Cheng Chaolu and Yao Xiaoyan tidied up the stew pot and dishes. One genuinely enjoyed such chores, while the other, at a young age, aspired to be a virtuous wife and caring mother. As for sword practice, for sword immortal hopefuls of the Great Wall of Sword Qi, it was as commonplace as eating, drinking, and relieving oneself. No one would slack off. It was similar to the aspiring scholars of Haoran World aiming for success in imperial examinations—a matter of course.

Chen Pingan rose and handed the dishes to Cheng Chaolu, then looked up. It was indeed an intercontinental ferry heading to Tongye Continent. The form and style of the multi-story ship were ethereal and otherworldly, with spiritual energy swirling around it. It was as if celestial women in colorful robes were dancing in the sea of clouds, their garments fluttering. Chen Pingan focused his gaze further and saw that the ship’s walls were adorned with immortal paintings, depicting sky-soaring dragon maidens and water immortals, each brought to life by mountain masters using immortal cinnabar. All were female figures, vividly lifelike. Having learned his lesson at the Creation Cave, Chen Pingan immediately averted his gaze. Sure enough, one of the dragon maidens in the painting seemed to sense the distant prying of an outsider. In an instant, her gaze swept across the vast distance, but she failed to trace the subtle clues back to the sea-going talisman vessel. After a moment, she retracted the light in her eyes, returning to her tranquil state. Only the colorful ribbons continued to flutter, trailing hundreds of feet behind.

Chen Pingan adjusted his bamboo hat and stroked his chin. The ferry possessed an extremely sophisticated landscape formation, helping it navigate areas with sparse spiritual energy or pass through lightning and rain without excessive turbulence. It was pleasing to the eye, exuded an aura of immortality, and was also very practical, naturally suppressing clouds, rain, and lightning.

Did the ferry belong to a sect predominantly composed of female cultivators? Otherwise, the spirits of rain masters, thunder lords, and cloud elders wouldn’t be missing from the murals, as their presence would only enhance the effect.

Logically, the Rain Dragon Sect had long fallen into ruins, its cultivators all but extinct. Could it be that Yun Qian, the master of the Water Crystal Palace from Inverted Mountain, hadn’t established roots in the Three Continents, but instead established her own sect, branching out? Had she brought those cultivators back to the sect and begun rebuilding the Rain Dragon Sect? Had Yun Qing obtained this ferry by chance or purchased it from someone? Or did this ferry originate from Southern Jambudvipa Continent, or even the more distant Floating Ripple Continent, hence its passage through this area? Chen Pingan swiftly calculated the sects and immortal families of Jambudvipa and Floating Ripple Continents in his mind. He was quite familiar with the intercontinental ferries of those two continents, having dealt with their stewards face-to-face during his time at the Spring Banner Shop.

Chen Pingan hesitated whether to steer the talisman vessel closer to the intercontinental ferry, which wasn’t traveling too quickly. His main concern was that the inexperienced children of the Great Wall of Sword Qi might encounter unexpected incidents on the ferry and have disputes with the immortal masters. It wasn’t that Chen Pingan feared causing trouble, but rather that… he might not be able to restrain himself.

The reason why a pure martial artist at the peak of the ninth realm, at the bottleneck of the mountain’s summit, might inadvertently lose control was, in the end, that he couldn’t control his heart.

Chen Pingan could allow a demon cultivator who had come to provoke him to return safely to his homeland in the south, simply because the demon had no grudge against Haoran World. Whether it came to the city to seek amusement or death, Chen Pingan was just using it to relieve his boredom. But now, he might not be able to tolerate a few unpleasant words from a “compatriot,” or endure one or two troublesome deeds done by a “compatriot.”

He Gu saw that Cao the Craftsman was lost in thought and asked, “What are you thinking about? Did you see a pretty woman and can’t take your eyes off her, your soul wandering?”

Yu Xie chimed in, “If I were older, I’d probably be smitten too. It’s only human. No wonder Craftsman Cao is taking a few more looks. It’s not like he’s groping her or anything.”

Chen Pingan smiled, “Beautiful women are countless, but all shall be viewed as mere skeletons.”

Nalan Yudie, the little girl, actually took out paper and a pen on the spot, breathed on the paper, and wrote down the sentence, then flicked her wrist, and it all disappeared.

Chen Pingan was somewhat surprised. Was she a little girl with some family wealth? Did she even possess a spatial item?

Nalan Yudie. The surname, Nalan. Confirming a small suspicion in his mind, Chen Pingan couldn’t help but let his thoughts travel thousands of miles away in an instant. What could not be confined even by the River of Time was probably one’s thoughts.

The female immortal cultivator who had arrived as a rainbow earlier was likely responsible for patrolling the Rain Dragon Sect’s maritime territory. Chen Pingan had already guessed her identity based on the shimmering sachet at her waist and her aura, which was red and yellow like the rising dawn. She was from Flowing Haze Continent, the master of Pine Mist Blessed Land, the female immortal Cong Qian. She excelled at refining the various clouds and mists of the world and was said to be friends with Li Yu, the Grand Haze Sovereign of the Crawling Peak lineage in Northern Ju-lu Continent.

