Chen Pingan wasn’t startled by Nianxin’s bizarre pronouncements; rather, it was the seamstress’s fervent and focused gaze that made him uneasy.

*Could this be the same look she’d have if she saw money or magical treasures while I was scavenging for scraps at the Bao Fu Zhai?* he mused.

Nianxin said, “Wait until you reach the Distant Roaming Realm. I don’t want to be the one collecting your corpse.”

As for whether this young Hidden Official could break through, or what method he’d use, Nianxin didn’t care.

Chen Pingan nodded, already forming a plan as he slowly walked.

Nianxin drifted away, vanishing in an instant, truly unconstrained.

Chen Pingan immediately fired off three questions: “How old is Nianxin? What’s her cultivation realm? What are her origins?”

The old deaf man chuckled, remaining silent.

Chen Pingan said, “I can refrain from interfering with that young man in the water prison.”

The old deaf man smiled. “As a scholar, how can you be so unscrupulous?”

Chen Pingan ignored him, squatting down and lightly tapping the ground with his fingers. A resounding metallic clang echoed. Then, he opened his palm and placed it flat on the ground.

*As expected of an ancient god’s corpse. There’s something strange about this place.*

It was clear the old deaf man placed the most importance on that young man, investing the most in him. Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out as a feint, but only three demon clansmen would ultimately survive. How much could the old deaf man really hide?

Chen Pingan carefully reviewed the hidden records of the Summer Palace in his mind. He discovered that the three chosen by the old deaf man had many obscure details. Chen Pingan could confirm that the previous Hidden Official, Xiao Xun, definitely had some transactions with the old deaf man. That’s why the Hidden Official lineage helped conceal some crucial information. Chen Pingan had no intention of reopening these dusty, old cases. Besides, he might not even be able to influence them. The old deaf man at his side was a Soaring Ascension cultivator. If he angered him, the latter only needed to honor his agreement with the Eldest Sword Immortal. In the end, the old deaf man was willing to show him so much face only because of the Eldest Sword Immortal. An Hidden Official jade token, held by someone who wasn’t even a Sword Immortal, wasn’t very useful.

However, that was just the theory. In reality, a deal could still be made. After all, Chen Pingan and the old deaf man were not enemies. If they truly fell out, the younger one, with the higher official rank, would ultimately have the advantage.

Therefore, Chen Pingan’s business approach was simple. He directly told the old deaf man: you are training three disciples here, which is already a threat to the Great Wall of Sword Qi. But since this is the instruction of the Eldest Sword Immortal, it can’t be changed. However, their escape from prison under my, the Hidden Official’s, watch, is the Summer Palace’s act of releasing tigers back into the mountains. That can be managed. There are many ways for the three disciples to leave alive.

Your agreement with the Eldest Sword Immortal doesn’t conflict with the Summer Palace’s final decision.

Perhaps the old deaf man was used to being manipulated in the Great Wall of Sword Qi. Although he suffered a small loss, he at least received the young Hidden Official’s promise, so he wasn’t angry.

In fact, the old deaf man had to talk to this young man frankly about the three disciples sooner or later. Otherwise, he wouldn’t feel at ease.

Chen Pingan hesitated, then heavily slammed his palm on the ground. It didn’t budge. No wonder this corpse, refined into a small world prison by a Sword Immortal, could trap those great demons.

Nowadays, the mountain and river deities of the vast world are also known for their immortal golden bodies, but they lack cultivation methods. They are generally soaked and nourished year after year by the incense offerings of devout believers, like “gilding.” The lifespan of mountain and river deities is indeed longer than that of cultivators. It is said that many Earth Immortal cultivators, unable to break through their great Dao bottleneck, resorted to forbidden secret arts to forcibly extend their lives. Before that, they colluded with the imperial court and local governments to secretly build lascivious shrines, hiding them from the Confucian academies. If they were unlucky and couldn’t survive the two hurdles of physical decay and soul annihilation, everything would be over. If they were lucky and managed to persevere, their path of cultivation would shift from immortal to deity, allowing them to enjoy human incense offerings.

Wei Bo should be an exception.

However, Chen Pingan never inquired about the many secrets of this former water country mountain and river deity. Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng were even more experienced. Therefore, Pi Yun Mountain and Luo Po Mountain had a tacit understanding and mutual agreement.

The old deaf man finally spoke, “Nianxin is probably seven or eight hundred years old now. She stumbled and crawled to the upper five realms. Her aptitude is excellent, but she injured her origin energy in several breakthroughs. Her current Jade Pure Realm can only rely on unorthodox methods, plus divine money and magical treasures piled up to reach this level. The height of her great Dao in this life will stop here unless there is a big accident. Nianxin doesn’t have a clear master. She is probably a wild mountain cultivator who climbed the mountain by chance. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be so bumpy.”

