The bamboo tower’s first-floor veranda was a scene of scholarly pursuit, albeit somewhat unorthodox. Chen Ping’an, clutching a booklet bound in roughspun linen, sat with Nuan Shu and Xiaomili beside him, their heads cocked inquisitively as they peered at the third page’s “Chronicle.”

A white-haired imp, radiating self-importance, declared, “My aim is to prune and polish, to cast a light that spans a millennium! Were it not for your sage counsel, Hidden Hermit Ancestor, reminding me that these annals demand a simple tongue, the plainer the better, I would have regaled them with prose of shimmering brilliance!”

Chen Ping’an chuckled, then promptly rolled up the booklet and rapped the imp soundly on the head. Nuan Shu, unfazed, continued stitching a cloth shoe, while Xiaomili wisely averted her gaze.

“Pray, chronicler,” Chen Ping’an said, his voice laced with mock exasperation as he continued to tap the imp, “enlighten me as to the meaning of these… embellishments?”

For upon the chronicle, under the entry for the sixth year of Chunping, it was written: “Twenty-seventh day of the first month. Liu Baqiao, a sword cultivator of the Yuan Ying stage from the Wind and Thunder Garden, accompanied by Nangong Xingyan, an eighteen-year-old of the Guanhai stage, graced Fallen Mountain with their presence. They conferred with Mountain Lord Chen Ping’an regarding the Peak Opening Ceremony of Xing Youheng, a Jindan sword cultivator of Wind and Thunder Garden, which the Mountain Lord would attend upon the summer solstice. Twenty-eighth day of the first month, Liu Baqiao and Nangong Xingyan departed via Ox Horn Ferry at the hour of Si.”

Beneath this, three annotations:

“(Note I: Misrepresentation of age. Nangong Xingyan’s true age is twenty-one.)

(Note II: Liu Baqiao entered the mountain on foot, lending the decree-sword talisman issued by the Dragon Spring Sword Sect to Nangong Xingyan.)

(Note III: Whether the gift for the Peak Opening Celebration will be drawn from the Mountain Lord’s personal purse or selected from the Fallen Mountain Spring Treasury remains undecided.)”

The white-haired imp whimpered, “But shouldn’t it be as detailed as possible?”

Chen Ping’an returned the booklet, hesitating before adding, “Compile a supplementary volume. All annotations are to be included therein. Henceforth, only three or five souls of Fallen Mountain shall be permitted to peruse it.”

The imp, testing the waters, inquired, “Three or five? So, the Mountain Lord, Law-Holder, First Disciple, Treasury Lord, and Old Cook? What of Nuan Shu and the Right Protector? And may Master Xiao Mo not gaze upon it?”

Chen Ping’an smiled. “Are you attempting to sow discord already?”

The imp, raising two fingers skyward, proclaimed, “By the sun and moon, I swear my heart is pure!”

Chen Ping’an turned as a trio approached the bamboo tower, their faces alight with cheer. Among them was the Lord of the Fox Kingdom, newly arrived from the Lotus Root Paradise.

Law-Holder Changming, treating the Paradise – now elevated to the upper tier – as a meticulously tended garden, would enter and, in places of auspicious geomancy and bustling cities, extract one to five golden essence coins. These she would refine, then condense into mystical “waystations” – for mountains had ranges, waters had courses, and even wealth required “pathways.” These coins, of course, were from her own personal hoard.

Chen Ping’an could well imagine the scene unfolding in the Paradise and simply smiled, saying nothing.

Pei Xiang, offering a graceful bow, beamed, “Good tidings!”

Zhu Lian chuckled. “No sooner does the Young Master return home than fortune smiles. A propitious start to the New Year indeed!”

Chen Ping’an gestured for them to sit and share their news. “What has transpired?” he asked.

