Chen Qingdu appeared somewhat regretful at the lack of response from the Jiazi Account. The old fellow practically owned the entire desolate wilderness, and he, Chen Qingdu, only occupied the Sword Qi Great Wall. Was the man afraid to engage in a city-sieging battle?

“Indeed, men who aren’t sword cultivators are all useless,” Chen Qingdu muttered.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly asked, “Is the Jade Purity Realm bottleneck truly so difficult to break through?”

Wei Jin truthfully replied, “For me, it is. I was fortunate enough to encounter Senior A Liang back then and break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck. I took the credit that belonged to Heaven for my own use, and I’ve always felt guilty about it.”

He expected the old Sword Immortal to mock him again, but Chen Qingdu nodded. “Ascending to the Immortal Realm is indeed not easy. In fact, for sword cultivators, every realm is difficult to break through.”

Wei Jin asked, “Senior Sword Immortal, can you offer me some guidance?”

Chen Qingdu turned to look at this number one sword cultivator of Treasure Bottle Continent, a young man who openly admitted his troubles with romance.

For Wei Jin to have reached the Fifth Tier realm at the age of forty in the vastness of the Azure World, where sword cultivation fate was relatively thin, was a remarkable achievement even by Sword Qi Great Wall standards.

How did Wei Jin manage it? Besides his own good talent, he also owed it to that bastard A Liang, who had imparted secret tricks. The old almanac from the Sword Qi Great Wall, any page flipped open, was golden advice for sword cultivators of the Azure World. Of course, the prerequisite was being able to flip through the almanac. A Liang had no problem, having flipped through almost the entire thing, calling himself a scholar stealing books, a refined thief.

A Liang had helped Wei Jin advance early by using methods of future overdrafting and forceful seizure, taking risks to break through, and becoming the leading figure in Treasure Bottle Continent’s sword cultivation world. Strictly speaking, the means weren’t honorable, nor were they particularly clever. Chen Qingdu, having lived for ten thousand years, naturally saw through Wei Jin’s cultivation foundation. The saying that strong individuals had strong luck held some truth. As long as Wei Jin reached the Upper Fifth Tier realm and remained in Treasure Bottle Continent, he could dominate a continent, sit at the peak, and let the winds and rains come from all directions, freely seizing the sword fate of Treasure Bottle Continent. Wei Jin only needed to proceed step by step, as he already had sufficient talent. Within a century, he could slowly improve, and an Immortal Realm was almost guaranteed.

Wei Jin’s brilliance lay in his knowing when to stop. After only one sword duel with Xie Shi, the Heavenly Sovereign of Northern Entire Reed Continent, and slightly consolidating his Jade Purity Realm cultivation, he immediately abandoned the easily obtainable path to the Great Dao. Instead, he came to the Sword Qi Great Wall. If it weren’t for the sudden appearance of the new Hidden Official, Wei Jin would likely have died in this foreign land. In the end, at most, he would have left Treasure Bottle Continent a distant and vague tale of a Sword Immortal.

Chen Qingdu had always admired such young people.

Daring to contend for great opportunities and willing to die!

In contrast, a certain little bastard was very reluctant to die. But Chen Qingdu found it acceptable to prefer living worse than death over dying, like himself.

After hearing Wei Jin’s earnest request, Chen Qingdu didn’t rush to give an answer, but smiled and said, “Why only ask today? You, Wei Jin, are very clever. Letting you live in that small thatched hut in the back, you should know, is a kind of tacit approval from me. First Cao Ci, then Chen Ping’an, plus you. Not everyone can be Chen Qingdu’s neighbor.”

Wei Jin gazed towards the southern battlefield and softly said, “As the only Sword Immortal of Treasure Bottle Continent, I hope to come to the Sword Qi Great Wall without any selfish desires, and also leave the Sword Qi Great Wall in a dignified manner. That’s the first reason. Secondly, I hope to exchange my swordsmanship for Senior Sword Immortal’s guidance. Senior A Liang gave me guidance back then, and I don’t want A Liang to think he helped a good-for-nothing when we meet again, a good-for-nothing who amounts to nothing and ends up as a Sword Immortal content to lie on the realm record and live off his past accomplishments.”

