Chen Pingan wasn’t truly greedy for wine, but he felt it was outrageous that he, selling wine on his own turf, couldn’t even get half a bowl to drink. Was this just about half a bowl or a full bowl?

Thus, Chen Pingan, with considerable effort, persuaded two familiar sword cultivators who were glaring at him while drinking, eating noodles, and picking at dishes, into becoming his shills. They had lost a lot of immortal money gambling. His price for letting them freeload on wine was an implicit promise that if any bastard ever tried to fix the odds and make dirty money again, he, as the second-in-charge, could lead everyone to get rich. As a result, both sword cultivators fought to buy Chen Pingan wine, not the cheapest Bamboo Sea Grotto Heaven brew either. In the end, the two penniless drunkard gamblers insisted on pooling their money to buy a pot that cost five snowflake coins, claiming that if the second-in-charge didn’t drink it, he was disrespecting them and looking down on his friends.

Chen Pingan put down his bowl and chopsticks, waiting quietly for someone to bring the wine. He felt a little lonely. With so many friends, it was hard to avoid drinking.

Earlier, on the city wall, Yuan Zaozao, that tomboy, had mentioned the top ten sword immortals with the greatest killing power in the Sword Qi Great Wall. Chen Pingan’s own list was not that different.

First-rank sword immortal, Dong Sangeng, Ah Liang, the Hidden Official, Chen Xi, Qi Tingji, Zuo You, Nalan Shaowei, Old Deaf, and Lu Zhi.

Chen Qingdu’s killing power, once he fully unleashed his sword, was never precisely defined, often existing only in the romantic language and imagination of generations of children.

Dong Guanpu’s collusion with the demon race, resulting in his being personally slain by the first-rank sword immortal, had weakened the Dong family’s standing in the Sword Qi Great Wall. Dong Sangeng seemed to rarely appear these days. His recent appearance at the send-off banquet for the Taiwei Sword Sect’s Sword Immortal Huang Tong was an exception.

Ah Liang was no longer at the Sword Qi Great Wall, wearing a bamboo hat, a bamboo sword at his side. Later, he’d swindled a donkey and a silver-white sword-nourishing gourd from Wei Jin, and then he’d met a straw-sandaled youth with a cotton-padded little girl.

The Hidden Official’s battle prowess was self-evident. The only question was, how high was the Hidden Official’s peak strength? Because no one had ever seen the Hidden Official’s natal flying sword. Whether at the Ning mansion or the wine shop, Chen Pingan, at least, had never heard of it. Even if wine drinkers mentioned the Hidden Official, a careful observer would notice that the Hidden Official seemed to be the least like a sword cultivator among the sword immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Xi was the current head of the Chen family, but in the eyes of the first-rank sword immortal, he could never hold his head high. Even though he had carved the character “Chen”, in front of Chen Qingdu, he still seemed like an un-grown child. Thus, the Chen family was the least likely among all the major clans in the Sword Qi Great Wall to go to the city walls.

Qi Tingji, Chen Pingan had seen him the first time he came to the Sword Qi Great Wall. While Chen Pingan was practicing his fist techniques on the city walls, he’d seen a handsome “young” sword immortal, the head of the Qi family.

Zuo You, his eldest martial brother, needed no further explanation.

Nalan Shaowei had been in seclusion for a long time. The Nalan family was a first-class clan in the Sword Qi Great Wall, but Nalan Shaowei’s long absence had made the family seem somewhat subdued. As for whether Nalan Yexing was a member of the Nalan family, Chen Pingan hadn’t asked and wouldn’t deliberately investigate. In life, one could question everything, but there had to be a few people and things that were sacred in one’s heart.

Old Deaf was the rumored old sword cultivator of demon-race origin, who oversaw the prison holding many great demons.

Lu Zhi, now almost forgotten as a rogue cultivator from the Vast Heaven, had come to the Sword Qi Great Wall at the Golden Core Realm, breaking through realm after realm, with distinguished battle merits.

Every defense of the city was a deadly battle for her.

Ah Liang had once drank with her, saying a playful sentence that had somehow spread, even though it was just the two of them drinking.

“Those who live apart from the herd are either beasts or gods.”

Dong Bude and Diezhang admired Lu Zhi the most.

