Having met the reclusive old chef, Crown Prince Wei Yan, his scrawny master, and Fan Wan’er of Jingxin House departed together. The short, thin old man, who hadn’t dared to utter a single word in front of the old chef, one of the Ten, now resumed his incessant nagging. He lamented that the old chef had wasted his profound martial arts, his disposition so unbearable that he would willingly cripple his own cultivation for a life of ease.

Wei Yan, helpless, neither agreed nor refuted, allowing his master to ramble on. The old man, hands clasped behind his back, shook his head, urging the Crown Prince to take heed and never emulate the unambitious old chef. Otherwise, no matter how high one’s martial prowess, one would remain a good-for-nothing for life.

Having vented to his heart’s content, the scrawny old man realized that the golden couple beside him had remained silent, offering no encouragement. He huffed and left, muttering, “Not wanting to interrupt your lovers’ whispers.”

Wei Yan and Fan Wan’er exchanged a smile, then almost simultaneously looked up at the southern sky. The Crown Prince said, “Follow me,” and was the first to leap onto the rooftop of a building adorned with a jade-green glazed roof ridge. Fan Wan’er followed closely behind. This was the tallest structure in the Crown Prince’s residence. Standing shoulder to shoulder, they could just barely discern the sword strike from Lu Fang far away, splitting the heavens and the earth. The aura was magnificent and awe-inspiring.

Wei Yan was deeply shaken, exclaiming, “Worthy of the name Sword Immortal of Bird Overlook Peak! This strike is probably not inferior to that of Sui Youbian in history. I wonder who could have compelled Lu Fang to be so serious? Could it be a confrontation with Old Devil Ding?”

Fan Wan’er shook her head, “It doesn’t seem like it.”

Wei Yan spoke with some regret, “Fairy Fan, I ought to have accompanied you to watch the battle up close, but my position does not allow me to act as I please.”

Fan Wan’er nodded, “The Crown Prince is of noble birth, destined to inherit the Wei Dynasty…”

Before Fan Wan’er could finish speaking, the scrawny old man flitted over, urging Wei Yan, “Don’t go courting death. Once Lu Fang draws his sword, few can make him stop. These divine clashes are best avoided, especially by prying eyes. Old Devil Ding, in particular, enjoys slaughtering onlookers at will.”

Wei Yan chuckled, “Master, you were just calling the old chef timid as a mouse, not in line with the spirit of martial progress.”

The old man, amused and annoyed, retorted, “How old is that fellow? How old are you, you little brat? The old chef has lived a long life, enjoyed nearly all the pleasures he could want, and possesses formidable skill. He should seek out a worthy opponent and die a glorious death, at least earning a renowned name like that Sui Youbian who failed to ascend! You, Wei Yan, are still young, your martial arts not yet refined. Seeking death is something for later.”

Wei Yan had an excellent relationship with the old man, who was both a strict master and a family elder with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Their usual interactions were more like those of friends, so he teased, “Yes, yes, Master, you are right about everything. All the truths in the world are yours to dictate.”

The old man exclaimed in surprise, “Something’s not right. Why is it so loud but has so little impact? It’s not like Sword Immortal Lu of Bird Overlook Peak.”

The old man felt a surge of unbearable curiosity. “My heart itches! I must go take a look.”

The scrawny old man’s figure leaped several times on the hipped roofs of the residence, instantly covering hundreds of feet, eventually becoming a small black dot in the distance.

Crown Prince Wei Yan sat on the roof ridge. Fan Wan’er did not sit, still gazing into the distance, reluctant to look away.

Wei Yan hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Fairy Fan, may I be so bold as to ask if Fairy Teacher Tong is already in the capital?”

Fan Wan’er revealed a hint of weariness and absentmindedness, shaking her head, “You might not believe it, but I have never met my master.”

Wei Yan was incredulous.

Fan Wan’er’s background and origins had always been shrouded in mystery. Even Wei Yan, whom she and Jingxin House were supporting, was equally in the dark. He only knew that Fan Wan’er was a prodigy of this generation of Jingxin House, traveling the world alone these past few years. But Jingxin House was a behemoth, that much was certain. Not only did Jingxin House have pawns in the court of Southern Garden, but throughout the four nations, in both official and private circles, there were veiled and hidden figures of Jingxin House.

Not even counting the barbarian lands of the grasslands beyond the border, Southern Garden was practically the territory of State Preceptor Zhong Qiu, while Pine Whisper was where Immortal Yu Zhenyi was based. Northern Jin had Lu Fang of Bird Overlook Peak as well as Tong Qingqing of Jingxin House, but Tong Qingqing rarely showed her face, as if she were even more remote than Lu Fang. There were countless legends about Tong Qingqing in the martial world, some saying that she was once a confidante of Ding Ying, turning to hatred from love and forever parting ways. Some declared with certainty that Tong Qingqing was actually the direct disciple of the madman Zhu Lian, and had once been a princess of Northern Jin. Still others said that Tong Qingqing was originally a man with heavenly beauty, who cultivated immortal arts and became neither male nor female, but ultimately returned to simplicity, allowing her to maintain her youthful appearance.

