That celestial curtain of sword light, a straight line, descended upon the mortal realm.

Yet, the old coachman stood like a wooden puppet, his heroic spirit soaring, rooted to the spot, enduring the sword light head-on. He simply raised his hands, forcefully intercepting the blade.

In the eyes of Liu Jia, the old Nascent Soul cultivator guarding the alleyway, this was a display of unparalleled valor. He was filled with admiration, never imagining that the capital of Great Li held such a stalwart hero, a man whose strength could uproot mountains and rivers. He resolved to seek him out for a drink, given the chance.

In the next instant, the old coachman was pierced through the earth by the sword, plunging dozens of miles beneath the capital. A well-sized pit appeared on the street, the surrounding ground untouched, without even the slightest crack, due to the sword light’s sheer sharpness.

But in Chen Ping’an’s eyes, things were far from simple. In truth, the moment the celestial vortex appeared, the old coachman had begun to circulate some kind of mystical art, transforming his body into a city of glazed tiles, a Daoist sanctum pieced together from countless fragments. This elder, like Fengyi, the God of Wind, had chosen to conceal himself in the imperial court. He would never have willingly faced that sword light head-on.

Simultaneously, the old coachman glanced askance toward the central capital. It was evident he was waiting for a flash of sword light from that direction, a counter-attack of sword against sword. Yet, for some unknown reason, the Great Li, emulating the Jade Capital, seemed to ignore the threat, even though it was clearly a sword strike from an Ascended Realm Sword Immortal!

Thus, the instant the sword light fell from the vortex, the old coachman did not hesitate. He shrunk the mountains and rivers, taking a single step beyond the capital walls, appearing a hundred miles away in the vicinity of the capital. Then, his body shattered like glass, transforming into hundreds of colorful, fleeting lights, scattering in all directions. In response, the vortex in the celestial curtain released hundreds of sword lights, each filled with lethal intent, precisely targeting the escaping forms of the old coachman. This forced the old coachman to gather his scattered light, reassembling his pure divinity into a single body. With gritted teeth, he shrunk the mountains and rivers once more, retreating to his original position on the capital street, for only the first sword light had possessed the lightest killing intent, the most superficial killing aura.

It was as if that Ning Yao was imparting the simplest of truths to the old coachman: to not flee was to accept the sword; to flee was to invite the sword.

All of this occurred in an instant. Within the capital city, perhaps only Chen Ping’an and Fengyi, watching the spectacle from the Fire God Temple, could perceive the old coachman’s “hundred twists and turns”.

Deep beneath the earth, the old coachman stood suspended in the air, clad in golden armor, with golden dragons coiling around his limbs. Beneath his feet, a swirling vortex of golden blood flowed and gathered. The body of an ancient deity had been stripped of a great deal of its divinity by a single sword.

The old man now stood at the bottom of what was truly a sword well. Countless fine strands of sword energy crisscrossed, the pure sword intent almost solidified. This caused the mouth of the well to become as viscous as flowing mercury, containing within it the ceaseless operation of the Sword Dao. As a result, the well’s circular walls even displayed traces of “Dao-transformation”. If it were on a mountain, this would be an undeniable immortal trace, even regarded as an unsurpassed sword scripture that could allow future sword cultivators to immerse themselves and comprehend for centuries!

A young woman carrying a sword case stood in a long river of time, as slender as a stream. Since she existed outside the Five Elements, the soil and mountain roots beneath the capital city of Great Li naturally did not confine her form. Hovering with her sword, Ning Yao simply flicked her mind, and the traces of sword art Dao-transformation within the well shattered. Then, she inquired, “A bout?”

Chen Ping’an’s fist contest with Cao Ci at the Confucian Temple’s Merit Forest was recent, and it was not advisable for him to act. He was like a fragile medicine pot. Zhengyang Mountain’s sword challenge was an old score accumulated over many years, and Ning Yao did not want to interfere. But in this Great Li capital, Chen Ping’an had only come to seek an explanation from the Great Li Empress Dowager. So, be it Fengyi or the coachman, anyone who wished to act against Chen Ping’an had to ask her first, whether she would nod in agreement.

The old coachman said in a deep voice, “Have you slain high-ranking deities in the Five Colors World?!”

Ning Yao retorted, “What if I have, and what if I haven’t?”

The two sentences the old coachman had spoken to Chen Ping’an, Ning Yao had now returned to him.

The old coachman was silent for a moment. “What business is it of yours, a foreigner, if I spar with Chen Ping’an?”

The old coachman meant that in this Great Li capital, whether he settled old scores with Chen Ping’an or had a friendly bout, no one would die tonight, at the very least. What was Ning Yao, a foreigner, meddling for? Moreover, she was already the number one person in the Five Colors World. Every sword strike in the Vast Expanse should be carefully weighed against the gravity of the heavenly laws and the repercussions of the clash between the “heavenly will” of the two worlds!

But it would have been better if he hadn’t said those words. Ning Yao’s sword intent had been relatively stable, her killing aura not strong. But the moment the old coachman spoke, she sensed something was amiss. It was as if Ning Yao had heard the words, accepted their literal meaning, but not understood the old coachman’s implied meaning.