When Ah Liang was drinking, he swore and slammed the table, cursing, “Who was that shameless sword immortal who eavesdropped on my conversation with Lu Zhi! Are those private words with a maiden to be casually spread, even if they were extremely learned, flavorful, and stylish? Did they get my permission or Lu Zhi’s?”

Chen Pingan, drinking free wine, thought that at his young age, being ranked eleventh in Yuan Zaozao’s eyes wasn’t bad.

A drunkard asked casually, “Second-in-charge, I heard you have a sword immortal friend from the Northern Entirety Continent. He’s quite skilled at slaying demons and drinking, right?”

Chen Pingan stroked his chin, considered carefully, and nodded, “All of you combined wouldn’t be enough for him to beat, probably.”

Naturally, no one believed him.

Zhang Jiazhen, amidst the noisy clamor, looked at the Chen gentleman who was lost in thought.

It seemed that at this moment, Mr. Chen wanted to drink with that person?

Chen Pingan smiled and turned to look at the small street, envisioning a scene.

Qi Jinglong and Cao Qinglang walked side by side.

Chen Pingan drank a bowl of wine for it, picked up his bowl and chopsticks and wine jug, stood up, and said loudly, “Everyone, the wine today!”

All the wine drinkers instantly fell silent.

What’s this? Is the sun rising in the west today? Is the second-in-charge treating?

Unexpectedly, the fellow smiled and said, “Remember to pay the bill!”

For the next three days, the one named Liu patiently accompanied Jin Su and several other Osmanthus Flower Maidens to visit all the scenic spots of the Upside-down Mountain. Bai Shou wasn’t very interested in Facing Incense Pavilion or Lingzhi Zhai. Even the Sword-Respecting Pavilion, hanging with portraits of many sword immortals, didn’t move him much. Ultimately, the youth hadn’t truly regarded himself as a sword cultivator. Bai Shou still longed for Thunder Marsh Terrace the most, with its crackling, flashing, and thundering. It looked like it had potential. He’d heard that the female martial goddess from the Central Earth Continent had recently refined her sword there. Unfortunately, those elder sisters at Thunder Marsh Terrace were purely catering to the boy’s feelings, only staying a little longer before heading to Elk Cliff. They immediately started chattering like warblers, ying ying and yan yan. At the foot of Elk Cliff, there was an entire street of shops with a heavy smell of cosmetics. Even Jin Su, who was relatively stable, couldn’t control her purse when she got to the shops. Bai Shou rolled his eyes at that. Women, sigh.

Qi Jinglong still followed slowly at the end, carefully observing each attraction. Even when wandering through the shops at the foot of Elk Cliff, he was still very attentive, occasionally helping the Osmanthus Flower Maidens to check things out.

Bai Shou had figured it out. At least two Osmanthus Flower Maidens had thoughts about the one named Liu. When they spoke to him, their voices were especially soft and their eyes were especially focused.
Bai Shou found it strange indeed. They didn’t know who this “Liu” fellow was, nor anything about the Taihui Sword Sect, let alone the terrestrial dragon of Beiju Luzhou. He seemed like nothing more than a pedantic scholar with little coin. How could they be so infatuated? Could this Liu fellow’s Natal Flying Sword’s innate ability be to make women swoon? If that were the case, Bai Shou thought, he might actually study swordsmanship under him with dedication.

Regardless, nothing untoward occurred.

Qi Jinglong wouldn’t openly tell the youth that two groups had surreptitiously trailed them, only to be scared off by him.

Once, he released a sliver of his Golden Core Sword Cultivator aura, but the lurkers remained persistent. Soon after, an old man appeared. Qi Jinglong, as a gesture of hospitality, had to add another realm to his display.

And then there was nothing more.

Bai Shou outwardly acted as if he was idly following them, hands behind his head, even helping them carry things. In truth, as a direct disciple of the Taihui Sword Sect’s Ancestral Hall, he was more akin to an assassin from the early days of Gulu Mountain, cautiously observing the surroundings.

Qi Jinglong was actually somewhat gratified.

Many a true intention revealed in subtle actions.

Since the Fu family was destined to make no waves on his, Qi Jinglong’s, side, could Bai Shou rest easy, entirely unconcerned, leisurely picking and choosing, or grumbling to his heart’s content, and tour the Upside-Down Mountain at his leisure?

