Chapter 1060: Wine in the Bright Moon Still Satisfies

Chapter 1060: Wine in the Bright Moon Still Satisfies

A white jade plate flew at the edge of the azure clouds. The celestial being was pure and peaceful.

It was roughly because Xiao Mo's sword light was too conspicuous, his flying sword too fast, indicating that a great sword immortal had appeared. Thus, many cultivators from various prefectures rose on the wind within their respective Dao fields, wanting to come and investigate. After all, the famous sword immortals of the Azure Sky World were limited in number. When it came to sword immortals, naturally the Haoran World was the champion.

In the Azure Sky World, cultivators often rode the wind to the bright moon, using that old moon, which now shared the sky with the radiant light, as a scenic spot to visit. The White Jade Capital was not overly restrictive about this, but cultivators could not stay in the moon for long. It was acceptable to bring mountain tools and delicacies, set up a spread, appreciate the topography of the fourteen prefectures as a dish to go with wine, and have a drink.

The old temple master glanced sideways, annoyed that they had disturbed his pleasure of drinking with Xiao Mo. So he brought two fingers together and flicked them here and there—bang, bang, bang.

He made a sound similar to a fan smashing a fly, sending those Azure Sky Dao officials, who were at least at the Immortal Realm, crashing back to the ground. The Ascension Realm cultivator fared better; with a shake of his form, he wisely retreated, looking slightly disheveled. The Immortal Realm cultivators did not have it so easy—it was like taking a solid blow to the head. After barely steadying themselves, they saw stars and stabilized their Dao hearts. They dared not curse aloud and could only grumble inwardly.

Among them was one from the Zhu Prefecture at the Jade Foundation Realm. His realm was not high, but he possessed a treasure for riding the wind that was extremely fast. His figure slithered like a golden snake soaring toward the bright moon's radiant light.

If he had slammed headlong into the old temple master's "Flick of Divine Might," he would have been seriously injured, and at the very least, that treasure would have been lost.

Xiao Mo glanced at that female Daoist and also curled his fingers, sending out a thread of sword light. The sword qi did not go straight but drifted like a gossamer thread, instantly spreading for millions of miles.

Finally, the sword qi wrapped around the flying shuttle treasure boat that the cultivator was riding. With a gentle tug, it dragged her, along with her treasure, back to a mountaintop in the mortal world.

The startled young female Daoist hurriedly stowed away that talisman boat, which was the town-mountain treasure of her sect. She bowed in the distance toward the bright moon's radiant light, offering a Daoist salute in thanks.

Seeing that Xiao Mo had intervened, the old temple master picked up his wine bowl and took a sip of his self-brewed wine called "Thousand Autumns."

In the ancient times, Xiao Mo had always been relatively lenient toward female Qi refiners in the mortal world.

The old temple master nodded and said, "It's a pity you woke up too late, Xiao Mo. The Xuandu Temple beat you to it."

Xiao Mo smiled. "According to the thread of knowledge that Fellow Daoist Bixiao proposed back at the Falling Treasure Shoal, if I had woken up earlier, I might not have met the young master. I wouldn't have been able to accompany the young master on that journey, and inside the demon-suppressing tower of Vase Prefecture, I wouldn't have found the path of union with the Dao that suited me."

The old temple master smiled. "That's true."

After ten thousand years, Xiao Mo's fundamental character remained unchanged, but his way of speaking had improved immensely.

Xiao Mo's swordsmanship, which was exquisite to the extreme, was like flying a paper kite in spring—a single thread connecting the azure sky.

With this commotion, a celestial immortal of the White Jade Capital who lived in seclusion within the radiant light could no longer sit still.

Before leaving home, the old Daoist had habitually made a divination. Strange—unlike usual, today was finally an auspicious day for going out. So he immediately came to visit Cave Lord Bixiao.

Within the bright moon's radiant light, aside from Bixiao Cave Lord's temporary alchemy Dao field, there was a neighbor: a white jade Dao palace where the spiritual energy was visibly as dense as flowing water.

Its master was a celestial immortal Dao official from the Yushu City of the White Jade Capital. He had previously received a Dharma decree from the second headmaster, Yu Dou, allowing him to cultivate there. By deducting a large amount of merit from a book in the Shangqing Pavilion, the highest building in the White Jade Capital, he exchanged for a shortcut. He hoped to break through the bottleneck of the Immortal Realm in this moon Dao field, far from the mortal world, and take the path of household ascension to achieve the Ascension Realm.

Though they were called neighbors, actually visiting would be no different from a long-distance journey across several prefectures on land.

Xiao Mo still sat with Fellow Daoist Bixiao. Wang Yuanlu, being of a lower generation, had already stood up under the eaves to receive the guest.

As for the young Daoist boy inside the house, sitting on a stool and concocting elixirs, he disliked socializing the most. He simply changed his sitting posture and turned the large gourd slung across his back toward the outside.

The old temple master was tall with a flowing long beard, truly bearing the aura of an immortal. Even while sitting and drinking, he was about as tall as his standing disciple Wang Yuanlu.

The visitor was the third-in-command of Yushu City, an old Daoist named Xu Zujing. He held a whisk in his hand. His status was similar to that of a sect's law-enforcing patriarch, but he was known for his soft heart.

The old Daoist was the direct disciple of the previous city lord of Yushu City. His Dao age was vast, but his talent was not particularly outstanding. Of course, that "mediocrity" was relative to his peers among the Dao officials of the White Jade Capital.

Zhang Fenghai, who had read through all the books in Yushu City by the age of thirty, was this old Daoist's only junior apprentice brother.

