Chapter 1085: The Avenger Breaks the Precious Swords

Chapter 1085: The Avenger Breaks the Precious Swords

The entire human world seemed to be waiting for a young eagle to grow.

Finally, Ning Yao grew into a pure sword cultivator of the fourteenth realm.

She had been entrusted with the greatest hopes and expectations, yet she never caused the slightest surprise or disappointment.

Ning Yao's ascension to the fourteenth realm as a pure sword cultivator was like Cao Ci's breakthrough to the eleventh realm on the path of martial arts.

It was a certain inevitability unique to them.

Cao Ci had already reached the God Arrival realm. If Chen Ping'an didn't pick up the pace, once Cao Ci topped the Martial God realm, Chen Ping'an could fully imagine that the next time he asked Cao Ci for a fistfight, the matter of being slapped in the face would come back to haunt him.

The territory of Cut Jade Mountain had once been an ancient battlefield for military strategists. The river remained the same, tides rising and falling.

Chen Ping'an asked with a smile, "Why did you come to find me first?"

Ning Yao said, "I arrived in the Grand Unity World early. First, I quietly went to the bamboo tower on Fallen Mountain, then I took a look at the school over there. When I heard your heart's voice here, I rushed over."

Ning Yao wasn't arrogant enough to think no one else mattered. In this rainstorm that the Great Sword Immortal had called "Heaven's Weeping," she could rely on avoiding the rain to break through to the fourteenth realm. This was because her Dao resonated with the Colorful World. But in the other four worlds, there must be other experts who had been preparing for a long time, waiting to use "getting caught in the rain" to break through their realms. Chen Ping'an had made many enemies, and too many cold, hidden gazes were fixed on him. So the first thing Ning Yao did after becoming a fourteenth-realm pure sword cultivator was to worry that some great cultivator might break through to the fourteenth realm before her or at the same time, taking advantage of the chaotic celestial timing to ambush Chen Ping'an.

So she had notified the Central Confucian Temple. To be precise, she had temporarily submitted a "travel permit."

Thus, Ning Yao's trip to the Grand Unity World wasn't just out of longing.

Chen Ping'an had an obsession with being a teacher. Back on the Sword Qi Great Wall near the tavern, he had taught children from Spirit Rhinoceros Alley and Beauty Alley to read, and he also worked as a storyteller, telling many tales of strange creatures. The Great Sword Immortal was quite gratified by this. The Sword Qi Great Wall had never rejected writing or learning; it just hadn't liked the Grand Unity World back then.

Chen Ping'an smiled and introduced, "Uncle Bai, this is my wife, Ning Yao. She shares the same name as that Ning Yao."

Uncle Bai nodded and said, "No wonder Chen Jiu has been so abstemious on Cut Jade Mountain, doing nothing but his official business and fishing every day. It turns out he already had someone in his heart."

Chen Ping'an sighed with relief.

Ning Yao laughed and said, "I'm very assured about him when it comes to matters of love."

Because she had appeared during the previous ceremony of the sword duel between Fallen Mountain and Sunlit Mountain, she used an illusion spell this time.

Uncle Bai, understanding the situation, smiled and said, "You two talk. Feel free to wander around Cut Jade Mountain. I still need to supervise the excavation at a few old pits."

At the same time, the old man spoke with his heart voice: "Don't rush off, kid. Make sure to take Miss Ning to our own tavern for a meal. Put it on my tab."

He was helping the kid save face. Her man was doing well out in the world.

To be honest, even if the woman in front of him carrying a sword case were named Ning Yao, and even if Chen Jiu were really Chen Ping'an, the old man probably would only sigh and say, "What a coincidence."

As if this pair of man and woman could actually be Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao.

No matter how much Bai Ni felt a sense of belonging to the Bamboo Branch Sect, he didn't think such a small sect could make this heaven-made couple stop here.

Especially since Chen Jiu had been an outer gate receptionist for so long.

The old man turned back to look at the scenery by the river. Countless apricot blossoms were beaten to the ground by the rain, laying out a path of flowers.

Chen Ping'an gazed at the old man's retreating figure and said with a smile, "Uncle Bai, it's settled. When I hold a banquet later, I'll send you an invitation. You'll sit at the head table."

Bai Ni turned around and smiled, "That's easy to say."

At the most, he would be drinking at the same table as a few Earth Immortals. Would his hand shake when he toasted them?

Bai Ni suppressed a smile and asked with his heart voice, "There won't be any legendary Jade Pure realm old gods, will there?"

Chen Ping'an laughed and said, "The Jade Pure realm doesn't get a seat at the head table."

At his and Ning Yao's wedding banquet, the head table would include his master, Fire Dragon True Lord, Xu Yuanxia, Chen Xi, or the current Chen Ji. There really didn't seem to be any Jade Pure realm cultivators.

