Amidst the boundless, snowy expanse, a lone figure appeared. Her slender frame stood in stark contrast to the pristine white landscape, highlighting the slightly darker tone of her skin.

Her hair was styled into a playful, adorable bun, revealing a high forehead unadorned by any jeweled pins or hair accessories.

The young woman, seemingly not yet of advanced age, halted her steps, maintaining a distance of about ten zhang from the wary hunting party. She retrieved a northern topographical map of the Aiai Continent from the Lion Peak’s collection. After a brief perusal, she noted that the closest immortal abode to the icy plains was the Banner Daoist Temple, located on a mountain in the northern Aiai Continent. This sect was not one of the major powers, known for its reclusive nature. The town at the foot of the mountain was Tou Ni City, under the jurisdiction of the Rain Worker Kingdom’s Lin Tan Prefecture. She returned the map to her sleeve, clasped her hands in a respectful greeting, and inquired in fluent Aiai Continent standard language, “May I ask how far we are from Tou Ni City?”

An old cultivator, trembling slightly, rose and tentatively asked, “Could it be that Senior is Grandmaster Liu?”

This was the best-case scenario. The worst-case scenario was that she was actually a demon in human guise, deliberately toying with them, prey caught in her trap.

In the vast icy plains, four great demons held sway, each ruling a territory. The southernmost one, calling itself Fine Willow, would occasionally ride a snow-white lion, patrolling its domain. Rumor had it that it favored appearing in the form of a handsome man. Over a decade ago, it had engaged in a life-or-death struggle with Grandmaster Liu, who came here to “earn some pocket money and save for her dowry.” The earth-shattering battlefield phenomena could even be felt as far away as Tou Ni City in the Rain Worker Kingdom. Afterward, Grandmaster Liu, though severely injured, had benefited from the ordeal, breaking through the bottleneck from the peak of the Distant Excursion Realm and successfully entering the Ninth Realm. The great demon Fine Willow seemed equally wounded, retreating into seclusion. Therefore, in recent years, Aiai Continent cultivators who came here to hunt demons, taking advantage of the southern icy plains’ temporary loss of its patron, flocked in droves, hunting down large and small demons and plundering natural treasures.

However, Great Demon Fine Willow had two capable lieutenants who helped guard its territory. One was a rogue demonic cultivator from the north, calling himself Autumn Water Daoist, and the other was a great demon with the face of an old crone, carrying a large sack. Whenever she saw cultivators, she would smile, her catchphrase being, “Our Young Master Fine Willow has another appetizer. We must thank you all.”

However, encounters with either were rare. If one happened to stumble upon them, one could only hope for a better reincarnation in the next life.

In fact, there used to be another fiercely barbaric great demon in the southern icy plains, but it had been skinned alive by the Grandmaster Liu that the old cultivator had mentioned.

Pei Qian shook her head and said, “I am not.”

Their calling her “Senior” made her somewhat uncomfortable. However, being in a foreign land, meeting by chance, and people being unpredictable, Pei Qian did not reveal her name.

Pei Qian knew who the so-called Grandmaster Liu was. A Ninth Realm martial artist, a woman named Liu Suiyu, a nominal offering of the Aiai Continent’s God of Wealth, the Liu family. She was the most promising peak realm powerhouse in the Aiai Continent to become the second Tenth Realm martial artist. When she was practicing martial arts at Lion Peak, Senior Li Er had mentioned the martial arts situation and master names in Aiai Continent in his spare time. The number one martial artist in Aiai Continent, Pei A Xiang, had a strange surname and an even stranger name, nicknamed “Thunder God,” whose fist techniques were fierce and powerful. His abode was an ordinary, unremarkable Thunder God Temple.

And Liu Suiyu was one of his three direct disciples. This old martial artist, equally skilled in martial arts and taking on disciples, had fought countless battles on the road to martial arts mastery just for the name “A Xiang.” Among them was the oldest Tenth Realm martial artist in the Northern Ju Lu Continent, Wang Fu Su. The two had once agreed to fight at sea because the latter liked to call him “Sister A Xiang,” telling everyone that the “Sister A Xiang” from Aiai Continent had very manly fists.