Just as the old Daoist was about to speak, the old temple master said calmly, "Xu Zujing, speak in the Haoran common language. This fellow Daoist of mine is from Haoran and doesn't understand the language of Azure Sky."

Of course, this did not trouble the old Daoist. He made a Daoist salute. "Xu Zujing of Yushu City, White Jade Capital, pays respects to Cave Lord Bixiao."

The old temple master remained seated.

Xiao Mo stood up and returned the salute with a smile. "Dao name Xizhu, personal name Mosheng, sword cultivator. An honorary guest elder of the Luopo Mountain. Heavenly Lord Xu, it is an honor to meet you."

The old temple master extended a hand.

Xu Zujing sat down at the table. Xiao Mo intended to bring out a jar of "Ten Thousand Years Wine" to entertain the guest, because he had heard from the young master that Yushu City and Shenxiao City were quite decent among the five cities and twelve towers of the White Jade Capital.

As for whether it might be considered making free with another's generosity—there was no need to quibble over such things between himself and Fellow Daoist Bixiao. If the wine ran out, he would just blame Bixiao for being lazy in brewing.

Wang Yuanlu happened to fetch a white bowl from the kitchen.

As soon as the white bowl was on the table, the wine followed.

Wang Yuanlu's heart warmed instantly. Senior Xiao Mo was truly a kindred spirit!

These days, the thin Daoist had been cultivating here with a restless heart, worried that if he ever left the bright moon's radiant light to "descend the mountain" and train alone, he might end up being beaten up.

There was only one reason for this: his master simply did not know how to "be a person"!

Take the recent "swatting of flies" for example. Those people hadn't even come to disturb him directly; they were just on their way to the radiant light when the master sent them crashing back to the ground with a barrage of pops. What harm were they doing?

Master, you flaunted your vast supernatural powers, and everyone fears you without daring to say a word. But your disciple still has to walk the martial world in the future.

Xu Zujing thanked him and took a sip of wine. As the immortal brew entered his mouth, a surge of spiritual energy instantly poured down his throat into his bowels like a waterfall, refreshing every cave dwelling, orifice, and acupoint in his body.

The old Daoist could not help but praise, "Excellent wine!"

The old temple master, however, was unappreciative. He blurted out, "You've had a jar of wine. If you have something to say, say it. If not, leave. I still want to catch up with Xiao Mo."

Xu Zujing smiled. "I just came to pay respects to the senior. If I could also chat with the senior about a few ancient stories, that would be even better."

Hearing things secondhand was never as good as seeing them firsthand. Flipping through old almanacs in later ages was never as good as hearing the words of someone who had experienced those events.

The old temple master snorted, but for once, he did not directly give a dismissal.

Left with no choice, Xu Zujing sat there awkwardly, drinking his wine in silence. Fortunately, Xiao Mo saw that this Heavenly Lord Xu of Yushu City was not good with words and took the initiative to chat a bit—asking who the Dao officials who had ridden the wind were, what their backgrounds were, and which sects they came from. This made the drinking atmosphere less oppressive.

Xu Zujing naturally told everything he knew. Matters of the Azure Sky World were the private affairs of the White Jade Capital, and Xu Zujing was one of only three Dao officials in Yushu City who could participate in White Jade Capital deliberations. He spoke of these matters as if counting family treasures.

After slowly finishing a jar of the still-unnamed immortal brew, Xu Zujing took his leave.

Xiao Mo gave him two jars of "Ten Thousand Years Wine" and two jars of "Thousand Autumns Wine" as farewell gifts, in the spirit of hospitality.

Xu Zujing quickly thanked him and accepted without any hesitation.

The old Daoist had already become familiar enough with the other to address him as "Mr. Xiao Mo," even omitting "Fellow Daoist."

To this old Daoist, the impression of the sword immortal with a youthful appearance was that his swordsmanship was extraordinarily high, his temper was excellent, and he was a meticulous person.

Inside that white jade palace Dao field of the bright moon's radiant light, aside from the secluded Xu Zujing, there were also a direct disciple and a grand disciple, both Dao officials of excellent aptitude from Yushu City.

Especially that grand disciple, who had earned the reputation of being "the second Zhang Fenghai of Yushu City." Among the younger generation of the five cities and twelve towers, this person's talent was among the top three. This was also because among the young Dao officials, there was one with the Dao name "Qingshan," who was the Dao Ancestor's closed-door disciple. Thus, Xu Zujing had specially brought this grand disciple with him when establishing his Dao field in the bright moon.

However, the old Daoist knew in his heart that compared to the younger apprentice brother Zhang Fenghai's epithets—"the Yu Dou of Yushu City," "the second Yu Dou of the White Jade Capital," "the Little Headmaster of the White Jade Capital," and so on—it was… completely incomparable.

After Xu Zujing used the divine power of shrinking the earth, the old temple master smiled. "Xu Zujing doesn't even know that his own Dao field has been seen through to the bottom by you."

Xiao Mo smiled. "The mountains and rivers have changed, but nature is hard to move."

Although after ten thousand years, whether in combat, seeking the Dao, or challenging with swords, there were far more restrictions and rules compared to the freewheeling days of ten thousand years ago, when Xiao Mo was away from Chen Ping'an, he truly resembled the sword cultivator Xiao Mo of old.

The old temple master said, "Caution keeps the boat ten thousand years afloat."

After ten thousand years, both cultivators and common mortals seemed to wear a single Dharma robe called "rules," and the divine power of that robe was human relations and worldly wisdom.