Was the world at peace? It seemed so.

This was what Cui Chan had said earlier, and it was also what Chen Pingan was thinking at the moment.

Chen Pingan had long noticed the problem with his state of mind—his habitual overthinking. Alone on the city walls, surrounded by enemies on all sides. As the still-serving Hidden Official, Chen Pingan couldn’t help but think too much. Once he thought too little and fell into a trap, a single misstep could lead to utter defeat. Besides his own death and the dissipation of his Dao, it would also affect the overall trend of Haoran World, shifting it closer to the Savage World. Moreover, as long as he could avoid death, Chen Pingan was reluctant to die. There were still so many people he wanted to see, scattered in all directions, waiting for him to reunite with them one by one.

Chen Pingan asked, “Should we take the intercontinental ferry?”

Of the nine children, except for the three who had been quiet all along—He Xiangting, Yu Qingzhang, and Sun Chunwang—the rest were overjoyed and eager to see the world, without considering the Hidden Official’s purse.

Chen Pingan reminded them, “Besides the two points I mentioned earlier, remember to conceal your identities as sword cultivators once you’re on the ferry. As long as you don’t actively cause trouble, there’s nothing else to worry about. If you want to practice swordsmanship, practice diligently indoors. If you want to enjoy the scenery, go out and enjoy it. Nothing is forbidden.”

Chen Pingan steered the talisman vessel towards the intercontinental ferry, shooting forward like lightning. In an instant, it traversed over a hundred miles, catching up with the ferry with the fluttering ribbons. The two vessels, large and small, were about a hundred feet apart. Chen Pingan spoke in the standard Central Earth Divine Continent language, “May we board your vessel?”

There was a response from the intercontinental ferry. The few mountain cultivators who had come out to enjoy the scenery, without the ferry needing to say anything, swiftly returned to their residences.
Then, around the ferry’s railings, water vapor rose to a height of over ten feet. As the mist dissipated, a multitude of talisman swords materialized, crafted from verdant bamboo, vibrant and shimmering, each etched with vermillion inscriptions – a branch of the intricate talismanic arts, dedicated to slaying demons. The key was the material of these thousands of sword talismans: green bamboo produced from the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven, imbued with Daoist essence, naturally suppressing mountain spirits, lake goblins, and river monsters. While not directly related to the ten ancestral bamboos of Azure Divinity Mountain, such a quantity of green bamboo talisman swords would undoubtedly be astronomically expensive. No ordinary intercontinental ferry could afford to purchase and refine them into such rare artifacts. Furthermore, the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven has historically rarely sold its green bamboo externally, allowing mountains of it to decay and blossom into green mud rather than profiting from it.

Thus, only one possibility remained: the Mistress of Azure Divinity Mountain, who had never stepped outside her grotto-heaven, nor appeared in the Great Canopy World, had taken the initiative to sell off vast quantities of Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven’s green bamboo at a pittance, perhaps even gifting it directly to the Central Earth Literary Temple.

Therefore, should the opportunity arise in the future, a journey to the Bamboo Sea Grotto-Heaven would be imperative.

An intercontinental ferry, radiating an aura of chilling sword qi and somber天地 (Heaven and Earth).

Back when traveling to Upside-down Mountain, the stewards of the intercontinental ferries were mostly Nascent Soul Earth Immortals with formidable martial prowess. There would even be cultivators of the Upper Five Realms either subtly or overtly helping to escort the cargo, just in case.

One by one, the painted women on the outer walls of the ferry materialized, their figures graceful, standing ten to twelve feet tall, each wielding a green bamboo talisman sword of even higher refinement, its tip aimed at the middle-aged man dressed as a martial artist on the talisman boat. He wore a bamboo hat, a green robe, and a narrow saber and wine gourd hung at his waist.

On the intercontinental ferry, the cultivators and most passengers were scrutinizing the suddenly appearing talisman boat. While the group of children were hardly worth noticing, most attention was focused on the man.

Chen Ping’an raised a hand and smiled, “I can allow the green bamboo talisman swords to cut my palm, to verify my identity before boarding.”

He Guai sighed, “Not the slightest bit imposing.”

Yu Xie nodded, “Pathetically weak.”

A ferry steward clad in a black mage robe stood at the bow, wielding a pair of iron maces. Despite his large beard, he had a small face, carrying a scholarly air, yet spoke with rugged forthrightness, cutting to the point in three words: “Stay far away.”

Chen Ping’an raised his hand high, a Grain Rain Coin pinched between his fingers, retorting with three words: “Not short of money!”

The steward said, “A sword to the palm, a sword to the brow, willing?”

Chen Ping’an nodded, “No problem, no problem, just requesting that the ferry side be careful with the force, and not pierce through.”

Chen Ping’an added with a grin, “The practice of rather kill the innocent than let the guilty escape is too damaging to one’s karma. We are all proper Celestial Masters with records, let’s not learn from those wild cultivators of mountains and marshes.”

