The heavy rain poured down, and a man emerged from a thatched hut by the river, walking through the rain curtain, his clothes untouched by the wetness.

He stood by the riverbank, the raindrops, large as soybeans, drumming fiercely against the water’s surface, creating a deafening din.

The rain, coupled with the night, deepened the gloom of the world.

In its heyday, the Tongye Sect held vast territories, extending over twelve hundred li in all directions, like a human kingdom. The area was abundant in spiritual energy, ideal for cultivation. After the upheaval, the tree fell, and the monkeys scattered. Dozens of vassal forces successively broke away from the Tongye Sect, causing its territory to shrink drastically. They had three choices: one was to establish their own sects directly, altering the earliest mountain alliance contracts with the Tongye Sect’s ancestral hall. They changed from vassals to allies, occupying a piece of treasured land once allocated by the Tongye Sect, without paying a tribute of immortal money. This was considered generous. Some immortal sects directly defected to the Yugui Sect, or forged contracts with neighboring dynasties, serving as dragon-supporting patrons.

The rain gradually lessened, and three guests arrived at the thatched hut by the river. One was a purple-robed immortal, none other than Fu Lingqing, the Tongye Sect Master, who had clashed with Zuo You several times. He was a Celestial Realm cultivator, having forcefully broken through the Jade Purity Realm bottleneck, which damaged his Great Dao, forever limiting him to the Celestial Realm. Fu Lingqing’s breakthrough was a last resort. If the Tongye Sect didn’t have a strong Celestial Realm cultivator to preside over it, they would not be able to protect their crumbling ancestral legacy. This demonstrated the difference in character between Fu Lingqing and the revitalization ancestor, Du Mao.

Beside Fu Lingqing were a young man and woman. The woman wore a gold-embroidered shirt, a light red silk skirt, and a cloud-like, ethereal Dragon Maiden’s Immortal Xiang River Dress over her clothes. Her feet were adorned with embroidered shoes from the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, named Yu Xin.

The handsome young man was named Li Wanyong, and he carried a long sword on his back. The sword, named “Chi Seal,” was one of the Tongye Sect’s few treasures of great destructive power.

Yu Xin and the swordsman Li Wanyong, along with Du Yan and Qin Shuihu, were hailed as the four pillars of the Tongye Sect’s younger generation. They were growing rapidly and were all top-notch talents for cultivation. This was the foundation of a great sect.

Even though the Tongye Sect was severely weakened, aside from timing and location, the only thing they lacked compared to the Yugui Sect was a Sect Master, Jiang Shangzhen, with a promising Great Dao, and a lower sect True Realm Sect Master, Wei Ying, with exceptional talent. Aside from Jiang Shangzhen and Wei Ying, the Tongye Sect was still not far behind the Yugui Sect in other aspects. As for those wandering high-ranking elders and guest elders, who had previously dared to move their chairs out of the Tongye Sect’s ancestral hall, as long as Yu Xin and the others grew smoothly, and two of them reached the Jade Purity Realm, especially the swordsman Li Wanyong, they would be able to move the chairs back without causing any disharmony.

Sect Master Fu Lingqing came to Zuo You’s side and addressed him as Mr. Zuo.

Zuo You nodded.

Fu Lingqing said, “Including our Tongye Sect, all the immortal ferries, talisman boats, and cultivators’ miniature and spatial treasures in the continent have been requisitioned by the academy. They are being used to transport coastal residents away from danger as much as possible. It is inevitable that some immortal forces are unwilling to help wholeheartedly in order to protect themselves. After repeated admonishments from the academy’s gentlemen and sages, things have only slightly improved, and the overall situation is difficult to change. However, Jiang Shangzhen has taken the lead in opening the restrictions on the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, accepting a large number of residents from the Yugui Sect’s territory. As for the Four Symbols Grand Formation, it can be activated at any time to resist the demon army by altering the natural order of things.”

Mentioning Jiang Shangzhen and his Cloud Cave Blessed Land, Fu Lingqing was somewhat admiring. Once a large number of mortals flooded in, the spiritual energy of the land would be gradually divided and polluted, causing an excellent blessed land to degenerate into a mediocre one. And this kind of “degradation” was almost irreversible, unlike a cultivator’s quest for enlightenment, because the grade of a blessed land was, in fact, created by pouring immortal money into it to generate spiritual energy. Once the spiritual energy was divided among millions of mortals, at best, it would be evenly distributed into negligible portions that prolonged life, but for the cultivators in the blessed land, it would be as if the sky was lowering, the suppression of the Great Dao was becoming increasingly obvious, and the achievement of the Great Dao would become increasingly “lowly.”

Therefore, if he were in Fu Lingqing’s position as the master of the Cloud Cave Blessed Land, just suppressing the local cultivators would be a headache and a difficult task.

Historically, the mountains and cultivators of the Tongye Continent were known for their habit of sweeping only the snow in front of their own doors.

For example, there was still no transcontinental ferry in the Tongye Continent, while even the small Treasure Bottle Continent had several ferries in Old Dragon City. In addition, no sword immortals went to the Sword Qi Great Wall for training, and the lower sects of the Vast Sky World would not choose the Tongye Continent as their location, and so on.

Zuo You said, “Jiang Shangzhen has finally done something worthwhile.”

Something a person should do.

If he had known this would happen, when he passed through the Mirage City of the Great Quan Dynasty on his sword flight, Zuo You’s greeting with that sword should have been more polite.

Fu Lingqing did not respond, after all, Jiang Shangzhen was now the Sect Master of the Yugui Sect. Although the cultivator with the highest realm was still the old Sect Master, Xun Yuan, according to the rules of the mountain, Jiang Shangzhen was nominally the undisputed leader of the continent’s immortals, just like Fu Lingqing in the past. Fu Lingqing knew very well that in peaceful times, this empty title could benefit the sect, but in a chaotic world, this title could be deadly.

Fu Lingqing changed the subject and sighed, “If there were the mountain ferries of the Treasure Bottle Continent to transfer the people into the mountains for protection, it would be much more convenient.”

Zuo You shook his head and said, “Except for the Great Li Song family, who are determined to annex a continent, few dynasties would dare to borrow so heavily to build mountain ferries.”

