First, the young True Dragon revealed its true form and actively left the Dragon Ascension Platform to engage in a deadly battle at sea. It fought against the throne demon concubine, whose Great Dao clashed with its own, in a dragon-serpent struggle that could be described as shifting the very seas. Subsequently, Cui Chan’s twelve flying swords from the White Jade Capital rushed to the battlefield to relieve the young dragon. Then, Yuan Shou struck the True Dragon’s head with a staff before shattering the Old Dragon City’s landscape formation and smashing it towards the princely residence. Finally, Xu Ruo, the Mohist swordsman, blocked the remaining half of Yuan Shou’s staff with most of his unsheathed sword.

On the Old Dragon City battlefield, the demon army continued to land and attack the city, while the cultivators of Treasure Bottle Continent continued to die.

After those battles on the mountain peaks, numerous long bridges and divine path steles, along with giant silk ribbons, were instantly spread out across the desolate lands. The Great Demons, having transported miniature mountains from the Tongye Continent, threw them into the sea and used their supernatural powers to suddenly erect them from the depths. The mountain peaks pierced into the seabed near the Old Dragon City’s land, hanging upside down in the sea, forming flat maritime battlefields. Vast seas of clouds spread across the surface, like white clouds filling mountain valleys.

The concubine, compared to the young True Dragon currently lying on the Dragon Ascension Platform, nursing its wounds, was in much better condition. Receiving a secret order from the Jiazi camp, she waited for a moment. Then, along a line running east-west from where she stood on the sea, countless giant ice cones appeared out of nowhere, tilting towards the Old Dragon City, which had been blocking their path for so long. The ice cones were arranged in rows, like tens of thousands of catapults.

Within these ice cones, there were a dozen or so demon cultivators, seemingly in slumber, imprisoned within. Most were Plague Gods, with a couple of Travelers among them.

In addition, a large number of demon cultivators were on top of the ice cones imprisoning the Plague Gods and Travelers, sparing no expense to frantically carve talismans, lest they anger the volatile concubine and be frozen to death on the spot, then thrown into Old Dragon City. Honestly, between the two River Swaying Overlords of the desolate lands, Yangzhi was relatively more gentle in nature. These throne demons, no matter how good their temper, could only be so good. Except for Liu Cha, who liked to pose as a swordsman and travel the world, and the rarely seen Mr. Zhou of the Literary Sea, most were exceptions.

The concubine turned her head and smiled charmingly, softly calling out “Young Master” with her mind.

A sword cultivator youth wearing black robes and a snow-white ribbon tied in his hair, none other than Yu Si of the Jiashen camp, hurried to the rear of the battlefield and found the concubine.

Yu Si was still concerned about her safety, even though she was a throne demon of the desolate lands.

Yu Si asked, “Are you alright?”

The concubine shook her head. “That little one is very green. Relying on that bit of True Dragon fortune and some righteous water blessing, he only has a tough body. He’s not even close to being a threat, and his original water magic is still immature. Even if he successfully makes the transition, he wouldn’t even be in the Ascending Realm. Not much skill, but a big temper. This battle won’t give that little one many opportunities. Before that old crone Yangzhi, I’ll quickly devour her. Then, I’ll accompany Young Master to the beaches of the Central Earth Divine Continent to relax; I wouldn’t mind at all.”

Only with Young Master Yu Si was the concubine willing to speak so freely.

The skeletal throne demon Bai Ying had already secretly rushed to Golden Armor Continent after the conclusion of the Tongye Continent war.

Zhong Kui, the gentleman of Tongye Continent, had prevented Bai Ying from fully displaying her abilities. Zhong Kui, along with Jiang Shangzhen, were the two who most deserved to die but didn’t.

As for the others, they had already received Mr. Zhou’s secret order. She, for one, couldn’t leave the Old Dragon City battlefield easily, and besides, she wasn’t willing to join that grand spectacle.

After all, this time, the entire Soaring Billows Continent was being used as a hunting ground to surround and kill Bai Ye, who had slain a throne demon with three swords. Although the situation was now reversed, with them holding all the advantages of timing, location, and popular support, Bai Ye was still Bai Ye after all.

Yu Si sighed softly, “Wooden Clog has already received Mr. Zhou’s surname and given name, Zhou Qinggao.”

The concubine smiled and comforted him, “Even as Mr. Zhou’s closed-door disciple, he still can’t compare to Young Master’s noble status.”

Yu Si shook his head; it was always difficult to talk to her.

Knowing that her Young Master was more concerned about the battlefield’s direction, the concubine considerately used her Divine Ability to observe the mountains and rivers, allowing Yu Si to clearly see the fighting dynamics of the Old Dragon City battlefield.

On the Old Dragon City side, the first counterattack by the cultivators in the recent ten days had begun. It was a grand display, with over three hundred Qi Refinement practitioners rushing out of one of the three main gates, heading towards the sea.

Yu Si was stunned. “Great Li is pragmatic, not like Prince Song Mu’s personality. Logically, he wouldn’t engage in this emotional struggle.”

Once the Treasure Bottle Continent cultivators left the Old Dragon City’s landscape formation, especially when they left the land and were on the sea, they would lose the protection of the other two formations.

The concubine smiled and explained, “It’s another strange spell from the Righteous World. They’re all paper figurines, with no killing power at all, just used to bluff people.”

Yu Si nodded. “That’s a unique supernatural power of the Home School. After all, they can write out all kinds of human landscapes with a brush, so creating hundreds of Qi Refinement practitioners to deceive people is not surprising. I heard Liu Bai mention it in the Jiashen camp before, and I was very curious, wanting to travel to the White Paper Blessed Land one day. However, Old Dragon City’s move isn’t just to scare people. That Song Mu is indeed quite thrifty; no wonder Cui Chan dared to put him in Old Dragon City.”

