The old Daoist priest pinched a tiny silver coin-shaped talisman between his fingers, watching it slowly dissolve into nothingness.

With a single stride, he left the capital city of the Southern Garden Kingdom and arrived at the ruins of Ox Mountain. He moved so silently that even Yu Zhenyi, who was practicing cultivation in a thatched hut there, didn’t notice anything amiss.

Outside the simple hut, Yu Zhenyi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, bathed in the moonlight. The Lake Mountain Sect experts and several direct disciples had already been ordered to return to the sect, forbidden from showing their faces in public for the time being.

This leader of the righteous path, who looked like a young child, was currently wearing a silver lotus crown on his head. This was one of the agreements between him and Ding Ying. After the deed was done, Ding Ying would hand over this crown to him. The crown was called “Hooking Secrets,” the most profound magical treasure in the history of Lotus Flower Blessed Land, without exception. Besides being able to autonomously protect the wearer’s body and soul, it could also temper the physical body, calm the mind, and, more importantly, help locate the exiled immortals scattered throughout the world.

Yu Zhenyi already possessed a rudimentary grasp of the Immortal Palm’s ability to observe mountains and rivers. Earlier, atop Ox Mountain, when he gazed at the Southern Garden capital, Ding Ying, Chen Ping’an, and Lu Fang, among others, appeared to him as the most radiant “lamps.” Now, with the addition of this crown, it was like adding wings to a tiger. Yu Zhenyi had a ninety percent certainty that, as long as he successfully escaped this encirclement, all exiled immortals in the future would find it impossible to move an inch.

Yu Zhenyi had a glazed flying sword hovering beside him.

In his sleeve, he also held a recently acquired immortal treasure.

The little Daoist boy with the giant golden gourd slung across his back had indeed kept his word. Those who were unwilling to ascend and chose to step down from the city wall could each obtain a magical treasure. Yu Zhenyi had found a jade tablet book in the leveled ruins of Ox Mountain. This was an ancient imperial “Address to Heaven” used during sacrifices and enthronements, but the writing was strange and not found in the records of the Four Kingdoms. Yu Zhenyi knew that the answers were most likely to be found in the Respectful Admiration Tower or the Mirror Heart Study, the two places with the most profound understanding of the exiled immortals from beyond the heavens.

Yu Zhenyi felt nothing about Ding Ying’s death, not even sadness. At most, he was annoyed by Ding Ying’s failure at the last step, which meant that many of his and the Lake Mountain Sect’s plans would have to undergo significant changes.

You contend with the heavens, I manage the world.

This was the tacit understanding between Ding Ying and Yu Zhenyi, a complementary Dao, which was why the two leading figures of the righteous and demonic paths, the two grandmasters most likely to fight to the death, had secretly chosen to ally and set up the Southern Garden scheme. The difference between the two was that Ding Ying wanted to kill everyone else on the list besides themselves, while Yu Zhenyi only targeted those exiled immortals: Zhou Fei, Tong Qingqing, Feng Qingbai, and, of course, the Chen Ping’an who had appeared last.

Yu Zhenyi began to stroll under the moonlight, each breath a form of cultivation. This was also the source of Yu Zhenyi’s initial great determination and boldness in abandoning his peak martial arts cultivation.

In the matter of cultivating the Dao, the most important thing is the heart. This was the scenery that Yu Zhenyi yearned for. The realm of martial arts was too low, forever wallowing in the mud. That group of Jianghu brutes were completely unaware. People like Cheng Yuanshan were insatiably greedy, wishing that everything within sight was in their pockets. People like Tang Tieyi were obsessed with power on the battlefield, dreaming of one day possessing the empire and the beauty, hoping to be recorded in history after death, yet they did not know that without longevity, all was vanity. People like Liu Zong only focused on strength and were not worth mentioning.

It was just a pity about Zhong Qiu.

That former friend of life and death, trapped himself within a self-drawn prison.

Yu Zhenyi walked in a seemingly random direction, his steps irregular, sometimes as ordinary as a mortal, sometimes drifting tens of feet in a single step, but always without straying too far in any particular direction, sometimes walking along an invisible, large arc.

This scene made the meritorious generals of the Southern Garden Kingdom, who were leading troops to guard each direction, tremble with fear. They were afraid that they would have bad luck and Yu Zhenyi would break through from their direction. The capital city was so close, just a turn of the head away, which meant that His Majesty the Emperor had a clear view of the movements here. Once Yu Zhenyi decided to break through the encirclement tonight, who would dare to be cowardly or avoid battle?