Those unbelievable ferries were truly built by refining the mountains and rivers of a region. Their scale was even more exaggerated than that of transcontinental ferries. The Great Li Song family was able to build them only because of the strong support of the Mohist branch and main line, one after the other.

Fu Lingqing sighed, “Only after the truth came to light did we realize that a monarch’s courage could surpass that of the immortal masters on the mountain. It’s a pity that there will be no more opportunities to visit that Great Li’s late emperor.”

A selfish desire, done with one’s own ambitions, can also become a magnificent feat that turns the tide.

Currently, the mountain cultivators of the entire Vast Sky World have been watching and remembering the “foresight” of the Treasure Bottle Continent’s National Preceptor, Cui Chan, in joining forces with the Great Li Song family.

Zuo You remained noncommittal about this.

The private grudges between Zuo You and Cui Chan were those of former fellow disciples. Zuo You would not disregard Cui Chan’s actions due to personal animosity. Otherwise, when the “brothers” reunited at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Cui Dongshan would not have been merely kicked out of the city with a single sword strike.

Li Wanyong said softly, “It’s a pity that the Confucian Temple’s auxiliary sage, who sits in the heavens, has no real combat power.”
The Confucian school possesses two forces, one overt and one hidden. Within the Confucian domain are seventy-two academies, each overseen by a mountain lord, a sage in their own right, with attainments spanning the Yuan Ying, Yu Pu, and Immortal realms.

Furthermore, there are the numerous sage-like figures enshrined in the Temples of Literature, stationed within the Celestial Canopy, who vigilantly oversee the world. Still others wander the river of time, seeking and developing blessed lands to integrate into the vast tapestry of the Grand Azure World, exemplified by the recent establishment of the fifth such domain. And then there are those sages who follow the Sage of Rituals, resisting exceptionally troublesome ancient deities, secretly protecting the entire Grand Azure World from destruction. Unlike the masters of academies and mountain lords of the academies, the passing of these enshrined sages often goes unnoticed by the world, unrecorded in history. Even cultivators on the mountains are unaware, let alone the common folk below.

This young sword cultivator, hailed as the second coming of Fu Lingqing, was once a reckless youth who, in his ignorance, openly challenged the Left and Right Pillars of the Confucian school. He was nearly crippled, his Sword Heart destroyed, if not for the Sect Master taking a blow for him and Yu Xin pleading on his behalf. Were it not for those events, the four pillars of the revitalized Tongye Sect would likely be one short, with no place for Li Wanyong.

What Li Wanyong spoke was indeed the truth. The enshrined sages stationed in the Temples of Literature across each continent of the Grand Azure World are tasked with monitoring cultivators above the Fifth Realm within their respective domains. They especially need to keep watch on the powerful cultivators at the peak of the mountains in the Immortal Realm and Ascendant Realm. Confined to their posts, they never venture into the mundane world, year after year, simply gazing down upon the lights of humanity. In the past, when Du Mao of the Ascendant Realm from Tongye Continent sought to leave the sect and travel to the Azure Billow Continent to the Old Dragon City, he needed the permission of the celestial sages.

The Fire Dragon True Man of the Northern Reaches Continent is subject to the same restrictions when venturing out. Numerous Ascendant Realm cultivators across the continents have had their requests denied.

Therefore, the Old Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue jested that the strongest experts in the Grand Azure World have no freedom. These are not empty words.

The Grand Azure World places the greatest restraints on the strong, and even more so on those within the Confucian school. The fate of the enshrined sages of the Temples of Literature is the greatest proof of this.

Some particularly unpleasant truths have been applied to the Confucian school first and foremost. Only in this way can the old immortals of the Ascendant Realm grit their teeth and endure. Complaining is allowed, but after the complaints, they must continue to adhere to the rites. Only then can it be ensured that those on the mountain peaks do not descend and, with a mere sneeze or a stomp of their feet, throw thousands of miles of mountains and rivers into turmoil.

Fu Lingqing roared, “Li Wanyong! Be careful what you say!”

Li Wanyong’s face paled slightly.

It was rare for the gentle and refined Sect Master to be so enraged.

The Left Pillar said, “Don’t put on a show for me.”

Fu Lingqing nearly suffered internal injuries from suppressing his emotions.

The Sect Master of Tongye Sect truly respected the Confucian sages from the bottom of his heart.

Moreover, the sacrifice made by these sages of the Temples of Literature, returning to the mortal world at the cost of their own demise, is of great significance. They protect the land and culture of a continent, allowing the cultivators of each continent to take advantage of the opportune moment and terrain, greatly reducing the intensity of the attacks by the demonic races of the Wildlands when they first come ashore. This strengthens the continental arrays and the protective arrays of the major mountains. For example, the landscape array of Tongye Sect, the “Wutong Heavenly Canopy,” is even more solid than when the Left Pillar questioned it with his sword in the past.

The Left Pillar said, “What Li Wanyong said, though harsh, is the truth. Human power is limited, and sages are no exception. We are all the same.”

The enshrined sage of the Northern Celestial Canopy of Tongye Continent who secretly allowed Du Mao to leave the realm has now descended to the mortal world of Supporting Clouds Continent, like other sages, without any grand pronouncements, quietly and inconspicuously.

However, worldly affairs, when complex, devolve into each person presenting their views and finding fault with each other, arguing over who is right in the guise of reasoning. Thus, it is easy for people to talk at cross purposes, each with their own justification. If things are simple, they come down to addressing the matter at hand, with both sides willing to admit that no one but a sage is without fault. Only through such reasoning can they encourage each other and walk together on the Great Path.

Li Wanyong was clearly surprised and very curious that this arrogant Sword Immortal would say something good about him.

The Left Pillar glanced at the young sword cultivator, “Among the four of you, you were the first to harbor a death wish, so you can speak your mind frankly. Just don’t forget that speaking frankly is not the same as complaining, especially for a sword cultivator.”

Li Wanyong couldn’t stand such words, feeling that the Left Pillar was using grand principles to suppress him from a high position. Did he, Li Wanyong, need the Left Pillar, an outsider, to comment on how he should wield his sword?

Yu Xin was anxious, fearing that Li Wanyong would say a few more spiteful words, so she quickly reminded Li Wanyong telepathically that he should just listen to the words of Senior Left Pillar and not take them to heart.

