The old scholar bowed at the doorway, saying, “Junior Lu Sheng greets Headmaster Lu.”

After a long separation, one called out “Brother Xizhou,” while the other referred to himself as “Junior.”

Because neither the scholar nor the Daoist used mindful speech, the young woman heard them clearly. Instantly, her brows furrowed. Headmaster Lu?

Headmaster?

Could this young Daoist, who claimed to possess “immortal techniques,” actually be a martial arts practitioner? Otherwise, which mountain sect would dare establish a “teaching?”

If he were merely a martial artist, how could this talisman on her shoulder weigh so heavily, immobilizing her? Could it be that he possessed a deep family fortune and, flush with cash, bought it from an immortal master on the mountain?

Lu Chen shifted his gaze, looking at the young woman, and nodded. “Good eye, young lady. You are not wrong. Besides knowing a few second-rate immortal arts, this humble Daoist is actually an unassuming martial artist. The term ‘Grandmaster’ was practically tailor-made for me.”

Hearing this, the old scholar smiled knowingly. This Third Headmaster of Bai Yujing had indeed written an essay titled “Grandmaster,” but as time passed, it eventually evolved into a title of respect for pure martial artists.

The old scholar entered the kitchen and sat opposite Lu Chen. An extra set of tableware had already been prepared on the table, along with two wine pots, clearly to welcome this old friend from afar.

Lu Chen asked curiously, “How could Old Sect Master Jiang bear to let you leave Cloud Grotto Paradise?”

The man named Lu poured himself a bowl of wine and smiled. “There was an agreement with Jiang Shangzhen. After I come here to settle an old debt, I must return to continue as a boatman.”

In that Cloud Grotto Paradise, he went by the alias Ni Yuanzan, making a living by rowing boats.

Historically, at Yellow Crane Isle, one of the eighteen scenic spots of Cloud Grotto Paradise, there was an unknown ancient sword immortal who drank fine wine in the pavilion.

Ultimately, in a drunken stupor, he hiccuped and spat out a sword pellet. The sword light was like a rainbow, slicing mosquitoes on the river.

Back then, Cui Dongshan and the old boatman were on the same ferry, exchanging words and constantly sparring with veiled meanings, both revealing parts of each other’s “identities.”

One was “The Green Ox alone visits the Jade Palace, leaving the Yellow Crane to guard the Golden Elixir,” whose skin bag was once the remnant of the ancient Yellow Crane, “once renowned among the constellations.”

The other was the old dragon of the ancient Shu Kingdom, “Constellation Lord pours fine wine, urging the dragons each to a cup,” whose skin bag owner once traveled the starry river and was toasted by the Immortal Lord of the Big Dipper.

The old artful master, going by the name Ni Yuanzan, once slew a monster while drunk. Its true form was a Jade Purity realm demon that even Jiang Shangzhen in the Jade Purity realm couldn’t deal with. It fed on the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, coming and going without a trace, extremely difficult to capture. However, the old boatman was able to use unique mystical powers and profound swordsmanship to just barely suppress the demon, ultimately slaying it with a single sword, effectively eliminating a hidden danger for the Jiang clan of Cloud Grotto.

Lu Chen asked, “Master Xizhou, have you never met that Miss Sui who walked out of the painting? If I remember correctly, before becoming the direct disciple of a True Realm sect in Treasure Bottle Continent, Miss Sui cultivated in the ancestral mountain of Jade Cassia Sect for several years. She and Master Xizhou were only a step away, why didn’t you reunite? If you could renew your old bond in the Magnificent Celestial World and restore your master-disciple status, wouldn’t it be a beautiful tale on the mountain?”

Lu Sheng shook his head. “Past life matters and past life bonds, if they can stop in this life, let them stop. Otherwise, the next life will be another tangled mess, with no end in sight.”

Lu Chen sighed and exclaimed, “Hearing your words is like a thunderbolt, awakening many dreamers on the mountain.”

Lu Sheng shook his head with a smile. “Headmaster Lu, there is no need for such flattery.”

Zou Zi’s discussion of the heavens and Lu Chen’s dreaming were both unique.

Lu Chen raised his wine bowl and shook it, his face full of sorrow and his eyes filled with resentment. “In the matter of taking disciples, this humble Daoist is ashamed. None of my unworthy disciples have yet to earn the title of ‘Number One in the World,’ causing me, their master, to be unpopular wherever I go. Look at Old Master Xiu, even in the Azure Darkness Heaven, in that Xuandu Temple, he feels right at home.”