The old temple master laughed. "If it weren't for the young and vengeful last Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, you and Baijing could have each occupied a sun and a moon, shining upon each other. If the two of you could have joined hands to step into the Fourteenth Realm and remained pure sword cultivators, it would have been the epitome of an immortal couple. Unmatched in ten thousand years. A pity."

In ancient times, there were three bright moons in the Barren Wasteland World. The middle moon beneath the old temple master's feet, called "Golden Mirror" or alias "Radiant Light," was ostensibly the Dao field of the little girl Sheyue, but it was also the place where Xiao Mo had slept for ten thousand years. So who was the true master of the bright moon was debatable. If Chen Ping'an and his party of sword cultivators had not jointly moved the Radiant Light to the Azure Sky, and if Sheyue had not gone to Vase Prefecture, then when Bai Ze returned to the Barren Wasteland and woke Xiao Mo, and if Xiao Mo had not shed his nature to become the current "Mr. Xiao Mo," then Sheyue might have had to obediently change her Dao field. Although the Jade Hook had fallen to the mortal world, there would still be one moon left in the sky.

There was one Dao field with only its foundation left, called Toad Palace. The hundreds of buildings that once stood on that foundation had been leveled to the ground during the ancient battle to ascend to heaven.

When Xiao Mo woke back then, he had taken one of the moon palace ruins, which was similar to a palace city of a capital city.

Chen Ping'an, in Xiao Mo's name, would later give it to Liu Xianyang as a wedding gift.

So, if anyone was most familiar with the bright moon's radiant light, it would be Xiao Mo, revisiting the place today.

According to the old temple master's original speculation, he believed that Zhou Mi must have left some backhand in the Barren Wasteland. For example, he would at least help one of the two ancient sword cultivators, Xiao Mo and Baijing—more likely the one with better cultivation aptitude, Baijing—letting her be the first to achieve union with the Dao as a pure Fourteenth Realm sword cultivator, to fill in the vacancy left by Sword Guest Liu Cha in time.

Since it didn't matter who won or lost, the old temple master, who biased neither side, wouldn't waste his mental energy and Dao cultivation on calculations.

Zhou Mi ascended to heaven later, but in truth, his "scattering of the Dao" had occurred earlier.

However, this scattering of the Dao was the same as Zhou Mi's method of devouring ancient great demons in the Barren Wasteland—rather sneaky, not aboveboard.

The Moon-touching Mountain Great Ancestor perished, both body and Dao. Later, Moon-touching Mountain was split open by Chen Ping'an, who had borrowed Lu Chen's realm. The new recognized overlord of the Barren Wasteland, Sword Cultivator Feiran, was still young. Moreover, half of the Sword Qi Great Wall had not been completely refined and moved away by Chen Ping'an. Added to that were the existence of the Old Blind Man and the Ten Thousand Mountains, which caused Feiran's status as overlord to always be somewhat illegitimate and uneasy. Feiran's situation was similar to that of the Moon-touching Mountain Great Ancestor.

However, without a single Moon-touching Mountain in the Barren Wasteland World, it created a "path-clearing" effect that was both immense and far-reaching.

It was like the Haoran World losing the Supreme Sage and the Confucian Temple, or the Azure Sky World losing the Dao Ancestor and the White Jade Capital. In that "blank" period, anyone could compete on the path.

This meant that the road to the summit for the Barren Wasteland demon race was unobstructed. In the next hundred to a thousand years, dragons and snakes would inevitably "rise from the land" on the Barren Wasteland, and heroes would "pass through the ford."

As long as Bai Ze left that Xiongzhen Tower in the Central Divine Continent of Haoran and returned to the Barren Wasteland, the matter of raising his realm would no longer be up to Bai Ze's own will to "suppress his realm." He would be compelled by circumstances.

As soon as the war between the two worlds began, living beings would be devastated. In the meantime, while the Barren Wasteland and Haoran were engaged in this back-and-forth, the one who had long since begun to pursue union with the Dao of an entire world, the "harsh governance" of Wang Youwu, was in play.

Ligou, who inherited Zhou Mi's "eating books" to build a city of eternal night, was like a human world library changing owners. Ligou inherited all the cultural legacies Zhou Mi left in the Barren Wasteland—the created characters, the refined language of the world. Combined with Ligou's restoration of the ancient "scholar's" nature, he would go against the "manifest teachings" of several worlds, and become the sole king of the north.

Feifei, the new master of the Yeluo River, who was directed by Bai Ze to a great path beyond water magic.

Add to that the return of ancient great demons like Wuming Shi and Guan Yi to the mortal world. They would each have to take disciples, and the selection of those disciples was not something they could choose freely. Zhou Mi had certainly arranged it long ago. For each pair of master and disciple, within a certain time limit, the master must give everything they have, teaching without reservation until the disciple is fattened and the master can eat their fill. The disciple must cultivate desperately to survive. Both would serve as whetstones for each other's great Dao. In the end, whoever could devour the other would depend on their own abilities.

But no matter who survived, the Barren Wasteland would gain a high-ranking throne demon of outstanding killing power, or even a Fourteenth Realm cultivator.

I, Zhou Mi, once devoured countless Fourteenth and Ascension Realm demons in the Barren Wasteland. Within a hundred years, the Barren Wasteland would surely repay me double.

If one only looked at appearances.

From Jia Sheng of Haoran to the scholar Zhou Mi of the Barren Wasteland's literary sea, he was the destroyer and creator of all established rules.

In contrast, the young Hidden Official, Chen Ping'an, who was engaged in a great struggle with him over the Dao, merely followed the rules and was the greatest beneficiary within them.

Thus, those who benefit from the protection of rules often tirelessly maintain the old order, seeking a stability that allows for partial shaking while keeping the great framework intact.