Li Wanyong didn’t dare to openly confront the Left Pillar, but Yu Xin’s suffix of “Senior” made the young man’s heart ache.

Senior, my foot!

A sword cultivator arrived on his sword, it was Wang Shizi who had returned with the Left Pillar from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, a Golden Core bottleneck sword cultivator who often received guidance from the Left Pillar and had hope of breaking through the bottleneck.

In the previous fourteen years, he had ascended the city walls three times and fought outside the city twice, his battle merits being average among the Golden Core sword cultivators. For an outsider and a wild cultivator, this seemed unremarkable, but it was actually quite an impressive achievement. More importantly, Wang Shizi fought with all his might every time, yet he rarely suffered serious injuries and left behind no hidden cultivation problems. In the words of the Left Pillar, he was just lucky, and he would become a Sword Immortal sooner or later.

Wang Shizi clasped his fist and said, “Senior Left Pillar, Sect Master Fu.”

Then he nodded to Yu Xin and Li Wanyong.

The two proud children of Tongye Sect returned the greeting. All four of the young stars who were revitalizing the sect greatly admired Wang Shizi, who had previously been unknown on Mount Tongye. It turned out that although Wang Shizi was a sword cultivator, before going to Upside-down Mountain, he liked to travel the mountains and rivers alone, always hiding his name and never joining any sect of the Zong character. After reaching the bottleneck of the Dragon Gate Realm, he quietly crossed continents to the Great Wall of Sword Qi, where he quickly broke through and formed his Golden Core. This time, he followed the Left Pillar back to his hometown and busied himself with Tongye Sect’s affairs. Only then did Wang Shizi, who now had the aura of a “sword immortal seed,” gradually become known to people.

Wang Shizi was about the same age as the Left Pillar and liked to call him Senior Left Pillar, from the bottom of his heart. Perhaps because he had received instructions from Senior Left Pillar, Wang Shizi knew nothing about the Great Wall of Sword Qi and, at most, spoke of the local customs.

Wang Shizi was a wild mountain cultivator from Tongye Continent, the Left Pillar originally wanted Wang Shizi to go to the more stable Jade Gui Sect, but Wang Shizi insisted on staying in Tongye Sect, helping Tongye Sect with the supervision of the Great Array construction. Now, he had a good relationship with Du Yan and Qin Shuihu, and occasionally had conflicts, for example, when he had huge disagreements with the Yin-Yang family’s array masters and the Mo family’s mechanical engineers on some matters. Wang Shizi would be recommended by Tongye Sect cultivators to ask Senior Left Pillar for help.
Wang Shizi succinctly laid out a troublesome matter, a persistent dispute between the Tongye Sect and foreign cultivators. Fu Lingqing immediately offered a suggestion, and the Tongye Sect took the lead in conceding, a decision met with unanimous agreement.

Wang Shizi bid farewell and departed, riding away on his sword.

The heavy rain ceased, and Li Wan followed the Sect Leader on a long journey atop their swords, inspecting the placement of various geomantic suppressors on crucial mountain peaks.

Zuo You remained where he was, the woman inexplicably not leaving with them.

Across the vast world, the hearts of men are as ducks upon the water.

Seeing she had no intention of leaving, Zuo You turned and asked, “Miss Yu, is there something you need?”

Yu Xin summoned her courage and inquired, “Senior Zuo You, throughout the expansive realm, there are nine grand towers of suppression. The Southern Bosuo Continent has the Sword Suppression Tower, rumored to be guarded by the sword immortal Cao Xi from the Lizhu Grotto Heaven. The Fuyao Continent also possesses a Mountain Suppression Tower. Why does our Tongye Continent lack a grand tower of suppression?”

Zuo You replied, “In truth, there is one. It is a vital Demon Suppression Tower, none other than the Guandao Temple in the Lotus Root Blessed Land. In all the world, there are only two Grotto Heavens and Blessed Lands that directly connect. Your Tongye Continent’s Lotus Root Blessed Land is linked to the Dao Ancestor’s Lotus Minor Grotto Heaven. However, the temple’s abbot has ascended to the Azure Heavens to seek enlightenment from the Dao Ancestor. Since the Confucian Temple did not intervene, there must have been an agreement in place.”

Yu Xin asked, curious, “Given the gravity of the matter, why didn’t the Confucian Temple consult with the old abbot, delaying his ascension or having him entrust the Demon Suppression Tower to the academies for management? Wouldn’t that bolster our defenses and increase our chances of victory against the invading demon hordes?”

The nine grand towers of suppression in the vast world are respectively for suppressing mountains, nations, seas, demons, fiends, immortals, swords, dragons, and Bai Ze beasts.

Zuo You shook his head and said, “In many matters, we Confucians expend too much effort for too little reward. For example, we allow the myriad schools of thought to contend freely, refrain from exterminating the demons, grant secular dynasties the power to consecrate mountain and river deities, and abstain from directly participating in the dynastic shifts of the mortal world. Conflicts within the Confucian Temple are constant, between academies, between lineages, even within a single lineage, disputes over the doctrines of sages are countless.”

Zuo You continued, “Reasoning with others is the most draining endeavor. I have never been adept at it. In Buddhist terms, I am at best a self-liberated being, and learning the sword has not changed that. Speaking of imparting knowledge and skills, within the lineage of the Literary Sage, Mao Xiaodong was originally the most promising to inherit the master’s mantle. However, constrained by academic barriers and cultivation aptitude, coupled with the master’s misfortunes, Mao Xiaodong, unwilling to leave the Literary Sage’s lineage, finds it even harder to exercise his abilities. Even to secure a position among the seventy-two academies for the Cliffside Academy, Mao Xiaodong had to personally travel to the Central Divine Continent. Fortunately, I now have a younger brother who is more adept at reasoning with others, a prospect worth anticipating.”

Yu Xin noticed that when this Senior Zuo You, with his less-than-amiable disposition, spoke of his younger brother, a rare hint of a smile appeared on his face.

Zuo You ceased speaking, likely his unique way of dismissing a guest.

Yu Xin still had one question, “Senior Zuo You clearly holds a poor opinion of our Tongye Sect, why are you still willing to be stationed here?”