With the reclusive Immortal Yu Zhenyi appearing again, now with an unbelievably youthful appearance, those in the know began to speculate whether Tong Qingqing had reversed her age, and that there would no longer be such beauty in the world.

Wei Yan believed none of these tales.

Fan Wan’er turned her head, smiling as she explained, “I was once a poor girl in Pine Whisper. A senior sister from the sect, traveling the world, recognized my gifted bones and accepted me as a disciple on behalf of her master. She took me to Jingxin House. I was only six years old at the time, knowing nothing. I bowed three times to my master’s portrait in that pavilion, and that was considered the completion of my apprenticeship ceremony. The sect has many treasured secret manuals left behind by exiled immortals. My White Ape Sword Bearing Style is one of them, and it is not considered Jingxin House martial arts.”

Fan Wan’er chuckled bitterly, “Perhaps I am the one in the martial world who most wants to see ‘Tong Qingqing’.”

At this point, Fan Wan’er smiled, put her hands together, lowered her head, and apologized, “Directly addressing my master by name, forgive me, forgive me.”

Wei Yan was amused by Fairy Fan’s rare innocence and playfulness, naturally recalling that night when they walked on the bridge and she reached out to pat the lion’s head.

Compared to Fairy Fan of Jingxin House, Wei Yan preferred this Fan Wan’er.

At this time, a spy from the Crown Prince’s residence appeared on the steps below. Wei Yan descended and returned to the roof a moment later, his expression grave, “The Lofty Admiration Pavilion is stirring up trouble again. The newly released list is already spreading like wildfire, and now probably the entire capital has heard of the latest Ten Under Heaven.”

At this point, Wei Yan’s expression turned strange as he recited the names of the ten one by one, “Supreme Leader of the Demonic Cult Ding Ying, Sect Master of Lake Mountain Yu Zhenyi, Palace Master of Spring Tide Zhou Fei, Chen Pingan, State Preceptor of Southern Garden Zhong Qiu, Sharpening Knife Liu Zong, Saint of Arms Cheng Yuanshan, Monk Yunni of Vajra Zen Temple, Great General of Northern Jin Long Wu Tang Tieyi, and Wanderer Feng Qingbai.”
The last three, plus that Chen Ping’an, none of the four had ever been on the list before; they were all new faces.

Fan Wan’er asked, stunned, “Where is my master? What about Lu Fang?”

Wei Yan was speechless.

How could he know the answer?

Zhong Qiu stood up from the ruins, shook his azure robe, and dusted off all the dirt.

At the same time, Zhou Shi, the “coolie” with a flower in his hair leaning against the wall, and the demonic cult’s Crow, felt a gentle breeze on their faces. Then the light dimmed. Focusing their gaze, Zhou Shi felt relieved, while Crow’s mood was complex. He was both afraid of being noticed by this uninvited guest and bewitched into becoming one of the Spring Tide Palace’s songbirds, and relieved that his life was, at least temporarily, safe.

After Zhou Fei appeared, the Spring Tide Palace beauties, each with the strength of a second-rate martial artist, also landed not far away, like celestial maidens scattering flowers.

Zhou Fei looked at his miserable son and shook his head. “You’re so pathetic. Even if I took you home, what would you use to compete with Jiang Beihai? Ah, you should stay here obediently for another sixty years. Otherwise, you’ll just die out there. Either Jiang Beihai will play you to death, or I’ll be so angry that I’ll beat you to death. After sixty years, if you can rank among the top three in this Lotus Root Paradise, I’ll come and take you away. If you can’t even do that, then just die of old age here.”

Zhou Shi looked astonished but did not show much disappointment. He muttered speechlessly.

Zhou Fei glanced sideways at Crow beside his son and sneered, “Are you thinking that staying here isn’t so bad either, that you can live together with your beloved?”

Zhou Shi blushed slightly, his thoughts having been seen through.

Zhou Fei reached out and grabbed at the air. Crow was immediately pulled up by an invisible hand. Zhou Fei then waved his sleeve casually, and a green dress appeared beside him, automatically dressing Crow. After the strange dress was on her, Crow’s wounds healed at a visible speed, the blood flowed back into her body, and her energy transformed from a bursting flood into a calm river.

Zhou Fei bent down and said to Zhou Shi, “You stay, but the woman you love must leave. I’ll wait for you for sixty years. If you fulfill the agreement and are qualified to go to the Jade Tablet Sect in Tung Leaf Continent with me, you can marry this little lady on that very day. If you fail, the next time we meet in the Spring Tide Palace, you can watch her put on a wedding dress and call her ‘Mother’.”