No one found it ridiculous that nearly ten thousand elites of the Southern Garden capital were mobilized to encircle a “child.”

Who could imagine that a battle between two grandmasters could obliterate an entire Ox Mountain? They, who were only proficient in battle formations and combat skills, could die on the battlefield with no regrets, but to die at the flick of a finger or under a sleeve of these immortal figures? They might not even see the other party’s shadow before they died, leaving behind a pile of bones. What kind of business was that?!

Yu Zhenyi certainly did not care about what the Southern Garden Kingdom soldiers thought.

The only two beings he was truly concerned about now were “Tong Qingqing,” who had not yet made a move, and Chen Ping’an, who had killed the old demon Ding head-on. When she drew that sword from the broken mirror above the city, Yu Zhenyi had felt a hint of danger.

Of course, the person that Yu Zhenyi was even more wary of was Chen Ping’an.

Yu Zhenyi was not afraid of the heavy encirclement, nor was he afraid of a one-on-one battle with Tong Qingqing.

Only Chen Ping’an made Yu Zhenyi dare not to be careless.

As for why Chen Ping’an did not stop him from absorbing the spiritual energy of this place, allowing his realm to steadily rise, Yu Zhenyi could not understand it no matter how hard he thought.

Could it be that he was too seriously injured in the battle with Ding Ying and was now just a pretty boy with no substance?

So Chen Ping’an’s pause when entering the city was actually a pretense, deceiving everyone on the city wall?

Yu Zhenyi stopped and looked towards the capital city. Under the moonlight, he eventually gave up the idea of exploring it. Once Chen Ping’an joined forces with the Mirror Heart Study and Zhong Qiu, that would be a real disaster. At that time, with Tang Tieyi and Cheng Yuanshan’s opportunistic nature, they would definitely change their tune and completely side with the Southern Garden Kingdom.

Yu Zhenyi returned to the thatched hut, reached out his hand, and gently stroked the blade of the glazed flying sword.

He could now achieve the immortal elegance of flying on a sword, but compared to the true carefree travel recorded in the books, it was far too lacking, unable to rise too high or travel too far, which was a pity.

Yu Zhenyi shifted his gaze upwards, looking at the bright moon. One day, he would be able to fly on his sword above the mortal realm, looking down on the mountains and rivers. Higher than me would only be the sun, moon, and stars.

Yu Zhenyi suddenly lowered his gaze. On the incomplete and dilapidated city wall of the capital, he could not see the faces of the people, but in Yu Zhenyi’s eyes, a bright light appeared, extremely dazzling.

Yu Zhenyi sneered, “So you’ve come?”
Atop the city wall, a young Daoist nun with a sword slung across her back sat cross-legged on a crenellation. In one hand, she held a steaming clay pot, its fragrant aroma permeating the air, while the other wielded chopsticks with lightning speed. Between mouthfuls, she muttered, “Heavens above, this stuff is delicious, but it’s far too spicy! No, no, I can’t buy two bowls at once next time.”

Below, several riders galloped out from the city gates, bearing an imperial decree personally issued by His Majesty.

The Imperial Guards and three detachments of the capital’s garrison, save for the contingent tasked with defending the city’s southern gate, were to stand fast. All others were to withdraw twenty *li* from their posts.

It was as if they were clearing the stage.

For Yu Zhenyi and the breathtakingly beautiful Daoist nun on the city wall.

Lost in her ravenous eating, the nun occasionally glanced towards Guniu Mountain. If Yu Zhenyi decided to flee at this moment, there was nothing she could do. She wouldn’t be able to catch him.

Setting the clay pot beside her and gently placing the chopsticks atop it, Huang Ting, the Daoist nun from Taiping Mountain, rose to her feet. She patted her belly, filled with regret. “This late-night snack was a bit excessive, wasn’t it? I must have gained a couple of pounds. Alas, Fan Wan’er, ‘rice bowl’? You’re more like a rice *bucket*…”

As the three elite Southern Garden detachments began their gradual relocation,

Daoist nun Huang Ting’s eyes gleamed with a sharp light. Staring intently at Yu Zhenyi’s position, she wiped her mouth and whispered, “I reckon I’ll slim down after this fight.”

Chen Ping’an, who had been sleeping soundly on a rooftop, was awakened by the massive commotion outside the city. He gazed south and saw two brilliant sword lights, their radiance intertwined.

It was Yu Zhenyi’s *liuli* flying sword and Huang Ting’s Sword of Intent.