As Yu Si thought, those paper cultivators who went out to fight were there to trick the demon cultivators into using their spells and to lure out any hidden offensive magic treasures, even if it meant consuming some of the demon Earth Immortal cultivators’ spiritual energy. Great Li cultivators responsible for supervising and inspecting the battlefield would immediately record all the details in detail. On the battlefield, Old Dragon City wouldn’t let go of any small advantage.

There were new tricks like this every day, both big and small, on both sides.

Zhou Mi never personally coordinated or interfered with the various military camps on the battlefield, and neither did Cui Chan, leaving Prince Song Mu fully responsible for all matters in Old Dragon City.

As for personally joining the battle, that was even more out of the question. One wrong step could lead to death.

And Zhou Mi’s and Cui Chan’s rare actions were themselves a kind of signal to their respective camps.

The old monk said, “…such a secret treasure might not even be recorded by Great Li…”

At this point, the old monk was speechless. It was hard to say what that Embroidered Tiger, who could calculate everything under the heavens and in people’s hearts, was capable of.

Of course, the old monk hadn’t seen the final “white eye” signature on the flower and bird scroll, but was only speculating based on common sense.
Cao Rong chuckled, “My so-called eldest brother is currently reminiscing with Madam Gui in Old Dragon City. As his junior brother, I wouldn’t want to cause him any embarrassment.”

The old monk nodded in understanding. “That Old Boatman from the Fan family’s Osmanthus Island frequently passes through the Dragon Flood Gorge.”

Cao Rong affirmed with a nod.

The reason he was only considered “half” an eldest brother was that their master had never officially acknowledged him as a direct disciple.

However, back in the day, when their master traveled the seas, exploring the four corners of the world, the Old Boatman was the one who steered the vessel. Having journeyed with their master, he had at least contributed through his labor. Hence, the direct disciples all regarded the Old Boatman as their eldest brother.

The eldest brother, the Old Boatman, went by many aliases, the most famous being Gu Qingsong. In the Central Earth Divine Continent, he was renowned for his ‘Pretended Ease’, a euphemism for his notorious stubbornness.

Regardless of his opponents or the disparity in their cultivation, no matter how formidable their background, Gu Qingsong never cowered. Though he rarely emerged victorious, he somehow always managed to survive. He had provoked figures like Ah Liang, the City Lord of White Emperor City, and the Fire Dragon True Man. Eventually, he left the mainland again, returning to the sea as a humble boatman. It was said he simply couldn’t afford to antagonize any more people, lest the younger generation be unable to keep up.

With Cao Rong’s protection of the formation, both Old Dragon City and the Princely Residence were safe.

In the council hall, Song Mu suddenly recalled something and sternly reminded, “Every cultivator who dies outside Old Dragon City, even if they strayed from the designated battlefield, even if they inadvertently violated the rules, a death is a death. Remind all supervising cultivators that their military merits, as recorded in the Great Li Ministry of War and Ministry of Justice, are not to be discounted in any way!”

A secretarial clerk voiced, “This goes against the rules established by the National Preceptor.”

Song Mu turned, his gaze fixed on him. “In Old Dragon City, I make the rules! You only need to obey. If the National Preceptor wishes to question the Princely Residence, let him come to Old Dragon City and find Song Mu!”

The secretarial clerk’s eyes shone with fervor as he clasped his fist in salute. “Understood!”

The young official, a member of the Yi Chi Lane lineage with the Great Li’s highest honorific surname, genuinely acknowledged Song Mu’s status as a Prince for the first time.

A young gentleman from the Great Sui’s Cliffside Academy stood guard behind one of the massive breaches in the Old Dragon City formation. The breach was so large that it required three separate defensive lines. Besides assisting the Great Li’s accompanying cultivators in their battle arrangements, the gentleman would unleash his power whenever sufficient spiritual energy had accumulated.

This time, the young gentleman invoked his power with a simple utterance, “Three million Azure Riders, form ranks!”

The so-called “Azure Riders” were, in reality, willow branches.

Dense and tightly packed, they possessed a formidable presence.

They were effective against the non-cultivating demonic races sent to die, but their primary purpose was to hinder the advance of the demonic army.

Zhou Ju, a carefree sage from the Lake-view Academy, had finally managed to regain his gentleman status some years ago. However, due to his significant contributions on the Old Dragon City battlefield, he lost his gentleman title once more at the academy, reverting back to a sage. His rise and fall seemed never-ending.

Zhou Ju had already made several moves before this, more extravagant than the Cliffside Academy’s gentleman. He was currently squatting beside the latter, munching on immortal money, savoring the crunchy snack.

A young accompanying cultivator, hailing from the Wind and Snow Temple’s military lineage, was responsible for protecting the frail scholar. To put it simply, if the gentleman found himself in mortal danger, he would immediately declare, “Protect the gentleman!”

His figure vanished in a flash. Near the breach, a demonic maiden in a wide black robe possessed bizarre techniques. Her body instantly transformed into millions of birds, scattering and decimating the willow branch Azure Riders. Zhou Ju intended to confront her, seeking an opportunity to snap her neck while remarking, “You were born to be better.”

On another battlefield, the situation was even more precarious. Even with a Sword Immortal from the Northern Reaches presiding, peril lurked at every turn. The beasts from the barbaric wilderness surged through the breach like a swarm of locusts.

All the cultivators in Old Dragon City had to concede that these demonic races truly had no fear of death.

The demonic race cultivators also engaged in suicide tactics, reciprocating the Old Dragon City’s gestures of self-sacrifice.

Initially, the front-line cultivators of Old Dragon City suffered heavy losses. However, the secretarial clerk from the Princely Residence frantically sifted through a vast array of files and records. Finally, in a relatively new but unsourced book, he managed to identify the identities of the demonic suicide squads as “Nightmares” and “Face Stealers.” The Princely Residence immediately devised countermeasures, sending flying sword transmissions to all Sword Cultivators, instructing them to seek out any clues regarding these two strange types of cultivators. Only then did they manage to turn the tide of battle.