Zhou Shi hurriedly stood up and said decisively, “Alright!”

Zhou Fei smiled brightly and patted Zhou Shi’s head. “Good son.”

The woman whose fate had been decided in the blink of an eye felt like she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Feng Qingbai stood far away, not daring to provoke this Zhou Fei at all.

Every time Zhou Fei finished speaking, Feng Qingbai would silently move further away.

The exiled immortal’s “light boat has already passed ten thousand mountains”. The more an cultivator schemes, the more he gives up, and the later he awakens. For example, Lu Fang, because he was already a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal in Tung Leaf Continent and also a sword cultivator, he must have come here to break his inner demons and knock on the door of his heart.

Even so, Lu Fang stepped step by step from being an ignorant child, learning swordsmanship from a second-rate master, and ultimately being able to become one of the Four Grandmasters, the Bird’s-eye Peak Sword Immortal, under the constraints of Lotus Root Paradise’s rules and in a giant cage of thin spiritual energy. This is what made Lu Fang powerful.

Feng Qingbai felt inferior, far inferior. His exiled immortal identity had taken a shortcut. Although his soul was incomplete and he left his physical body in Tung Leaf Continent like Lu Fang, he retained most of his memories. He was merely using a borrowed face from Lotus Root Paradise as a temporary inn for travelers. In the end, Lu Fang was directly pointing to his original heart, seeking the Dao and proving it, while Feng Qingbai was taking a step back and seeking the Dao through techniques.

As for the Spring Tide Palace’s Zhou Fei, whose true identity in Tung Leaf Continent was unknown, he was likely in the same category of exiled immortals as Feng Qingbai, but taking even more shortcuts. He obviously didn’t come here for the Great Dao; he just came to enjoy the scenery. But he had been indulging in pleasure in Lotus Root Paradise for nearly fifty years. So who exactly was Zhou Fei, to have such courage and such wealth?

Tung Leaf Sect, Jade Tablet Sect, Tranquility Mountain, Spirit Writing Sect?

Feng Qingbai sighed in his heart. Adding in that white-robed young man who had suddenly appeared, his luck was really terrible.

The opportunities in Lotus Root Paradise weren’t so hard to compete for in the past.

Ding Ying, Zhou Fei, Yu Zhenyi, Zhong Qiu, Lu Fang, plus that young man, any one of them, in any previous sixty-year period, would have been the most promising person to win the world. Especially the three who had not yet revealed themselves, Ding, Zhou, and Yu, even against the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, Wei Xian, the founding patriarch of the Demonic Cult, Lu Baixiang, the female sword immortal Sui Youbian, and the martial madman Zhu Lian, they could still contend!

There was Zhou Fei “chatting” with his son, Chen Ping’an still confronting Zhong Qiu, and himself, Feng Qingbai.

Three exiled immortals were standing on one street.

Two people walked side by side, blocking Feng Qingbai’s retreat.

Liu Zong, the knife grinder who owned a silk shop in the capital, and Cheng Yuanshan, the Arm Saint who dominated the grasslands beyond the Great Wall.

Cheng Yuanshan held an iron spear, staring fixedly at the wandering swordsman.

The knife grinder Liu Zong, however, looked at Zhou Fei and then glanced at Chen Ping’an in the distance, as if choosing an opponent.

Feng Qingbai sighed, gripping the long sword in his hand, feeling extremely troubled. If his great backer didn’t come, he would really die here. Even if the backer didn’t come, it would be good enough if his good brother came.

Feng Qingbai’s eyes lit up, and he smiled knowingly.

A black-robed man with a refined temperament walked over from a distance, a long saber hanging at his waist.

Feng Qingbai smiled and waved in greeting, “Brother Tang, you’re here?”

The middle-aged man nodded slightly.

Cheng Yuanshan’s heart tightened, feeling somewhat difficult to handle.

The newcomer was the mainstay of the Northern Jin, the Dragon Martial General Tang Tieyi. As the leading general of this era, he rarely charged into battle. The world only knew that this martial artist from a noble family liked to use sabers, but no one knew the depth of his saber techniques or the level of his cultivation. Besides being a military genius, Tang Tieyi was more often mentioned for a boudoir anecdote. It was rumored that he had an eyebrow obsession, liking his wives and concubines to draw all kinds of long eyebrows. Once these styles appeared, the aristocratic women of the Northern Jin capital all imitated them.

Cheng Yuanshan said softly, “Old Liu, don’t be careless. Tang Tieyi’s saber techniques are extremely domineering, specializing in deciding the outcome with one strike, and determining life and death with two.”

Liu Zong said absentmindedly, “Using sabers? I’m not interested in him.”

He pointed to Chen Ping’an in the distance. “That kid is mine.”

Liu Zong ignored Cheng Yuanshan and continued forward, ignoring even Feng Qingbai, continuing to advance, gently combing his white hair with one hand and hiding the other in his sleeve.