Instead of returning to his residence to retrieve Long Qi, Chen Ping’an drew a sword and a saber from Flying Sword Fifteen. The longsword *Chixin*, originally belonging to Dou Zizhi, and the narrow saber *Tingxue*, passed down through generations of Flying Eagle Fort, hung at his sides.

With a swift movement, he vanished like drifting smoke.

Zhong Qiu was already standing atop the city wall. Chen Ping’an approached the Southern Garden Grand Preceptor.

“Did they start fighting already?” Chen Ping’an asked.

Zhong Qiu nodded. “Huang Ting is a cultivator from your homeland. Her sensitivity to spiritual energy far surpasses ours.”

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Does she think that if Yu Zhenyi keeps absorbing spiritual energy at this rate, she’ll be outmatched?”

Zhong Qiu sighed helplessly. “Not at all. If that were the case, Huang Ting would have attacked long ago. According to her, she’s deliberately waiting for Yu Zhenyi to be full, so he can’t use it as an excuse for losing.”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t comprehend the Taiping Mountain Daoist nun’s mindset. In a life-or-death struggle, such meticulous calculations seemed childish when applied to her.

In contrast, Chen Ping’an’s own actions—from the battle on the street against Ma Xuan, the *pipa* woman, and Smile Face, to testing the limits of this world while concealing his strength, to scheming against Lu Fang of Bird’s Eye Peak, and finally, against Zhong Qiu and Ding Ying—were all meticulously planned, every punch thrown with unwavering precision.

Despite not understanding her reasoning, Chen Ping’an felt a hint of admiration and envy for Huang Ting. To be able to face the world without regard for life, death, or consequence… that seemed like the way it should be… fearless.

Chen Ping’an spoke to Zhong Qiu about the books on bridge construction, and Zhong Qiu readily agreed.

He then brought up the matter of the *pipa* woman and the impoverished scholar surnamed Jiang.

For a nation’s Grand Preceptor, finding a scholar who had stayed in the capital to take the imperial examination was a trivial matter. However, Zhong Qiu didn’t immediately agree but asked, “Are you sure you want to see that scholar?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “Whether I see him or not, we’ll decide later.”

Only then did Zhong Qiu nod.

Together, they looked towards Guniu Mountain. The battle between Yu Zhenyi and Huang Ting, two Grand Masters firmly in the top three of the world’s powerhouses, was escalating.

Often, a chilling sword light could stretch for dozens of *zhang*, even hundreds.

Perhaps feeling that the safest place in the world was where Chen Ping’an and Zhong Qiu stood side-by-side,

Empress Zhou Shuzhen, Crown Prince Wei Yan, Princess Wei Zhen, and an elderly general with snow-white hair, escorted by a contingent of Imperial Guards, ascended the city wall and headed straight for the two men.

Zhou Shuzhen naturally wouldn’t dare to put on airs with Zhong Qiu. After an exchange of courteous greetings, Wei Zhen, upon seeing the Grand Preceptor, was even more apprehensive. Zhong Qiu was one of her teachers, and the princess had received her first caning thanks to the Grand Preceptor. At the time, the young girl had cried, her face covered in snot and tears, and ran to her father and mother, who were playing chess. One said she deserved it, and the other said she hadn’t been punished enough. From then on, Wei Zhen feared Grand Preceptor Zhong like a predator.

The old general’s presence alongside these three members of the imperial family suggested that he was a highly distinguished and esteemed veteran of the Southern Garden Kingdom. As expected, upon seeing him, Zhong Qiu greeted him by his given name: “Lü Xiao, what brings you here?”

Clad in full armor, the old general spoke with a robust voice, “Most of the capital’s garrison troops were trained by this old man’s own hand! I may be retired, and I admit I’m no longer fit for the battlefield, but I haven’t lost my ability to command troops! You can stop me from leaving the city, but surely you can’t stop me from seeing them off?!”

The old man slapped the city wall, indignant. “Why can’t you flying Jianghu Grandmasters ever give it a rest? One fight after another, it’s deafening! Half the capital can’t get a good night’s sleep! Especially that white-robed ‘Immortal’, who’s being praised to the heavens! Saying Ding Laomo was his defeated opponent, and that he’s exceptionally handsome! It’s got my two grandchildren asking me if I know him, one saying he wants to become a disciple of Immortal Chen, and the other saying she wants to see a true hero! I don’t know him from Adam! If I ever see that white-robed fellow, I’ll give him a piece of my mind! Aside from anything else, his name is just awful…”

Zhong Qiu stifled a laugh.

