As dawn painted the sky, Chen Ping’an and his entourage packed their belongings, preparing to depart from Ziyang Prefecture.

Prefect Huang Chu, along with two venerable immortals from the Dragon Gate realm, personally escorted them, seeing them all the way to the Iron Edict Riverbank. The River God of the Accumulated Fragrance Temple had long since prepared a ferry, set to sail downstream for a hundred-odd miles before disembarking at a ferry crossing, continuing their journey towards the Yellow Court Kingdom’s border.

Chen Ping’an expressed his gratitude to Huang Chu, who presented a small sandalwood box exuding a refreshing woody fragrance, a famous “Sweet Dew Terrace” scholar’s accoutrement style from the Yellow Court Kingdom, claiming it was a small token of the Ancestor’s appreciation.

Pei Qian maintained a stoic face, pretending not to care in the slightest.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, but ultimately accepted the small box containing four treasures from the Treasure Depository, saying, “If Prefecture Lord Huang ever passes by Dragon Spring County in the future, you must visit Fallen Phoenix Mountain as a guest.”

Then, Chen Ping’an hefted the precious box, jesting, “Without such valuable gifts or the aged Flood Dragon drool wine from the Snow Vast Hall banquet, only simple home-cooked meals await. I reckon even if Prefecture Lord Huang passed by Dragon Spring County, you wouldn’t even bother to greet me.”

Huang Chu smiled faintly, “As long as there’s an opportunity to visit Great Li, even if it means detouring from Dragon Spring County, I’ll find a way to trouble Master Chen.”

They conversed amiably, and Huang Chu escorted Chen Ping’an and his companions all the way to the ferry. Originally intending to board and accompany them to the Iron Edict River ferry crossing, Chen Ping’an insisted otherwise, and Huang Chu relented.

After boarding, Chen Ping’an stood at the bow, his Sword Nourishing Gourd, filled with spirit-infused aged Flood Dragon drool wine, at his waist. The ferry slowly sailed downstream, and Chen Ping’an cupped his fist in salute towards the direction of the Purple Qi Palace.

At the top floor of the Treasure Depository, a tall female cultivator cast a concealment spell. It was none other than True Lord of Cave Enlightenment, Wu Yi. Seeing this scene, she smiled, “Inviting a deity is easy, but sending one off isn’t difficult either.”

Her mood was fairly good.

Wu Yi had already conveyed everything that transpired in the past two days, in meticulous detail, via flying sword transmission to Cloud Veiled Mountain in Dragon Spring County, reporting to her father.

She believed that even if she didn’t receive commendation, she would at least avoid punishment.

In Wu Yi’s vision, the distant traveling ferry gradually shrunk to the size of a mustard seed.

Wu Yi suddenly felt a tightening in her heart, and dared not move.

Unbeknownst to her, a refined and gentle scholar-robed elder had appeared beside her. He had breached Ziyang Prefecture’s mountain and river grand formation with ease, arriving silently by Wu Yi’s side.

Wu Yi composed herself, and softly said, “Unfilial daughter greets Father.”

The uninvited guest was the former Old Vice Minister of Revenue of the Yellow Court Kingdom, now the Deputy Mountain Master of the Forest Deer Academy of Cloud Veiled Mountain. Over his long life, this old Flood Dragon had used countless aliases.

The elder glanced at Wu Yi, and for the first time, offered a smile, saying, “You managed to accomplish a triple win in one fell swoop. When did you become so clever?”

Wu Yi was filled with apprehension, feeling that her father’s words were sarcastic or had hidden meanings, fearing that she would befall disaster at any moment, and already contemplating a hasty escape.

The elder extended his palm and placed it on the railing, slowly saying, “Where did the Imperial River Water God get the ability to harm Xiao Luan of the White Stork River? His grand Dragon Spring County trip was just a drinking session with that little serpent. That Fallen Phoenix Mountain green-robed young man, trying to appear more capable than he is, asking for a Peace Talisman for his friend, was already facing setbacks everywhere, and was struggling greatly. It was actually Xiao Luan herself who lost her composure, seeking help desperately, which led her to lower herself and rely on your Ziyang Prefecture. But Xiao Luan is willing to abandon her affection for the Hong family, which shows she is a smart person. By serving Ziyang Prefecture, she gains many benefits, and you can earn money effortlessly, a mutually beneficial arrangement. That’s the first advantage.”

