The Great Cold arrived, and birds flew with hurried wings.

Beside the Dragon Ascension Platform, the wind howled, like the incessant nagging of a shrew.

Within the inner city of Old Dragon City, several carriages stopped at the corner of a street near the Dusty Herb Shop.

With a single command from the Fu family, the entire city was placed under martial law. Not only were wild cultivators and common folk from the mountains and marshes forbidden from heading to the Dragon Ascension Platform outside the city to watch the battle, but also anyone within the city, save for the six great clans, was strictly prohibited from gathering in groups on the streets. Of course, some scions of powerful families, possessing the means to influence events, could borrow a family token from one of the six clans and hang it at their waist, granting them unhindered passage between the Dragon Ascension Platform and the inner city. Naturally, there was considerable resentment within Old Dragon City, but given the Fu family’s overwhelming power, and the fact that they had already conferred with the leading figures of families outside the six clans, there were no major disturbances. Minor disputes within Old Dragon City were swiftly suppressed, like tiny waves. Some rebellious young masters, full of themselves, were stopped by Fu family cultivators, adorned with Old Dragon Rain-Bearing Jade Pendants, and escorted back to their residences, where they were promptly given a dressing-down by their elders, who questioned their sanity.

At the Dusty Herb Shop, having finished the rice porridge cooked by Zhu Lian, they were ready to depart for the Dragon Ascension Platform.

Zheng Dafeng was the first to step out of the main room, taking a few puffs on his pipe at the doorway, though he showed no obvious signs of nervousness. However, in contrast to his previous slovenly appearance, he had changed into a slightly worn but clean azure long coat.

Zhu Lian and Pei Qian cleared the bowls and dishes from the table.

Sui Youbian, dressed in white, carried the “Countless Hearts Eaten” sword, whose quality had steadily improved, on her back. Standing under the eaves, her seventh-realm Golden Body cultivation made her seem like an immortal, a truly stunning sight.

Lu Baixiang, still wearing his scholar’s robes, no longer held chess pieces to rub in his palm. He wore the narrow saber Stopping Snow, whose original owner was not only a well-regarded Nascent Soul Earth Immortal of Peaceful Mountain, known for slaying demons and monsters, but also a master of subtle scheming within the demon race. A ancestral hall jade token had once led Chen Pingan into an ambush within a ruined temple.

Wei Xian’s attire was the most eye-catching. He had asked Chen Pingan if wearing a dragon robe in Old Dragon City was illegal, and Chen Pingan had replied with a laugh that he could wear the Empress’s phoenix coronet, and no one would care. So Wei Xian donned the dragon robe he had brought out of the painting, the court dress of the founding emperor of the Southern Garden Kingdom. Concealed within his sleeve was a strategist’s armor pellet, a descendant of the divine person’s Nectar-Catching Armor from the Western Peak.

Zhu Lian, looking like a cook, wiped his hands and emerged from the kitchen, followed by Pei Qian, who seemed to be in a bad mood all day.

Chen Pingan was wearing his golden and black Daoist robe, his hair held in place by a plain jade hairpin. He carried his crimson wine gourd at his waist, and on the other side hung a plain white jade plaque that no one had ever seen.

The jade plaque had simply been taken by Chen Pingan from a place where a “tiny, tiny wisp of sword energy” had once resided. It belonged to Fan Junmao’s so-called Small Refinement, and could only be looked at, not used.

Its existence was a reminder, a symbol of Chen Pingan’s few remaining obsessions.

To avenge his parents. To become a great sword immortal, as he had promised Ning Yao. To fulfill his sixty-year pact with the sword spirit, to one day be able to stand tall and say something to the four corners of the world.

Chen Pingan had changed into a new pair of boots today, secretly given to him by Pei Qian. Before dawn, Pei Qian had gotten up in the dark and come to Chen Pingan, who was sleeping on the ground in front of the herb shop, carrying a pair of boots. Chen Pingan had asked her where the boots came from, and Pei Qian had said that she had borrowed some silver from Jiu Niang and the others at the inn. Besides buying food, the biggest expense was these boots. She had wanted to give them to Chen Pingan long ago, but then the people from Fox Town had come to make a scene, and Chen Pingan had tried to send her away, leaving her alone at the inn. She had been angry, so she had buried them. Later, Chen Pingan had changed his mind and taken her with him on the journey to Mirage City. She had secretly dug them up again that night. Zhong Kui had been watching the fun beside her, and had said something about a cenotaph. She had walked all the way to the ferry in Mirage City, the Immortal Ferry of Clear Realm Mountain, and then to Old Dragon City, always afraid that the cenotaph thing would make Chen Pingan angry. She felt a little guilty, so she hadn’t dared to take them out.

At that time, the older one sat on the ground, starting to put on the boots, feeling happy. He didn’t praise the thin little girl much, but the words he wanted to say were probably all in his young face and clean eyes.

The younger one squatted beside him, asking, “Do they fit?”

Chen Pingan nodded, saying, “They fit.”

But after Chen Pingan put on the boots, he got up and jumped a couple of times, and then went back on his word, telling Pei Qian to stay at the Dusty Herb Shop with the Zhao Clan Yin Spirit, and not to go to the Dragon Ascension Platform. He also said that the Yin Spirit would leave the herb shop at some point, so Pei Qian didn’t need to be afraid. As long as she didn’t leave the herb shop without permission, she would be safe.

Pei Qian was naturally unwilling. She had been diligently practicing the Mad Demon Swordplay every day lately, but seeing that Chen Pingan was speaking seriously, she drooped her head and said, “Oh.”

At this moment, Chen Pingan looked at Zheng Dafeng with a smile and asked, “What do you say? Shall we go?”

Zheng Dafeng took a deep puff of his pipe, tucked the pipe into his belt, and strode towards the courtyard. “Let’s go!”

The group left the Dusty Herb Shop and walked down the alley.