Bai Ni nodded.

The old man understood. Now he knew how this kid had managed to win over the girl Ning Yao.

Ning Yao knew that Chen Ping'an always had good luck with elders.

Chen Ping'an had once given an answer that wasn't really an answer: these elders of different temperaments just liked the version of themselves when they were young.

Chen Ping'an led Ning Yao toward the river. Ning Yao asked curiously, "How did you manage to break through two realms in a row?"

She didn't use her heart voice.

Before Chen Ping'an could speak, Ning Yao explained, "Since I'm here, there's no need to speak in hushed tones. Below the fourteenth realm, if anyone dares to spy on this place, I'll notice."

If anyone wanted to be challenged by her sword, they could just try to observe the mountains and rivers through their spells. Unfortunately, the Yin-Yang family's Lu clan in the Central Continent had learned their lesson, or else she would have had a reason to visit the Central Continent.

Chen Ping'an sighed with emotion and nodded, "This is the fourteenth realm."

Even just calling out "Ning Yao" might be instantly known to her.

Chen Ping'an explained, "This closed-door cultivation was quite risky. I did the opposite, essentially doing the bottleneck work of the Jade Pure realm while still at the Nascent Soul realm. I left myself no leeway. I faced all my dark sides directly, questioned myself, knocked on my own heart's gate, set aside good and evil, and sought only truth. Plus, with this heavy rain, I received some unexpected Dao rewards. They were related to the book chest Grandpa Cui left on the mountain, and also to the copper coins and gold essence copper coins I placed twice at the Immortal's Grave. But these are the more obvious clues. To be precise, they are related to all my past experiences and travels, a kind of... echo. As for the talisman technique of splitting into nine, that took a lot of effort. To be honest, these ingenious ideas are quite clever, interlocking in a chain. Want to hear about them? Earlier at Fallen Mountain, when Old True Man Yu was a guest, he thought they were quite extraordinary..."

Ning Yao nodded, "Go into detail. I'm not in a hurry."

Chen Ping'an laughed for no reason, remembering something Zheng Dafeng had said. When it rains and there's nothing else to do, it's either fixing shoes or having babies. Hehehe.

After listening to Chen Ping'an's detailed description of that closed-door cultivation, Ning Yao nodded, "Walking a fine line, extremely dangerous. That... child. In the end, he chose to leave on his own. Maybe it wasn't because he recognized or accepted his grown-up self, but simply because he had a kind heart and didn't want you to be in a bind anymore. Of course, this is just my personal opinion; it may not be the truth. You don't need to feel any burden about it."

Chen Ping'an was silent for a long time. He had actually had a question-and-answer session with his own pure divine nature about this matter. Neither of them had a definite answer.

Bystanders see clearly. Maybe what Ning Yao said was the truth.

Ning Yao said, "Regardless, since you're already a Great Sword Immortal, the path ahead is wide open and very clear, right, Great Sword Immortal Chen?"

To a certain extent, the leap from Jade Pure to Immortal realm was a major hurdle, with more emphasis on "questioning the heart and seeking truth." But the leap from Immortal to Ascension realm was more about "cultivating power."

It was simply a matter of perfecting a nascent Dao heart along an existing path, discarding the dross, refining the soul. Cultivators would begin to reorganize their personal microcosms, selecting suitable energy palaces to cultivate meticulously. It was like building a cave heaven on top of a blessed land. Eventually, connecting the cave heaven and blessed land would lead to Ascension.

Each energy palace was an independent blessed land. Those born with good spiritual roots had more bowls to eat from—more blessed lands—and thus a grander Ascension.

There were historically about sixty or more recorded types of Ascension methods: daylight ascension, dragon riding, cloud lifting, crane riding, and house pulling.

So before Ning Yao came, her real worry, her greatest concern, was how Chen Ping'an would return to the Jade Pure realm, and how he would further progress from Jade Pure to Immortal. On the path of cultivation, there had never been a fool. So for a clever person to face an even cleverer heart demon was a colossal problem.

A ten-foot Dao meant a ten-foot demon. That wasn't just a casual Daoist saying. And the transition from Jade Pure to Immortal was said by some peak cultivators to be a rehearsal for the leap from Ascension to the fourteenth realm. Though Ning Yao didn't fully understand the deeper meaning, since the mountaintop experts said so, there must be difficulties. Yet Chen Ping'an, of all people, had broken through two realms in one go. Ning Yao felt a huge weight lifted off her shoulders. She raised an eyebrow—she hadn't chosen poorly!

Chen Ping'an deliberately ignored Ning Yao's teasing tone and said seriously, "When I go back to Ascension City, I must thank that child king Yuan Zaohua properly. That year, the little girl ranked me eleventh among the peak sword immortals on the city wall. Very farsighted. Next time we meet, I'll teach her a few good fist techniques."