The elder opened his palm, looked at it, shook his head, then placed his hands behind his back, continuing, “Your methods of currying favor with Chen Ping’an are crude, too stiff, especially at the Snow Vast Hall banquet, where you even wanted to suppress Chen Ping’an. But like a misplaced move in Go, it unexpectedly turned into a divine play, improving Chen Ping’an’s perception of you. Because if you constantly appear too calculating, Chen Ping’an would only become more cautious, always wary and guarded against you and Ziyang Prefecture. In the end, you wouldn’t accumulate any so-called camaraderie. The most brilliant part was that rain at night, originally intended as a cover for Xiao Luan, creating the illusion of a River God in the throes of love, but unexpectedly gifted Chen Ping’an a great opportunity. If I hadn’t deliberately suppressed it, the celestial phenomenon would have been much greater. Not only Ziyang Prefecture, but all the spirits and deities of the entire Iron Edict River, even the White Stork River, would have felt the sensation, benefiting equally from the grace. Sages delight in mountains and cherish water even more. It holds great knowledge. So what you did was very surprising to your father, a truly unexpected delight. That’s the second advantage.”

The elder turned his head and smiled, “Finally, this time I asked you to invite Chen Ping’an to be a guest at Ziyang Prefecture was Grand Preceptor Cui’s arrangement. Grand Preceptor Cui told me frankly that it was just to slow down Chen Ping’an’s journey home. As for what the Grand Preceptor seeks, he certainly wouldn’t tell an outsider like me. Of course, I don’t want to know either. Meddling in these matters, whether successful or not, we are both destined for a bad end. This time you helped your father accomplish this, and I can repay Grand Preceptor Cui a small favor. Ziyang Prefecture will inevitably receive a reward from Great Li in the future. You can wait for the good news.”

It was tremendously good news, but Wu Yi couldn’t help but feel a chill run down her spine. She never imagined that her father had seen through the entire charade from beginning to end.

The current Wu Yi facing the old Flood Dragon on the high-rise corridor, was probably like Madame Xiao Luan facing Wu Yi in the small courtyard. Their mindsets were exactly the same.

The old Flood Dragon, whose attire and appearance were no different from a great scholar of the world, once again opened his palm, his brows furrowing, “What insights can be gleaned from this?”

Wu Yi glanced secretly.

She saw her father using his supernatural powers to condense the water essence from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. His palm was full of droplets of water, as if freshly plucked from lotus leaves after the rain. Then, those water droplets exploded simultaneously in her father’s palm, turning into a puddle of rainwater. Her father stared at it for a long time, still unable to decipher it, and then they transformed back into individual raindrops. In Wu Yi’s eyes, her father, a scholar of unparalleled knowledge, no less than a Confucian sage, seemed slightly hesitant. He extended his other palm, poured the water droplets from the original palm into it, and in an instant, Wu Yi saw a golden light flash in her father’s palm. Before Wu Yi could focus to see, her father had quickly clenched his fist, and Wu Yi could no longer see the scene in her father’s palm.

The elder pondered for a moment, then returned to his senses and smiled at Wu Yi, “There’s nothing to see.”

Wu Yi naturally dared not probe to the bottom.
The old man inquired, “Do you know why all sentient beings in this world tirelessly pursue the human form? Clearly, the human body is so frail, even consuming the five grains for sustenance becomes an obstacle to cultivation, hence cultivators emphasize abstaining from grains to avoid defiling the divine and depleting the vital essence, hindering the return to infancy. In contrast, we dragons are blessed by nature, possessing inherently robust physiques and intellect no less inferior to humans. So, why do you and I stand here in human guise?”

Wu Yi was somewhat perplexed, hesitant to speak rashly. The concept of human apertures as abodes of blessed fortune was common knowledge among mountain cultivators and spirits. Yet, her father would never waste words on trivial matters. Where, then, lay the hidden meaning?

The old man spared his remaining offspring further struggle. “The wonder lies in a single word: ‘Return’.”

The old man extended a finger, drawing a circle in the air.

Wu Yi fell into contemplation.

The old man chuckled, “You are still young, with limited experience of the world. Let alone the landscape of three thousand years ago, where could you possibly seek answers about the era ten thousand years before, which I haven’t told you about?”

Wu Yi’s expression turned solemn. She knew her father was imparting an opportunity for her to realize the Dao!