The painted dragon maiden, seemingly receiving the steward’s unspoken command, indeed thrust out two swords. Sword light abruptly sliced through the night, only to instantly retract. After sheathing her sword, she looked down. Two beads of blood, condensed from fresh blood, trembled slightly on the sword tip. The two droplets of blood from the hat-wearing man’s palm and brow shattered with a pop. A woman with the grace of a water immortal and the aura of an earth spirit, clad in a colorful skirt, used secret arts to re-condense the blood. Apparently, she had detected nothing unusual. Together with the dragon maiden, she held the bamboo sword upside down, perhaps considering it a friendly gesture towards the hat-wearing man. After all, his action was extremely sincere, entrusting his blood to the refiner for identity verification, far from the simple matter of presenting a pass.

Chen Ping’an waved a hand, collecting the two beads of blood into his palm.

The steward’s expression softened somewhat, asking, “Where did you lot spring from?”

Chen Ping’an chose to answer with心聲 (heart voice): “Having learned that Senior Cong Qian of Liuxia Continent, with her boundless Dao arts, has almost completely eradicated the rebellious demon clans, the Yulong Sect territory can be said to be at peace and tranquility, with no more hidden dangers. I led my disciples out to sea for a tour, visiting Luhua Island, hoping to encounter some opportunities along the way. As for my sect, the less said the better. Some have left, going to the Fifth Continent; of those who remain, there are few elders left.”

The steward’s heart tightened. Good heavens, this was a Nascent Soul cultivator disguised as a pure martial artist! Most likely a cultivator from Tongye Continent. Either a military strategist or… a sword cultivator. Otherwise, their physique wouldn’t be so tough, like that of a martial arts grandmaster.

The other party’s心聲 (heart voice) was extremely clear, indicating that the ferry’s two layers of mountain and water restrictions had little effect on their cultivation. If it were a Golden Core Earth Immortal, transmitting心聲 (heart voice) to the ferry for him to hear clearly wouldn’t be difficult, but the voice would never be so distinct.

Chen Ping’an gently brushed his green robe, causing ripples in his magical garment, unleashing a burst of emerald mist, proactively breaking some of the illusions, revealing the bamboo silk fabric of the robe, originating from Azure Divinity Mountain.

Liu Youzhou, who boarded the Guihua Island ferry to Yuanrou Prefecture, wore a bamboo silk garment as a youth.

This type of robe also had the reputation of being a “cool realm” and a “summer haven.”

In particular, Qi refiners who practiced wood and water arts favored Azure Divinity Mountain’s bamboo robes no less than the world’s cultivators coveted dimensional treasures.

No demon clan cultivator would wear Azure Divinity Mountain’s bamboo clothing.

Unless it was a Celestial Realm Grand Demon with profound Dao arts. However, with the Heavenly Hanging Mirror in place, Upper Five Realm demon cultivators, especially Celestial Realm ones, would be unable to conceal their aura once they left the seabed.

The Great Mirror hung high, a legendary “opening-face mirror.”

If it were an Ascended Realm Grand Demon, even more adept at concealing their aura, the “Colorful Garment” ferry would admit defeat, acknowledging their bad luck. At best, it would be a valiant death. However, once the Grand Demon revealed its tracks, it would undoubtedly be doomed.

Resident cultivators from the former Yulong Sect would assist in avenging them.

Besides the Immortal Cong Qian of Liuxia Continent and the Sword Immortal Song Pin of Jinjia Continent, an Ascended Realm from Central Earth Divine Continent personally guarded the Jiaolong Trench area.

The steward cupped his fist, “My apologies, please board.”

Chen Ping’an returned the gesture, smiling, “The mountain wind is strong, may the ship sail steadily for ten thousand years.”

Had Chen Ping’an first shown his green-robed bamboo clothing, he probably wouldn’t have been able to board tonight.

Such was the nature of the human heart. The steward smiled.

He was a good talker.

Chen Ping’an requested three rooms from the ferry: one for himself, one for the little girl, and one for the boy.

Chen Ping’an only had one request: the rooms had to be adjacent. Spirit stones were not a problem, he would pay whatever price was asked. As for whether the “Colorful Garment” ferry needed to negotiate with other passengers to free up a room or two, Chen Ping’an would add money to compensate the Celestial Masters, so that the Masters wouldn’t relocate in vain, making things difficult for the ferry.
The surname Qian (錢) is the most common under Heaven.

Things were proceeding quite smoothly. Firstly, the Immortal Coins from the mountains were becoming increasingly precious and valuable. Secondly, the Caiyi Ferry seemed inclined to give way a little. It was true that those who traded with the mountains always navigated cautiously, but the saying “the winds are strong on the mountains” held even greater wisdom.

Chen Ping’an formed a sword seal with two fingers and simultaneously activated the golden essence of his Five Elements natal treasure, helping to outline a golden sword pool around both rooms.

This was to prevent the children’s casual chatter from being casually eavesdropped upon by busybodies on the ferry using arcane arts.

Chen Ping’an initially intended to conjure a few more talismans and affix them to the windows and doors, but after thinking about it, he desisted, lest the children become too constrained.

The ferry was docked at an immortal harbor at the southernmost tip of Tongye Continent, not too far from the Jade Rule Sect.