Wei Jin didn’t say some things.

Senior A Liang once joked with him while drinking, saying that true love was hard to come by for the sentimental souls of the world. After all, the Moon God’s red threads were a mess these days, and you couldn’t force a girl into a bridal sedan. So he would take a step back, and first make something of himself. So that the girl he missed, because of their brief encounter in the past, would have a small regret in her heart in the years to come. Perhaps when she argued with her husband in the future, she could say, ‘Back then, so-and-so was also my admirer.'”

Chen Qingdu liked Wei Jin’s straightforwardness, so he smiled and said, “From now on, every now and then, each time you accumulate a bit of battle merit, I will teach you a sword technique of no low quality. It is the foundation of the Great Dao of an old friend of mine from long ago.”

Wei Jin cupped his fist in salute, without saying a word.

In Wei Jin’s view, the heart of a sword cultivator, and what one wanted to say, were all expressed in their swordsmanship.

Chen Qingdu shook his head, “Not very savvy.”

The old man stroked his chin and clicked his tongue. “First, A Liang nagged for a hundred years. Now that he’s gone, Second Shopkeeper has taken over. It seems it’s hard to go from extravagance to frugality.”

Wei Jin helplessly said, “I can’t learn it.”

The old man smiled, “No need to learn, and you couldn’t learn it even if you tried.”

Wei Jin asked, “Will Senior A Liang return to the Sword Qi Great Wall?”

Chen Qingdu asked in return, “Have you ever thought about why A Liang taught you the methods of closed-door cultivation and breaking through?”

Wei Jin answered, “I have thought about it, but I don’t understand.”

“A Liang didn’t meet you by chance, he deliberately sought you out. And he taught you swordsmanship not because he was scheming against you, or thought you would definitely come to the Sword Qi Great Wall, or thought your achievements were not high and casually gave you alms, so that you, the future master of a continent’s sword fate, would be grateful to him. Rather, it was because he sincerely hoped that you, Wei Jin, could stand shoulder to shoulder with him, A Liang, in the future. He treats Wei Jin in this way, and he treats all comrades walking behind him equally.”

Chen Qingdu said, “The answer lies there. This is the meaning of the opening lines of the sword technique I will teach you. A sword cultivator needs to be with the weak and seek swordsmanship with the strong. Those who see others as ants are themselves ants. Looking back, in those years on the earth, who wasn’t an ant under someone’s feet?”

Wei Jin seemed to have realized something.

The old man put his hands behind his back, glanced at the sky, and retracted his gaze, looking towards the southern land.

Sword guest, sword guest, heavenly sword art, guesting the earth.

When a sword cultivator, clearly a Sword Immortal, is willing to sincerely call himself a sword guest, it becomes interesting.
In Chen Qingdu’s view, the Wei and Jin dynasties just lacked this certain *je ne sais quoi*. Even though this young Sword Immortal had always been a part of the Jianghu, the Wei and Jin elites never truly felt they belonged, regarding themselves as mere sojourners in the mortal realm, destined to ascend to the heavens and become immortals. They would ascend with their swords, severing ties with all worldly affairs, desperately avoiding the entanglements of karma and cause-and-effect.

But…

Chen Qingdu gazed into the distance, recalling a painting from his youth.

A sword cultivator ascends, seeking answers from the heavens. The one who attains the highest realm is the one who is most entangled with humanity. He slowly, meticulously, relies on the intricate threads of human connection, seemingly dragging the entire world upwards.

*This* was the original way of the sword cultivator. *This* was the true purity of the sword heart.

With great perseverance and aspiration, taking on great burdens and enduring great trials, determined to lead the entire mortal realm to greater heights.

Now, be it sword cultivators or other Qi refiners, who isn’t seeking to purify the mind, sever ties with the mundane world, and become an immortal on the aloof mountains?

Even if the vast majority of cultivators in the world are of this mindset, it’s not necessarily a problem. But if everyone is like that, then a great calamity looms.