The old man, his face contorted in anger, was about to launch into a tirade when Zhong Qiu waved his hand. “Alright, the Empress and the Crown Prince and Princess are here. Try to keep the saliva to a minimum, Lü Xiao.”

The old general grudgingly fell silent.

Chen Ping’an remained silent, thinking that the old general was a straightforward fellow, just with a rather explosive temper.

Lü Xiao caught the young man’s gaze. Still fuming, the old general glared at him. “Kid, what are you staring at?! Daring to laugh at me?”

Chen Ping’an didn’t retort but simply took out his wine gourd and took a sip.
The old general, mistaking this man for a wandering martial artist, figured that since he was standing with Zhong Qiu, he must be a young master of considerable skill. His character couldn’t be too bad either. He then said earnestly, “Young man, looking at you, you seem to have a scholarly air. It’s clear you’re a promising student. It’s not that I’m trying to act like a wise old man, but my judgment is usually quite accurate. I sincerely advise you not to travel the martial world. I don’t expect you to make a name for yourself on the battlefield or die in your armor. Just learn from our esteemed National Preceptor Zhong, but only his sage-like side, of course. What’s the good of being a martial grandmaster?”

Chen Ping’an was speechless. He squeezed out a smile, nodded awkwardly, and took another sip of wine.

Despite his fiery temper and sometimes harsh words, the old man had a good heart.

Princess Wei Zhen covered her mouth and giggled.

She knew the young man’s identity. She had seen him once before at the Scholar Lane restaurant.

But General Lü only knew of the young man who killed Ding Laomo, dressed in white robes, capable of controlling swords and performing immortal techniques. He had no idea that the man he swore to scold was right in front of him.

Even the general, who was quite averse to the martial world, couldn’t help but secretly admire the resplendent sword light and soaring energy emanating from Ox Nose Mountain, saying, “Truly a celestial immortal.”

But the stubborn old general didn’t miss any opportunity to lecture the young man he thought had gone astray. He turned to him and advised, “See that? That’s the demeanor of a grandmaster. How many years will it take you to reach that level? Even a hundred years might not be enough. So, I say, abandon martial arts and embrace scholarship. If you ever come to your senses and want to trade your pen for a sword, all the better. As long as I’m not in my coffin by then, come find me. I’ll personally recommend you to any elite border army in Southern Garden. You can pick whichever you like!”

The old general was spraying spittle as he spoke.

Chen Ping’an wiped his face, sighed, and had no choice but to state his name, “I am Chen Ping’an.”

The old man scoffed, “So what if you’re Chen Ping’an? You’re not a Zhong. I know all the officials in Southern Garden. Which one am I not familiar with…”

The old general abruptly stopped, straightened his face, nodded, and gave a thumbs up, feigning ignorance, “Good name!”

Then the old man, as if nothing had happened, silently walked to Zhong Qiu’s side, then silently moved further away, until he was next to the Crown Prince on the very edge of the group.

The old general decided to refrain from speaking for the time being, to cultivate some silent meditation.

Chen Ping’an watched the battle at Ox Nose Mountain for a while longer, and said, “I’ll be leaving now.”

Of course, no one stopped him.

About an incense stick of time later, after discerning some of the nuances of the great battle, Zhong Qiu smiled and sighed, “Previously, the chances of victory were fifty-fifty. Now, he is far superior.”

Zhou Shuzhen still couldn’t see anything, nor could Crown Prince Wei Yan.

As for General Lü and Princess Wei Zhen, they were completely baffled.

Lü Xiao wondered, “National Preceptor, he just left like that?”

Zhong Qiu smiled, “If Chen Ping’an was willing to appear on the city walls tonight, Yu Zhenyi wouldn’t dare to act so recklessly.”

Speaking of which, Zhong Qiu turned his head to look, and sighed inwardly. Wasn’t he supposed to stay out of everything?

Chen Ping’an quietly returned to the courtyard before dawn.

These past few days, the lotus little man had been curled up in the golden nectar of the Dharma robe, sleeping more soundly than ever. Chen Ping’an hadn’t worn the golden nectar again.

Upon entering the house, he noticed that the little fellow’s breathing had become even more stable. He had changed his sleeping position. Chen Ping’an helped tuck in the corners of the golden nectar.

Chen Ping’an walked out of the house. The gaunt little girl was sitting on a small wooden stool, leaning against the door, asleep. In her dreams, she frowned.