Even within his own Taihui Sword Sect, how many direct disciples, after becoming disciples, underwent subtle, unconscious shifts in their minds? Their words and deeds might seem as usual, respectful, and abiding by the rules, but in reality, there were subtle traces of deviations in their mental journeys. One misstep, over time, and life would veer off course. Qi Jinglong, in the Taihui Sword Sect and on Pianran Peak, in between his own cultivation, would try his best to help his fellow junior disciples safeguard their clear minds. However, some things involved the very foundation of the Great Dao, and he still couldn’t say or do much.

Therefore, Qi Jinglong didn’t particularly like the terms “Divine Immortal Seed” and “Innate Sword Embryo.”

Jin Su and the others returned laden with purchases, everyone content. After this brief excursion, even Jin Su’s impression of Qi Jinglong had changed significantly. Upon parting, she sincerely thanked him.

Qi Jinglong escorted them all the way to the Catch-and-Release Pavilion before taking Bai Shou to the Crane Pavilion Inn to settle the bill. He planned to stay at the Spring Banner Residence, but upon returning to the inn, the youth was beside himself with glee.

Because standing inside the inn was a familiar woman of extraordinary beauty, none other than Lu Sui, the Water Scripture Mountain Fairy, eighth among the younger generation in Beiju Luzhou, and hailed as the most fitting divine couple for Liu Jinglong of the Taihui Sword Sect.

Lu Sui said softly, “Jinglong, the Spring Banner Residence heard you and Bai Shou had been at Upside-Down Mountain for three days, so they asked me to urge you to come. I’ve already settled the bill, I hope you don’t mind?”

Qi Jinglong sighed inwardly, smiling and shaking his head. It seemed that saying he minded or didn’t mind would both be wrong, so he simply remained silent.

Whenever this happened, Qi Jinglong missed Chen Pingan somewhat.

The innkeeper was greatly surprised. The Spring Banner Residence had personally come to invite him?

This young man in green robes had quite the airs about him!

The Spring Banner Residence, the Ape Kneading Mansion, and other renowned private estates with their eyes set high above, usually wouldn’t even open their doors to teams led by cultivators below the Fifth Realm.

Qi Jinglong smiled and bid farewell to the innkeeper.

The young innkeeper leaned on the counter, smiling and nodding. As a small-time innkeeper, there was no need to be overly polite with such celestial beings. He wouldn’t want to fawn over them to no avail. Besides, he didn’t enjoy bowing and scraping. Earning a little money and living a stable life was enough. It was good enough to occasionally see young people like Chen Pingan and Qi Jinglong, shrouded in mist and clouds. Maybe when they became famous later, the business of the Crane Pavilion Inn would rise with the tide.

However, gaining some fame in the Upside-Down Mountain, a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, was no easy feat.

Before arriving at the Spring Banner Residence, Bai Shou chatted enthusiastically with Lu Sui the whole way. Bai Shou had always yearned for Water Scripture Mountain, with its many beautiful older sisters.

The youth wasn’t truly a philanderer; he simply enjoyed it when women liked him.

Lu Sui was also more talkative than usual, not as cold and aloof as the Lu Fairy who was single-mindedly focused on the Dao.

Bai Shou was greatly saddened, feeling injustice for Lu Fairy. That “Liu” fellow actually didn’t like her! He deserved to remain a bachelor and be force-fed alcohol to death by Xu Xingjiu of Cloudtop City twice over.

The owner of the Spring Banner Residence, Shao Yunyan, made a rare appearance, personally hosting Qi Jinglong.

Lu Sui brewed tea for the two vastly different aged Sword Immortals, while young Bai Shou felt somewhat uneasy.

For some reason, Bai Shou felt no awe towards the Taihui Sword Sect, and even less fear towards the “Liu” fellow. But after seeing the Law Enforcement Ancestor, Sword Immortal Huang Tong, last time, Bai Shou had begun to panic.

In fact, Bai Shou was even more afraid of meeting Sect Leader Han Huaizi on this trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Seeing Shao Yunyan, the owner of the Spring Banner Residence, sitting opposite his master at this moment, Bai Shou felt equally uncomfortable.

These were, after all, Sword Immortals of legend.

Great figures who stood at the pinnacle of Beiju Luzhou, a place teeming with sword cultivators.

As for why his own master was also a Sword Immortal, whom he lived with day and night, addressing him as “Liu” this and “Liu” that, Bai Shou never felt this fear, but the youth had never deeply contemplated this.