Chen Ping’an returned to his room, ordered a pot of the Caiyi Ferry’s unique immortal rice wine, drank half of it, dipped his finger in the wine, and wrote a line on the table: “May the rivers run clear and the seas be calm, the times be peaceful and the harvests abundant.”

The last time he went to Tongye Continent, the intercontinental ferry was a treasure-devouring whale that possessed several secret realms.

Now, the Upside-Down Mountain was gone. He didn’t know where Lu Tai was.

In Sword Qi Great Wall, Lu Tai’s appearance as “Liu Cai” would have added to Chen Ping’an’s mental burden. But now that he had returned home, Chen Ping’an wouldn’t cower in fear.

Chen Ping’an habitually affixed a dispelling talisman to the window and began his stance training, wanting to quickly familiarize himself with the prevailing Dao principles of this realm.

This was the aftereffect of merging with Sword Qi Great Wall. In the Wildlands, he would be suppressed. The same happened in the Vast Sky.

For a pure martial artist, this was a great boon. Forget stance training or sparring, even every breath was a form of martial practice.

However, for a cultivator, the situation was rather awkward. If Chen Ping’an didn’t have his martial arts foundation, relying solely on his sword cultivator identity, he would probably be sprawled on the ground right now. But as he became more familiar with the operation of the Great Dao in the Vast Sky, the influence would diminish. However, in a life-or-death struggle, there would still be many unexpected occurrences. In short, Chen Ping’an was now like half a demon race cultivator, placed in the Vast Sky’s realm ruled by sages.

Chen Ping’an closed his eyes, half-asleep, and slowly practiced his stances. During his years guarding Sword Qi Great Wall, he had practiced his fist techniques over three million times through constant effort.

Before returning to Fallen Mountain, he planned to practice another five hundred thousand punches.

Therefore, the previously unimaginable goal of practicing ten million punches was still within reach.

Since neither group of children in the two rooms had come out yet, Chen Ping’an continued his stance training in peace.

At dawn, the Caiyi Ferry slowly came to a halt, announcing that it was passing by the largest pearl harvesting site on Luhua Island and would stop for an hour. Passengers could purchase various pearls from the Luhua Island cultivators.

Ferry passengers could use a green bamboo talisman sword to fly to the temporary immortal dock built at the pearl harvesting site, but the ferry would send someone to lead the group. No one was allowed to leave without permission and travel far on their own. Otherwise, they could forget about re-boarding. If they liked wandering aimlessly, they could simply wander around Tongye Continent alone.

Chen Ping’an walked out of his room and went to the bow of the ship, but he didn’t plan to go to the pearl harvesting site. He simply wanted to stand there and listen to the cultivators’ idle chatter.

He had previously wanted to buy a few copies of the “Mountain and Water Gazette,” but the ferry’s reply was blunt: they didn’t have any. If he had too much money, the ferry manager, who had excellent skills in writing the “hairpin-flower script,” could write one for him. It wasn’t expensive, just one Immortal Coin, a Grain Rain Coin.

This was clearly bullying a Tongye Continent cultivator.

In the Nine Continents of the Vast Sky, the reputation of Tongye Continent cultivators had probably already hit rock bottom.

Even without spending Immortal Coins at the pearl harvesting site, there was still a delightful pastime to be found on the Caiyi Ferry.

The ferry’s docking position was carefully chosen. Below, in the depths, was a place where an underwater vein passed through, teeming with Sweetwater Fish. With luck, one might even encounter some rare aquatic creatures.

However, to enjoy this angler’s pleasure, one had to pay extra, renting a specially crafted green bamboo fishing rod from the ferry for one Lesser Heat Coin per half hour. A small porcelain jar of bait was, fortunately, free. Otherwise, the ferry’s business acumen would be too outrageous.

Chen Ping’an sighed. In the past, Cui Dongshan often babbled nonsense by his side, saying that black words on white paper held profound meaning and that each word was a shadow.

So many years had passed, and Chen Ping’an still hadn’t figured it out, but he did think the saying had deep implications.

Chen Ping’an looked up at the night sky as the wind and snow gradually increased.

The distance from earth to the heavens was unknown tens of millions of miles. The sun and moon hung in the air, also an unknown tens of millions of miles from the earth.

Chen Ping’an suddenly wanted to go to the firmament to take a look, whether by riding the wind, a sword, or a talisman boat.

But when he thought about the children still on the ship, Chen Ping’an temporarily dismissed the idea.

While fishing, Chen Ping’an paid more attention to the conversations of the cultivators, but there was nothing interesting to glean. They were all trivial matters that didn’t involve the state of the world.

Chen Ping’an’s biggest worry right now was that he was in a fourth dream.

Perhaps it was a trick of the White Paper Blessed Land.

The greatest mystery of the White Paper Blessed Land, meticulously crafted by the novelist, was that the sentient beings within, although mere paper puppets, were truly sentient. They could think and act according to complex patterns, no different from real people. The only difference was that the paper figures, even those who cultivated, had no awareness of the passage of time.