Lu Sheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. How could the Number One in the World of Lotus Root Paradise be compared to the Magnificent Celestial World? He would never dare to wear the high hat that Headmaster Lu was trying to place on his head.

Which of Lu Chen’s direct disciples wasn’t an accomplished master of Daoist arts? Just consider Cao Rong and He Xiaoliang, who remained in the Magnificent Celestial World, both with the potential to ascend to the Immortal realm.

In Lotus Root Paradise, within the View of the Dao, besides the Cave Master of Green Sky Cave, the host, and occasional distinguished guests like the Pure Yang True Immortal, there were also those “exiled immortals” from Tung Leaf Continent who came to the Paradise to experience mortal life. Moreover, the Paradise itself was not lacking in talented individuals. If it weren’t for the old master of the View intentionally controlling the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, forbidding ordinary people from cultivating, it would probably be like Azure Clouds Paradise of Fufeng Continent or Jiang Shangzhen’s Cloud Grotto Paradise, already filled with a large number of earth immortals. And in the history of Lotus Root Paradise, the pure martial artist who was recognized as being closest to the “Heavenly Dao” was actually a woman.

Sui Youbian.

She was a martial arts “senior” who was highly respected even by Yu Zhenyi of Lakeside Mountain Sect.

Wandering in the mortal world, becoming a champion in the martial arts world, earning the title of leader, in Yu Zhenyi’s eyes, with his high aspirations, was merely running in circles, ultimately unable to escape the confines of “mortality.”

Sui Youbian was different. Back then, this woman ascended with her sword, delivering three strikes towards the firmament.

Sui Youbian’s origins in Lotus Root Paradise were actually quite good, somewhat similar to the later Young Master Zhu Lian. And those elders in her clan weren’t illiterate, so why would they be so perfunctory in naming her?

Of course, there were experts who had high hopes for “Sui Youbian,” hoping that she could blaze a new trail, different from the ordinary.

The “Youbian” (right side) in Sui Youbian’s name was in contrast to the “person on the left side of the Handan Road.”

And the scholar calling himself “Lu Sheng” before them was Sui Youbian’s teacher of scholarship, martial arts, and swordsmanship in the Paradise.

As one of the protagonists of the Yellow Millet Dream, Lu Sheng naturally hoped that his disciple Sui Youbian could open up new ground in the future and walk a different path from his own.

“Few walk the great road of the Three Pure Ones, many strive to enter the unorthodox path, there have always been many crossroads in the human world, it is difficult for celestials to see the Dao and difficult to find.”
Lu Chen took a sip of wine, tore off a greasy chicken leg, and mumbled, “This poor Daoist believes that girl Sui will achieve great things in the future. If I were Brother Xizhou, even if it meant defying the Old Guan Master’s arrangements, I would still give that golden elixir to her. With such assistance, Sui’s becoming a Great Sword Immortal would be a certainty. If her luck were even better, the ‘fall’ of Lotus Blossom Paradise back then would become the ‘rise’ of this world. What couldn’t be accomplished back then can be made up for in the future.”

Lu Sheng helplessly said, “If Sect Leader Lu interprets the character ‘Sui’ like that, it seems a bit forced.”

Because the character “Sui,” if we don’t consider its origin as a surname, according to the literary shrine’s “Maintaining the Temple,” its ancient meaning refers to the sacrificial offerings left over after a sacrifice, “once sacrificed, then store the Sui.” Hence, sages added annotations, “the lungs, spine, millet, and sorghum offered by the corpse.” Furthermore, according to Xu Fuzi, the “Sage of Character Creation” from Zhaoling, the *Shuowen Jiezi* defines “Sui” as also having the meaning of “falling.”

Lu Chen chuckled, “Really? Sui Youbian’s failed sword ascension, her state of ‘wasting away, bones exposed, turning to ashes,’ doesn’t it resemble the first ‘corpse liberation’ of Lotus Blossom Paradise? It was precisely because of Sui Youbian’s actions that Yu Zhenyi later developed his ambitious plan, switching from practicing martial arts to climbing the mountain to cultivate immortality, determined to complete the achievements that his predecessors had failed to achieve.”

Yu Zhenyi indeed admired Sui Youbian to the point of reverence, once self-deprecatingly saying that all the heroes and great men in the world were, in fact, her admirers.