Thus, it became Cheng Yuanshan alone facing two masters.
Cheng Yuanshan, in an unexpected move, sheathed his spear and stepped aside, clearing the path for Tang Tieyi. With a gesture, he signaled him to join Feng Qingbai, promising not to obstruct him.

As Tang Tieyi passed Cheng Yuanshan, he couldn’t resist turning back with a grin. “Really not taking a couple of strikes from me? Just two, it’ll be quick.”

Cheng Yuanshan simply closed his eyes, cultivating his inner peace.

Feng Qingbai couldn’t help but admire the arm-saint’s composure.

Tang Tieyi approached Feng Qingbai, feigning annoyance. “Last we spoke, you said you’d just be here stirring the pot. How did you end up on the front lines?”

Feng Qingbai chuckled. “Fortune favors the bold, old friend.”

They had met two years prior in a border city of Northern Jin. Tang Tieyi had just led his troops to repel barbarian invaders. By chance, they found kinship, and Feng Qingbai even served under Tang Tieyi for over half a year, participating in a major battle as a scout. Had Feng Qingbai not insisted on continuing his travels, Tang Tieyi would have petitioned the Northern Jin emperor to grant him a general’s title.

Looking at the familiar face, Feng Qingbai asked curiously, “What brings you here?”

Tang Tieyi glanced back at the unmoving arm-saint, Cheng Yuanshan, then glared at Feng Qingbai. “True Immortal Yu released word that he wants your head. Even I heard about it. You didn’t know? How many people are after your life? You think it’s just Cheng Yuanshan?!”

Feng Qingbai pursed his lips, suppressing a smile.

There was a deeper story here, one worth a few jugs of fine wine as they, brothers reunited in a foreign land, reminisced.

Although Tang Tieyi was a native of Lotus Root Blessed Land, Feng Qingbai hadn’t encountered anyone so congenial, even in Tongye Continent. He was bold, exceptionally talented, and possessed a brilliance that left people astounded. Every praise was befitting of this strategist in the guise of a warrior.

Essays were trivial matters, and the pugilistic world was just a stage.

True writing was strategy, true martial prowess was warfare.

That was Tang Tieyi’s philosophy.

Perhaps Tang Tieyi was the only one in all of Lotus Root Blessed Land who held such a view.

Feng Qingbai decided to play coy, smiling, “As long as my brother Tang doesn’t covet this head of mine…”

Before Feng Qingbai could finish, a vast expanse of snow-white saber aura blotted out the sky.

In his last moment, Feng Qingbai could only feel bewilderment.

The Banished Immortal, Feng Qingbai, was cleaved in two on the spot, his remains splattering against the walls on either side of the street.

Tang Tieyi slowly sheathed his blade.

It was the demon blade “Refiner,” missing for many years.

One of the four great fortunes, it stood alongside Ding Ying’s silver lotus crown, the azure robes of South Yuan Kingdom’s capital, and the Arhat’s golden body of White River Temple.

Tang Tieyi, his expression unchanging, muttered, “Just on my way here, I heard you made the new Top Ten in the world, last place, tenth. And, surprisingly, I’m on the list too, ninth. Feng Qingbai, you probably thought that private, candid conversation with Yu Zhenyi would ensure your survival. And it would have, I came to save you. But your tenth place, my ninth, both of us brothers on the list…”

Tang Tieyi sighed softly. “Even a Banished Immortal can die, it seems.”

Picking up the fallen sword and attaching it to his waist, Tang Tieyi intentionally left an opening.

Few, if any, of the world’s top experts had witnessed his swordsmanship. Those who had, had died by Tang Tieyi’s blade.

Twenty years prior, after an attempt on the Emperor’s life by a martial artist, the Northern Jin court went mad, secretly capturing dozens of first- and second-rate experts. They were used to hone the Dragon Martial General’s swordsmanship, plunging the pugilistic world of Northern Jin into darkness. Lu Fang, at Birdsong Peak, was detached from worldly affairs. Mirror Heart Convent, deeply rooted, focused on infiltrating foreign courts. They clearly aimed for dominion over nations, not the martial world, and never intervened in internal conflicts within Northern Jin’s martial arts scene.

In Northern Jin, Tang Tieyi held hundreds of thousands of elite border troops. In his leisure time, he would paint the eyebrows of his concubine. Life couldn’t be more carefree.

He was indeed as Cheng Yuanshan said, a master of two strikes: one invincible, the other a counter-strike.

Thus, a first-rate expert weaker than Tang Tieyi was certain to die. Even a grandmaster whose cultivation wasn’t significantly higher than Tang Tieyi’s was in danger.

Unfortunately, arm-saint Cheng Yuanshan didn’t capitalize on Tang Tieyi’s opening. The old man simply retreated.

While he wasn’t without the strength to fight the Dragon Martial General of Northern Jin, he believed his chances of victory were higher. However, taking two strikes from Tang Tieyi would certainly leave him seriously injured, at which point someone else would be able to claim his head.

