roughly deduced from the pill chamber during the Dragon Gate realm. It was precisely because my pill chamber was crude back then that I barely managed to form a core, so the quality of my Golden Core is nothing to boast about. That’s how I knew I had no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. If not for that, why would I, Ma Zhi, a Golden Core sword cultivator, still be no match for Chu Yang, who built a thatched hut atop Dragon Ascension Stage? These years in Old Dragon City, countless Golden Core peers and those little fellows in the Middle Five Realms have secretly mocked me, Ma Zhi, for this. Over time, a saying has spread: ‘Bright at the start, but not necessarily great at the finish; that’s Ma Zhi…'”

Ma Zhi laughed heartily as he spoke of this embarrassing matter, clearly without any lingering grudges.

Chen Ping’an suddenly asked, “Sir, may I ask a question about your cultivation realm?”

Ma Zhi nodded, “Of course.”

Chen Ping’an cautiously asked, “At what age did Sir reach the Dragon Gate realm, and how many pictures and scenes were in your pill chamber?”

Ma Zhi understood in his heart.

As expected, this was a descendant of a first-rate immortal family; otherwise, he would never have asked such a question.

Those mountain and marsh cultivators who stumbled into the Middle Five Realms by sheer luck might never know that the pill chamber in the Dragon Gate realm could have more than one painting. True cultivation geniuses could have two pill chamber “murals.” Ma Zhi had encountered several Nascent Soul Land Immortals in his life who had two murals, and one Jade Purity realm immortal had as many as three, which was shocking to the world.

Ma Zhi stroked his beard and smiled, not hiding anything, but frankly informing him, “As I mentioned earlier, I, Ma Zhi, reached the ninth realm, Golden Core, at the age of one hundred and ninety. The Dragon Gate realm, well, that was a long time ago, when I was over one hundred and twenty years old. Because I started cultivating late, otherwise leaping over the Dragon Gate before the age of one hundred wouldn’t have been a problem.”

Chen Ping’an looked shocked, swallowing hard.

Ma Zhi assumed that the young man was amazed by his cultivation talent, and the old man’s smile grew a bit wider.

Little did he know that the reason Chen Ping’an had this question was that he remembered a girl in Mud Bottle Alley’s ancestral home muttering to herself with frustration and dissatisfaction, which Chen Ping’an, who had been pricking up his ears at the time, had heard word for word, “I only reached the Dragon Gate realm,” “Six palace patterns within the pill chamber,” “Haven’t painted the dragon’s eyes, haven’t seen the celestial maiden ascending…”

Chen Ping’an silently took off the Sword Nurturing Gourd and took a sip of the fragrant osmanthus wine to calm his nerves. He took a few more sips to quickly calm his nerves.

Ma Zhi, completely in the dark, instead comforted the young man with a smile, “Young Master Chen, with your outstanding talent, even if you follow the path of martial arts, your future achievements will only be higher than mine. As long as you are grounded and practical, the Great Dao is within reach! Why not start today by getting used to my sword Qi?”

Chen Ping’an’s expression was awkward, and he nodded, “Alright!”
Ma Zhi rose to his feet, his expression solemn. “The path of martial arts and Qi cultivation comprises three realms: Soul, Spirit, and Courage. Among the Three Souls and Seven Spirits, the Three Souls are named the Tai Guang, Shuang Ling, and You Jing. I shall use three distinct sword energies, one after the other, to cleanse, scour, and temper the Three Souls within you. Rest assured, I will carefully control the degree, ensuring no harm comes to your vital essence. During this process, you may, if you are capable, practice the four offensive and defensive stances from that sword manual…”

The old man’s smile held a playful glint.

Although he knew not why the youth possessed the rudimentary foundations of Soul, Spirit, and Courage so early in life, to have a Golden Core Sword Cultivator’s sword energy invade one’s Qi Palace, and ravage the Three Souls… the sensation would be far from pleasant. Let alone gritting one’s teeth to practice swordsmanship, simply remaining upright would be a feat. That being said, if Chen Ping’an could truly manage it, even for a fleeting moment, his progress in the four sword techniques recorded in the manual would undoubtedly be astonishingly rapid.

“Young Master Chen, be cautious. I shall first use a fraction of my Sword Dao Intent to probe the strength and resilience of your Three Souls.”

Ma Zhi chuckled. A Natal Sword flew forth from the old man’s chest, hovering between the two. “This sword is named ‘Cool Shade.’ It came into being beneath the shade of a towering tree and has accompanied me for over two centuries. It may not be the sharpest, but when facing enemies, it can silently wound their spirits, a quality that is not entirely unremarkable.”

Chen Ping’an patted the gourd he carried at his waist, as if to calm the twin flying swords within, ‘First Day’ and ‘Fifteenth Day’, lest they show off their power before their colleague.

Then, Chen Ping’an frowned slightly, remaining utterly still, his breath flowing as naturally as ever.

The old man was inwardly astounded.