There have been martial artists in history with higher levels of martial arts than Sui Youbian, but no one else challenged the heavens like she did.

“If your Lotus Blossom Paradise were to select the top ten masters in history,”

Lu Chen could now offer a concluding evaluation of the once whole Lotus Blossom Paradise, “Besides Ding Ying, who brought together all the martial arts of the world, the four individuals from the painting that Chen Ping’an took out of the blessed land, plus Yu Zhenyi, who disregarded all martial ethics and went up the mountain to cultivate immortality on his own, can all be included in this list.”

The four individuals from the painting beside Chen Ping’an, including Sui Youbian, each lived in different dynasties and eras, and were all the undisputed number one in Lotus Blossom Paradise.

Wei Xian failed to find immortality and died of old age, but he still lived to be one hundred and twenty years old, two cycles of the sixty-year calendar. Lu Baixiang, the leader of the Demonic Cult, died in an ambush.

The martial madman Zhu Lian… sought death himself, slaughtering almost all the nine people outside the top ten within that city.

In the end, the young Ding Ying managed to “pick up the pieces,” obtaining the silver lotus crown from Zhu Lian’s head.

And Sui Youbian performed the shocking feat of “sword ascension, unprecedented,” drawing half of the world’s martial fortune to herself, soaring into the sky like an immortal wielding a sword. Unfortunately, she failed in her attempt to break the unbreakable bottleneck of the Heavenly Dao. After delivering three incomparably dazzling sword strikes, she suffered the tragic fate of her flesh dissolving, her bones exposed, vanishing into ashes. Her remains fell to the earth, then turned to dust, disappearing like smoke.

After that, the idea that the Heavenly Dao is inviolable seemed to become an iron rule for martial artists in the world.

Until Ding Ying appeared, as well as Yu Zhenyi, the blessed land’s first true “immortal” who ascended the mountain to cultivate.

Lu Sheng nodded with a smile, “There’s no dispute about that.”

Lu Chen said, “Based on their peak strength, Brother Xizhou, what do you think the top three rankings should be?”

Lu Sheng shook his head, “I’ve been away from the blessed land for too long, I haven’t seen those heroes fight in person, I wouldn’t dare to make any rash comments.”

In fact, the Lu Sheng standing before him certainly deserved a place among the top ten, and his ranking would not be low, perhaps even among the top three.

He deserves the title of “Swordplay Reaching Divinity,” otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to teach a direct disciple like Sui Youbian.

In fact, Lu Sheng took the first step in confronting the Heavenly Questioning Sword before his disciple Sui Youbian, but he didn’t attract as much attention as Sui Youbian, because he faced the Old Guan Master in a sword duel.

As for the outcome, there was no suspense. Like Sui Youbian, he lost his physical body. After his defeat, he had to “wear” a feathered crane cloak, which is the current aged appearance of his shell.

Afterwards, as if making amends, he obeyed a decree from the Old Guan Master, left Lotus Blossom Paradise, and came to Tongye Continent. Lu Sheng’s “ascension” had a bit of the flavor of “fragrance blooming inside the wall and spreading outside.” It was like when Xing Guan Hao Su ascended with his sword from his own blessed land, causing such a commotion that the capital region of the Great Quan Dynasty had a prefecture city named Riding Crane City because of this immortal trace. The local people passed down a saying that an immortal once rode a crane and ascended here. The so-called immortal trace is actually just a small hill, and to this day, there is still a widely circulated nursery rhyme in the markets of Great Quan, “Who rode the azure ox away, the yellow crane flies again.”

Afterwards, Lu Sheng was ordered to go to Jade Rule Sect, living in seclusion in the Jiang Clan’s Cloud Grotto Blessed Land, an old boatman earning a few snowflakes by ferrying people, guarding that golden elixir hidden in the cliffs of Yellow Crane Shoal.

And the former owner of this golden elixir was an old friend of the Old Guan Master in the ancient years, the latter often visiting the Fallen Treasure Beach of the Azure Sky Cave, discussing the Dao and expounding the Dharma with the Old Guan Master.

Lu Chen said, “Using pure true qi to ‘fill the sea’ was your creation, and ‘sharing liver and gallbladder’ was also a path of qi refinement that you pioneered. It’s a pity that Sui Youbian received your personal instruction, but only grasped its form, not its spirit. Yu Zhenyi later grasped its spirit because of the books you left behind. Sui Youbian intended to treasure them back then, and did not destroy them, but less than half of them eventually fell into Yu Zhenyi’s hands.”