The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. And a slingshot below.

Tang Tieyi suddenly looked down, noticing the patterns on the scabbard of his “Refiner” flowing like liquid mercury, emitting a faint, multicolored glow. It then traveled up the hilt and his hand, spreading to Tang Tieyi’s shoulder and neck. Tang Tieyi never released his grip on the hilt. As the glow completely merged into his skin and bones, Tang Tieyi felt that the recently acquired Refiner had finally become one with him.

In the distance, Zhou Fei clicked his tongue. “Not bad luck, killing a Banished Immortal and getting a bound magical treasure. Like adding wings to a tiger, his ranking will definitely rise again.”

Zhou Fei turned, smiling, and lectured his son, Zhou Shi, and Crow. “See that? That’s how you should act. Strike at the very last moment, reaping the maximum reward. That’s why the ones who jump around early die the most miserably. Look at those old turtles, Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi. Have they shown their faces? No. Oh, and there’s that old witch from Mirror Heart Convent, Tong Qingqing, the most deeply hidden. No one can find her. I’m baffled. How can a Banished Immortal be here, as if born to escape? Even Ding Ying can’t find her after all these years. Her ability to seek fortune and avoid disaster is unparalleled.”

Zhou Shi could only smile wryly.

It was already difficult enough not to become a madman, having such an eccentric father.

For the sake of helping Uncle Lu break his inner demons, so many sordid deeds were committed. Zhou Shi could see that his father had never been interested in beauty or power.

When he was a child, he had witnessed Uncle Lu break into Spring Tide Palace, and his father stood motionless, allowing the man to pierce his heart with a sword.

And at that time, between the two men, stood a woman who resolutely sacrificed herself to protect his father.
It was none other than Aunt-Master Lu held in the highest esteem by Uncle Lu!

Father Zhou Fei seemed completely unscathed. He casually pushed aside the infatuated woman, then advanced step by step, allowing the sword to pierce through his back inch by inch. His gaze was solely fixed on Lu Fang. He only halted when nearly face to face with Lu Fang, and with a smile, inquired, “Lu Fang, are you awake?”

Zhou Shi sighed.

“This is the immortal cultivation practiced in my father’s hometown, so exceedingly bizarre!”

Crow, now clad in the azure garb, was even more silent.

Her master, the very Demon Cult Leader, Ding Ying’s only disciple, had been critically wounded the previous year. Upon returning to the sect, all healing proved futile, and he could only watch as his body decayed, his life force rapidly ebbing away. Yet, this hero in Crow’s eyes, his final words were strange indeed: “A True Man walks the world, entering fire yet feeling no heat, submerging in water yet never drowning. What of the immortals then? I have seen them as well.”

As a disciple of the Demon Cult, Crow harbored no prejudice or hatred toward those inexplicable banished immortals. She did not even yearn for the legendary ascension. She was attached to the mortal realm, to this homeland, only desiring to compete with Fan Wan’er, whose beauty, talent, and ambition were no less than her own, to support the Second Prince’s ascension, and then strive for the unification of the four kingdoms. Then, whether she became the Empress of the Southern Garden Kingdom, the mother of the nation, or the new Lord of the Martial World after Grandmaster Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi, she would be content.

However, this time, Reverence Tower and that “Old Heaven” had chosen Guniu Mountain of the Southern Garden Kingdom as their ascension site, and she, unfortunately, had been found by that Grandmaster, becoming his pawn.

Her heart filled with sorrow, she couldn’t help but raise her head and glance at that alley, in the direction of that residence.

“Oh, my Grandmaster, why won’t you come out of the mountains?”

Tang Tieyi had already departed because he lacked confidence against Zhou Fei. Even with the complete Refiner’s Saber, instinct told him that facing Zhou Fei would mean certain death.

Just like those pitiful Grandmasters who had become his whetstones, facing him, Tang Tieyi, in the past.

So he went to find trouble with Arm Saint Cheng Yuanshan.

But to Tang Tieyi’s dismay, that fellow had slipped away, concealing his presence, blending into this capital city like a fish in water.

Tang Tieyi cursed inwardly. If this were the capital of Northern Jin, Cheng Yuanshan would be as good as dead.

He could have mobilized the entire city’s garrison to hunt down any lone Grandmaster.

Of course, Tang Tieyi had not even a sliver of intention, nor dared he entertain the thought, of killing Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi.

His clandestine departure from Northern Jin to the Southern Garden Kingdom, almost every step, was within the calculations of that True Man Yu. Perhaps it started even earlier, from the moment he obtained this demonic saber, the Refiner.

Tang Tieyi did not yearn for any soaring to immortality, any immortal homeland. This world was enough for him to display his talents to their fullest!

Ding Ying and that child named Cao Qinglang, one sitting on a bench basking in the sun, one standing at the entrance to the kitchen, trembling, clutching a wood-chopping knife.