The old temple master rubbed the edge of his wine bowl with his thumb. The white bowl on the table began to spin gently, and the wine inside rippled. He laughed, "The Heavenly Way collapses, and the eight directions spin. Is it time or fate? It has been like this since ancient times. When host and guest struggle, what can be done? They revert to oneness. Time and fate."

Wang Yuanlu craned his neck to look at the wine bowl on the table, as if wanting to speak but hesitating.

Xiao Mo nodded slightly. Fellow Daoist Bixiao had taken on a good disciple.

Because that young Daoist felt that his master's so-called "reverting to oneness" might not be accurate.

Xiao Mo smiled. "It is written in books: if a person can endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, his descendants and clan will surely flourish in later generations. The Sword Qi Great Wall and the young master achieved mutual accomplishment."

The old temple master chuckled. "In the past, Zhu Lian called him 'Master.' Now, fellow Daoists call him 'Young Master.' He is the second shopkeeper of the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Chen Eleven of several worlds, the Southern Vassal and the Northern Hidden Official—a whole list of epithets. Who would have thought that a barefoot country boy who stepped on chicken droppings and dog feces every day in an alley would also become 'Young Master Chen.'"

Xiao Mo said, "The movement of heaven is vigorous; thus the noble man strives unceasingly to become strong. The earth's condition is receptive; thus the noble man nourishes himself with virtue. By acting with sincerity and self-discipline, and by tirelessly fulfilling his vows, it is not strange for him to have a place in the mortal world."

In those ancient days, the first Daoist who led the way had built countless rest pavilions along the roads. Though crude, they provided shelter from wind and rain.

Moreover, every time that Daoist, who wore a wooden hairpin, passed down a lineage or a spell, it was also an invisible roadside pavilion.

The old temple master smiled and dismissed the topic, changing the subject. "Xiao Mo, I originally prepared two wedding gifts. For example, that Sun Palace where the sea of fire and sword-forging platform still remain. I originally planned to give it to Fellow Daoist Baijing, whom you might one day take as a Dao companion. But now, sorry, it's already Wang Yuanlu's."

The thin Daoist standing under the eaves heard this and his heart tightened. The treasure had already fallen into his pocket. Master, you old fellow, don't go back on your word!

Xiao Mo smiled. "It's fine. These are all external possessions."

Back then, as a disciple-taking gift, he gave Wang Yuanlu a palm-sized miniature palace—the legendary Sun Palace, long said to have been shattered.

That Daoist boy named Xun, with the Dao name "Jinjing," was extremely jealous.

The ancient land immortals had a saying: "The dragon hides in the Green Water Pit, and fire aids the Sun Palace."

The Green Water Pit was the Dao field of Dan Danjun, the overlord of water transport in the Haoran World. It was once one of the summer residences of the Water God, one of the five supreme divine beings of ancient times.

But the rank of the Sun Palace was far higher than the Green Water Pit. According to legend, besides being the main Dao field of the Fire God, it was also one of the sword-forging sites of the Sword Holder.

According to the boy, this Sun Palace was among the top five treasures in his master's collection.

As long as one lived long enough and had high enough Dao cultivation, one's family background would be terrifyingly deep.

Xiao Mo was like this, and the old temple master even more so.

Baijing's possessions were less than Fellow Daoist Bixiao's, but certainly much more extravagant than Xiao Mo's.

Wang Yuanlu heard the senior's words and immediately relaxed. Seniors were indeed seniors—truly immortal demeanor!

How could his master have such a friend? Could it be a complement of personalities?

In truth, Wang Yuanlu still did not know Xiao Mo's past well. He thought this senior was polite and easy to get along with, and that he was genuinely good-natured.

Yang Zhi and Zhu Yan certainly did not think Xiao Mo was easy to get along with.

One important reason why the old temple master could become a close friend of Xiao Mo was that Xiao Mo, in ancient times, loved to challenge others to sword fights, and that suited his temperament.

Back then, to avoid Baijing, Xiao Mo had no choice but to visit the Falling Treasure Shoal. Every time he had a sword fight, Cave Lord Bixiao would give him a jar of wine. The two drank heartily.

The Cave Lord Bixiao, who "was invincible upon leaving his cave and always refused to let others off easy," was no idle boast.

Moreover, Xiao Mo had fought Bai Ze—whom almost all demons respectfully called "Master Bai"—twice.

Once was because he felt that Bai Ze, who always hung out with the Little Confucian, wasn't doing things right and his realm wasn't up to par, so he needed to cut him down a bit.

Another time was because he knew it was impossible but still did it.

However, that sword fight was a new story after brewing wine with Fellow Daoist Bixiao.

It was because Xiao Mo couldn't understand why Bai Ze, who was from the same demon race, would help the human-born Little Confucius forge the nine cauldrons on the top of Mount Haoran, inscribing countless demon true names.

At that time, the Heavenly Court had already become "ancient history," and the mortal world had already been divided into worlds. The world was settled. Bai Ze had long since proven his magical powers through the ascension battle, especially his innate ability to bestow names, which troubled demon cultivators. A group of ancient great demons felt that such a "Daoist" should not be allowed to live. So, during one of Bai Ze's solo travels, they laid a careful ambush.

As for the results, for example, Guan Yi, who had slept for ten thousand years, went to heal his injuries. The rest, who did not go to heal, had worse fates. Their true names were stripped and erased by Bai Ze, and they were forced to be reborn through dissolution.

The demons ganging up on Bai Ze was no different from the sea dragons encircling Chen Qingliu.

The greater the number, the greater the latter's battle merits.