Lu Sheng took a sip of wine, his expression desolate, “I searched through official historical records and some unofficial histories, and eventually discovered that in every dynasty, there seemed to be exiled immortals descending from other realms. Some people had drastic changes in personality, some people appeared out of nowhere, and ran rampant in the human world. Therefore, I came to the conclusion that since there are people beyond people, there must be heavens beyond heavens. The so-called attainment of the Dao and ascension to immortality in ancient books may be a joke. For example, the ‘world’ I am in may be a remote and deserted place.”

“I didn’t realize I was one of them back then, and I was quite worried about this matter. I wanted to go out and see, but I couldn’t bear to abandon my martial arts halfway. I had to quietly explore the path myself, and find a disciple who was closest to the so-called ‘seed of cultivation’ in the books. But in the end, it was all in vain. As a Confucian disciple, studying the Dao and learning immortality, studying Chan Buddhism, I didn’t succeed in any of the three.”
Otherwise, how could Sui Youbian have said he would abandon the martial path and turn to cultivation, truly becoming a sword cultivator in an instant?

Lu Chen nodded.

The idea of the Three Teachings merging was first conceived by the Grand Master of White Jade Capital, Lu Chen’s senior brother, Kou Ming.

This is also why a small number of top cultivators in Azure Heaven feel that the Grand Master’s Daoist arts are somewhat intertwined with Buddhist teachings.

Zheng Juzhong, Wu Shuangjiang, the current Lu Sheng, Lu Yan with the Daoist name “Pure Yang”, and now Chen Ping’an…

In fact, they are all trying on this path.

Of course, there is also Qi Jingchun of Lizhu Grotto, who went the furthest and reached the highest.

Lu Chen put down his chopsticks, rubbed his chin, glanced at the girl at the door, and finally peeled another dried lychee and threw it into his mouth.

Previously, in the Lumberyard, he had an open and frank chat with Lin Zhengcheng, who served as the “Gatekeeper” of Lizhu Grotto.

Qi Jingchun protected Lizhu Grotto that year, choosing to bear the heavenly tribulation with his own strength.

In the eyes of the Central Earth Literary Temple, this was somewhat similar to Bai Ye’s sword-wielding journey to Floating Continent. It was generally something that could be advised against, but not stopped.

Even the Buddhist side, during that catastrophe, had a far less imposing attitude towards Qi Jingchun than the immortals of the Purple Cloud Tower of White Jade Capital.

At that time, the only one of the Three Teachings who tried to stop Qi Jingchun from shouldering all the karma was White Jade Capital in Azure Heaven. To be precise, it was Yu Dou and Lu Chen, two White Jade Capital masters whose personalities, Dao hearts, and styles of conduct were quite different. They surprisingly reached a consensus on this matter, and their attitudes were extremely clear, without any room for negotiation.

Because they were worried that this was Qi Jingchun’s “breaking through to stand anew”. Once successful, it would be a way of proving the Dao that could establish a religion and become an ancestor.

Lu Chen wasn’t worried that Qi Jingchun’s realm would become higher. To Lu Chen, what did it matter if he reached the Fourteenth Realm, or even the Fifteenth Realm?

However, Lu Chen didn’t want to see one thing happen, which was that his eldest brother, who had a great Dao dispute with Qi Jingchun, would have his Dao cut off as a result.

This would mean that Lu Chen’s hope for his eldest brother to help him verify that matter would be in vain.

And in the eyes of his senior brother Yu Dou, if Qi Jingchun succeeded in this matter first, it would be equivalent to White Jade Capital no longer having a Grand Master, and the world no longer having his senior brother.

And Senior Brother Kou Ming, for him Yu Dou, had the grace of accepting him as a disciple on behalf of their master, and teaching him on behalf of their master.

So before Lu Chen left White Jade Capital, Yu Dou warned his junior brother almost threateningly.

“Lu Chen, if you dare to hesitate at the final moment.”

“I will take action.”

Afterwards, Lu Chen said that he hadn’t done anything at all. He could deceive others, but how could he deceive the gatekeeper Lin Zhengcheng, let alone Chen Ping’an?

Lu Chen only felt worried, picked up his chopsticks again, and muttered to himself, “Cultivation, when all is said and done, is just a matter of ‘turning the guest into the host’.”

Glancing at the girl at the door, Lu Chen smiled and said, “What do you think?”