Zuo You answered, “Your Sect Leader, Fu Lingqing, is a person willing to reason. In any given region, as long as the one most capable of reason is willing to reason, then the local customs have a chance to turn from murky to clear. Secondly, I am stationed here in Tongye Continent by the decree of my master and the Eldest Sword Immortal, not to guard your Tongye Sect. Having acquired my swordsmanship from this land, I should, when the time comes to return the sword, return it to this land.”

Yu Xin respectfully took her leave.

She was somewhat elated. Although Senior Zuo You still appeared aloof, he spoke at length today, patiently sharing so much about matters of the heavens.

She once harbored some resentment towards this great sword immortal, who bore little resemblance to a scholar, for his unrestrained tongue, his unreasonable swordplay, and for almost causing the sect to fall apart, forcing the Sect Leader to break through and ascend to the Immortal Realm… However, after Zuo You returned to Tongye Sect from the Great Wall of Sword Qi, he “conveniently” slew a great demon hidden in the Creation Cave of Reed Flower Island, according to Wang Shizi, and even helped the Tongye Sect defend against the demon hordes of the Barren Desolate World. Her resentment then dissipated like smoke. The young woman’s accumulated feelings in her heart, like the world after rain, were refreshed, like the budding of early spring, almost imperceptible, yet somehow present.

Now, throughout the entire Tongye Continent, due to the Tongye Sect, Yu Gui Sect, Taiping Mountain, and Fujii Sect jointly constructing the Four Symbols Grand Formation, coupled with the “Three Enclosures” celestial phenomenon created by the three Heavenly Curtain Sages before their descent to the mortal realm, the Ascension Realm Xun Yuan, the Taiping Mountain Old Celestial Sovereign, and the Immortal Realm Jiang Shangzhen each hold sway over one, with the Old Celestial Sovereign and Jiang Shangzhen each aided by two visiting Confucian Sages, each akin to presiding over a Grotto Heaven, overseeing the flow of fortune in the continent. With the Three Enclosures and Four Symbols Grand Formation combined, the three great cultivators constantly gather scattered fortunes from various places, resulting in the extremely strange weather patterns of Tongye Continent. For example, in the Tongye Sect’s territory, after a swift and fleeting downpour, there are now signs of a heavy snowfall, catching people off guard.

Once the continental formation is completely stabilized, the Taiping Mountain’s territory will be spring all year round, the Yu Gui Sect will be bathed in perpetual sunshine, with scorching heat, the Fujii Sect will experience the desolation of autumn winds, and the Tongye Sect will be perpetually snow-covered.

Zuo You returned to his thatched hut to meditate and nurture his sword.

Elsewhere in the Tongye Sect, Qin Shuihu was heavily drunk, sleeping beneath the flowers, awaiting the attack of the demon hordes. The earlier torrential rain had scattered countless petals all over him, yet he remained oblivious.

Between the ceasing of the heavy rain and the impending heavy snowfall, in a celestial residence built on a cliffside, the windows were open to the full moon, overlooking a deep pool. The cliff was steep, the water deep, with no path across. Du Yan, as the direct descendant of Du Mao’s lineage, had endured much criticism and scorn in recent years. Originally, Du Yan regarded Jiang Shangzhen as his lifelong pursuit, but after drifting like a vagabond for many years, he made rapid progress in less than a decade, breaking through two realms in succession. At this moment, Du Yan’s face was first filled with sorrow, then turned resolute, as he considered the enduring legacy of the Du family, sacrificing his life and forgetting his own safety, rising up and making his move!

When the heavy snow arrived.

Purple-robed Sword Immortal Fu Lingqing, the man who had always been seen as a puppet Sect Leader in Tongye Continent, ascended alone to the ancestral hall on the mountain peak, looked around, and laughed loudly, “The snow falls thick and vast, blanketing the world in white jade, cleansing our hearts and minds, making it the perfect time to draw the sword.”
At a celestial ferry crossing at the northernmost tip of Tongye Continent, a group of itinerant immortal masters wore helpless expressions. They had just learned that the Fu family of Old Dragon City, along with another intercontinental ferry service, had notified this ferry terminal a decade prior that their ships would no longer travel between the two continents. Many ferries at the crossing were simply not capable of making the intercontinental journey. The few larger vessels that could barely manage a voyage to Old Dragon City had been requisitioned by the academies and sent south. Yun Qian had also offered most of her immortal talisman vessels and a treasured spatial artifact to Taiping Mountain.

Immortal Master Yun Qian furrowed her brow. She had secretly landed on Tongye Continent with a group of Yulong Sect disciples who were willing to travel with her, via the Fuluan Sect. Then, she had headed straight to Taiping Mountain, carrying a sealed letter to visit the venerable Old Celestial Master and Sect Master Song Mao, both highly respected figures in Tongye Continent. Before Yun Qian could decide whether to remain at Taiping Mountain, the Old Celestial Master had proactively suggested that Yun Qian lead her Yulong Sect disciples to Baoping Continent. As for Yun Qian’s gift, the Old Celestial Master, a straightforward man, frankly told Yun Qian that Taiping Mountain would be unable to repay it within a century. And even after a century, even if such a mountain still existed in the vast world, it might not be able to do much. He hoped that Daoist friend Yun Qian was prepared for this reality.

Yun Qian gazed at the vast, azure sea, sighing. She had no choice but to continue her journey on the wind, which would be a hardship for the lower-tier disciples who could only travel in simple talisman vessels.

Ancestor Yun Qian shifted her gaze to the southwest. The Upside-Down Mountain had ascended and departed in full view, causing a massive stir. As an upper-tier cultivator, Yun Qian had sensed a hint of the event when the Upside-Down Mountain left. She wondered what had become of the Crystal Palace on the mountain, and what would happen to the Ancestral Hall of the Yulong Sect.

Yun Qian dared not imagine, nor did she want to dwell on it. If it simply vanished, many would die. If it still existed, Yun Qian couldn’t fathom how the entire world would view the Yulong Sect in the future, or how she and her fellow Yulong Sect disciples would fare in a foreign land.

At the ferry crossing, cultivators with official registers and wild, untamed cultivators bustled about, all Tongye Continent refugees fleeing north to Old Dragon City.

Besides cultivators, there were also many wealthy and influential figures from various kingdoms who had long-standing relationships with the mountain sects and access to reliable information, making the already large ferry crossing seem even more overcrowded.