Ding Ying, having just learned that Tong Qingqing was not among the ten, sighed, turned to the child, and said with a smile, “It’s nothing for you to worry about. That old woman is really…”

Saying this, even a great demon like Ding Ying found it somewhat amusing, unsure of how to accurately describe Tong Qingqing.

Ding Ying understood Jingxin Zhai’s Tong Qingqing better than anyone else in the world.

Firstly, the two were of similar age, of the same generation, and had known each other for a long time. Ding Ying was another martial arts prodigy after Lu Baixiang, quickly rising to the top ten in the world at a young age, so he had been wandering the martial world alone for a long time. Tong Qingqing’s position at the time was similar to the current Fan Wan’er of Jingxin Zhai, but compared to Fan Wan’er, who was careful and played countless heroes between her fingers, her Master, Tong Qingqing, was an utter coward. She was forced to become the next destined leader of Jingxin Zhai, but she shamelessly stayed within the sect, unwilling to go out and seek dominance for the sect. Ding Ying, bold as could be, once sneaked into Jingxin Zhai to enjoy the moon in the forbidden Lakeside Pavilion, only to encounter Tong Qingqing sobbing in the pavilion, huddled against the pavilion pillar. The girl was talking to herself, not noticing Ding Ying, busy complaining that her Master was too cruel, wanting to drive her out of the sect, complaining that her senior and junior sisters were too stupid, practicing martial arts so diligently, yet still unable to beat her, who slacked off every day. Then she counted on her fingers those experts in the martial world, how formidable, how fierce, finally not even letting go of second-rate masters, listing them one by one as if everyone was a grandmaster seen only once in a century…

Ding Ying felt like he had seen a ghost. There was actually such a cowardly woman in the world.

Tong Qingqing was, after all, a first-rate expert close to the top twenty in the world, and finally discovered Ding Ying, then she also seemed to have seen a ghost.

The first thing she said was, with a sob, telling Ding Ying that as long as he didn’t kill her, she would pretend she hadn’t seen anything.

Tong Qingqing was certainly a beauty, indeed even more moving than her disciple Fan Wan’er and the Southern Garden Kingdom’s Empress Zhou Shuzhen.

But even after so many years, what Ding Ying remembered most clearly was Tong Qingqing’s expression at the time, with tears in her eyes, pouting her lips, begging, timid and weak, like a young deer in the depths of the forest encountering a woodcutter wielding a knife.

Ding Ying had been obsessed with martial arts all his life and had never had any romantic feelings. He had no love for Tong Qingqing, but Tong Qingqing’s personality, and the expression she had in the Jingxin Pavilion that year, were truly unforgettable for Ding Ying.

That encounter was without incident. Ding Ying stole a secret manual from Jingxin Zhai’s Sutra Depository and quietly fled.

After Ding Ying left, Tong Qingqing was so frightened that she quickly ran back to her yard, not even reporting it to anyone.
Later, Ding Ying’s fame grew, especially after the chaotic war in the Southern Garden Kingdom sixty years ago. Ding Ying seized the silver lotus crown, instantly becoming the foremost figure in the world. Afterward, he slew over a dozen Exiled Immortals, learning one secret after another. During this time, Ding Ying, by chance, met Tong Qingqing once more. She probably felt too ashamed to hide in Mirror Heart Convent any longer and finally ventured into the martial world, but everything went wrong for her. Coupled with her breathtaking beauty, she was captured by the master of the Soldier’s Tally Gate, one of the three branches of the Demonic Sect. If Ding Ying hadn’t happened to pass by the Soldier’s Tally Gate and rescued Tong Qingqing, this fairy would have become that fat pig’s plaything. Ding Ying’s rescue was well worth it. He didn’t even need to resort to torture to learn many secrets and crucial matters of Mirror Heart Convent, as well as all the dozen or so superior secret techniques she had firmly memorized. Most of these were techniques for survival and escape, or the miraculous art of disguise. As for techniques with devastating killing power, she remembered them easily but never learned a single one…

If Ding Ying hadn’t been unwilling to ask for more, she would have wanted to return to Mirror Heart Convent and steal a few more immortal arts for him. She even tearfully patted her chest, guaranteeing that she could make Ding Ying invincible, possessing unparalleled divine power, and unify the martial world…

She probably forgot that Ding Ying was already the foremost figure in the world at that time.

Years later, after Tong Qingqing returned to Mirror Heart Convent and inherited the position of Sect Master, Ding Ying went to find her again, but couldn’t find her. He then realized that this coward had most likely cultivated Mirror Heart Convent’s secret, an unpassed-down art that could make a woman revert to childhood while her power surged. The younger she became, the deeper her power. The prerequisite, of course, was that she would lose her captivating beauty, but for Tong Qingqing, this price probably wasn’t much of a concern. As Ding Ying had expected, Tong Qingqing eventually joined the ranks of the Ten Best in the World.

