The hour of Hai, also known among cultivators as ‘Human Stillness’.

Especially for Taoist Qi refiners, this period is crucial for cultivation, most suitable for calming the mind and spirit, a first-rate natural state of purity.

Chen Ping’an, needing to catch the ferry departing at the hour of Zi, had no choice but to temporarily relinquish that serene state of mind. He withdrew his spiritual awareness from his inner world, ceasing to observe the spectacle of sword qi assailing the bottleneck from atop the mountain. He rose to prepare for his journey.

Unexpectedly, the tea house proprietor had already arrived, carrying a celadon tea caddy, standing at a distance outside the waterside pavilion.

Chen Ping’an quickly approached. The female cultivator from Azure Sparrow Prefecture bowed in greeting and offered the charming tea caddy, smiling, “Immortal Master Chen, this is the Little Xuan Cliff tea harvested by our establishment this year. A small gift, a token of our esteem.”

Chen Ping’an accepted the celadon tea caddy and asked, “Does the tea house have more Little Xuan Cliff tea? I was hoping to purchase some.”

The female cultivator shook her head apologetically, “The old tea trees behind Azure Sparrow Prefecture are few in number, with many pre-orders. The tea house’s share is already limited, and now there is very little left.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Then I’ll be accepting a caddy of tea for free.”

The female cultivator nodded, silent with a smile.

Chen Ping’an inquired, “Does Peach Blossom Ferry have any autumn-edition Mountain and Water Gazettes available for purchase? I’ve missed quite a few, having traveled all the way from Green Oriole Country’s Dragon Head Ferry.”

The female cultivator replied, “The tea house has some. Immortal Master Chen need not pay; they are of no use to us.”

Chen Ping’an lifted the tea caddy, saying helplessly, “Drinking tea for free with Senior Wu, receiving a caddy of Little Xuan Cliff tea for free, and now getting several Mountain and Water Gazettes for free… it doesn’t feel right.”

The female cultivator smiled, “Things rarely happen more than three times. It’s just right.”

Chen Ping’an conceded, “That makes sense.”

These small acts of kindness are genuine acts of kindness.

In his memory, Sun Jiashu of Old Dragon City, the female proprietor of Azure Coin Lane who deliberately concealed her identity, and the female cultivator of the tea house before him were all adept at such things.

He would remember them.

There are too many scenes to look left and right on the journey of life. Don’t forget as you walk along. It doesn’t matter.

The female cultivator asked Chen Ping’an to wait a moment and went to retrieve three copies of the Divine Immortal Gazette, presenting them to their distinguished guest.

After Chen Ping’an left the tea house, he began to read the gazettes as he walked.

Wu’s warm hospitality had a simple reason.

Neighboring Hibiscus Country, his and Qi Jinglong’s sword sacrifices had created too much of a stir.

The Mountain and Water Gazette of the Northern Ju Continent, seemingly unrestrained, had an unwritten rule: when a sword immortal died in battle at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the news would be swiftly returned to the Northern Ju Continent, and any sword sacrifice by anyone would not be recorded in the Mountain and Water Gazette.

Qi Jinglong had stated the clear reason: because this was not something to be trifled with.

Customs under Heaven each have their own reasoning.

At the waterside pavilion of the tea house, Law Enforcement Ancestor Wu sat in his original seat, but with his guest gone and tea cold, Wu had no desire to drink. He simply sat there quietly, admiring the moonlit lake, its shimmering waves.

The female cultivator stood outside the pavilion steps.

Wu asked, “Is there not a single mountain faction from Great Zhuan’s capital city that has learned the inside story, to write about it in the Mountain and Water Gazette?”

The female cultivator shook her head, “It seems the Great Zhuan Emperor of the Lu clan issued a strict decree, forbidding the leak of any information. At the time, there were very few observers on the city walls and at the Jade Seal River. With that academy sage personally overseeing the situation, even terrestrial immortals dared not probe the battle. Even remotely viewing the battle with the divine ability of observing mountains and rivers was considered too risky.”

Wu smiled, “That sage does indeed have a rather volatile temperament. However, after his two interventions, the mountains and valleys in the central Northern Ju Continent have become much more stable.”

The female cultivator asked curiously, “Martial Grandfather, why not simply gift that Mister Chen a superior Dharma robe?”

Wu gestured for this junior in the sect to take a seat. After she sat down, Wu smiled, “Cater to their preferences. Those who value rules and etiquette, we will abide by the rules and speak of etiquette. Those who are greedy for wealth and lust, we must take different approaches.”

The female cultivator cautiously said, “It was just a caddy of Little Xuan Cliff tea. When that Immortal Master Chen accepted it, he seemed genuinely pleased.”

Wu glanced at this clever junior who helped the mountain receive and send off honored guests.

Being able to serve as the tea house proprietor, responsible for hosting immortal guests for Azure Sparrow Prefecture, necessarily meant having a shrewd mind.

But sitting in this position also meant that the path of cultivation was bleak, in a similar awkward position to the majority of ferry stewards in the world.

Wu did not want to say more.

Cultivators, when observing matters, should examine their hearts even more.

Discussing these matters concerning the very foundation of cultivation with this junior would be very hurtful.

