Outside Qingfeng City, on a desolate, untamed hillside, beneath a solitary wild peach tree, they stared at each other, large eyes meeting small.

Liu Chicheng glared fiercely, not bothering to interrupt his hand wiping the blood from his face.

The pink Daoist robe on Liu Chicheng could rival the peach blossoms in beauty.

The Nascent Soul rogue cultivator, detained here, revealed his true form to be a short “youth,” albeit with snow-white hair and a slightly aged face.

What was most striking was the string of ancient jade pendants and small vials hanging from his white jade belt, adorned with a Chi dragon pattern.

This man was teetering on the verge of collapse, still striving to maintain his posture, lest a single wobble lead to the pink-robed Daoist ending him with a palm strike.

His mood at this moment was like facing a table laden with a feast, about to indulge in a hearty meal, only to have the table suddenly overturned. Not only had he failed to even deliver a single chopstick-full, but the table had also smashed him over the head.

Even now, he couldn’t fathom how he had fallen in cultivation! From the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm, he had plummeted all the way to the dismal state of just forming his Golden Core.

Even stranger was how the other party was so powerful, seemingly also gravely wounded? The problem was he hadn’t even attacked!

He had once been a local tyrant, the undisputed power behind several small kingdoms. He enjoyed concealing his identity to seek treasures everywhere, and had a considerable reputation throughout the Treasure Bottle Continent. He had fought with Li Tuanjing of the Wind and Thunder Garden, enduring a few sword strikes and narrowly escaping death. He had been chased for tens of thousands of miles by an old deity from the Divine Edict Sect, yet still survived. In his early years, he was both friend and foe with Liu Laocheng of Shujian Lake, once exploring the ancient Shu Kingdom’s secret realm together. They split the spoils unevenly, and Liu Laocheng, being of equal cultivation, beat him half to death. Later, even after Liu Laocheng ascended to prominence, he still managed to ambush and kill several direct disciples of Gongliu Island who were traveling. Liu Laocheng couldn’t find him and had to give up. His life could be described as colorful and varied. He had experienced all sorts of strange things, but none as baffling as today. Who was the other party? How had they attacked? Why had they come here? Would he die here and fade away…?

Liu Chicheng flicked the blood from his hands and smiled, “I thank you.”

The mountain and swamp rogue cultivator with the appearance of a “youth,” seeing that the senior was a Daoist immortal, catered to his tastes, gave a Daoist salute, and said softly, “Junior is Chai Bofu, Daoist name Longbo. I believe Senior should have heard of me.”

“Steps shrink mountains and rivers, breaths condense giant clouds.”

This described the famous mountain and swamp rogue cultivator Longbo, extremely skilled in assassination and escape, and proficient in water-based attacks. Rumor had it that he had some contention over the Great Dao with Liu Zhimao of Shujian Lake, and had even fought over a celestial scripture that could lead to immortality. It was said that the two fought fiercely, sparing no effort, almost splattering each other’s brains.

Liu Chicheng gnashed his teeth and said, “Heard of your ass. My name is Liu Chicheng, from the White Water Kingdom, have you heard of me?”

Chai Bofu bit the bullet and said, “Junior is shallow and ignorant, and has never heard of Senior’s great name.”

Liu Chicheng slumped to the ground, leaning against the peach tree, his expression dejected, “Picking chicken droppings from the cracks in the rocks, scraping dog feces beside the mud, finally accumulating a little cultivation, wiped out with a slap, I don’t want to live anymore, just kill me.”

Chai Bofu stood motionless, not pretending to be frightened, nor saying any loyal or sincere words. When dealing with this type of idle cloud and wild crane with extremely high cultivation but an unknown reputation, the most taboo thing was to be clever and add unnecessary details.

Liu Chicheng began to close his eyes to rest, tapping his head lightly against the peach tree, muttering, “Chop down the peach tree, ruin his scenery.”

Then Liu Chicheng slapped himself hard in the face, as if awakened, smiling broadly, “I should be happy, there is no one in the world like me who survived such a disaster, there will be good fortune in the future, there will be great fortune!”

Liu Chicheng stood up, transformed from dejected to high-spirited in an instant, straightened his back, shook his sleeves, took out three incense sticks, and then looked at the silly rogue cultivator standing there, and began to stare at him again, “Don’t you get lost, delaying me from burning incense and praying to the gods?”

Liu Chicheng suddenly took a deep breath, “No, no, we must be kind to others, we must treat people with courtesy, we must speak with the principles of scholars.”

Chai Bofu moved away step by step, daring to stop only after reaching five or six zhang away.

Not feeling the slightest bit aggrieved, any Qi Refiner from a mountain and swamp rogue cultivator background who could reach Chai Bofu’s position had a certain level of composure.

Li Tuanjing of the Wind and Thunder Garden once jokingly said that the most cultivated hearts in the world were not those of registered immortal masters, but of rogue cultivators, it was just a pity that they had to take unorthodox paths, otherwise the Great Dao would be most promising.

Liu Chicheng collected his thoughts, abandoned distractions, and began to chant, then rubbed his fingertips against the incense tip, slowly lighting it. Liu Chicheng appeared to be making three bows to heaven and earth.