Ning Yao narrowed her eyes and smiled. “Senior has spoken fairly.”

“I have no relation to that fellow.”

Proposing marriage, matchmaker’s words, exchanging betrothal gifts… so many years had passed, yet nothing had happened.

If she still had a myriad of reasons to consider while in the Sword Qi Great Wall, such as the Grand Sword Immortal’s words not counting for much, now that he had safely returned to his hometown, and she had come to the Vast Expanse with her sword, that fellow was still playing dumb, delaying and delaying. She liked him, so she wouldn’t say anything. Besides, how could a woman say certain things, how could she bring them up?

But who was he, to remind Ning Yao of such things?

In the next instant.

The old coachman’s body was struck out of the ground by a sword. Ning Yao struck again, smashing him out of the Treasure Bottle Continent, sending him plummeting into the sea. The old coachman crashed into the sea at an angle, creating a vast waterless area, like a giant bowl, sending layers of terrifying waves surging in all directions, completely disrupting the water currents within a thousand miles.

The old coachman knelt on one knee, vomiting blood, all of it golden. But the old man was horrified to discover that the place he had fallen was actually a hidden Guixu, the location of a sea eye tomb?! And this place, could it possibly lead to that brand new world?!

The high-ranking deity that Ning Yao had slain in the Five Colors World, was it one of the twelve high-ranking deities under the Armor Wearer, the One-Eyed One?

Otherwise, how could she have seen through this ancient ruin and barbaric scheme, which even the Central Earth Confucian Temple had not discovered at all?

Ning Yao was expressionless. “Step aside. Don’t obstruct the sword.”

The old coachman was granted a great pardon, instantly teleporting away, determined to avoid her edge and not go to Great Li.
Ning Yao slightly shifted her gaze, narrowing her eyes, and said, “I’m asking you to return to Great Li’s capital to reminisce with someone. If you come to an agreement, you go your separate ways. If not, feel free to flee, hide in blessed lands or shattered realms. If I can’t find you, consider me defeated.”

Ning Yao hovered above the vast sea on her sword, uttering only two words, “Come here.”

Within the Five Colors Heaven, countless sword energies coalesced, surging forth madly, ultimately gathering into a single beam of sword light. Between the two heavens, rifts like opening celestial eyes appeared in their respective firmaments, making way for the sword light.

A lone sword journeyed far, to pay a visit to the Vast Expanse.

This was truly the foremost figure of a heaven.

The sword light, carrying boundless Dao, arrived at this part of the Vast Expanse’s ocean.

From within that underwater mausoleum, emerged a gigantic dharma body of a Spirit Transformation realm ghoul, roaring incessantly. It stomped a foot on the seabed and reached out a hand towards the tiny, mustard-seed-like figure of the woman.

The appearance of the sword light illuminated the entire Vast Expanse as bright as day, but that dazzling brilliance was fleeting, and darkness soon returned to the world.

Truthfully, many of the things Ning Yao did by ascending with her sword to the Vast Expanse stemmed from her womanly heart.

For example, she had always deliberately downplayed the fact that she was a Spirit Transformation realm sword cultivator. In his presence, Ning Yao rarely spoke about the inner workings of the Five Colors Heaven. The new foremost figure of that heaven? Who was that?

Or for example, at the Zheng Yang Mountain, she had also attended the ceremony. In truth, with a single sword strike, let alone Yuan Zhenye or the Sect Master Bamboo Emperor, the entire Zheng Yang Mountain’s thousand-li landscape would have vanished.

Whenever she went out and traveled with him, Ning Yao never competed for attention. For example, on this trip where she was brought along to visit various places, she would only introduce herself as “Sword Cultivator Ning Yao,” or “Ning Yao from Flying Ascention City,” or simply her name.

After all, it had been so difficult for Chen Ping An to become a sword cultivator, stumbling and struggling along the way.

But for her, Ning Yao, practicing the sword had been too easy.

Thinking of this, she felt less troubled and began to return to Treasure Bottle Continent on her sword, but not too quickly, lest a certain someone misunderstand.

As for that Spirit Transformation realm ghoul plotting something, it had already been severely injured by her sword and left with a mark. After that, it would be up to the Confucian Temple to deal with.

On the streets of the capital, young Zhao Duanming noticed that the green-robed sword cultivator with the surname Chen, who was a mountain master, kept his eyes down and his nose pointed at his heart, behaving as cautiously as a timid ghost meeting someone on a dark path.

As for the series of strange events today, the old Vice Minister Dong from the neighborhood came here looking for someone, the old coachman and that man didn’t get along as soon as they met, and then the old coachman said he wanted to spar, and he was inexplicably sparred with by someone else.

Zhao Duanming didn’t bother to think about the reasons. He only felt that the earth-shattering aura of swordsmanship was something that not even a Celestial Immortal could create.