In any case, her conduct was nearly impeccable, and she never overstepped her bounds, which was sufficient.

Wu sighed.

He wondered if their prefecture lord had encountered that terrestrial dragon yet?

Regarding that Liu Jinglong from Taihui Sword Sect, who was not some innate sword embryo, there were too many stories worth telling.

However, many rumors and anecdotes were too distant for a third-rate immortal sect like Azure Sparrow Prefecture. But because the prefecture lord had once traveled a stretch of mountains and rivers with Liu Jinglong in his early years, and the prefecture lord never concealed her admiration for this Mister Liu, openly asking about matters of love between men and women whenever she met someone, even seeking teachings from Wu, the female cultivators of Azure Sparrow Prefecture were filled with curiosity and longing for that Mister Liu.

Generally speaking, women admire the elegance of sword immortals, and men long for fairies.

So Wu was actually very curious about how those immortal couples on the mountain managed to remain together until old age. If faced with great calamity, could they truly share life and death?

Wu did not know, and hoped he would never know such a thing in his life, to cultivate in peace. Unfortunately, Wu knew his own aptitude. He was merely waiting to die.

Thinking of this, Wu asked the tea house proprietor to bring two jugs of wine.

The female cultivator was about to hesitate.

Wu laughed, “What’s wrong with drinking wine at the tea house? Besides, I am Azure Sparrow Prefecture’s Law Enforcement Ancestor. Who dares to interfere?”

Only then did the female cultivator rise, her steps lighter, to fetch the wine.

If Ancestor Wu was like this, how could she, a cave realm cultivator with no hope for the great path, who could only guard the tea house’s small patch of land year after year, not secretly drown her sorrows in wine?

A colorful rainbow descended from the sky, gently landing on the lake and entering the waterside pavilion. She was stunningly beautiful, sitting opposite Wu, and sullenly said, “Drinking is good. Count me in.”

Wu smiled, “Not going well? Is that Mister Liu still the ‘blockhead’ that your prefecture lord calls him?”
Across from Wu stood the earth immortal female cultivator, the renowned Sun Qing, the young mistress of the Colored Sparrow Manor. By seniority, she was even junior to Wu.

Sun Qing shook her head, “Mister Liu has changed so much. This meeting, he spoke frankly and openly with me. I understand the reasons, and I know Mister Liu is doing it for my sake, but I still feel somewhat displeased.”

Wu asked, puzzled, “What did he say?”

The young manor mistress waved her hand, saying, “Let’s not talk about it; it’s a bit embarrassing.”

Wu was speechless.

*You’ve gone so far as to block his path; what’s left to be shy about?*

But Wu was truly perplexed. Although their manor mistress wasn’t an earth-shattering prodigy, she had still reached the Golden Core bottleneck before the age of a hundred, and was one of the Ten Fairies of the Northern Ju Continent. To put it bluntly, if an upper five realm Sword Immortal actively sought to become a divine immortal couple with their manor mistress, who had a promising future, no one would find it strange. However, if one were to make a calculated assessment, their manor mistress was truly no match for Lu Sui, the Water Mirror Mountain Fairy. Not only had she entered the ranks of the ten alongside Liu Jinglong, but her beauty was also said to surpass Sun Qing’s.

Wu softly inquired, “Have you completely given up on Mister Liu?”

Sun Qing laughed loudly, “How could that be? I like him even more!”

Wu held his forehead in silence.

*How can the most reasonable Mister Liu be so unreasonable?*

The three of them drank together.

The female cultivator who was the shopkeeper was still somewhat reserved. However, when three female cultivators of vastly different seniority and status deliberately set aside their mystical abilities, they became drunk, and their faces blossomed like peach blossoms.

In the end, they were just women.

And when women started telling bawdy jokes, there were truly no taboos.

It was a uniquely charming flavor, especially moving.

One large and one small, Qi Jinglong and his new disciple Baishou traveled north towards the Taihui Sword Sect. Because Qi Jinglong had to care for Baishou, whose cultivation was low, they traveled at a slow pace.

Then, they were encountered midway by Sun Qing, the Mistress of the Colored Sparrow Manor.

Qi Jinglong was quite confident now, simply learning and applying as he went, exchanging words with the Fairy Sun.

The exceptionally beautiful Sun Qing showed no sign of anything amiss from beginning to end.

It was only when she took her leave, and her graceful figure disappeared from sight, that the young Baishou shook his head and clicked his tongue, “Liu, how can such a beautiful fairy sister like you? She must be blind. If I remember correctly, Mistress Sun is one of the Ten Fairies of the Northern Ju Continent. Liu, it’s not that I’m criticizing you, but even if you don’t become a couple, I think Sun Qing would still agree. How could you bear to refuse such a good thing?”

Qi Jinglong, feeling somewhat relieved, continued his northern journey with the young man by his side, laughing, “To reason with you, especially about love between a man and a woman, is like playing the qin to a cow.”

Baishou angrily retorted, “Then why did you take me as a disciple for no reason?! Why don’t you let me return to Deer Cutting Mountain?”

Qi Jinglong slowly said, “Compared to having another sword cultivator in the Northern Ju Continent who kills for money, I would rather see a young sword immortal who has truly attained the Dao.”