A beautiful sword-wielding female Daoist priest muttered to herself, “How am I any different from them?”

As a cultivator from Tongye Continent, when disaster struck, the first thought was to flee.

A young man dressed in Confucian robes, but without the jade pendant of an academy, shook his head, saying, “Huang Ting, if you keep dwelling on this, I’ll have to scold you. The Old Celestial Master personally issued a decree, and Sect Master Song stamped it with the Ancestral Hall seal, practically expelling you from the sect. Why? It was to ensure that you could safely go to the fifth continent. Even in the worst-case scenario, you could still leave a lineage of Taiping Mountain there. Their good intentions are not for you to use for self-pity. If you keep thinking like this, you won’t be able to break through the Nascent Soul bottleneck even if you go to the fifth continent. Not only will you not break through, but it will become your inner demon. Let me tell you, there are already many sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall over there, each with tremendous killing power. Even in battles between sword cultivators of the same realm, the chances of those from this world winning are slim. If you become demonized over there, you will definitely be hunted down by them.”

Huang Ting said, “If I truly lose to my inner demons and am then killed by those sword cultivators, it’s a fitting death. It’s better than being exploited by some despicable cultivator who wants to earn merit for subduing demons.”

Zhong Kui angrily said, “Huang Ting!”

Huang Ting said, “I’m just venting some frustration. What are you getting so worked up about? I may not value my own life, but I would never trifle with the sect.”

Zhong Kui breathed a sigh of relief.

Huang Ting frowned, saying, “People’s hearts are collapsing so quickly.”

Zhong Kui was even more worried than she was, so he tried to comfort himself by saying some good news. He whispered, “According to my master, Fuyao Continent is much better than us. As expected of a place accustomed to fighting, both those on the mountain and those below are less attached to life than we are in Tongye Continent. Under the leadership of the academies, several large dynasties have become united. Most of the sect-level immortal families are not lagging behind either, especially a large dynasty in the north. They have directly ordered a ban on all intercontinental ferries. Anyone who dares to flee to Jinjia Continent or Central Earth Divine Continent will be executed immediately upon discovery.”

Zhong Kui rubbed his face, saying, “Just look at us here. It’s only natural to fear death and love life, but when everyone is like this, it’s just not right. The government officials are no longer interested in their offices, and the immortal lords no longer care about their Daoist abodes. No one cares about the ancestral halls or the ancestral temples. ‘A tree dies when it’s moved, but a person lives.’ Anyway, the ancestral tablets and ancestral portraits can be carried along on the journey…”

Zhong Kui had something else he couldn’t bring himself to say.

Baoping Continent was currently undertaking a major project. To this end, Jade Decree Sect Master Jiang Shangzhen, Taiping Mountain’s Old Celestial Master, Fuluan Sect Master Ji Hai, and the Mountain Lord of Dafu Academy had all hastily traveled to the sea between the two continents to meet with the Great Li’s Strategist, hoping that Baoping Continent would change its mind and choose to cooperate with Tongye Continent. Ji Hai even offered to cede the entire Fuluan Sect to the Great Li Dynasty, making it a vassal force of the Song family of Great Li!

However, Cui Chan still rejected Tongye Continent’s proposal: to first boil the sea with great fire, exposing a submerged mountain range between the two continents, and then stabilize the route with water techniques, thereby connecting Tongye and Baoping continents into one!

Only after the war was over would the route be flooded again, severing the landmass of the two continents.

Because that Embroidered Tiger had already chosen Northern Ju Lu Continent, Cui Chan only had one reason at the time. Tongye Continent cultivators sought survival in Baoping Continent, while Northern Ju Lu Continent cultivators were willing to die in Baoping Continent. Therefore, Baoping Continent should choose whom? Even a schoolboy knew the answer.

Zhong Kui was also present at the time and could only remain silent.

That meeting, which could potentially determine the fate of the three continents, did not end on a bad note, nor did anyone say harsh words to the Great Li’s Strategist. Because everyone who went to sea knew the answer. It was impossible to force someone. After all, the other party was Cui Chan, who dared to betray his master and disregard his ancestors, even disdaining the position of Deputy Teacher of the Confucian Temple. As for saying some emotionally charged words to Cui Chan, or making threats, there was no need. The peak cultivators of Tongye Continent, including the Old Celestial Master and Ji Hai, still possessed this level of composure.

And Cui Chan, besides that conclusive reason, did not ridicule the customs of Tongye Continent.
At the time, someone asked Cui Chan if the merger of two continents, a violation of the rules, could be permitted for Tongye Continent due to the compelling circumstances. They wondered if the Wen Temple would be as agreeable if Bei Ju Luzhou were to make the same request.

Cui Chan simply stated, “If the sword cultivators of Bei Ju Luzhou agree to this matter, then it is equivalent to the entire continent agreeing. The Wen Temple would have no choice but to concede. Even if they refused, what could the Wen Temple possibly do?”

Zhong Kui admired this former top disciple of the Confucian sage, despite his tarnished reputation within the scholarly circles.

“When I, Cui Chan, invoke the grand scheme of the heavens and earth, no matter who you are, you will obediently listen,” he seemed to proclaim.

Zhong Kui gazed towards the distant group of Rain Dragon Sect cultivators, remarking, “If everyone in the Rain Dragon Sect were like this, that would be a blessing.”

Huang Ting shook his head, “When the leadership is corrupt, the subordinates will inevitably follow suit. It’s quite surprising that the Rain Dragon Sect, a cesspool of corruption, has produced someone like Ancestor Yunqian.”

Eventually, Yunqian led the Rain Dragon Sect disciples on a arduous journey to Old Dragon City. Upon arrival, they announced their name to the princely mansion and expressed their willingness to contribute to the excavation of the Jidu waterway in the central part of Baoping Continent. Prince Song Mu personally received them. Even before Song Mu reached the main hall, he swiftly ordered a Great Li military transport ship to be repurposed, to escort Ancestor Yunqian and dozens of other cultivators to the central Baoping Continent. From the moment Yunqian sat down for tea in the princely mansion, less than a quarter of an hour passed before they were ready to depart. The tea hadn’t even cooled.