The old temple master exclaimed, "Eh? This thing is a gift for Baijing, not for you. Or have your relations changed so much that you're no longer treating each other as outsiders?"

Xiao Mo said wryly, "Fellow Daoist Bixiao, can't you let this topic go?"

The old temple master tapped the table with his finger, making the wine in the bowl start to sway, thereby confusing the heavenly secrets. He said with his heart voice, "This poor Daoist is just worried for Lord Wu."

Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao. Liu Xianyang and Sheyue. Or Xiao Mo and Baijing. And that lucky fellow Xu Jun with the Dao name Fukgan, and Zhaoge...

Every time another such perfect immortal couple appeared in the mortal world, Wu Shuangjiang's Fourteenth Realm cultivation would... tsk tsk. He would simply sit back and enjoy the fruits, and with the rising tide, all boats—or rather, his realm—would be lifted!

Consider that young ghost Xu Jun, from the Great Tide Sect. How had he achieved so much in less than sixty years? Did he truly think it was merely because of his extraordinary bone structure, exceptional talent, and immense fortune?

One must know that Xu Jun was not the type of Qi refiner with deep schemes and infallible calculations. On his path of cultivation, he did things with full passion and always went forward fearlessly.

Of course, Xu Jun's own tenacity in his Dao heart, his upright conduct, and his clear sense of right and wrong were indeed admirable.

But if such a person were a Dao official of the White Jade Capital, or a direct disciple of some top-tier sect's grand hall, it would be one thing. However, Xu Jun's starting point in cultivation was very low, his status humble, and he awakened late. Within the Great Tide Sect, when he first began cultivation, his progress was extremely difficult. Not only was he no genius or Dao seed, but compared to his fellow disciples who were breaking through realms left and right, his cultivation talent was not even middle or low—it was the absolute bottom.

Thus, in reality, every step Xu Jun took upward was the result of Wu Shuangjiang's behind-the-scenes planning and silent protection, allowing Xu Jun to turn danger into safety time and again.

During Wu Shuangjiang's so-called seclusion for Fourteenth Realm union, Wu Shuangjiang—perhaps the Wu Shuangjiang whose yin spirit had traveled far away—had been secretly paving roads and building bridges for the young man of the Great Tide Sect.

Of course, the fact that Xu Jun could catch every opportunity Wu Shuangjiang gave him was itself proof of Xu Jun's exceptional nature.

Back then, the Great Tide Sect and the Two Capital Mountains, which were originally feuding families, married. Xu Jun married the female founding ancestor of the Two Capital Mountains. Their Dao ages were vastly different, and their realms were worlds apart. Who would have believed it?

Moreover, even the subsidiary sects of these two top-tier sects had been destroyed by each other. Not to mention the many promising cultivation seeds from history that had died prematurely.

At that time, among those sitting at the main table at the wedding feast, there were four of the Azure Sky World's ten great cultivators: Yu Dou, Lu Chen, Wu Zhou, and Sun Huaizhong.

There was also an old friend of Xu Jun's, a pure martial artist revered as "Teacher Lin," the foremost martial artist under heaven—Lin Jiangxian of Crow Mountain. However, Lin Jiangxian did not reveal his identity at the time; he just picked a corner and drank.

Wu Zhou and Zhaoge were old friends who had known each other for a long time.

As one of the wedding gifts, Wu Zhou not only gave Xu Jun, the joint sect master, a Dao manual for refining objects but also taught Xu Jun, who had long become a ghost, a very superior ghost cultivation technique.

This Xu Jun, who was fortunate in destiny and not lacking in romantic fortune, had a catchphrase: "It's already good enough."

There were also some distinguished guests who, though not present at the wedding, sent name cards and gifts—such as Hua Yang Gong Gaogu, Prime Minister Yao Qing of the Qing Shen Dynasty, and State Preceptor Bai Ou.

Almost every sect and Dao official of note in the entire world was generous with their congratulatory words and gifts.

Every congratulatory visit and every seat taken by these accomplished cultivators was not only an honor for the newlywed couple Xu Jun and Zhaoge but also a great benefit to Wu Shuangjiang's Dao.

The same would apply later when Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao, the number one of the Five-Colored World, had their wedding.

One of Wu Shuangjiang's avatars stayed in Feisheng City because he had something to ask for.

The Dao Ancestor surely saw all of this clearly.

But among the White Jade Capital, aside from the Dao Ancestor, perhaps no one else knew of this.

This was because Wu Shuangjiang's identity as a military strategist cultivator was too conspicuous. It was not even a disguise; he clearly intended to use this old path to achieve Fourteenth Realm union.

Do not forget that within the Martial Temples of Haoran, there were still two military "Butchers"—with the surnames Wu and Bai—whose sacrificial ranking had been lowered due to imperfections in their merits.

And that heavenly demon, which had fled silently to Haoran and eventually made its way to the prison on the Sword Qi Great Wall to settle.

Now, ask yourself: in the past ten thousand years, where has fighting been most frequent?

The old temple master's "conclusion" was based on speculation, and it was literal.

After all, trying to deduce the path of union of a Fourteenth Realm cultivator was by no means a pleasant task.

As for whether the Dao Ancestor would leak this to someone—for example, to his second disciple Yu Dou? Surely not.

The old temple master recalled something and said, "That fellow with the Dao name Shou Ling (Tomb Guard) didn't recruit Wang Yuanlu early. He said it was because fine jade doesn't need carving, but in truth, he deliberately gave me a favor, making me owe him a small one."

The old temple master smiled. "In the Qing Shen Dynasty, there is a young sword cultivator with exceptional talent, but sadly lacks a wise teacher to guide him."