Chen Qingdu clasped his hands behind his back, gently tapping his palm with his fingers, muttering to himself, “The former can be more numerous, the latter can be slightly fewer. Both types must exist; neither can be lacking.”

On the southern battlefield…

The Jade Purity Realm sword immortal assassin, after exchanging a single strike with Ning Yao, sustained a minor injury but refused to linger. He immediately fled using an arcane secret technique. In several places where blood had splattered on the battlefield, extremely subtle ripples appeared one after another. These were clearly remnants of the demon sword immortal assassin’s spirit, and his escape route was not a straight line, suggesting the use of some kind of formation.

Ning Yao’s second sword strike completely missed. Moreover, at a pool of blood sixty zhang behind Ning Yao, ripples faintly stirred. For a sword cultivator, this distance was practically negligible. The sword immortal assassin actually intended a desperate counterattack, but Ning Yao was even more ruthless. Resolving to trade injury for life, she could have dodged in time, yet she deliberately hesitated for a moment, giving the demon sword immortal an opening.

However, the assassin also relinquished the opportunity, completely abandoning the assassination attempt, choosing to flee far from the battlefield.

The golden Dharma robe Ning Yao wore, according to the records in the Jiazi Account, was a veritable Immortal Artifact of the highest caliber, extremely effective against a top-tier assassin like him, whose goal was to strike and succeed in one blow.

Ning Yao couldn’t find any trace of her opponent. After surveying the area and finding no sign of him on the nearby battlefield, she gave up the pursuit.

However, she had already memorized the sword immortal assassin’s escape route, silently deducing it in her mind.

If she had another chance to fight, Ning Yao’s sword strikes would be more calculated.

What truly infuriated Ning Yao was the Primordial Soul sword cultivator who targeted Chen Pingan. His attack had also failed, and he had retreated decisively. The demon army acted as a natural shield, and Ning Yao’s third sword strike was barely evaded by the Primordial Soul sword cultivator. Performing a sword incantation with both hands, the sword cultivator transformed directly into hundreds, thousands of sword lights, scattering in all directions with extreme speed. Ning Yao raised a hand, and the thousands of broken weapons discarded and left on the ground rose like flying swords, pursuing the sword lights one by one.

The battlefield sky resembled a torrential rain filled with countless shards of flying swords.

At the same time, Ning Yao darted sideways for a dozen zhang, circumventing Chen Pingan in the distance, and slashed her sword forward.

However, the Primordial Soul sword cultivator’s flying sword, which had previously assaulted Chen Pingan, had not truly “failed”. It had simply not killed him. Chen Pingan was trapped within a large formation, and a sudden sword strike from a Primordial Soul sword cultivator left him with nowhere to dodge. All he could do was avoid a fatal wound, so his entire shoulder was pierced by the flying sword, which detonated, blasting away most of it. When a sword cultivator injures someone with a flying sword, it’s not just about the sharpness of the blade, but the lingering sword Qi. The injured person’s inner microcosm becomes the battlefield, with dense, complex sword Qi, strands of sword intent, like countless dragons crossing the river, sword Qi like a breached dam, surging into apertures and Qi reservoirs.

Being injured by a sword cultivator’s flying sword is notoriously difficult to heal. This is a well-known fact, and the sword cultivator’s status as the leader of the “Four Troublesome Ghosts” is well-deserved.

On the battlefield, Fan Dache could no longer see Chen Pingan’s figure at all.

The vast and mighty demon army swarmed from all directions, intending to surround and kill the young man.

When some demon cultivators recognized the young Hidden Official’s face, their announcement sparked a instinctive scattering within the army.

This was because the young Hidden Official, in his duel against Tuoyue Mountain’s secluded disciple, Li Zhen, had not only won the battle but had also shattered Li Zhen’s soul. This event had already spread throughout the demon army, and this news was destined to spread slowly southward, becoming a hot topic of discussion in the great wilderness of mountains and marshes, high-walled cities and towns, streets and alleys, year after year, like the grass on the plains, flourishing and withering everywhere. Even a century later, it might still be remembered by those with a keen memory, who would discuss it with relish during their leisure time.