“However, she doesn’t aspire to reach the peak anyway. After avenging her great revenge in Golden Armor Continent, she originally thought she would just die. Unexpectedly, she heard some rumors of questionable truth. The White Emperor City Lord was somewhat interested in her. Nianxin didn’t want to end up in a fate worse than death, so she fled to Upside Down Mountain. She originally wanted to smuggle herself to the wild world. The world is even more chaotic there, and her skills would be useful. If she stumbled upon an opportunity, she might be able to break through. Unexpectedly, she was intercepted by a Sword Immortal and thrown here.”

“She hasn’t been idle here either. She has dismantled the bodies and hides of many great demons and sent them to the Danfang. Her skills are exquisite, saving the Danfang cultivators a lot of trouble.”

The old deaf man heard many of these inside stories from the white-haired boy.

The old deaf man himself never paid attention to these twisted stories of others. Not knowing wouldn’t reduce his weight, and knowing wouldn’t add a pot of wine.

Chen Pingan retracted his hand, stood up, and asked curiously, “Would the White Emperor City Lord be interested in a seamstress?”

It wasn’t that Chen Pingan had any prejudice against Nianxin or seamstresses. There are many wild fox Zen in unorthodox ways, and there are high and low distinctions in the methods of cultivation, but the cultivators themselves are not necessarily so.

It was just that the demonic giant was too high above the clouds. As a recognized demonic figure, yet able to enjoy fame throughout the world, Chen Pingan had some thoughts in his early years. One of them was that when he traveled to Middle Earth Divine Continent in the future, he must personally see the torrential water of the Yellow River Cave Heaven, and see the banner of “Granting the World First” of the White Emperor City.

Cui Chan had played a colorful cloud score with him. Even Cui Dongshan could not hide his admiration whenever he mentioned the city lord.

Mr. Qi also traveled to the banks of the Great River. The city lord even left the White Emperor City in Colorful Clouds for the first time and personally invited Mr. Qi to play a game of chess.
Chen Ping’an was more than willing to address such a discerning grandmaster of the Demonic Path as “Senior.” Of course, Chen Ping’an didn’t believe he was worthy of meeting that city lord.

The old deaf man shook his head, explaining, “Hidden Official, you truly underestimate Nian Xin. She’s no ordinary seamstress. Early on, while only a Golden Core cultivator, she possessed the means of a Jade Pure Realm cultivator. Once she unleashes her various arcane arts and divine abilities at full power, even a Jade Pure Realm cultivator who falls victim to her will suffer greatly.”

For no reason, Chen Ping’an recalled the ambush in the northern Ju Lu Continent’s canyon by the assassins from the Deer Cutting Mountain.

That seemingly lopsided battle, in terms of danger, was no less perilous in Chen Ping’an’s mind than the encirclement by Li Zhen, Yu Si, and the others.

The old deaf man chuckled, “Otherwise, relying solely on Nian Xin’s Nascent Soul cultivation, how could she have single-handedly brought down a ‘Zong’ character immortal family in Golden Armor Continent? Even Hidden Official couldn’t accomplish that, could you?”

Chen Ping’an was greatly surprised, almost disbelieving, and asked, “A Nascent Soul cultivator, all alone, could cause the destruction of an entire sect?”

The old deaf man said casually, “Within half a year, seven hundred people, from top to bottom, including the entire ancestral hall, all died. A rather large sect, its incense offerings were completely cut off.”

Chen Ping’an narrowed his eyes. “Nian Xin committed such a great crime, how did she escape to Upside-down Mountain?”

The old deaf man shook his head, “Why would I care about such things?”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “True, why should you care? But if there’s a chance, I must seek guidance from Senior Nian Xin.”

The old deaf man became interested, “Hidden Official, as a Confucian disciple, do you also have personal vendettas?”

Chen Ping’an replied, “I have a few.”

The old deaf man laughed, “It must be that they didn’t burn enough incense.”

Chen Ping’an didn’t want to dwell on the topic, frowning as he asked, “What about that extraterrestrial demon?”

The old deaf man shook his head, “I can’t say. If it’s not business, Hidden Official, please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Chen Ping’an then asked, “Why does an extraterrestrial demon wear a cyan serpent earring, don a dharma robe, and carry a short sword?”

In Chen Ping’an’s eyes, that white-haired child was no different from a human, and the other party hadn’t used any illusionary arts.