Xiao Mo said, "Since Master Bai has not yet returned to the Xuandu Temple, after today's drink, I'll quickly go to the Green Mountain Dynasty, teach him some sword techniques, take him as a direct disciple, and teach as much as I can."

The old temple master shook his head. "No need to be so serious. Just teaching a few passable techniques will be enough to benefit that kid for life."

Xiao Mo said, "If I'm going to teach, I have to do it properly."

The old temple master nodded and said nothing more. Since they were fellow Daoists, there was no need for formalities.

The old temple master lightly stomped his foot, then brought two fingers together and wiped them casually. Water vapor rose on the table, forming a topographical map of mountains and rivers.

The old temple master asked with a smile, "Can you see anything?"

Xiao Mo only glanced at it and nodded. "Astral patterns appear, a divine arrangement. Clearly, it was instructed by a master of sufficient Dao age."

Although Xiao Mo didn't know that the map on the table displayed the distribution of the Great Tide Sect, the Two Capital Mountains, and all their vassal sects, his Dao age and insight were enough.

So Xiao Mo raised his hand, and a corresponding star map rose above the table—a celestial globe of the Big Dipper, the Ziwei (Purple Forbidden) Enclosure, which had been dim for ten thousand years.

It had not regained its luster even with Zhou Mi's ascension to heaven and entry into the old Heavenly Court.

Unless someone became the One—not half a one, not most of a one—in fact, even if the difference from the One was only a hair's breadth, even if Zhou Mi's cultivation was equivalent to a Fifteenth Realm Qi refiner and he could control the filling and changing of all divine positions in the old Heavenly Court, he still could not become the true master of the "Purple Palace" in the center of the Tianshi market.

Thus, Zhou Mi still could not become… the Sixteenth Realm!

The old temple master revealed some heavenly secrets. "The founding ancestor of the Two Capital Mountains is that little girl Zhaoge. She originated from the household registry of a heavenly maiden. But now, in the Azure Sky World, even including the registered cultivators of the Two Capital Mountains, those who know this old story can be counted on one hand."

"Thus, Xu Jun had to die once. If he didn't die, how could he, in the form of a heroic spirit, walk the illusory divine path to heaven?"

"When the banner of the Purple Palace points straight, the Son of Heaven will come out. Heh, 'Son of Heaven.' That little girl Zhaoge is ambitious, but not excessively so. That is correct."

Xiao Mo smiled. "When it comes to cunning, the cultivators of today are stronger."

The old temple master nodded. "Twists and turns—the mortal world has spent too much mental effort."

"What is Dao transformation?"

Meeting a rare old friend with whom he could drink freely and chat casually, the old temple master was moved and posed a question to himself, then answered it.

"Chen Ping'an's ancestral home in earthenware bottle alley—that is a form of Dao transformation. Li Xisheng's family mansion on Fortune and Emolument Street is the same. A single Luopo Mountain in the old site of Pearl Bead Cave Heaven is another example."

"First, one must not move. It is not simply oil floating on water, not a duckweed spinning in an eddy, not those boat-dwelling families of the Red Candle Town who are not even allowed to come ashore. It is like a nail deeply embedded in the geography and the heart, carrying a strong spirit and energy that can truly and lastingly influence the customs, human relations, and moral heart of a region. But such Dao transformation is still temporary, shallow, and not solid—merely footprints on snow."

"The Master Sanshan Jinhou once stayed in the house next to Chen Ping'an's ancestral home, but not for long. Qi Jingchun's old private school opened and operated for about sixty years. The backyard of the Yang family pharmacy, where Green Youth Heavenly Lord resided, stayed for ten thousand years. But when the people left and the rooms were empty, they became fleeting clouds and smoke, leaving only residual heart-threads and matter-veins that were hard to separate. None of these counted as Dao transformation."

The old temple master shook his sleeve, extended a finger, and drew a circle in the air. "More importantly, they did not form a small world that could circulate orderly behind closed doors."

"Of course, this was intentional on their part—not that they couldn't, but they were unwilling. Just as I deliberately left a well opening at the Grand Spring Mirage City when I was at the Contemplation Temple of the Eastern Sea, I never truly shut the door."

"Do you know why the Supreme Sage could not defeat the Dao Ancestor? It is because the Haoran World, though it exalted Confucianism alone, still had hundreds of schools of thought."

"For the Supreme Sage, every school of thought was a burden. If one tree flowers and a hundred flowers bloom outside, the scenery is splendid, but the master must pay the price of seeing a beautiful courtyard every day."

Hausu, the executioner of the Sword Qi Great Wall, had once used one of his natal flying swords, "Chan Juan," to perform Dao transformation on the Radiant Light, thus severing the Dao pull between the bright moon and the Barren Wasteland World.

Later, the sword cultivator Hausu lived there for a while to erase that "Dao trace," lest a great cultivator of the Azure Sky World come to observe the Dao, deduce more truths about that natal flying sword through this vein, and develop countermeasures early, thus losing Hausu's first-mover advantage in sword fights. Cultivators on the peaks, with very few exceptions, were happy to have several killer techniques specifically targeting sword cultivators.

The old temple master waved his sleeve, presenting a series of landscape paintings from various places in the Barren Wasteland. "As for this kind of passing by, don't look at the big changes now. It's like a person being wounded—soon they will heal themselves and gradually eliminate the influence."

These were the ten places that the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall visited during their journey through the Barren Wasteland, stopping here and there: the sect White Flower City, the ancient battlefield site Dragon Hong, the Great Sun Green Mountain, the Cloud Pattern Dynasty's Jade Edition City, Spring Ravine Mountain, Immortal Hairpin City, Wine Spring Sect, Yeluo River, Moon-touching Mountain, and the Bright Moon's Radiant Light.