They got into the carriage sent by the Fan family. Fan Er and the old sword cultivator Ma Zhi were not there. Fan Er had come to the herb shop again earlier, and the two had sat on the roof drinking. Chen Pingan had told him not to appear near the herb shop on this day of the Great Cold. Fan Er had said that he knew the importance of the matter and would not act recklessly.

Pei Qian sat on a small stool in front of the Dusty Herb Shop, her head bowed, her hands wrapped around her knees.

Under her feet was the walking stick she had spent so much time with, which she pressed against the sole of her shoe, gently twisting it, rolling it back and forth.

Leaning against the doorstep was an oil-paper umbrella, which Chen Pingan had asked her to keep with her, even when she was at the Dusty Herb Shop.

The Zhao Clan Yin Spirit had not yet moved. Zheng Dafeng only needed to break his pipe, and it would appear beside him. Appearing too early at the Dragon Ascension Platform might allow them to prepare countermeasures, which would be unwise. The Dragon Ascension Platform was worthy of the saying “a place where dragons and tigers hide.” Those who were qualified to stand there were all the exalted immortals and extraordinary individuals of Old Dragon City, all of whom were cultivators and grandmasters supported by the five great clans.

The Yin Spirit stood beside the dark-skinned little girl and asked, “Are you worried about Chen Pingan?”

Pei Qian said softly, “My dad is so powerful.”
The Yin Spirit from the Jade Pearl Grotto, surnamed Zhao, chuckled, “Impressive, yes, but a bit dense. It’s none of his business, yet he insists on wading into the muck.”

For once, Pei Qian didn’t jump up and start cursing. She muttered to herself, “That’s right, or why else would he keep me around? I’m a money-losing baggage! Even with my dad being so rich, he’s still a miser, never splurging. He’d skin a copper coin eight ways!”

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. Pei Qian straightened up and pulled a yellow talisman from her sleeve. With a “slap,” she stuck it to her forehead, tilted her head back, puffed out her cheeks, and blew, causing the Precious Pagoda Demon-Suppressing Talisman to flutter gently.

Three carriages traveled from the inner city towards the outer city.

Zheng Dafeng sat alone in the foremost carriage, eyes closed in meditation. His martial intent, already suppressed with great effort, showed signs of overflowing. With each jolt of the carriage, strands of qi would drift out, only to be swiftly drawn back into his body with each breath.

A ninth-realm martial artist possessed his own bearing.

Chen Pingan should have been sitting with Zhu Lian, the bootlicker who liked to call himself an old servant, but Sui Youbian had jumped in first. Zhu Lian, ever so perceptive, had cheerfully gone to share a carriage with Wei Xian and Lu Baixiang.

Inside the carriage, they sat facing each other.

Sui Youbian began, “Your newfound respect for Lu Baixiang, is it because he was the first to divulge a secret, to say a certain something? And your dissatisfaction with me, is it because you sensed the murderous intent I revealed in that border inn?”

Chen Pingan countered, “The old Daoist said that after you left the painting, you would all be utterly loyal to me. Did he tamper with your minds?”

Chen Pingan answered himself, “But it doesn’t feel like it. It’s not just that one time you showed killing intent. In my eyes, the four of you are living, breathing dead men. As people, you will have ups and downs in your hearts. No matter how calm or unruffled, no one on the path of cultivation can dare to say that they will never change their original intentions. So, I’m curious, why did that old Daoist dare to say that I could trust you?”

Sui Youbian also countered, “You don’t trust… our Old Heavenly Lord of Lotus Flower Paradise?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “On this matter, I trust the old Daoist.”

Sui Youbian reached out and stroked the hilt of the Lovesick Sword resting across her lap. “The four of us, besides each receiving a separate instruction, also share a common one… Wei Xian is hard to say, he never chats with the three of us in private, so at least Lu Baixiang, Zhu Lian, and I know this phrase.”

Chen Pingan asked, “Can you say it?”

Sui Youbian gave a bitter smile. “Actually, there’s no harm in saying it. It’s ‘The one who personally kills Chen Pingan shall gain ultimate freedom.’ So, if you had summoned me out of the painting first, no matter what, I would have tried to kill you. As for why Wei Xian, despite being the first to emerge, didn’t attack you, or even show any killing intent, I can’t figure it out. After the battle at the inn, when you summoned the other three in one go, it became a game of mutual restraint. No one wanted anyone else to succeed and become the ‘only one.'”

Chen Pingan frowned. “But Wei Xian said outside the ruined temple that if I die, you all die. Isn’t that contradictory?”

Sui Youbian smiled. “Either Wei Xian told a half-truth, or the Old Heavenly Lord foresaw that you would summon Wei Xian first and deliberately didn’t tell him that phrase. Regardless of Wei Xian, at least Lu Baixiang, Zhu Lian, and I absolutely wouldn’t allow the others to kill you. Whoever dared to kill you in secret would become the target of the other two. Whether Wei Xian’s phrase is true or false, we all don’t want to lose… freedom. You were once the number one figure in Lotus Flower Paradise. You should know that for people like us, freedom is not just some dispensable pursuit.”

Chen Pingan didn’t comment much on Sui Youbian’s so-called “freedom,” but sighed, “No wonder they say human calculations are inferior to heavenly calculations. Heaven has already calculated the depths of human hearts.”

Chen Pingan quickly rejected this definitive statement. “Not everything is like that, not everyone is like that.”

Sui Youbian asked with a smile, “Even if you survive this, you’ll suffer a great loss, young master. Is it worth it?”

This world is too vast, the mountains too high, cultivators are too detached from the mortal realm. There are too many unworthy people and things.

Chen Pingan didn’t answer, but closed his eyes and began practicing the Sword Furnace Stance.

The three carriages drove out of the outer city, heading towards the Dragon Ascension Platform.

Fu Qi began to ascend the Dragon Ascension Platform alone, step by step.