Rumor had it that Wang Fu Su, after returning to the Northern Ju Lu Continent from the sea, was scarred but high-spirited. When asked about the outcome by his mountain friends, Wang Fu Su scoffed and said, “How much weight can the cotton-fluffing fists of an Aiai Continent woman have?” The outcome of the Tenth Realm martial artist contest was obvious. In fact, Pei A Xiang had closed his door at Thunder God Temple and refused visitors ever since, living in seclusion for decades.

Later, Gu You asked Jian Ji of Ape Cry Mountain about the sword, and both died. The Northern Ju Lu Continent lost a Tenth Realm martial artist. The Aiai Continent’s mountain and water reports covered the event in even greater detail than the Northern Ju Lu Continent, with much gloating.

The group of cultivators were uneasy, and for a moment, none dared to approach the young woman, unsure whether she was friend or foe.

The great demons of the icy plains were almost all eccentric in nature. Could it be that the woman before them was truly passing by and had saved them by chance? Was it not a cat-and-mouse game, a cruel trick?

Hunting demons on the Aiai Continent’s icy plains was a way to earn money while risking one’s life, the risk being that the lifeline was not secure. Therefore, teamwork was essential. Before setting out, every hunter who went to the icy plains would sign a life-and-death agreement with the Northern Mountain Alliance and clarify the compensation. Of course, if the expedition failed or was completely annihilated, all bets were off.

Usually, at least three people would form a team. One formation master would be responsible for setting up traps, this person being the most crucial. One pure martial artist or military strategist cultivator, preferably equipped with both a defensive heavy weapon and an offensive treasure, would be responsible for luring the demon into the array’s forbidden zone. Because compared to other cultivators, they possessed the most resilient bodies, they could protect themselves and also hold back the tough-skinned demons, preventing a sudden collapse in a head-on collision. In addition, there had to be a qi refiner proficient in water techniques, who could take advantage of the weather and terrain to cooperate with the former in killing the demon.

If the leader could gather a team of five, they would often add a qi refiner with great offensive power, relying on the so-called “one trick pony” to deliver a fatal blow to the demon in the encirclement. Then they might add a medicine cultivator, who could help the team fight for a long time. In this way, the hunting team could advance and retreat, and even if the trip to the icy plains yielded no rewards, they could at least preserve their lives and safely return to Tou Ni City or the Banner Daoist Temple for further plans.

But even when traveling in groups, there were still many accidents.

Today, they had left the house without consulting the almanac and had encountered a Golden Core great demon.

Pei Qian understood the concerns of these people and did not want to explain too much. She only needed to head south directly to Tou Ni City for a temporary rest, and their doubts would naturally disappear.
Whether traveling with Li Huai in the Northern俱芦洲, or now venturing alone in the皑皑洲, Pei Qian’s heart is solely focused on practicing her fist, not hoping to make heroic acquaintances like her master. If they happen to meet and get along, she’s happy to share a drink without asking their names.

Pei Qian admits she can’t learn to do that, can’t achieve it.

Just as Cui Dongshan privately thinks, as long as his teacher, her master, Chen Ping’an, isn’t by Pei Qian’s side, then the vast world outside Lotus Flower Paradise is still the streets and alleys of Nanyuan Kingdom’s capital. Everyone is still those people from Nanyuan Kingdom’s capital. For Pei Qian, apart from her master and Fallen Mountain, the martial world beneath her feet has never been any different. It’s unlikely to change in the past, present, or future.

Pei Qian suddenly stopped, heavily planting her mountain-walking staff into the snow, and said to them, “You go first, hurry to Tou Ni City, be extra careful on the way, danger is still present.”

Then Pei Qian frowned, glancing at the distance behind that group of Qi refiners.

It’s a little late.

Besides an old crone seemingly faltering but actually darting swiftly behind her, carrying a large sack, her shoulders swaying, floating gracefully, the wind and snow parting for her, then stopping a hundred paces away from Pei Qian. The old crone coughed incessantly, squinting, and croaked, “Quite the nimble-fisted little girl, heading south all the way, actually willing to give up all the demon cores, making us search so hard. You pure martial artists who only practice your fist and don’t seek wealth are even more hateful than that crazy woman named Liu.”

Besides this old crone, on the southward path of that group of northern hunters, was a barefoot Taoist clad in a crane cloak, walking through the snow, loudly reciting the Taoist classic “Nanhua Autumn Waters Chapter.” The Taoist held several branches of blossoming plum blossoms, occasionally plucking a few and chewing them while reading, then reaching for snow. He swallowed the plum blossoms and snow together, each time causing iridescent light to emanate from his meridians and penetrate his bones, displaying an immortal aura of golden branches and jade bones, truly a cultivated immortal.