A small Thunder Pool materialized in the battlefield’s sky. Within a radius of tens of miles, lightning crackled, bolts of electricity like white dragons and five-colored serpents flickering erratically, lashing the earth.

A demonic race cultivator with sleeves of crimson and obsidian hues commanded a fire dragon and a water serpent, charging towards the breach.

Beyond the breach, on the distant sea, a previously unseen great demon made its first appearance. It was a golden-armored divine general astride a horse, lance in hand, galloping across the waves towards Old Dragon City.

Although it wasn’t a top-tier demon, this mounted figure was once remarkably prominent on the Sword Qi Great Wall battlefield. Its golden armor was exceedingly difficult to breach, so much so that it had been listed as a must-kill target by the Hidden Official lineage of the Summer Palace.

If this mounted figure was so formidable on the Sword Qi Great Wall, what would it be capable of in Old Dragon City?

A True Man from the Daoist talisman school, limited by his Golden Core bottleneck, was proficient in the art of written talismans, currently working in tandem with a great scholar from the academy who wielded the power of words.

Above the South Sea, strokes of calligraphy formed words, the sacred texts of sages.

A female demon Sword Cultivator, one of the Hundred Sword Immortals of Mount Tuoyue, possessed a youthful visage with traces of her true demonic form on her forehead and cheeks. She charged forward even faster than the mounted golden-armored divine general.

She did not wield a sword. Each time she leaped, a step of white jade would spontaneously appear beneath her feet. Behind her, a treasure light like a lunar halo was shattered by the flying swords or techniques from Old Dragon City, turning into a broken mirror. But in an instant, it would coalesce again. She had cultivated in the Sword Qi Great Wall under the Dragon Lord for several years, obtaining the sword intent “Burning Flower,” the flying sword “Shattered Mirror,” and the innate ability “Reunion.” Her flying sword and physical body were both difficult to kill. Of course, she could still die on this kind of battlefield, but as a Sword Cultivator, how could she become an Immortal if she constantly shied away from battle?

Furthermore, having fought for years on the Sword Qi Great Wall battlefield, she didn’t believe she would die in such a small place.

To submit her sword and die outside the Great Confucian Temple’s gate in the Central Earth in the future, that would be a passable death!
A reclusive Earth Immortal cultivator from Old Dragon City, who had been concealing his true strength, unleashed a sudden and devastating attack, wiping out a large number of enemies. Just as he was about to achieve his long-awaited goal – having accumulated enough war merits to leave the battlefield and return to his sect in the heartland of a state to resume his role as an esteemed ancestor – a figure rose from the pile of corpses behind him. It was a cultivator from Treasure Bottle洲, his face disturbingly familiar. The latter ripped out the Earth Immortal’s heart with a single claw, devouring it along with the golden core, chewing them with gusto. The puppet then collapsed, a macabre scene with blood dripping from its mouth.

Nearby, an old sword cultivator in the Nascent Soul realm, a veritable Sword Immortal elder of Treasure Bottle洲, unable to locate the true form of the elusive demon race, reluctantly resorted to the next best option. He unleashed his natal sword, “”, engulfing the pile of corpses with a grand and imposing circle of sword light. The sword light then crashed down with a thunderous roar, pulverizing most of the corpses, leaving few intact.

Unexpectedly, the puppet from before suddenly darted away. The old sword cultivator sent his flying sword in pursuit.

Even more unexpectedly, the corpse of the cultivator whose chest had been torn open fled in the opposite direction. Simultaneously, the puppet that had appeared first went limp, about to fall into the sea.

In the blink of an eye, the old sword cultivator was clearly caught off guard. Subconsciously, he slightly restrained his sword intent, merely cleaving the puppet in two, then immediately retrieved his flying sword, turning to slay the corpse that had lost its heart. The beast’s true form must be within the latter. His sword light flared, his momentum like a rainbow.

Li Cai was speechless.

“What’s with all this flashy nonsense?”

Even though this female Sword Immortal from another land was truly exhausted, she still exerted herself to unleash her flying sword, completely shattering the puppet that had just been cut in half. She also obliterated the demon race Earth Immortal’s soul that was hidden within the human cultivator’s skin.

Glancing at the old fellow, Li Cai was too lazy to say anything. She needed to return to Old Dragon City to drink a few jugs of good wine to invigorate herself. She would take a good nap first, then fight again.

As for that sword cultivator, he looked quite old. Judging by his Nascent Soul aura, he was a newcomer. However, his ordinary golden core had been meticulously refined for many years.

“How is it that his battlefield combat experience is like that of a fledgling chick?”

“Seems like an ‘Old Sword Immortal’ from the Orthodox Yang Mountain?”

“Oh, my dearest mother!”

“Just judging by his perception, insight, and decisiveness in wielding his sword, not even my wily disciple Chen Li, let alone that little brat Gao Youqing, would be far behind him.”

Just then, the Orthodox Yang Mountain old sword cultivator cupped his fist in salute to the renowned female Sword Immortal of North Ju洲.

“Worthy of being Sect Master Li of Floating Lotus Sword Lake! The cultivators of both 洲s know of this great female Sword Immortal!”

“A true Sword Immortal! Her swordsmanship is truly exquisite, and her natal flying sword never misses its mark, always reaping great rewards!”

“If I have the opportunity to visit the Ancestral Hall of Orthodox Yang Mountain in the future, I will certainly offer half the respect due from a disciple and earnestly seek Sect Master Li’s guidance on matters of the sword.”

Li Cai nearly rolled her eyes in response to the old sword cultivator. She barely restrained herself, not wanting to say too much, as one doesn’t strike a smiling face.

“If you were to look at things this way on the Sword Qi Great Wall, and others were to see it, not to mention Lord Hidden Official, even our own Little Hidden Official would be laughing on the ground.”