The Nascent Soul ancestor of the Fu family did not appear. Fu Qi’s eldest son, Fu Donghai, his eldest daughter, Fu Chunhua, the “new groom” Fu Nanhua, who had married the Yunlin Jiang clan’s direct descendant daughter, Chu Yang, the number one Golden Core cultivator of Old Dragon City who cultivated here, and a group of enshrined retainers all stood below the Dragon Ascension Platform.

Chu Yang’s expression was cold. After his battle with Zheng Dafeng, he had inadvertently broken through a major bottleneck and become a Nascent Soul immortal. However, before Fu Qi ascended the platform today, the old cultivator had frankly stated that regardless of victory or defeat, he would no longer interfere in this mess. Last time, he had made an exception to leave his seaside hut and went to the Fu family to stop Zheng Dafeng, which was already a great favor as a Fu family retainer. Fu Qi had no objection, saying with a smile that Old Chu could just watch the tides rise and fall on the sea from now on, and no more worldly disputes would disturb Old Chu’s quiet cultivation.

Fu Donghai was expressionless, impossible to discern his emotions.

He originally thought that by plotting against Zheng Dafeng at Fu Nanhua’s most triumphant moment, he would be doing the Fu family a small service and could suppress his younger brother Fu Nanhua’s arrogance.

Who would have thought it would come to this? After Zheng Dafeng came to his door and severely injured him, his father, City Lord Fu Qi, didn’t even show his face. He neither reprimanded nor comforted him, as if he didn’t exist. This was the most infuriating thing for Fu Donghai. Fu Qi, as the head of the Fu family and holding the title of City Lord of Old Dragon City, was always “extremely agreeable” when it came to family matters and the situation in Old Dragon City. For example, he never arbitrarily suppressed the rise of other large clans, and he treated those parasitic worms in the family who couldn’t cultivate with great generosity. However, when Fu Qi was not agreeable, Fu Donghai, Fu Chunhua, and other direct descendants would feel fear.

Fu Chunhua looked up at the tall figure ascending step by step, her expression dazed.

She still remembered the scene when her father took her to see Zheng Dafeng. It wasn’t exactly a pleasant conversation, but it wasn’t exactly an unpleasant one either. There was some sense of differing aspirations, and roughly from that day on, they had kept to their own sides of the river.
But Fu Donghai’s petty actions this time have stirred up such a tempestuous situation. Fu Chunhua, as a partial outsider, sees things more clearly than the anxious Fu Donghai. In fact, their father, Fu Qi, isn’t angry about Fu Donghai’s cleverness; on the contrary, he seems faintly pleased. It’s like a hopeless fool, who wasn’t expected to amount to much, accidentally doing something that greatly helps a clever person who has been waiting a long time for an opportunity.

Fu Qi’s youngest son, Fu Nanhua, who has always held the title of “Young City Lord”, is the most bored.

Zheng Dafeng’s death on the Dragon Ascension Platform is a foregone conclusion.

As for that Jiang clan’s direct daughter, it’s true that she had a grand and glorious wedding, but after entering the bridal chamber, the two had a frank and open discussion. Fu Nanhua found it acceptable. However, her appearance was quite surprising; she wasn’t as bloated and ugly as the rumors said. In fact, her beauty even surpassed that of Jin Su, the Cinnamon Island girl he had once favored. However, Fu Nanhua had no thoughts of anything further, because at that time, in the bridal chamber, besides the Jiang clan’s direct daughter, who had long since taken off her wedding gown and changed into her usual clothes, there was a teaching matron standing guard behind her.

A veteran Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator supplied by the Jiang clan.

Fu Nanhua dared not act rashly. He had merely glanced at Jiang clan’s direct daughter, his wife, and was met with a sharp glare from the teaching matron. If he couldn’t afford to provoke her, he could at least avoid her. After that, Fu Nanhua stopped making trouble for himself. Apart from some necessary formalities, he rarely went to see her and the old matron. And the woman kept her word; she even paid for Fu Nanhua’s trips to the brothels with his friends.

Fu Nanhua felt that such a newlywed life was excellent, and he should be content.

He had only married the status of a Jiang clan’s direct daughter anyway. As for women as beautiful as her, he could find several in Old Dragon City if he was willing to spend a lot of money.

The Ding family was in the center, with the Fang and Hou families standing on either side.

However, today, Du Yan, the Ding family’s “son-in-law” from the Great Myriad Leaf Sect, did not appear.

It was better that he didn’t show his face. The three allied surnames of Old Dragon City could chat much more easily, without having to constantly guess the thoughts of the Great Myriad Leaf Sect’s heir, fearing that they might accidentally say something wrong and bring disaster upon themselves.

After all, a great immortal sect that could name a continent after itself had such a deep foundation that even all the great families of Old Dragon City, the wealthiest in Treasure Bottle Continent, combined couldn’t compete with it. Moreover, they, who were ridiculed as profit-seeking “merchant sons”, had always been a disorganized bunch.

Treasure Bottle Continent was originally the smallest of the Nine Continents, and the Great Myriad Leaf Sect was the largest immortal sect in the southern Myriad Leaf Continent.

There’s no way to fight against a superior force. The Fang and Hou families were secretly rejoicing that Du Yan, with his noble status, was only a Ding family’s daughter, protecting the Ding family, and that his legendary ancestor behind him had not developed an interest in this Old Dragon City.

The Fang family was in the worst situation now, Zheng Dafeng had almost punched through their mansion single-handedly.

However, today, the Fang family disciple who was the culprit was very high-spirited, showing no signs of despondency. He was chatting animatedly with a crony of the Hou family.