Furthermore, for too many years, the Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Swords had been completely synonymous with that pig-tailed “little girl” named Xiao Xun.

After the demon army remembered that this Hidden Official was not that Hidden Official, coupled with the fact that Chen Pingan was alone and isolated, and that Ning Yao seemed to have no intention of reinforcing the new Hidden Official, some of the demon cultivators whose close friends had been killed by the young martial artist were determined to die for revenge, willing to trade their lives for the young man’s injury. Some felt that he was just one person, while their army was heavily arrayed, secretly throwing out a spell or a Natal Treasure, confident that it would be completely safe. Others, with various ulterior motives, including Golden Core demons and sword cultivator assassins, attacked with extreme precision and ruthlessness, not hoping to kill him in one blow, but seeking to cut him to pieces with dull knives.

Battlefield combat has a tremendous infectiousness. An individual placed within it will often follow the prevailing trend – collapse, mutiny, desperate effort, or selfless sacrifice. All are the same.

Finally, there was the Primordial Soul sword cultivator’s sword strike that injured the young Hidden Official.

The killing intent was everywhere, overwhelming.

In the distance, Fan Dache murmured, “He shouldn’t have opened the formation like this. It’s too dangerous. On this kind of battlefield, anything can happen. It’s not a martial artist asking for a fistfight, after all.”

If Ning Yao hadn’t been holding the line, Second Shopkeeper’s style of boxing would have been a certain death.

Ning Yao said, “It’s precisely because I’m here that he can box like this. This is the order of things, the principle must be understood this way.”
Ning Yao understood Fan Dache’s unease, which stemmed from his concern for Chen Pingan’s safety.

Ning Yao didn’t elaborate. After all, Fan Dache wasn’t a pure martial artist. The path of a swordsman, though seemingly converging with the gradual ascent of a pure martial artist who sought to test his fists at the highest peak, was fundamentally different.

This was the true path of a martial artist seeking mastery, where competing with others in strength and valor was merely a minor pursuit. To contend with the heavens and earth with one’s own power, relying solely on one’s fists, was the true grand way.

In the distance, the heart of the encirclement had almost transformed into a slowly moving hill.

During a pause in his swordplay, Fan Dache couldn’t help but ask, “Will he really be alright at this rate?”

Ning Yao simply said, “They won’t be.”

Fan Dache was speechless.

He could only continue to wield his sword on the fringes of the battlefield, striving to alleviate some of the pressure on Chen Pingan.

Though it might not make a significant difference, it was something he had to do.

In navigating the world, if one’s strength fell short, then seeking peace of mind was a good habit.

Ning Yao controlled her sword immortal, weaving unhindered through the battlefield. A long golden line, enduring and brilliant, manifested amidst the demon horde. It comprised of intersecting straight lines and erratic golden trails, stretching for thousands of zhang. Wherever it passed, limbs and remains were severed by the golden sword. The golden light itself resembled a natural array of talismans, infused with profound sword intent. Coupled with the surrounding flowing sword energy, it rendered the demon army miserable. Many middle-fifth realm cultivators simply prostrated on the ground, seeking refuge from the elevated and increasingly dense golden lines.

Many Dragon Gate and Golden Core realm demons had already swiftly abandoned the floating golden sword array.

Ning Yao glanced at the golden lines on the battlefield. Once she had gathered enough sword energy, she formed a hand seal and gently swept downward.

It was as if a downpour hung suspended in the air, almost like a vast pond hovering just above the ground, before suddenly plummeting to earth.

In Chen Pingan’s area of the battlefield, the earth quaked, and the power of his fists roared like thunder.

Nearby demons were sent flying in all directions, the small mountain formed by the amassed demon army seemingly collapsing from within.

Fan Dache sighed in relief, finally catching sight of Chen Pingan. He was somewhat disheveled, his clothes tattered, his flesh a bloody mess. The intensity of his fist intent was almost visible to the naked eye, flowing throughout his body like divine protection.