“The Sword Qi Great Wall has many peculiarities. One of the less noticeable ones is that the young Hidden Official seems particularly enthusiastic about dealing with those Demon Race of Mountain-Moving lineage on the battlefield.”

Li Cai had once privately inquired if there was a great feud between him and Yuan Shou. Was it because his realm was insufficient that he had to temporarily vent his anger on Yuan Shou’s disciples and grand-disciples?

At the time, Chen Ping’an gave a reason that Li Cai took as a joke. He said, “The first time Ning Yao and I risked our lives to fight together, we still didn’t gain any advantage.”

Li Cai merely wondered, had Yuan Shou taken action against Chen Ping’an and Ning Yao? Or had he encountered a Mountain-Moving Ascension Realm great demon on the battlefield but failed to have an earth-shattering battle? Like the young Hidden Official and Fei Ran sparring a bit, then quickly parting ways?

Li Cai flew back to the inner city of Old Dragon City on her sword, going to drink. In fact, her current posture was already swaying, as if the woman was already drunk.

“To hell with the Immortal Realm. It’s truly hopeless now. I screwed up the last remaining chance myself. Who can I blame? Blame the booze!”

Temporarily away from the Dragon Ascension Platform on the Old Dragon City battlefield, Wang Zhu had recovered somewhat and was able to sit up. The robe she wore, in the style of an ancient dragon robe, differed significantly from the later imperial dragon robes.

It was once the semi-immortal soldier cloud sea above Old Dragon City, and it was fused with a remnant of a God’s corpse, becoming a true immortal soldier.

The yellow-clad boy sitting in a daze at the foot of the steps suddenly stood up, his face stern, and said, “Ma Kuixuan, please stop!”

Besides Ma Kuixuan, who had a cat perched on his shoulder, there was also his personal maid, Shudian, and a direct disciple that Ma Kuixuan had taken in recent years, whom he had named Wangzu (Forget Ancestors).

The yellow-clad boy was most displeased by this. Wangzu (Forget Ancestors)? Then isn’t it a homonym for one of my master’s aliases, “Wang Zhu”?

Ma Kuixuan smiled and asked, “Little reptile, you could only run around on the ground in Mud Bottle Lane back then. You finally have the ability to speak, so cherish it. Don’t be so eager to die.”

The yellow-clad boy said, “One considers the master before striking a snake.”

Ma Kuixuan looked at the four-legged lizard with a dragon horn on its forehead, from the Li珠 Cave Heaven of old.

The latter took a step back, his heel hitting the stairs.

Sitting on the steps, to the point of self-destruction, was a small joke seen by both the Vast Expanse World and the Wilderness World.

It’s just that ever since the Jade Tablet Sect’s revival ancestor, Du Mao, died, they’ve been the butt of jokes, so they should be used to it.

The old man was unlike many old Jade Tablet Sect cultivators. He wasn’t so afraid of death. His realm was stuck in a bottleneck, his skin was decaying, and his soul was like a candle in the wind.

Since he wasn’t even afraid of death, he had to do something even less afraid of, such as leaving behind something for the Jade Tablet Sect that truly deserved the name “legacy.”

Those young people behind him were it.

But for them to live, he had to draw a clear line first.

If the Wilderness World wins in the future, winning the entire Vast Expanse World,

Then you children will eventually have the opportunity to re-emerge and make amends. To put it in the worst way, you can cultivate in peace in the Tongye Sect and have a stable life in the mountains. The demon races of the Wilderness World value the strong. As long as your realm is high, the world is vast, and perhaps you will be more free than cultivating in the Vast Expanse World.
But if the desolate wilderness loses, and we retreat to that barbarian land south of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, you’ll still have a choice then.

This old man, the most senior member of the Ancestral Hall of the Tongye Sect, is nearing his end. All I can do for those ancestral portraits is this much.

These young ones, willing to sacrifice their lives for the sect’s honor, they must not die!

The Yu Gui Sect in the southern Tongye Continent, which only recently became the leading Immortal family of the continent, has already lost its Law Enforcement Elder in battle. Even that adorable little Liu girl from the past, later Sister Hua Mao, has fallen.

Even if the Ancestral Hall remains intact afterward, how many people will scold me? Wouldn’t that be lonely? Old Man Jiang Shangzhen will be lonely to death!

A figure suddenly appeared, forcefully withstanding a Daoist spell from a Great Demon of the Ascension Realm who was lying in wait. He crashed heavily into the sect’s last protective mountain-and-river array, then rose and darted towards Nine Chess Peak.

Since nobody lives there for now, I’ll just use it to practice.

Jiang Shangzhen spat out a mouthful of blood. Prepare the sword, I have guests!

Nine Chess Peak crumbled and shattered, eventually revealing countless chess pieces, nine sword arrays, and nine flying swords.

Old Xun, and you old Ancestors who consumed even more incense ash! Don’t blame me for squandering our resources, the old ones have died off like flies, and our young ones can’t hold on!

Treasure Bottle Continent.

Sword Immortal Wei Jin of the Wind and Snow Temple, along with Bai Shang, the foremost Northern Swordsman of Northern Entirety Continent, and He Xiaoliang, the Sect Master of the Qingliang Sect, were hurrying towards the Western Mountain region.

As for Old Boatman, He Xiaoliang’s half-senior apprentice brother, he had already bid farewell and gone alone to Old Dragon City.

Under the arrangement of the Great Li Dynasty, they said, “Senior Xun just left like that.”

Old Gang Leader Gao Mian gulped down a large mouthful of wine. “That One-Foot Spear, not much skill, but plenty of guts, and unlucky to boot. What else could happen?”

The old man was silent for a long time, then raised his wine pot and poured some towards the south, murmuring, “Old Brother, that One-Foot Spear of your Tongye Continent, never tough in front of me, the Jade-Faced Young Master. Never thought you’d die so courageously. If only I’d given you a few more smiles and said a few more kind words back then.”