Looking at his master before him, he was the same as how he was with Jin Su and the other small cultivators of Osmanthus Island, and he remained the same even now, meeting the Sword Immortal owner at the Spring Banner Residence.

Receiving a cup of tea from Lu Sui with a smile, Bai Shou lowered his head and drank, gradually calming down.

Qi Jinglong mentioned the matter of ordering the Sword-Nurturing Calabash.

Shao Yunyan smiled and agreed, even offering an extremely fair price.

Qi Jinglong thanked him.

Bai Shou, upon hearing the number before the Valley Rain Coin, instantly broke out in a sweat.

Shao Yunyan said, “Aside from business, the Taihui Sword Sect owes me no favors, but you, Qi Daoist friend, do owe me one. To be frank, assuming fourteen gourds are refined successfully into seven Sword-Nurturing Calabashes, all of them have been pre-ordered for a millennium, and there’s no turning back. It was only when one of the previous buyers couldn’t fulfill the purchase that you had the chance to inquire, and I dared to nod in agreement. Within a millennium, repay the favor with a single strike of your sword. And rest assured, Daoist friend, the strike will surely be justified, and I will never put you in a difficult position.”

Qi Jinglong smiled, “Agreed.”

Then Qi Jinglong hesitated for a moment, “If the number of Sword-Nurturing Calabashes exceeds seven, may I pre-order another one?”

Shao Yunyan smiled subtly, “Only those who can afford it will get them. I believe it will be difficult for Daoist friend Qi to get his wish.”
Some truths, though Shao Yunyan didn’t explicitly state them, were that even with an advanced order for a gourd of sword-nurturing, not everyone could obtain it. Qi Jinglong’s acquisition of this gourd stemmed from three reasons: Chunfanzhai and Shao Yunyan himself favored Qi Jinglong, already a Jade Purity Realm sword cultivator, for his future achievements on the Grand Dao. Secondly, Qi Jinglong was highly likely to become the next Sect Master of the Taiwei Sword Sect. Thirdly, Shao Yunyan, hailing from the Northern Ju Continent himself, considered it a minor act of fellowship.

These unspoken words were unnecessary, as the young Land Dragon understood them well.

Qi Jinglong said, “Indeed, this junior overthought things.”

Shao Yunyan smiled, “Thanks to Fellow Daoist Qi, I was able to drink Lu girl’s tea.”

Lu Sui was the most favored direct disciple of the Water Mirror Mountain Sect Master.

And the only person Shao Yunyan had ever truly felt indebted to was Lu Sui’s master.

Back then, the Innate Treasure Gourd Vine in Chunfanzhai was obtained by them through a stroke of luck, arguably with her contributing more. However, due to various reasons, they failed to become immortal partners. She never wavered in her decision regarding the ownership of the gourd vine, which only amplified Shao Yunyan’s unease. Therefore, he regarded her esteemed disciple, Lu Sui, with whom he shared no children, almost as his own daughter. Moreover, Lu Sui’s infatuation with Liu Jinglong mirrored Shao Yunyan’s past with Lu Sui’s master.

Bai Shou felt a bit awkward. Why did this Sword Immortal address Qi Jinglong in two different ways, once by name and once as “Fellow Daoist,” much like Chen Ping’an?

Regarding this matter, Bai Shou had heard some rumors on Pianran Peak. Apparently, the one surnamed Liu originally bore the surname Qi before ascending the mountain for cultivation. When registering at the Ancestral Hall, he had written Liu Jinglong instead.

After drinking the tea and finalizing the ownership of the sword-nurturing gourd, Shao Yunyan soon took his leave.

Lu Sui remained to brew tea.

Bai Shou found the brewing skills of this fairy-like lady truly pleasing to the eye.

Lu Sui smiled gently, “Jinglong, have you discerned any secrets of the Upside-Down Mountain?”

Qi Jinglong nodded, “The Eight Scenic Spots, including the Capture-Release Pavilion and the Teacher-Sword Chamber, are eight key points of a grand formation. The Upside-Down Mountain is not merely a mountain-shaped seal; it has long been a refined and fortified immortal weapon. As for the origin of the formation, it should be one of the three ancient methods left by Mr. Three Mountains and Nine Marquis, its greatest ingenuity lying in using the mountain to refine water, reversing the natural order. Once activated, it possesses the divine power to overturn heaven and earth.”