This was perhaps the most genuine manifestation of a martial artist’s golden body realm under heaven.

Though Fan Dache was a swordsman who dreamed of becoming a sword immortal, after witnessing this scene, he had to admit that a martial artist charging into battle, with an unbreakable golden body, was exceptionally formidable.

Chen Pingan was struck in the back by a dazzling spell, staggering only slightly before using the momentum to surge forward, clearing a path with his fists for over ten zhang.

He was then swept at the waist by a halberd wielded by a demon cultivator of the strategist school, sending Chen Pingan flying backward for dozens of zhang, instantly pursued by dozens of spells, supernatural powers, and natal weapons.

In the blink of an eye, as soon as Chen Pingan landed, another small mountain formed on the battlefield, obscuring him from sight once more.

Fan Dache had one good quality: he didn’t meddle unnecessarily.

However, Fan Dache grew increasingly alarmed. Were these demon cultivators insane? Throwing their lives away so recklessly?!

Ning Yao continued to leave the front lines to the wounded Chen Pingan alone. She would, at most, assist with her sword, engaging the flanks of the battlefield, using the sword immortal to shear off some of the demon army’s horizontal density.

As a celestial weapon, the sword immortal already possessed a degree of sentience, like a child just beginning to learn to speak. It was clearly enjoying itself immensely.

In the past, in Chen Pingan’s hands, it had indeed felt somewhat stifled. Being summoned and dismissed by a master who wasn’t even a sword cultivator was already bad enough, but the key was that every great battle and desperate fight, the sword immortal was never able to fully indulge itself.

Although Ning Yao remained composed, her sword heart calm, and her sword strikes consistently precise, it didn’t mean that she wasn’t worried about Chen Pingan’s situation at all.

On the battlefield, how great was the merit of killing the Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Sword Qi?

Among the sixty military camps of the Wild Lands, there was immense debate on this matter, roughly divided into three views.

The military camps led by Gengyin argued that killing the Hidden Official Chen Pingan should be considered equivalent to slaying a Jade Purity realm sword immortal. Their reasoning was that while Chen Pingan, as the new Hidden Official, held a high position and wielded great power within the Great Wall of Sword Qi, and his deployment of troops and strategies had undoubtedly inflicted significant losses on the Wild Lands, Chen Pingan was not a sword cultivator, and his realm was not particularly high. Although he could defeat Leaving Embodiment realm cultivators in one-on-one combat, he might not possess the combat strength of a Nascent Soul peak sword cultivator. Therefore, adding the weight of his Hidden Official status, considering him as a Jade Purity realm sword immortal was most reasonable.

Another large group of military camps, led by Dingmao, along with the assent of two demon monarchs, Yangzhi and Huangluan, believed that the young Hidden Official, whether in terms of real threat or symbolic significance to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, killing Chen Pingan was equivalent to the merit of killing an Immortal realm sword cultivator, and considering him a Grand Sword Immortal was not excessive.

Beyond these, there was also the solitary Jiashen camp, which proposed a more shocking view: as long as Chen Pingan could be killed, the merit should be at least between slaying Dong Sangeng, Chen Xi, and Qi Tingji and slaying Lu Zhi, Old Deaf, and Nalan Shaowei. Even if the merit was equivalent to a Soaring Ascension realm sword cultivator, it would not be unreasonable!

After endless debate, the Jiazi camp specifically collected opinions and ultimately decided that the magnitude of merit should be based on killing a Grand Sword Immortal, but between Nalan Shaowei and Yue Qing, and should not be simply regarded as an ordinary Grand Sword Immortal.

Fan Dache’s heart trembled.

In the distance, Chen Pingan, who was responsible for clearing the path, was for the first time struck by a demon cultivator’s fists towards Fan Dache’s direction.

Chen Pingan twisted his body in the air, evading some of the key spells and magic treasures, enduring the rest, and landed gracefully, sliding back five or six steps. He stomped heavily on the ground, returning to the battlefield at an even faster speed, heading straight for the demon cultivator who was also on the path of pure martial arts. The latter was not only the leader of a demon army but also a cultivator of the Dao, with the Distant Travels realm. After transforming into human form, he was burly, without any weapons, his muscles bulging, and his aura imposing.