Great Li Capital.

The Mo family from the Central Earth, who entered the game even earlier than the Shang family, with both main and branch lineages staking their bets on the Treasure Bottle Continent, were still crafting mountain-crossing boats and sword vessels for the Great Li Dynasty.

The Great Li Dynasty was skilled at making money, and so was Mister Fan.

The former Minister of Revenue of the Great Li, known as the “Good Mister” and a pushover that anyone dared to squeeze, had become the most ill-tempered figure in the Great Li court. He dared to curse even the Minister of War, and judging by the look of it, he would even dare to beat the Minister of Public Works, whom he regarded as an enemy. Every time he met the Minister of Public Works, who held the same rank as him, to discuss matters, he would start by cursing him out thoroughly. After discussing the matter, he would curse him again. However, the latter would usually rise quickly and leave.

The Six Ministries of the Great Li Capital, originally all on the same street, had already temporarily cleared a large area of land and gathered all the ministries together, clustering them close to each other and linking them together. Officials from each ministry, as long as they were on official business, could freely visit each other without hindrance.

Liu Qingfeng and Guan Yiran, who were both formerly Construction Officials of the Great Rivers, could now meet frequently again. As the direct great-grandson of Old Master Guan, Guan Yiran was only filling a vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue. Not only was he not promoted, but according to the rules of the Great Li court, it didn’t even count as a nominal promotion with an actual demotion. Therefore, a large number of civil and military officials spoke out in defense of Guan’s family.

Liu Qingfeng, who was originally a civil official from a dependent state, had already been promoted to Vice Minister of Public Works. However, Guan Yiran, who was from the Guan family of the Great Li and also a dual-status cultivator in the army, was only filling a vacancy in the Ministry of Revenue. Moreover, it seemed that as soon as Old Minister Guan left, Guan Yiran deliberately distanced himself from all relations with the Ministry of Personnel. These years, during festivals, he never took the initiative to visit those uncles and elders who held important positions in the Ministry of Personnel. He even treated his grandfather’s generation with great arrogance, still not going to greet them. It was said that a former Vice Minister who had left the Ministry of Personnel more than twenty years ago and had served as Minister in another ministry for three years before retiring, had always regarded Guan Yiran as his own grandson. After living idly at home in the capital for many years, Guan Yiran, that heartless little bastard, still didn’t visit. The old man was so angry that on the second day of the first lunar month last year, he waited for a long time at the gate of his house, but in the end, he still didn’t see that young man who liked to laugh and never acted properly. The old man angrily beat the floor with his cane, cursing Guan Yiran as a worthless, ungrateful little turtle egg.

As the old man turned around, he blamed Old Minister Guan in his heart for being too cruel, too cruel to his own child.

Intentional Delay Lane. An old man who had resigned from his official position many years ago had been busy enjoying family life these years. Anyway, several of his juniors were somewhat promising and not embarrassing. Walking in Intentional Delay Lane and Chi’er Street, he didn’t have to lower his head and shrink his neck.

Today, the old man was taking a walk in the garden with his grandson. The child, who had just begun to learn to read with the tutor, suddenly said to the old man in a childish voice, “Grandpa, we have so many mountain Immortals, and the beasts of the Desolate Wilderness also have so many Great Demons. Can’t the two sides just have the Immortals fight in the sky first? After the fighting in the sky is over, then start fighting on the ground. When the fighting starts, I’m too weak, so I won’t help. Isn’t the Ministry of Revenue short of money? I’ll donate all my New Year’s money. Doesn’t my father often get scolded by the old Ministry of Revenue officials? If I give them money, they’ll be too embarrassed to scold my father again, right? It’s twenty taels of silver!”

The knowledge here was too vast and profound, and the old man could only pick out some things that the child could understand and say, “War isn’t child’s play. We can’t be afraid to die, neither the Immortals in the mountains nor the people down below. No one can be afraid to die! Otherwise, there will be a second Tongye Continent. Then our grandfather and grandson will have to move.”

Perhaps it would be a real move, taking some belongings and some books of sages. But perhaps it would be a move of the head.

But what was the point of saying the last sentence to a child? Not only would the child be scared, but he himself was often frightened whenever he thought of the worst possible outcome? Did he need to drink a few mouthfuls of old wine to calm his nerves?

Now, the Great Li allowed officials to resign, and half of their property would be confiscated. The remaining half, if it was enough to pay for a cross-continental ferry, they could go north to Northern Entirety Continent to take refuge, as they pleased. The Great Li would never stop them. If they didn’t have enough money, they could borrow it. Officials from the Ministry of Revenue and accompanying cultivators would personally visit their homes to check all the accounts. Anyone who dared to conceal or omit more than 10% of their true assets would have all their property confiscated, regardless of age. The entire family would be exiled. Now was the time when the Great Li was in need of money and people, lacking both.
In the unravaged corners of Treasure Bottle Continent, in the martial world and among the common folk, any private brawls involving ten or more individuals will be met with immediate beheading, regardless of the reasons. Cultivators inciting chaos shall face the same fate.

For disturbances in the mundane world without the involvement of cultivators or demons, the local government will be held accountable and punished. Furthermore, the Minister of Punishments from the affiliated kingdom will be sent in shackles to the nearest of the Five Peaks or the Crown Prince’s Mountain.

In all conflicts involving cultivators and demons, all immortal mountain strongholds, based on their sect or immortal mansion ranking, will be categorized into three tiers, overseeing territories of 300, 1,000, and 3,000 miles respectively. Whether they witness or fail to witness disturbances, if they cannot apprehend or execute the perpetrators on the spot, they will face collective punishment. Afraid of undeserved misfortune? Then dispatch all registered immortals from your mountains to monitor the movements around your sect day and night! You are no longer required to fight on the battlefield; can you not even maintain peace in your own backyard? Such “immortals” are better off without the title.