Pei Xiang perched on a step, turning to explain. “A double blessing! Two Golds have bloomed in the Paradise. Yu Zhenyi, upon ‘ascending’ from the Paradise, left a considerable legacy to the Lake and Pine School of Songlai, a sort of ancestral grace, if you will. And so it was that someone, through sheer chance and opportunity, has successfully forged a Golden Core! And roughly at the same time, a martial artist has attained the Golden Body stage.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “The first Golden Core cultivator… is it not the old Emperor Wei Liang of Nanyuan? As for the seventh-realm martial artist, is it Arm Saint Cheng Zongyuan? Grand General Tang Tieyi? Or perhaps the Empress Dowager Zhou Shuzhen?”

Zhu Lian shook his head. “The Lake and Pine School cultivator is named Gao Jun, of lofty bearing. The martial artist is Zhong Qian, of devoted beauty.”

Changming smiled. “That the Paradise has produced a Golden Core cultivator and a Golden Body martial artist is, in itself, not extraordinary. More importantly, it indicates that the Paradise’s workings have settled into a proper rhythm. Seed sown in spring, harvested in autumn. The natural order fulfilled, vibrant with life, spiritual energies flowing freely. The auspicious omens and rising of spirits were but harbingers. Now, we truly have what ancient scrolls refer to as the ‘land of fish and rice, where shade is sought under the rice stalks.'”

Yu Zhenyi, once the Paradise’s first to transition from martial arts to immortal cultivation, had achieved fruition and returned to childhood. Alongside Zhong Qiu, his longtime comrade, Yu Zhenyi appeared in the capital of Nanyuan as a cherubic youth, riding upon a sword as immortals do.

Before his “ascension,” Yu Zhenyi gifted the Lake and Pine School two books: one a compilation of martial insights, the other the very “Celestial Scripture” that had guided him to enlightenment.

This would solidify the Lake and Pine School’s position at the “mountaintop,” proving Yu Zhenyi’s teachings were no mere dusty tomes, but a tangible path to ascension for generations of disciples. Now, it remained to be seen if the School’s second-generation leader, the Golden Core Immortal, could sustain this auspicious era.

Zhong Qiu and Cao Qinglang, both born within the Paradise, had each walked their own path. But, as they first embarked on their path of cultivation in the vast world of Haoran, they remain as outsiders, unrecognized by this nascent world. As unlisted in the ancestral registers. And so the most “rightfully ordained” and “pure blooded” earthly immortal is without question Gao Jun from the Lake and Pine School. His cultivation will undoubtedly be smooth, as if favored by the Way, like a legitimate heir.

Chen Ping’an asked, “Does Wei Liang remain at the Dragon Gate stage?”

Pei Xiang confirmed, “Wei Liang has been stalled at that bottleneck for years, emerging from closed-door meditation twice without breaking through.”

Chen Ping’an said, “Find an opportunity to speak with him. Wei Liang is too fixated on achievement. Lest he fall prey to qi deviation. It is not out of the question that it was Wei Liang who first sensed the strange phenomena within the paradise.”

That Nanyuan’s retired Emperor Wei Liang had not been the first to achieve Golden Core status did not surprise Chen Ping’an. Wei Liang was, after all, advanced in years and a latecomer to cultivation. He had formally begun his journey in his sixtieth year, aided by a secret manual – a set of three Taoist scrolls gifted by Fallen Mountain as agreed. Nanyuan had spared no expense for the emperor, constructing a hidden dojo in a place of concentrated dragon energy. Wei Liang, gifted with remarkable aptitude, progressed swiftly, albeit by taking shortcuts, treading the unorthodox path, still within the scope of unorthodox schools of thought, yet never straying into the realm of depraved sects. While Wei Liang had all the advantages, he was thwarted by the natural order and an underlying rejection of external forces.

The original agreement with Nanyuan guaranteed that Wei Liang would ascend only to the Middle Five Realms. The biggest concern lies in unchecked ambition, and after scaling the mountain, and after seeing the broader horizon, one’s appetite forever expanding.

Zhu Lian said, “That Wei Liang has been thwarted by the ineffable Way is, in truth, fortuitous for Fallen Mountain. The Paradise’s workings become ever more refined. Perhaps one day, it will even birth a legendary ‘Little Heaven Lord.'”