Qi Jinglong continued, “Don’t worry. After entering the Taihui Sword Sect and having your name recorded in the Ancestral Hall, you won’t need to call yourself a disciple of the Taihui Sword Sect, nor admit that you are my disciple, whenever you descend the mountain in the future. Within the rules, you only need to draw your sword, and neither I nor the sect will deliberately restrain your nature. But you must be clear about what the rules of me and the sect are. I don’t want you to tell me that you don’t understand the rules when I punish you in the future.”

Baishou was sullen.

The Taihui Sword Sect’s rules and the Liu’s half-rules were something the young man didn’t want to understand. They must be tedious, pedantic, and utterly boring.

*What’s the point of being a registered immortal official or a sword immortal?*

*Where is the joy of being an assassin from Deer Cutting Mountain?*

Martial artists still talked about heroism and gratifying grudges, but Deer Cutting Mountain assassins didn’t need to care about such things. They took the money and killed for others, bearing the consequences of life and death themselves. That was true freedom.

Qi Jinglong was silent for a moment, then softly said, “Whether you listen or not, I must tell you that as long as you abide by the rules, no matter who you draw your sword against in the future, whether you lose or get beaten up, when you return to me, you only need to tell me, and I will reason with them for you until the matter is clear.”

Baishou crossed his arms, “Spare me. With my talent, after I practice the sword, how could I lose to others?! Okay, I can’t beat the sword immortals for now, but as for those of my age, you just let them jump in front of me, and with a casual sword strike, they will end up being dismembered into eight pieces.”

“Once you truly start practicing the sword, you won’t have much energy left to boast.”

Qi Jinglong laughed, “As for not needing me to help you reason things out, it’s even better if you can draw your sword and make your own point.”

Although Baishou’s face was full of disdain, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of Liu’s profile.

The young man’s heart was still somewhat different.

Like a poorly dressed child basking in the invisible and intangible warm sun during the harsh winter.

But this feeling was fleeting.

Baishou suddenly shouted, “If I memorize the rules of the Taihui Sword Sect’s Ancestral Hall, will you allow me to drink alcohol?”

Qi Jinglong shook his head, “No money.”

Baishou angrily said, “If you don’t have money in your pocket, don’t you know how to get credit from that Chen Hao?”

Qi Jinglong thought for a moment, “I’m afraid of being persuaded to drink; it’s not worth it.”

The money for the pot of wine earlier was borrowed from Gu Mo of the Taixia lineage.

Qi Jinglong never carried money or belongings when he left the sect for long journeys.

“Eating the evening glow, drinking the dew, the essence of the sun and moon, and the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth are all ‘five grains’ for cultivators.”

As the sword cultivator with the greatest killing power in the world, he didn’t need any magic robes or powerful treasures.

When he borrowed money from her, he was fortunate that a sentence reached his lips but didn’t escape, otherwise it would have been even more troublesome.

Qi Jinglong had originally wanted to say that he would repay the money when he passed by Taixia Mountain in the future.

But in a flash of inspiration, he understood that if he said that, he would surely make her misunderstand that he had ulterior motives and wanted to take the opportunity to approach her, Gu Mo. It was better not to say anything and just keep it in his heart.

Qi Jinglong thought about it afterward and felt that he could be considered to have made connections with everything and opened one orifice to open them all.

Baishou asked, “Liu, does your Taihui Sword Sect have any particularly beautiful girls? Uh, pretty girls about my age!”

Qi Jinglong asked, puzzled, “Why?”
White Head sighed, “Meeting me is truly pitiful for them; they are destined to be infatuated with a man who will not love them.”

Qi Jinglong chuckled, “Who taught you such words?”

White Head stated definitively, “That fellow who calls himself Chen the Good Samaritan!”

Qi Jinglong shook his head, then hesitated, unsure. That fellow would resort to any means to persuade others to drink, essentially pouring all his virtues into a wine pot, which could be drained in a single gulp. So he asked, “Did he really say that to you?”

White Head began to embellish the story.

Qi Jinglong smiled, realizing it wasn’t true.

White Head was puzzled, wondering how the surname Liu knew it wasn’t that fellow who had taught him.

Qi Jinglong gazed into the distance, “Wait, and go meet two seniors with me; remember to listen more and speak less.”

White Head slapped his forehead.

Upon hearing the word “senior,” he immediately felt a headache coming on.

Above a sea of golden clouds, two cultivators stood side by side.

One was a middle-aged man, slender and wearing a scholar’s robe, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist.

The other was an old cultivator, hunched over, carrying a long sword on his back.

The former was a sage from the academy, and the most famous one in the Northern Ju Continent, named Zhou Mi, from the Liji Academy of Middle Earth Divine Continent. Legend had it that the Grand Preceptor of the academy gifted this disciple the words “Restrain Anger.”

It was also this man who, after leaving the academy, still beat two outspoken cultivators into submission, loudly berating them with “Did you understand?” How could the two grand cultivators argue? They could only say they understood, only to be beaten again, with Zhou Mi exclaiming, “Bullshit, understand my ass!”

