(Apologies for the late chapter upload.)

Crimson clouds painted the horizon, a fiery sunset stretching for miles.

A dragon-boat ferry named “Inky Wash” docked at a celestial harbor. A group disembarked, preparing to change vessels and journey to the Yellow Millet Kingdom.

Leading the group was a swaggering young boy in azure robes, his sleeves flailing wildly. Beside him walked a maiden, a scholar’s inkstone hanging at her waist and a green bamboo staff in hand.

Behind them followed a Confucian scholar, accompanied by an elderly man in yellow robes who seemed to be a retainer. His appearance was peculiar, with hawk-like eyes, and his gaunt frame made his robes appear excessively loose.

In comparison, the young man seemed unremarkable.

They were invited to attend an inaugural mountain opening ceremony as honored guests.

The old codger with the wind at his heels was none other than Chen Lingjun, the Nascent Soul realm water dragon of Fallen Mountain and enshrined ancestor of the ancestral hall.

Guo Zhujiu, Chen Ping’an’s personally taught disciple, had also accompanied Chen Lingjun on this journey.

The sage Li Huai from Cliff Academy and Tao Ting, who styled himself the “Tender Taoist” from the desolate wilderness of Peach Pavilion, were simply tagging along for a free meal and a leisurely trip.

Besides his renowned moniker, “Tender Taoist,” Tao Ting also possessed another identity, a wild mountain cultivator from the Southern So娑 Continent, with the Daoist name of Lord Dragon Mountain.

Following them, or rather guiding them, were two Qi Refining cultivators from Robe Belt Peak, Song Yuan and his junior sister Liu Runyun, the latter with a lazy, curled-up white fox perched on her shoulder.

With an hour before their next embarkation, Chen Lingjun chose a waterside restaurant near the harbor, intending to indulge in a hearty meal and a bit of wine to appease his internal organs. After all, the Inky Wash dragon-boat was their own vessel, and excessive feasting wouldn’t be appropriate. Those Pearl Hairpin Island female cultivators were quite gossipy, and if word reached that blockhead girl, he’d be subjected to unnecessary nagging.

Inside the restaurant lobby, Chen Lingjun stood on tiptoes, his hands resting on the tall counter, craning his neck to read the wooden menu on the wall. When he asked the waiter for recommendations, he learned of a novel service offered at this “Treasured Delicacies Pavilion.” Apparently, many celestial harbors across the continent now boasted these restaurants, where cultivators could pay a deposit of immortal coins and send a flying sword message to sword pavilions at other harbors. The restaurant would receive the message, prepare the requested dishes, pack them in specially crafted immortal food containers, and deliver them to the mountain gate, guaranteeing the same flavors as dining in…

However, the additional delivery fee would be calculated based on the distance.

The young boy in azure robes was stunned. Old Man Chen had truly broadened his horizons today.

So business could be conducted in such a manner? But why didn’t their own Ox Horn Ferry, or even the slightly more distant Red Candle Town, have a Treasured Delicacies Pavilion?

Li Huai couldn’t help but speculate, “Could this be Dong Shui Jing’s doing? Does this kind of scheme even generate business?”

Because of their large party, sharing a table was out of the question. Chen Lingjun reserved a private room for a starting fee of ten snowflake coins. Soon, the table was laden with dishes. Chen Lingjun ordered two jugs of wine, crossed his legs, and took a sip of the celestial brew. He turned to look out the window, where several private talisman boats were arriving at the harbor. Although they weren’t reckless, they all flaunted their speed. Chen Lingjun glanced at the figures aboard the boats, mostly young men accompanied by charming women. They practically had “rich” stamped on their foreheads. Their gazes, however, screamed “poor.”

The Tender Taoist only sipped sparingly, as guarding was not to be taken lightly.

Was he afraid of intoxication leading to mishaps? Not at all, it was merely a matter of appearances.

Who knew if the old blind man would drag him into a dream again, stomping on him a few times?

After all, the old blind man acted solely on whim, never adhering to reason.

Last time, for meritorious service in escorting, the old blind man had rarely been so generous and “casually” tossed Tao Ting an ancient manual, the upper half of the Mountain Refining Art.