In reality, the first bow was to the ancestral hall of White Emperor City, who had the kindness of imparting the Dao to him.

The second bow was to the green-robed Confucian scholar in the ancient temple who had offered a sword, whose swordsmanship was so high and whose aura of righteousness was so pure, the likes of which he had never seen in his life.

The third bow was to the “middle-aged Daoist” with such majestic heavenly power just now.

Gu Can was cautious, and when he was riding the wind, he saw Liu Chicheng who did not deliberately conceal his aura, so he landed near the wild peach tree. After Liu Chicheng finished his three bows, he said, “Just in case, why bother.”

Liu Chicheng remained silent, and only after the incense in his hand had burned out did he return to his usual state, smiling and said, “Alright, alright, stop rubbing salt in my wounds, my heart hurts right now.”

Gu Can didn’t even look at the rogue cultivator, but his second sentence revealed his true nature, “What are you keeping him for?”

Liu Chicheng asked with a smile, “Gu Can, do you want to become my junior brother, or become a grand-nephew?”

Gu Can said, “That’s not something I can choose, what’s the point of talking about him.”

In these years, if strangers were to meet Gu Can for the first time, they would think that he was a gentle and respectful scholar, a well-mannered young man.

It was just that Gu Can and Liu Chicheng had traveled north together this time, living together day and night, and they both knew each other’s character.

For Gu Can to say that he wouldn’t hold a grudge, that was an insult to Liu Chicheng.
Gu Can stated directly, “You yourself have said that Mister Qi once did you a great favor, bestowing upon you a golden saying, guiding you through confusion and breaking down barriers, allowing you to smoothly ascend to the Upper Five Realms. You also made a promise to Mister Qi that when Chen Ping’an visits White Emperor City, you would owe that favor to Chen Ping’an, and therefore you would certainly show goodwill. Now, consider the consequences yourself. Your actions today are both ungrateful and create enmity with me. You, Liu Chicheng, truly live up to the reputation of a White Emperor City expert, acting as you please. My expectations for White Emperor City only grow stronger. This is probably the only right thing you’ve done today.”

Gu Can did not use secret voice transmission to speak with Liu Chicheng.

Liu Chicheng glanced at the wild cultivator Chai Bofu, who was resigned to death, then looked away, saying helplessly, “You really want Longbo Brothers to kick the bucket that badly?”

Gu Can remained silent.

Liu Chicheng patiently explained, “Firstly, yesterday’s matters are yesterday’s matters, and tomorrow’s matters are tomorrow’s matters. For example, when Chen Ping’an comes to argue with me, I can bring up my senior brother. If Chen Ping’an dies, I’ll go with the flow, then bring up Mister Qi’s kindness, which would be equivalent to saving Chen Ping’an’s life, wouldn’t that repay the favor?”

“Secondly, regardless of the current outcome, my initial thought was simple. Creating enmity with you, compared to helping my senior brother walk another great path to the summit, Gu Can, calculate it yourself. If you were me, what would you choose?”

“Finally, I respect and fear my senior brother, but I love and miss White Emperor City, and I don’t want it to be just a stepping stone. Someone needs to appear and give my senior brother a reason to convince himself.”

Gu Can understood everything Liu Chicheng said except for the last sentence.

Regardless of whether Liu Chicheng’s logic seemed twisted or roundabout to Gu Can, it was all logic that Liu Chicheng genuinely believed in. Liu Chicheng was sincerely speaking his heartfelt thoughts to Gu Can.

Gu Can could disagree, but he had to offer a “reason” for his disagreement, whether it be fists, Dao arts, or verbal skills.

Ultimately, Liu Chicheng had always looked down upon Gu Can. His thoughts and vision extended to the highest reaches of White Emperor City, to his senior brother, and to other fellow disciples of Liu Chicheng’s generation.

Liu Chicheng’s desire to accept a disciple on behalf of his master had its biggest enemy, or rather, its biggest obstacle, in those fellow disciples.

Chai Bofu felt a chill run down his spine. After experiencing so many hardships on his path of cultivation, he felt utter despair for the first time.

The words “White Emperor City” felt like a mountain pressing down on his heart, suffocating him.

Among the countless wild cultivators in the Nine Continents, there was only one sacred Daoist site in their hearts, and that was White Emperor City in Middle Earth Divine Continent, whose city lord was recognized as the number one demonic figure.

Yet, this pink-robed Daoist priest was casually mentioning White Emperor City, senior brothers, and junior brothers to a young man.

So, after the two fell silent, Chai Bofu asked, “Senior Liu, Gu Can, how can I avoid death?”

In truth, he was only asking the young man in the green robe, whose cultivation realm was not high.

Since Liu Chicheng had detained him here, at the very least his life was not in danger. However, Gu Can, this fellow, held some new and old grudges against him.

Chai Bofu had heard of Gu Can’s name, mainly due to his connection with True Lord of Interception Liu Zhimao. It was rumored that Gu Can, as Liu Zhimao’s direct disciple some years ago, possessed a Nascent Soul realm water dragon as a mere child, causing quite a stir in the Shujian Lake. However, for some unknown reason, he suddenly disappeared, the water dragon vanished, and Gu Can also disappeared without a trace. Then, the entire Shujian Lake was occupied by foreign cultivators, becoming a subordinate territory of the Jade Tablet Sect in Tongye Continent. Those who obeyed prospered, and those who resisted perished. The unruly ones were probably fed to the fish by the True Realm Sect. Those who recognized the situation seemed to have taken a celestial bath in Shujian Lake, washing away all the filth of being a wild cultivator and transforming into proper immortal masters with lineage from a sect.