However, Qi Jinglong knew that this academy sage’s knowledge was truly profound, and not only in his specific field but also in Buddhist and Taoist teachings. He was once praised by someone as having “meticulous knowledge, airtight; gentle, kind, respectful, a pillar of talent.” In fact, if the sixteen-character assessment had only twelve, no one would question it in the slightest. Unfortunately, it was because of the “gentle, kind, respectful” that this Liji Academy scholar was highly controversial. Imagine, a disciple about to go to another continent as an academy sage, being given the words “Restrain Anger” by his own teacher – could that truly be considered gentle and respectful?

However, Zhou Mi himself was most proud of those four words. He never acknowledged the other twelve.

The other old cultivator with a sword on his back was named Dong Zhu, a sword cultivator in the Fallen Jade Realm. He was a grand cultivator who never founded a sect even after reaching the Immortal Realm, always considering himself a wild mountain cultivator. For over a century, he had been seriously injured and needed to recuperate on his own mountain, otherwise, every time he went out, he would suffer. This was why he had not traveled far to Upside-down Mountain. There were rumors that Sword Immortal Dong Zhu was actually the Dao instructor of the young wild cultivator Huang Xi, but neither of them ever confirmed or denied it, allowing the outside world to speculate wildly. Since Huang Xi was not a sword cultivator, most mountains believed this was nonsense.

During the battle between Qi Jinglong and Huang Xi, they also thought so.

However, after actually fighting, Qi Jinglong was a little unsure.

Because Huang Xi was indeed a sword cultivator, and possessed two natal flying swords.

The reason why Huang Xi was willing to reveal his identity as a sword cultivator, rather than directly fleeing far away, was naturally because his opponent was named Liu Jinglong.

In fact, Qi Jinglong had never mentioned half a word of this to anyone over the years.

Qi Jinglong brought the youth to a landing in front of the two seniors.

Qi Jinglong bowed to both of them.

Dong Zhu didn’t care much for formalities. A good young sword cultivator with the potential to reach the top of a continent, what was he learning? Why did he have to learn to be a scholar?

He really couldn’t stand it.

If it weren’t for the fact that the scholar Zhou Mi had discovered Qi Jinglong’s whereabouts and insisted on talking to him, Dong Zhu wouldn’t have bothered wasting half a word with this so-called land flood dragon.

If he really wanted to interact, it would be after Qi Jinglong broke through and entered the Jade Purity Realm, when Dong Zhu would go to the Taihui Sword Sect to ask for a sword fight!

White Head hated these tedious formalities, the messy exchanges of courtesy. The youth simply hid behind Qi Jinglong, acting like a wooden man. You don’t know me, and I don’t know you, what’s the point of exchanging pleasantries?

Qi Jinglong didn’t force the youth.

Everything would be discussed when they arrived at the Taihui Sword Sect.

The academy sage Zhou Mi, at first glance, was just an ordinary schoolteacher, with a refined appearance. Zhou Mi said bluntly, “Now that the two Sword Immortals of the Taihui Sword Sect are not on the mountain, and you are about to break through, do you need me to help you oversee the three sword challenges, in case someone uses this custom to deliberately suppress you and the Taihui Sword Sect?”

Qi Jinglong bowed again, and after standing up, smiled, “There’s no need for Mountain Lord Zhou to oversee. Three swords it shall be. Even if a senior Sword Immortal harbors selfish intentions, if I can’t block it, I can’t block it. I won’t blame fate or others.”

Zhou Mi turned and smiled, “Dong Old Man, what do you think?”

Dong Zhu grinned, “Alright, count me in. Add Li Cai of Floating Weed Sword Lake. The last one will be the most dangerous.”

Dong Zhu said to the green-robed young man, “Don’t thank me. When I ask for a sword, I won’t skimp on anything. Don’t you dare cry for your daddy and mommy when the time comes. I don’t have any illegitimate sons out there.”

Qi Jinglong nodded and said, “It’s better to be respectful than to decline. Then I won’t thank you.”

Zhou Mi smiled knowingly.

Dong Zhu reached out and rubbed his chin, “Why is this kid so deserving of a beating?”

Qi Jinglong smiled slightly, “Senior, allow me to break through first.”

The youth, who was pricking up his ears and hiding behind Qi Jinglong, muttered in his heart, “Beat him, beat him! Don’t dawdle! Beat the surname Liu, so I can run away!”

Zhou Mi laughed, “How did you take in such a disciple?”

Qi Jinglong said, “His heart isn’t bad; it’s the difficult ones who need to be taught well.”

Zhou Mi hummed in agreement, “There’s truth to that.”

White Head sighed.

Dong Zhu also felt bored.

Actually, this old and young pair probably had a lot to talk about.

Zhou Mi said, “Qi Jinglong, the purpose of this visit was for the matter of overseeing your breakthrough. Since it’s not needed, I’ll just save myself some effort.”

Qi Jinglong hesitated for a moment and asked, “Mountain Lord Zhou, may I ask about the outcome of something?”

Zhou Mi laughed, “You’re also concerned about this? How, do you have some connection with those two?”

Qi Jinglong thought of the guy who was beaten by Gu Sanquan and smiled, “A little.”