All wandering cultivators across the continent can obtain an inspection badge engraved by the Dali Ministry of Punishments from the Five Peaks, the mountain deities of the Crown Prince’s Mountain, and the ministries of rites of the affiliated kingdoms. Regardless of their cultivation realm, with this jade token, they can move freely within their designated territories, complementing the registered immortals. Any success in capturing wrongdoers can be rewarded with immortal coins. Accumulating enough merits in the secret archives allows them to exchange for Dali military achievements. Whether they choose to secure an official position in the rites ministry of an affiliated kingdom or retreat to the Northern Ju Continent, it is their choice.

Wandering cultivators unwilling to join the battlefield will not be coerced by the Dali Iron Cavalry or local affiliated forces.

However, any mountain or river deities who dare to abandon their posts will result in the accountability of the affiliated kingdom’s ruler and the entire ministry of rites, according to the law.

Registered immortals who privately remove names from the registry, once verified by Dali and its affiliated kingdoms, will result in collective punishment for the ancestral hall of the entire mountain. The Law Enforcement Patriarch will be beheaded immediately, and all other cultivators will be exiled to the Southern Peak region.

Song He, Emperor of Dali.

Having just concluded the minor court assembly, he quickly closed his eyes in the imperial study to rest. He was soon to receive successive waves of ministers from the six departments, each with important matters requiring his final decision before issuing decrees to the Dali court and the public.

Song He recalled the words of Cui Chan, his teacher and the national preceptor.

“The seeming inhumanity and harsh treatment of the affiliated kingdoms by Dali’s Cui Chan today will allow Your Majesty to relax the governance slightly in the future, aligning with the hearts and minds of the people of Dali’s Song Dynasty.

We cannot let Your Majesty lose at least half a continent’s worth of lands and rivers, and yet still fail to earn a few kind words in the history books of various countries.

Within and without the books, may there be only praise, Your Majesty can rest assured.”

In the Colored Clothes Kingdom, an affiliated kingdom of Dali, near Rouge County.

What was once a haunted house filled with gloomy Yin energy had become a land of scenic beauty, an immortal’s dwelling.

She reached out and tugged at his sleeve, gently shaking her head, unable to voice her selfishness, unable to articulate the reasons she knew were wrong.

She simply did not want him to go to Old Dragon City.

He comforted her, “Is my husband’s cultivation enough to even be noticed? It’s not even enough to fill the teeth of a great demon. I’m just going to do odd jobs, trying to help a little and find some peace of mind. How could I bear to go and not return, leaving you alone? I will come back, definitely.”

Only then did she nod slightly, merely gently holding his hand. Anyway, even if she didn’t nod, she couldn’t stop her husband.

In a small affiliated kingdom fortunate enough to be located in the central hinterlands of Treasure Bottle Continent, an old scholar who had been refusing visitors for many years surprisingly ventured out to bask in the sun.

However, the usually refined old man was now cursing and swearing, denouncing the tyranny and oppressive government! Those who would destroy his homeland’s mountains and rivers were not far from their demise.

A group of street ruffians passed by. The leader asked a dog-legged strategist who had attended a few years of school, “What’s Old Scholar Jiang saying? He rarely comes out, why is he acting like his precious son was beaten up?” The young man who had studied said softly, “The old scholar is scolding the Dali barbarians for interfering too much and for liking to kill people at the drop of a hat.” The questioning young man wondered, “Then is he right or not?” The young man who had studied but couldn’t really be considered a scholar didn’t seem too sure, only saying, “Maybe a little. Our Scholar Jiang is very knowledgeable.”

Thinking of this, the young man glanced at the turning back of Old Scholar Jiang.

The old scholar was very knowledgeable, but his son was truly a useless person, addicted to gambling, feigning death when he owed money. Once, the gambling den got really angry and beat him badly, tying him up. It was he who helped plead for mercy and repaid the gambling debts because one of Scholar Jiang’s students was his own schoolteacher. He couldn’t learn to read, but he still greatly respected that schoolteacher. He scolded and beat him a lot when he was young, and he was quite resentful, feeling he interfered too much. But as he grew older, he felt more and more sorry for that teacher, so he also respected the teacher’s teacher. But Old Scholar Jiang’s son was truly a useless person, and after helping him, he became dependent on him.

The leader of the ruffians finally nodded to himself, saying, “That’s right, now when we walk on the street, those dog-faced officials who used to call us brothers and drink with us, now look at us like we’re thieves. It’s really frustrating.”

Gold Armor Continent.

Yu Xuan was positioned high in the sky above the continent. His current location should have been where a sage worshipped in the Confucian temple was stationed.

As for the native Ascension Realm old cultivator beneath his feet, Wan Yan Lao Jing, even as an Ascension Realm cultivator, he had to watch the passing of time like a common old man, with the fleeting flow of light, decaying and dying, worse than a common old man.

Wan Yan Lao Jing, as the number one cultivator of Gold Armor Continent, had enjoyed a long-standing reputation, but he had been in seclusion for five hundred years before emerging. Almost every century, small rumors would spread across the continent that the founding patriarch was about to break through the bottleneck and resonate with the heavens and earth. But after so many times, no one paid much attention. Following the Fire Dragon True Man of Northern Ju Continent, Chen Chun’an of Southern Poso Continent, and Liu, the God of Wealth of Snowy Continent, Wan Yan Lao Jing of Gold Armor Continent was once the Ascension Realm cultivator in the Vast World most likely to be considered one of the ten summit cultivators while still in the Central Divine Continent.

As for why he did not seek a glorious mutual destruction with the Ascension Realm great demons from the barbaric world on the battlefield where victory or defeat was uncertain, or crush the demon army in one fell swoop, but instead wantonly slaughtered the upper five realms cultivators of his hometown, heaven knows.
Was it because the Great Dao was severed, and both the spirit and physical form had decayed beyond repair, leaving him only to await death, which led to the collapse of his Dao Heart, the rise of inner demons, and the subsequent occupation of his mind by certain extraterrestrial devils?