How could he not feel relieved? That madman named Zheng was about to be beaten to death on the Dragon Ascension Platform. He had already prepared a large sum of money, waiting to return to the city to throw a grand banquet. All the women who had worked as shop assistants in the Gray Dust Apothecary, regardless of their age, beauty, or ugliness, would be thrown into the lowest brothels of Old Dragon City to become prostitutes. You, Zheng Dafeng, caused such a commotion because of a lowly woman from the gutter, are you regretting it now?

The Sun and Fan families were far away from both the Fu family and the Ding-Fang-Hou group.

Moreover, very few people from the two families came to join in the fun.

The Sun family’s head, Sun Jiashu, did not appear. The Fan family only sent an old man in charge of ancestral hall incense, and the rest were relatively talented collateral descendants.

When three carriages came into view.

The Old Dragon City’s great surnames, each operating on their own, made no noise, no pointing fingers. Even the Fang family disciple, who was certain that Zheng Dafeng would die on the Dragon Ascension Platform, began to hold his breath, suppressing his smile.

Regardless of their good or bad nature and their excellent or inferior temperaments.

Those who could stand here today, more or less, symbolized the face of their families. There were not many truly foolish people.

Like this time watching the battle, why didn’t all the families have Earth Immortals offer up magical artifacts, such as pavilions, towers, or small ferry boats, to ascend into the air and allow everyone to comfortably overlook the battlefield? Instead, they obediently stood at the bottom of the Dragon Ascension Platform, only watching the battle through various “mirror flowers and water moons” of mountain magic?

Not even one person dared to make such a suggestion.

This was the immense prestige accumulated by the Fu family over thousands of years, as well as the survival wisdom that these merchant great surname families of Old Dragon City should have.

The three carriages slowly stopped near the Dragon Ascension Platform.

The Fu family’s people had playful looks in their eyes. Similarly, no one would jump out to provoke Zheng Dafeng and his party. They might die, and it would be the Fu family’s face that would be lost. Even the Fu family members would feel that their deaths were not a pity; they should not waste the family’s money.

Zheng Dafeng ascended the high platform alone.

He didn’t say any parting words to Chen Ping’an and the others, just strode up the steps.

Chen Ping’an looked around once, quickly withdrew his gaze, and just looked up at the steps.

Fu Nanhua in the distance stared at this fellow, greatly surprised. The dark and thin teenager from Mud Bottle Lane back then really had good luck. After leaving the Carp Pearl Grotto-Heaven, in just a few years, he had such confidence today. Not only did he not avoid Fu Nanhua and Old Dragon City, but he instead crashed in to stir things up. Moreover, in the team that came to offer congratulations last time, Cai Jinjian of Cloud Glow Mountain, who should have been dead beyond dead, not only left the Carp Pearl Grotto-Heaven alive and returned to Cloud Glow Mountain, but his cultivation did not decline but advanced. And Cai Jinjian’s attitude when she saw him that day was also worth pondering.

After Zheng Dafeng entered the highest point of the Dragon Ascension Platform.

Chen Ping’an’s gaze turned to an even higher place, where there was a sea of clouds, but being in the territory of Old Dragon City, one could not see it when looking up. Only by taking a ferry boat and looking down from a high place could one see that magnificent sight.

According to Zheng Dafeng, this sea of clouds was the real foundation for the Fu family’s standing in Old Dragon City for a thousand years, again and again.

Its historical origins can be traced back to the landing of the last True Dragon in the world on Treasure Bottle Continent.
After that, there was the subterranean Dragon Vein, the bloody slaughter in the Jade Bead Cave Heaven where great cultivators fell like rain, the Crab Archway and the small town, the well, the snowy night, and the almost frozen girl collapsing at the doorstep of Chen Pingan’s ancestral home in Mud Bottle Alley. Chen Pingan happened to save her, but she went next door and became Song Jixin’s maidservant.

The old Daoist of the Eastern Sea traveled with Chen Pingan through Lotus Blossom Paradise for countless years, covering tens of thousands of miles. During that time, the old Daoist said one sentence: “Everything in this world has a structure to observe, and everyone’s thoughts and intentions have traces to follow.”

However, these were all major events that Chen Pingan could not delve into for the time being.

Above the heads of the crowd, above the vast sea of clouds, lay a green-robed woman, blankly gazing at the dome of the heavens that sheltered all living beings. If only she could see further.

But what could she do even if she saw? In a mortal dynasty, though the nation be destroyed, the hills and rivers remain; spring comes to the city, and the grasses and trees grow deep. She, that Sun Jiashu in Old Dragon City, that woman she met once by the Dragon Whisker River, and perhaps a few others, but they would all be helpless.

As for the little girl who ascended the Dragon Ascension Platform earlier, wanting to seize the sea of clouds, she was probably trying to repair the damaged Dragon Robe crafted by the Fu family, hoping to elevate the Semi-Celestial Artifact Dragon Robe into a true Celestial Artifact.

This made Fan Junmao very concerned.

The struggle for the Great Dao was even more fraught with peril than matters of life and death.

Like her, dying once meant nothing.

As long as the incense of the Great Dao remained unbroken, she could always return.

Therefore, the old man in Yang’s shop was the only one who could not die. As long as the old man could still exhale clouds and mists, she, Fan Junmao, the skin she inhabited, Li Er’s daughter Li Liu, and all the people chosen by the old man, could die without their Dao extinguishing.

As for this world, besides the old man, who else did Fan Junmao fear?

The answer was no one.

Even if the three Ancestors of the Three Teachings, who had already reached the end of their paths, were to personally visit Old Dragon City, using their divine abilities, which were even higher than the old man’s, to truly obliterate her with a flick of their fingers, she would only feel deep-seated hatred, without a trace of reverence.

In this regard, Fan Junmao and Zhi Gui, who ascended the high platform, had opposing Daos, but their mindsets resonated.

She suddenly sat up and looked at Fu Qi on the Dragon Ascension Platform, puzzled.

Zheng Dafeng had already reached the summit.

Fu Qi was on high alert.