Chai Bofu felt that his luck had been extremely bad lately.

How did he encounter this little demon? And how did Gu Can become connected to Liu Chicheng, this dragon crossing the river, and White Emperor City?

Liu Chicheng pointed at Gu Can, “Whether you live or die, ask my future little junior brother.”

The higher Gu Can’s Dao achievement, the smoother Liu Chicheng’s return to White Emperor City would be.

Gu Can said, “If you’re dead, you won’t have to die.”

Liu Chicheng chuckled.

That was quite a novel way of putting it.

Chai Bofu said in a deep voice, “Gu Can, why must you be so aggressive? Insisting on killing me? Even if I have some old grudges with your master, you’re a wild cultivator, and so am I. What does that little conflict amount to?”

Liu Chicheng said with interest, “Old Brother Longbo, you and Liu Zhimao?”

Chai Bofu said, “It was to compete for a True Scripture of Interception…”

At this point, Chai Bofu suddenly realized, “Gu Can, could it be that Liu Zhimao truly saw you as someone to carry on his legacy? And also taught you that scripture, afraid that I would be near you, with our Daos clashing everywhere, ruining your prospects?”

Chai Bofu muttered to himself, “Liu Zhimao is the most narrow-minded, wishing to kill all fellow Daoists in the world. How could he be willing to pass on the fundamental methods of his Dao to you?”

Gu Can naturally wouldn’t reveal the inside story. Back then, Liu Zhimao wasn’t confident in breaking through his realm during his closed-door cultivation, and it was highly likely that he would die and leave his body. Otherwise, why would Liu Zhimao be willing to give Gu Can that water method scripture? And how would Gu Can have been found by Liu Chicheng, the true owner of the scripture?

Liu Chicheng was schemed against by Cui Chan. After escaping, he once took in a disciple in name only. That young man was once a disciple of Old Devil Mi, named Yuan Tiandi. It was a pity that Liu Chicheng put some effort into it, but the results were poor. He was too embarrassed to keep him around, so he threw him on a small hill, letting the young man live or die as he pleased. The young man had a small fox spirit by his side. When Liu Chicheng left them, he didn’t give the disciple in name anything, but he gifted the small fox spirit a cultivation method and two protective items. However, it was estimated that she wouldn’t be diligent in her future cultivation. As for whether Yuan Tiandi could learn that method from her, and what kind of grievances and feuds the two would eventually have, Liu Chicheng didn’t care. On the path of cultivation, it all depended on one’s fortune.

Liu Chicheng didn’t mind being the gigolo of beautiful women, but he wasn’t willing to be anyone’s sugar daddy. He helped that small fox spirit out in the early years not because Liu Chicheng pitied her circumstances, but because Liu Chicheng pitied himself.

After Liu Chicheng abandoned Yuan Tiandi, he traveled alone. He never thought that his True Scripture of Interception would fall into the hands of the wild cultivator Liu Zhimao, and he had done quite well for himself, earning the title of True Lord of Interception.

In life, one’s efforts may be in vain, but unintended actions may bear fruit.

Gu Can glanced at Chai Bofu and suddenly smiled, “That’s…”
“Excellent, from now on we shall walk the same path, and can spar in the Dao,”顧璨 thought, since Liu Cheng was unwilling to kill, and Gu Can wasn’t confident in his own ability to succeed, it was best to keep him around.

In truth, Liu Cheng looked down on Chai Bofu’s meager cultivation. Even if he returned to the Nascent Soul realm, what good would it do? Even if Chai Bofu were to serve as his slave in White Emperor City, what purpose would he serve? Cultivation in White Emperor City wasn’t like the usual path taken by common immortal sects. They never emphasized sticking together or sharing a common origin.

The true reason Liu Cheng didn’t kill him was his hope that his eldest brother could leverage Chai Bofu’s karmic connection with Li Baoping for celestial divination. He wanted his eldest brother to gain even the slightest advantage when playing chess with that “middle-aged Daoist.” Even a sliver of increased odds for White Emperor City would be a monumental boon.

He was confident that his little scheme had already been accounted for by the “middle-aged Daoist.” No matter, he would leave it all for his eldest brother to worry about.

A younger brother fulfills his duty, while the elder brother makes his moves.

The three then refrained from riding the wind, and walked towards Qingfeng City together.

Liu Cheng casually remarked, “Brother Longbo, these six Natal Treasures of yours are quite flamboyant. Two of them are only Spirit Rank quality. What’s the matter?”

Chai Bofu smiled wryly, “It’s hardest to start as a rogue cultivator from the mountains and marshes. For rogue cultivators below the fifth realm, having one or two Spirit Rank treasures successfully refined as Natal Treasures is already a great fortune. Once the realm is sufficient and there are enough magical artifacts at hand, forcibly replacing those deeply rooted Natal Treasures, which are intertwined with the essence of one’s Dao, is possible, but it’s too taxing. The biggest fear is that enemies will learn of this. Isn’t such seclusion courting death? Even if one doesn’t die, a pedantic Immortal Master of recognized lineage might follow the slightest clues and disrupt the seclusion. The loss outweighs the gain.”