The old deaf man’s expression was playful, “Can’t he like to flaunt his wealth?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “Too imprudent.”

The old deaf man chuckled, speechless.

In this prison, who would he be cautious for?

Chen Ping’an didn’t continue to probe, changing the question, “Besides Nian Xin and the extraterrestrial demon, does Senior have any other guests in your mansion?”

The old deaf man nodded, “There’s also a heartbroken person who loves to drink and gamble.”

Of course, he was also very rich.

The old deaf man asked, “Young Hidden Official, your request for the demon race’s cultivation methods, is it because there are demons in your hometown worth nurturing?”

Chen Ping’an shook his head, “It’s not about nurturing. It’s always good to have another method of self-preservation.”

On Falling Phoenix Mountain, the growth of vegetation is all natural.

The old deaf man beckoned, and a Jade Pure Realm great demon moved its massive body closer to the sword light fence. The old deaf man reached out his arm, tore off a large chunk of bloody flesh, and slowly chewed it. Fortunately, there was still a young Hidden Official beside him, so he covered his mouth with his hand, considering it a way to treat a guest.

Together, they walked out of the prison, and Chen Ping’an began to explore the ancient battlefield littered with corpses. The old deaf man, as the host, had no choice but to accompany him.

The old deaf man asked, “Hidden Official, the Sword Qi Great Wall battle is imminent. Are we just going to wander around like this? Don’t you want to finish your work early and return to the Summer Abode to oversee matters?”

Chen Ping’an lowered his eyes, “No need to rush.”

The young man slowly raised his gaze, “Actually, I don’t really want to go there either.”

Every day spent there was not easy or pleasant for every sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage, and Chen Ping’an was no exception.

The eldest Sword Immortal had mentioned earlier that the Summer Abode shouldn’t interfere too much in the upcoming battles.

He wanted to give all the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall an opportunity to wield their swords without restraint.

Even Chen Qing wouldn’t interfere, and the Hidden Official lineage should also mind its own business.

Chen Ping’an had no objections.

Looking at a towering great demon skeleton ahead, the color of the bones was too pale, lacking the “vitality” of the phosphorescent bones of Ghost Domain Valley. If it were moved to the desolate wilderness of the Vast Sky World, exposed to the wind and sun, it would probably erode and disappear within a few years. Simply put, these great demon corpses were worthless. On the other hand, the remnants of divine spirits’ golden bodies seemed sturdy as ever, vaguely giving a sense of indestructibility, the golden bodies gleaming, with only a few insignificant holes compared to their massive forms, but unfortunately, it was also an illusion. So, they couldn’t be turned into the Summer Abode’s immortal coins, and couldn’t be considered the Sword Qi Great Wall’s assets.

The old deaf man said that these ancient gods, although they once held high positions and great power, were pitiful creatures who had reached the end of the road of the Great Dao. Once a golden body showed signs of decay, even a tiny flaw meant that a god was officially heading towards extinction, with no hope of reversal.

Chen Ping’an said a word, “Merit.”

The old deaf man nodded, “This is the method of the three Sage-Teachers to remedy the later generations of gods, and it is also the key to the stability of several worlds’ rivers and mountains.”

The mountain and water gods who were first appointed by the imperial court and then recognized by the Confucian academies had always been an important bridge connecting the mountains and the lower realms in the Vast Sky World, preventing mortal scholars and cultivators from constantly being in a position of direct conflict. The imperial court, for whatever reason, didn’t pursue the numerous local lewd shrines, and the Confucian academies rarely intervened, naturally because they valued the merit of those lewd shrines in repairing customs and encouraging good deeds in a place.

Arriving at a place where a god was extremely tall, half of its body submerged in the sea of clouds, so it was impossible to see all of it.

Chen Ping’an slightly bent his knees, suddenly exerted force, and rose from the ground, heading into the sea of clouds.

With his hands clasped in his sleeves, his robe fluttering, he leaped out of the sea of clouds, finally seeing the solemn-faced god. Chen Ping’an stood on the Pine Needle and Thunderclap flying swords, suspended in the sea of clouds.

Chen Ping’an’s mood became heavy, “That sword cultivator Yu Si?”

Above the sea of clouds around this god, floated natural, emerald green water droplets, condensed to more than a hundred. The richness of water essence was inconceivable. Clearly unrefined, its grade was already close to the water pellets produced by ordinary water mansion temples. Of course, it couldn’t compare to the bottle of Mirage Marsh water pellets given by the Fire Dragon True Man. But these water droplets were treasures for any water god, river goddess, or cultivator who practiced water arts. The key was that they were easily obtained and endless. Any sect would covet them.
It is said that the Rain Dragon Sect, located next to the Flood Dragon Gulch, could elevate its influence significantly if it moved this statue of a deity and used it as the cornerstone of a geomantic array.