Back in the secret realm of North Juzhou Prefecture, the "Sect Leader Sun" of the Xuandu Temple, who had arrived in Haoran as a guest, had taught a similar principle to Fellow Daoist Chen on that occasion.

Before that, Chen Ping'an had been pondering a question.

It was not a superficial attempt but an effort to trace back to the source.

At the water god temple in Cangyun Lake territory, Chen Ping'an happened to meet Du Yu. After they became acquainted, he asked Du Yu about a "dilemma" concerning a chivalrous swordsman who draws his sword to help the wronged without considering the overall situation.

Just recently, the temporarily unknown Liu Suo, in the study of the Blue Luan Kingdom, had given Chen Ping'an a speech that was simply meant to prove that he had "lived in this world."

The old temple master turned his head and asked, "Wang Yuanlu, I ask you this: ten thousand years is a long time, right? During this time, the mortal world has had brilliant people as numerous as oxen's hairs, countless heroes and talents. Yet in the end, only three have achieved the Fifteenth Realm. Is it really that difficult to produce one more One?"

Wang Yuanlu, who had retreated to a squatting position, ostensibly with his hands in his sleeves, was actually carefully examining the welcome gift inside his sleeve. It must be at least a dharma treasure rank, and a half-immortal artifact was not impossible?

If Senior Xiao Mo, the gift-giver, hadn't left yet, Wang Yuanlu, with his usual style, would have been like someone who had found a piece of gold and had to bite it to see if the tooth mark was real.

Hearing his master's question, Wang Yuanlu answered honestly, "The Three Religion Founding Ancestors have perfected merits and achieved flawless cultivation. They opened three great paths for the mortal world, establishing teachings and becoming patriarchs."

Xiao Mo smiled.

The old temple master said, "Speak human language."

Wang Yuanlu muttered softly, "A principle seen in books—how is that not human language?"

This thin Daoist, who had once been among the top ten young candidates of several worlds, came from the lineage of the Rice Thief Bandits. He was obsequious in front of everyone, gaining courage only in front of an acquaintance he had nearly mistaken for his ancestor, where he spoke with great boldness. Of course, the Daoist who avoided trouble whenever possible, if faced with an inescapable situation and chose to act, would go all out.

The old temple master chuckled. "We have a guest. As my first disciple, you should perform well. Has the immortal artifact in your sleeve warmed up yet? If I remember correctly, you haven't given your master a formal disciple-taking gift?"

Hearing that the gift was an immortal artifact, Wang Yuanlu immediately perked up. Suddenly, he became eloquent, as if saying a few more words would be the least he could do for such a valuable gift.

"The Three Religion Ancestors—they were geniuses among geniuses on the path of cultivation. They also had the advantage of being first movers. Like that most arrogant man in the world who wrote the line, 'I raise my head to see the bright moon.' Later poets writing poems about the bright moon had it tough. Writing 'I look up at the bright moon' was boring; if it wasn't accused of plagiarism, it was lucky. At best, writing 'I lower my head to see the bright moon' had some novelty. But writing about the moon in the water like that was ultimately not as majestic as writing about the moon in the sky. When applied to cultivation, the Dao was smaller."

"They each occupied one world, their Dao operations complete and unified. Heaven, earth, yin and yang, the three powers, the five elements, the sun, moon, stars, mountains, rivers—all sentient beings were walking on their Dao. None could escape the mold. No matter how many Qi refiners or cultivation paths there were, the Ascension Realm was only at the mountaintop, and the Fourteenth Realm was still in the mortal world."

Xiao Mo nodded.

The old temple master asked, "Then do you think, if the Three Religion Ancestors lived another ten thousand years, how could they have a chance to step into the Fifteenth Realm?"

Wang Yuanlu was silent for a moment, then said softly, "The best bet would be to change territories, like the newly formed Five-Colored World. It needs to be large enough to bear the Dao. Forging swords, practicing martial arts, merging the three teachings, cultivating ancient divine abilities—those are the only four paths I can think of."

"Why couldn't the Moon-touching Mountain Great Ancestor of the Barren Wasteland World step into the Fifteenth Realm?"

Part of it was that, back then, Chen Qingdu, along with Guan Zhao and Dragon Lord, jointly challenged Moon-touching Mountain with their swords, causing the human-demon overlord to miss the best time to unite with the Dao of the Barren Wasteland World.

Moreover, after that, the indestructible Sword Qi Great Wall and the deeply rooted Ten Thousand Mountains in the Barren Wasteland caused the Barren Wasteland World's "Dao to be incomplete."

The Moon-touching Mountain Great Ancestor was unable to reach the summit for a long time, which gave Zhou Mi an opening later.

These two places, compared to Bixiao Cave Lord's Contemplation Temple of the Eastern Sea in Tongye Prefecture, or top Haoran sects like the Dragon Tiger Mountain of the Central Divine Continent, or the Xuandu Temple and Huayang Palace outside the White Jade Capital of the Azure Sky World, were entirely different.

These sects, even with Fourteenth Realm cultivators sitting in them, still had a clear primary-secondary relationship with the Confucian Temple and the White Jade Capital, a distinction between master and minister.

But the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Ten Thousand Mountains were not like that. They had forcibly carved out a large piece of land from the Barren Wasteland World, standing in rivalry with the Dao of Moon-touching Mountain.

The old temple master asked with a smile, "Xiao Mo, do you know why the Dao Ancestor appeared in White Emperor City?"