Was it because of the immense constraints imposed by the Confucian Temple in the Central Earth Continent, a source of long-held resentment and grievance? Or was it due to ancient grudges from times long past? In any case, it was destined to become an eternally unsolvable mystery, the truth forever obscured.

Yu Xuan did not bother to delve into the matter. That old Wan Yan Jing was, by nature, an obstinate and stubborn old codger, and their enmity was considerable.

If not for the infuriating and rigid rules of the Confucian Temple, Yu Xuan would have long since crossed continents to visit Golden Armor Continent. He enjoys seclusion, does he? Then let him simply never emerge.

Yu Xuan lowered his head, casting a gaze towards the north-central region of Golden Armor Continent, sighing with emotion. What skillful means, this Jia fellow. When scholars turn malicious, they are truly terrifying beyond measure.

The Mirror Flower Water Moon technique in Tong Ye Continent allowed him to clearly observe the scenes outside several immortal sects with the character “Sect” in their names in the north-central region of Golden Armor Continent. A fine depiction of the myriad beings in Tong Ye Continent.

Yu Xuan, upon descending into the mortal realm, dared not venture far with his nascent soul. In this Golden Armor Continent, where a significant portion of the land had fallen under the dominion of the barbaric world, wouldn’t that be courting death?

So what if he, Yu Xuan, possessed some trivial skills in the art of talismans and was one of the Ten from Central Earth?

That Jia fellow even sought to kill Bai Ye!

Occupying half the territory of the vast world, the Central Earth Continent, boasted the renowned Ten from Central Earth.

The most triumphant man in the mortal realm, the Poet Immortal Bai Ye. Unique and unparalleled.

The remaining nine were roughly divided into three tiers. This may not be entirely accurate, but it was the most widely circulated classification.

Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain. A pillar of support for military strategists and cultivators throughout the world. Talisman Master Yu Xuan.

Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, the female Martial God Pei Bei, and a great demon who founded a sect.

The Grand Master of the Mohist School, reputed to be a special existence capable of besieging a city single-handedly. It was said that without one of the Ten present to guard it, any immortal sect with the character “Sect” in its name could be utterly destroyed in the blink of an eye.

Old Sword Immortal Zhou Shenzhi.

Huai Yin.

This ranking naturally deliberately excluded the Confucian Temple of Central Earth.

Besides, there were the Ten of the Vast World. However, the debates among those who were fond of gossip were endless and tiresome, even Yu Xuan found it exceedingly dull.

The Supreme Sage, the Sage of Rites, the Sub-Sage. Bai Ye. The old abbot of the Daoist temple on the Eastern Sea. The Grand Celestial Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain.

These were the figures whom great cultivators truly standing at the pinnacle, such as Talisman Master Yu Xuan, considered relatively credible.

Beyond that, the rankings fluctuated constantly, with comings and goings, tens of candidates and the like, opinions varied greatly, each driven by their own selfish motives and preferences. For example, from the lineage of the Sub-Sage, there was the swordsman A Liang. His sword intent was at its peak, his swordsmanship was supremely profound, and his strikes were the most awe-inspiring in the world. Or take the Second Disciple of the Sage of Literature, Zuo You. His swordsmanship was unmatched under the heavens.

Yu Xuan discovered that the great demon in the Ascension Realm had already fled, and the two young martial artists were unharmed. Yu Xuan was somewhat distressed. What? Was he really going to make a wasted trip, returning to Central Earth Continent with his tail between his legs? Only by slaying or severely injuring a great demon in the Ascension Realm, outside the Fourteen Thrones, could he slightly ease his conscience. As for Floating Cloud Continent, Yu Xuan was truly reluctant to wade into those troubled waters. The water was far too deep.

And I, Yu Xuan, am rather short, you know.

Hesitating, Yu Xuan decided to chat with the two young martial artists for a while, to ease his mind.

Unexpectedly, Cao Ci, with a smiling face, clasped his fists in thanks and then took his leave, appearing quite composed?

On the other hand, the petite girl with slightly dark skin and a rather handsome appearance was more courteous, not only clasping her fists to express her gratitude but also not leaving immediately.

Yu Xuan couldn’t help but gaze southward.

Floating Cloud Continent, in the end, was no longer a part of the Vast World, but had become a part of the barbaric world’s territory.

You, Bai Ye, might not care whether you are in the Vast World or not, but those six beasts are trampling upon your own homeland.

That Twenty-Four Solar Terms Grand Array in Treasure Bottle Continent, seemingly ethereal and of little use, held its most profound secrets hidden from the eyes of ordinary people, but how could you, Bai Ye, not know?

Ten percent of the Heavenly Fortune.

An ebb and flow.

A battle with no chance of victory for Treasure Bottle Continent cultivators suddenly gained a ten percent chance of winning. Was that important?

A battle between evenly matched opponents, a fifty-fifty split, became a sixty percent chance of winning? Was that crucial?

A ninety percent chance of winning became a one hundred percent chance of winning? Should the demon race cultivators facing them not tremble with fear?

Bai Ye’s descent into Floating Cloud Continent was tantamount to choosing to face an ambush alone.

However, the number and cultivation level of the great demons ambushing Bai Ye would likely surprise even Bai Ye himself.

But for Bai Ye, a surprise was just that: a surprise. It would not hinder him from drawing his sword.

The old Huai fellow was exceedingly fond of seizing advantages and seeking fame, so he went to Southern Suopo Continent, where Chen Chunan was stationed.

What about Zhou Shenzhi, that old grouch, leaving Central Earth Continent and rushing to Floating Cloud Continent? Was that heroic? Very heroic! He killed demons in the coastal mountains and caves of Floating Cloud Continent, was that satisfying, very satisfying! So what then? Nothing. One of the Ten from Central Earth, gone just like that.