Therefore, upon entering the capital of the Southern Garden Kingdom this time, Ding Ying had been paying attention to all the children who possessed inner spiritual energy.

He found six or seven, but none of them were Tong Qingqing.

Interestingly, these children might not become first-rate experts through martial arts, but they would surely make rapid progress in learning the immortal arts of the Exiled Immortals.

Ding Ying, of course, had no interest in grooming them into the next Yu Zhenyi or Zhou Fei.

Finally, Ding Ying found Cao Qinglang right under his nose because he had a sudden idea. Even if he was a boy, Ding Ying felt that with Tong Qingqing’s personality of using any means necessary to save her life, coupled with Mirror Heart Convent’s many strange secret manuals, especially a few immortal arts involving soul transfer, she might actually be hiding in Cao Qinglang’s body, while her real body was hidden somewhere else. The world was vast, and living people would inevitably reveal traces, but a “dead person” would be difficult to find.

However, everything was overturned by that ranking list. Tong Qingqing wasn’t among the Ten Best.

This meant that Tong Qingqing was definitely not in a child’s body right now!

Obviously, the extremely timid Tong Qingqing had determined that he, who knew her background well, would come looking for her. She had most likely reversed the immortal art immediately after the last listing of the Ten Best, increasing her age, which led to a decline in her cultivation. Ding Ying could confirm that Zhou Shuzhen, the current Pavilion Master of the Reverence Pavilion, had tampered with the Ten Best before today because this Southern Garden Kingdom’s Empress was a disciple of Mirror Heart Convent.

However, Zhou Shuzhen couldn’t decide the final ranking because the ten people who had just been selected were decided by a certain “Heavenly Lord”. This was why Tong Qingqing had revealed her secret.

Sitting in the courtyard, Ding Ying laughed heartily.

He was very curious about what kind of cultivator this unheard-of Exiled Immortal would be in his homeland.

As for which “identity” Tong Qingqing was using at the moment and where she was hiding stealthily, Ding Ying was no longer curious. It was interesting enough.

Even if he guessed the truth wrongly, and Tong Qingqing could outwit him, Ding Ying, this time, Ding Ying wouldn’t mind.

What Ding Ying sought was to occupy at least eighty percent of the martial luck in the world, ascend to immortality in broad daylight with a pure physical body, completing an unprecedented feat, going further and higher than Zhu Lian and Sui Youbian!

He wanted to win against the Heavenly Lord of this world.

At the very least, he had to force the other party to break his own rules and personally intervene to kill him. Then, even if he, Ding Ying, died, he would have no regrets.

Ding Ying glanced back at the window and smiled, “Don’t worry, I will let you out. But when that time comes, it will be the time when your master’s body dies and his Dao disappears. I hope you can find his reincarnation in the future and accompany him to compete for the opportunity sixty years later. That’s all.”

Ding Ying stood up.

Chen Pingan stood at the edge of the gully, his sleeves swaying without wind.

The Knife Sharpener Liu Zong walked towards Chen Pingan, not caring at all about the changes on the side of Arm Saint Cheng Yuanshan, Tang Tieyi, and Feng Qingbai.

With his dedication, Liu Zong was recognized as one of the top three in the world. Yu Zhenyi had long ago made this determination. For this reason, Yu Zhenyi had even left Lakeside Mountain Sect to find Liu Zong, persuading him to abandon the knife in his hand, which would only broaden his path of martial arts.

However, Liu Zong had not agreed, saying that the knife was his wife, and he couldn’t lose it. This was called not abandoning a wife who had shared his hardships.

Yu Zhenyi, who was usually stern and unsmiling, laughed heartily and drank with Liu Zong for the first time, then left.

This was not some exaggerated rumor in the martial world, but was personally told by a direct disciple of Yu Zhenyi.

The Knife Sharpener Liu Zong was both righteous and evil, with a reputation that was neither good nor bad. He never killed innocent people indiscriminately, but all those who died at his hands were often extremely miserable. The higher their cultivation, the more gruesome their deaths, capable of making people vomit out their bile.

Zhong Qiu had already walked back to the street.

He, Chen Pingan, and Liu Zong formed a mutually supporting formation.

Zhong Qiu smiled, “My fight with him is not over yet. Liu Zong, you can wait until we have determined the winner before you draw your knife. As for whether you will fight with me or him at that time, it is still hard to say.”

Liu Zong’s eyes were burning. Before drawing his knife to kill, he habitually began to grind his teeth as if sharpening his knife, appearing very frightening.

The old man thought for a moment, “Okay. As long as you don’t mind me taking advantage of your weakness, and have the confidence to live to the end. If not…”

He pointed to Chen Pingan, “National Preceptor Zhong, you can leave now, and leave him to me. I, Liu Zong, have never cut open an Exiled Immortal in my life.”

