Just as she was about to kick Chen Ping’an, he vanished into thin air.

It was as if someone had grabbed him and yanked him into another realm.

She suddenly felt empty, both in her vision and in her heart, and then she was filled with rage.

As she recklessly drew her sword, attempting to follow his trail and tear open the fabric of space, she suddenly blushed, as if she had heard a voice. She let out an “Oh” and snorted coldly in the direction of Chen Ping’an’s disappearance.

Then, she flew towards the plaza at the foot of Lonely Peak Mountain.

And damn it, she saw that rule-breaking fellow again. The little Daoist was about to explode with anger. He slammed the book in his hand to the ground and jumped up from his prayer mat, scolding, “Little brat, do you think Upside-Down Mountain is your backyard?! Coming and going as you please, three times, three times! Even sword immortals of the Great Wall of Sword Light might not have one chance in their entire lives, and you, you’ve had two in one day!”

The man with the sword slung across his back yawned, “You have the guts to hit her?”

The little Daoist raged, “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare? If I didn’t pity her background, I would have punched her into…”

The heroic young woman walked into the mirrored doorway with an impassive face, leaning back slightly and turning her head, “Why would you pity me? I don’t even know you.”

The little Daoist felt that the little girl’s words didn’t make sense, yet they also seemed to.

The man with the sword was doubled over with laughter near the hitching post.

Similarly, outside the Upside-Down Mountain Wine Shop, Chen Ping’an left the shop and entered a secluded alley.

Liu Youzhou, however, was squatting under an ancient pagoda tree outside a high courtyard wall, idly counting ants.

The old earth immortal woman quietly waited beside him, not disturbing her young master’s reverie.

As dawn broke on the horizon, Liu Youzhou, with bright eyes, stood up and turned to the old woman as if trying to claim credit, saying, “I think I understand now, the ants that grow up on Upside-Down Mountain are no different from the ants in the city streets.”

The old woman, accustomed to the young master’s unrestrained imagination, smiled slightly and nodded gently.

Liu Youzhou glanced at the old pagoda tree, his enthusiasm waning, “I won’t buy it, I won’t buy it. It’s too expensive, I still feel bad about all the New Year’s money I’ve saved over the years.”

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief. She was truly afraid that the young master would act impulsively and buy a jar of Forgetfulness Wine, which would be of little significance to a Qi cultivator in the Middle Five Levels. No matter how rich the Liu family of Misty Continent was, they shouldn’t squander money like that. The young master would certainly not be punished at that time. Perhaps the patriarch and ancestors would have to grit their teeth and force a smile, praising him, “This child is worthy of being a member of the Liu family, with the bearing of a great general. Isn’t spending money like water what a future Liu family head should look like?”

And she would inevitably be scolded.

It wasn’t that she resented the young master for this, but she thought it would be better for the young master to have better options. With so much New Year’s money, wouldn’t buying a semi-immortal weapon be good? Why be angry with a jar of wine?

Liu Youzhou began to head back home, abruptly asking, “Grandma Liu, do you think Aunt Liu has returned from the northernmost ice plains?”

When the young master mentioned “Aunt Liu,” the wrinkles on the old woman’s face immediately glowed with pride, “She should be back. If she’s lucky, that stubborn girl might have already reached the Martial Dao Ninth Level. Young master, according to the agreement, you can let her take you to the northern ice plains to train and slay great demons then.”

Liu Youzhou still retained some of the heart of a youth, and his words were somewhat childish, “What’s the rush to reach the Ninth Level? My father said that Aunt Liu’s strongest Martial Dao Eighth Level is of such great significance that it’s no less important than an ordinary Weak Tenth Level grandmaster. My father even advised Aunt Liu to her face, if it’s not absolutely necessary, don’t break through the level carelessly.”

The old woman chuckled softly, “The head of the family is certainly well-intentioned, but one shouldn’t go to extremes in everything. If one can smoothly break through the level and forcefully suppress the level, it’s not good for a pure martial artist, and it’s likely to lose all possibility of going beyond the Tenth Level. Of course, ordinary geniuses don’t matter, being able to barely reach the Tenth Level is already a great hope, but your Aunt Liu is different.”