Zhou Mi said, “Let’s talk while we walk. I’ll also share some reading insights with you, to disgust Old Man Dong a little. That way, this trip won’t be in vain.”

Dong Zhu was helpless.

He happened to be fond of Zhou Mi’s bad temper; he brought it upon himself.
Dong Zhuo cared not to engage in philosophical discourse with these two lads who had clearly spent a fair amount of time with their noses in books.

He glanced askance at the youth.

The youth returned the sidelong glare.

Dong Zhuo widened his eyes, feigning surprise. “Well, well, little whelp, never heard of Dong, the Great Sword Immortal?”

The boy retorted with equal glare, “So what if I have? I have parents, ancestors, none of whom are kin to you.”

Dong Zhuo tutted. “A bold turtle egg, aren’t you?”

Bai Shou raised an eyebrow, “Once I ascend to the Upper Five Realms, care to test swords with me? Then you’ll see who’s truly bold.”

Dong Zhuo cuffed the boy on the head, sending him sprawling onto the ground, face first. He roared with laughter, “Do you even realize how ridiculous you sound? Like a babe still in diapers, pretending to be a seasoned lover amidst a bevy of beauties! Who taught you that? Your master, Liu Jinglong?”

Bai Shou rose to his feet, refraining from shouting threats at the old codger. He wasn’t a fool; a true man knows when to yield.

Bai Shou sneered, “That surname Liu is no master of mine. I have but one true master in this life, but I do have a drinking acquaintance I have yet to truly acknowledge, named Chen Haoren! Go find him if you dare. Bullying me won’t make you a real senior. One sword strike from him will have you howling for your mama, running with your tail between your legs!”

Qi Jinglong turned, frowning, “Bai Shou!”

The youth immediately adopted a sickly, subdued tone. “Alright, alright, Chen Haoren is…temporarily…not as good as the esteemed senior.”

Aboard the ferry, Chen Ping’an had finished reading the gazettes of mountains and rivers, failing to find the information he sought. The latest news from the Grand Seal Capital was conspicuously absent from the newest edition.

The battle between the Limit Martial Artist Gu and the Ape Cry Mountain Sword Immortal Ji Yue was reported, but their fates remained unknown.

Qi Jinglong had mentioned earlier that Gu was a cautious man, unlikely to engage in a mere impulsive act, or simply deliver himself to Jade Seal River to become Ji Yue’s whetstone.

Standing by the railing at the ferry’s prow, Chen Ping’an gleaned some useful tidbits from the gazettes. For example, in ten days’ time, at noon, a great battle would unfold on Tempering Mountain. The combatants, both of considerable renown, were the infamous rogue cultivator Huang Xi, and the female martial artist known as Embroiderer. Both were ranked among the top ten young talents of the Northern Ju Continent, closely positioned at fourth and fifth place, respectively. The gazettes offered conflicting accounts of the reason for their duel. One claimed Huang Xi had returned to his old ways and encountered the oddly named woman in the pugilistic world. Another suggested they had clashed over a celestial treasure within a fragmented paradise, and, unable to determine a victor, had agreed to settle the score at Tempering Mountain.

This battle was highly anticipated and certain to attract the attention of many Upper Five Realm cultivators.

One could easily imagine the mountain peak near Tempering Mountain, purchased by the Jade Forest Sect and adorned with numerous celestial mansions, was currently overflowing with spectators.

At the Void Hate shop on the Across-Continent Ferry of the Hemp Robe Sect, Chen Ping’an had purchased a spiritual artifact that mirrored the scenery of Tempering Mountain, a celadon-glazed brush washer of lustrous sheen. Although it was initially presented as a purchase, he later learned that the cost could be billed to Cloud-Draped Mountain.

Surprisingly, the gazettes also contained several stories about Treasure Bottle Continent, and of considerable length.

This indicated a shift in perception towards the once-scorned Treasure Bottle Continent. With the iron hooves of the Grand Li Song Dynasty poised to trample from the northernmost reaches to the ancient Dragon City in the south, cultivators from other continents were beginning to recognize the significance of this smallest of the Vast World’s continents.

The true master of the Grand Li iron cavalry, the Limit Martial Artist Song Changjing.

And the Snow Wind Temple Sword Immortal Wei Jin, who challenged Heaven Sovereign Xie Shi before departing for the Sword Qi Great Wall.

These two were undoubtedly of great merit.

Then there was Ma Kuxuan of the True Martial Mountain, who, within a mere six months, had slain two powerful Golden Core Sword Cultivators of the Vermillion Canopy Dynasty. He had been lauded by the Northern Ju Continent gazettes as the number one young cultivator of Treasure Bottle Continent. Furthermore, he had single-handedly destroyed the Sea Tide Iron Cavalry, bringing shame upon the family that had wronged him. A young female cultivator, who had narrowly escaped death, had instead become Ma Kuxuan’s personal attendant. In the opinion of one gazette’s author, Ma Kuxuan, such a divinely favored being, should never have been born in Treasure Bottle Continent. He should have followed the example of He Xiaoliang, the female sect leader of the Pure Cool Sect, and established roots in Northern Ju Continent, founding his own sect. It was a waste for a dragon destined to stir up oceans to thrash about in the shallow pond that was Treasure Bottle Continent.