Such “Little Heaven Lords,” a tongue-in-cheek title for the masters of blessed lands, are similar to the Flower Lord of Hundred Flowers Paradise or the Mistress of Green God Mountain in Bamboo Sea Cave-Heaven – rare beings born of circumstance.

Chen Ping’an said, “The Cloud Cave Paradise disaster serves as a cautionary tale. Such things are a double-edged sword.”

Jiang Shangzhen has long suspected that the machinations of the old fogies in the Jade Decree Sect’s Ancestral Hall were merely the surface causes of the upheaval that befell Cloud Cave Paradise.

Yet, after years of searching, Jiang Shangzhen had not been able to find any trace of the true culprit.

Thus emerged a strange standoff, with both the Jiang clan and this well-concealed individual laying claim to half-ownership of Cloud Cave Paradise.

Zhu Lian chuckled. “Should such a fellow arise, the Young Master need only parley with them, engage in a session of seated discourse, and all would be settled amicably.”

Moreover, Fallen Mountain had been nothing but benevolent and fair in the cultivation and protection of Lotus Root Paradise.

Chen Ping’an sighed. “Easier said than done.”

Before departing the Lotus Flower Paradise – yet undivided by the Old Abbot – Chen Ping’an had been hosted at a banquet by Emperor Wei Liang. The still-youthful emperor had aspired to unite the realm. But, as turmoil engulfed the land, Zhong Qiu had resigned his post as Imperial Advisor. Wei Liang chose immortal cultivation and granted the throne to Prince Wei Yan, while the Second Prince was imprisoned. Later, Wei Xian, founding emperor of Nanyuan and the first to dispatch alchemists in search of immortals, visited his “descendants,” Wei Liang and Wei Yan. According to Pei Qian, the encounter was farcical. It was likely from that moment that Wei Liang had aspired to cultivate. However, through Zhong Qiu, Wei Liang reached an oral agreement with Fallen Mountain: he would join Fallen Mountain’s registers, “ascend to the immortal ranks,” on the condition that he could witness the unification of Nanyuan. His veiled intention being to test Fallen Mountain, and to have it use its power to unify the realm.

Fallen Mountain neither agreed nor disagreed. Wei Liang did not fully understand that, as more and more cultivators emerged, no power would remain supreme. Checks and balances would naturally arise: the observation of martial artists by various imperial astrological observatories, the daoistic sparring between cultivators, and the competition for limited resources. Every discovery of a magical treasure and the acquisition of new disciples was accompanied by clashes and scheming. Then there was of course the military and its measure to target the various cultivators.

Wei Liang, surely, realized that by now. As the Lake and Pine School flourished in Songlai, proving to be ahead of Nanyuan in terms of the cultivation of its people. The future unification of the land became a question mark, so Nanyuan spent all its effort to promote its Mountain Gods and River Gods, as a counter to the Lake and Pine School.

Pei Xiang said, “Mountain Lord, Zhu Lian and I discussed it with Law-Holder Changming. We should meet Gao Jun and Zhong Qian. To fulfill our obligations as hosts.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “And how did the martial artist attain the Golden Body stage?”

Pei Xiang chuckled. “A nameless martial artist from Northern Jin. Well-rooted and blessed, raised hell in the capital, escaped and was ambushed by two sixth-realm martial artists. He managed to kill one of them as a result of a breakthrough in the middle of the fight. All thanks to the fortune of war.”

Pei Xiang cast a knowing look towards the old man.

Under the enlightened Old Abbot, Lotus Flower Paradise was to send forth ten every sixty years for potential immortal cultivation. “Noble Master Zhu Lian, Exiled Immortal Zhu Lang” almost succeeded. In the capital city of Nanyuan, he sought to slay nine men, even offering his own head to Ding Ying. Ding Ying then began his ascension of martial arts.

Zhu Lian smiled. “When will Lotus Root Paradise produce its first sword cultivator?”

Chen Ping’an smiled back. “Such things cannot be forced. We must simply wait.”