One from the south, one from the north, blocking the path.

Seeing that the old crone and barefoot Taoist had no intention of attacking for the time being, Pei Qian took a step, instantly arriving beside the old cultivator, and took off her bamboo box. She reminded the group of cultivators gathering around, “You just focus on forming a defensive array to protect yourselves. If possible, help me watch the book box while ensuring your own safety. If the situation becomes dire, flee for your lives. I’ll try my best to protect you.”

Pei Qian paused for a moment, adding, “I’ll do my best.”

Since the old crone and barefoot Taoist came for her, Pei Qian had to throw out a few more punches. It was the right thing to do, both for herself and for others. In the martial world, righteousness comes first.

When she casually killed that demon earlier, saving that group of cultivators, it really was just a casual act. Since she had the strength and ability, she should throw a punch without expecting anything in return.

As for the kindness and malice of this world and the hearts of men, what does it have to do with Pei Qian practicing her fist and throwing a punch? Nothing.

Pei Qian only cares about her master’s teachings and Grandpa Cui’s fist techniques, nothing else.

The old crone glanced again at the green bamboo staff that the young woman left behind. Earlier, when she concentrated her gaze, she couldn’t completely see through the illusion, only vaguely sensing the strands of chilling aura from the bamboo staff. This was an important reason why the old crone hadn’t rushed to attack.

This kind of great demon who attained Dao in the ice plains is most afraid of provoking the Liu Clan’s descendants in 皑皑洲, and also wary of the direct and indirect disciples of Pei A’xiang’s lineage from Thunder God Temple. Other than that, there’s not much of a problem. Whether to eat those unlucky cultivators raw or braised doesn’t matter. Besides these two kinds of people, there are occasionally disciples from sect-level forces coming here for training, but they often have Nascent Soul Earth Immortals helping them protect them. Then let them kill some demons. The old crone has this much discernment, and the other party is usually quite measured. Those tender-skinned young registered immortal masters won’t attack too fiercely, and besides, they can’t be too fierce.

Pei Qian turned around and said to the old crone with an uncertain expression, “I’m just traveling, I haven’t provoked you. But if my skills are inferior and I become food for demons, I accept it. If my fist is good and demons are killed for trying to eat people, don’t blame me for the weight of my punch.”

The old crone asked with a smile, “Looking at your punch marks and travel route, it seems like you landed on the shore in the north and then headed south all the way? Little girl, could you be from another continent? Northern俱芦洲, or Flowing Haze Continent? Your elders actually let you travel alone, crossing the entire ice plain from north to south?”

The old crone’s biggest question was why that sworn enemy of her young master from the far north would allow this little girl to swagger through the border and travel south under his nose. If she wasn’t worried about the other party dragging her into the mess, the old crone would have attacked already. Those few battles along the way all involved cultivators at the sixth realm, and even if they held back and deliberately hid their strength, a little girl who is at most a Golden Body Realm martial artist would definitely die.

Pei Qian said, “You don’t need to probe my secrets with words. I’ll accept questions about my fist, and I’ll accept questions about my sword.”

An old cultivator anxiously transmitted a message with his heart, “Senior, regardless of your true identity, you might as well scare the other party by claiming to be a descendant of the Liu Clan, otherwise, this siege will be difficult, as you are ultimately outnumbered, and there are definitely many demons being driven by this old woman. In our皑皑洲, the Liu Clan’s descendants are the greatest protective talisman. Grandmaster Pei and Senior Liu are both Liu Clan’s retainers. Senior, you practice martial arts and fist techniques, you can pretend to be a third-generation disciple of the Thunder God Temple…”

Pei Qian replied through focused sound transmission, “I have my own lineage, I wouldn’t dare to speak recklessly.”

The old cultivator sighed in despair and dared not persuade her further. In this life-or-death situation, why be so pedantic and rigid?

At this point, everyone no longer doubted the identity of this senior.

Indeed, there’s no need.

Just that Autumn Waters Taoist is enough to crush all the hunting cultivators except for her.

The cultivators of 皑皑洲, whether they are registered immortal masters or wild cultivators, mostly know about those high and mighty Upper Five Realms immortals through those messy mountain and water reports, even if they haven’t seen many of them in person. The number is actually no less than that in Northern俱芦洲, and naturally more than the Northwestern Flowing Haze Continent.