Lu Sui’s eyes sparkled. Even if she only glanced at the one surnamed Liu before lowering her head to watch the fire, she couldn’t hide the myriad emotions of a woman’s heart.

Qi Jinglong, however, was absorbed in contemplating the Upside-Down Mountain’s grand formation.

Bai Shou was so exasperated that he wanted to smash the one surnamed Liu on the head with a hammer.

Lu Sui seemed to remember something suddenly, “My master is a close friend of Immortal Li, which happens to align with your journey to the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Accompanying me on my travels through the Upside-Down Mountain is that girl, Longcong. Jinglong, you should have met her. This time, I am accompanying her on her travels through the Upside-Down Mountain.”

Qi Jinglong nodded.

He seemed to consider it a matter of course.

Bai Shou felt utterly exhausted watching from the side, and he downed the tea in his cup in one gulp. How did the Lu Fairy come to the Upside-Down Mountain, and why is she going to the Great Wall of Sword Qi? Can’t you figure it out?

You’re still nodding! Nod your great-grandfather’s head!

It’s not that Bai Shou is siding with outsiders, but my brother Chen truly surpasses you, surnamed Liu, by leaps and bounds!

Forget it, I’ll wait until I see Chen Ping’an again.

At that time, this Great Master Bai will humble himself a bit and request my good brother Chen Ping’an to impart three or five successes worth of his power to you.

Lu Sui, however, was used to it. As she refilled Qi Jinglong’s tea, she said softly, “Over at the Water Crystal Palace, I heard that a genius martial artist from the Central Earth Continent has arrived. He ascended to the Golden Body Realm from the strongest Sixth Realm and broke through his bottleneck in the Golden Armor Continent, having received much guidance from Cao Ci. This time, that woman wants to go to the city wall to learn how Cao Ci practiced his fist techniques there for several years.”

Qi Jinglong smiled, “I have a friend who is also practicing his fist techniques at the Great Wall of Sword Qi now. Perhaps they will meet.”

Bai Shou couldn’t help but feel uneasy whenever he heard about a pure martial artist, especially a female one.

Lu Sui asked curiously, “Is it Chen Ping’an from Treasure Bottle Continent?”

Last time at the Sanlang Temple, Qi Jinglong had mentioned this name. It seemed that Qi Jinglong had gone to Hate Sword Mountain and Sanlang Temple to buy things for Chen Ping’an before the three sword duels. Therefore, Lu Sui had a very deep impression of this person.

Qi Jinglong nodded with a smile.

Lu Sui smiled, “I’m starting to get curious about this Chen Ping’an myself. He must be quite remarkable to earn Jinglong’s admiration.”

Qi Jinglong still didn’t say anything.

Bai Shou couldn’t help but say, “Sister Lu, my good brother doesn’t have any special talents, except for his ability to persuade people to drink, which is unmatched in the world!”

Qi Jinglong turned his head and looked at Bai Shou with a smile.

The young man, full of righteousness, said decisively, “This Chen Ping’an’s drinking manners are just too bad! Having such a brother makes me feel ashamed and indignant!”

Lu Sui couldn’t help but laugh and cry. How did Jinglong find such a ne’er-do-well disciple?

On the city wall,

Sword Immortal Ku Xia was instructing Lin Junbi, Yan Lu, and their group in swordsmanship. Ku Xia was teaching a sword technique that the Great Wall of Sword Qi permitted external sword cultivators to study.

Everyone sat on futons, listening attentively to the guidance of Sword Immortal Ku Xia.

Ku Xia first elucidated the general meaning of the sword doctrine, then broke down a series of key acupoints, explaining the methods of spiritual energy circulation, traction, and resonance in extremely fine detail. He then allowed everyone to inquire about their respective confusions or raise self-perceived bottlenecks. Ku Xia mostly let Lin Junbi, who possessed the best aptitude and comprehension, answer these questions on his behalf. If Lin Junbi’s explanations were insufficient, Ku Xia would supplement them, checking for omissions and filling gaps.