Song Mu personally escorted the Rain Dragon Sect party to the military dock within the inner city, finally cupping his fist in gratitude towards Ancestor Yunqian and the others. He declared that from that day forward, all Rain Dragon Sect cultivators would have unrestricted access to the princely estate.

Beyond this, the young prince offered no further pleasantries or small talk.

The transport ship docked at the source of the Jidu waterway. Awaiting them, having received a flying sword message, was Liu Qingfeng, one of the three Grand Waterway Overseers. He handed the Rain Dragon Sect cultivators a report on the progress of the waterway excavation. Then, while inquiring about the Rain Dragon Sect’s specific water manipulation techniques, he sought Yunqian’s suggestions, carefully revising and improving the existing plan that the Overseer’s Office had hastily compiled overnight. If the young prince Song Mu of Old Dragon City exuded a decisive and efficient aura, then Overseer Liu provided a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.

Yunqian was deeply moved.

On Tongye Continent, even in the midst of a desperate escape, there was a sense of chaos and disorder. But here on Baoping Continent, everything seemed to operate smoothly, without any stagnation, swiftly and methodically.

In Huaihuang County, Dragon Province of Great Li, a new shopkeeper appeared at the store on Riding Dragon Lane, named Changming.

Mountain Lord Wei Bo had just extracted himself from a nocturnal banquet. Together with Sword Immortal Mi Yu, he held a secret discussion with this Daoist friend Changming, who had come from afar. After confirming her identity beyond doubt, Wei Bo did not immediately open the restrictions of the Lotus Root Blessed Land. He stated that this matter still required the approval of Zhu Lian, the chief steward of Fallen Phoenix Mountain. Therefore, Changming temporarily assisted at the New Year’s Money Shop on Riding Dragon Lane.

Changming took out her natal golden spirit copper coin. She was surprised to see it glow brilliantly, as if her nature resonated with this land.

Indeed, choosing this place for cultivation was the best choice.

Changming looked forward to the Lotus Flower Blessed Land even more.

On Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Wei Bo and Mi Yu sat at a stone table. The Mountain Lord of the Northern Peak wore an expression of helplessness. In truth, given his relationship with Fallen Phoenix Mountain, there was no need to wait for Zhu Lian’s approval for Daoist friend Changming to reside there. The truth was, Wei Bo simply could not accomplish this. The Tongye Umbrella had already been handed over to Cui Dongshan, as instructed in the secret letter. Undoubtedly, it would eventually end up in the hands of a cultivator from Tongye Continent, perhaps from Peaceful Mountain, Zhong Kui, or even the Fallen Phoenix Mountain devotee “Zhou Fei,” to accommodate the refugees.

He wondered if the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, recently elevated to a middle-grade blessed land, would revert to its original state after returning to Fallen Phoenix Mountain, once again becoming a lower-grade blessed land with sparse spiritual energy. After all, once the escapees returned home in the future, they would take away the spiritual energy with them. The more people, the more Qi and spiritual energy they would carry, and the more the Lotus Flower Blessed Land would be depleted.

Wei Bo gazed into the distance, recalling the malicious book, *Mountain and Water Travelogue*, muttering, “Chen Ping An, is it worth it? Is it truly worth it?”

Mi Yu smiled, “Mountain Lord Wei, it seems you still don’t understand our Mountain Master enough, or rather, you don’t understand the Hidden Official of the Great Wall of Sword Qi.”

Mi Yu turned to the little girl in black, who was silently eating melon seeds, and asked with a smile, “Little Mi Li, what’s the couplet written at the shop that sells the Mute Lake wine?”

Zhou Mi Li quickly put down her melon seeds, picked up the small golden carrying pole on the table, stood up, and proclaimed in a loud voice, “A sword immortal’s three-foot blade, eyes sweeping the horizon, filled with a sense of desolation, where are my adversaries? Heroes are lonely!”

Zhou Mi Li cleared her throat and continued to shout in an even louder voice, “Two ounces of wine in a cup, to dispel ten thousand years of sorrow with you, let’s drink until we’re drunk, what does money matter?”

The little girl raised the golden carrying pole in her hand high, glancing at it, thinking, “I have a golden carrying pole, so what does money matter?”

Mi Yu took a big gulp of wine, reminiscing about the snow that fell at the Summer Retreat Palace years ago, when the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official’s lineage were building a snowman together. The young Hidden Official smiled and said a sentence to his disciple Guo Zhujiu.

“I refuse to believe that the world is so terrible!”

Mi Yu felt that even today, standing here, the young Hidden Official would think so, and believe it without a doubt.

Because some convictions have little to do with the true state of the world.

Over at the Yang Family Shop.

The shop assistant named Yang Shu rarely had a smile on his face, because he recognized the woman who had come to the door today, Li Liu, Li Er’s daughter, the biological sister of that little rascal Li Huai. Yang Shu used to have some thoughts, but the elders in the family didn’t agree, saying it wasn’t about the money. When Yang Shu asked further, the elders simply said it was the old family head’s intention, unwilling to nod, and told him to give up on it.

However, Li Liu, who always came and went alone, was accompanied today by a fat woman in coarse linen clothes, a bit of an eyesore. Yang Shu couldn’t help but steal a few glances. How could a woman be so fat? That woman gave him a “shy smile,” startling Yang Shu. The woman lifted the curtain, standing sideways, waiting for Li Liu to step into the backyard before letting the curtain fall, smiling at Yang Shu again. Yang Shu looked at the mountain of a woman and secretly raised his arm behind the counter, feeling that even he, a grown man, was no match for her.

Li Liu sat on a bamboo chair that creaked as soon as she sat down, a product of her younger brother Li Huai’s craftsmanship.

The woman who carried the entire Green Water Pit with her stood behind Li Liu, barely daring to breathe.

Because she knew the identity of the old man sitting on the steps, puffing away at his pipe.
In the primordial age, he oversaw one of the two Platforms of Ascension.

A woman in azure robes descended upon the courtyard, alighting on the stone steps with her sword, and settled on the long bench in the corridor.

Old Man Yang tapped his aged pipe against the steps, saying, “The matter is as such. If it succeeds, only by guarding Treasure Bottle Continent can it be considered a merit. If it fails, it will be a calamity instead. In the past, I have always restricted you two to act as humans, but after this matter, you can do as you please.”