Liu Youzhou had never been very interested in these things involving the fundamentals of the Great Dao, and instead thought of the least important things, sighing, “Aunt Liu is really something, constantly shouting about where all the good men in the world have gone, and likes to ask me if I’ve met any good men. How am I, a grown man, supposed to answer her? But my father has introduced her to so many young talents from Misty Continent, and I haven’t seen Aunt Liu be moved by any of them, it’s really a headache.”

Liu Youzhou’s thoughts were truly like a wild horse, and asked a question that the old woman found amusing, “If one day the demon race army floods the Great Wall of Sword Light, what will happen to Upside-Down Mountain? The nest of ants under the tree, they crawl so slowly, they won’t have time to move when the time comes, right?”

The old woman’s expression was kind, and she said gently, “Young master, the Great Wall of Sword Light has stood firm for so many years. In that neighboring world, the demon race launches a great war almost every century. Over the years, those blood-drinking beasts have left so many corpses under the city walls, but haven’t they returned without success every time? Some great demons with amazing combat power, they only stay on the city walls for a while, and eventually they will be driven down by some old sword immortals.”

Liu Youzhou gave an “Oh,” but ended up jumping back into his own thoughts, unable to extricate himself, worrying, “Our family’s Ape-Ridden Manor is worse than an ant nest, it can’t be moved. Fortunately, Misty Continent is the furthest from Upside-Down Mountain, sigh, South Jambudvipa will be a bit miserable then, there will definitely be smoke and fire for thousands of miles, I wonder if the old ancestor of the Scholarly Chen clan, who carries the sun and moon on his shoulders, can turn the tide and stop the demons from crossing the sea and blocking them from reaching the land.”

The old woman was amused by the young master’s unnecessary worries, and couldn’t help but laugh, “That’s right, our Misty Continent and this Upside-Down Mountain are not only separated by a South Jambudvipa, but also by a Central Divine Continent whose territory is bigger than the combined territories of eight continents, what are you worried about, young master?”

Liu Youzhou murmured, “I’m not worried about the safety of Misty Continent, I just feel uncomfortable that so many people will die in war. South Jambudvipa at least has the number one disciple of the Second Sage sitting there, but Southeast Paulownia Leaf Continent, which we’ve been to, and Azure Billow Continent, which we’re about to visit, don’t seem to have any particularly impressive fellows.”

The old woman was still smiling, “Young master, you can’t compare everyone to your father. A Qi cultivator who is not as good as our family head, means they are not impressive? There’s no such thing.”

The richest man in Misty Continent, and the most powerful Qi cultivator in Misty Continent, are the same person.

Liu Youzhou’s father.
This man possessed a cultivation higher and combat prowess stronger than any ancestor in the Liu Clan’s history.

The most terrifying aspect was that, in the rugged and warlike continent of Aiai, no one had ever successfully verified the true extent of this man’s strength.

He had a famous saying within the clan: “If a celestial weapon or semi-celestial weapon can solve the problem, why resort to fists and feet?”

Liu Youzhou seemed to harbor some resentment towards his father. “What’s so great about having a multitude of wives and concubines?”

The old woman wouldn’t dare to comment on the Clan Head’s merits or flaws.

It was one thing for the Clan Head to be good-tempered, but quite another if the servants and slaves didn’t understand the rules.

The Liu Clan tightly controlled the Snowflake Jade vein. With great power comes great envy, and many servants died suspiciously each year due to loose tongues, as did numerous direct descendants from the various branches of the Liu family.

At the moment, Liu Youzhou wore a bright yellow bamboo garment called “Refreshing Breeze,” a magical treasure once favored by an emperor of a great dynasty, renowned as a minor blessed realm.

The matching piece, “Summer Refuge,” painstakingly acquired by the Liu Clan of Aiai Continent, was known as a minor celestial domain.

Liu Youzhou enjoyed alternating between the two.

They were comfortable to wear and didn’t attract unwanted attention. Daoist talismans and divine armor were too flashy, practically shouting, “I’m rich!”

“I have money, but I don’t like showing it off.”

Besides, Liu Youzhou didn’t consider himself truly wealthy. He had hesitated to buy a jar of Forget-Worry Wine last night, hadn’t he?