Today, Fu Qi did not borrow the Semi-Celestial Artifact held by the Nascent Soul old ancestor. He did not wear the old Dragon Robe. The Semi-Celestial Artifact that protected the Fu family’s ancestral hall was also not taken out.

Fu Qi could no longer control the sea of clouds above his head.

Therefore, Fu Qi only brought the Semi-Celestial Artifact he had just purchased from another continent, a masterless flying sword left behind by a deceased Sword Immortal.

Fan Junmao felt that something was wrong, greatly wrong.

She slapped the sea of clouds beneath her, and the sea of clouds, except for bypassing the Dragon Ascension Platform, suddenly sank, instantly enveloping the entire Old Dragon City. At the same time, Fan Junmao bit her finger and drew a talisman on her hand, an ancient talisman that had long been lost. The current Qi Refiners’ Divine Power of Palm-Viewing Mountains and Rivers was just a counterfeit derived from this talisman. After drawing the talisman, relying on the sea of clouds permeating Old Dragon City, Fan Junmao’s face turned slightly pale as she clasped her hands together and then instantly spread her arms. Between her hands, scenes flashed by one after another. Fan Junmao viewed the scenes before her eyes, like watching flowers from horseback.

The Fu family’s ancestral hall, the Sun family’s ancestral home, and Gray Dust Medicine Shop all flashed by.

When the picture finally froze on an old man on the outer city wall, this miniature map of mountains and rivers instantly shattered with a bang.

The palm of Fan Junmao’s hand, where she had drawn the talisman, was already torn and bloody. Forcibly swallowing a mouthful of vital blood, losing decades of cultivation for an ordinary Nascent Soul Earth Immortal, Fan Junmao’s face was gloomy. Not caring about the loss of cultivation, she thought, “Good heavens, a river-crossing dragon who is at least a twelfth-realm Immortal!”

Could it be that old monster from the Tongye Sect?

Since attaining enlightenment, Fan Junmao, whose heart had always been wider than the heavens and earth, finally felt somewhat heavy.

If Zheng Dafeng died on the Dragon Ascension Platform, she would think it was because his skills were inferior to others, and it was over and done with, blaming no one.

But if he walked off the Dragon Ascension Platform alive, only to inexplicably die at the hands of an “outsider,” she would feel uncomfortable!

This Old Dragon City had always been her territory!

But was it worth it for her to abandon this life as “Fan Junmao” for the sake of an unpleasant Zheng Dafeng?

She leaned back, beginning to weigh the pros and cons. In fact, there were no pros, only cons. So she closed her eyes and sighed softly, at least not watching Zheng Dafeng make a fool of himself, because it was not funny at all.

The entire Dragon Ascension Platform began to shake violently.

Drawing in the East and South Sea waters near Treasure Bottle Continent, causing them to surge and crash against the shore, but the Earth Immortals all displayed their divine abilities and suppressed them back.

On the sea not far from the isolated island ferry, a small Daoist child was standing on a huge golden gourd that was floating unsteadily, his face full of smiles.

“The parasol tree umbrella conceals the secrets of heaven, so it can both save your life and conceal the deductions and rescue attempts of the people behind you, Chen Pingan.”

“Good and bad fortune have no door, but people call them to themselves.”

“You, Chen Pingan, are in trouble this time, provoking the one person in Tongye Continent you should not have provoked. Otherwise, with Jade Decree Sect, Spirit Writing Sect, and Peaceful Mountain, or even Tongye Sect except for this person, you, Chen Pingan, would be fine. In a battle of equals, you, Chen Pingan, do have some skill and can be fearless. Even the so-called land immortals in the eyes of mortals, such as Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators, you can fight against. At a higher level, the Jade Purity Realm in the Upper Five Realms may not be willing to bully you, a young and pure martial artist. At a higher level, the Immortal Realm might see some clues about you and would not be too willing to tear apart the facade.”

“Unfortunately.”

“The person descending the mountain from Tongye Sect this time is the most unscrupulous.”

“Unfortunately, this unscrupulous old monster is the second most powerful person in the entire Tongye Continent.”

“After all, there is also his family’s Watching the Dao Temple.”

“So, no matter how much you, Chen Pingan, calculate and plot, spending countless resources and painstakingly setting up a plan to protect that Zheng Dafeng, in the end, it will all be in vain, and you might even die here.”

“That’s not bad either, helping you collect your corpse and bring it back to the Dao Temple, obediently becoming nourishment for Lotus Blossom Paradise.”

The little Daoist child, standing on the huge golden Sword Nurturing Gourd, swayed and gloated, “The show is starting! Little Treasure Bottle Continent is in for a lot of suffering!”

In less than half an hour.

The Dragon Ascension Platform completely fell silent.
The final result was utterly baffling.

The person who descended from the Dragon Ascension Platform was unexpectedly Zheng Dafeng, and crucially, he was completely unscathed, showing no signs of grievous wounds or impending death.

Fu Donghai and Fu Chunhua experienced violent emotional turmoil, refusing to believe what their eyes beheld.

Could it be that their father, Fu Qi, was dead?

This wasn’t entirely bad news!

The two exchanged a knowing glance.

Fu Nanhua maintained a composed demeanor, a smile gracing his face. A thought flickered in his mind. Upon hearing a hidden message resonating within his heart, he subtly turned his hand, executing a barely perceptible gesture.

On the Ding family’s side, an elder retainer stepped forward and whispered into the ear of the Ding family patriarch. The latter soon engaged in hushed conversations with the family heads of the Fang and Hou clans. Their expressions varied, but they ultimately nodded in agreement.

Fu Nanhua’s small action was like a boulder dropped into a lake, creating ripples in all directions.

After Zheng Dafeng descended from the Dragon Ascension Platform, he remained silent. Chen Pingan accompanied him into a carriage.