Chai Bofu sighed, “If you provoke enemies of a lower cultivation level before forming your Golden Core, replacing Natal Treasures isn’t a big deal. But how can we rogue cultivators avoid provoking fellow Golden Core cultivators or Immortal Masters of recognized lineage who cry to their ancestors when they’re beaten? Sometimes, looking around, it truly feels like trouble and enemies are everywhere.”

Immortal “visits”, whether for revenge or family matters, are unlike the ordinary folk who consider a hundred li a long journey. Even the largest continent becomes small when discussing the opening of dojos. Any Feng Shui blessed land with slightly better spiritual energy is filled with local overlords. Every famous mountain, great river, and deep marsh is occupied and cultivated by Immortal factions of many years. The reason rogue cultivators struggle to thrive is that they lack advantages in timing, location, and support.

Liu Cheng nodded, indicating his understanding.

Gu Can smiled slightly.

Chai Bofu was stunned, and Liu Cheng pressed down on his head. His Golden Core shattered, and the latter collapsed to the ground, drenched in blood and convulsing.

When he fell from Nascent Soul to Golden Core earlier, it was too mystical, and Chai Bofu didn’t suffer too much. This time, falling from Golden Core to Dragon Gate was a genuine trial by fire.

Liu Cheng chuckled, “Alright, now you can focus on replacing your Natal Treasures. Otherwise, it will be difficult to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck. Brother Longbo, no need to thank me.”

Liu Cheng swirled a finger, forming a formation to help Brother Longbo conceal his aura.

The arts passed down in White Emperor City were complex and varied. Liu Cheng once had a senior sister whose talent could be described as extraordinary. She made a grand vow to master twelve great Dao arts before stopping.

As a result, every hundred years, that senior sister’s expression would worsen. In the end, she became the person with the worst temper in White Emperor City.

Chai Bofu sat cross-legged, the inner microcosm of his body in great chaos. Today, his Nascent Soul and Golden Core had vanished and shattered consecutively. He wasn’t even thinking about the damage to his Dao foundation; survival was his first priority.

Gu Can squatted beside Chai Bofu and asked, “I’m curious, why didn’t you pretend to be Xu Hun? Did you not even consider framing him? How did you become a rogue cultivator? What’s the hidden story?”

Gu Can pressed his hand on Chai Bofu’s head. “You cultivate water-based arts, and I happen to have learned the Intercepting River Scripture. If I seize this opportunity to intercept your Natal Vitality and Water Luck, and then refine your Golden Core fragments, it would greatly benefit my Dao. Tell me, what unspeakable connection do you have with Qingfeng City or the Fox Kingdom that made you act so righteously in this murder and treasure snatching?”

The youthful Chai Bofu’s face was pale. His earlier white hair, although making him look old, was lustrous and radiant, a sign of abundant vitality. Now, most of his hair had withered and died. As Gu Can merely pressed down on his head, strands of hair fell off. Before they could touch the ground, they turned to ashes in mid-air.

Gu Can slightly increased the pressure, using one of the Intercepting River Scripture’s secret arts to seize Chai Bofu’s Water Luck. Chai Bofu’s inner microcosm was already chaotic, like a flood. Gu Can’s method was like carving a large hole in a tottering dam, taking only the Water Luck and putting it into his own pocket. As for whether the flood would break through all the dams, making Chai Bofu’s cultivation path even more hopeless, and whether he would ever have the chance to return to the Golden Core or Nascent Soul realm, Gu Can didn’t care in the slightest.

Chai Bofu immediately spilled his secrets like beans from a bamboo tube, “I was once fellow disciples with Xu Hun’s wife! That’s why I wanted to severely punish Xu Hun, the city lord, but also didn’t want to put the entire Qingfeng City in danger, preventing the entire Xu family from even having a chance to cry injustice. If that little girl suffers, Xu Hun, as the city lord, is negligent in his protection and can’t shirk his responsibility, but he’s not entirely to blame. However, if I pretended to be Xu Hun and stole the treasure, and then accidentally left half of the little girl or Wei Benyuan’s life, Qingfeng City would lose a great opportunity to be a candidate for a sect. I didn’t want my fellow disciple’s efforts to be in vain…”

When mentioning his fellow disciple, Chai Bofu was filled with mixed emotions, his expression and eyes revealing the regret of “once seen the ocean, difficult for water to compare”.

Liu Cheng laughed, “Love, truly love. I like it. No wonder I felt a connection with Brother Longbo and couldn’t bear to kill you.”

Gu Can thought for a moment and asked with a smile, “What about Xu Hun’s son?”

Chai Bofu angrily retorted, “Xu Hun isn’t an idiot, why would he raise a son for me! My fellow disciple and I are innocent! Don’t imply things or speak slanderously!”