The girl scoffed, “There aren’t many people in the world who are qualified to say such grand words.”

“Then I’ll just say it on behalf of Senior Brother, Sun Guan Master, and Zhao Celestial Master.”

Lu Chen chuckled, “Right, Hidden Official?”

Lu Sheng was startled. An Jade Pure Realm sword cultivator’s Dao heart was greatly shaken. He hadn’t seen Chen Ping’an for only a few days. Had Chen Ping’an already reached this level of Daoist attainment?

He was able to hide somewhere and observe the mountains and rivers from afar, without him noticing at all? Then, did this Third Master of White Jade Capital know it all along? Was he deliberately hiding it from him?

Meeting Lu Sheng’s gaze, Lu Chen looked embarrassed and solemnly guaranteed, “As the sun and moon shine, and with a clear conscience, this matter has nothing to do with me!”

Did temporarily lending the young Hidden Official Fourteenth Realm Daoist arts count as digging a pit for himself? If this matter was known by Sun Daoist of Profound Capital Temple today, how would he be able to bear it? Wouldn’t he laugh at himself for hundreds or thousands of years?

Lu Chen restrained his expression, rarely being so serious, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and lightly tapped the table.

The table hit by the chopsticks rippled like water, dreamlike and unreal, both true and false.

Lu Chen took a deep breath, “When you walk by the river often, you can’t avoid getting your shoes wet. Terrifying, truly terrifying.”

The girl at the door smiled but not really, raised her hand, and lightly flicked the talisman on her shoulder. The talisman fell to the ground, and she took a step back, her figure gradually dissipating.

At the same time, the entire old site of the “Lu Zu Temple” outside the kitchen seemed to have countless tiny cracks appearing, and it also began to “fade”.

Bit by bit, little by little, it was restoring the true original appearance of the residence.

What three-headed female ghosts, what mountain and swamp wild cultivators, what fighting techniques, what requests for divine descent from licentious temple immortals, were all illusions, and simply did not exist.

It was as if someone had… carefully written a story for Lu Chen.

Lu Chen gave a wry smile, “Didn’t I just get hit by a flying dagger for nothing?”

Outside the Fen River God Temple, by the edge of the pool, Qing Tong suddenly stood up from the bamboo chair, his voice trembling, “What exactly did you do before I left?!”

Chen Ping’an was still sitting on the bamboo chair, maintaining that leisurely posture of holding a fishing rod and fishing, and slowly said, “Didn’t I just say, I asked you to temporarily serve as a water observer?”

Qing Tong shook his head and said, “Impossible, even if you can deceive me, how can you deceive Lu Chen?!”

Carelessly, Qing Tong even began to directly call the name of the Third Master of White Jade Capital.

Even if Lu Chen could only walk the world with the cultivation of a Soaring Ascension Realm cultivator in this Vast Expanse World.

But Lu Chen was still Lu Chen.

Moreover, before, mountain deities of the Five Peaks, including Zhou You of Mt. Sui, and Water Lord Li Yehou, could almost instantly detect the existence of the dream. Li Yehou had stood on the border of the true and false dream, and Zhou You had casually torn apart the entire dream.

Could it be that Chen Ping’an had previously given some kind of secretly respectful gesture when visiting Water Lord Li Yehou and visiting the Five Peaks in Central Earth?

But the more Qing Tong thought about it, the more impossible it seemed.

Not to mention Master Lu, just Lu Sheng alone, was also an Jade Pure Realm sword cultivator. Moreover, Lu Sheng was an erudite scholar in Lotus Root Blessed Land. After Lu Sheng “mistakenly entered the residence”, he would casually glance around, and even with that kind of casual wandering gaze, he would still see everything clearly, remember everything deeply, and would notice the clues if something was wrong.
The various dreamscapes where he and Chen Ping’an jointly traveled the lands, visiting water abodes and mountain peaks, only forcibly dragged the myriad mountain and river deities into the dream, without adding anything extra.