The woman, upon seeing the azure-robed maiden’s cultivation at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm, felt a great shock in her heart, an unreasonable, primal fear.

The woman was not foolish, after all, she was a demon of the Ascension Realm familiar with ancient calendars. Thinking of Li Liu’s true form, she instantly guessed the true identity of the unfamiliar woman.

Supreme deity, enthroned in majesty, overlooking the mortal realm, the great sun boiling the seas, refining and slaying all things! Wherever sunlight reaches, that is the territory.

The woman grew more and more restrained, gradually changing. Her face and eyes began to transform faintly, until her ferocity erupted. A great demon, after all, deserved to be in the Ascension Realm. Even if she was terrified to the extreme, once she reached her limit, her true nature revealed itself. How could a dignified Ascension Realm demon surrender and await death? She would fight to the death!

Ruan Xiu slowly shifted her gaze from the woman, took out an embroidered handkerchief, picked up a piece of pastry, and chewed it slowly.

Li Liu said, “I have no problem. The key depends on her.”

Ruan Xiu nodded, “I have only one request. Regardless of success or failure, the literary shrine’s merit must now be credited to the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, even if halved.”

Old Man Yang hesitated, “I will discuss this with Cui Chan. Since you are voluntarily halving it, there should be no problem.”

Li Liu said, “Then I want the same, credited to Li Huai.”

Old Man Yang said unhappily, “Why give it to him? Does that little brat need it? Wouldn’t he嫌棄 think it’s too heavy and that he stepped on dogshit with his shoes?”

Li Liu smiled, then dismissed the thought.

However, Li Liu took out the red thread he had obtained from Li Huai, threw it to Old Man Yang, and sneered, “What are you saying? You dare to scheme against my brother? Are you tired of living? I might as well use that merit to exchange for that foul woman’s life. Is it enough?”

Old Man Yang frowned and said, “Don’t interfere in this matter. I will clean up the mess.”

Ruan Xiu suddenly asked, “What exactly is the matter with that travelogue?”

Old Man Yang scoffed, “Novelists are divided into two branches. One branch tries to lean towards orthodox history, striving to shed the identity of mere storytelling, unwilling to be a tributary of history, hoping to attain the Dao by establishing a blank-paper blessed land. The other branch sharpens its head and heads towards unofficial history, seeking something greater.”

Old Man Yang waved his aged pipe, “You don’t need to bother with these matters. Breaking through to the Jade Pure Realm is the top priority. You no longer need to hide so much.”

Ruan Xiu glanced at the foreign woman, having finished the pastry in her hand.

Once she refines and kills her, she will have a chance to directly enter the Immortal Realm.

Li Liu said coldly, “Ruan Xiu, restrain yourself.”

Ruan Xiu sat lazily on the long bench, squinting and smiling, “Who are you?”

The woman was uneasy.

This was truly a battle of immortals.

Ruan Xiu asked, “Can he still return?”

Old Man Yang was silent, but the mist in the courtyard grew thicker.

Then the woman was startled again, deeply shocked, turning to look at a woman in white robes behind Old Man Yang, tall in stature, with a pair of golden eyes.

Upon seeing “this person,” the woman from Green Water Pit felt a little tired. She should not have followed Li Liu here. It seemed that even her Ascension Realm strength was not enough here. She might as well have gone to the Northern Grandeur Continent to offend the Fire Dragon True Immortal.

The tall woman smiled faintly, “Of course.”

She lowered her gaze slightly, looking down at Old Man Yang sitting on the ground, “Tell Cui Chan, and have him tell the Literary Shrine, to be careful that I turn the Azure Billow World and the Grand Desolate World into one family.”

Old Man Yang said, “As long as you stay here, Chen Pingan has a chance. He is tough. Moreover, his forbearance is correct. If you had gone with him, his life might have been completely lost on the Great Wall of Sword Qi.”

She said, “Is it worse than being left alone over there, living a life worse than death?”

Old Man Yang said, “I think staying there is the best cultivation. Climbing mountains is important, but cultivating the heart is difficult. It’s not just about being scolded a few times or doing a few good deeds. That’s not cultivation.”

She sneered, “You and Chen Qingdu seem to be qualified to say such things.”

Old Man Yang nodded, “So so.”

Old Man Yang waved his pipe, “Still, be careful. Those throne demon lords will not let you boil the seas and move the waters.”

Ruan Xiu departed the courtyard on her sword, while Li Liu took the woman to the ancestral home.

Old Man Yang stood up, “If something happens to me, please take care of them a bit.”

She nodded, “There are not many old friends left. Take it easy with that old body of yours.”

Old Man Yang smiled and repeated the previous two words, “So so.”

Midway through the Grand Aqueduct of Treasure Bottle Continent, on a newly built levee, a white-clad youth was riding on a child’s back, accompanied by an old scholar with graying temples, and Lin Shouyi following silently.

The youth was cursing the old bastard as a piece of shit.

Lin Shouyi pretended not to hear anything. In fact, both the old and young were considered senior mentors in his mind.

The Imperial Advisor asked Lin Shouyi, “What do you think of Liu Qingfeng’s character?”

Lin Shouyi said, “He is naturally suited to study the statecraft of the Grand Tutor. He is a very good person, and his scholarship never misses the mark.”

Cui Chan said, “He is never wrong in his analysis, but he is one-sided in judging people. That Liu Qingfeng is a cold-eyed warm heart. Don’t be deceived by the warm heart. The key is the cold-eyed part.”

Cui Dongshan said with a smile, “The old bastard can actually say something sensible, rare, rare. Yes, yes, yes, that Liu Qingfeng is willing to treat the world with kindness, but that doesn’t mean he respects this world. In fact, Liu Qingfeng doesn’t care about the world’s opinion of him at all. The reason I admire him is because he is like me, and the order cannot be reversed.”

Cui Chan said, “I am going to the Ghost Valley of the Skeleton Beach in the Northern Grandeur Continent soon.”