Gu Can then retracted his hand and said, “What a pity.”
Gu Can suddenly reached out again, continuing to intercept the water energy and extract the golden core fragments, and asked, “You don’t think Xu Hun is a fool, but you think I’m an idiot? Tell me, is your junior sister’s realm higher than yours, or does she hold some leverage over you? Otherwise, this display of true affection is excessive. Rogue cultivators have reasons for breaking the rules. Since that kid isn’t your son, then your reason isn’t good enough. Is it about the love between a man and a woman? If you really can’t forget her, when Qingfeng City faces disaster and destruction, Xu Hun snatched your junior sister, wouldn’t you seize his wife and children to raise as your own?”

Chai Bofu pried open his eyelids, seemingly trying to see the young man’s face clearly, and said with a bitter smile, “Although I’m a rogue cultivator, I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a born rogue cultivator. Gu Can, Gu Can, you’re a good one!”

Chai Bofu was silent for a moment, “My junior sister has had a deep and calculating nature since she was young. After I joined forces with her to kill our master, before she married into the Xu family of Qingfeng City, all I knew was that she had another master’s lineage, extremely obscure. I’ve always been wary and dared not provoke her.”

Gu Can turned his head and glanced at Liu Chicheng, laughing, “My realm is low, it’s okay to be taken for a fool, what about you? Do you still think this Old Long Bo brother is full of affection?”

Liu Chicheng laughed, “It doesn’t matter, I’m a fool anyway.”

Only then did Gu Can withdraw his hand, stand up, and look towards Qingfeng City, which had a great chance of becoming a Sect-level immortal family.

Chai Bofu felt his heart turn to ashes. After being messed with by this little bastard Gu Can, even his current Dragon Gate Realm would be leaking everywhere and hard to patch up.

Gu Can said, “We’re not going to Qingfeng City. We’re going straight back to the small town.”

Liu Chicheng laughed, “Whatever you want.”

Gu Can said, “When we get to my hometown, I advise you to take it easy.”

Liu Chicheng’s expression was extremely ugly.

Chen Ping’an, Qi Jingchun of yesteryear, and now Li Baoping, Saint.

Plus Gu Can, who makes no attempt to hide his murderous intent towards him, and the Ma Kuxuan who joined the Zhenwu Mountain, the young prince of Great Li, Song Mu…

All of them came from that tiny, insignificant place.

Liu Chicheng immediately changed his mind, “Let’s head north first, then Old Long Bo and I will wait for you in the border area of the Li Zhu Grotto Heaven. We won’t accompany you to the small town.”

Gu Can laughed, “As long as you restrain yourselves a bit, there’s actually no need to be so cautious.”

Liu Chicheng said in a heavy tone, “What if? Why risk it?”

Gu Can asked, “What if Li Baoping goes to the Fox Kingdom?”

Liu Chicheng laughed, “That little girl isn’t as simple as you think. Just her own skills alone, in that tiny Fox Kingdom, whoever dares to reach out will get their tail cut off.”

Gu Can’s expression turned gloomy, “Liu Chicheng, although I don’t know why you changed your mind earlier, don’t forget that I’m going home this time. Don’t make me take a trip to the Li family ancestral home on Fulu Street.”

Liu Chicheng smiled, “Oh, you, that habit of turning your back on people so quickly is frightening.”

Just mentioning this made him angry. Liu Chicheng lowered his head and looked at Chai Bofu, who was still sitting on the ground. He raised a foot and stepped on the “young” nascent soul’s head, slightly increasing the force, smashing the other person into the ground, leaving only half of his head exposed. Chai Bofu didn’t dare to move. Liu Chicheng squatted down, the sleeves of his wide pink robe spread on the ground, like an extremely bright and gorgeous peony blooming out of thin air. Liu Chicheng said impatiently, “I’ll give you at most the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If you still can’t stabilize your tiny Dragon Gate Realm by then, I won’t protect you anymore.”

Gu Can suddenly asked, “Have you been to Upside-Down Mountain?”

Liu Chicheng didn’t even lift his head, and his words were unreserved, “Unless I’m with my senior brother, I wouldn’t dare to go there at all.”

It had little to do with the level of his realm. The key was Liu Chicheng’s identity and origins, which were not suitable for approaching the Great Wall of Sword Qi.

Gu Can said, “What do we do with Liu Chicheng?”

Liu Chicheng said, “When we get to White Emperor City, I’ll return this body to him. If he’s lucky, he’ll still have a chance to become your fellow disciple.”

At the thatched hut in the gully, Li Baoping and Wei Benyuan also set off for the Fox Kingdom, which was allied with Qingfeng City.

Naturally, Wei Benyuan felt that his alchemy place was too dangerous. Going to the Xu family of Qingfeng City would at least give Baoping a little more protection.

Wei Benyuan summoned a talisman boat, which was extremely elegant. When riding the wind, illusory jade lotus flowers grew around the boat, blooming suddenly and gracefully, and then slowly dissipating, making the area the talisman boat passed through look like a boat had opened up a lotus pond waterway.

When Li Baoping boarded the small boat earlier, taking advantage of Grandpa Wei boarding the boat first with his back to her, she closed her feet and jumped onto the boat with a hop.

A long-lost playful movement, obviously in a good mood.

She had seen her elder brother, protected Grandpa Wei’s cultivation place, and would be able to meet her little junior uncle again.