Always paying attention to the imitation White Jade Capital, Chen Ping An breathed a sigh of relief, quite surprised and not understanding why they hadn’t sent a sword to stop him. But since it was a good thing, he didn’t need to think about why for the time being. He turned his head and asked with a smile, “Your name is Zhao Duanming? Are you a member of the Zhao clan of Tianshui County?”

A young man who could be so familiar with the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites was most likely from Yichi Lane or Chier Street. Moreover, the Duke Zhao of Tianshui, an upper pillar of the state, had deep ties to the Great Li’s border army. It was understandable that a family disciple was cultivating here, so close to the Ren Yun Yi Yun building.

Zhao Duanming asked in confusion, “Senior, who are you?”

Chen Ping An thought that the young man had already guessed his identity, after all, Dong Hu had previously called him “Mountain Master Chen.”

But thinking about the earlier obstruction, it seemed that he couldn’t overestimate the interpersonal skills of this pair of gatekeepers.

Chen Ping An had no choice but to introduce himself, “I’m from Fallen Mountain, my surname is Chen.”

Zhao Duanming was stunned on the spot and muttered, “That’s impossible. Cao Wine Devil said that the Mountain Master Chen of Fallen Mountain is so handsome that every time he goes out shopping, the young ladies in his hometown scream when they see him. I heard that some women even faint on the spot.”

That bastard Cao Wine Devil spends all day soaking in wine vats, so he really doesn’t say anything sober. How could this Chen Ping An be so handsome? Still “beautiful appearance, clear spirit, unforgettable at first sight, women in the world will lose their souls when they see him, so Chen Ping An helped the mountain to name it Fallen Mountain”?!

Damn you, Cao Gengxin, you delayed me from recognizing Chen Ping An’s identity at a glance. I’ll settle the score with you later, I’ll drink your wine until you’re bankrupt.

Chen Ping An kept smiling and said, “If you have the chance, be sure to thank Director Cao for his kind words.”

The famous Cao Gengxin, the head of the Longzhou Kiln Affairs Directorate. Therefore, Cao Gengxin had a very good relationship with the large surnames of Huaihuang County, the mountain and water deities of Longzhou, and all kinds of lineage immortals. Cao Gengxin was much more assimilated into local customs than Wu Yuan, the first county magistrate in the history of Lizhu Cave Heaven, so he was regarded as a local. This talented young man from the capital seemed to do nothing in those years, just carrying wine and punching the clock every day. So his relationship with Fallen Mountain was no relationship at all.

Speaking of Wei Bo and Zhu Lian, they both had a very good impression of this director, and regarding the new director who replaced Cao Gengxin, even though he was also from a wealthy family in the capital, Wei Bo’s evaluation was that he was too inept at being an official, and not worthy of buying wine and carrying a wine pot for our Director Cao.

Chen Ping An turned his head and reminded the old Vice Minister, “Vice Minister Dong?”

Dong Hu sighed and asked tentatively, “Does Mountain Master Chen really intend to do this?”

It was difficult to have a Great Li Empress Dowager personally come to the door. Even if he was just helping Chen Ping An to pass on a message, Dong Hu felt that it was hot to hold and painful to say.

First, the old coachman was not recorded in the secret archives of the Ministry of Rites, so Dong Hu had no idea of the other party’s realm or background, only that he was one of the royal offerings of the Great Li Song clan. Moreover, some things could not be completely resolved by relying solely on brute force from the mountains.

Chen Ping An nodded and said, “Vice Minister Dong, when you enter the palace to report later, just tell her this. Whether she comes or not is her business.”

Dong Hu glanced at the carriage and smiled wryly. The coachman was gone, and he couldn’t drive.

The old Nascent Soul gatekeeper Liu Jia smiled and said, “I’ll help with this small favor. Vice Minister Dong, remember to add a few good words to the mountain and water assessment of the Ministry of Rites later.”

Dong Hu said in annoyance, “Don’t even think about it. Duanming, you come and drive for Grandpa Dong!”

Zhao Duanming shook his head and said, “Grandpa Dong, I have to guard the door, I can’t leave.”
Liu Jia stored the white jade dojo, which had been placed in the alley. Without allowing Dong Hu any chance to refuse, he took on the role of temporary coachman. The old Vice Minister had no choice but to bid farewell to Chen Ping’an and drive away.

However, Dong Hu spoke words outside the realm of officialdom at the end, “Chen Ping’an, discuss matters properly. You and I are both citizens of Great Li, and we know how hard-won this superficially peaceful situation on the Bottle Continent is.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and nodded, saying he wouldn’t see Elder Dong off, then folded his hands in his sleeves, leaned against the wall, and occasionally turned his head to look at the western sky.

He was still somewhat worried about Ning Yao’s situation.

At the juncture where the sea met the land of the Bottle Continent, an old man stopped. Aunt Feng appeared with a smile.

The old coachman looked morose, hovering in the air, and after holding it in for a long time, blurted out, “These young people nowadays!”

However, the old man still restrained himself from saying the second half of the sentence. Their tempers are all worse than the last!