Tao Ting had been diligently cultivating in seclusion these days. Of course, for a peak great cultivator like Tao Ting, “seclusion” wasn’t the same as how ordinary Ascendant Realm cultivators would typically find a secluded mountain cave and remain motionless. The Nascent Soul and Ascendant Realms were often mocked by the mountain as “thousand-year turtles and ten-thousand-year tortoises”, and Tao Ting would never be so pathetic.

As the patriarch of the ancient Mountain Herding lineage, the unquestionable founder, Tao Ting and Yuan Shou, the Mountain Moving lineage’s old throne demon, were of the same generation and shared a similar age. Because both were at odds with the mountain, an invisible battle of the Great Dao naturally arose. In terms of moving mountains and displacing peaks, Tao Ting believed he wasn’t half a step behind Yuan Shou. However, he was significantly inferior in the Dao of “Refining Mountains.” In simpler terms, Moving and Herding mountains were similar skills, but Tao Ting was truly no match for Yuan Shou when it came to “devouring” mountains.

In the desolate wilderness where the strong ate the weak, conflicts arose. The weaker party could only avoid the stronger’s edge and flee.

Back then, the “young and vigorous” Tao Ting had ambitious dreams, attempting to create a mountain like a snowball using his innate divine power. He had even boasted of building a “Green Mountain” that surpassed the desolate Great Mountain “Green Mountain.”

As for the murky dealings between Consort Fei and Yang Zhi, they might fool ordinary cultivators, but peak demons were well aware of the inside story. Tao Ting had no desire to learn it. Furthermore, Zhu Yan also disliked establishing sects. Tao Ting had to steel his heart and seek wealth and fortune in danger. He hoped to find an opportunity to steal a mountain today and move another tomorrow on the fringes of the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Once he was full, he would compete with Zhu Yan. In the end… he was captured by the old blind man and forced to be a watchdog. He tried not to dwell on those embarrassing years.

Therefore, obtaining half of the Mountain Refining Art from the old blind man was an unexpected delight beyond his wildest dreams.

Their destination was a celestial estate called Yellow Millet Sect.

Within the Yellow Millet Kingdom, besides Cloudglow Mountain, which hoped to become a top-tier sect, there was also a formidable immortal sect called Yellow Millet Sect. Before the great war, in Treasure Bottle Continent, it was a “second-rate barely making it, third-rate being wronged” celestial estate. Now, with countless shattered mountain peaks in the southern part of Treasure Bottle Continent, the status of the sects had risen accordingly.

Those “enclaves” not connected to their ancestral mountains, separated by distance, began to distinguish themselves as “upper mountain” and “lower mountain,” imitating the upper and lower sects.
The Yellow Millet Sect was the “upper mountain” of Mount Yidai in Chuzhou.

The Sect Leader, the Mountain Master, was an elderly “young” Golden Core cultivator, though primarily a sword cultivator. Years ago, he sent a closed-door disciple to the Lízhū Grotto-Heaven seeking opportunity, but it was all for naught, with no gains. Not only did they fruitlessly expend a bag of Spring Welcoming Coins as tolls, but the cultivator also failed to find a treasure they fancied with the bag of Demon-Subduing Coins. In order to curry favor with the rising Da Li Song Dynasty, they used the remaining gold essence copper coins from that bag to buy a mountain peak on the western side of the Lízhū Grotto-Heaven. Later, fearing the might of Da Li’s iron cavalry, they did not sell off the mountain peak at a pittance and relocate. In truth, the Sect Leader had some selfish motives. That Golden Core Grandmaster who later moved to Mount Yidai to build a thatched hut for cultivation was extremely unpopular within the sect. Out of sight, out of mind, so they respectfully invited their Senior Uncle to preside over Mount Yidai.

At the time, the price of buying the mountain peak was not cheap. In retrospect, it was practically a steal. They acquired it at an incredibly low price.

In recent years, there have been a double-handful of factions wanting to purchase the mountain domain of Mount Yidai from the Yellow Millet Sect, with offers more than doubling. It was a seller’s market. Especially after that young sword immortal of Fallen Phoenix Mountain, in league with Liu Xianyang of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, made a great commotion on Mount Zhengyang, achieving fame in a single battle, Fallen Phoenix Mountain naturally came to the forefront, entering the vision of cultivators in the Treasure Bottle Continent for the first time. Northern Peak Cloud-Draping Mountain, Fallen Phoenix Mountain, Dragon Spring Sword Sect – any connection with them was an unimaginable boon of mountain incense.