Zheng Dafeng’s face instantly paled like gold leaf, and he rasped, “Fu Qi conceded halfway through the fight, clearly unwilling to preserve even a shred of dignity. He refused to fight me to the death, denying me that sliver of opportunity to break through the ninth realm bottleneck and ascend to the tenth. He also didn’t stake everything on a desperate gamble with me, only exchanging injuries. Therefore, this return to the inner city apothecary will be fraught with immense peril. Chen Pingan, think carefully one last time! Will you disembark halfway, or accompany me back to the apothecary?!”

Chen Pingan said calmly, “Fu Qi doesn’t want dignity, but I do.”

Zheng Dafeng tilted his head, wiped the blood flowing from his ear, and chuckled. “Do you even believe that yourself? If you cared about dignity, would you be waiting by that tree stump every morning for a few coppers, running all over town delivering letters?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “I earned that money with a clear conscience.”

Zheng Dafeng smiled bitterly. “What, do I have to beg you to leave?”

Chen Pingan replied, “Even if you begged, it wouldn’t work.”

Zheng Dafeng leaned back. “What the hell are you after?”

Chen Pingan hesitated. “There was something strange about breaking through in Old Dragon City last time, but it wasn’t obvious. This time, after my trip to Lotus Blossom Paradise, I returned to Old Dragon City. For some reason, my intuition tells me that within my Heart Well, a wicked Jiaolong is swimming and raising its head. If I choose to leave, it might break free of its restraints and fully emerge from the water. This may be an inevitable tribulation for me defying fate and rebuilding the Bridge of Longevity. I thought being accepted by this world when I crossed that stone arch bridge was a good thing, but it was an illusion. It wasn’t a good thing. It just meant that I was now targeted by the Great World. If I flee today, I’ll have to flee for the rest of my life.”

Zheng Dafeng believed this.

However, deep down, he knew that this was still Chen Pingan’s “excuse,” even though the words were undeniably true.

Zheng Dafeng cursed. “Then don’t let me die here because of you! Find someone else, alright? Don’t make me, Zheng Dafeng, feel indebted. Go find Li Er, who looks at you with new eyes, or your good buddy Liu Xianyang…”

Chen Pingan pointed at Zheng Dafeng’s eyes. “Your eye sockets are bleeding. Wipe them properly. You’re already not very handsome. That girl must have very bad taste to like you. If she were still alive and saw you like this, she probably wouldn’t like you anymore.”

Zheng Dafeng cursed and lightly kicked Chen Pingan, but Chen Pingan casually swatted it away.

Three carriages headed toward Old Dragon City.

The three coachmen were all Fan family deathsworn, their expressions calm.

After traveling for more than ten miles, two Fang family retainers appeared on the road, the last seventh-realm martial artist and a Golden Core cultivator.

Zheng Dafeng wanted to get out of the carriage, but Chen Pingan stopped him.

Sui Youbian was the first to step down from the carriage, followed by Lu Baixiang. However, for the time being, Sui Youbian was tasked with dealing with the two alone, while Lu Baixiang followed behind the two carriages at a slow pace, ready to assist Sui Youbian at any time.

One carriage stopped where it was.

After that, Hou family retainers blocked the road.

Zhu Lian jumped out of the carriage.

Another Fan family carriage stopped.

Wei Xian walked alongside the last carriage, carrying Chen Pingan and Zheng Dafeng.

Behind them were the Ding family retainers.

Wei Xian, wearing a dragon robe and the Nectar Armor over it, stopped, and the carriage continued forward.

Zheng Dafeng shook his head. “It’s the Fu family’s intention. This is completely different from the situation we had predicted. The battle on the Dragon Ascension Platform went much better than expected, but coming down from it is far worse than the worst-case scenario. The Fu family doesn’t seem to care much about the Yunlin Jiang clan’s reputation. What’s going on?”

As they approached the east gate of Old Dragon City’s outer city, Chen Pingan lifted the curtain and glanced out. “This means that the upper five-realm cultivator hiding behind the scenes has appeared, and it’s unlikely to be a Jade Purity Realm cultivator. Even if it’s the eleventh realm, it’s likely to be a sword cultivator, which is why the Yunlin Jiang clan is holding back. However, the worst-case scenario is that the grand cultivator waiting for us has been involved in the Jiang clan’s daughter’s marriage to Old Dragon City for a long time. Killing you, Zheng Dafeng, is just a small bonus in a bigger deal. As for the Fan family, they may have already been excluded and are about to face a purge. Whether Fan Junmao takes action or not, the Fan family is already facing imminent disaster.”

Zheng Dafeng mocked himself. “So, I, Zheng Dafeng, am destined to die without a burial ground. It all depends on whether that grand cultivator waiting for us will give me a chance to enter the tenth realm.”

The carriage slowly stopped.

Chen Pingan lifted the curtain, looked up at the high ground on the city wall, and said softly, “That might be difficult.”

Zheng Dafeng and Chen Pingan stood side by side on the road leading into the city. Three people stood on the city wall: an unremarkable old man, Du Yan, the direct disciple of the Tongye Sect, and his wife, a member of the Ding clan.

The handsome and refined Du Yan chuckled. “Grand Ancestor, isn’t it a bit much for you to personally take action? Are you bullying him?”

The old man smiled. “If I don’t rely on my realm and cultivation to bully people, then why should I cultivate so hard? Besides, did my current realm fall from the sky? Didn’t I also accumulate it little by little through countless battles, surviving by the skin of my teeth?”

Du Yan nodded with a smile. “Grand Ancestor is right.”