Therefore, Chen Ping’an was naturally concerned that from the moment he stepped out of the Luhua Island Creation Grotto, everyone he met was made of white paper, or perhaps even the creation of a single entity, and every scene he saw was the legendary leaf obscuring the view.

The world was vast, and being in it felt like a drunkard who was half-drunk, neither completely drunk nor truly awake. Then, someone seemed to be beside you, laughing and asking if you were drunk, if you could drink more… How could one not feel lost?

His senior brother Cui Chan was capable of such things, and the Great Li National Preceptor, one of the Vast Sky’s Three Jewels, was certainly able to do it as well.
Cui Wei and Cui Dongshan were masters of controlling their wandering thoughts. A single thought could scatter into millions, or gather into a mere handful. Chen Pingan feared that everyone around him would suddenly coalesce into one being, transforming into a white-haired scholar in a green robe. He’d recognize him as his senior brother, unable to defeat him in a fight, and daring not to scold him. Even muttering complaints under his breath would be seen through. Unexpected and irritating!

A cultivator laughed heartily, abruptly pulling up his fishing rod. He’d successfully caught a Liqueur River fish, though it resembled a large red turtle, the size of a basin, with four eyes and six legs. Jewels adorned its feet. The man peeled off six jewels and casually tossed the Liqueur River fish back into the sea. Soon, a ferry maiden dressed in a Xiang River skirt approached to purchase the jewels. The cultivator earned a Lesser Heat Coin and beamed, exchanging a high-five with his friend. His friend declared it a lucky start, predicting unexpected delights on their journey to Tongye Continent.

Chen Pingan caught nothing, but he didn’t mind at all. Too much good fortune made him feel uneasy.

Someone else caught a Liqueur River fish, one even older than the last. This time, the richly adorned ferry maiden simply bought the entire fish, spending three Lesser Heat Coins.

Chen Pingan turned to see the ferry supervisor standing not far behind him, wearing a tall crown and dark robes, emanating ancient elegance.

The supervisor introduced himself: “Huang Lin, second-seat offering of the Wusun Enclosure.”

Chen Pingan was puzzled. “The Wusun Enclosure of Golden Armor Continent? Since when did they have male offerings?”

The Wusun Enclosure produced over a dozen kinds of immortal letter paper, renowned among the celestial abodes and aristocratic families of the Central Earth Divine Continent, a source of immense wealth. Especially the Spring Tree and Floral Cluster papers, which were even sold in Inverted Peak Mountain in the past.

Similar to the saying “Dragon girl immortal robes, Xiang River skirt, playing with a bright moon pearl in her palm,” anything that became the darling of female immortals and noble ladies was guaranteed to be profitable. Men, even those who valued a single coin as large as a millstone, would readily spend a fortune for the woman they admired. It seemed his own Fallen Phoenix Mountain lacked such exquisite and adorable items.

Huang Lin said, “Too many deaths.”

Chen Pingan paused, then cupped his fist in respect.

Huang Lin suddenly smiled. “An Qi Refining cultivator who dares to take nine children on a long sea voyage is not afraid of death beyond a certain point. My apologies for initially preventing you from boarding. I was only fulfilling my duty, I hope you understand. I will personally offer a few jars of wine as an apology.”

Chen Pingan nodded. “Huang Daoist is quite magnanimous.”

Huang Lin smiled without further comment and took his leave.

When the time came, Chen Pingan returned the fishing rod and went back inside to continue his stance training.

Half a month later, the ferry was abuzz with excitement. Chen Pingan opened the window and saw a mirage at sea.

It seemed a massive mirage dragon was exhaling underwater, conjuring a vast expanse of interconnected immortal palaces, towering in the cloud sea, of varying heights, shimmering with golden light. It resembled an ancient immortal realm, a dwelling of gods. On the cloud paths connecting the palaces and pavilions, carriages and officials streamed endlessly. The people were all dressed in ancient attire, and the drivers were mostly burly, armored golden warriors. Above the most majestic palace, dozens of yellow cranes circled without leaving.

Chen Pingan sighed, seemingly out of nowhere, “People say that divine objects become more spiritual with age.”

Ordinary mirages are often unobstructed illusions. However, this mirage was different. Spiritual energy flowed within it, making the illusion almost real. The colorful ferry seemed to have encountered this mirage before and unhesitatingly chose to detour. However, after detouring for over a hundred miles, the mirage still blocked their path. A terrestrial immortal cultivator, unaware of the potential danger, wanted to investigate, but Huang Lin, the supervisor, dissuaded him. He explained that this dying mirage dragon was deeply hidden, and even the immortal Congqian had searched for it for months without success. Furthermore, this demon was now in a state of “Dao Dispersion,” similar to a jade pure realm cultivator’s soul scattering. It could no longer suppress its leaking Dao energy within the mirage. Ordinary barrier-breaking talismans were useless. Moreover, the great demon’s actions today suggested it might be displaying its ferocity, choosing to fight the ferry to the death before its Dao completely extinguished.

The painted women on the ferry’s outer walls manifested one by one, and the Green Bamboo Sword Formation was activated, with flying swords raining down, piercing through the clouds and miasma exhaled by the great mirage, turning the ferry into a miniature sword vessel.