She had been stuck at the Golden Core realm for over three hundred years. The unorthodox technique that could allow cultivators to ascend to the nascent soul realm, far from being easier for her, as a descendant of the dragon race, had proven fraught with obstacles. Only through painstaking effort had she reached the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm. However, for the past century, the bottleneck had remained stubbornly unyielding, filling her with despair.

The old man looked up at the sky, “Aren’t you curious about the origins of the current Three Teachings, the Hundred Schools of Thought, and the three realms, or how so many mortal scholars came to be, why they came to be? And finally, how they became the masters of the world? Well, the last point, there’s a lot of random rumors and hearsay, some closer to the truth, some farther, but you might vaguely understand some of the inside story.”

Wu Yi nodded.

Three thousand years ago, the last true dragon in the world fled the Central Earth Divine Continent. Relying on its innate power over the world’s watercourses, it chose to land at Old Dragon City, the southernmost point of宝瓶洲 (Bǎopíng Zhōu). During its journey, it was severely wounded and crashed beneath the earth, forcibly carving out a “Dragon Walking Path.” It was suppressed by an unknown great cultivator using a now-lost method of mountain control. Forced to emerge, the dying true dragon ultimately fell near what would become the骊珠洞天 (Lízhū Dòngtiān), and perished. Another great cultivator then used secret methods to create the 骊珠洞天, a shining pearl suspended above the 大骊 (Dàlí) Dynasty.

The old man sighed, “Your comprehension is truly lacking.”

Wu Yi felt somewhat aggrieved.

With a wave of his sleeve, the old man transformed the 紫阳府 (Zǐyáng Fǔ) into a miniature world. He then retrieved the immortal boat that had once sailed to the starry sky and stepped aboard, signaling Wu Yi to follow. He then said, “What do you think is the most powerful existence that has ever appeared in the world?”

Wu Yi timidly replied, “The founders of the Three Teachings? And those Fourteenth Realm powerhouses who are unwilling to appear in the world? The former are like the Heavens themselves within their own realms, while the latter have transcended the boundaries of realm and possess all sorts of incredible divine powers and immortal techniques…”

The old man remained noncommittal. He casually pointed to a direction along the 铁券河 (Tiěquàn Hé) and smiled, “The 積香廟 (Jīxiāng Miào), the 白鹄江 (Báihú Jiāng) Water God’s Palace further away, your brother’s 寒食江 (Hánshí Jiāng) residence even further, and the surrounding mountain and water god temples, what do they have in common? Forget it, I’ll just tell you directly. Waiting for you to figure it out would be a waste of my spiritual energy. The common point is that these mountain and water deities in the eyes of the world, once they have a temple, get to have a golden body sculpted for them, no matter how poor their cultivation aptitude was before, they become gods with golden bodies in one step. Is there any need to cultivate afterwards? It’s just eating incense. The more they eat, the higher their realm, and the slower their golden body decays. This is a different path from the cultivation of Qi practitioners, so it is called the difference between gods and immortals. Returning to the word ‘Return’, do you understand now?”

Wu Yi shook her head, “Still not quite.”

The old man lamented, “If you ever disappeared, you’d definitely die of stupidity. Do you know that, in order to reach the Nascent Soul realm, your brother is more ruthless to himself, abandoning the many innate powers of the dragon race, and directly making himself a limited 江 (Jiāng) water god?”

Wu Yi’s eyes lit up, “If we want to ‘Return’ to Nascent Soul, do we have to become deities?”

The old man looked at his daughter with pity, feeling utterly disappointed. “Your brother’s direction is right, but he went too far, completely severing the dragon’s path. That’s why I’ve given up on him, otherwise I wouldn’t tell you these things. Your research into unorthodox methods, borrowing a stone from another mountain to polish your jade, is also right, but you haven’t attained the true method and haven’t gone far enough. But at least you still have a chance.”

The old man tapped the railing with a finger, “Not either end, right here. Between the gods and humans, is the most compatible with the fundamental path of the dragon clan. This is the ancestral tradition of our ancestors ten thousand years ago. At that time, the dragons managed the world’s five lakes and four seas, rivers and streams. All places with water were our territory. It’s just that your brother was too clever and misunderstood. He mistakenly believed that the ‘Canonization’ of the orthodox Shinto of the ancient era was similar to the imperial edicts of today. That’s incurable, and he went down the wrong path. But today the rules of heaven and earth have changed, which has a great impact on us, because of the bloody changes back then, we were disgusted by the invisible Dao, so it has become extremely difficult to advance to the Nascent Soul…”

Wu Yi finally couldn’t help but ask, “Father, you haven’t said how to cultivate the Nascent Soul! Just tell your daughter directly!”