The strange thing about this superior sword technique was that it only had significant effects when practiced within the Great Wall of Sword Qi, a small world filled with sword energy. Even if it was practiced in the vast world of Haoran, it would still be of little use. For the external sword cultivators who had the opportunity to come into contact with this sword technique, most of them were disciples of sects that already had no shortage of superior sword techniques and Taoist arts, so it was of little significance. In short, this sword technique placed too much emphasis on timing and location. Even a proud son of heaven like Lin Junbi, who bore the fortune of a nation, could only improve his cultivation on the city wall through the slow and steady effort of perseverance.
Kuxia was inwardly worried. The person who was supposed to impart the swordplay was Sun Juyuan, a local Sword Immortal. However, Sun Juyuan had a poor impression of these future pillars of the Shaoyuan Dynasty and simply refused, making all sorts of excuses. Kuxia was also stubborn and initially unwilling to settle for second best by teaching them himself. Later, Sun Juyuan, annoyed by the constant badgering, confessed to Kuxia that if the Shaoyuan Dynasty hoped to bring people to the Great Wall of Swords again and still stay at the Sun residence, then they shouldn’t make things too difficult for him.

Kuxia glanced at his direct disciple, Jiang Guancheng, and sighed inwardly.

He was concerned about his disciple’s inflexibility but also felt that a sword cultivator’s swordsmanship and character didn’t necessarily have to be too similar to Lin Junbi. Besides, compared to some of the petty and calculating young men and women around Jiang Guancheng, Kuxia found his own disciple more pleasing to the eye. There was a reason Kuxia had chosen Jiang Guancheng as his disciple – a shared affinity for the Great Dao was a prerequisite. However, Jiang Guancheng’s path to ascension would require more tempering.

Even just sitting on the prayer mat with his hands resting on his abdomen and a gentle smile, Lin Junbi possessed a celestial aura rarely seen even on the mountain.

Yan Lu had been studying Lin Junbi diligently, paying close attention to everything from small interactions to larger matters of conduct. Yan Lu felt that even though Lin Junbi was young, he was worth carefully analyzing.

Yan Lu used to view people simply, dividing them into fools and clever individuals. He didn’t care about good, bad, or evil. Those who could be used were friends, and those who couldn’t were mere acquaintances he would politely greet.

Among the sword cultivators accompanying them, there were actually no fools, only those who were sufficiently clever and those who were not.

Those who were not clever enough included Jiang Guancheng, Kuxia’s direct disciple, and the foolish girl who was infatuated with Lin Junbi.

Those who were sufficiently clever included the “fools” who had spoken up for Lin Junbi. Did anyone really think they didn’t know the importance of things or the stakes involved? What were they seeking? They were simply hoping to say a few flattering words to Lin Junbi, a small favor with a large potential reward. In their hearts, they might have hoped that Lin Junbi would be reckless in his youth, leading to a heated conflict with Chen Pingan, preferably to the point of no return. Even if they merely broke ties and Lin Junbi was humiliated by Chen Pingan, damaging his Dao heart, that would still be a good result.

Reducing the competition by one Lin Junbi was something they were willing to do, even if it didn’t benefit them directly, especially if there was a chance to gain something.

After all, in the Shaoyuan Dynasty, interests were deeply intertwined. Lin Junbi’s brilliance on this journey had revealed a truth, even to these younger cultivators of the Shaoyuan Dynasty: if Lin Junbi successfully ascended, all sword cultivators in the Shaoyuan Dynasty would face the awkward situation of “one person dominating the Dao.”

Lin Junbi of the Shaoyuan Dynasty would be like Cao Ci on the path of martial arts in the Central Continent.

Those who shared the same path were all pitiable.

Outside of these people, Zhu Mei and Jin Zhenmeng were different, with relatively fewer calculations.

However, Yan Lu didn’t particularly like to associate with such people.

Yan Lu preferred to interact with and cultivate relationships with the ungrateful types.

Dealing with Zhu Mei, whose background was comparable to his own, or winning over Jin Zhenmeng, whose Dao heart was steadfast and sword intent pure, would require Yan Lu to expend things he was unwilling or unable to provide.

While acting as a mentor, Lin Junbi’s mind was elsewhere.

Along this city wall, Sword Immortals were stationed at regular intervals.

As for the people around him, including Yan Lu, Lin Junbi never considered them his companions on the path. Their minds were too weak, their talents too lacking, and their brains too foolish. Therefore, all their backing and backgrounds were meaningless. Lin Junbi even wanted to laugh sometimes, wanting to tell them the truth: they should cherish the present, being able to barely keep up with Lin Junbi and at least see his shadow on the Great Dao. Now, they were even fortunate enough to be on the city wall together, practicing swordsmanship as equals.

Bian Jing didn’t follow Sword Immortal Kuxia to learn swordsmanship on the city wall.