Du Yan hesitated. “What about that guy named Chen Pingan?”
The old man chuckled, “I’ve heard of this young man’s name. That good-for-nothing of mine borrowed a treasured artifact from the sect, only for a swordsman to beat him to the punch, slaying a great demon of the Fuchi Sect, handing a massive advantage to Jiang Shangzhen for nothing. I know the swordsman’s reputation, quite formidable. Left and Right, a disciple of the Sage of Culture, who in the last hundred years shattered the sword hearts of many promising sword cultivators across the continents. Take Cao Jun from the Saha Continent, for example, a figure of unparalleled prominence. Later, the Old Scholar confined himself to the Merit Grove of the Academy, and Left and Right vanished. His swordsmanship is exceedingly brilliant. I inquired about Chen Pingan’s name back on the seas. Chen Pingan is certainly deeply connected to the Sage of Culture’s lineage.”

Du Yan felt his scalp tingle.

To have his sect’s restorer, the ancestor of the Tongye Sect, use words like “formidable” and “brilliant” in praise meant this swordsman was truly exceptional. As for “Sage of Culture,” “Old Scholar,” and “deeply connected,” it further convinced Du Yan that Chen Pingan would emerge unscathed. However, that Zheng Dafeng was surely doomed.

Unexpectedly, the old man continued, “Otherwise, why do you think I brought that ferry? I’m waiting for that Left and Right. I’m not afraid of him coming, just afraid he’ll let me take that Natal Object for nothing.”

Du Yan was thrilled, bowing, “Ancestor is divine, with a spirit unparalleled in our Tongye Continent!”

The old man scoffed, “Spare me the flattery. Get to my level, then your descendants and sect disciples can sing your praises.”

Du Yan replied nervously, “I wouldn’t dare aspire to that.”

The old man shook his head, “So you’re just another useless wretch, fortunate to share my surname.”

Du Yan showed no resentment, instead laughing happily, “Good fortune is still a form of ability.”

The old man surprisingly nodded, “That’s true.”

The old man took a step forward.

In an instant, the old man stood before Zheng Dafeng, a mere few steps away, almost face to face. Due to his short stature, the old man had to look slightly upwards at the severely injured Ninth Realm martial artist, smiling as he asked, “I hear you’re a gatekeeper from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, running errands for that strange old man. I wonder, if I kill you, will he have the guts to leave that prison and come looking for trouble?”

Zheng Dafeng remained unmoved.

He simply threw a punch.

The old man stood with his hands behind his back, taking the blow head-on, sliding back several steps, yet his figure remained unshaken.

Conversely, a ship-shaped object, as long as two arms, pierced Zheng Dafeng’s abdomen.

The old man instinctively flicked away a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb, “Is that all you’ve got? I’m not a pure martial artist. Don’t they say cultivators have paper-thin physiques? I see that’s not entirely true.”

The old man flicked his finger, dispelling the blood, then pointed at Zheng Dafeng’s abdomen, “This isn’t a swordsman’s Natal Sword. I hate swordsmen the most, always showing off, especially Sword Immortals, so arrogant. I wish I could gouge out their eyes and stuff them up their arses. Too bad, by the time I can do that, I’ll have to obey the rules of this world again, a great prison, unable to easily leave the mountains. Isn’t that infuriating?”

Saying this, the old man glanced sideways at the heavens.

Zheng Dafeng stamped the ground, throwing another punch at the old man.

However, the old man sidestepped, simultaneously pressing down on Zheng Dafeng’s head with one hand and shoving him backward.

Zheng Dafeng flew back over a hundred zhang, the ship-shaped object still firmly lodged in his abdomen, collapsing into a pool of blood, struggling to rise repeatedly, only to fall back to the ground each time.

The old man turned to look at Chen Pingan, asking, “Can you summon Left and Right?”

Without waiting for any reply from the young man, he waved his sleeve.

A figure in white flew backward, but spun lightly in the air, landing gracefully, his feet sinking deeply into the ground, finally halting his retreat, his sleeves fluttering.

The old man was slightly surprised, “Better than I expected. You actually have the potential to not be a useless wretch. Not bad, not bad. Too bad you don’t have the Du surname, so your death is not… such a pity!”

The old man raised a hand, pressing down gently.

A golden palm as large as a mountain peak directly broke through the sea of clouds above Old Dragon City, pressing down on Chen Pingan’s head with overwhelming force.

Chen Pingan unleashed the Cloud Evaporation Grand Swamp technique, punching towards the sky.

Within a hundred zhang, dust flew, obscuring the sky.

From within the pit, Chen Pingan slowly walked up the incline, reappearing in the old man’s view.

The old man surveyed his surroundings, nodding in understanding, “It seems that Left and Right isn’t your protector, so naturally, he won’t arrive in time…”

As he spoke, Chen Pingan, clad in his golden Dharma Robe, was seemingly seized by an invisible hand, his entire body lifted into the air, tracing an arc, crashing into the walls of Old Dragon City behind the old man.

The old man shook his head, “What good is a promising seedling if he hasn’t even reached the Upper Five Realms? Still just a useless wretch.”

Without looking back at the city walls, the old man extended his arm, flicking his finger backward.

Where Chen Pingan crashed into the wall, a giant spiderweb of cracks appeared. After the old man’s flick, Chen Pingan, already deeply embedded in the wall, directly smashed through the entire wall, landing in the outer city.

The old man scratched his head, waiting for a moment. The world remained eerily silent.

Zheng Dafeng half-squatted on the ground, lifting his head. The old man smiled, “You can try breaking that old smoking pipe. I’m curious whether that old guy will come to save you personally, or just send some petty tricks.”

Zheng Dafeng coughed up blood, struggling to say, “Killing me alone is enough.”

The old man shook his head, “If that old fellow from the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven stood before me and said that, I might consider it.”

The old man frowned, turning his head to look.

That young man had stubbornly reappeared in the large hole in the city wall, holding something resembling a pill in his hand.

A stern-faced instructor said, “It’s a demon core from an Upper Five Realm demon. If it’s been refined, the entire eastern side of Old Dragon City will be destroyed when it explodes.”

Fu Nanhua laughed loudly, “This person would never do such a thing!”