Liu Youzhou sighed. “Granny Willow, I really can’t go to the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

The old woman’s tone was resolute. “The Clan Head has ordered it. Absolutely not.”

Liu Youzhou asked a penetrating question. “The Sword Qi Great Wall is, at the end of the day, made up of criminals and exiles from the Vast Sky World. Our relationship isn’t as good as people imagine. The sordid affairs of the Inverted Mountain are numerous. They’ve been fighting to the death with the demons for so long, hasn’t anyone, in a fit of rage, simply betrayed the Sword Qi Great Wall and defected to the demons?”

The old woman pondered. “The Sword Qi Great Wall has those old sword immortals and esteemed cultivators from the Three Teachings watching over it. Major incidents shouldn’t occur, but those kinds of people will definitely exist. The Sword Qi Great Wall probably just doesn’t want to air its dirty laundry. Young Master, you don’t need to worry too much about the situation there. According to reports from the Ape Taming Manor, this generation of young sword cultivators at the Sword Qi Great Wall are exceptionally talented, and not just a few individuals. They’re appearing like bamboo shoots after the rain, comparable to that group of sword immortals from three thousand years ago. That generation was truly formidable, suppressing the demons for eight hundred years, who dared not provoke the Sword Qi Great Wall. Many demons never even saw the wall in their entire lives. So, I think the Inverted Mountain will be a prosperous and peaceful place for the next few centuries.”

The young man was melancholic, murmuring, “But our Liu Clan’s biggest source of income is making money off the dead.”

The old woman wanted to remind the young master to be careful with his words in the Inverted Mountain, but seeing the lost look on his face, she couldn’t bear to.

An Ape Taming Manor manager appeared before them. Two carriages were parked by the roadside. The old manager softly said, “Young Master, we have distinguished guests at the manor.”

Liu Youzhou nodded and boarded a carriage.

Arriving at the Ape Taming Manor, Liu Youzhou saw a refined man and a tall woman. The middle-aged man, exuding scholarly air, was standing and admiring a hanging scroll, while the woman sat drinking tea.

The man seemed to be an expert in calligraphy and painting, praising, “Who would have thought this ‘Old Lotus’s Stooped Figure’ would be the authentic piece? Truly possessing a powerful and unconstrained presence. For the depiction of lotus alone, there hasn’t been such brushwork in five hundred years.”

On the way here, the manager hadn’t told Liu Youzhou who it was, out of caution. Only after crossing the Ape Taming Manor’s threshold did he whisper to Liu Youzhou that it was the Emperor of the Great End Dynasty from the Central Earth Divine Continent and his Imperial Advisor visiting the estate together.

Liu Youzhou bowed in salute. “Liu Youzhou greets Your Majesty and the Imperial Advisor.”

The man turned his head and smiled at the young man. “This time, We are taking advantage of the Imperial Advisor needing to use the Lesser Thunder Swamp to temper her sword to steal a moment from our busy schedule and breathe in this Inverted Mountain. We originally didn’t wish to disturb the Ape Taming Manor, but hearing that Young Master Liu happened to be in the Inverted Mountain, We thought we had to come to ask for a cup of tea.”

Liu Youzhou bowed again. “Your Majesty is too polite.”

Great End was one of the newest Nine Great Dynasties of the Vast Sky World.

Having annexed a large portion of a former dynasty, the new Great End was in dire need of restoration. Logically, the Emperor and Imperial Advisor shouldn’t have left the court.

However, these confidential matters were not something Liu Youzhou could currently fathom. As for why the Great End Emperor was giving the Ape Taming Manor so much face, Liu Youzhou was very clear. Great End was able to defeat the Xuan Dynasty, one of the previous Nine Great Dynasties, in a war of annihilation involving countless forces, lasting nearly a decade. Great End dragged down the Xie Clan of the Xuan Dynasty, and the Liu Clan of Aiai Continent, or rather, his father’s moneybags, had contributed greatly.

After Liu Youzhou straightened his back, he bowed again to the Great End’s female Imperial Advisor. “This humble one has long admired the Imperial Advisor.”

In fact, the Liu Clan was one of the behind-the-scenes benefactors of the Great End Dynasty. As the future Clan Head, Liu Youzhou didn’t need to lower himself so much.