Chen Ping’an felt a connection to the deity because he found its aura somewhat familiar to that of the young swordsman, Yu Si.

The old deaf man stood nearby and nodded, saying, “It has quite the provenance. The Hidden Official lives up to his name; he does not slay unknown foes.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “This little Jiashen prison is truly a place where dragons and tigers hide.”

The old deaf man gloated, “Heh.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “The young man’s water prison, is it formed from the accumulation of these water droplets?”

The old deaf man didn’t bother to conceal such minor details and readily admitted it.

The matter of raising dragons has a high threshold. First, one must find a worthy Flood Dragon to cultivate, then possess a dragon-raising technique, and finally, have a method for creating a dragon pool.

Coincidentally, the old deaf man lacked none of these.

The path of cultivation for every Ascendant Realm grand cultivator in the world could indeed be made into an extremely captivating chronicle of strange tales.

Chen Ping’an turned his head and asked, “If you were to act, senior, how would those demon clan cultivators die?”

The old deaf man casually replied, “A snap of the fingers.”

With the cultivation of a Godlike Qi-perfect Ascendant Realm expert, dealing with prisoners whose highest realm was only Immortal, the old deaf man, sitting in the Small World, had every advantage of time, place, and people. It really was a matter of crushing them with a finger.

The old man added, “If there were any who made a racket, begging for mercy or cursing, they would probably die a little slower. I learned some skinning and tendon-twisting methods from that little girl when I had nothing better to do.”

Chen Ping’an muttered to himself, “Having stayed at the Sword Qi Great Wall for too long, I almost forgot that sword immortals are sword immortals, and great demons are great demons.”

He still vividly remembered the scene when he traveled to the Northern Entire Reed Continent and first encountered the Ape Howl Mountain Sword Immortal Ji Yue. He was so cautious, walking on thin ice, one wrong step leading to eternal damnation.

Earlier, there was the time on that Dajiao Mountain ferry, watching the three sword duels between Wind and Thunder Garden and Orthodox Yang Mountain through the mirror image technique. Yuan Ying Li Tuanjing’s final sword was absolutely stunning.

Even earlier, there was the night he sheltered in an ancient house during a heavy rain and encountered the ancient Elm Kingdom’s mid-fifth realm “great demon.”

How quickly time flies, in the blink of an eye.

Chen Ping’an said, “Senior, you can collect this water fortune, I can turn a blind eye.”

In Chen Ping’an’s presence, the old deaf man extracted dozens of faint green water droplets, storing them in his sleeve using the universe in a sleeve technique. These were likely the most saturated and abundant portions of water fortune.

Then Chen Ping’an requested half of the water droplets, placing most of them into the Sword Nurturing Gourd, leaving only three. He sat cross-legged and began to refine them openly, using the incantations recorded on the rain-praying tablet outside the Water God Temple in Burial River.

This natural creation was split equally between the two.

The old deaf man could accept this, so he did not hesitate at all.

The old deaf man glanced at the rough workings of the young man’s water refining technique and praised, “Hidden Official, with just this one technique, if you’re ever forced into a corner, you could abandon your current form and choose a river bordering a great river to become a River God.”

Chen Ping’an remained with his eyes closed and focused, refining the three water droplets with a quality equivalent to ordinary water pills. The speed was extremely fast. Within his water domain, it was like rain after a long drought. The green-clad children were busy repairing the flaws in the water-character seal natal treasure, adding color back to the almost-white-drawing murals of the water domain, and replenishing the dried-up small ponds with a continuous stream of living water.

Chen Ping’an slightly diverted his attention to speak, “I advise senior not to go to the Vast Sky World.”

The old deaf man asked, “Why?”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

The white-haired child appeared on the deity’s shoulder and sneered, “Old deaf man, you’re too good at praising people. You’re sure to be dismembered into eight pieces and then minced into meat paste.”

Then the white-haired child mocked, “Your young brain isn’t sharp enough. That old deaf man deliberately chose some water droplets with thin spiritual energy, calculating that you would ask for some. Above the sea of clouds, water droplets are constantly appearing, but the old deaf man definitely deliberately misses the most abundant water fortune. How can such a little fool be the Hidden Official? He’s ten thousand miles worse than Xiao Xun. No wonder the Sword Qi Great Wall couldn’t be defended.”

Chen Ping’an ignored him.

The old deaf man remained indifferent, not explaining anything.