The only minor issue was the North Mountain Night Banquet, which always felt like a bottomless pit.

But they had long since taken it in stride. In any case, in the Central Continent territory, Mountain Monarch Jin Qing had also begun to resort to underhanded tactics.

They could evade the first day of the month, but not the fifteenth.

Then, the mountain and river newsletter from the Mountain and Sea Sect spread throughout the Nine Continents of the Vast Expanse, effectively proclaiming the Hidden Official’s title, name, and identity to the world.

The Yellow Millet Sect became even more vexed. If the price discussed for purchasing Mount Yidai before was high, then now it was exorbitant! The problem was that Golden Core Grandmaster’s response to the ancestral mountain was simple: not for sale.

Therefore, this time, the Sect Leader took advantage of the peak-opening ceremony for a direct disciple who had attained the Golden Core realm and secretly made a gentleman’s agreement with that Senior Uncle. If they could invite a Fallen Phoenix Mountain cultivator to attend the ceremony, Lou Mountain would no longer mention selling Mount Yidai. But if Fallen Phoenix Mountain declined, the Senior Uncle would have to personally visit the Ancestral Hall to discuss the matter.

Guo Zhujiu asked curiously, “Little Immortal Master Song, does your Yellow Millet Sect have any connection with the Yellow Millet Blessed Land, which has already been removed from the Seventy-Two Blessed Lands?”

Rumor had it that there was a Yellow Millet Shop on the Inverted Mountain selling “Forget-Worry Wine,” and the old shopkeeper seemed to be an Ancestral Master of the Miscellaneous School?

As for the title “Little Immortal Master Song,” Guo Zhujiu was simply imitating others.

It was the closed-door disciple of the old Golden Core cultivator on Mount Yidai.

It seemed that Senior Sister Pei Qian was the first to call him that.

Later, everyone at Fallen Phoenix Mountain followed suit.

Song Yuan smiled and shook his head, “Miss Guo, I really don’t know about that. I’ve never heard Master mention it.”

The Yellow Millet Sect was an ancient sect with a long history. Its ancestral mountain was named Lou Mountain, located in Biyi County, Huai’an Prefecture, Yellow Millet Country, and it was abundant in Golden Core cultivators.

Historically, there had been over a dozen Golden Core Earth Immortals, but they simply could not produce a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Of course, the so-called “abundant in Golden Core cultivators” was only relative to the former Treasure Bottle Continent.

The Yellow Millet Sect invited Fallen Phoenix Mountain cultivators to attend the ceremony merely to test the waters.

They did not expect the last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall to grace Lou Mountain with his presence, nor did they even think that any Fallen Phoenix Mountain cultivator would ascend the mountain.

If it succeeded, it would be an unexpected and immense honor; if it failed, it would be within expectations. They simply had to try.

Unexpectedly, Fallen Phoenix Mountain quickly replied with a letter in the name of the Jise Peak Ancestral Hall, written in the own hand of the head steward, Zhu Lian. The wording was extremely polite, saying that the Mountain Master was currently away and could only allow Chen Lingjun and Guo Zhujiu to attend the ceremony on his behalf. The letter also introduced the identities of the two individuals.

Upon receiving this reply, the Yellow Millet Sect even convened a special Ancestral Hall meeting for it.

Even if they didn’t mention that Chen Lingjun was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, that woman named Guo Zhujiu was actually a direct disciple of Mountain Master Chen. More importantly, she was currently the youngest disciple, which, according to the mountain’s humorous saying, could be considered a half “closed-door disciple.”

Liu Runyun was very familiar with that Fallen Phoenix Mountain Nascent Soul offering who looked like a young boy in green robes. He often drank and chatted with her grandfather, calling him Old Brother Liu and calling her Sister Liu, a jumbled mess of seniority.

Her grandfather had privately said that this Brother Chen had an extraordinary future on the Great Dao.

Liu Runyun found it very difficult to associate that unruly young boy with an old Nascent Soul Immortal.

On the other hand, she was quite interested in that girl named Guo Zhujiu. It seemed that she had only recently arrived at Fallen Phoenix Mountain, a fresh face.

However, her background and cultivation level were unknown.