On a single line, the two pure martial artists charged at each other. They exchanged blows, their fist power shaking the earth. The surrounding demon army was immediately pushed back by the surging fist intent.

The Distant Travels realm demon and Chen Pingan each took a punch, neither taking a step back. They exchanged another blow, each striking the other’s face, their heads tilting backward.
The battlefield resonated with sounds like muffled war drums.

That demon of the Distant Travels Realm roared, commanding the Golden Core and Dragon Gate Realm cultivators nearby to disregard their own lives and unleash all their magical artifacts and techniques.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Pingan switched hands, delivering sixteen punches in quick succession.

Since the opponent dared to stand still, he would not budge either. Regardless of their status or affiliation, in the way of the martial artist’s inquiry, there was no more satisfying method than exchanging blows on the spot.

Direct and forthright, open and honest, as long as one’s fist technique was high enough and the punches landed heavy enough, the opponent would obediently fall to the ground, as if acknowledging a superior in the art of pugilism!

Among the sword cultivators of the Hidden Officer lineage, Deng Liang was the most composed. Having risen from a wild cultivator to a registered immortal master, he understood the mud of the mortal realm and was also influenced by the ethereal air of the mountain caves, naturally making him a calm person.

Almost everyone’s peace of mind was painstakingly earned, bit by bit.

But today, for some unknown reason, Deng Liang suddenly overturned his desk.

He then fell silent, apologized, and after a moment of stunned silence, got up to quietly rearrange the desk.

Sword Immortal Chou Miao gently shook his head, signaling everyone to say nothing.

Seeing Chou Miao’s gesture, the other sword cultivators had no choice but to turn a blind eye, even Xuan Can and Cao Gun, who were also from other places like Deng Liang, remained silent.

Dong Bude glared at Guo Zhujiu, who was vigorously winking at her.

What nonsense, just because Deng Liang liked her, Dong Bude, didn’t mean she liked him back.

Deng Liang looked dejected, took out a wine pot, and drank in silence.

During the previous sword challenge from the Wilderness World to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, three young talents of the Great Wall of Sword Qi had their natal swords destroyed.

These three sword immortal seeds, who were outstanding even by the standards of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, had their paths to the Great Dao severed, with no chance of recovery.

Then, in this chaotic battle, four more were assassinated by demon suicide sword cultivators, not to mention the countless unregistered young sword cultivators.

This was still the result of the Great Wall of Sword Qi having two remaining stationed sword immortals and over forty Earth Immortal sword cultivators temporarily descending from the city to support and lie in ambush.

The spiritual energy of the Great Wall of Sword Qi was rapidly declining.

The daily consumption of resources was an astronomical expenditure that no sect in the Vast World could imagine. If converted into immortal money, even a mere glance at the numbers on the ledger would destabilize the Dao hearts of those responsible for managing finances.

The transformation between the two realms was being subtly accelerated by the Wilderness World.

According to the heavenly secrets leaked by that Hidden Officer, the Three Saints’ actions each time were not easy, and the creation of the golden river that divided the battlefield was more like a resolute choice, with no turning back, or rather, abandoning the path even if one existed.

The overwhelming tide was upon them, and no matter how hard the Hidden Officer lineage worked, no matter how the sword cultivators on the city wall forgot life and death and desperately wielded their swords to kill the enemy, they could only delay the inevitable for a moment, seemingly unable to change the course of events.

Deng Liang, being of humble origins, was not incapable of accepting defeat, but he had never felt so stifled, aggrieved, and resentful, which eventually turned into a kind of despondency, leaving him with no choice but to drown his sorrows in alcohol.

The closer he was to the Summer Palace, the more access he had to firsthand information, allowing him to gain a panoramic view of the situation. As Deng Liang saw the battles, gains, and losses of both sides more clearly, the more deeply he felt the overall trend of the war, the more powerless he felt.