Once a Paradise ascended to the upper tier, the bottle neck became unbreakable.

It then had the opportunity to birth an Upper Five Realm cultivator, who would from within break the bottleneck and ascend to Haoran.

In a low-grade Paradise, limited by its spiritual energy, even attaining the Cave Mansion realm was a difficult threshold. In a mid-grade Paradise, cultivators could hope to form a Golden Core and achieve an earthly presence, possibly separating their Yin souls for distant travels. The crafting of a Yang soul remains elusive. In an upper-grade Paradise, cultivators could form Golden Cores, nurture Yuan Yings with the energies of Heaven and Earth, and even take a further step, ascending to the Jade Purity realm through immortal incantations, scriptures, or the creation of new lineages.

Chen Ping’an rose to his feet. “I will meet the earthly immortal, Gao Jun. Wei Liang and Zhong Qian, you shall engage. After these discussions, we will convene a meeting of the Ancestral Hall on Clear Sky Peak.”

Zhu Lian nodded.

Pei Xiang’s lips curled upwards, the Mountain Lord’s decision entirely expected.

Over on Dense Snow Peak, Cui Dongshan had offered a tentative suggestion.

“Have our Immortal Guard make a trip to Lotus Root Paradise. He need only set foot on the land, no need for words or deeds.”

“It would be more effective than a hundred Taoist scriptures.”

This esoteric notion, perhaps applicable only to the Immortal Guard.

Chen Ping’an however hesitated.

Not because he did not wish for the advancement of Dao. But to avoid sacrificing the Immortal Guard’s own fortune.

The suggestion to send the Immortal Guard to the Paradise was merely a half-truth.

Cui Dongshan then posed a strange hypothesis.

“The Paradise should allow everyone, no matter mortal or spirit to practice cultivation and martial arts.”

“There should be a widespread sharing of martial and cultivation books, and no bans to martial arts styles and schools of thought.”

“This way, no talent is suppressed. But everyone has the right to cultivate and learn.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Throughout the millennia, have any sects done this before?”

Cui Dongshan replied, “Yes, and they all ended in disaster. Liu from the Alum Mountain, the Chief of Narrow Sky cave in the Flowing Brocade continent, have attempted this. But they all lacked the effort and dedication. Their planning were poor, and the people they consulted lacked the knowledge. And so their decisions were inaccurate and unstable, they lacked the structure and organization. The greatest problem stemmed from this.”

“So how would you achieve this?”

“By using my superior and you. You simply have to control the major direction, and I can plan and adjust the countless minor variables, as a team.”

—

In the northern part of Tung Leaf Continent, the ancestral mountain of Small Dragon Pool is called Dragon Rest. At its peak is the Ancestral Hall, also called the Heart’s Intent.

A meeting was about to be held.

The new master, the immortal dragon named Situ Mengjing, from the Great Dragon Pool in the Central Divine Continent.

He sat on the central chair, facing the door, his back to the portraits.

It was all the more comical, as this immortal’s dao rank far exceeded those of the ancestors hanging on the walls of the hall.

So the ritual of offering incense and respect was omitted. The ancestors were incapable of receiving his due respect.

This was the first meeting of the Ancestral Hall that Situ Mengjing had called, as before he announced the closure of the sect to the public for sixty years, a decision that was never agreed on by the council.

No one dared disagree with his decisions.

After all, the immortal dragon was on track to lead the Great Dragon Pool, only to opt out.

Situ Mengjing was the first to arrive and simply closed his eyes to rest.

A single immortal would be enough to display his power.

When Huang Ting had tested Small Dragon Pool, he only used three strokes of his sword, which was all it took to break the spirit of the entire sect.

His first stroke cut through the protective barrier, his second wounded its master Lin Huizhi, and his third slashed the Ancestral Hall into half.

Such was the display of a sword immortal.

Spectators would find this awe-inspiring and shocking, but to the one forced to withstand it, they would become distraught and devastated.