These days, the “Mirror Flower, Water Moon” show at Mount Yidai was exceptional.

Even the Yellow Millet Sect on the upper mountain had heard of it.

There were few viewers, only two or three throughout the year, but each time they spent money lavishly…scarily so.

In just a few years, they had somehow earned at least two Rain Grain Coins in revenue. To the point that her grandfather eventually turned a blind eye.

In any case, his granddaughter, Liu Runyun, did not need to dress gaudily or act coquettishly. Her “Mirror Flower, Water Moon” show was not the same as that of Fairy Zhou of the Green Plum Pavilion on South Pond Lake.

After a hearty meal, Chen Lingjun paid the bill and left the restaurant, patting his stomach, and leading the way onto the ferry heading towards Yellow Millet Crossing.

The tender Daoist had wanted to fight to pay, but he couldn’t compete with that Fellow Daoist Jing.

Guo Zhujiu asked with a smile, “Since you’re worried, why did you still come down the mountain for a long journey?”

Master had once said that every time Chen Nuanshu went to the prefectural city for supplies, there would be someone secretly following him along the way.

Chen Lingjun rolled his eyes and said, “No way.”

Guo Zhujiu asked again, “Do you know what I’m asking about?”

Chen Lingjun said firmly, “I don’t know!”

Guo Zhujiu chuckled.

Chen Lingjun then felt a little guilty.

Li Huai was completely confused. Were they speaking in riddles?

After Song Yuan and Liu Runyun went to other rooms, Guo Zhujiu and the others sat down at Chen Lingjun’s residence first. She asked, “Are there many such exchanges of favors?”
Chen Lingjun nodded vigorously, “A lot, a vast amount. The larger the sect, the grander the immortal mansion, the more frequent these kinds of things are. There’s a never-ending stream of celebrations. Besides the Golden Core cultivators’ peak opening ceremonies like the Yellow Millet Sect’s, mountain weddings, forming Daoist couples, those are also big events where you have to give gift money. Then there’s the Ancestor Master succeeding in closed-door cultivation and emerging—you have to hold a celebration, right? The Ancestral Hall accepting disciples, changing the sect leader or mountain lord, someone breaking through, especially young cultivators reaching the middle five realms of Cave Heaven, all require reciprocal gift-giving.”

Chen Lingjun got up, bowed, and poured tea for Guo Zhujiu and the others. “But here on our mountain, it used to be Master alone who handled everything. Master took care of all the affairs, so we didn’t have to be distracted by these mundane matters.”

Guo Zhujiu smiled and asked, “Are you worried that we two…aren’t prestigious enough?”

The elaborate formalities of Vast Heaven would only be more numerous than these diverse ceremonies.

Chen Lingjun laughed heartily, “You’re joking! Either of you showing up would make the Yellow Millet Sect feel like they’d struck the jackpot and their ancestors’ graves were emitting auspicious smoke…”

Chen Lingjun quickly added, “These are just casual chats among family, don’t take them seriously, don’t take them seriously, okay?”

“When you’re out and about, giving face to others is giving face to yourself. This principle, tsk tsk tsk, is more profound than the heavens.”

The young Daoist nodded approvingly, “Daoist Lingjun, you are indeed both loyal and experienced in worldly affairs.”

After chatting for a while, Li Huai led the young Daoist to another room. The group weren’t staying adjacent to each other, of course, because the money hadn’t been paid.

Chen Lingjun also exceptionally didn’t rush to settle the bill.

Because this travel expense was paid by Song Yuan of Clothes Ribbon Peak for both Clothes Ribbon Peak and the Yellow Millet Sect, Chen Lingjun had already chosen the rooms when he bought the boarding tokens at the ferry, so Song Yuan didn’t even have a chance to ask the ferry for the best rooms.

The ferry ascended, the sea of clouds churned, and the great sun plunged like a sun sinking into a sea cavern.

Once the ferry entered the territory of the Yellow Millet Kingdom, Li Huai walked out of his room and went to the stern deck.

The young Daoist quickly followed and stood by the railing, surveying the landscape and nodding. He suddenly narrowed his eyes and said, “Oh, spiritual peaks divide righteousness, celestial guards borrow divine soldiers. The mountains and rivers of Lou Mountain are quite interesting.”