Ahead of the ferry, a misty palace appeared out of thin air, adorned with a white rainbow.

This caused Huang Lin’s expression to change drastically. A white rainbow in the mortal world might not be strange, but here, it represented the aura of war.

The great mirage dragon truly intended to stop hiding and unleash its killing intent.

He just didn’t know if their ferry could hold out until the immortal Congqian arrived to rescue them.

Chen Pingan frowned slightly. According to the sages’ method of interpreting characters, the character “rainbow” (虹) could be explained as two dragons, hence the insect radical.

Chen Pingan focused his gaze and saw that the white rainbow indeed had two paths, one male and one female. The ancients considered rainbows to be the licentious energy of heaven and earth, like the toad in the ancient moon palace, which was the essence of lunar energy.

Huang Lin stood at the bow, manifesting a hundred-foot-tall Confucian robe dharma body. Huang Lin’s true form then used his fingers as a knife to cut his palm, using his lifeblood as the ink for the talisman’s inscription. As Huang Lin wrote on his palm, a golden talisman appeared in the palm of the towering dharma body. While Huang Lin calmly concentrated and wrote the talisman, he loudly proclaimed: “Immortal officials command the six Ding, summoning water officials, dragons, and mirages!”

The ten talisman characters emanating from the dharma body’s palm, shimmering with golden light, illuminated the surroundings. Within a radius of several miles, the clouds and miasma seemed to melt away like snow under the sun.

Huang Lin cut his palm again and solemnly intoned: “Bearing the Emperor’s mandate from afar, aquatic creatures shall imprison themselves!” A halo surrounded the dharma body’s palm, and golden light burst forth, showering down like torrential rain, or like a pot of boiling water poured onto the snow.

Within the mirage, a marketplace collapsed with a thunderous roar, and a colossal figure lurking beneath vanished in a flash.

A sword cultivator at the Golden Core bottleneck, travelling across continents, laughed heartily: “I shall assist Huang Daoist in slaying the demon!”
This sword cultivator’s path of practice was rather peculiar. He stood on a viewing platform, treading the Dipper steps, forming sword seals with his hands. Then, with a soft exhale, he spat out a lustrous sword pellet, which shot away with extreme speed. After leaving the ferry by a hundred zhang, the originally three-inch long pellet suddenly transformed into a massive, pitch-black sword engraved with immortal seals. The Golden Core sword cultivator continued his Dipper steps without pause, eventually stamping out a Big Dipper talisman formation beneath his feet. A verdant carp then emerged from the water, and the sword cultivator stepped onto its back. As his sword seals settled and concluded, he chanted, “A mountain man rides a fish from the heavens above, the wise will treasure it, the foolish will only guess. With lightning in hand, I lean on the heavenly sword, to cleave the long whale and split the sea asunder!”

His natal flying sword, streaked with iridescent light, which was heading towards the palaces and the white rainbow, dragged in its wake a divine general clad in golden armor, wielding a massive, sable sword. Lightning crackled as the god and the flying sword, as one, slashed towards the illusion, attempting to sever both the white rainbow and the mirage palace.

The strike unleashed a sound like thunder, with swirling winds and surging energies. Even the ferry shuddered violently, rocking back and forth.

The Golden Core sword cultivator coughed up a mouthful of blood, reaching out to steady himself on the railing. He hurriedly attempted to recall his flying sword with his mind, but an overwhelming miasma surged forth, enveloping his natal sword. It was as if heaven and earth had been severed, cutting off the connection between the sword cultivator and his precious treasure. The sword cultivator’s face turned ashen, his spirit trembling. Huang Lin, the steward, immediately unleashed his divine abilities, assisting the sword cultivator in searching for his vanished flying sword.

Chen Ping’an had already gently increased the weight in his steps, ensuring that the two adjacent rooms remained stable and unaffected by the turbulent energies.

Unlike the other cultivators on the ferry, Chen Ping’an did not search for the colossal illusion. Instead, he fixed his gaze directly on the southeastern corner of the sky.

Chen Ping’an raised his left hand, activating the Water Character Seal. The Five Thunders gathered in his palm, a manifestation of creation. However, Chen Ping’an did not directly unleash the complete thunder technique. Instead, he chose a single water-based thunder, whose primary purpose was to summon rain and suppress all water-dwelling creatures like mischievous dragons, venomous snakes, and malevolent mirages, to command the clouds and rain, to stir up wind and waves, and to oversee the water domain.

With a sudden twist of his wrist, this water thunder, condensed into a pearl-sized orb, shot away with extreme speed, surpassing even the natal flying sword of the Golden Core bottlenecked Earth Immortal. As a result, no cultivator on the ferry noticed this anomaly. Thus, when the water thunder transformed from an unnoticeable wisp to a straight line, then to a resounding boom, like heavenly thunder shaking the world and heralding a great calamity, the ferry’s passengers mistakenly believed it was a magical art of Steward Huang Lin.

At the same time, Chen Ping’an gathered another thunder formation in his left hand and condensed his qi into a sword in his right, combining them into a “Rainbow Severing Talisman.”