The author even announced that he would soon be writing about the top ten young cultivators of Treasure Bottle Continent, and comparing them with their Northern Ju Continent counterparts.

These writings from the Northern Ju Continent gazettes inevitably carried a hint of condescension towards the cultivators of Treasure Bottle Continent.

However, this was a far cry from the earlier days, when they barely glanced at it, or even bothered to mention it.

In other news, Wei Bo, the Great Deity of Grand Li’s Northern Peak, was on the verge of breaking through, with auspicious omens appearing throughout his domain, clearly indicating his imminent ascension to the Upper Five Realm mountain deity status. This further showcased the flourishing national fortune of the Grand Li Song Dynasty, which should not be underestimated. The gazette then reminded the numerous merchants of Northern Ju Continent to invest in the Grand Li Dynasty early, lest they miss out on the profits. The Hemp Robe Sect was subtly mentioned, with praise for Sect Leader Zhu Quan, as the Skeletal Sands Wooden Garment Mountain had apparently taken the lead, with the Across-Continent Ferry seemingly forging some connection with the Northern Peak of Grand Li.

Furthermore, the gazettes dedicated considerable space to the Lower Sect of the Jade Standard Sect of Willow Leaf Continent, the True Mirror Sect, which had chosen to establish its headquarters at the Book Brief Lake.

As Chen Ping’an read these words, he could almost feel the author’s grinding teeth.

There was nothing to be done about it.

The first sect leader of the True Mirror Sect was named Jiang Shangzhen, a troublemaker whose cultivation realm was not that high, but he was the reason that Northern Ju Continent was at a complete loss.

This fellow alone had brought misfortune to three of the early ten fairies of Northern Ju Continent, and rumors suggested that two other stunningly beautiful female cultivators of the major sects also had associations with Jiang Shangzhen, although the details of those heartbreaking love affairs remained unclear.
Therefore, the end of the court gazette heavily criticized the Great Li iron cavalry and the Song Dynasty’s new emperor, calling them all “shit-eaters” for watching the True Realm Sect smoothly select a site and establish itself in the central, vital region of Bottle Continent. If the Great Li Song family colluded with Jiang Shangzhen in secret, they were not only “shit-eaters” but also “urine-drinkers.” What great cause wouldn’t they plan with someone else, but instead chose to do business with a treacherous villain like Jiang Shangzhen? Was it not like seeking the skin of a tiger? From this, it could be seen that the treacherous prodigal of the Great Li, who betrayed his master and annihilated his ancestors, was not much smarter either. Even if he was lucky enough to seize the merits of Heaven and swallow an entire continent, he would not be able to hold onto his empire, but would only be a flash in the pan.

The mountain and river court gazette was originally meticulously worded, well-reasoned, and beautifully phrased.

However, when it came to the True Realm Sect and Jiang Shangzhen, it began to fall apart, full of curses and complaints, like a literate market woman.

Chen Ping’an was very curious about the source of these mountain and river court gazettes.

Back in Jian Lake, he only knew some superficial details.

Even earlier, in Lotus Blossom Paradise, there was a Respectful Tower shrouded in clouds and mist, dedicated to collecting and gathering secrets of the martial world.

Chen Ping’an returned to the ferryboat’s cabin and took out a booklet written by the ferryboat itself, a small collection describing scenic spots along the way.

After departing from Peach Blossom Ford, the first scenic spot was a celestial sect on the border of Water Cloud Kingdom, named Cloudtop City. Its founding ancestor, through a stroke of luck, traveled far to Flowing Glow Continent and obtained a half-refined sea of clouds from a broken blessed land. Initially, it only had a territory of ten li in radius, but later, it established a sect on the border of Water Cloud Kingdom, where water transportation was relatively abundant. Through the continuous refinement and blessing of successive ancestors, absorbing the essence of water mist and stabilizing the sea of clouds with cloud-seal talismans, the sea of clouds now had a radius of over thirty li.

The ferryboat would stop at Cloudtop City for six hours, hovering at the edge of the city.

Before dawn, the ferryboat slowly came to a halt.

Chen Ping’an stopped his three-stances-as-one boxing stance, returning to his senses from the mysterious state of half-sleep and half-wake. He walked out of the cabin with a bundle on his back.

Outside Cloudtop City was a market where rogue cultivators gathered, trading mountain goods with fellow stall owners.

Chen Ping’an took out some inexpensive immortal items from his Diminutive Storage, leftovers that he hadn’t left at the Old Locust Street Ant Shop. Their quality wasn’t great, but they were relatively rare and had a pleasing “appearance,” suitable for selling to fools who thought they were worth a fortune. However, this time, he was selling several talismans unrelated to the *True Traces of the Book of Pills*, mostly from the secret manuals of the array master among the first batch of Deer Severing Mountain assassins. Among them, three were the Heavenly Thunder Division Talisman, the Great River Overflows Talisman, and the Soil Grabbing Talisman, which were somewhat effective in combat.