The Dipper’s handle reflected the celestial mechanism, the mountain was like a person wearing scarlet robes, a small gourd was planted deeply in the ground, revealing the golden fish pouch of longevity and victory.

The young Daoist was increasingly amazed. He shook his sleeves, reached out a hand, and began to calculate.

As the founder of the Nianshan lineage, he could discern the “origins and destinations” of the world with a single glance.

Li Huai could only remind him telepathically, “Don’t mess around, they’ve been painstakingly managing it for over a dozen generations, and we’re guests.”

The young Daoist felt wronged, “Young Master, those words wound the heart. My tact in speech and discretion in action can’t compare to yours, but I’m at least on par with Chen Pingan.”

Li Huai smiled noncommittally.

The young Daoist tentatively asked, “Young Master, I saw a place that has quite a pedigree. Shall we go investigate? No fighting, just a close look. It might be a considerable opportunity. Anyway, it’s been right under the noses of the Yellow Millet Sect and Cloud Glow Mountain for so many years, and neither of them has discovered it, and it’s not within their mountain territories. According to the rules of the mountains in Vast Heaven, it belongs to whoever is capable enough to take it.”

Anyway, there were still more than ten days until the Yellow Millet Sect’s peak opening celebration, so they were just idling.

Li Huai quickly waved his hand, “No, you can go by yourself. As long as you don’t break the rules, you’re free to do as you please.”

He had suffered psychological trauma from his travels with Pei Qian in the Northern Passage Continent, and had almost lost money.

The young Daoist asked, “Really not going?”

Li Huai shook his head.

The young Daoist sighed, “If Young Master isn’t going, then neither will I.”

An opportunity within reach, something already in the bag, just vanished like that. It was like a cooked duck was already on the table, but alas, the Young Master wouldn’t come to the table.

Li Huai asked, “Is the opportunity significant?”

The young Daoist mistakenly thought things had taken a turn for the better and said solemnly, “It is!”

Li Huai smiled, “Very good, very good, I can completely give up on it. If I went, I would definitely just miss it.”

The young Daoist was stunned and speechless.

He felt something was off, but it also seemed to make some sense.

The young Daoist sighed deeply, “Forget it, forget it.”

The young Daoist often felt a little unnerved by that little girl named Guo Zhujiu’s gaze.

Nowadays, rumors about the young Daoist abounded. One said that Nan Guangzhao was taken down by the young Daoist, but due to the rules of the Confucian Temple, it was done discreetly, so he used the alias Hao Su. Another said that the reason Nan Guangzhao’s head was chopped off by “Sword Cultivator Hao Su” was because, during the battle at Mandarin Duck Isle, he had a duel with the newly emerged young Daoist, which damaged the roots of his great Dao, forcing him to return to his sect for closed-door cultivation and recovery, allowing Hao Su to pick up the slack.

As for the third theory, it was that the young Daoist was indeed from Spiritual Joy Blessed Land and was a hidden old sword immortal whose real name was Hao Su, and was a prison warden from the Great Wall of Swords.

The young Daoist, of course, didn’t care about any of this.

In any case, he had earned his fame through his own abilities. As for whether it was true or false, it didn’t matter at all.

As long as Old Blind wasn’t opposed to it, Vast Heaven could even say that he was Old Blind’s junior brother, or even his senior brother.

At the bow of the boat, Chen Lingjun and Guo Zhujiu were also enjoying the scenery. Because he was short, Chen Lingjun could only rest his chin on the railing.

Guo Zhujiu suddenly smiled and said, “When I was at the Summer Retreat Palace, Master mentioned you. He said you were the one who always rushed to pay the bill.”

Chen Lingjun was a little embarrassed, and understood the meaning. Master was saying he was a fool.

Guo Zhujiu continued, “Master also said that it wasn’t foolishness, but waiting for a friend to compete with him to pay the bill.”

If he found them, it was the martial world. If he didn’t, it was still the martial world.

The location of the Azure Script Sect was on the site of a broken secret realm. Although it wasn’t among the blessed lands, it was still a veritable geomantic treasure.

Here at the Sword-Tying Tree, one of the scenic spots, it was unusually lively today, because two groups of distinguished guests had come to admire the scenery.

One was from the Yu Dynasty, which shared its glory and disgrace, Crown Prince Yu Linyou, who was visiting the Azure Script Sect with his wife, Zhu Xun, known as Qingnu.