The old man smiled and asked, “We are father and daughter, do you think that my teaching you the Dao is something taken for granted?”

Wu Yi was suddenly on high alert, feeling that she was about to suffer.

Sure enough, the old man sneered, “Filial piety, this idea was taught to you by Confucianism, not by me. I never expect my children to be respectful and filial, you should know this better than your brothers and sisters in my belly, right? Then how should you act like a daughter?”

Wu Yi’s face turned pale.
The old man grinned, revealing a few snowy-white teeth, “Within a century, if you still can’t become a Nascent Soul cultivator, I’ll just eat you up. Otherwise, it’ll be a waste of my Dragon-Serpent luck. Considering you handled this matter well, I’ll tell you something. That Chen Ping’an has a serpent gallstone formed from the last true dragon’s essence blood. There are a few of excellent quality. If you consume them, you won’t reach the Nascent Soul realm, but at least you can elevate your combat strength by a layer. That way, on the day I eat you, you can struggle a bit more. What do you think? Isn’t your father very loving?”

The tall Wu Yi trembled.

The old man suddenly sighed, “You devour transformed aquatic creatures to fill your stomach, and I devour you to gather luck. That Cui Dongshan, who occupies an ancient remnant body, might also devour me. What to do?”

The old man smiled at Wu Yi, “So, don’t think too highly of yourself just because you have high cultivation and great abilities. There’s always someone better. That’s why we must thank the Confucian sages for establishing the rules. Otherwise, you and your younger brother would have long been father’s meal, and then I would probably be Cui Dongshan’s prey. In this world, don’t look at the countries fighting beneath the mountains, the sects constantly clashing on the mountains, and the various schools of thought plotting against each other. Does this even deserve to be called a chaotic world? Haha, I wonder if, once the scene from ten thousand years ago reappears, everyone today will run to the Confucian temples in those prefectures and counties to kneel and kowtow?”

Wu Yi didn’t feel anything about these “important matters.”

She was still preoccupied with the method to reach the Nascent Soul realm.

The old man asked, “What four things did you send Chen Ping’an?”

Wu Yi honestly replied, “I chose one item from each floor. A piece of meteoric iron that condensed and was nurtured from the first thunder of spring and fell to earth, thumb-sized and weighing six pounds. An upper-grade spiritual artifact robe, as thin as spring grass. Six ‘Fox-Skin Beauty’ talisman paper figures specially made by the Xu family of Qingfeng City. A spiritual energy-filled green plum pit, which, when buried in the soil, can grow into a thousand-year-old Yangmei tree within a year, and emit spiritual energy on each of the twenty-four solar terms. A previous elder of the Lingyun Sect wanted to buy it for a high price, but I was reluctant to sell.”

The old man nodded, “The timing is alright.”

The old man suddenly smiled, “Don’t think you’re batting your eyelashes at a blind man. The Northern Mountain God Wei Bo will explain everything to Chen Ping’an one by one, but only if… Chen Ping’an can reach the Fallen Mountain. That depends on the outcome of the contest between National Preceptor Cui and Cui Dongshan.”

Wu Yi could hear the shocking secret within his words. Cui Chan was fighting Cui Dongshan? But she was still obsessed with the “battle between gods” and pleaded, “Father, if I could reach the Nascent Soul realm, wouldn’t I be able to do more for you?”

The old man, however, had already put away the small boat and retracted the small world divine ability, disappearing in a flash and returning to Dali’s Pīyún Mountain.

Leaving behind only Wu Yi, filled with melancholy and apprehension.

A hundred years.

It was the long life that ordinary mortals dreamed of, but what did it mean to her, Wu Yi?

The Water God of the Jixiang Temple was overly attentive along the way, forcing Chen Ping’an to use Zhu Lian as a shield.

Soon, Zhu Lian was calling the Iron-Certificate River God brothers. When they reached the ferry, they reluctantly bid farewell, and the River God called Zhu Lian “Brother,” with unparalleled familiarity and sincerity.