The earlier water thunder, striking the hiding place of the great mirage, was not intended to inflict serious injury, but merely as a gesture of knocking on the door as a guest.

But the subsequent Rainbow Severing Talisman, with its “courtesy first, force later” approach, was truly astonishing. The Golden Core sword cultivator’s all-out strike had only caused the white rainbow hanging above the palace to tremble slightly. But when the sword talisman, imbued with the power of a thunder formation, appeared, it was as if a slender sword light had emerged from nothing, cleaving a small world within the mirage in two. With a single slash, it severed the rainbow of martial energy and the immortal palaces. With the subsequent explosion of the thunder formation, both shattered on the spot.

The person had not yet departed.

The thunder formation and sword talisman had already successfully completed their task.

Heaven and earth became clear, the atmosphere renewed, and the illusionary mirage vanished, no longer obstructing the path.

The great mirage submerged deep into the seabed, stirring up monstrous waves on the surface. Caught in the chaotic energies, the ferry still rocked violently, despite the protective mountain and water formations.

The Golden Core sword cultivator was overjoyed. He sensed a faint glimmer of sword light amidst the thin mist and quickly manipulated his natal flying sword to return to his meridian point to recuperate.

Chen Ping’an hesitated for a moment, then gently clenched his fist, retracting a new sword art. He abandoned the intention of pursuing the great mirage, because Immortal Cong Qian was certainly already on his way.

The Golden Core sword cultivator cupped his fist and declared in a clear voice, “Goldshell Isle sword cultivator Gao Yunshu, thanks the sword immortal senior for saving my life!”

Silence reigned, and there was no response.

Gao Yunshu assumed that the elusive sword immortal did not appreciate formality and disliked tedious rituals, and his admiration grew even stronger.

He thought that since the mysterious sword immortal was riding this Black Crane Ferry, he must be a senior from his own Goldshell Isle.

Chen Ping’an closed his window and continued to practice his stances and fist techniques inside the room.

A young female cultivator from the ferry came to deliver several jars of fine immortal wine. Her expression was strange as she knocked on the door.

She could not understand why Steward Huang Lin would treat this life-fearing cultivator from Tong Leaf Isle with such courtesy.

Chen Ping’an thanked her, accepted the wine without ceremony, and then asked curiously, “May I ask, miss, what is the market price for a jar of this wine?”

Steward Huang Lin probably noticed something, but he simply didn’t reveal it.

The female cultivator seemed quite annoyed, forcing a smile and retorting, “Do you think the Black Crane Ferry would sell its own wine to guests?”

Chen Ping’an placed the jars of immortal wine on the table. Unlike the wine he had purchased earlier, these jars were affixed with specially made Black Crane Ferry labels, which, if torn off and resold, were probably worth more than the wine itself.

Chen Ping’an finished his stance practice, his steps extremely light, his punches extremely slow. A day and a night had unknowingly passed. After opening his eyes, Chen Ping’an spoke to the two groups of children in his mind, then went to open the door. Soon, the nine children arrived at the room one after another.

Yu Qingzhang held a book in his hand.

He Xiangting stood shoulder to shoulder with Yu Qingzhang.

Sun Chunwang seemed somewhat aloof, standing at a slight distance from everyone else.

These three children had yet to say a single word to Chen Ping’an, and they were also taciturn in private.

Chen Ping’an could roughly guess the reasons and didn’t want to probe too deeply.

Sword Qi Great Wall was not a place where everyone felt goodwill towards the Hidden Official, and each had their own reasons.

Chen Ping’an said, “You each have your own sword cultivation heritage. I am merely a protector in name, without any formal master-disciple relationship. However, I browsed through many secret sword techniques in Summer Palace, and I can help you identify any shortcomings. So, if you have any questions about sword practice in the future, you can ask me.”

Chen Ping’an noticed from the corner of his eye that when two of the children heard this, especially the words “Summer Palace”, a shadow passed over their eyes. Chen Ping’an pretended not to notice, acting as if he were completely unaware.

He Gu whispered, “Master Cao, the extremely fierce sword light we saw earlier when passing by the mirage, was that… you, wasn’t it?”
What grievance does he harbor? He is the tallest among them, and a meticulously crafted short sword, “The Scholar’s Maid,” is strapped to his waist. It is clearly not a product of a sword-making workshop, but rather a family heirloom or a legacy from a master. Moreover, the person who passed down this sword to He Gu must have harbored no small resentment towards the vast world of Haoran.

Yu Xie, rarely offering praise, commented, “Heart-stirring, soul-shaking.”

Chen Ping’an stated bluntly, “It’s not.”

Between the ink talisman and the divine general, he dared not claim the connection.

Yao Xiaoyan seemed somewhat disappointed.

Chen Ping’an said, “Once we reach Tongye Continent and disembark, if I sense any particularly troublesome unforeseen circumstances, you must immediately enter the small blessed land without hesitation.”

Cheng Chaolu suddenly asked timidly, “Can I learn boxing from Master Cao? I promise it won’t interfere with my sword practice!”

Bai Xuan, with his hands clasped behind his back, rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath, “Such a little sycophant. Whatever Master Cao does, he follows along eagerly.”