But within that “Former Site of the Lü Gong Shrine,” besides setting up those female ghosts, cultivators, and two licentious shrine immortals, as well as the rows of menacingly armed shrine guards in the corridors… the most crucial thing was that they needed to speak to themselves, to narrate their own stories… and each time they opened their mouths to speak, every action, even every thought, needed to conform to their identities, realms, and even their dispositions… Furthermore, those buildings that appeared out of thin air, all the scenery, needed to be meticulously crafted in the fine details and aligned with the geography in the grand scheme…

This meant that Chen Ping’an, besides being a storyteller skilled in weaving tales, also needed to be a master builder proficient in construction and earthworks, a painter, a calligrapher, and even an expert in women’s clothing of all styles…

Chen Ping’an smiled and said, “Do you think that the scene you see in the pool is what’s happening right now? ‘Even if’ it can deceive you? Moreover, do you think that only the image in the water deceived you? Why don’t you turn around and take a few more glances inside the Fen River Shrine?”

Qing Tong turned his head to look at the shrine, and his face immediately filled with shock. He looked around, but the fisherman was no longer there.

Qing Tong slumped to the ground.

Because even the bamboo chair that Chen Ping’an had offered him earlier… was fake.

The real Chen Ping’an, with his hands in his sleeves, stood in the corridor of the main hall, surrounded by the few young Daoist boys playing with copper coins, but both the boys and the coins were like frozen in a painting.

What Qing Tong found most terrifying was not even this, but rather that a painting scroll began to slowly unfold, and the long river of time seemed to flow once more. From the moon gate inside the shrine, a crisp sound of jade pendants rang out “again,” and two women emerged. The older woman still wore the morning cloud bun, and the younger woman still wore an ivory-white shirt with a verdant green skirt, stepping in slightly worn embroidered shoes. The old temple keeper, wearing a bamboo-leaf-patterned double-breasted Daoist robe, also walked out of the moon gate. The young woman still used the corner of her eye to glance at someone… The only difference was that Lu Chen stood beside “the former Qing Tong,” replacing Chen Ping’an. The young Daoist with the lotus crown on his head had his legs seemingly nailed to the ground, his gaze flickering uncertainly. He finally managed to steady his mind and stepped aside to let the three women pass, his gaze still following the two women, each with their own unique beauty. The Daoist muttered to himself, saying it was neither a pear blossom nor an apricot blossom, a blend of white and red, surely a taste of the spring breeze…

Then, Chen Ping’an opened his mouth with a mental voice, “Lu Chen.”

These two words entered the ears of Qing Tong, who was under the willow tree outside the shrine, clearly like a thunderclap, and his expression changed drastically.

Because Qing Tong had previously asked who they were waiting for, and at that time, Chen Ping’an…

…had said it was “Lu Chen.”

Lu Chen turned his head and let out a loud “Aiya!” Then, he scurried towards the main hall corridor, quickly ascending the steps, smiling brightly, “Another dreamscape that consumes a large amount of merit, another offering of a natal flying sword, and even the means of consuming fragments of golden bodies, and even more effort spent on those details. This poor Daoist is starting to feel sorry for Hidden Official for spending so much capital. Fortunately, there are fewer than ten ‘fake people’ within the ‘Former Site of the Lü Gong Shrine.’ Once it passes the number ‘nine,’ then Hidden Official’s expenses for creating the dreamscape will probably not simply double. Hard work, hard work, very hard work! Impressive, impressive, truly impressive!”

Lu Chen turned around, squatted on the steps, and wiped his face with his sleeve, “What a ‘please enter the urn,’ ‘catching a turtle in an urn,’ a thousand-year soft-shelled turtle, a ten-thousand-year tortoise, bah, bah, bah…”

Lu Chen said bitterly, “If this gets out, this poor Daoist will have no face to venture into the world.”

Chen Ping’an smiled and comforted him, “If you walk by the river often, you’re bound to get your shoes wet. Once, twice, thrice, you’ll get used to it.”

Lu Chen raised a hand, “Don’t! This poor Daoist doesn’t want a second time.”

The Lord is in the Urn as if in a dream, The Lord is in the dream which IS the Urn.

Chen Ping’an was just borrowing a place and turning it into a large urn, allowing Lu Chen to actively step into it.

Within the long-abandoned mansion in the city, there were actually not many things that were genuine.

But in a certain sense, all the words and actions of those female ghosts, rogue cultivators, and licentious shrine deities were absolutely true.

Especially the young woman transformed from a millennium peony, just consider that she took the initiative to walk to the kitchen doorway, almost within arm’s reach of Lu Chen. And all her words, expressions, voice, all kinds of emotional fluctuations, all the sounds of her heartstrings, especially the stories she wove… For “herself,” wasn’t every word, every sentence, true?