Cui Dongshan hesitated, “Why don’t I go? I have Brother Gao to lead the way.”
Cui Chan said, “Your cultivation is too low. Gao Cheng might not listen to you. Treasure Bottle洲 doesn’t have time to waste on political scheming with him. He wants to complete his Great Dao and learn the most fundamental secrets of reincarnation; Treasure Bottle洲 will give him this opportunity. At a critical moment, I’ll borrow Zhong Kui from Tongye洲. You first go find that Great Monk who’s wandering at White Cloud Temple. Some things need to be discussed beforehand, otherwise, the taboo is too great, and the losses will outweigh the gains. I absolutely won’t allow Treasure Bottle洲 to be a riddled mess even if we defend it.”

If the people of Tongye洲 weren’t so scattered, Cui Chan wouldn’t have considered linking Treasure Bottle洲 with Tongye洲.

Zhong Kui plus Gao Cheng, and of course, Cui Dongshan, would have been a force to be reckoned with.

Cui Dongshan reached out and pressed down on the child’s head, cursing, “Old Brother Gao, you shameless old turtle, that bastard is planning to screw you over! Hurry up and spit in his face, help him wash it…”

Cui Chan emphasized, “I’m talking about serious matters with you!”

Cui Dongshan retorted angrily, “I’m not deaf!”

Before Cui Chan left, he seemed to say some nonsense out of nowhere, “In the future, cultivate diligently. If you see Old Master Xiu, tell him that all right and wrong, merit and demerit, are only in my own heart, and there’s nothing much to say to him.”

Cui Dongshan grumbled, “Go tell him yourself if you have the guts. I’m not a messenger. Damn, there are two generations between us now. Calling Old Master Xiu ‘Grand Ancestor’ is embarrassing.”

Cui Chan looked up at the sky and said calmly, “Because I don’t have the guts, that’s why I’m asking you to go.”

The Great Li National Preceptor, shrinking mountains and rivers, traveled thousands of miles in an instant. The vast Treasure Bottle洲 was like a small world for this Ascendant Realm scholar.

Cui Dongshan jumped off the child, jumped up, and waved his sleeves vigorously, punching his fists towards the direction where Cui Chan’s figure disappeared, cursing and yelling to scram.

Lin Shouyi knew that Cui Dongshan, the seemingly cynical Little Martial Uncle, was actually very saddened.

As Cui Chan left Treasure Bottle洲 for Northern Ju Lu洲.

Already, Great Cultivators were jointly casting great divine powers to isolate the heavens and earth.

In the northernmost part of Treasure Bottle洲, Ruan Xiu shook the bracelet on her wrist, and a fire dragon suddenly appeared, heading north in a straight line. Under the illumination of the great sun, numerous rays of light in the heavens and earth seemed to tilt and gather on that path.

At the southernmost tip of Northern Ju Lu洲, Li Liu stood on the seashore, parting the sea.

Above that line, on the right side, numerous Sword Immortals and High Five Realms cultivators from Northern Ju Lu洲 were guarding the formation, including Qi Jinglong, the Sect Master of the Taiwei Sword Sect, and Huang Tong, the Law-Enforcing Elder Ancestor. Li Cai from Floating Duckweed Sword Lake, who had just returned from traveling in Southern Suo Po洲, and Bai Chang, the number one Sword Immortal of the North. The Patriarch Nalan, and the Sect Master Zhu Quan…

On the left side, there were only two Ascendant Realms, who were old acquaintances: the Fire Dragon True Man and the woman from Green Water Pit. The Fire Dragon True Man was smiling, and the woman was smiling foolishly.

Lu Zhi, Madame Tuoyan, and Sword Immortal Shao Yunyan of the Spring Banner Studio, all rushed to Southern Suo Po洲.

The bearded ranger, a Great Demon of a Royal Seat from the Desolate World, was the first to arrive at the seashore of Southern Suo Po洲 to seek a duel with the Confucius Scholar Chen Chun’an.

Half of the cultivators in Southern Suo Po洲 could see the sword light that tore through the night.

A half-moon rose over the sea, just enough to envelop the entire Suo Po洲. After the sharp sword light broke through the barrier of the moon, it was taken into the sleeve by Chen Chun’an’s towering dharma body.

On the peak of an immortal mountain overlooking the sea, Madame Tuoyan asked softly, “Why did Liu Cha act this way? Isn’t this temporarily relieving Chen Chun’an?”

Shao Yunyan said, “Precisely because of his respect for Chen Chun’an, Liu Cha made a special trip to deliver this sword. Of course, it’s not entirely so. After this sword, Middle Earth Divine Continent will focus more on defending Southern Suo Po洲. A large number of Middle Earth cultivators, including the Patriarch of the Huai family, are already on their way to Southern Suo Po洲.”

Madame Tuoyan scoffed, “Are they coming here to watch the show? Why don’t they learn from Zhou Shenzhi and go directly to the Mountain-Water Cave of Fuyu洲 and guard it.”

Shao Yunyan remained silent.

The tall, thin Sword Immortal woman, who was closing her eyes to rest, suddenly opened her eyes and nodded slightly. It turned out that Chen Chun’an had withdrawn his dharma body and appeared beside them.

Madame Tuoyan, who had been sarcastic just now, fell silent. She had never had a good impression of Vast Bright World. After following Lu Zhi, Madame Tuoyan even preferred to consider herself half a Sword Qi Great Wall person.

However, this Confucius Scholar beside her was too awe-inspiring.

After all, there were still some scholars in Vast Bright World who seemed to carry the truth wherever they went.

Provoking them was even more terrifying than provoking some unruly Ascendant Realm cultivators.

Chen Chun’an smiled and greeted everyone, then looked out at the sea, with the sun and moon on each shoulder, but there was a crack in that round moon.

Chen Chun’an and Lu Zhi smiled knowingly at almost the same time.

The Vast Bright World had nine awe-inspiring rivers of martial fortune, surging into half of the Sword Qi Great Wall in the Desolate World.

The Desolate World was also the same, a surge of magnificent martial fortune once again poured into the Sword Qi Great Wall.

At the cliffs of Sword Qi Great Wall, Dragon Lord chuckled, “Mad dog.”

There was a Qi Refining cultivator who was out of his mind, who had never thought of becoming a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator in one fell swoop. He deliberately stirred up his spirits again and again by repeatedly shattering his dantian core, relying on joining the Dao with the Sword Qi Great Wall to reshape his flesh, restore his soul, using this unprecedented method to temper his martial artist’s body and ascend to the peak of pure martial artists.