Lin Junbi was simply busy with his tasks.

Chou Miao glanced at Lin Junbi, and the young sword immortal subtly nodded. Lin Junbi, the pride of the Central Earth Continent, would have a higher and more distant Dao.

Lin Junbi was unaware that Chou Miao held him in such high regard.

After arriving at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, the first thing Lin Junbi learned was to lower his profile, then lower it again.

In fact, although Lin Junbi gave the impression of possessing cunning, quick wit, and intelligence, all of which were exceptional, he ultimately seemed less trustworthy than Chou Miao, like a piece of natural jade that had been exquisitely polished. However, precisely because of this, and this was only in comparison to Chou Miao, the other sword cultivators in the Summer Palace recognized Lin Junbi’s steady position as the third-in-command.

Chou Miao, on the other hand, was the opposite of Lin Junbi, simple and reserved.

This young sword immortal, carrying a large basket of legendary deeds, became a sword cultivator of the Hidden Officer lineage, but not the new Hidden Officer. He was slightly inferior, had never said anything that made people applaud, and had never done anything that shocked the world.

But he was able to win the hearts of the people and inspire trust.

Everyone in the Hidden Officer lineage probably thought that if something were to happen to the young Hidden Officer, the next Hidden Officer would definitely be Chou Miao, not Lin Junbi.

Lin Junbi didn’t harbor much resentment about this. He admitted his inferiority. Lin Junbi was never afraid of interacting with superiors. He learned quickly, and as long as it wasn’t a life-or-death situation, after sparring, his chess skills would improve, and all the gains would go into his own pocket.

Lin Junbi knew very well that Chou Miao was able to win the hearts of the people not simply because Chou Miao’s realm was high.

There were many things about Chou Miao that were worth his consideration and learning.

For example, no one would think that Chou Miao was a brilliant and calculating person.

That would definitely not be anyone’s first impression.

If Chou Miao was known for his high sword skills but gentle nature, without any sharpness,

Then the young Hidden Officer gave the impression of not having a high realm but being very capable in battle. He was scheming and deep, but surprisingly a good person.

In addition, with the various strengths of the many sword cultivators of the Hidden Officer lineage, Lin Junbi benefited greatly from his experience here every day, so why would he leave?

Even if Chen Pingan drove him away, Lin Junbi might not leave now.

Lin Junbi glanced at the vacant head seat and gently shook his head. He wouldn’t leave, but he would never become the Hidden Officer.

Chen Sanqiu looked at the situation near the battlefield, thought for a moment, and then called Dong Hua Fu to join him. They flew their swords closer to Chen Pingan, while also asking Dong the Fatty and Diezhang to exert more effort, and they would immediately return to reinforce after catching their breath.

The two switched battlefields on their swords, forming a sort of pincer formation with Chen Pingan and Ning Yao.
Dong Hua Fu, perched atop the longsword, began to deliver his judgment, “Slower than Sister Ning opening a formation.”

Dong Hua Fu pondered for a moment, recalling the Second Shopkeeper’s innate talent – accounting – and belatedly added, “But A-Liang said, a man shouldn’t be too fast.”

Chen Sanqiu burst into laughter.

Unexpectedly, the Second Shopkeeper was simultaneously struck by a demon cultivator of the military strategist lineage, clad in golden crow armor. The punch was akin to a forced formation break, piercing through the already thinned army formation that Chen Sanqiu had carved out with his sword. He finally crashed down not far from Chen Sanqiu, rolled a few times, and stood up. He shattered a natal artifact that clung to him like a malignant tumor with a punch. Altering his stance, he forcefully mustered a surge of pure true qi to stabilize himself, causing the wounds all over his body to split open, spilling blood.

The robes borrowed from the hidden swordsman lineage’s clothing workshop were almost completely exhausted. He was wearing the last one, which was already tattered. His upper body was nearly bare, covered in wounds, with bare bones visible in many places. Chen Ping’an, donned in the last of the Ning family’s azure robes, glanced at Dong Hei Tan.

Chen Ping’an smiled.

Ning Yao smiled from afar.