Aunt Feng raised her hand, gently twisting the colorful knot woven from a wisp of essence from all the flowers in the world, and said with a smile, “Just wait, that matter from back then isn’t over yet. Considering our comradeship in battle in the past, I’ll kindly advise you not to think about running to the Military School Ancestral Temple in the Central Earth Continent to hide. With Ning Yao’s personality, she’s already been reminded, and you still won’t listen. Then she will definitely come looking for you. As for the consequences, she’s not like Chen Ping’an. Anyway, her homeland is just a ruin now.”

The old coachman glanced at this gloating former colleague, and said dejectedly, “You’re the most stable, never offending anyone.”

Aunt Feng had a look of insincere surprise on her face: “Those who make wide connections are not stable, while you who stir up trouble are stable instead? Is there such a reason in the world?”

The old coachman glanced at the old Li Zhu Cave Heaven and softly said, “Where are the two who spoke even later than us hiding now?”

The person who knows the most secrets of the world, the major events, might be Zou Zi. As for the minor events, it should be Aunt Feng, the Wind God in front of him.

Aunt Feng shook her head.

The old coachman was slightly saddened, sighing repeatedly, and said, “Just fifty years, what did that count as in the past? It was simply the blink of an eye for you and me, but who would have thought it would have already turned upside down? Tell me, what were we all doing back then, that we’re being treated like this by two youngsters who aren’t even fifty years old today?”

Aunt Feng couldn’t stand hearing these boring words about ancient history from her peers the most. Aren’t ten thousand years of stable life considered enjoying the benefits of one’s past achievements? So she sneered, “I won’t charge you, I’ll give you a principle that Qi Jingchun told me back then for free: ‘If you get an advantage and still act pitiful, you can think it in your heart, but say less of it out loud’.”

The old coachman scoffed, “What harm is there in grumbling a few words?”

Aunt Feng raised two fingers, gently spinning them, and a wisp of clear wind followed. She smiled and said, “I naturally can’t do anything. I’m leaving, since we don’t agree, I’ll go drink alone.”

In the distant horizon, sword light arrived like a rainbow, during which a cold, clear voice resounded, “Junior Ning Yao, thanks Aunt Feng.”

Above the Great Li secondary capital, on the top floor of a faux White Jade City, there was an uninvited guest who had rushed over from the Central Earth Continent, who had started acting shamelessly when the sword light was about to fall.

An old scholar was holding onto the arm of the Boundless Realm cultivator, “Absolutely not, absolutely not, every time a sword is drawn here, is that sword light just a ‘whoosh’? No! It’s all money.”

My relationship with you Bottle Continent people is so good, I only have a few direct disciples, and every one of them has contributed to your Bottle Continent. Even if we take a step back, don’t treat money like it’s nothing, I won’t allow you to waste immortal money like this.

The tower guardian, whose form was originally ethereal and without a true face, probably admired this Confucian sage somewhat and made an exception to reveal his true form. It turned out to be an old scholar with a tall crown and broad sleeves, with a refined appearance.

The old scholar smiled and said, “Your Confucian Temple is good at reasoning, shouldn’t the Confucian Sage come up with a plausible reason?”

The old scholar said anxiously, “At Shujian Lake, Senior and my closed-door disciple hit it off, wouldn’t you consider them half-way in a friendship that transcends generations? Are you willing to just throw away this favor? I don’t think so.”

To call anyone “Senior” you meet, among the direct disciples of the Confucian Sage lineage, it’s indeed that closed-door disciple who gets the essence of the teacher the most. What’s called a prized disciple? That’s it. Many principles, you understand the true meaning without the teacher needing to say them, that’s what a true prized disciple is.

So how could the old scholar not be biased?

Why are you always complaining? Learn from Jun Qian.

The old scholar said, “I remembered wrong, or is the Confucian Sage senile? That kid didn’t transform the customs of Shujian Lake. The ones who really accomplished this were the Great Li Imperial Court and the True Realm Sect.”

“In front of Senior, who is all-knowing and acknowledged as the best conversationalist, isn’t calling me ‘Confucian Sage’ an insult? Just call me ‘Old Scholar’ is fine. Remove the ‘Old’ and replace it with ‘Little’, and it’ll be intimate.”

The old scholar always hugged this Senior’s arm, smiling and saying, “Besides, Senior, you’re speaking against your conscience. Everything is difficult at the beginning, I don’t believe Senior doesn’t even understand this principle.”

The old scholar didn’t argue with the old scholar about these meaningless things. The old scholar gave a light shout, centered his Qi in his dantian, leaned his body back, and desperately grabbed the Senior’s arm.

The old scholar said in a deep voice, “Reason!”

With the old scholar making such a fuss, the sword light that appeared in the sky above the Bottle Continent had already landed within the Great Li capital.

The Confucian Temple’s old scholar, the White Jade City’s Lu Chen, their ability to act shamelessly could be called unparalleled.

The old scholar stretched his neck to take a look. It was fine for the time being. The people had already fought. He immediately let go of his arm, jumped back, and vigorously shook his sleeves, saying, “Isn’t Chen Ping’an a citizen of the Bottle Continent?”