When this child was in the Baiyu Hairpin blessed land, he liked to refer to himself as the Little Hidden Official.

The Hidden Official was Chen Ping’an. Chen Li was the Little Hidden Official. So he could only be the Little Little Hidden Official.

But after coming out, upon meeting the real Hidden Official, Bai Xuan stopped mentioning it.

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded to the little chubby Cheng Chaolu, “Of course you can. The principles of boxing and swordsmanship are interconnected. While there are certainly boundaries between practicing boxing and practicing swordsmanship, they are not like mountains and distant mountains, never to meet. Instead, they are related like high mountains and distant waters. As long as the two principles become one, it creates a magnificent landscape of mountains and rivers complementing each other, benefiting each other and further honing the physical body and the soul.”

At this point, Chen Ping’an paused and said to the others, “Go back to your sword practice. Anyone who wants to hear about boxing can stay.”

As it turned out, only Cheng Chaolu remained.

Chen Ping’an told the little chubby boy to sit down and lit a lamp on the table. Cheng Chaolu whispered, “Master Cao, actually He Xiangting wants to learn boxing even more than I do, but he can’t bring himself to ask…”

Chen Ping’an waved his hand, not allowing Cheng Chaolu to say more about it, and continued his previous words, “Reaching out with a fist towards the heavens and earth is moving outwards. Nurturing the intent of boxing within the body is moving inwards. The two are indispensable.”

A young girl hurried away and then returned, gently knocking on the door. Cheng Chaolu quickly ran to open it. It was Nalan Yudie. She elbowed the little chubby boy aside, closed the door herself, and then sat down beside them, taking out her pen and paper again, sitting upright, and signaling with her eyes that the Hidden Official could continue speaking. Chen Ping’an smiled, “Dimensional storage items are very precious, it is best to carry them on your person.”

The young girl immediately copied it down on paper.

Chen Ping’an felt somewhat helpless and ignored her, saying, “If one only trains the muscles, bones, and flesh in boxing, without refining the spirit and nurturing the body, it is a lower-grade path that only depletes a person’s essence, energy, and spirit. The higher the realm, the heavier the fist, each strike will damage the martial artist’s soul and vital energy, easily leaving behind ailments. If many hidden dangers accumulate, it will become a path of hurting the enemy a thousand while harming oneself eight hundred. How can it last? Especially with fierce boxing techniques that kill at every turn, if the martial artist does not use the right method, it is as if they are possessed by evil, and even immortals cannot save them. Learning boxing to kill, and in the end, inexplicably beating oneself to death.”

“Therefore, in my hometown, there are also two sayings: ‘Teach medicine before teaching disciples, no formula is not a familial transmission,’ and ‘Poor learn martial arts, rich practice martial arts, one person learning martial arts depletes three generations of wealth.’ These are old sayings that circulate widely in the pugilistic world, and of course, they have their reasons.”

“Cheng Chaolu, if you really want to learn boxing, there’s no problem, but you have to start with stance work, which is rather monotonous and boring. If one day you feel that practicing boxing is not interesting, there is no need to feel embarrassed or worry about being scolded by me. You can focus on sword practice instead.”

Cheng Chaolu’s eyes lit up, his face flushed, and he said excitedly, “Master Cao, I will definitely practice boxing well. I would be content with even half of Master Cao’s boxing skills.”

Nalan Yudie shook her head, muttering to herself, “Difficult.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, “Like.”

The young girl was very intelligent and immediately followed with a word, “Ascend.”

The little chubby boy sighed, “Sky.”

Chen Ping’an couldn’t help but laugh.

Afterward, everything went smoothly, without any mishaps. The colorful painted ferry crossed over the land’s thousands of waters and ten thousands of mountains from the sea. However, even after looking down from the ferry for a long time, there was still only sparse smoke rising from the villages. Only the green mountains remained undimmed, and the green waters flowed endlessly, with flying birds and white clouds keeping company with the traveler.

Finally, one night, the ferry landed at the southernmost tip of Tongye Continent, at the immortal ferry that had been rebuilt from ruins, which used to be the site of the old Yuzhou region of a shattered dynasty.

Ruined nation, old mountains and rivers, spring in the city, grass and trees growing deep.

An ancient sage once said, “Thinking of you, but not seeing you, descend to Yuzhou.”

Chen Ping’an returned to the table from the window and stared blankly at the lamp on the table.

A common man knows no immortality, thirty-six thousand days, light a candle every night.

A knock on the door rang out. The young girl outside was a little excited and said, “Master Cao, we’ve arrived. We can disembark now.”

Chen Ping’an responded and stood up, letting the lamp continue to burn, and raised his hand to cast a spell, placing a bamboo hat on his head.

He opened the door and led the children down the ferry. Looking back, Huang Lin seemed to have been waiting for this one look back and immediately smiled and clasped his fist in farewell. Chen Ping’an turned around and returned the gesture.

After walking a short distance, Chen Ping’an suddenly squatted down, reached out and touched the ground, and then gently picked up a handful of soil, placing it in his sleeve, to bring back to his hometown.