The River God controlled the ferry back. Chen Ping’an and Zhu Lian retracted their gazes together. Chen Ping’an smiled and asked, “What did you two chat about that made you so compatible?”

Zhu Lian chuckled, “What else can men chat about but women? We talked about that Madam Xiao Luan.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t bother to say anything more.

Zhu Lian suddenly looked embarrassed, “Young Master, in the future, when we encounter dangerous situations, can you let this old servant take the burden? This old servant is an old Jianghu figure, and I’m not afraid of wind or waves. I wouldn’t dare to hope to capture a mountain and water deity like Madam Xiao Luan, but as long as I let go and use my family skills, and dig out a little bit of my past charm from between my fingernails, the maidens by Madam Xiao Luan’s side, and those young female cultivators from the Ziyang Mansion, at most three days…”

Chen Ping’an quickly interrupted Zhu Lian’s words. After all, Pei Qian was still by his side. This girl was young and remembered these words especially well, even more attentively than studying.

Zhu Lian was still unwilling to give up and murmured, “Young Master, one place nurtures its people. The Longquan County hometown must have beauties like clouds, right?”

Chen Ping’an thought for a moment and shook his head, “In terms of appearance, it seems no different from an ordinary market town.”

Zhu Lian sighed, “A bit of a flaw.”

However, Zhu Lian quickly said, “This old servant presumptuously chatted with that River God brother about Sun Dengxian’s affairs. It is estimated that even if Sun Dengxian encounters some trouble in Huangting Country in the future, as long as this River God brother, who is good at research, hears about it, he might be able to help Sun Dengxian. But the Young Master should also be prepared that even across thousands of mountains and rivers, the Jixiang Temple River God will inevitably ask the Young Master for credit.”

Chen Ping’an gave Zhu Lian a thumbs up, “This was done beautifully.”

Zhu Lian asked curiously, “Why does the Young Master admire Sun Dengxian so much?”

Chen Ping’an said without hesitation, “Because he’s a hero. We walk the Jianghu, if we don’t admire heroes, are we supposed to worship flower thieves?”

Zhu Lian said seriously, “Young Master, I, Zhu Lian, am not a flower thief! We renowned men are suave…”

Chen Ping’an dismissed Zhu Lian with one sentence, “You can stop it.”

Pei Qian shook her head and imitated Chen Ping’an’s tone, adding fuel to the fire, “You can stop it.”

Zhu Lian made a kicking motion, scaring Pei Qian to run away quickly.

Chen Ping’an, like when he returned to his hometown after his first journey to the Sui Dynasty, did not choose Yefu Pass as the entry route.

He arrived at that familiar Fengya County on the border of Huangting Country again. Arriving here meant that he was only six hundred li away from Longquan County.

Further ahead, he would have to pass a long stretch of cliffside plank road. That time, he was accompanied by a blue-robed boy and a pink-skirted girl. That time, amidst the howling wind and snow, Chen Ping’an stopped to light a bonfire and even encountered a master and servant who happened to pass by.

The more Chen Ping’an thought about it, the more he felt that the man with a gentle expression and calm temperament should be a very high-level expert.

After passing Fengya County, in the twilight, the group arrived at that familiar plank road.

Chen Ping’an chose a spacious location and planned to spend the night there, instructing Pei Qian not to get too close to the edge of the plank road when practicing the Mad Demon Sword Technique.

Pei Qian asked curiously, “Anyway, old cook can fly. Even if I accidentally fall down, he can save me, right?”
Chen Pingan casually said, “If you want to ride the wind for a distant journey, you can directly ask Zhu Lian for help. But when practicing swordsmanship, you still need to be careful, they are two different things.”

Pei Qian responded with an “Oh.”

Wielding the Walking Mountain Staff, Pei Qian began to fight the heavens, the earth, demons, and monsters.

Every time, Zhu Lian found it eye-searing.

Shi Rou, on the other hand, quite enjoyed watching Pei Qian’s nonsensical antics. She sat on a rock, admiring Pei Qian’s swordsmanship.

After a bout of diligent practice, which left her drenched in sweat, Pei Qian put down the Walking Mountain Staff. She placed her Shifu’s bamboo chest horizontally, using it as a desk. Taking out her belongings, she took advantage of the last rays of the setting sun and squatted there, beginning to copy books.