When Wei Benyuan sat down at one end of the boat, Li Baoping was already standing still, not sitting down. Such a beautiful scene, why not look at it? Riding a horse to travel and look at the mountains and rivers from a horizontal perspective, and overlooking the earth while riding the wind, is a different kind of scenery.

Wei Benyuan told Li Baoping some hearsay rumors. As for the truth, even the Xu family disciples probably didn’t know what was written in their old chronicles.

That Fox Kingdom, inhabited by tens of thousands of large and small fox spirits, that seven-tailed fox had been in seclusion for a long time. Seven hundred years ago, it had split into three factions: one hoped to integrate into Qingfeng City and Baoping Continent, one hoped to strive for a secluded small world, and an even more extreme faction actually wanted to completely tear up the alliance with the Xu family of Qingfeng City. In the end, in the hands of Xu Hun, the current head of the Xu family of Qingfeng City, it turned into a confrontation between the two factions. The third faction was besieged, killed, and imprisoned, completely purged. This was also an important channel for Qingfeng City to continuously launch fox fur talismans.

Furthermore, after that woman took over the affairs, she was skilled in generating income and had a knack for making money. The overall number of fox spirits in the Fox Kingdom had steadily increased. She signed several secret contracts with the Fox Kingdom on behalf of Qingfeng City. One of them was already a semi-public secret, that is, the Xu family had been tilting cultivation resources to the Fox Kingdom, but every fox spirit, as long as it failed to break through, must maintain the integrity of its fox fur in return for Qingfeng City. Furthermore, Qingfeng City had built many mansions within the Fox Kingdom to facilitate tourists’ viewing, the registered immortal masters who came down the mountain to travel, the pure martial men walking the pugilistic world, and the elegant scholars were all honored guests who did not need to spend their own money, all in order to move and enchant the fox spirits.
Within the Fox Kingdom, meticulously crafted by the Xu family, every corner was a scenic masterpiece, boasting calligraphy carved into towering cliffs by masters, poetic inscriptions on walls by literati, and the former abodes of enlightened immortals, countless in number.

Wei Benyuan chuckled, “The Xu family has a knack for making money, it’s just their reputation isn’t the best.”

Li Bao Ping, over in Qingfeng City, had purchased some exquisitely printed novels about scholar-fox spirits and talented men with beautiful women, their craftsmanship nearly rivaling the palace editions of secular dynasties. However, she might not even read them, planning to gift them to Pei Qian later. As for tales of the martial world and mythical monsters, Li Bao Ping currently didn’t harbor much yearning, not like Pei Qian and Li Huai.

In recent years, besides studying at the academy, Li Bao Ping hadn’t been idle. She consulted Lin Shouyi and Xie Xie about cultivation matters and sought boxing principles from Yu Lu.

Naturally, these three were forthcoming and honest with Li Bao Ping.

Occasionally, when she encountered Li Huai on the road, it was a genuine and casual chat.

The Fox Kingdom was located within a fragmented blessed grotto, its historical records fragmented and ambiguous, mostly based on conjecture and conjecture, not to be taken seriously.

Wei Benyuan landed his talisman boat at an entrance, a wooden pavilion with the inscription “Entwined Branches” hanging. Most of the couplet on either side was lost, but the second line was well preserved, reading, “The world gains another pair of devoted lovers.” Only the last three words of the first line remained, “Gentle Embrace,” also alluding to a story that a passing immortal once cleaved it with a sword. Some said it was Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden, others Wei Jin of Wind and Snow Temple. As for whether the dates matched up, it was all just for amusement, who would bother to verify?

The archway was teeming with people, bustling with activity, mostly men, especially scholars. Because the Fox Kingdom had a temple and a mountain, rumored to be rich in literary fortune, offering prayers and incense there was extremely effective, making it easy to succeed in the imperial examinations. There were also some impoverished scholars who deliberately detoured to take the examinations, hoping to earn some travel expenses in the Fox Kingdom. The beautiful women of the Fox Kingdom were famously fond of scholars, and many disillusioned scholars were willing to spend their lives in this gentle embrace, living to a ripe old age. The fox spirits’ devotion was not an empty boast; whenever their beloved man passed away, they didn’t seek to be born in the same year and month, but only to die in the same year and month.

To travel in the Fox Kingdom, the rules were quite interesting. One needed to exchange poems and essays for passage fees. Poems, songs, prose, even examination essays, were all acceptable, as long as the talent was high. Even a couplet would do. But if what was written was deemed unworthy by the appraising fox immortals, one could only turn back. As for whether one hired someone to write it for them, that didn’t matter.

If one couldn’t provide good writing, one could only spend spirit stones.

Li Bao Ping glanced at the resplendent pavilion not far from the archway, frowning. Were the Xu family of Qingfeng City and the Fox Kingdom accumulating literary fortune in this way? Accumulating bit by bit, what did they want to do? What could they even do?

The Xu family of Qingfeng City humbled themselves, marrying their legitimate daughter to a son of a concubine, all to form an alliance with the Great Li’s Pillar of State, the Yuan family. Did the Xu family have some designs on the future Great Li court, wanting a certain Xu family member with the ability to carry literary fortune to occupy a position, gradually climb the ranks, and ultimately control part of the Great Li’s government, becoming the next surname of Pillar of State?