But when it comes to eighth and ninth realm martial arts grandmasters, they are truly few and far between, far fewer than those in Northern俱芦洲, and even less than those in Flowing Haze Continent.
The martial fortune of Ai’ai Continent was notoriously scarce in the Great Wide World. Legend had it that there was only one martial artist at the tenth realm. Even Pei A’xiang of Leigong Temple, the most prosperous of the continent’s martial prowess, had lost to Wang Fu’su, who later went insane and was imprisoned by a sword immortal. The Northern Ju-lu Continent, despite Gu You’s death, who once crossed the sea to challenge a continent with his sword, still had one more martial artist at the Peak realm than Ai’ai Continent. This made the cultivators on Ai’ai Continent feel rather ashamed. Adding to this, the Liu Family’s God of Wealth, the number one cultivator on Ai’ai Continent, had openly admitted several times that his Taoist arts were at best comparable to half of the Fire Dragon Real Person of Pa-di Peak. This made the cultivators of Ai’ai Continent feel like they were inferior to the Ju-lu Continent, which had stolen the word “North,” in every aspect except wealth.

Pei Qian turned her head to look at the barefoot Taoist clad in a crane cloak. She had seen records of a mountain Taoist in the “Book of Immortals” from Upside-down Mountain, which her junior brother had purchased. Historically, there was indeed such a mountain Taoist who enjoyed reciting the “Autumn Floods” chapter of Zhuangzi, walking barefoot across the land. It was said that he wore an iron crown, determined to cleanse his intestines with plum blossoms and snow, carving withered bones into Taoist temples, and vowing to return his Taoist arts to the heavens and earth after manifesting them. He was a wanderer, never staying in one place, and his iron staff, when thrown, would transform into a azure dragon upon landing.

That mountain Taoist, who appeared and disappeared like a dragon, was a true Daoist of high virtue, certainly not the pretentious obstacle in front of her.

Even before Pei Qian assumed her fighting stance, her mind was instantly free of distractions. As she held her breath and focused her intent, her eyes beheld a strange phenomenon.

In an instant, everything became silent. It was as if Pei Qian was the only living being in the world who was not restrained, the only one who could move freely.

However, Pei Qian knew very well that what she saw was not the true river of time standing still, but rather its flow had become extremely slow.

The closer she got, the closer the surrounding currents of time seemed to come to a standstill.

After practicing her fist techniques alone, Pei Qian ultimately had only one goal: to try and bring the river of time to a complete standstill, so that only her body and mind were free. When she unleashed her fist upon the world, no matter who challenged her, they would be infinitely slower than her!

Of course, her master was an exception. Pei Qian practiced her fist techniques only to catch up with her master, never daring to hope that her fist techniques could stand shoulder to shoulder with his.

During their travels in the Sword Qi Great Wall, her master had once said something strange to Pei Qian, saying that he wanted to learn this divine ability from his eldest disciple.

Her master’s jokes were always amusing.

Why would a master learn from his disciple?

But this joke, which used to make Pei Qian secretly happy and grin involuntarily, was becoming less and less funny. Her master didn’t return home day after day, year after year, and Pei Qian felt that this once heartwarming joke was becoming more and more like a prison that made her sad and almost breathless, wishing she could smash it to pieces with a single punch. Previously, when she traveled across continents, abandoning the wind and choosing to run on the waves, each time Pei Qian unleashed a perfect punch, it was directed at the intangible river of time.

In an instant, the old woman lost sight of the young female martial artist.

It was indeed the Golden Body Realm as expected! Be it a cultivator or a pure martial artist, one’s cultivation level might be concealed, but age, as long as the realm wasn’t too different, could be roughly determined by observing the bone structure. The woman was clearly no more than thirty years old. Could she be a newly recruited third-generation disciple of Pei A’xiang of Leigong Temple? Otherwise, there was no such person among the young generation of talented martial artists in Ai’ai Continent! In Ai’ai Continent, any Golden Body Realm martial artist under the age of forty was famous throughout the land. The God of Wealth Liu had a widely circulated saying: “Unfortunately, I cannot use immortal money to create martial fortune.”

In a moment of desperation, the old woman turned around, and the large sack behind her suddenly opened, protecting her body.