By the time she finished copying, Zhu Lian had already cooked the rice. Shi Rou and Pei Qian took out their bowls and chopsticks, while Zhu Lian brought out two wine cups. Chen Pingan poured out the old Jiaolong’s coveted wine from the Sword Nurturing Gourd. They would occasionally enjoy a small drink like this.

Displaying a spirit of devouring wind and surging clouds, Pei Qian finished a large bowl of rice early. Chen Pingan and Zhu Lian had only just begun their second cup of wine when she smilingly asked Chen Pingan, “Shifu, can I take a look at that small sandalwood box? If something inside is lost, we can return the way we came and look for it sooner.”

Chen Pingan slurped down a mouthful of fine wine and laughed, “Go look yourself.”

Pei Qian then took out the pretty little wooden box from the bamboo chest. Hugging it, she sat cross-legged next to Chen Pingan and opened it. She meticulously counted the contents, one by one: a thumb-sized but heavy iron block, a folded, featherlight cyan garment, and a stack of talisman papers depicting beautiful women. Her thoroughness, as if afraid they would sprout legs and run away, was quite a sight. Suddenly, Pei Qian said in alarm, “Shifu, Shifu, the plum pit is gone! What do we do? Should I go back and look for it right away?”

Zhu Lian rolled his eyes.

Shi Rou couldn’t help but chuckle. Couldn’t this little girl hide the mirth in her eyes when she tried to deceive someone?

Chen Pingan responded with an “Oh.” “It doesn’t matter. Shifu has money now. If it’s lost, it’s lost.”

Pei Qian gave a “Heh!” and flipped her wrist, immediately opening her palm. “Shifu, aren’t you happy? We all thought it was lost just now, right? So now we have an extra plum pit, oh!”

Chen Pingan smiled and nodded.

Pei Qian laughed heartily, “Shifu, you’re so silly! It wasn’t lost in the first place. You couldn’t even tell that.”

Chen Pingan flicked Pei Qian’s forehead with his finger.

Pei Qian remained unmoved, performing a “qi sinking to the dantian” movement. “Doesn’t hurt a bit!”

Zhu Lian had finally reached his limit and flicked his finger through the air.

The pain caused Pei Qian to, with lightning speed, first put the plum pit back in the small box and place it aside, then clutch her forehead with both hands and begin to wail.

Chen Pingan couldn’t stop laughing.

Seeing that even Shifu didn’t pity her, Pei Qian, peeking at Shifu through her fingers, cried even harder.

Chen Pingan had no choice but to quickly stop smiling and ask, “Want to see Shifu ride the sword for a distant journey?”

Pei Qian’s lips turned downwards, and she said aggrievedly, “Don’t want to.”

Chen Pingan only smiled.

Pei Qian suddenly smiled brightly, “Want to very much, though!”

Chen Pingan then took down the Semi-Immortal Soldier Sword Immortal from his back, but he didn’t draw the sword from its sheath. After standing up, he faced the cliff and threw the sword out.

Chen Pingan quickly stepped forward, tapped the Sword Nurturing Gourd, and swept out, stepping onto the long sword and whistling away.

Pei Qian opened her mouth wide and quickly got up, running to the cliff’s edge. Her eyes widened as she looked at the dashing figure riding the sword.

Zhu Lian and Shi Rou naturally knew the secret. The Flying Swords First Day and Fifteenth were hidden beneath the Sword Immortal.

Pei Qian cleared her throat and shouted, “Shifu, don’t fly too far!”

In the mountain wind, Chen Pingan slightly bent his knees, communicating with the two Flying Swords beneath the Sword Immortal with his mind. The tip of the Sword Immortal’s scabbard tilted upwards, and he suddenly rose higher and higher. Chen Pingan and the long sword beneath his feet broke through a layer of sea of clouds, involuntarily suspended and still. Beneath his feet was a golden sea of clouds in the afterglow, vast and boundless.

There was great beauty between heaven and earth that remained unspoken.

Chen Pingan then realized that the scenery he saw while traveling on his sword was completely different from the scenery and feeling he had when overlooking the sea of clouds from an Immortal ferry.

Chen Pingan watched the sea of clouds for a long time. As the setting sun fell into the sea, the afterglow gradually faded. Finally, Chen Pingan stood on the long sword, closed his eyes, held his breath, and concentrated, practicing the Sword Furnace Standing Post.

Chen Pingan withdrew the Sword Furnace Post. In that instant, his heart stirred, and he murmured, “Cao Ci has broken through again?”