From its name, the Small Dragon Pool was clearly related to water, and was surrounded by water. The mountain contained a stone forge, and beyond that was the Rolling Stone River, proving to be ill suited for a mountain sect. Its protectors was a moon-snatching ape, and a turtle who lived for thousand of years. Inside Rolling Stone River were two golden core spirits who claimed dominion over its branches.

After the recent wars, a sect with two Nascent Soul cultivators would be considered of the first class.

In the northern part of Tung Leaf Continent, it was outranked by the Jade Decree Sect. Others, such as the Gold Top Sect, the Green Tiger Palace of Serene Pure Mountain, and the White Dragon Cave, were inferior.

Lin Huizhi and Quan Qingqiu were arrested by Situ Mengjing and taken back to the Great Dragon Pool, and no one dared inquire as to their fate.

While the Small Dragon Pool has lost two Nascent Soul elders, it remained competent in comparison to other sects.

Twenty orthodox cultivators attended the meeting today, besides a Golden Core cultivator who was Lin Huizhi’s close disciple.

Also attending were the moon snatching ape and the old turtle, the Saint of Willow and Lord of Huang. The Small Dragon Pool could boast up to five Golden Core cultivators.

The six guest elders were nowhere to be found.

As the chief elder, the immortal Zhang Liuzhu did not return to attend this important meeting.

Instead, the warden of the Wild Garden, a warrior named Cheng Mi, was asked by Situ Mengjing to attend.

Situ Mengjing asked after everyone had sat, “Hong Yan, summon Linghu Jiao Yu.”

Hong Yan, a golden core cultivator who was temporarily responsible for the affairs of the Small Dragon Pool, left to summon Linghu Jiao Yu.

The girl was taken to the hall and sat next to the entrance.

She had a jade conch, an item for shouting commands to the spirits.

She was the only person that Huang Ting approved of.

During the selection of the Flower God on Mt. Rouge, Linghu Jiao Yu was put on the list, and was also the youngest.

As such, she wandered off by herself.

Not far from the Heart’s Intent was the Immortals Cave, with the words “Another Heaven” inscribed on it.

Lin Huizhi had meditated there to heal.

Linghu Jiao Yu had sat at the chessboard to look at it.

The young Hidden Lord had shocked the girl to the point that she constantly looked for talismans and flying swords.

The founder of the Great Dragon Pool had once played chess there with the immortal Han Jiangshu from the Myriad Jade Sect, but no one had been able to break the game since. The chessboard had become a mystical array that stabilized the mountain and the waters.

However, the young Hidden Lord had played there recently, unleashing a heavenly phenomenon, and had put a decisive move on the board.

Then Linghu Jiao Yu was dragged away, but she was in a daze.

Situ Mengjing said, “Lin Huizhi and Quan Qingqiu’s name will be stricken from the orthodox register of the Great Dragon Pool. But their teachings at the Small Dragon Pool will be maintained, but will be lowered by one rank.”

As the immortal said these words, the portraits fell off.

The cultivators were dismayed.

Two sisters turned pale, as they were close disciples of Lin Huizhi. Although they joined later, their talent was great.

Situ Mengjing continued, “I will act as the master for sixty years.”

“During these sixty years, the meetings will be limited to those currently in attendance, and will never be increased unless I personally invite others. The exception is Zhang Liuzhu, who will retain his role. Those not in attendance will be deprived of their salaries, and will be asked to sever all ties with the Small Dragon Pool. The Wild Garden will be closed. Those to be killed will be killed, and those to be spared will be spared. Those who are not to be killed will be permitted to leave. Follow them, and execute any who are to commit crimes. Punishments will be determined by me, while leniency will be determined by the hall master, and if these judgements are wrong, I will execute all involved without needing to report to the Great Dragon Pool.”

The announcements of execution startled everyone in the hall.

Situ Mengjing placed the protectors in seclusion, confining them to the Immortals Cave for sixty years.

The turtle said that he accepted the decision, and left the hall. The moon snatching ape wanted to argue, but was struck out of the hall, and slammed into the Huang River. Its blood then painted the river red.

The Saints of Willow and Huang were exiled, never to be seen in the area.