With a loud bang, she felt a heavy blow on her back, the punch landing squarely on her back, protected by the sack, shattering the wind and snow within a radius of several dozen feet.

The old woman, facing away from the punching woman, had no chance to retaliate and could only fly forward, leaving the ground, in a straight line, giving her no chance to change direction and dodge, demonstrating the weight of the punch.

At the same time, the old woman faintly sensed a gust of wind passing by her. A blurry figure leaped over her and went ahead, then slid to a stop a dozen feet away, suddenly turning around and throwing a punch at her face. The old woman was horrified and no longer cared about anything else. She used a Golden Core as the center of her microcosm, spinning rapidly in her natal Qi palace, stirring up countless golden rays that were intertwined with her three souls and seven spirits, desperately trying to stabilize her trembling soul. Then, her yin spirit detached from her body and traveled far away, carrying two natal objects of attack, preparing to use spells and divine abilities to prevent the punching girl from being too presumptuous.

The remaining natal object, still in her body, was controlled by the Golden Core and suddenly shone brightly. Around the old woman, a mysterious mountain and water formation appeared out of thin air, a pavilion built from countless snow-white silver lines, crystal clear and resembling a glass fairyland. On top of one of the roof ridges of this miniature immortal pavilion, sat a thumb-sized yuan infant of the old woman, forming hand seals, constantly absorbing the water energy of the snow in the heavens and earth to stabilize the formation.

However, the old woman, who was prepared for battle, did not receive the expected second punch.

A martial artist actually used a talisman and teleported, instantly disappearing without a trace.

The barefoot Taoist, clad in a crane cloak and holding a plum blossom branch, was about to take advantage of the life-and-death battle on the other side and attack a Qi Refiner to relieve boredom. He pinched a plum blossom and was about to gently throw it at someone.

As for the unidentified young woman, he had roughly gauged her strength. She was in the Golden Body Realm with a solid foundation in physical training, rare, but still inferior to Liu Sui-yu of the Distant Roaming Realm.

Unexpectedly, the barefoot Taoist, who had just felt relieved, sensed something amiss, and his heartstrings tightened. The white light on his crane cloak robe burst forth, and he was about to use a escape technique to leave when he was struck.
For reasons unknown, a stagnation, devoid of all reason, had descended. The resplendent crane cloak, now bursting with light, was forcibly drawn back to its original form, like scattered snowflakes kneaded into a snowball. The demonic cultivator, who styled himself Autumn Water Daoist, was thus inexplicably revealed, standing there like a stunned goose, taking the woman’s fist head-on.

Pei Qian, likewise, retracted her fist after the single blow.

Autumn Water Daoist was embedded in a snow-filled pit, sitting on the ground. He inhaled deeply, gathering all the plum blossoms into his mouth. The gruesome sight of blood flowing from his seven orifices vanished in an instant.

He stood up, brushed the snow from his crane cloak, and walked barefoot out of the pit. He bowed towards the distance, addressing his “Master.”

Pei Qian reached out and summoned the walking stick from afar into her hand.

Facing the old crone and the barefoot Daoist, Pei Qian did not use the “Divine Man Drumming” stance.

Because the real enemy was not these two.

To exert all her strength and kill one of them would be futile, and would instead place herself in true danger.

She had noticed the other figure even before the old crone and Autumn Water Daoist.

In the distance, a young master stood atop a snow-white lion, watching the battlefield with a constant smile.

The Master of the Southern Border of the Aihai Continent, a Jade Purity realm demon, named Xiliu.

Pei Qian didn’t think a Jade Purity realm demon was anything special.

Because she had been to the Great Wall of Swords.

The snow-white lion suddenly appeared beside the old crone. Xiliu made no attempt to hide his curiosity as he scrutinized the young woman, who was most likely a Distant Travel realm cultivator, smiling slightly, “Firstly, we unsavory Aihai demons almost never actively venture south to wreak havoc. Secondly, you are a rare and well-behaved passerby. I have no desire to make things difficult for you. Therefore, there’s no need for us to become enemies. If you are willing to leave, and hand these people over to my friend, Autumn Water Daoist, we can consider it a clean slate.”

Xiliu smiled again, “Of course, there’s another option. These immortal masters can leave, leaving you alone behind. Then, they may live, but you, young lady, will become a guest of mine, Xiliu. Either you, young lady, or these six, someone must stay and enjoy the snow with me.”