In any case, if that extraterrestrial demon had a chance to take advantage of, moving the young Hidden Official’s mind, the old deaf man would not stand idly by.

The extraterrestrial demon of unknown origin was volatile, flying into a rage, and said resentfully, “The Confucian disciples of the Vast Sky World are so treacherous. They deserve to be plundered by the demon clans of the barbaric world, to have their customs transformed!”

Chen Ping’an took out some more water droplets from the Sword Nurturing Gourd, refining them one by one into water fortune for his own water domain.

A dignified fifth-realm Qi refiner, just one step away from becoming a mid-fifth realm immortal, was indeed more capable and magically proficient than a third-realm cultivator.

The white-haired child seemed to sense the young Hidden Official’s state of mind and shouted, “Shameless wretch! How dare a lower-fifth realm cultivator, less than an ant, be content?!”

The next moment, the child suddenly fell silent, sitting cross-legged again, and slowly said, “That kid named Chen, his Dao Heart is perfect, he’s a promising talent. I have five supreme techniques that lead directly to the upper fifth realm, the most profound and mysterious. You have the five elements natal treasures as a foundation, learning them will be twice the result with half the effort. Do you want to learn them? I can swear that as long as you nod and agree, there will be no hidden dangers. You can ask the old deaf man if you don’t believe me. I guarantee that you can quickly reach the Jade Purity Realm. Do you want to do this risk-free business?!”

Chen Ping’an opened his eyes and asked with a smile, “Who do you think has higher Dao skills, you or Lu Chen?”

The white-haired child laughed loudly, and in an instant, a young Taoist wearing a lotus crown appeared on the deity’s shoulder, smiling silently.

Chen Ping’an asked the old deaf man, “Is there no one to restrain this much noise?”

The old deaf man nodded, “There is.”

A fierce sword light arrived in an instant, shattering the “Lu Chen” like ice being smashed by a heavy hammer.

The white-haired child condensed his human form in the far distance, unscathed, but the robe on his body was already tattered. He stopped speaking, as if he had made an agreement with the owner of the sword light.
He glared at a certain spot in the distance, then transformed into a streak of rainbow light, heading towards a nearby divine corpse. Drawing his short sword, he began to “carve the mountain,” using the short sword as a chisel and his palm as a hammer. A rhythmic *ding-dong* sound echoed as countless fragments flew, and dust filled the air. Finally, he dug out a chestnut-sized shard of golden flesh, crushed it in his palm, and casually smeared it onto his robe. Golden light flowed like water, alive and self-repairing, mending the robe.

Chen Ping’an asked softly, “The forging material for military armor pills… is it actually fragments of divine golden bodies?”

The specific heavenly treasures used to forge the three types of military armor pills, including the Divine Dew Armor, were not recorded in any books of the Vast Expanse. Chen Ping’an had never asked Cui Dongshan or Wei Bo about it before. The origin of golden essence copper coins, however, had long been confirmed. After the Lotus Root Blessed Land was promoted to a mid-tier blessed land, in addition to immortal money, it also needed a large number of golden essence copper coins.

Old Deaf nodded and said, “The process of making military armor pills is complex. The fundamental ingredient is indeed fragments of divine golden bodies.”

The Eldest Sword Immortal suddenly appeared beside Chen Ping’an.

But a moment later, he was shattered by sword light again.

Then, the white-haired boy, who had just dug out the second piece of golden flesh, swept towards the entrance of the prison. But he was cut into powder by sword light halfway.

Peering around near the prison, sword light struck again. The white-haired boy had no choice but to squat on the steps, continuing to mend his robe with the palm-sized fragment of golden flesh.

Old Deaf smiled, “After breaking the agreement, he can only stay inside the prison for ten days.”

Chen Ping’an said helplessly, “Isn’t that more troublesome for me? Could you trouble that sword immortal senior to change the method of punishment?”

Old Deaf said, “Wine is enough.”

Chen Ping’an felt a little regretful.

He had come in a hurry, and only two jars of wine remained in his close-quarters item storage.

He was reluctant to give them away.

Especially after seeing the Wick Twisting, these two jars of wine were even more precious.

With the outer demon’s persistent entanglement, he would just treat it as sharpening his Dao heart.

Unexpectedly, a strange phenomenon occurred. The Eldest Sword Immortal slowly walked out of the prison, holding the outer demon by the neck, like a small chick.

No longer as indifferent as when facing sword light, the white-haired boy trembled in the Eldest Sword Immortal’s hand, utterly terrified.

But Chen Ping’an suspected whether this scene was a trick deliberately staged by the outer demon.