Although these were significant issues, the cultivators were so shocked that they could not even breathe.

The turtle and ape thanked the immortal, promising never to reveal their past.

Situ Mengjing said, “I hope you stay true to your words.”

This was the power of an immortal.

Furthermore, his name was Situ, of the great family.

Thus the hall master could legitimately execute his own decisions.

Then Linghu Jiao Yu received two blessings.

Situ Mengjing bestowed two treasures upon the maiden.

The first was a Rain Gourd.

It once belonged to Lin Huizhi, and was a symbol of the sect.

It could only be slightly refined, never becoming the cultivator’s symbol. This was similar to the talisman in the Dragon Tiger sect. This was also the one thing that Quan Qingqiu had been wanting for, as it could push him to the Jade Purity Realm.

The next was a fishing rod, as short as a sword.

It had belonged to Quan Qingqiu, and acted as half of a Dragon King’s Basket, with moonlight used as bait.

Hong Yan, the hall master, felt jealous and immediately looked away.

She then saw that Situ Mengjing was staring at her.

Situ Mengjing asked, “Hong Yan, tell me, what is cultivation?”

Hong Yan stammered, “To find the truth.”

One of the purposes of Taiping Mountain.

Situ Mengjing stared. “Oh?”

Hong Yan trembled.

“You cultivated to be consumed with the gourd and the fishing rod? Why can’t you cultivate somewhere else? Or perhaps join the protectors in seclusion?”

“Or are you waiting for me to return to the Great Dragon Pool after sixty years? Are you planning to learn from Quan Qingqiu?”

Hong Yan knelt, pleading.

Situ Mengjing leaned and stared.

Hong Yan only continued to kneel.

The head of the girl became bloody, staining the floor.

Cheng Mi and Linghu Jiao Yu sat on the sidelines.

Cheng Mi could not help but admire his capabilities.

Situ Mengjing had guts.

Because of him, two Nascent Soul cultivators were gone.

If nothing changed, then no one would remain.

Was the Great Dragon Pool planning on abandoning this branch?

Situ Mengjing finally said, “From today on, Cheng Mi will become the hall master, while Hong Yan will follow him as a common follower. And if you fail, you can go to the treasure chamber and take some money, before being stricken from the records.”

Cheng Mi said, “Situ Lord, forgive me, but I must decline.”

Situ Mengjing asked, “You are thinking of etiquette? Or of abilities?”

It was the first time the immortal had smiled, and the others felt relieved.

Cheng Mi said, “Both.”

Situ Mengjing said, “In Small Dragon Pool, I am the law. Whether you are able to be the hall master is up to me.”

Cheng Mi was stunned.

Situ Mengjing said, “As the Small Dragon Pool is closed, we do not need a puppet. We need a fair hall master. And as for respect, I am enough.”

“Once a month, I will hold three lectures. The first will allow everyone, no matter their station. The second is for all who are at the Middle Five Realms, and the third is for those who are stuck at a bottleneck.”

Thus, the meeting ended with efficiency.

It was a major contrast to the previous way.

Situ Mengjing summoned Linghu Jiao Yu and went to the house where Cheng Mi cooked noodles for them.

Situ Mengjing smiled.

Cheng Mi had no home, and the country where he lived was brightly lit at night.

Zhang Liuzhu, his friend, disappeared.

Cheng Mi asked, “Lord, is this all of the Great Dragon Pool’s doing?”

Situ Mengjing shook his head. “No. This is just me.”

Cheng Mi was stunned.

Situ Mengjing smiled, “If they heard of it, what could they do? Change the hall master? Then bring back the ape and the turtle? If you were the master of the Great Dragon Pool, would you do that?”

Cheng Mi laughed.

Situ Mengjing joked, “You can put the thumbs up, as money is endless.”

Situ Mengjing had changed.

The family of Situ was one of the top families of the Central Divine Continent, with influence everywhere. It had a head shrine in the Central continent, and branches in Gold Armor and Flowing Brocade.