The woman revealed a rare smile and put down her teacup. “Your personality is so different from your father’s. That’s a good thing.”

The Great End Emperor was slightly embarrassed.

Was that a compliment?

The tall woman asked with a smile, “Have you ever been to the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

Liu Youzhou didn’t even sit down and remained respectfully standing, shaking his head. “Not yet. My father doesn’t allow me to go, fearing accidents.”

The woman pondered. “My only disciple is currently honing his martial skills at the Sword Qi Great Wall. If Young Master Liu is willing, you can travel with me. There won’t be any accidents.”

The old woman and the Ape Taming Manor’s old manager exchanged glances, both feeling troubled.

It wasn’t that they thought the Great End Imperial Advisor was boasting, but it involved the Clan Head’s wishes, and the servants didn’t dare to make decisions without authorization.

Fortunately, Liu Youzhou had already shaken his head and politely declined. “I shouldn’t disobey my father. I hope the Imperial Advisor will forgive me.”

The tall woman didn’t mind, nodding. “My disciple will soon need to leave the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Inverted Mountain. It would be good for him to gain experience in Aiai Continent. If Young Master Liu doesn’t mind, you can take him along.”

Liu Youzhou’s expression relaxed slightly, and his tone became much lighter. “I would be delighted to!”

After all, he was a young man facing the fifth strongest person in the Central Earth Divine Continent.

His father, on the other hand, was already invincible in Aiai Continent but said that he would be at the bottom of the top ten in the Central Earth Divine Continent.
As the woman rose to her feet, the Emperor of Great Duan chuckled, “The precise hour of departure from Upside-down Mountain will be conveyed to the Ape Rend Prefecture at once. No need to see us off, we can manage on our own.”

A man and a woman exited the Ape Rend Prefecture.

Or, more accurately, a woman and a man.

For in every aspect, it appeared as though the towering woman was the true Emperor of Great Duan, while the man merely served as her attendant and escort.

Liu Youzhou finally settled back into his seat, tugging at the cooling bamboo collar of his robes, perspiration beading on his brow. He glanced at the treasured heirloom of the Ape Rend Prefecture hanging on the wall, “Old Lotus Stooping,” and instructed the old steward, “Take it down, pack it well, and send it to the Emperor of Great Duan.”

The old steward appeared troubled.

Liu Youzhou flashed a radiant smile, “Just listen to me.”

The old steward nodded silently, obeying the command.

After the old steward had left the main hall with the ancient painting, the youth gazed at the abruptly blank wall and asked with a smile, “Granny Liu, do you think hanging that ‘Youth Boating’ painting would be fitting?”

The old woman was filled with apprehension, about to dissuade the youth from acting rashly.

But Liu Youzhou was already laughing to himself, “Not here, but when I return home, I’ll hang it in my own study! Come, come, to show my sincerity, I shall create a painting myself! Granny Liu, quickly have the servants prepare brush and ink!”

A playful expression flickered across the old woman’s face.

The four serving maids of the Ape Rend Prefecture were all exceptionally beautiful, two even possessing the cultivation of Qi Practitioners in the Cave Realm. As they looked expectantly at the legendary young master, after he exerted all his strength to complete the painting, the maids became even more pitiable, barely managing to suppress their laughter.

Liu Youzhou was rather pleased with himself. Although unsightly, it was filled with sincerity.

Liu Youzhou’s painting shared a similar charm with someone’s calligraphy on a shop wall.

It was a pity that Liu Youzhou had been unwilling to spend the money for a jar of Yellow Millet Wine back then, otherwise, upon seeing those crawling earthworms, he might have felt a sense of camaraderie, lamenting that they had not met sooner.

In the vast expanse between Heaven and Earth stood a city wall, etched with eighteen grand characters:

“Dao Law, Righteousness, Western Paradise.

Sword Qi Endures, Forbidden Thunderous Ground.

Qi, Chen, Dong, Meng.”

After that gamble where each side dispatched thirteen peak experts, the Demon Race reneged on their agreement. Not only did they fail to hand over all the broken swords left south of the Great Wall by the sword cultivators, but they also flew into a rage, launching wave after wave of attacks. However, compared to the desperate, life-for-life assaults before the gamble, these three intermittent sieges were somewhat less intense. It was said that many powerful demons within the Demon Race were unwilling to support the siege, thus dampening the demons’ arrogance.