However, he soon confirmed that the Eldest Sword Immortal was not a mere illusion.

Because on Chen Ping’an’s mind-sea, there was a page of paper manifested by the Eldest Sword Immortal, detailing many arrangements for the sword immortals.

As soon as Chen Ping’an finished reading, the paper dissolved and disappeared.

Regarding the path for the young and talented sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall, besides the sword immortals, the Eldest Sword Immortal had already made decisions. He directly explained it to Chen Ping’an. Chen Ping’an made some slight modifications, and the Eldest Sword Immortal agreed to some and rejected others.

After Chen Ping’an saw this paper, he became even more certain of the Eldest Sword Immortal’s intentions.

It was not much different from his own guess.

The three old sword immortals who carved characters on the city wall, Qi Tingji, went to the Floating Continent alone after the great battle. None of the Qi clan members in Taixiang Street, the ancestor’s descendants, could be taken with him.

Qi Tingji needed to guard that mountain and river cave on the Floating Continent for a hundred years. After a hundred years, he was free to do as he pleased. If the demon race conquered the Floating Continent, Qi Tingji still could not surrender to the Desolate Wilderness, and would have to obediently find a hole to hide in.

Chen Xi would fight to the death, reincarnating through the method of spiritual dismemberment. His soul would be collected in a natal lamp, and taken to the Fifth Heaven by other sword cultivators. Although he would be born with knowledge, he would still need a Dao protector.

As for Dong Sangeng, he would not leave. His life and death would remain in his hometown.

Nalan Shaowei would also leave the world through spiritual dismemberment. His natal lamp would be taken to the Azure Firmament Heaven by a Dao protector. Although after spiritual dismemberment, the road of cultivation in the next life would be extremely difficult, and it would be extremely difficult to reach the same level as his previous life, it was still better than dying completely.

Old Deaf himself chose to rely on Old Blind, rather than follow the demon army to the Vast Expanse to serve as a coolie in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

The reason was actually very simple: fear of death.

Many Ascension Stage great cultivators treasured their lives to an unbelievable degree. Du Mao of the Tongye Sect was the best example. He would resort to any means, and stop at nothing.

Sect, descendants, disciples, reputation… all could be abandoned.

As for Lu Zhi, Chen Ping’an had paved the way for her retreat. Besides Lu Zhi, the Rouge Consort and Shao Yunyan of the Spring Banner Studio would also travel with Lu Zhi.

Connecting this to the Eldest Sword Immortal’s previous arrangements for the young sword cultivators, Chen Ping’an finally ascertained a principle.

Almost everyone would be separated.

From then on, they would be truly scattered across the land. Then, to a certain extent, their respective cultivations were for reunion.

For example, Qi Tingji went to the Floating Continent, but Qi Shou would stay in the Upside-Down Mountain.

Chen Xi went to the Fifth Heaven, but Chen Sanqiu would travel the Vast Expanse.

And Gao Yehou, who accompanied Chen Xi, his younger sister Gao Youqing, became the direct disciple of Li Cai of the Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, and went to the Northern Magnificent Reed Continent.

The next great war would also be the last war in the ten thousand years of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

If you were not a sword cultivator, it did not matter. Just hide. But in the later stages of the war, some demon race survivors would inevitably head north from the city wall. Not everyone would be able to survive.

Lower Five Realms sword cultivators. Those willing to die would die, ascending the city wall to fight. If their skills were insufficient, they would still die. But as long as they could hold on until the end, they could protect their lives and their future Great Dao.

Middle Five Realms sword cultivators. Those willing to live would live. Those who could not die were not allowed to die.

Only Upper Five Realms sword immortals. Their life and death were not up to them. The Eldest Sword Immortal had already made arrangements.

The Eldest Sword Immortal walked out of the top of the prison steps, threw the white-haired boy he was holding on the ground, and asked, “Tired of living?”

The outer demon lay prostrate on the ground. The white-haired boy, who had been so casual in front of Old Deaf and the young Hidden Official, now only dared to shake his head, afraid to speak.

A figure shrouded in clouds and mist, whose true face could not be seen, appeared beside Chen Qingdu. Only the long sword hanging at his waist was clearly visible.

Chen Qingdu said, “If you don’t drink wine, you can’t muster any energy. Your sword is as soft as embroidery?”

The strange sword immortal, who was being scolded, remained silent.

Chen Ping’an and Old Deaf came before the Eldest Sword Immortal.