Li Bao Ping began to recall the trip the Xu family mother and son took to the small town. No, she had to ask her grandfather whether the Xu family mother and son had used some kind of illusion to hide some real plans, besides the wart armor.

There was something that Little Martial Uncle didn’t mind, but Li Bao Ping always had a knot in her heart.

That was the Moving Mountain Ape of Zhengyang Mountain and the little girl, who had stayed in the Li family of Fulush Street in the small town back then.

If that was all there was to it, it would be fine, but she feared the mountain people’s conspiracies and schemes, which twisted and turned for thousands of miles.

Zhu He and Zhu Lu’s father and daughter, Second Brother Li Baozhen, were already two incidents, and things shouldn’t go beyond three.

Wei Benyuan took out two stacks of snowflake money and walked into the Fox Kingdom with Li Bao Ping.

Over at the pavilion, a woman lying lazily on a desk suddenly raised her head, feeling excited, and immediately sent a flying sword message to the Xu family’s sword workshop in Qingfeng City.

Soon, a flying sword returned, giving a rough file. The wording at the end of the confidential letter was not subtle, telling her not to have any improper thoughts, a disciple of Shanya Academy, and the direct granddaughter of Li family’s nascent soul elder, don’t provoke her. Now that Qingfeng City was a candidate for a sect, don’t create unnecessary troubles. This made the woman feel unhappy. The woman, wearing a pair of extremely long finger guards on her fingers, tore the confidential letter to pieces little by little. Although she was unwilling, she still dared not disobey Qingfeng City’s decision and had to lie back on the desk.

That Tao Ya was cultivating in a thatched hut next to a waterfall in the Fox Kingdom. Wei Benyuan’s so-called opportunity was that Tao Ya inadvertently passed by the waterfall and saw a ribbon of seven-colored treasure light floating on the water. Soon, a golden core fox immortal flew over in a hurry, wanting to snatch the opportunity from Tao Ya. Unexpectedly, she was beaten until her skin was torn and flesh was ripped by the ribbon, and she was almost trapped with her ankles dragged into the deep pool. After the distraught fox immortal fled in panic, the ribbon floated on the water again, swaying and leaning against the shore, where it was picked up by Tao Ya. It seemed to recognize its master on its own and became a colorful belt for the maid of Tao Ye Lane, Wei family. Not only that, under its guidance, Tao Ya also picked up an inconspicuous dry peach branch in a deep mountain. After refining it, it was another profound magic treasure.

Overnight, Tao Ya became the luckiest person in the Fox Kingdom in hundreds of years.

Within the Fox Kingdom, flying and swimming were not allowed, nor was it allowed to travel by ferry. One could only walk. Fortunately, there were three entrances to the Fox Kingdom, and Wei Benyuan chose the gate closest to Tao Ya, so he hired a carriage and rented a steed for Bao Ping, with himself driving the carriage and Bao Ping riding the horse, enjoying the scenery along the way, stopping and going, so the journey didn’t seem boring.

When they reached the waterfall halfway up the mountain, Tao Ya, who had grown very beautiful, couldn’t help but feel inferior when she saw Li Bao Ping.

As a result, after the three drank tea, Li Bao Ping finished reminiscing and got up to say goodbye, saying she was going north, to go to the Great Li capital to find a friend. As for the horse she had left by the creek in the mountain valley, it could be released to graze. It had accompanied her all the way through thousands of mountains and rivers, and it was time for it to rest.

Wei Benyuan was dumbfounded, and Tao Ya was caught off guard.

Wei Benyuan asked, “Change to the horse at the foot of the mountain?”

Li Bao Ping patted her head and said with a smile, “I forgot to tell Grandpa Wei, I am a cultivator now, too. My realm isn’t high, but I can ride the wind.”

Li Bao Ping added, “Riding a sword is also fine, but I don’t like it much in general. The wind is strong in the sky, and my cheeks hurt when I talk.”

The old man and Tao Ya looked at each other in dismay.
Li Baoping contemplated for a moment, unwilling to hide anything, “I possess some paper talismans; the characters upon them resonate with me, and I can barely transform them into a talismanic boat. However, Mister Mao cautioned me against using them lightly.”

Wei Benyuan asked helplessly, “Is there anything else?”

Li Baoping shook her head, “Nothing more. I merely learned some rudimentary fist techniques from a friend. I am not a pure martial artist of the Wind Riding Realm, unable to travel far on physical prowess alone.”

Wei Benyuan stood up and said, “Then let Tao Ya escort you out of the Fox Kingdom, otherwise, Grandpa Wei cannot rest easy.”

Tao Ya’s cultivation might not yet surpass the old man’s, but her two Natal Treasures are far too profound, excelling in both offense and defense, effectively making her comparable to a Golden Core cultivator.

Li Baoping smiled, “Forget it, I won’t delay Sister Tao Ya’s cultivation.”

She winked at Sister Tao Ya.

Tao Ya understood, her pretty face blushing slightly, and she was all the more puzzled: how did Little Baoping discern that she had a man in her heart?

If there was no such man, why would a solitary woman living a reclusive life put on rouge?

As for the old man, he would be extremely concerned about Tao Ya’s cultivation, but he would never notice such details.

Li Baoping bid farewell and departed.