Of course, for Lu Chen, it was also true that it didn’t matter at all, which is why he let his guard down. Otherwise, throughout the several realms, perhaps only the three founders of the three religions could personally set up such a scheme. Lu Chen wouldn’t just accidentally enter a dreamscape; with Lu Chen’s temperament, he’d probably wish he could sleepwalk a few more times.

But as an observer, Qing Tong felt his scalp tingle and his back turn cold.

Because it was like a major exam. The test paper was given, the answers were also given, and even the annotations were given along with it, but Qing Tong still failed to understand all the key points.

Just considering this dream journey, which he had regarded as a leisurely stroll, how many new tricks had this Chen Ping’an, or rather, Mister Zheng, figured out?!

Lu Chen raised his head, looked up at the standing man in the green shirt, and asked with a smile, “Please, Hidden Official, help me solve this puzzle. Which one was it that shielded a bit of this poor Daoist’s ‘Heavenly Heart’?”

If he hadn’t lost the initiative in such a way, Lu Chen believed that even if he stupidly stumbled into the dream world, he wouldn’t have noticed something was wrong so late.

Chen Ping’an smiled, “It was the Sage Master who asked me to see you off, to politely escort the Headmaster Lu out of the country.”

Lu Chen suddenly understood, quickly stood up, hurriedly made a Daoist bow, with a sincere expression on his face, and murmured, “Too much courtesy, the Sage Master is truly too polite.”

Little Master-Confucius wouldn’t do such a thing, but that Sage Master might actually do it.

Lu Chen sighed, “Chen Ping’an, you shouldn’t have revealed this trump card so early. Aren’t you afraid that this poor Daoist will spread this matter throughout Jade Capital?”

Chen Ping’an said, “Opportunities to practice are rare. If I missed Headmaster Lu today, where would I find a cultivator in the fourteenth realm?”

Lu Chen tiptoed and waved vigorously, “Fellow Daoist Qing Tong, over here, over here.”

Qing Tong had no choice but to grit his teeth and walk into the Fen River Shrine, without even using the divine power of shrinking the earth into inches.
Such clashes between celestial beings high above could easily devastate the mortals below.

Lu Chen chuckled, explaining to Qing Tong, “If not for the strict rules of the Confucian Temple, only allowing me to travel within two continents, I would have visited the Demon Suppression Pagoda long ago. Don’t mind it, Fellow Daoist Qing Tong.”

Qing Tong replied stiffly, “Of course not.”

Inside the corridor, a few young Daoist acolytes continued to toss copper coins, engrossed in their innocent games.

The two women who had come to offer incense also boarded their carriage. The old coachman gently called out, and the sound of wheels echoed outside the temple.

The old temple caretaker, holding a jade scepter, returned to the shrine with a beaming smile. She had added a considerable sum to the donation box, enough for a prosperous year. The upcoming spring festivals at the temple could be celebrated lavishly.

The caretaker greeted the three incense pilgrims on the steps with a nod. The three in the corridor returned the gesture, especially the young Daoist wearing a Daoist coronet, who smiled and said, “It’s a good omen to have incense pilgrims visiting so late in the year. Our Fen River Shrine’s incense offerings will surely be plentiful next year.”

The old caretaker’s mood brightened at these words. Her expression became even more kindly as she nodded and said, “Wishing the Daoist friend a smooth journey.”

After the caretaker entered the moon gate, Chen Ping An remarked, “The Cloudglow Mountain’s situation is even better than I expected. As expected, Sect Leader Lu is a master of prudence.”

Lu Chen said, “Marquis Huang Zhong is a great drinking buddy. Next time I return, I must find him for a drink.”

Chen Ping An nodded.

Lu Chen asked, “What are your plans now? Returning to see the Sage Master?”

Chen Ping An replied, “I might not be able to see him. Besides, I plan to visit Yellow Millet Sect. They have an observation ceremony, and someone from Falling Petal Mountain is already heading there. I won’t wait until the ceremony day, but since I’m in Dream Millet Country, there’s no reason not to say hello.”

Lu Chen rubbed his hands together, smiling. “Do you mind if this poor Daoist joins in the fun?”

Chen Ping An laughed. “Suit yourself.”

Chen Ping An continued, “Then, Sect Leader Lu, can you dispel the dreamscape?”

Lu Chen blinked.

Qing Tong was dumbfounded.

Lu Chen lightly stamped his foot.

The Fen River Shrine vanished without a trace.

Qing Tong was numb.