He simply allowed the old Huai calculator to rise from tenth place at the bottom to ninth.

When Zhou Shenzhi was alive, he said that as long as he lived, he would hold onto the ninth spot, not wanting even eighth, just to keep that Huai calculator at the bottom forever, defecating and urinating on his head.

Six great demons, ah.

What if there was a seventh?

Nonsense about what if, there definitely would be!

At a ferry in the northern Tong Ye Continent, Zhou Mi silently calculated with his fingers.

Floating Cloud Continent.

A good name. Perfectly suited for Bai Ye.

Liu Cha would be the seventh.

Liu Cha was indeed on his way to Floating Cloud Continent, and he made no attempt to conceal his sword aura, directly transforming into a streak of sword light visible to the cultivators on the mountain peaks of Southern Suopo Continent, venturing far away.

Master Zhou had previously given this bearded swordsman errant from the barbaric world two choices. Either cooperate with the Dragon Lord and kill a junior in the Sword Qi Great Wall, or send Bai Ye off on his final journey in Floating Cloud Continent.

A swordsman to escort a swordsman.

It was always better than Bai Ye perishing miserably under magical arts and divine abilities, it was always a more fitting death.

If you like to be a leading bird, then we’ll shoot you down.

Zhou Shenzhi was only the first. The Ascension Realm Wan Yan Jing, who had lost his mind, was a completely different extreme.

Indeed, as the Great Ancestor of Mount Tuoyue had previously proclaimed at the ruins of the Upside-Down Mountain, announcing to the world, you of the Vast World, have not been free for long enough.
Who dares restrict the freedom of cultivators upon the mountain peaks? It is the Confucian code, and most loathsome is how the higher one’s realm, the heavier the shackles. Even a being in the Ascension Realm cannot leave their own continent without first informing the sages enshrined in the Literary Temple that oversees the celestial dome, and only after gaining permission can they embark on a cross-continental journey. Such restrictions would never exist in the untamed lands, nor even in the Azure Canopy Realm dominated by Daoism. Yet, in the vast and righteous world where a hundred schools of thought contend, immortals and Ascended beings are bound by endless regulations.

Liu Cha chose the second option.

He held back in the desolate lands out of respect for Chen Qingdu and the sword cultivators there. But he couldn’t very well arrive in the Great Harmony World, test Chen Chun’an’s sword once, and then still refrain from drawing his own a few times.

Bai Ye, like A Liang, was one of the people Liu Cha most desired to challenge.

So what if he couldn’t challenge him alone? What could Liu Cha do? In the end, he could do nothing.

Mr. Zhou spoke two sentences in the end. The first was, “Please remember where your hometown lies, Mr. Liu.”

The second was, “Mount Tuoyue invites Liu Cha to draw his sword.”

Beyond these words, Mr. Zhou was also subtly plotting against Chen Chun’an and the entirety of the Southern娑婆洲 (Suōpó Continent).

With Zhou Shenzhi’s death and dissipation, both Floating Cloud Continent and Wutong Leaf Continent had fallen into the hands of the barbarians.

Only Southern娑婆洲, the closest to Upside-down Mountain and the Great Wall of Swords, had seen only sporadic battles, a mere tickle.

What if Bai Ye were to die on Floating Cloud Continent?

Then what about the pure Confucian, Chen Chun’an?

Southern娑婆洲 now had the Old Ancestor of the Huai family leading reinforcements, as well as Lu Zhi, one of the ten pinnacle sword immortals of the Great Wall of Swords, to oversee the situation.

Chen Chun’an was living a life of leisure, a picture of a composed Confucian scholar angling for a catch.

Zhou Mi ceased his mental calculations, lightly brushed his sleeves, and smiled at Cui Chan: “Once Zuo You repels Xiao Xun with his sword, I shall, as a student, deal Teacher half a mortal wound before proceeding to Floating Cloud Continent.”

Cui Chan remained silent.

It was something Zuo You would do, and if he didn’t, the Old Scholar would force him to bow his head and draw his sword.

Cui Chan’s gaze drifted further south of Zhou Mi.

Soon, a towering tree and a majestic Citadel of Suppression would stand there.

The Old Scholar had given something, which Liu Sixteen was helping to deliver to Wutong Leaf Continent.

The Temple of Observation, Wutong Leaf Continent, the Wutong Tree.

You scheme your schemes, and I scheme mine.

I, Cui Chan, care not for whom you scheme against, be it the life or death of Bai Ye, or even the fate of the Old Scholar and Zuo You. Let alone Chen Chun’an, from the lineage of a quasi-sage.

Who is it that I, Cui Chan, need to worry about?

But my humble schemes, a matter of reciprocity, will test whether you, Jia Sheng, dare to disregard them, and whether you even can.

On the three battlefronts of one continent, people were dying, yet the Grand Preceptor of Great Li remained calm, focusing on controlling the Jade Capital and slaying great demons with his flying sword, while also expounding on the subtle nuances of the hundred schools of thought to the Confucian scholars.

While distracted by mental calculations and answering questions from the scholars, a spirited scholar from the Lakeside Academy, for some reason, mentioned the concept of a world without borders.

Cui Chan said indifferently: “To hell with no borders.”

The entire place fell silent.

The one who spoke those words was not Cui Dongshan, but the Grand Preceptor, Cui Chan.

On Floating Cloud Continent, Bai Ye, carrying his sword, departed from a remote schoolhouse far from the war, where he had been listening to an old tutor imparting knowledge to children in a thick local accent.

Bai Ye looked around, his smile faint.

He wondered if the plum blossoms back home were still white.

So, after his father and mother departed, it was considered a far-off journey.

Bai Ye, the scholar, had lived a life without shame, without shame to the Great Harmony World.

Then, Bai Ye took his leave.