The old scholar sneered, “The sword-wielding Ning Yao is a foreigner. According to the rules established by Cui Chan, a foreign Ascended Realm cultivator who dares to act without authorization will only have one ending.”

Either shatter the entire faux White Jade City and leave on your own, or avoid the sword light and escape far away. Being able to escape is also a skill. Anyway, the Great Li will treat you with courtesy every time you approach the Bottle Continent in the future.

The old scholar said with a straight face, “That Ning girl is my closed-door disciple’s Dao companion!”

The old scholar frowned and said, “Not yet.”

The old scholar bowed and scraped, “Heh, what a coincidence.”

He took out an object from his sleeve, actually an engagement letter.

Don’t underestimate these fewer than one hundred words. The old scholar pulled in many Confucian Temple sages, everyone working together, carefully considering the words and carefully deliberating, to create such a talented engagement letter.

Absolutely the only one of its kind in the world.
The old scholar handed over the betrothal gift list, muttering, “These two children didn’t even exchange marriage tokens or formally present gifts. That old bastard Chen Qingdu, he doesn’t keep his word! And Yao Chongdao can’t bring himself to do it either, so he has to wait for the Great Sword Immortal to present the betrothal gifts. What a mess! I respected the Great Sword Immortal back then. Every time I saw him at the city wall, I’d grin and smile at him until my face ached. I’d have to go to Chen Ping’an’s wine shop and drink a lot to recover. If I had known Chen Qingdu was so lacking in Jianghu honor, I would have gone to the Ning and Yao families to propose marriage myself.”

Suddenly, the old scholar stamped his foot and shouted, “Now it’s all right! Your own Ascended Realm cultivator from Treasure Bottle Continent unsheathed her sword. It’s justified both publicly and privately. What are you meddling about?”

Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the Ning lass unleashing two more sword strikes. “Good, good, this is satisfying!”

The old master returned the betrothal gift list to the stubbornly insistent old scholar.

For this prized disciple, the old scholar was practically groveling on the ground.

Since both parties had already left Treasure Bottle Continent, the old master felt relieved of his burdens and didn’t bother to dwell on Ning Yao’s three earlier sword strikes.

The old master casually asked, “Didn’t you offer a few words of advice to Zuo You?”

The old scholar grumbled, “What’s the point of saying anything? My student’s wings have hardened, and he won’t listen to his teacher anymore.”

The old master chuckled wryly. He felt somewhat aggrieved for that Zuo You, who claimed to be “unskilled in both study and swordsmanship.” Anyone could say that, but Zuo You? Your conscience, as his teacher, must have been eaten by dogs!

The old scholar said softly, “No matter how reluctant I am, I can’t stop my student from doing what needs to be done.”

The old master smiled, “Finally, you’ve said something a scholar should say.”

The youth stood at the corner of the street, took out another handful of salted dried peanuts, and, while cracking them open, secretly sized up this legendary Mountain Master Chen.

The young sword immortal’s path through the Jianghu was like a thread connecting Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven and the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Ping’an turned and looked towards the west of Treasure Bottle Continent. His cultivation was insufficient, and the battlefield was too far from the sea. He couldn’t see it.

So he chatted with the youth. “According to Old Master Xu’s method of interpreting characters, ‘Zhao’ implies ‘to tend,’ ‘to initiate,’ and ‘to illuminate.’ It also signifies a beautiful and inviting path, ultimately leading to the beauty of the sun and moon shining together to illuminate the world. Maintain upright conduct, like a gentleman holding jade, with a bright and clear mind, cultivating virtue is better than inheriting gold. Therefore, your name is excellent.”

The youth widened his eyes. “My surname, combined with my given name, is that powerful?!”

A sword immortal’s words should carry some weight, right? He wouldn’t just randomly try to get close to a little kid, would he?

Zhao Duanming rubbed his mouth. After hearing Chen Ping’an’s explanation, the youth felt that with just this name, he was already a guaranteed cultivator in the Upper Five Realms.

Chen Ping’an turned his head in puzzlement. “Don’t your elders or your family tutor talk to you about this?”

Zhao Duanming lamented, “Probably the tutor would have mentioned it during the first class at the family school, but I happened to miss it. As for why I missed it, alas, the past is too painful to recall. Let’s not talk about it.”

When he was young, he was often struck by lightning. Once, he was happily carrying his satchel, skipping and jumping on his way to the family school, when *crack*, he fell to the ground unconscious.

Another time, he went out to stroll the streets and watch the lantern market. The third time, he climbed high to admire the rain. In the end, no one wanted to stand near him whenever there was cloudy or rainy weather.

However, Zhao Duanming figured that with his “head of bad luck,” it definitely wouldn’t be the last time.

Chen Ping’an reached out his hand, palm open. The youth naturally poured some salted dried peanuts into it.

Zhao Duanming said, “I stopped you from entering the alley earlier. You’re such a great sword immortal, you won’t hold a grudge, right?”

It seemed like a word was missing.

Chen Ping’an lowered his head, cracking salted dried peanuts and smiling. “Just because of that sentence, I won’t hold a grudge.”