Besides the immortal, it had two Jade Purity sword immortals, one an elder of a sect, and another a wandering immortal.

The family was also famed for beautiful women.

Situ Mengjing rubbed his head and felt tired.

Situ Jiyu had received his letter, and Mengjing only said what he could, while not revealing any secrets.

Situ Mengjing had no contact with Jiyu, and only met him when he returned to the Haoran world.

The last time he had seen him was hundreds of years ago.

Situ Jiyu had cursed at him in his letter.

Situ Mengjing was not aware of what he had done wrong.

He had only said that a young hidden lord would be travelling to Flowing Brocade continent, and would be seeking him out.

Situ Mengjing could do nothing but ignore him.

Situ Mengjing asked, “Linghu Jiao Yu, do you know why I am closing the mountain for sixty years?”

The girl shook her head.

Situ Mengjing said, “The Great Dragon Pool wants the Small Dragon Pool to ascend to the top.”

Situ Mengjing said, “I will teach you the secret techniques for sixty years, and after the time, you will be the master. Even if there are those like Hong Yan, the will would not change. The only exception is a genius like Qiu Zhi, who can break through to the Jade Purity Realm in sixty years. That is highly unlikely, though.”

Linghu Jiao Yu trembled, “Lord, why me?”

The girl felt that she was not suitable. Not compared to the masters before her, or the disciples after her. Thus she thought of ways to return the treasures.

Situ Mengjing asked, “Why not you?”

Linghu Jiao Yu had no response.

“A family, a mountain, a sect, a country. What are the similarities?”

“They are all the source.”

“You need a source of purity, or those downstream would become turbid.”

“These were the words that the hidden lord had told me. While he was joking, they are also significant.”

“I proposed you to be the next master. Three sects would ally with you, the Fallen Mountain, Blue Reed Sword Sect, and the Taiping Mountain. As such, Small Dragon Pool can then benefit from the connection.”

Cheng Mi nodded in agreement.

The girl was shocked.

Was she really that great?

Situ Mengjing smiled.

The hidden lord had also said that if you want to change things, you have to go back to the source.

—

Inside the Lake and Pine sect was an elegant room, the Heaven and Earth Pavilion.

A girl was writing a scroll, while the room had several plum trees.

“The land for the Azure Purity, the house of attainment and peace.”

“Drink the light of the lake, consume the greenness of the mountain, gather the wealth of the heaven, steal from the stone.” The first sentence referred to the origins of the sect, and the second was a prophecy.

The girl paused as she felt the dao stirring. She stood and walked towards the outside, with steps that fit heaven and earth.

She was in a state of “acting for heaven”, or walking the path of heaven.

In the Haoran, a Golden Core immortal would not have this connection to the world.

If she left, however, she would naturally lose this ability.

The maiden was dressed in an apricot robe. Staring at the man by the river.

The man had changed much from the image in the picture, but she recognized him.

She said, “Lake and Pine Sect leader Gao Jun greets the Demigod.”

Chen Ping’an knew he had been tricked by the old cook.

Chen Ping’an asked, “You recognize me?”

Gao Jun said, “I had followed founder Yu to the capital of the Nanyuan. Back then, I was not skilled enough, but was fortunate enough to witness Lord Chen. Now, I barely recognize him.”

Chen Ping’an asked, “Do you know of this world’s origins and ties?”

Gao Jun nodded, “Before founder Yu ascended, he had told me what he surmised. There is a world called Haoran, with nine continents, ten large paradises, thirty six small paradises, and seventy two blessed lands, controlled by immortals. We are on the Tung Leaf continent, where demigods seek to hone themselves, seek enjoyment. But you are a blank slate, your name is not recorded.”

“I had travelled for three years, and I know that things are changing. Many things have been added to this world.”

“However, I have never met a demigod from another world.”

Chen Ping’an nodded. “You see all.”

Gao Jun asked, “Lord Chen, may I ask how likely I am to win against you?”

Back then, founder Yu only had formed his core.

Chen Ping’an said, “You have the advantage of the location and the time. I will give you one tenth of a chance to win.”