The instructor looked oddly at Fu Nanhua, who smiled softly, “This kind of person is just that foolish.”

Sun Jiashu sighed, Chen Pingan would indeed not do such a thing.

He had just taken a step forward when he was firmly held by the shoulder by the Nascent Soul ancestor, “Do not force yourself into this situation, otherwise, the Sun family’s plans will all be in vain.”
Sun Jiashu struggled, but the old man held him down firmly. “You can be willful about other things, but not this! This isn’t just about you, Sun Jiashu.”

Sun Jiashu still tried to speak, but was directly knocked unconscious by the Sun Clan’s Ancestor.

Chen Pingan sat on the edge of the broken city wall and opened his palm. “I’ll use this demon core to buy Zheng Dafeng’s life.”

Although he was quite far away, the old man still heard clearly. “Since when is a Ninth-Realm Martial Artist’s life worth so much?”

After a moment of thought, the old man smiled and nodded. “But even if there are few Ninth-Realm Martial Artists, there are still more than Twelfth-Realm demon cores. I agree.”

He reached out and grabbed the Twelfth-Realm demon core, taking it into his possession, then sneered, “Zheng Dafeng’s life is left to you, but as for this little brat’s martial cultivation, let’s just get rid of it.”

The old man stomped his foot.

A series of cracking sounds came from Zheng Dafeng’s back as he struggled to get up.

A Ninth-Realm Martial Artist collapsed on the ground as if he had no bones.

The old man looked at the young man. “Alright, now what will you use to buy your own life? Remember, it has to be more precious than a Twelfth-Realm Great Demon’s core.”

The young man sat cross-legged, a bloody mess, his face unrecognizable.

The old man smiled. “Everyone says I have a bad temper, but I’ll make an exception today and wait for you.”

This unremarkable Ancestor of the revitalized Tongye Sect had a Natal Immortal Artifact called the Devouring Sword Boat.

It was refined from the complete carcass of a colossal Treasure-Swallowing Whale from the ancient era, a process that took six hundred years. During those six centuries, the Tongye Sect exhausted all its manpower and resources, betting everything.

The only time the Tongye Sect was overshadowed by the Yu Gui Sect to the south was during that bleak period. First, the sect leader of the founding ancestor’s lineage died in an accident during a journey to the Central Earth Continent. With no Immortal Realm cultivator to preside, the sect suffered a decline. Then, the Tongye Sect emptied its coffers for Ancestor Du, and after the old cultivator refined his Natal Immortal Artifact, he secluded himself for hundreds of years.

However, when the old man emerged from seclusion, his first act was to ride the “Ferryboat Colossus” to the Yu Gui Sect’s mountain and challenge a Jade Purity Realm Sword Immortal to a death match. He directly killed the Sword Immortal and even devoured the sword cultivator’s Natal Flying Sword.

If it could swallow a Sword Immortal’s flying sword, what in the world couldn’t it devour?

The old man waited for a moment and asked, “Have you thought about it?”

Chen Pingan shook his head. “I have nothing.”

The old man smiled and asked, “The sword-nurturing gourd at your waist is of passable quality, and there’s also a jade pendant that’s quite old. It’s actually a Shrunken World item? Unfortunately, even combined, they’re not enough to buy your life. Besides, if you die, everything will be mine.”

Chen Pingan lowered his head, patted the sword-nurturing gourd, forced a smile, and said someone else’s words, “This is how it is in this life. Run if you can.”

Then he tremblingly reached out with his left hand, covered in blood, and tore off the jade pendant from his waist, clutching it tightly in his palm, wanting to crush this Shrunken World item that he had painstakingly refined from an acupoint.

He had only one thought in his mind: he couldn’t let anyone else defile this item, even in death.

The Shrunken World item remained unharmed.

Chen Pingan was filled with remorse, and in the end, felt wronged.

Chen Pingan, who never blamed heaven or earth,

Felt a little wronged.

He raised his arm, clutching the jade pendant, in front of his eyes, tears mixing with blood, unwilling to let the world see this scene.

Chen Pingan lowered his hands, slowly closed his eyes, and looked up, glancing southward. “I have a sword… capable of moving mountains, capable of overturning seas…”

The Ancestor of the revitalized Tongye Sect sneered. “What’s this? Shouldn’t your last words be cursing me for bullying you?”

So he controlled his Natal Immortal Artifact and “sworded” the young man in the abdomen through the city gate.

For some unknown reason, the jade pendant shattered.

The old man frowned slightly, but only felt it was a pity to lose a Shrunken World item.

On the summit of Sui Mountain, an old scholar sitting on the stone tablet, stubbornly confronting the golden-armored deity, had been silently deducing the workings of heaven and earth. His expression changed drastically, and he stood up, saying in a rare solemn tone, “Big Dumbass, help me split the barrier between the two continents, don’t ask, hurry!”

The Sui Mountain Deity, clad in golden armor and leaning on his sword, was even more puzzled, but nodded. Without asking anything, he manifested his golden body, as tall as a mountain, and slashed with his sword, directly creating an endless void resembling a river of time.

The old scholar swept away into it.

The gap closed.

The mountain and water luck of the entire Sui Mountain in the Central Earth Continent was in turmoil.

In the heavens and earth, someone seemed to have heard the words from Old Dragon City, and she responded softly, “Coming.”

In the shattered and fallen Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, the entire small world with a radius of a thousand miles began to shake violently.

Ruan Qiong’s face was ashen as he desperately suppressed this wildly chaotic luck.

At a large area of the Dragon-Slaying Platform stone cliff,

A streak of white, towering figure emerged.

She, with two large white sleeves, ascended straight into the sky.

She paused momentarily at the vault of the sky above this vast world, then glanced at the southernmost part of the Treasure Bottle Continent’s map.

Her figure went like a sword.

Where the white figure passed, a series of thunderclaps resounded above the Treasure Bottle Continent, even in the frigid winter.