Before Qi Jinglong left, he also taught Chen Ping’an two unorthodox Barrier-Breaking Talismans, named “Bai Ze’s Road Guide Talisman” and “Sword Qi Crossing Bridge Talisman,” which he had learned from ancient books himself. They didn’t involve sect secrets, and although their quality wasn’t high, outsiders couldn’t steal the technique even if they bought the talismans, because there were many tricks to drawing them, the strokes were complicated, and their principles differed greatly from those of the major talisman lineages. It was only because Qi Jinglong explained them carefully and helped Chen Ping’an repeatedly deduce them that Chen Ping’an learned these two talismans.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an always felt it was a pity that Qi Jinglong didn’t become a teacher at the academy.

A martial artist drawing talismans relied on pure true qi, but the talismans didn’t last long, only capable of opening mountains but not sealing them. However, the benefit was that it didn’t consume the spiritual qi of a cultivator’s qi palace, and drawing talismans itself was an uncommon form of martial arts cultivation, able to temper that true qi. However, Chen Ping’an found that after reaching the third stage of Qi Refining, drawing talismans was much smoother, but the benefit to his physical body was already extremely subtle. Chen Ping’an was unwilling to waste too much cinnabar and talisman paper, because a talisman that couldn’t retain spiritual qi was equivalent to losing immortal money every moment.

Moreover, once a real battle started, his talisman skills were not enough, not even a icing on the cake, but would delay the battle.

However, a cultivator drawing talismans inherently sealed them, and the spiritual qi of the talisman core dissipated very slowly. Legend has it that the Old Ancestor of demon slaying, the Celestial Master’s Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain, had a forbidden land. Each talisman required the blessing of successive Grand Celestial Masters every sixty years. Historically, the Celestial Master’s Mansion had experienced a major crisis. After the Old Celestial Master ascended, the selection of the new Celestial Master was undecided, just at the key moment of the sixty-year talisman stacking period. However, without a new Celestial Master, the Celestial Master’s Seal would never be handed over to others, so the new talisman could not be completed, causing a slight flaw in the extremely old talisman. Taking the opportunity, a great demon, suppressed for countless years, escaped from it and disappeared without a trace. For this reason, the first thing the new Celestial Master did after succeeding was to personally take the immortal sword and the seal and travel to White Emperor City, having an unpleasant parting with the city lord of White Emperor City.

Chen Ping’an sold talismans, all of which were drawn after the formation of a mountain and river pattern with a water palace and mountain shrine. Otherwise, he would be cheating people. Although the Bundle Shop’s business relied on the discerning eyes of both buyer and seller, similar to antique transactions in the secular market, where there were lucky finds and misjudgments, Chen Ping’an was still willing to talk about martial ethics.

Talking about ethics required spending money.

Because these talismans required Chen Ping’an to expend a considerable amount of water palace spiritual qi. However, there were gains and losses. What was lost was some of the accumulation in the small pond of the water palace, but what was gained was the ability to try to gradually develop a fundamental vein for the operation of the water palace’s small world, forming something like a water vein hidden in rivers and lakes. Therefore, the green-clad pageboys actually had no objection to this, but instead strongly supported Chen Ping’an’s drawing of talismans.

On the path of cultivation, how to view gains and losses was to ask the Dao.

As for the balance between gains and losses, Chen Ping’an needed to draw talismans for a long time, constantly exploring and pondering. Fortunately, the blue-clad pageboys in the water palace would also remind him.

Chen Ping’an, dressed in a black mage robe and holding a green bamboo staff, walked out of the cabin and looked up.

In the secular dynasty, “there are houses in the depths of white clouds,” but on the mountain, the celestial families truly had cities above the white clouds.

Outside the city was a brightly lit market town.

Cloudtop City was an important place for cultivation, heavily guarded, and rarely allowed outsiders to enter. Perhaps one side of the water and soil nurtured one side of the people. Cloudtop City, which was in the jurisdiction of Water Cloud Kingdom like Scarlet Finch Prefecture, also refined mage robes, named Flowing Cloud Robes. However, their quantity and quality were far inferior to those of Scarlet Finch Prefecture. Their reputation was not great, and business was mediocre. Most of the lower-fifth-realm cultivators on small mountain peaks along the Great Torrent, especially those rogue cultivators in mountains and swamps, would weigh their purses and buy one.
Perhaps it was due to the limited financial resources of the sect that the makeshift market of peddlers had sprung up.

Not only established shops, but even itinerant stalls needed to pay a fee in “immortal coins” to Cloud Citadel.

The ferry halted fifty zhang away from the cloud sea, unable to approach any closer.

Otherwise, if the bow of the ship accidentally bumped into the cloud sea, or if the ship drifted too close and made contact, even the slightest friction would cause fundamental damage to Cloud Citadel.

Therefore, those disembarking could soar through the air, ride spiritual birds and beasts, whatever they pleased.

However, for pure martial artists below the Golden Body Realm, this distance of fifty zhang was no easy feat.

Chen Pingan took a deep breath, retreated a few steps, then charged forward, leaping high, stepping on the ship’s railing, using the momentum to leap across, landing gracefully with a few wobbles before finally standing firm.

On this ferry belonging to a subsidiary immortal clan of the Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven, the woman in charge, with a matronly face, reached out to her friend and said with a smile, “Pay up.”