Liu Zong admired the National Preceptor of the Southern Garden Kingdom, who was in the same city, from the bottom of his heart. He had also frankly told Arm Saint Cheng Yuanshan in his shop before.
Zhong Qiu pointed to his tattered azure robe and smiled, “Do I look like I’m willing to stop?”

Liu Zong sighed, “Alright, I’ll wait for you to settle things.”

Zhong Qiu asked, “Zhou Fei is also a banished immortal, why not kill him?”

Liu Zong shook his head. “I’m not stupid. This young man in front of me is just like you, someone I can hack at and enjoy every slice. That Zhou Fei knows sorcery. Maybe he’ll disappear without a trace when he dies. I’d waste my energy for nothing. I’m not doing that.”

Zhong Qiu shook his head helplessly.

Chen Ping An ignored the knife-grinder Liu Zong, extended his palm, and signaled Zhong Qiu could fight again.

Liu Zong was taken aback, stomped his foot, and exclaimed, “Wow, such a handsome look and bearing! It’s a pity I’m not a young maiden, or I’d be smitten. No, no, if you were to roam the world, you’d surely ruin dozens, maybe hundreds, of pretty girls. You deserve to die, deserve to die! Choosing you over Zhou Fei was the right call.”

Zhong Qiu and Chen Ping An seemed to have steeled their hearts and “entered the Dao,” indifferent and unperturbed.

Liu Zong suddenly stopped talking.

Because he, who was closest to the two, strangely heard a faint “ding-dong” sound, like dripping water.

The next moment, an overwhelming gale swept over. Although Liu Zong stood his ground, his sleeves and hair were tossed wildly.

It turned out that Zhong Qiu and the young man had exchanged a punch. The force of the blow scattered in all directions. Dust swirled around them, and the bluestone paving of the street shattered and flew everywhere.

Liu Zong raised a hand to deflect a flying stone, as swift and deadly as a ballista bolt, and stared intently, not wanting to miss a single detail.

Good heavens, these two were fighting as if they wanted to shatter the mountains and split the earth.

Zhong Qiu in his azure robe and Chen Ping An in his white robe were moving so fast their forms resembled white mist and cyan smoke.

Wherever the two went, the heavens and earth were turned upside down.

In this perilous close-quarters combat, the two figures never separated by more than three arm-lengths, at most. Excluding one arm each, it meant that even if one was struck by a punch, they would only be knocked back one arm’s length!

Others performed the Dao in a snail shell, but these two madmen were leveling mountains and destroying cities in a tiny space. Were they truly made of flesh and blood?

Two ethereal figures were practically destroying the entire street.

But as if by agreement, the surrounding buildings and high walls remained unscathed.

Their control over their fist intent had truly reached a state of wondrous perfection.

About an incense stick later…

Zhou Fei suddenly slapped his forehead. “Damn you, Zhong Qiu, you’re just trying to cause trouble.”

“Let’s go, let’s go, I can’t stand to watch anymore. Anyway, Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi can clean up the mess.”

Zhou Fei grabbed Zhou Shi and Ya’er by the shoulders, carrying them like chickens, and soared away.

The Spring Tide Palace beauties, though confused, still followed Zhou Fei into the sky.

At the end of the street, dust blotted out the sky.

Around the corner, Zhong Qiu smiled and strode away, leaving along another street. Although this National Preceptor was covered in dust, he showed no sign of dejection. Instead, he seemed to have done something he enjoyed.

Chen Ping An remained on the original street, walking out of the dust alone. His fist intent and aura were nowhere to be seen.

He was like the most ordinary young man, but with a single step, he arrived in front of the knife-grinder Liu Zong.

Liu Zong blinked and asked, “Can we not fight?”

Chen Ping An countered, “What do you think?”

Liu Zong said seriously, “I think we can! We have no grudges. The road is wide, let’s each go our own way. No problem!”

Chen Ping An slightly shifted his gaze towards the house and nodded, “Then that should be okay.”

Liu Zong chuckled. “Before I leave, can I ask one more question? What is your relationship with National Preceptor Zhong?”

Chen Ping An thought for a moment and gave his answer, “We walk the same path.”

Liu Zong was about to say something.

Chen Ping An said sternly, “Leave quickly, follow Zhong Qiu. If you can, help him deal with someone. If you trust me, don’t think about running. Only by joining forces with Zhong Qiu will you have a chance to survive to the end.”

Liu Zong nodded. Without another word, he brushed past Chen Ping An. Chen Ping An also stepped forward, shifting sideways, and stood directly behind Liu Zong in a straight line.

Over there, Zhong Qiu stopped. A person who looked like a child stood on a sword hovering in the air, blocking Zhong Qiu’s path.

And on Chen Ping An’s side, Ding Ying with a silver lotus crown on his head slowly walked out of the alley.

Between the old man’s fingers was a flying sword that trembled incessantly.