Dong Hua Fu responded with a silly grin.

Chen Ping’an leaned back, barely dodging a stern sword light that assaulted him from behind. Before falling, he slapped the ground with his palm, reversing his body. He took a step forward, finally using the Ground Shrinking Talisman for the first time. In an instant, he arrived beside the demon swordsman who had been launching sneaky attacks. With a sweeping arm, he knocked off the swordsman’s head. Bowing low, he used the swordsman’s headless corpse as a shield, slamming sideways.

A stern-faced demon cultivator, a middle-aged man, picked up a broken sword from the ground – a sword of inferior quality, barely resembling a sword at all. Stepping forward, he arrived beside Chen Ping’an. He slashed down, without brilliant sword light or sharp sword intent, as silent as the swordsman himself. Chen Ping’an didn’t even have time to use the Square Inch Talisman. His fist intent reached its peak, and he only just managed to grasp the blade with both hands. Even so, he was hammered into the ground by the sword.

The man didn’t attempt to use brute force to cleave through the other’s hands and entire shoulders. He casually pulled out the ordinary longsword and sliced towards Chen Ping’an’s neck.

Chen Ping’an directly used his left fist to block his heart. The man was evidently a little surprised. His sword would indeed change trajectory midway, shattering the other’s heart. At the crucial moment of changing the sword’s path, the man took a step, his figure ethereal like a flying sword becoming illusory. He directly arrived behind Chen Ping’an, twisting the sword tip and casually thrusting it backward, striking Chen Ping’an’s spine. Almost simultaneously, Chen Ping’an adopted the stance of the Great Dragon of the School. The sword tip was blocked for a moment, using the force of the sword, which should have propelled him forward even faster. Chen Ping’an still moved sideways a few steps. As expected, a “second” sword-wielding man appeared directly in front of Chen Ping’an’s original position, slashing straight down.

The man smiled slightly, increasing his strength and gently gripping the longsword.

On the battlefield, nearly a hundred swordsmen suddenly appeared, surrounding Chen Ping’an in a circle. They were still wielding swords, without any natal flying swords. They adopted various sword stances, sword tips pointed directly at Chen Ping’an.

Not only that, but outside the circular sword formation, at six different locations, stood a man with a sword, seemingly waiting for Chen Ping’an to use the Square Inch Talisman.

Beyond that, before Ning Yao, Fan Dache, Chen Sanqiu, and Dong Hua Fu, another massive circular sword formation, with everyone wielding a sword, appeared.

One person took on Chen Ping’an, Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, and Dong Hua Fu – these two young geniuses listed in the Jiazi Records, plus a Golden Core swordsman not on the list.

The man’s true targets for sword techniques and questioning were both Chen Ping’an and Fan Dache.

As for the outcome, he had already handed over the choice to all the contemporary swordsmen of Sword Qi Great Wall. He didn’t really care about the result.

For a swordsman, executing his own sword techniques well was the most important thing. The size of the battle merit was secondary.

Each sword-wielding person, whether real or fake, would divide his combat strength, so he needed to calculate precisely.

The sword-wielding man seemed a little helpless. A certain already-ethereal figure suddenly dissipated.

The remaining sword-wielding people were targeted by flying swords, ranging from two or three to five or six.

But the young Hidden Official remained unmoved.

The disappearing man, who also obscured his face and concealed his aura, glanced at Chen Ping’an one last time, smiled knowingly, and dropped a sentence in pure Haoran Great World elegant speech: “Fellow traveler.”

Where this strange swordsman, who appeared and disappeared mysteriously, went, no one knew.

Chen Ping’an collected all his flying swords, returning them to the single sword “Moon in the Well”. This flying sword’s innate talent was the moon reflecting in a deep well. As long as the lake of his heart rippled, each time the sword was drawn and sheathed, it would be a scene of a bright moon breaking and reforming, all within the swordsman’s thoughts.

It was not easy to cultivate two natal flying swords, but this “Moon in the Well” had to reveal itself ahead of time.

Chen Ping’an cursed that damned “fellow traveler” in his heart.