Zhao Duanming watched the man expertly crack open the peanuts and spit out the shells. The youth grinned and said, “Mountain Master Chen, I didn’t expect you to be so approachable. You don’t even seem like a sword immortal.”

Chen Ping’an laughed. “I’m just a Jade Purity Realm cultivator. What kind of sword immortal am I? In my wife’s hometown, that’s just considered a sword cultivator. Calling someone a sword immortal is practically an insult.”

Zhao Duanming remembered this inside information that came from the mouth of the young Hidden Official. So the Jade Purity Realm sword immortals of the Sword Qi Great Wall weren’t taken seriously at all. How imposing!

He’d have to show off to Cao the Drunkard later. The youth then thought of something else and asked curiously, “Where’s your wife? Why didn’t she come with you? Could it be that the one who just drew her sword was your wife? She has such a… good temper! You’re truly blessed, Chen-dage. I have to speak from my heart. I’m not sucking up to you just because I know your identity, but from the first moment I saw you, I thought you two were a match made in heaven.”

In his words, he immediately transformed Chen Ping’an and his dao companion into his newly acquired big brother and sister-in-law.

Chen Ping’an hummed in agreement. This youth was quite eloquent, so let him talk more. As for being recognized as a relative by Zhao Duanming, it was an insignificant matter.

However, Chen Ping’an quietly raised his eyelids, smiling as he shook the peanuts in his hand, signaling that the youth had seen enough and didn’t need to worry about the young man here.

In Intention Late Alley, inside the study of a mansion, the chief offering of the Heavenly Waters Zhao Clan was using the divine ability “Palm Watching Mountains and Rivers,” while the old clan head of the Heavenly Waters Zhao Clan sat beside him. Both of them would occasionally look at each other, and occasionally tremble with fear, afraid that Zhao Duanming, that brat whose mouth had never been properly sealed since childhood, would say something wrong and anger that Fallen Mountain sword immortal who had almost turned Positive Sun Mountain upside down.

The offering immediately withdrew the divine ability. The old clan head of the Heavenly Waters Zhao Clan, whose body had been tense and whose back had been straight, finally relaxed and leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard and smiling. “I knew it. Duanming, that brat, has had wisdom roots since he was a child. He’s definitely of my old Zhao Clan’s blood.”

The chief offering smiled but didn’t speak. “Cut the crap,” he thought. After your grandson was struck by lightning for the first time when he was young, he was dizzy and spouting nonsense all day long. Who was it that was worried every day, muttering, “My good grandson, could he be an idiot?”

The old man restrained his smile. This calligraphy master, praised as the greatest of the Pavilion Style, extended a finger and wrote in the air, “Yuan, Cao, Yu…” They were all surnames of Upper Pillar Kingdom families.

Meanwhile, Chen Ping’an was led by the youth into the alley, with a string of keys in his hand.

There were no spring couplets or door gods pasted on the small house’s door.

Chen Ping’an opened the door, closed the door, and put away the keys.
In truth, this visit to the capital of Great Li was no longer simply about the personal grudges between Chen Ping’an and the Empress Dowager of Great Li, but rather a… brand new trial of one’s heart, a game left by his senior brother, Cui Chan, for his student and the Great Li Dynasty.

Chen Ping’an had personally experienced the torment within such a trial, set up by Cui Chan, while in Shujian Lake. Everything was right, and everything was wrong, depending solely on the whim of the Great Li Emperor, “Song He.”

Chen Ping’an strolled leisurely through the residence, walking with ease. He opened the doors to a two-story library and stepped inside. It was filled with books, nothing but books. Bookshelves lined the walls, with a ladder placed beside them. The space was exceptionally clean, devoid of any superfluous decoration. Strangely, there was no staircase to reach the second floor; one would seemingly have to use the ladder intended for retrieving books.

Chen Ping’an didn’t rush to find a book. Instead, he sat on the threshold, took out his Sword Nourishing Gourd, and drank alone.

Three thousand years ago, during that great battle concerning the nation’s waterways, the dragon slayer – who would later become Jia Sheng, Bai Mang, and Chen Zhuoliu, all brothers with Chen Lingjun – hunted down the last true dragon in the human realm, the former Wang Zhu of Mud Bottle Lane, the maidservant beside Song Jixin.

Wang Zhu landed on the southern tip of Treasure Bottle Continent, passed through Old Dragon City, and continued her northward escape, carving out the underground dragon path that would later be used as a celestial ferry route. Ultimately, she stopped within the borders of the former Dragon Province, creating the Lihu Pearl Grotto Heaven, one of the thirty-six lesser paradises.

Wang Zhu originally sought shelter and guidance from Old Man Yang, hoping that the one who oversaw the ancient Ascension Platform would make an exception for her. However, Old Man Yang chose to remain indifferent.

For some unknown reason, Zheng Juzhong’s mentor from White Emperor City didn’t personally slay the fleeing dragon, but merely desired the world to be rid of true dragons.