Chen Qingdu grabbed two young men and threw them into this space. They fell to the ground, vomiting.
Chen Ping’an recognized only one of them, a nameless, unremarkable third-realm sword cultivator from the Great Wall of Sword Qi. His background was ordinary, his aptitude was mediocre. As a youth, he was responsible for distributing Dharma robes from the Clothing Workshop and longswords from the Sword Workshop on the city walls. He also frequently carried wounded sword cultivators away from the ramparts.

As for the other youth, Chen Ping’an had absolutely no recollection of him.

Chen Qingdu said to Old Deaf and the Sword Immortal, “Keep them by your side for now. For the next century, they are to serve as your attendants. After that, you may do as you please.”

Old Deaf dared not disobey.

The Sword Immortal, whose true face was unseen, also remained silent.

For the two youths, this was an unparalleled stroke of good fortune.

Chen Qingdu looked at the otherworldly demon prostrate on the ground, “Suddenly mute when you should speak?”

The white-haired child hurriedly sat up, righteously declaring, “Lord Hidden Officer should harbor resentment! Slaving away for who? Doing more for others than a mere tailor! Such immense fortune, bestowed upon two worthless mongrels! This Chen Qingdu is so unfair! What kind of Hidden Officer is he? He should just rebel against the Great Wall of Sword Qi and scheme for a position in the wild lands that surpasses the Hidden Officer! That is what a true hero should do…”

Chen Ping’an rubbed his forehead, exasperated.

One youth, inexplicably about to gain a Sword Immortal attendant, was filled with unease. The other, who would become Old Deaf’s master, remained calm.

The Sword Immortal removed his sword and gifted it to the youth.

Old Deaf smiled at his nominal master.

Chen Qingdu led Chen Ping’an towards the prison.

Chen Qingdu slowly said, “If we were not in this place, the one speaking to you would be that otherworldly demon. Life is a dream within a dream. From the moment you stilled your mind and refined the water droplet, you would be vulnerable to its intrusion. Don’t believe me? Think you are wary enough of that otherworldly demon? Then try it.”

Chen Ping’an suddenly stopped and summoned his Natal Sword, Bird in a Cage.

Then, as if abruptly awakening from a dream.

Chen Ping’an looked around, finding himself still sitting cross-legged, refining the water droplet.

Old Deaf still stood smiling beside him.

The white-haired child with the green serpent earring and short sword still sat cross-legged on the shoulder of the deity.

However, the small world of Bird in a Cage did not exist.

It was a phantom scene.

Chen Ping’an felt as if he had fallen into an icy abyss.

The world shifted again.

He was at the bottom of the prison, meeting the tailor, Nianxin, for the first time. She still gracefully performed a curtsy, but when she looked up, her eyes were filled with mischief, “Am I the fake one? Is she necessarily the real one?”

The next moment, Chen Ping’an was staring at the youth in the water prison. The youth stood up and smiled faintly, “Are you sure that killing me will rid the Grand Azure World of a calamity?”

In another instant, he returned to the sea of clouds. The “young Daoist Lu Chen” stood on the deity’s shoulder, smiling, “Is this poor Daoist’s Daoism profound or not?”

Before Chen Ping’an could even form a thought, he arrived at the prison entrance. The Sword Immortal, shrouded in mist and unseen, slowly dispersed the clouds, revealing half of his face and saying, “Are you not curious why my image is so vague? Could it be a manifestation of the mountain-peak Sword Immortal in your heart?”

Scene after scene flashed before Chen Ping’an, each with added words.

Old Deaf stood beneath the Zhugetian stone tablet and slowly said, “Lord Hidden Officer, as a direct disciple of the Literary Saint, your learning seems lacking.”

At the prison entrance, the Old Sword Immortal clutched the white-haired child’s neck and slowly walked to the top of the stairs, suddenly laughing, “You really think Chen Qingdu has such abilities? Never thought that Lord Hidden Officer admires the Old Sword Immortal so deeply in his heart! But it seems he has quite the temper?”

The two youths were grabbed by the Old Sword Immortal from the Great Wall of Sword Qi and brought into his small world. The more timid of the two suddenly smiled, “So the ideal youth in Lord Hidden Officer’s heart should be so wholeheartedly good.”

The other youth shook his head, “No, no, even at a young age, one should have a steady temperament like mine, or one won’t live long.”

Even when he secretly condensed his mind into a mustard seed and went to the Water Mansion, the green-robed children were crowding outside the mansion gates, all with the faces of otherworldly demons.

Chen Ping’an’s headache grew increasingly unbearable.

Staggering, he returned to the stairs. After sitting down, Chen Ping’an summoned his Natal Sword, Bird in a Cage, only to be shocked. Hadn’t he already summoned it?