The other two were cultivators from other continents, veritable “dragons crossing the river.” One was a handsome young man in a black robe, with an old dragon rain-summoning pendant hanging from his waist.
It was none other than Fu Nanhua, the young city lord of Old Dragon City in Bao Ping Continent.

And there was also a young prodigy from the Hou family of Old Dragon City, named Hou Dao. This man was of the same generation in the family tree as Hou Mian, the vice-chancellor of the Five Streams Academy.

The Hou family was the first to connect with the old Emperor Yu, and the two hit it off immediately. The Hou family in Old Dragon City was originally a vassal of the Fu family.

As the host, the Green Seal Sect put on quite a show of hospitality this time. Besides the Sect Master Gao Shuwen, there was also Dai Yuan, who was in charge of guarding the Sword-Tied Tree scenic spot.

In addition to the two Golden Core Earth Immortals, there was also Miao Yu, the female cultivator in charge of finances for the Green Seal Sect, and a group of direct disciples from the Ancestral Hall.

Everyone who could attend was there, not daring to show the slightest negligence.

Only Xu Bai, the Law Enforcer, a direct disciple of the Ancestral Master Gao Shuwen, was currently busy outside, missing this opportunity to curry favor with the dignitaries.

Gao Shuwen pointed to an ancient sword hanging on the ancient tree and said with a smile, “Brother Fu, Young Master Hou, this sword is the personal weapon of the Sword Immortal Lu Fang. He came here to travel in his early years, and after getting drunk, Lu Fang casually hung it here.”

Dai Yuan secretly grumbled in his heart, thinking that his Ancestral Master was truly adept at dealing with people, not offending either of the honored guests.

A Nascent Soul realm bottleneck Sword Immortal, even in the former Tong Ye Continent, was a top figure.

Moreover, Lu Fang was a rogue cultivator from the mountains and rivers. Once he broke through, he would have the opportunity to become the first rogue cultivator in a continent to reach the Upper Five Realms.

The key was that Lu Fang was also a close friend of Jiang Shangzhen in the mountains. Unfortunately, Lu Fang disappeared for many years for no reason, and did not even show up in that battle. There were only some rumors that Lu Fang had gone to the East Sea Taoist Temple to seek a breakthrough as a “banished immortal.”

Fu Nanhua silently recited the name twice, Lu Fang.

“Land Boat?” What an inauspicious name to take.

Fu Nanhua turned to look at the Crown Prince of the Yu Dynasty and said apologetically, “I should have personally gone to Luo Jing to pay my respects to His Highness the Crown Prince, but this time I am traveling south across continents to meet some business partners. They are all cultivators from other continents, and I was worried that if we met in Luo Jing, His Highness the Crown Prince, who is now in charge of the country, would inevitably be distracted by it. Therefore, I had to ask Sect Master Gao to invite His Highness the Crown Prince to come here for a meeting. This is a breach of etiquette, and I must apologize to His Highness the Crown Prince.”

As he said this, Fu Nanhua actually bowed to Yu Linyou again, as a sign of apology.

Yu Linyou quickly bowed in return and said, “Immortal Master Fu is too polite.”

Now everyone in the continent knows that the financial backer of the Yu Dynasty is not only the Hou family on the surface, but also the Fu family of Old Dragon City behind the Hou family.

Without the strong support of the Fu family, both overtly and covertly, the reconstruction of the Yu Dynasty would definitely not have been so quick, let alone have risen to become one of the top ten dynasties in Tong Ye Continent.

However, almost half of the top ten dynasties now have backers like the Fu family. Some act arrogantly, while others are more subtle, vaguely and indistinctly.

Therefore, Yu Linyou had already prepared himself mentally to be put in his place by Fu Nanhua when he came to the Green Seal Sect with Gao Shuwen this time.

City Lord Fu Qi has been in seclusion for nearly two years.

In fact, in the years since the war, Fu Nanhua has been managing the specific affairs. The two biggest competitors outside the city lord, his elder brother Fu Donghai and his elder sister Fu Chunhua, have already officially withdrawn from the competition for the position of city lord of Old Dragon City.