Many cultivators who participated in the final battle died or fell. A batch of them settled down to cultivate on the spot, taking advantage of their proximity to the dragon’s aura and absorbing the abundant spiritual energy. Most importantly, they also benefited from the remaining great path aura of the true dragon. Many prominent families in the later small towns began to flourish at that time, thus shaping the townspeople of Lihu Pearl Grotto Heaven.

Later, the four sages of the Three Teachings – Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Legalism – joined hands to erect the memorial archway jokingly called “Crab Workshop” by the local populace.

As for why the dragon slayer vowed to slay dragons, the Confucian school and the Confucian Temple didn’t seem to offer much resistance. How this person accepted Zheng Juzhong, Han Qiaose, and Liu Chicheng as disciples early on, only to neglect them after taking them as direct disciples, except for the eldest, Zheng Juzhong, was all ancient history now. Moreover, before Lu Chen seemingly ascended to the Azure Heavens, he had some ambiguous connection to a dragon girl, which explained his later high regard for Chen Lingjun. Even when Lu Chen was at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, he allowed Chen Lingjun to choose whether or not to follow him to the Jade Capital for cultivation. When Chen Lingjun declined, Lu Chen didn’t do anything extra, without any reluctance. This alone was illogical. Lu Chen would never have treated Chen Ping’an so decisively. What about Shi Rou? Lu Chen, far away in the Jade Capital, still used Shi Rou’s eyes to watch the trivial matters of Riding Dragon Lane.

It wasn’t until Cui Dongshan severed this lingering connection that the Third Patriarch of the Jade Capital finally gave up.

In fact, the Dragon Keeper cultivators suffered heavy casualties while trying to stop the dragon slayer. Therefore, Chen Ping’an suspected that there was likely an old master of the Dragon Keeper lineage hidden within the Lihu Pearl Grotto Heaven, greatly assisting in the rise of the Great Li Song Dynasty. Perhaps this person was the mastermind behind the newly built “Feng Sheng Shui Qi” covered bridge.

Chen Ping’an’s thoughts wandered as he sat on the threshold, drinking wine, his back to the library, gazing at the small courtyard.

Worldly affairs are like flying dust, thoroughly examining people’s hearts in the confusing realm. Days and months are like startling pills, breaking all shackles in the smoke and mist.

He took a sip of wine.

The fragments of his Natal Porcelain remained incomplete. To be precise, Chen Ping’an had been enduring and refraining from hastily picking up the thread.

For Chen Ping’an to reach the Immortal realm, or even the Ascension realm, wouldn’t be an issue.

The only problem, or rather hidden danger, lay in the great pass of the Ascension realm bottleneck. Whether he could break through depended on the completeness of his Natal Porcelain.

Of course, that was only if Chen Ping’an could reach that stage. He first had to become a sword cultivator at the Ascension realm bottleneck.

Chen Ping’an was confident about reaching the Immortal realm in the future, but reaching the Ascension realm would be difficult. It was naturally difficult for a sword cultivator to reach the Ascension realm. It would be strange if it weren’t difficult.

“Ha, my wife is an exception.”

Chen Ping’an smiled, pleased with himself.

His mood lightened slightly. The innkeeper, not a cultivator, claimed to have a large vase from a dragon kiln in Lihu Pearl Grotto Heaven, painted with figures and flowers.

His hometown was named Treasure Bottle Continent.

The inn was very close to People Follow People Tower. The innkeeper and Senior Brother Cui Chan likely met often in their younger years.

Could that vase be one of the broken pieces of porcelain?

Regardless of the truth about the vase, the Empress Dowager of Great Li was so confident. Did she already know about Chen Ping’an’s Fourteenth Realm Dao Union problem? That he was destined to be unable to avoid each scattered piece of porcelain? So she wanted to wait for the highest bidder, thinking that a mere Jade Purity Realm mountain master of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, even with the titles of Hidden Official and Junior Brother of the Imperial Preceptor, was still not qualified to sit down and negotiate a price with her?

Chen Ping’an put away the wine gourd and pouted. “That woman is quite the schemer, thinking too highly of herself.”

He stood up, interlaced his fingers, stretched his muscles, and strolled back and forth on the corridor outside the door.

The Tenth Realm of a martial artist, the burgeoning of Qi, was the key to Chen Ping’an’s victory or defeat against Cao Ci. If he lost, he would never hope to win against Cao Ci in this lifetime. If he won, he would have a chance.

Chen Ping’an, with his excellent memory, saw the people, events, rivers, and mountains once, and it was as if he had created a series of line drawings.

Then, every time Chen Ping’an heard a sentence or looked at the world a few more times, it was like adding a stroke of color.

A pure martial artist possessed a breath of true Qi.

The world was magnificent, with a spirit that swallowed mountains and rivers.

In fact, Chen Ping’an didn’t understand this matter until he reached the Completion Realm. As Cui Dongshan said, it was unintentional, yet most intentional.
Since Chen Ping’an began practicing martial arts, Qi XianSheng, A Liang, Cui Dongshan, Cui Cheng, Gu You, Li Er, the Eldest Sword Immortal, Granny Bai… they all seemed to be deliberately hiding something, and no one would speak of it.