From south to north, traversing mountains and rivers, she passed through the Fox Kingdom. Mid-journey, a heavy snow fell. The young woman in her red padded jacket stood beside a mountain cliffside path, breathing into her hands for warmth.

The narrow saber at her waist and the gourd for nurturing her sword harmonized perfectly with the heavy snow.

Thus, at that moment, it seemed that there were only two colors in the entire world: the bright white of the snow, and the unparalleled beauty of the woman.

Lotus Root Blessed Land, the Southern Garden Kingdom’s capital city.

A young girl stood up, went to the courtyard, assumed a fighting stance, and then said to the little girl squatting on the railing with her cheek propped up, “Little Millett, I’m about to throw a punch. Go wander around Scholar’s Lane and buy some melon seeds.”

The little girl in black was reluctant, “I’ll just watch, I won’t make a sound. I still have some melon seeds in my pocket.”

Actually, it was her duty. As the Right Guardian of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, also serving as the Deputy Master of a branch, how could she not help Pei Qian protect the formation at a time like this?

The young girl glared, “If I deliver this punch, I won’t be able to control its force! Martial fortune doesn’t have eyes; it will swarm over like a rain of knives. How big a pot of pickled fish will we eat tonight?!”

Zhou Millett quickly got up, jumped off the railing, took her small carrying pole and walking stick, ran a long way off, then suddenly stopped and turned back to ask, “How many catties of melon seeds should I buy?! Sister Nuan Shu said that buying in bulk is cheaper, but buying in small amounts doesn’t get a discount.”

Pei Qian said helplessly, “Whatever you want.”

Zhou Millett frowned, raised her small carrying pole high, “Then should I carry a sack on each end of the pole?!”

The little girl felt that she was incomparably clever.

Pei Qian nodded, speechless.

Zhou Millett glanced at Pei Qian, knowing what was important, immediately tapped her toes and leaped over the courtyard wall.

After Little Millett left.

Pei Qian took a step forward, heavily stomping on the ground, almost causing the entire capital city of the Southern Garden Kingdom to tremble. Such a phenomenon could not possibly be caused by a Fifth Realm martial artist. It was more the intent of her fist, affecting the mountain’s roots and water veins, even involving the dragon vein of the Southern Garden Kingdom.

Pei Qian twisted her arms, adopting an extremely strange fist posture. After a slight pause, she gently delivered a punch – Divine Man Strikes the Drum.

A moment later, Pei Qian seemed to be following the fist, pulled by its intent, yet also as if the fist came from the heart, determined to deliver the final blow at the highest point. The girl’s figure instantly soared, stepping into the air, then running towards the sky with each step, her figure as fast as lightning. Finally, at the Lotus Root Blessed Land’s firmament, near where the great sun hung, Pei Qian finally delivered the final punch.

After the punch.

The vast golden sea of clouds beneath the girl’s feet, illuminated by the great sun, shattered.

Almost all the cultivators in the Lotus Root Blessed Land who had embarked on the path of cultivation and first reached the Middle Five Realms subconsciously looked up at a certain point in the sky.

Likewise, the spirits, ghosts, and monsters born in response to this new blessed land all looked up blankly.

At the same time, the Martial Temples of the Great Li Dynasty, the Martial Temples of Treasure Bottle Continent, and some of the larger Martial Temples in the other eight continents of the Grand Azure World all sensed something.

Eight streams of martial fortune surged wildly towards Treasure Bottle Continent, eventually converging and uniting with the martial fortune of Treasure Bottle Continent, crashing into the parasol tree umbrella held by Mountain Lord Wei Bo of Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

The Great Li Dynasty’s major Martial Temples, especially the Martial Temple in Immortal Graveyard closest to Fallen Phoenix Mountain, had their golden-bodied deities actively manifest, bowing and clasping their hands towards Fallen Phoenix Mountain.

Wei Bo’s snow-white robe fluttered in the wind, as he desperately steadied himself, his feet rooted to the ground, directly employing the divine ability of mountains and rivers, connecting himself with the entire Piyi Mountain. He had previously thought of helping to conceal the phenomenon, but now concealment was out of the question. Just standing firm and holding the parasol tree umbrella was already making Wei Bo struggle. This Great Mountain Lord of a continent, who had previously not understood why Zhu Lian wanted him to hold the parasol tree umbrella, now angrily laughed and said, “Zhu Lian! I’ll fuck your ancestors!”

Regardless of the reputation of Mountain Lord Wei, who had continuously hosted numerous Night Revel banquets, his immortal demeanor was truly outstanding, captivating the hearts of countless female deities and fairies upon sight.

As for the old steward of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, forget it. His appearance was easily forgotten, at most remembered by his title.

Zhu Lian stood on the cliffside near the bamboo building, smiling with his hands behind his back. Martial fortune surged between heaven and earth, heading straight for Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Even with the protection of fist intent, Zhu Lian’s long robe was still shredded into pieces by the countless flying-sword-like Grand Azure martial fortunes. Over time, the mask that had covered Zhu Lian’s face for many years peeled off bit by bit, eventually revealing his true appearance.

Zhu Lian extended two fingers, pinched a strand of hair at his temple, and smiled.

The young Zhu Lian, with such a face, could indeed intoxicate the hearts of beauties.