Instead, he went to join the excitement at the mirage. There was a good place there, called the martial arts arena, which was somewhat similar to the Grinding Mountain of the Northern Continent, where opponents fought not for victory or defeat, but for life or death.

However, unlike Grinding Mountain, this arena only had battles between those of the same cultivation level, gambling on their lives and winning all of their opponent’s possessions, plus a substantial cut of the bet.

Sword cultivator duels weren’t the most exciting and were rare. Usually, it only happened if the two sides had a deadly feud. Furthermore, sword cultivator fights often ended quickly, making them uninteresting.

The truly exciting fights were between sword cultivators and other Qi Refiners. The most exciting, of course, was when a Qi Refiner could barely manage to trade their life for that of a sword cultivator, known for their killing power.

A small number of sword cultivators actively sought danger here, not only to temper their own cultivation but also to earn money to nourish their flying swords.

Why were the other Qi Refiners willing to risk death to enter the arena? It wasn’t because they were seeking death; it was because they had no choice. These Qi Refiners were almost all secretly transported here by intercontinental ferries. They were rogue cultivators from the various continents of the Vast Bright World or wandering souls from destroyed immortal sects. If they won three matches against Qi Refiners of the same cultivation level, they could live. If they then dared to continue fighting, they could earn money according to the rules. If they could successfully kill a sword cultivator, they would regain their freedom in one match.

A Confucian disciple once lamented this, feeling that such absurd behavior was a reckless disregard for human life. He questioned why the Great Wall of Swords didn’t restrain this and allowed intercontinental ferries to imprison so many rogue cultivators, causing them to lose their lives here.
There was also a woman from a powerful clan of a large dynasty in the Central Earth Divine Continent. Her backing was extremely strong, owning a transcontinental ferry herself. Upon arriving at Upside-down Mountain, she directly took up residence in Ape-Kneading Manor, acting as if she were the mistress of the house. Her extravagance at Lingzhi Zhai was particularly eye-catching. Besides the obvious Ninth Realm martial arts grandmaster, she also had a discreet, high-ranking military strategist among her bodyguards.

Upon witnessing the arena battles in the Mirage City, the woman felt pity not only for the Qi Refiners from the Vast World who had been captured and brought to the Great Wall of Sword Qi but also for the demon sword cultivators used as “sharpening stones.” She believed that since they had taken human form, they were already human, and such abuse was cruel, inhumane, and against propriety. Thus, she caused a great uproar at the Mirage City arena before leaving with her nose in the air. However, that very day, her military strategist bodyguard was severely injured by a local Sword Immortal who had left the city walls. As for the Ninth Realm martial artist, he didn’t dare to even throw a punch because, besides the Sword Immortal who had struck, there were clearly other Sword Immortals in the cloud sea, ready to draw their swords at any moment. He had no choice but to swallow his anger and seek help from Sword Immortal Sun Juyuan, a friend of the family. However, he was turned away at the door, and all their belongings were thrown onto the street outside Sun’s mansion, along with a “get lost” as a parting gift from Sun Juyuan.

The woman, with tears in her eyes, led her people in a hasty retreat from the Great Wall of Sword Qi. It was said that after returning to the Vast World, she used her family’s influence and wealth to gather a large group of literary giants and Confucian scholars, launching a scathing attack on the barbaric customs of the Great Wall of Sword Qi. The most biting remark, of course, was, “What is the difference between the sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi and the demons of the desolate world?” However, after that, no one from her family, sect, or dynasty could ever enter Upside-down Mountain again. It wasn’t just the Great Wall of Sword Qi; they couldn’t even set foot on Upside-down Mountain. If anyone dared to secretly climb Upside-down Mountain and was discovered, a guardian Sword Immortal would cleave the sea with a single sword strike, leaving their fate to the heavens.

This incident caused a great uproar back then.

However, the Old Sword Immortal said nothing, and the Dong family, who had personally handled the matter, was confident in their actions.

Bian Jing was not only watching the battles today but also betting on various outcomes. He bet on life and death, where the wins and losses were usually predictable, as the suspense was low. After all, gamblers who had been hanging around here for years had exceptionally sharp eyes. Therefore, the truly profitable or disastrous bets were on how long it would take for someone to die. As for betting on both sides dying, if one actually guessed it right, they could often win enough to drink for two or three years without worry. And drinking the Immortal wine at the Great Wall of Sword Qi was genuinely expensive.