The old temple master called "Xiao Mo" very smoothly by now.

Xiao Mo shook his head.

The old temple master sighed, "Zheng Juzhong is a very strange person. He has always wanted to prove that he is not the Dao Ancestor."

Xiao Mo asked, "If he thinks it through, regardless of whether the answer is yes or no, will City Lord Zheng turn the tables and become the master?"

The old temple master laughed heartily. This was the kind of casual chat he enjoyed.

Xiao Mo asked doubtfully, "Can it succeed?"

The old temple master stroked his beard and smiled, "Whether it succeeds or not, you have to try to know."

Just like his time at the Contemplation Temple, where he used the entire Lotus Flower Blessed Land to question the Dao of the lotus small heaven realm guarded by the Dao Ancestor for thousands of years, trying to overturn heaven and earth. In the end, he didn't succeed either, but the process itself was cultivation.

Take the present Azure Sky World. In the long run, the most significant threat to the White Jade Capital, in the old temple master's eyes, was actually the Runyue Peak formed by Zhang Fenghai and the martial artist Xinku's joint efforts.

Breaking away from the White Jade Capital in both name and substance—that was a true Dao transformation of heaven and earth.

If the Great Headmaster Kou Ming followed his master the Dao Ancestor's old path, even if he "unified the Three Pure Ones into one Dao" and returned to the White Jade Capital, it would be very difficult for him to reach the Fifteenth Realm.

Unless Yu Dou went on a long-distance sword journey early, uprooting and killing all the Qi refiners led by Zhang Fenghai, including Xinku, razing Runyue Peak to the ground and thoroughly smashing it.

But that was not Yu Dou's style.

Because Yu Dou liked to judge matters on their own merits, determining right and wrong solely by the matter itself.

In short, in Yu Dou's view, the entire world did not distinguish between inside and outside the White Jade Capital, or even between the mountain and the mundane.

As long as someone was wrong, if they fell into Yu Dou's hands, no matter who they were, what status or background, whether they admitted their mistake or not, whether they would mend their ways in the future, none of it mattered.

Moreover, if Xinku and Zhang Fenghai could not support each other for long and withstand Yu Dou's successive interceptions, what if Zheng Juzhong suddenly appeared as a wild card?

If the general trend of the world gave Lu Chen no choice but to enter the game, burdened with heavy karmic ties from the mortal world, unable to maintain his state of the "empty boat in heaven and earth," he would have to lower his Dao by one step or change his path entirely. Then, swept along by the current, unable to free himself, with the fourteen prefectures of Azure Sky, "Lu Chen" alone or even several prefectures—how could Lu Chen handle it? How could he talk about stepping into the Fifteenth Realm, which seemed only one step away?

Undoubtedly, Zheng Juzhong was an extremely pure seeker of the Dao.

But that didn't stop Zheng Juzhong from smashing the pot with a broken pot—he could fill the entire Azure Sky World with the heavy Dao traces after "scattering two or even three Fourteenth Realm Zheng Juzhongs."

That alone could change the heaven and earth of the Azure Sky World.

If Zheng Juzhong still had an ace up his sleeve and then broke through after destruction?

In this unprecedented "piece exchange" game, Yu Dou and the White Jade Capital certainly had a great many pieces, but they were still countable; the number was not infinite.

Once the game began, the pieces in Yu Dou's bowl would become fewer and fewer. Occasional additions would still result in a net loss overall, decreasing repeatedly.

But Zheng Juzhong, as long as he ensured that no one killed him and he didn't end up with his body and Dao destroyed, then even if his current number of pieces was far less than the White Jade Capital's, his board was the entire Azure Sky World, even Haoran, Five-Colored, and the Barren Wasteland. And the number of pieces in his bowl could continue to increase, more and more.

A new Martial Temple rose in the Azure Sky World. I, Zheng Juzhong, would be like the first god hung in the center of the portrait.

When chaos reigns in the world, the smoke and fire of war in the fourteen prefectures would provide the endless incense offerings for this new Martial Temple.

The old temple master looked into the distance.

He was afraid that Zheng Juzhong of the mortal world had colluded with Zhou Mi in heaven, that they were of the same kind.

This kind of collusion didn't refer to face-to-face discussions.

If that were true, Zheng Juzhong would surely have gone to the Confucian Temple's Merit Forest long ago.

No, it was an unspoken understanding, a tacit agreement. The two didn't need to say a single word or character, and it didn't even prevent them from being opponents at the same time.

They only needed to act as they willed, each going their own way, but one day, they would reach the same destination by different paths.

The old temple master touched the table with his finger, forming an ant at his fingertip. Ripples like lotus flowers bloomed, eventually solidifying into a clear picture with distinct veins.

That ant was like crawling on a large piece of paper with thick ink marks, trapped in a complicated maze where it kept hitting walls and had to take constant detours.

The old temple master smiled slightly. "A puppet on strings—if it doesn't know it's a puppet, that is freedom."

"The Dao offers no compensation. Or one can transcend the barriers of words and language. Or one can drag the morals and hearts of the world upward by one's own power. These are all forms of the Dao."

A hundred thousand years pass in the blink of an eye. People who drink water have long forgotten who dug the well.

Why must you know who brewed the wine to drink it? So long as the wine is good, it's enough.

Xiao Mo raised his wine bowl and smiled. "Sorrow comes again—when there's wine, drink."

The old temple master laughed heartily. "Xiao Mo, your skill at urging others to drink has become formidable."

Xiao Mo didn't take credit. He explained, "I only learned a few percent of the young master's skill."

Upon hearing this, the old temple master immediately turned his head, squeezed his throat, and spat on the ground.