But when Fu Nanhua was still a Sea-Observing realm cultivator, Fu Donghai and Fu Chunhua were already Golden Core Earth Immortals, and each was in charge of a trade route, and both did well. Even so, Fu Qi seemed to favor his youngest son, Fu Nanhua, the most. Before going into seclusion, he convened a meeting in the ancestral hall, stating that regardless of whether his seclusion was successful or not, Fu Nanhua would inherit the position of city lord of Old Dragon City in the spring of next year.

Before Fu Qi went into seclusion, he had already sent his children away. The two Earth Immortals were like feudal lords who had been granted land away from the capital. Anyway, Old Dragon City had a strong foundation, and had bought numerous mountain peaks and mansions in various parts of Bao Ping Continent to the north of Old Dragon City, which had been vacant for many years.

Moreover, Fu Nanhua’s wife was the direct daughter of the Yunlin Jiang family of Bao Ping Continent. Therefore, Crown Prince Yu Linyou never expected that the other party would be so gentle and courteous to him.

In addition, an old ancestor of the Fu family, who was in charge of a demi-immortal weapon of attack, had a relationship with Fu Nanhua similar to that of a Taoist in the mountains, and had been in seclusion for nearly twenty years.

Once he comes out of seclusion, the Fu family may have another Jade Purity realm cultivator. If City Lord Fu Qi also succeeds in breaking through, the Fu family can have two Upper Five Realms cultivators at the same time.

Zhu Xun tugged at her husband’s sleeve. The Crown Prince smiled and nodded, signaling her not to be too scrupled. Only then did she whisper, “Immortal Master Fu, I heard that the women of your Fu family are mostly heroes, and they have a very high status in the family. Some women have even served as the city lord of Old Dragon City?”

Fu Nanhua smiled and said, “That’s true. Our Fu family never favors men over women. Outsiders may even think that we favor women over men.”

Zhu Xun had a very good impression of this gentle and elegant young city lord.

Half of it was due to personal affinity, and half of it was due to the comparison between people and goods.

Speaking of the Jin Hu Kingdom, which ranked at the bottom of the top ten dynasties, the current emperor’s process of gaining power was quite tortuous. It seemed to involve a contest between cultivators from other continents and local cultivators. In the end, a sect from Ai Ai Continent won. The local snakes failed to suppress the oversea dragons, resulting in half of the top officials of the Great and Small Nine Ministers of the Jin Hu Kingdom, and almost half of the court officials in the capital, being secretly appointed by this foreign sect. The emperor was only responsible for issuing decrees.

Rumor has it that the immortal masters of this sect would scold the civil and military officials of the Jin Hu Kingdom to their faces if they disagreed, as if they were scolding their sons.

Later, a vice-chancellor of the Heavenly Eye Academy, Wen Yu, personally went to the Jin Hu Kingdom, and the foreign immortal mansion, which was equivalent to the emperor of the Jin Hu Kingdom, became much more restrained.

Not long after, an old Confucian scholar with the title of gentleman from the Heavenly Eye Academy, and a young sage named Yang Pu from the Great Fu Academy, were appointed as the Minister of Rites and the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies of the Jin Hu Kingdom, respectively.

Soon after, the Jiang family’s Yun Ku Blessed Land of the Jade Tablet Sect, for some unknown reason, lent a large sum of money to the Jin Hu Kingdom without interest, and specifically named Yang Pu, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonies, to be responsible for all the expenditures of this sum. How could an official of the Court of State Ceremonies manage financial matters? Wouldn’t that be chaotic? The Jin Hu Kingdom court had to temporarily set up a transitional official position of Financial Supervising Commandant, which was tailor-made for Yang Pu.
Yu Linyou whispered, “Forgive my boldness, but may I ask, what is Immortal Master Fu’s current cultivation realm?”

If he were a Nascent Soul cultivator, what harm would there be in inviting him to become the Imperial Preceptor of the Yu Dynasty?

Fu Nanhua chuckled self-deprecatingly, “I am ashamed to say, I am but a Golden Core.”

Of the Azure Seal Sect’s only two Golden Core Earth Immortals, Gao Shuwen remained expressionless and composed upon hearing this. Dai Yuan, however, kept a straight face while secretly rejoicing.

Such a young Golden Core Earth Immortal, claiming to be ashamed of himself. Well, there are only three Golden Core cultivators here right now, who is the oldest? Who has been stuck the longest? Certainly not me, Dai Yuan!