Chen Ping’an could even see from her posture that, despite her young age, she was full of vigilance towards the world.

Chen Ping’an clasped his hands tightly, placed them gently on his knees, and waited quietly for dawn.

The old Daoist suddenly appeared, standing next to him, one standing, one sitting.

The old Daoist cut straight to the chase, “Since you’re carrying Chen Qingdu’s Long Breath Sword, I’ll make an exception and allow you to enter this Lotus Flower Paradise with your skin and soul intact. As for why you came, I can, of course, figure it out. But if you want me to help you rebuild the Bridge of Longevity, it’s difficult, but not impossible. But there’s no such thing as a free lunch.”

The old Daoist pointed to Cao Qinglang’s room, “I heard your conversation with that child earlier, about the logic of right and wrong. I knew you were connected to the Old Master. After all, I was the first to know about the Old Master’s theory of order. What a mess, yet he still dares to mislead others!”

Speaking of this, the old Daoist sneered, “So I decided to slightly raise the stakes. That’s why there was that ambush, and why Ding Ying imprisoned that inch-square object. If you’re not skilled enough and die here, then the Long Breath Sword stays. I won’t make things too difficult for you, at most, I’ll leave you here for a few decades. You’ll return as you came, no need to worry about your spirit and body. I may not get along with the Old Master, but I wouldn’t take it out on you. But rules are rules.”

Chen Ping’an said with a wry smile, “I see.”

The old Daoist scoffed, “Later, a master of Yin-Yang arts, a rather high-level one, made a move once, ambiguous and vague, just barely crossing my bottom line. I tolerated it and didn’t bother with him. But his disciple, with a natural Yin-Yang fish physique, didn’t know the immensity of heaven and earth. He possessed Fan Wan’er twice, trying to remind you, to tell you how to leave the Lotus Flower Paradise. So, I disabled the other two magic treasures on your body.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Is that the Paper Doll Town, and… Northern Jin Country?!”

The old Daoist smiled, “You’re not completely stupid after all. Both of those were his handiwork, quite interesting. As for why he was willing to act, did you suffer at his hands before?”

Sweat broke out on Chen Ping’an’s forehead.

It was heartfelt, spontaneous fear.

Smaller than life and death. Life and death often come in a flash.

Chen Ping’an’s fear was the kind that felt like being in a misty, boundless place. One wrong step and you would fall off a cliff, and someone would be standing on the edge, watching him with cold eyes.

That person.

Chen Ping’an finally truly remembered him.

It was the honest man he had brushed past at Flying Eagle Fort, the man who had grinned at him.

Even more, it was the man who sold candied haws when he was a child, that smiling, kind man!

Back at Flying Eagle Fort, Chen Ping’an felt somewhat familiar, but he couldn’t remember no matter how hard he tried.
Chen Ping’an didn’t remember the man’s appearance, but rather that kind of smile.

From the Li Zhu Grotto-heaven, to the Tong Ye Continent.

Chen Ping’an raised his arm, wiping the sweat from his brow.

The old Daoist asked, “Finally remembered who it was? Then, have you figured it out?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, saying, “I understand. Why he would kindly remind me was because he didn’t want me entering this Lotus Blossom Blessed Land that he couldn’t control. He was just wary of you, Senior, and didn’t dare act overtly.”

The old Daoist hummed in agreement, “Better than being utterly foolish. You’ve only spoken half the truth, though. That person holds no ill will towards you now, otherwise, with your luck, how could you have found the lotus petal sprites?”

The old Daoist further inquired, “I could break this situation, but are you sure that no one else can? Yet you only now understand the truth, doesn’t that seem strange?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, not hesitating as he stated, “Not strange. If it were before, it wouldn’t have been strange, but only because I didn’t understand anything at all. After this journey through the Lotus Blossom Blessed Land, connecting it with my two previous travels, and the people and events I encountered, I’ve come to understand much, so it’s even less strange now.”

The old Daoist nodded, remarking, “So now you’re a little bit clever.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “When can I leave the Lotus Blossom Blessed Land?”

The old Daoist chuckled, “You should be asking when you can leave the Southern Garden Kingdom first.”

This time the old Daoist didn’t leave him guessing, “Once the affairs of the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital are settled, I’ll take you to see this world.”

Chen Ping’an took down his wine gourd, holding it in the air without drinking, and unable to restrain himself, boldly inquired, “Why?”

The old Daoist chuckled, “The Old Senior’s Dao is boundless, and he is very bored, you see.”