The Sword Qi Great Wall remained as it always was, save for the addition of those eighteen characters.

Originating from a grand barrier jointly forged by the three Sage Sects, this Great Wall would rapidly restore itself unless completely destroyed in one fell swoop. Otherwise, no matter how tall the city or how sturdy the mountain, it would have long been leveled. Facing the fierce onslaught unleashed by the peak demons, as well as the sharp swordsmanship of generations of Sword Immortals on the city walls, the surging and unparalleled sword qi that filled the heavens and the earth inevitably shattered the wall.

The Demon Race army stationed a hundred miles away, their numbers like swarming ants, had ceased their attacks for over a month.

The Sword Qi Great Wall welcomed a rare moment of peace.

The patrolling path atop the city wall alone was ten miles wide.

An elderly man, of unknown age, resided in a thatched hut on the city wall. His descendants had long settled in the northern cities of the Sword Qi Great Wall, becoming one of the largest families. However, the old man had never descended from the city wall, guarding this place year after year. The old man had a peculiar temperament and never allowed his family to visit him, but he occasionally showed some kindness to children of other surnames.

Sword Immortal, Grand Sword Immortal.

A difference of one word, a world apart.

And in the Sword Qi Great Wall, Grand Sword Immortal, Old Sword Immortal, a difference of one word, equally vast.

Because for a sword cultivator to live long in the Sword Qi Great Wall, they could not rely on their surname, only their combat strength.

As the oldest of his generation in the Sword Qi Great Wall, this old man had experienced too much wind and rain, and undoubtedly, too many regrets. His most recent regret, perhaps, was the greatest of his long life. The old man regretted that he was bound by the rules and could not participate in the battle, which led to the untimely demise of such a wonderful couple of juniors.

He had watched them grow up from a young age, rising year after year, ascending realm after realm, until they eventually became Grand Sword Immortals.

The old man felt that watching such young people gave him a sense of hope.

It made him believe that the world was not deteriorating, and that young people were still good.

Tonight, the old man sat alone cross-legged on the city wall. His natal sword aside, the other swords he wore had been broken one after another, and in the end, he simply stopped using them.

All the old men and children of the Sword Qi Great Wall were too familiar with this old man, whose age was unknown. Coupled with his strange temperament, they had long ceased to interact with him.

Some years ago, a young man from an unknown origin shamelessly built a small thatched hut behind the old man’s hut.

Recently, during each Demon Race attack, the young man only defended the old man and his own hut, otherwise he would not take action.

In truth, no one blamed the young man, for it was already difficult enough for a pure martial artist of the Fourth Realm to stay on the city wall, eating, drinking, and relieving himself.

The sunken eyes and prominent cheekbones of the weather-beaten old man were lost in thought.

If it were not on this city wall, but in the world of Righteousness in Upside-down Mountain, probably no one who saw this frail and thin old man would believe that he was affectionately nicknamed “Old Sword Immortal” by some irresponsible fellow who had etched the character “Meng” (Fierce) somewhere.

A man and woman, resembling a married couple, appeared behind the old man. The old man did not turn around and said in a raspy voice, “You two have not much time left. Is there anything else you need me to do? Just speak. If it does not involve the fate of the two worlds, and is merely your personal matter, I can ignore the rules. Besides, I already broke the rules by forcibly gathering your remaining souls. Those two old fellows also turned a blind eye.”

The man gently grasped the woman’s hand and shook his head, “It’s already very good.”

The woman glared at the man and smiled, “There is.”

The old man forced out a smile, “Mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, the more she looks, the more she likes him? Good, that’s better than finding someone useless. Speak, is it to give that boy a celestial weapon, or should I personally teach him swordsmanship?”

The woman hesitated, “It might be more difficult.”
The emaciated elder turned his head, “What do you mean?”

The man said helplessly, “That child’s Bridge of Longevity has been severed.”

The elder frowned. “Destroying someone’s Bridge of Longevity is something our sword cultivators excel at most. However, rebuilding it is harder than ascending to the heavens. Moreover, if I remember correctly, no formidable sword cultivator in history who had their Bridge rebuilt by others has ever reached the Upper Five Realms. After all, cultivating the Dao is already defying the heavens. Repairing the bridge after it’s broken and then cultivating is even more resented by the Great Dao, and one is very likely to be targeted. Have you really considered this? Aren’t you afraid it will backfire?”