*Do whatever you two want.*

Chen Ping An said, “Don’t overdo it. One dream at a time, clean and straightforward.”

Lu Chen, with a playful grin, waved his sleeve again. The three in the corridor found themselves back in front of the Fen River Shrine’s main hall.

Chen Ping An turned and raised a foot to kick him.

Lu Chen hopped aside, laughing heartily.

When Lu Chen’s feet landed, the three of them were already inside the dilapidated manor, outside the small building with three coffins inside. The coffins were empty, devoid of any bones.

Lu Chen stood outside the threshold, clasped his hands together, and chanted, “Coffins, coffins, rise to power and wealth.”

In fact, the people in the towns below had no taboo about coffins, never feeling that they brought bad luck. Otherwise, many wealthy families would not prepare a coffin for their elders well in advance. As for the imperial family, almost all emperors and monarchs would choose their mausoleum sites during their lifetime, breaking ground and preparing for their afterlife.

Chen Ping An said expressionlessly, “As long as Sect Leader Lu doesn’t lie down in one, there’s none for Sect Leader Lu.”

Lu Chen ignored him.

Qing Tong, however, was silent as a cicada in winter.

The old scholar arrived, shaking his head with a helpless smile.

Chen Ping An clasped his fist in apology. “Master Ni, many apologies.”

Ni Yuanzan, or rather, Lu Sheng, laughed and said, “It was Chen-xiansheng’s superior skill, and there was no danger. It can be regarded as an unusual mountain journey, watching a show without spending a penny.”

Chen Ping An smiled. “Then, Master Ni, consider me being overly polite.”

Ni Yuanzan joked, “Then, let’s say the one with the higher Dao speaks the truth.”

Lu Chen’s face was full of grievances. *You haven’t been so polite to this poor Daoist, the one who was invited into the trap!*

Lu Chen looked around, seeing overgrown weeds and lifelessness. It seemed worse than the previous dreamscape. He couldn’t help but turn his wrist and sigh, “Good times are like flying birds, returning to the palm becomes a story.”

This life, this body, seeing this scene at this time and place, the heart cannot be grasped.

A green-robed figure.

Returned from the Five Peaks, untouched by dust, sat in a hundred cities, embraced ten thousand emptinesses.

Lu Chen suddenly said, “Chen Ping An, our first meeting, does it count as… Alas, this poor Daoist is at a loss for words! What to do!”

Chen Ping An smiled and replied, “Does Sect Leader Lu want to say, ‘First encounter of two youths’?”

Lu Chen clapped his hands and laughed. “A lifetime of infatuation, never dreamed of Dragon Province. Green mountains stand before our eyes, first encounter of two youths.”

Chen Ping An said, “So good poems don’t rhyme.”

Qing Tong and Lu Sheng exchanged glances, feeling a bit of camaraderie. *How did you end up drinking with Lu Chen? How did you end up as Chen Ping An’s follower?*

At dusk, at the gate of the Yellow Millet Sect.

A long table was set up, with pens, ink, paper, and inkstones prepared. It was the responsibility of the gatekeepers to record the names and sects of the guests who came to observe the ceremony, and to verify the invitation letters and official documents, although it was merely a formality.

Several unfamiliar faces arrived as visitors.

The Yellow Millet Sect cultivators were not shallow like those from small sects. Generally speaking, they could recognize the distinguished guests from nearby mountains and surrounding countries.

The leader was a young man in a green robe, with a gentle expression.

There was a strange feeling of familiarity, and the more one looked, the more familiar he seemed.

Beside him was a woman wearing a veiled hat and a green robe.

There was an old scholar in Confucian robes, and a young Daoist wearing a fish crown, who looked a bit carefree and liked to swing his sleeves when he walked.

It was the young Daoist who stepped forward quickly, first presented a congratulatory gift, two Grain Rain Coins, and then was the first to write his name with meticulous characters.

“Divine Edict Sect, Autumn Hairs Temple, Daoist Lu Fu.”

The young Daoist did not forget to add the four words “With Daoist Certificate” in small characters.

Afterward, the three other visitors who came to offer congratulations also took out two Grain Rain Coins each, and then wrote their names and sects.

“Tung Leaf Continent, Immortal Capital Mountain Guest Official, Qing Tong. Tung Leaf Continent, Cloud Cavern Blessed Land, Guest Official Ni Yuanzan.”

“Falling Petal Mountain, Mountain Lord Chen Ping An.”