Xiliu gave Autumn Water Daoist a look, who immediately cleared the path.

The old crone cackled, “My master always keeps his word. You can weigh the options for yourselves.”

Xiliu, the great demon of the Southern Border, indeed spoke with honesty and fulfilled his word.

Thus, the cultivators communicated through spiritual whispers, and then almost simultaneously and decisively retreated south.

In the end, only the young female martial artist remained.

Xiliu smiled, “You struck out for these ungrateful wretches, carving a path to life for them, only to find yourself in a desperate situation. Aren’t you feeling like it’s a poor trade?”

Pei Qian walked to the bamboo trunk, shaking her head, “A fist is thrown for oneself.”

Placing the walking stick on the bamboo trunk, she slowly rolled up her sleeves. This fight, it seemed, would be quite the undertaking.

Excellent.

She couldn’t have asked for more.

But Xiliu continued to question, “Leaving aside the few fights you had during your journey south, those were based on clear reason. But is it right for you to strike out for these cultivators today, and slay demons?”

Pei Qian still shook her head, saying, “I did not slay it. Believe it or not, Senior Xiliu.”

Since the other party was willing to reason, even if only temporarily, Pei Qian was willing to speak a few more words.

Xiliu was taken aback, turning to look at the old crone. The old crone looked slightly embarrassed, “Reporting to Master, this little girl only sent that Zhuohua flying with a punch.”

The Golden Core demon who had been pursuing the cultivators was named Zhuohua.

She had only been wounded by the female martial artist’s punch, but she had been scared witless, mistakenly believing her to be the junior sister or direct disciple of the ninth-realm martial artist, Liu Suiyu. She had already fled hundreds of miles away.

The great demon Xiliu had been drawn by Pei Qian’s fist intent, so he mistakenly believed Zhuohua had been killed somewhere.

Xiliu grew more curious, “What is your lineage, little girl? This is not the style of the Leigong Temple A Xiang martial artist.”

As for the respectful address of “Senior Xiliu,” it made the Jade Purity realm demon standing on the back of the snow-white lion feel rather comical, and even more surprised.

Pei Qian hesitated, but still shook her head.

Xiliu began to waver, then reached up to rub his brow, feeling a headache coming on.

What was happening today? First, a little girl who was quite reasonable, but whose martial arts realm was utterly unreasonable. If either was missing, Xiliu wouldn’t hesitate at all.

Then came a woman who made Xiliu’s spine tingle. The reason Xiliu was so wary was undoubtedly because she was a Sword Immortal.

A Sword Immortal from the Northern Ju Continent was rarer than anything.

Adding the fact that she was a woman, Xiliu could roughly determine her identity: Xie Songhua, an Aihai Continent Sword Immortal who didn’t particularly like her hometown.

It was said that Xie Songhua’s sword strikes were incredibly deadly, and any duel with her was decided with a single strike, determining life and death.

Xiliu felt apprehension, but not too much fear. Being in the Southern Border of the Aihai Continent, Xiliu had the advantage of the terrain. He certainly couldn’t win in a fight, but he could at least witness the style of that woman Sword Immortal before leaving.

The female Sword Immortal, carrying a bamboo trunk on her back, arrived riding her sword. The sword qi behind her created a blank road, devoid of wind or snow, while the wind and snow raged on both sides, still obscuring the sky and the sun.

She hovered in the air, her expression cold, looking down at Xiliu, who liked to hide.

Xie Songhua had left her two direct disciples, whom she had brought here to hone their sword intent, in the city of Tou Ni behind her. The two disciples were named Chaomu and Juxing, respectively.

Xie Songhua had also sensed the anomaly here, which was why she rode her sword out of the city, intending to join in the fun.

Besides Xie Songhua, who was accepting disciples in a foreign land, Li Cai of Floating Duckweed Sword Lake in the Northern Ju Continent had also left the Great Wall of Swords with two sword immortal candidates, Chen Li and Gao Youqing.

As for Song Pin, the female Sword Immortal of Golden Armor Continent, she had also accepted two little girls as direct disciples, Sun Zao and Jin Luan.

As for Pu He of Flowing Rosy Cloud Continent, whose realm had fallen to the Nascent Soul realm at the Great Wall of Swords, she had taken a pair of young teenagers away from the Great Wall of Swords, the boy Yedu, and the girl Xuezhou.