Saying this, the elder smiled slightly. “After all, ascending to the heavens is difficult for others, but not for me.”

The woman hesitated. She had a disagreement with the man on this matter. The man felt they should let nature take its course, and that martial arts might not be a bad path. However, as a sword cultivator who had stood at the peak and witnessed the splendor of the Great Dao, she knew that martial arts was inferior to Qi cultivation. This was a fact, with its own origins and reasons. It wasn’t that she looked down on the child’s martial arts, but that walking the path of martial arts, which was like a ‘severed road’, offered a much smaller chance of reaching the highest peak. What was a ‘severed road’? And what was the ‘Bridge of Longevity’ for a Qi cultivator?

What would happen to their daughter then?

The man smiled at her. “Why don’t we do this? Let that kid venture out on his own, and wherever he ends up, so be it.”

The woman was still reluctant to let go, and asked, “How about asking Grandpa Chen for a Celestial Weapon for him? Just consider it our daughter’s dowry.”

Here at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, everyone, young and old, habitually called the old man Grandpa Chen, except for two people.

Of course, the certain person who left this place wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a saber was once an exception.

The man huffed, “Never mind whether he’ll ever be worthy of wielding an untamed Celestial Weapon in his lifetime. Just the fact that Chen Ping An, as a man, doesn’t need this kind of bestowed opportunity…”

The woman interrupted the man’s grand pronouncements, “He’s still just a boy.”

The man was speechless.

Although the elder was fond of this young couple, he didn’t like listening to their trivial matters.

However, upon hearing the boy’s name, the elder turned his head again and asked, “The boy’s surname is also Chen?”

The woman smiled, “Wouldn’t you say it’s a coincidence? After drinking the Yellow Millet Wine, the words he spontaneously wrote on the wall were ‘Great Wall of Sword Qi’.”

The elder looked at the couple with a smile.

The man quickly waved his hand and said, “Absolutely no plotting, it was all natural.”

The woman also nodded vigorously, her expression sincere.

They were afraid that this revered old Sword Immortal would misunderstand that they were scheming against him.

The elder’s anger…

The consequences… would be unimaginable!

The elder casually stretched out a hand.

And grabbed a youth from the Inverted Mountain of the Grand Azure World, bringing him to the top of this world’s city.

Sword Qi and Sword Intent filled the sky and covered the earth, ubiquitous, like seawater surging backwards into his Qi reserves.

He almost suffocated.

It was like a small fish, originally leisurely swimming in a stream, being thrown onto the shore. Moreover, the shore was the kind that was exposed to the sun and cracked, and every struggle and jump would cause the last bit of moisture in its body to disappear completely.

The elder sized up the youth, who was suspended in the air above the city wall, his face full of pain. He then waved his hand again, sending the youth back to his original location on the Inverted Mountain, and said to the bewildered couple with a smile, “Isn’t this also pretty good?”

Chen Ping An staggered, barely managing to stand firm.

The talisman now hidden inside the Sword Case housed the Skeleton Wraith that Chen Ping An had subdued in Colored Robe Country. Chen Ping An suffered greatly from this “long journey”, but she suffered even more, almost completely dissipating. Fortunately, the time was short, and the Sword Case, as a natural “Sophora House,” was filled with Yin energy, which resisted most of the Sword Qi.

When Chen Ping An was suspended in the air, he saw a withered old man, the couple, and a fleeting glimpse of the Great Wall.

At the plaza at the foot of Lonely Peak Mountain, a girl with two swords hanging from her waist walked out of the mirror. After thinking for a moment, she slightly slowed her pace, but her expression remained impassive. She barely greeted the stunned young Daoist, taking the initiative to say, “This time, I’m a little more familiar with you than last time. But still not that familiar.”

The young Daoist stammered, “So lawless, doesn’t the Great Wall of Sword Qi care?”

The sword-bearing man looked up at the night sky with only a bright moon, and muttered to himself, “For you, we’ve lost so many people, doesn’t the Grand Azure World care?”