Bian Jing sat in a corner of the crowded stands, silently drinking his wine, waiting quietly for the two fighters to enter the arena for their life-or-death battle.

Then, a Nascent Soul Realm sword cultivator from the Vast World who had come here for training appeared first, followed by a ragged, wounded demon sword cultivator of the same realm. Despite being covered in scars, it didn’t affect his combat power. Moreover, demons were inherently physically resilient, and when injured, their ferocity erupted, making them even more deadly as sword cultivators.

Such a confrontation was not common.

Bian Jing looked at the young demon sword cultivator with his numb eyes. He had heard that in the Desolate World on the other side of the wall, anyone who could become a sword cultivator was hailed as a “seed of the Great Dao,” somewhat similar to the “reading seeds” of the Vast World.

It was said that this demon had secretly snuck into the battlefield ruins after a major battle, hoping to find broken sword fragments by chance, and was then captured by the patrolling sword cultivators of the Great Wall of Sword Qi. He was brought back to the prison and, like many demons, thrown into this place. If he died, he died; if he survived, he would be taken back to the prison, have his wounds healed, and wait for the next pairing, never knowing who his opponent would be.

Bian Jing wasn’t surprised that many travelers from the Vast World would feel compassion for this.

So, Bian Jing was drinking his wine at this moment, hoping for the day the Great Wall of Sword Qi would be breached, wondering if the demons who occupied the Vast World would show compassion to these kind-hearted people.

Bian Jing’s mind was immersed in his small world. An existence that knew all his thoughts, hidden deep within Bian Jing’s mind, saw Bian Jing’s mustard-seed mind and grinned. That existence was filled with an unparalleled aura of savagery. Just such a subtle movement caused the spiritual energy of many vital acupoints in the small world of a Golden Core bottleneck sword cultivator to shake and boil like oil in a pan. Fortunately, that aura dissipated slightly, and without Bian Jing needing to suppress it with his will, the existence quickly restrained itself to avoid revealing any clues, lest he be surrounded and killed by the local Sword Immortals. These Sword Immortals weren’t weaklings like Jade Purity Realm small fries, as they wouldn’t even be enough to fill its teeth. Perhaps one of those old bastards from the Dong, Qi, or Chen families would appear, which would be troublesome. A single misstep could ruin everything. The scholars of the Vast World were sometimes quite insightful when it came to grand principles.

It spoke a few words to Bian Jing’s mustard-seed mind, “After it’s done, my contribution will be enough for you to obtain a certain Immortal weapon. Added to our previous agreement, I can guarantee you’ll become an Immortal Realm sword cultivator. As for whether you can reach the Ascendant Realm Sword Immortal level, that depends on your own luck. Once you’ve reached the Ascendant Realm and have a good sword, why bother with the Vast World or the Desolate World? Where can’t you go, little one? Isn’t every place you step a summit? Lin Junbi, Chen Pingan, and their ilk, whether friend or foe, are just ants not worth Bian Jing looking down upon.”

Currently, there were two main gates for travel between Upside-down Mountain and the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Qi Jinglong and Bai Shou, the master and disciple, and Lu Sui and Ren Longcong, the two friends, entered the Great Wall of Sword Qi together.

Bai Shou felt dizzy and nauseous, squatting on the ground, retching. Qi Jinglong knelt down and gently held the boy’s shoulder.

Ren Longcong was no better off, barely enduring it, and was also being helped by Lu Sui, who held her hand, helping to stabilize the spiritual energy in her Qi mansion. Ren Longcong’s pale face improved slightly.

At almost the same time, at another gate, a woman left the Water Crystal Palace alone and came to the Great Wall of Sword Qi. As she stood firm, a flow of fist intent coursed through her. She felt no discomfort from the natural suppression that blanketed the Great Wall of Sword Qi.
Her journey to the Sword Qi Great Wall was originally to follow in the footsteps of Cao Ci, residing in the humble thatched hut he built atop the wall, tempering her Golden Body realm. She hoped to ascend to the Distant Roaming realm as the most formidable of the seventh level. However, after hearing certain tales within the Water Crystal Palace, she felt as though it was the will of Heaven! Therefore, her sole desire now was to face the person so often mentioned by Cao Ci and Liu Youzhou, atop the wall, fist against fist, and make him suffer three more crushing defeats!