Looking up, Chen Qingdu, standing at the bottom of the stairs, turned his head and said, “How was it?”

Chen Ping’an was speechless.

“Chen Qingdu” smiled, “Thinking you’ve won just because you saw through my illusion? Did you even take a single step inside the prison? Are you sure you even came to the Great Wall of Sword Qi? How do you know that everything today isn’t just a Yellow Millet Dream that Lu Chen gifted you? Could it be that you are still in your hometown of Mud Bottle Lane? How can you be sure it isn’t Zhuang Zhou’s Fish observing a man? Could you be an immortal’s dream observation?”

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and knocked himself unconscious with a powerful punch.

On the stairs, the white-haired child squatted beside him, muttering, “Opportunistic and unsportsmanlike! That kid was just certain of one thing: I wouldn’t dare delay his important matters too much.”

Chen Qingdu laughed, “Dealing with immediate troubles has always been Chen Ping’an’s forte.”

Old Deaf praised from the side, “Our Lord Hidden Officer can at least be sure that he is in the prison. That’s already quite remarkable.”

The white-haired child sulked, “I’m too restricted here, or that kid wouldn’t even be able to throw that punch.”

He tentatively asked, “Chen Qingdu, if you have the ability, let me enter his dream! If he can wake up, I’ll call Old Deaf ‘Grandpa’!”

Chen Qingdu said, “I don’t have the ability.”

So the white-haired child wisely dismissed the idea.

Because even if Chen Qingdu lacked other skills, he was capable of completely killing this otherworldly demon left behind by an Ascendant Realm Sword Immortal.

The tailor Nianxin appeared all around, first respectfully greeting Chen Qingdu, then curiously asking, “Why did the Old Sword Immortal act that way?”

The unconscious Chen Ping’an seemed to be continuing the dream on his own.

His face changed constantly, showing sadness, anger, remembrance, relief, and grief.

Chen Qingdu frowned.

Chen Ping’an knocking himself out earlier was not a big deal; it was the right thing to do.

But being knocked awake by someone else now could have hidden dangers.

The white-haired child tremblingly said, “It really had nothing to do with me.”

Finally, the young man slept sweetly, breathing steadily, as if he were dreaming a good dream that he did not want to wake up from.
Chen Qingdu seized the white-haired child demon’s head, lifting him up as he uttered in a deep voice, “Go and see, what exactly is the situation?”

The extra-terrestrial demon mumbled to himself, but Chen Qingdu increased his grip. It suddenly wailed, and in a flash, it disappeared into the young man’s dreamscape.

A moment later, it emerged from the dream, helplessly saying, “Strange indeed! There’s nothing remarkable. Just a little brat hopping and skipping in an alley, a smile plastered across his face. Then it shifts to a snowy courtyard, with a child, not much older, gleefully playing. The same joyous scene. Two scenarios, endlessly looping, immutable and steadfast. It’s just these two paintings repeating over and over.”

The old deaf man cautiously inquired, “Are there any other people in the paintings? Can you not transform into someone, and use words to break through the dream?”

The white-haired child demon shook his head. “Difficult. The paintings are too hazy. This place is a small world, separated from the Great Wide World by another vast world. This brat’s hometown seems to be another tiny world entirely. I am unfamiliar with this kid’s life; how can I accomplish such a feat? If I force my hand, it would easily cause him to sink even deeper, and then even the Immortals would be powerless to save him.”

In that instant, Chen Ping’an opened his eyes, abruptly sitting up, drenched in sweat.

Chen Qingdu breathed a sigh of relief, asking, “How did you break free from the dream?”

Chen Ping’an remained silent.

Chen Qingdu shook his head and sighed, “You should know in your heart how difficult it will be for you to reach the Upper Five Realms in the future.”

Chen Ping’an nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow.

Chen Qingdu looked towards the extra-terrestrial demon, who immediately vowed, “From now on, this kid is my grandfather! I guarantee I won’t cause any trouble.”

Chen Qingdu left with the old deaf man and Nianxin. The white-haired child demon dared not linger, afraid that Chen Qingdu, in a bad mood, might vent his anger upon him. So, in the end, only Chen Ping’an remained.

After they departed, Chen Ping’an smiled.

He had a good dream. In the end, he dreamt of someone performing a bow, and someone else returning the courtesy at the same time, so the former was unaware.

It was himself as a young boy, still carrying a large woven basket on his back.

After returning the bow to the young boy, Master Qi smiled and spoke, bidding farewell to his junior disciple.

Chen Ping’an didn’t recall any such event. He only knew that he indeed bowed to Master Qi to express his gratitude that year.

What else could it be but a good dream?