Like tonight, within the Great Li capital, near the Calamus River, the young official’s grievance, the old tutor’s saying that poverty is nothing to be ashamed of, the two immortals’ relief, the Calamus River God’s pride as a Great Li deity… they seemed to stand within the scroll in Chen Ping’an’s heart. All these people and events that touched Chen Ping’an, all the joys and sorrows, seemed to be seen and contemplated by Chen Ping’an, and would become the pigments to begin coloring the mindscape painting.

It was as if the entire mortal realm was Chen Ping’an’s solitary Daoist sanctum.

Why did Cao Ci go to the Sword Qi Great Wall at a young age, build a thatched hut, and practice martial arts there?

Later, he even liked to travel alone across several continents, which is why he encountered Yu Juanfu at the ancient battlefield ruins of Golden Armor Continent.

In reality, Cao Ci was also preparing for the “Qi Touches Mountains and Rivers” layer of Qi Amplification early on.

Perhaps Cao Ci’s shortcoming was that he didn’t like meddling in other people’s affairs, and what he saw was more of the landscape and rivers than the hearts of people.

This made the “coloring” of Cao Ci’s mindscape painting insufficient, especially lacking in weight.

Of course, it’s not to say that seeing a few landscapes means one’s own mindscape mountains and rivers of the Qi Amplification layer, otherwise it would be too simple. Ninth-realm martial artists would only need to ride the wind and travel far, staring wide-eyed to see the landscapes of the nine continents. Because it must be every heartfelt acknowledgement and rejection that one can pick up a brush and paint, adding heavy strokes and vibrant colors to the ink drawing.

Chen Ping’an gathered his thoughts, turned and entered the book building, set up the ladder, and climbed step by step to the second floor. Chen Ping’an stopped, standing on the book ladder, his shoulders almost level with the second floor floor.

Empty of people, empty of things.

It was as if the former owner of the book building, alone in this world, read books here, and when he left, he returned all the books to the mortal realm.

Inside the imitation White Jade Capital, the Old Scholar suddenly asked, “Senior, shall we have a chat?”

The Old Tutor raised an eyebrow, “Oh?”

He knew what this Literary Saint was plotting.

Once the two sides began formally inquiring about the Dao, they would have no time to attend to the movements in the Great Li capital. Even if Ning Yao returned to Great Li and hacked the capital to pieces, the imitation White Jade Capital would not be able to intervene.

The Old Scholar timidly said, “Senior, you are a well-deserved Sage of Heaven and Earth. The Confucian Temple is willing to give you the title, but you yourself don’t want it. But I am a Worthy of the Academy, just like in the martial world, a Third-realm martial artist asking a Grandmaster of the Stopping Realm for instruction, so you have to let me make a few moves, let me lose half first, okay?”

The Old Tutor smiled, “Then forget it.”

The two sides inquired about the Dao.

Of course, it wasn’t a matter of mere competition.

In fact, he had long wanted to have an inquiry about the Dao with this Literary Saint.

After all, this poor old scholar in front of him was recognized as the best arguer in the world.

The Old Scholar’s eyes gleamed.

It seemed to say that in one continent, those who dared to turn the tide were rising. Which of my Literary Saint lineage’s direct disciples has been slacking off?

So if you lose the inquiry about the Dao today, just speak for this place, and don’t interfere with what Chen Ping’an does or says in the future.

The Old Tutor thought for a while, still hesitant.

An inquiry about the Dao was no small matter.

It would draw upon extremely vast celestial phenomena.

The Old Scholar lightly flicked his sleeves and smiled, “Since Tutor is best at chatting, then Scholar will talk about the earth, and let’s talk properly about this Heaven and Earth and the mortal realm.”

The words of a sage contained heavenly law.

Across the Vast World, winds and clouds surged, especially in Treasure Bottle Continent. In the eyes of the celestial observers of various countries, countless golden lights were scattering across the mortal realm.

In the Confucian Temple’s Merit Forest, the Sage of Rites and the Scripture Scholar Xi Ping sat facing each other, engaged in a game of chess. The Sage of Rites glanced at Treasure Bottle Continent and said helplessly, “Nowhere is peaceful.”

As for the marine tomb carefully arranged by Wen Hai, and the Ascended Realm ghost, the Confucian Temple already had a countermeasure after Ning Yao drew her sword.

The Scripture Scholar Xi Ping smiled and said, “Now that there are no more knots and concerns, the Literary Saint is finally going to discuss the Dao.”

The Old Scholar who had his statue removed from the Confucian Temple, especially after his disciples were scattered, had never taken up the identity of a Literary Saint again. Even when he merged with the Dao in three continents, it was only as a scholar, and had nothing to do with being a Literary Saint.

But tonight, within the imitation White Jade Capital on Treasure Bottle Continent, the Old Scholar took the lead in sitting on the ground, straightened his clothes, extended a hand, and said with a serious expression and a calm tone, “Please be seated.”

Talking about Heaven and Earth, I invite you to be seated.

Of course, you will lose.