The two had bet on whether the sword-carrying young man who boarded at Painted Sparrow Prefecture’s Peach Blossom Ferry was a mountain sword cultivator or a Jianghu swordsman.

The ferry woman guessed he was a pure martial artist traveling with a sword, while the old cultivator of the Ocean Gazing Realm suspected he was a young sword cultivator concealing his true abilities.

The old cultivator shook his head and said, “What if he deliberately put on a deceptive act?”

This was just stubbornness; he clearly intended to welch on the bet.

The woman scoffed, “Our continent’s young sword cultivators, those sword seedlings, aren’t they all at least Cave Mansion Realm cultivators, with the bearing of earth immortals and the arrogance of Upper Five Realms? Is he like that?”

The old cultivator said with a straight face, “The world is vast, isn’t it normal for someone to hide their talent, restrain their sharpness, and be cautious in their travels?”

The woman in charge retorted angrily, “Stop talking nonsense! Pay up! One Lesser Heat coin!”

The old cultivator sighed, took out an immortal coin, and slammed it heavily into the woman’s palm, then rode the wind towards Cloud Citadel. The old cultivator was disembarking here to buy a better-quality Flowing Cloud Robe for his direct disciple. After all, those women from Painted Sparrow Prefecture were too unscrupulous in business; their goods were good, but the prices were too high. The old cultivator had no choice but to settle for second best.

He had made a deposit with a Cloud Citadel robe-making workshop many years ago, so the style and cloud seal inscriptions were all customized. He could also add some natural treasures to enhance the robe’s effects. After that, he, as the master, had to work hard and travel around, earning money from all directions. He had diligently accumulated for decades, finally scraping together enough immortal coins by the time his prized disciple reached the Cave Mansion Realm. Cultivation was not easy.

Especially for those with a small mountain peak, acting as the head of a household, dragging their families along, even basic necessities were a worry.

The woman in charge was just about to rejoice when she suddenly realized that the weight of the immortal coin in her hand was off, and the spiritual energy didn’t match a Lesser Heat coin. She looked down and immediately cursed.

It was just a Snowfall coin.

But the old cultivator had already gathered his strength and was flying swiftly past the market, heading straight for Cloud Citadel.

After cursing, the woman felt a little better. She smiled again, thinking it was a great accomplishment to pluck a feather from this famously stingy person, even if it was just a Snowfall coin.

She was a Golden Core cultivator; for a cross-continental ferry, a Golden Core in charge was sufficient.

Moreover, the status of a Golden Core cultivator from Dragon Palace Grotto-Heaven could be considered equivalent to a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Because behind her, besides her own sect, she also had “kinship” with the Great Yuan Dynasty’s Cloud Firmament Palace and Floating Duckweed Sword Lake.

For mountain cultivators, a business relationship that could earn money, especially big money, was more reliable than the relationships of ruler and subject, or husband and wife, down in the mortal world.

As for the old cultivator she had known for a long time, his prospects were not good. He already looked so old at the Ocean Gazing Realm.

Back then, this person was not stingy at all, but rather very carefree and romantic, a heroic figure.

But the passage of over a hundred years seemed to have worn everything away.

He was no longer young and handsome, nor did he have the ambition of those years. He had become an old cultivator who often visited the residences of powerful figures in the mortal world, seeking treasures and wealth in the mountains and rivers.

But she still liked him.

As for whether she only liked the man from back then, or liked the current old man as well, she couldn’t tell herself.

Chen Pingan entered the market and found an empty space on the bustling street, where there were many pedestrians. He opened his package and set up his stall, with a large piece of azure cotton cloth he had prepared long ago.

Opposite and beside him were fellow traders, some energetically hawking their wares, some waiting for customers to bite, and some yawning listlessly.

Soon, a young man and woman wearing pure white robes came over to collect the fee: one Snowfall coin per day.

Chen Pingan asked if it was possible to pay half price if he stayed for four or five hours.

The young male cultivator smiled and shook his head, saying that one Snowfall coin was the minimum.

Chen Pingan didn’t say anything more and handed over a Snowfall coin. The gloomy tea sold on the other side of the Shaking River in the Bone Beach at the southernmost tip of the continent had similar rules.

Chen Pingan asked a few more questions about the prices for renting or buying shops in Cloud Citadel’s market.

The young male cultivator told him everything in detail, with a friendly demeanor. Shops were divided into different grades, and there were price differences between renting and buying.

In the end, this out-of-town peddler who had come to try his luck didn’t mention shops again, but the young male cultivator didn’t change his expression. He even said a festive blessing of “May your business prosper” to this young wild cultivator from the mountains and swamps.

Chen Pingan squatted down and began to arrange his goods: single copies of the Divine Woman Picture from Wall Painting City, a collection of “great demons” including the Summer Heat Avoiding Matron from Bone Beach, and a few items from the underwater Dragon Palace of Azure Ripple Lake, a scattered collection of more than twenty items, all far from being considered magic treasures. But the majority were still those talismans, five kinds of talismans, arranged neatly on the unfolded azure cloth like an army of soldiers.

Chen Pingan looked up. The young man and woman from Cloud Citadel were walking side by side, slowly moving away down the street.

The young man seemed to…