That old woman surnamed Miao frowned slightly, only to meet the cold gaze of the sword-bearing maid beside Fu Nanhua.

The female cultivator, who managed the Azure Seal Sect’s finances, felt a chill run down her spine and immediately composed herself, daring not to act presumptuously again.

The relationship between the two adjacent continents, North and South, had undergone earth-shattering changes.

In the past, those who came from the South, from Treasure Bottle Continent, were always the esteemed guests.

But now, those who came from the North, from Tongye Continent, were the ruthless figures.

Fu Nanhua really didn’t have the leisure to intentionally mock the two old Golden Cores, Gao Shuwen and Dai Yuan.

After all, compared to certain fellow cultivators of his past, wasn’t he also a kind of “old Golden Core”?

Back in the day, among the group that traveled through the Li Zhu Grotto-Heaven, not even mentioning Jiang Yun, who could now be considered half a relative, just speaking of Cai Jinjian from Cloudglow Mountain, Fu Nanhua had looked down upon her in terms of cultivation talent and the fortune she obtained. Yet now, even she was a Nascent Soul, having long since taken up residence on Emerald Cypress Peak, ascended to the Nascent Soul realm, and even become a female ancestor with a seat near the front of Cloudglow Mountain’s Ancestral Hall.

He, on the other hand, hadn’t even seen the bottleneck of the Golden Core realm.

Fortunately, Cloudglow Mountain hadn’t yet risen to the status of a sect, otherwise, if he went there to offer congratulations and met Cai Jinjian again, Fu Nanhua wouldn’t know what to talk to her about.

As for a certain someone, it was even more unthinkable.

Fu Nanhua felt a pang of frustration just thinking about it. From the initial unwillingness, to complete resignation, then to disappointment, and finally, a desire to avoid thinking about it altogether.

He had once been such an ant-like, mud-covered commoner.

Fu Nanhua sighed inwardly, the past was unbearable to recall.

Since he couldn’t bear to look back, he should look forward.

He heard that Peak Lord Huang Zhonghou of Cultivating Cloud Peak had performed a great deed, a miraculous achievement, essentially helping Cloudglow Mountain overcome a crisis, to the extent that the female Mountain Master quickly convened a meeting of the Ancestral Hall and passed a resolution that Huang Zhonghou would be exceptionally appointed as the new Mountain Master of Cloudglow Mountain while still in the Golden Core realm.

He would also be the first Golden Core Mountain Master in the history of Cloudglow Mountain.

The Fu family had already received an invitation, and Fu Nanhua would soon be returning to Treasure Bottle Continent to attend the inauguration ceremony of the new sect leader at Cloudglow Mountain.

Fu Nanhua had a familiar relationship with Cai Jinjian, but he had never had much interaction with that drunken Huang Zhonghou; they were never on the same path.

Now that they had visited the scenic spots, Gao Shuwen wisely led his people away, leaving only the two groups of outsiders to chat. As the owner of the Sword-Tying Tree, Dai Yuan naturally had to continue to accompany the guests.

Yu Linyou exchanged some pleasantries with Fu Nanhua before taking his wife to take their leave.

Before Fu Nanhua left the mountain, the Crown Prince of the Yu Dynasty would surely seek him out for a private meeting.

Fu Nanhua smiled at Dai Yuan and said, “I am new here and know very little about the Azure Seal Sect. I wonder, what specific duties does Immortal Master Dai currently hold in your sect? Is he a Law Enforcement Ancestor, or does he manage the treasury?”

Dai Yuan respectfully replied, “Replying to Immortal Master Fu, I am but a man of limited talent and shallow learning, unfit for great responsibility. However, Sect Master Gao is kind to me, and aside from managing the Sword-Tying Tree, I also handle the business of a Green Pearl Well.”

Of course, Fu Nanhua didn’t believe a word of his nonsense. With the means of the Fu family of Old Dragon City, he estimated that the details of their Azure Seal Sect, down to their ancestors eighteen generations back, had long been thoroughly investigated.

Fu Nanhua first frowned slightly, as if puzzled, but quickly realized, “I imagine Sect Master Gao is concerned that Daoist Dai has too many affairs to handle, which would hinder his cultivation.”

Poor Dai Yuan, his heart had just risen, only to fall again.