After Xie Songhua returned to the Vast World, she had exchanged flying sword messages across continents with Li Cai, Song Pin, and Pu He, making an agreement to meet once every sixty years.
Of course, it wasn’t a contest of swordsmanship, which would have been quite pointless, especially for Li Cai and Pu He, who were severely injured, damaging the very foundation of their swordplay. Furthermore, after the continuous battles on the Great Wall of Sword Qi, even Xie Songhua, who had made the greatest contribution, didn’t feel that her swordsmanship, her mediocre realm, had anything to boast about. Could she compare to the great Sword Immortals around her? Taking a step back, could they, the sword cultivators who returned home alive, compare to those who died in battle, like Xie Zhi and Yuan Qingshu? They could not.

Therefore, the four Sword Immortals were competing in their ability to impart swordsmanship to their direct disciples. They agreed to meet in sixty years, when Xie Songhua and the others would each bring their disciples to Bei Ju Luzhou, where Li Cai was located.

Xie Songhua noticed the young woman with a bamboo box and a mountain staff at her feet.

Xie Songhua hesitated, wanting to say something.

Back at the Great Wall of Sword Qi, she had heard that the young Hidden Official’s students and disciples all seemed to look like this. However, the woman before her was definitely not Guo Zhujiu from the Great Wall of Sword Qi. She remembered there was also a young girl from another land, surnamed Pei, who was small in stature. Even if years had passed, she didn’t quite match the young woman in the snowy ground before her.

Indeed, what a coincidence it would be to encounter someone related to that young Hidden Official in this godforsaken northern ice plains of the Aizhou Continent.

Then, she saw the young woman raise her head, gather her voice into a line, and ask in the dialect of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, “Are you Sword Immortal Xie?”

Xie Songhua immediately landed her sword, the longsword returning to its scabbard in the bamboo case on its own, and asked with a smile, “It really is you, Pei… what was it again?”

Pei Qian clasped her fists, smiling brightly, “Junior Pei Qian!”

Xie Songhua’s expression softened immediately, carefully examining Pei Qian, and said softly, “Very good, worthy of being the Hidden Official’s first disciple. Not bad, not bad.”

Xie Songhua raised her chin, pointing to the slender willow tree, “What, being bullied? Easy to solve. After one sword strike from me, we’ll go to Tou Ni City together.”

Pei Qian scratched her head, “I was just learning from my master, reasoning with Senior Xiliu.”

Xiliu nodded helplessly, “Indeed.”

Xie Songhua said, “In that case, I’ll avoid the Southern Border from now on and won’t make trouble for you.”

Then, Xie Songhua left Xiliu aside and helped pick up the mountain staff and bamboo box. Pei Qian took the bamboo staff and carried the book box on her back again.

Xie Songhua said with a mental voice, “Have you heard a huge piece of news? It’s related to your master, and it just spread not long ago.”

Pei Qian’s eyes widened, “What news?!”

Xiliu watched the two figures, one large and one small, walk away, shaking her head. What kind of situation was this?

Xie Songhua said, “I don’t know who started it, but they came up with a list of the ‘Ten Young Ones’ of the various continents.”

Pei Qian’s eyes sparkled, “Where does my master rank?”

Xie Songhua shook her head, holding back a smile, “It’s clearly stated that the ten have no ranking order. There’s Ning Yao, the sword cultivator from Flying Ascention City. Cao Ci, the martial artist from the Great End Dynasty of the Central Earth Continent. Daoist Shan Qing from White Jade Capital. Fei Ran, the number one of the Hundred Sword Immortals of Mount Tuoyue. Your master isn’t on the list of ten.”

Pei Qian was at a loss. How was it related to her master?

Xie Songhua rubbed Pei Qian’s head and said, “It’s strange. Even though they said it was the ‘Ten Young Ones’ and there was no ranking, they actually listed eleven people, singling out the ‘Hidden Official’ in the eleventh spot. Your master is also the only one who wasn’t named, only referred to as a Mountain Peak Realm martial artist and sword cultivator. So, the mountain cultivators of the entire Vast World are guessing who this Hidden Official is. Those of us who know your master’s identity don’t really want to get involved in these things, so we’re just letting them guess.”

Pei Qian bounced the bamboo box, clutched the mountain staff tightly, and looked around at the wind and snow. She still said loudly, “It’s my master!”