Ning Yao said, "Over in the Colorful World, a bunch of middle-five realm cultivators have recently sprung up. I believe soon there will be a batch of secretive Jade Pure realm cultivators."

If she, as the nominal number one of that world, hadn't broken through to the fourteenth realm and opened a substantial gap between herself and all other cultivators in the Colorful World, the gradually stabilizing world situation might have undergone earth-shattering changes overnight.

Chen Ping'an said, "As the saying goes, 'Heaven knew the world would starve, so it rained grain.' Since heaven rains grain, one must strive and cross the river. If I hold back now, I'll end up like Cheng Yuanshan, the Arm Saint from the Hibiscus Blessed Land back then. I just wonder how many new fourteenth realm cultivators will appear in the Desolate World."

Once upon a time, there were: the Tuoyue Mountain Great Ancestor, Zhou Mi; the great demon who founded the Hall of Heroes in the Desolate World, Chu Sheng; Qie Yun's master, Lu Fayan, who was eaten by Zhou Mi; and Bai Ze.

Now, the nameless one, Bai Jing, Xiao Mo, and that group of ancient cultivators who had slept for a very long time—all were Ascension realm peaks with hope of crossing a major threshold.

There was also Xiao Xun, the former Hidden Officer who had entered the fourteenth realm early at the cost of "impurity." And of course, there was the sword cultivator Fei Ran, who had replaced the Tuoyue Mountain Great Ancestor as the ruler of the Desolate World. And that "Zong Yuan" with a pure sword heart.

The Three Teachings Patriarchs' scattering of the Dao, combined with the Grand Unity World's advance into the Desolate World, would not just possibly but certainly accelerate a handful of great Desolate World cultivators' ascents.

Ning Yao asked, "When will things wrap up in Jade Proclamation Nation?"

Chen Ping'an said, "In a few days. I'll visit on Qingming Festival."

Ning Yao asked, "Do you need me to stand guard?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head with a smile, "No need. At most, it'll be Ma Kuxuan and a reluctant Yu Shiwu—two Jade Pure cultivators. Even if they go all out, they can't make any waves."

Ning Yao laughed, "'Just two Jade Pure cultivators'? Now that you're a Great Sword Immortal, your tone has changed."

Chen Ping'an smiled, "After all, our Sword Qi Great Wall's Immortal realm sword cultivators can be considered equivalent to Grand Unity World's Ascension realm cultivators."

Ning Yao asked, "What now?"

Chen Ping'an said, "There are a few small matters to handle. Then I can dissolve the formation soon. The school is in a busy farming season; they're picking pre-Qingming tea. I gave the children a few days off. I'll go to the capital of Jade Proclamation Nation in person early."

Ning Yao said, "Then I'll take a trip to the Sword Qi Great Wall. I'll be back soon."

Chen Ping'an smiled, "Don't worry about me suddenly getting hit by a spell from a fourteenth realm cultivator."

Ning Yao said, "What if it's Wu Zhou?"

Chen Ping'an said, "I'll just return unreasonableness with unreasonableness and see who ends up worse off."

He still had a sliver of his mind wandering beyond the heavens. If Wu Zhou dared to take advantage, besides facing censure from the Confucian Temple, Chen Ping'an wouldn't mind appearing in the Azure Bright World in a certain pure divine form.

Ning Yao nodded, "Take care."

Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "Though I no longer have a yin spirit or yang spirit, I've already built a preliminary framework for a dharma form. It imitates the posture of Master Qi's dharma form during the battle at Old Dragon City."

"Also, Liu Xianyang once taught me a complete ancestral sword scripture on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Back then, the threshold for that sword technique was too high for me. I had the will but not the strength. I couldn't even start. Now I have a chance to try it. In the mental realm where I confronted my heart demon, I practiced it hundreds of thousands of times. I can't say yet how effective it will be, but the first target for sword sacrifice might be some remnant of the Desolate World hiding in Parasol Leaf Continent—a female sword cultivator using the alias Doukou, who is quite persistent."

"There are more truths, certain thoughts, that I've locked away and temporarily forgotten. Once I dissolve the formation, I'll tell you in detail."

Ning Yao hummed in acknowledgment.

Without lingering, Ning Yao silently crossed the sea. But she didn't head straight for the Sword Qi Great Wall. Instead, she went to North Ju Luzhou. She visited the heavily guarded Clear Cool Sect with a single sword slash, nearly cutting off He Xiaoliang's entire wrist. A pale-faced He Xiaoliang had no power to fight back. She stood in place, rubbing her wrist. The half-inch red thread she had deliberately left was already slashed to powder by Ning Yao.

Ning Yao didn't bother to say a word. She left North Ju Luzhou directly and went to the East Sea's Water Lord's Mansion. She met the woman formerly known as Zhigui. When Wang Zhu sensed Ning Yao's current realm, her face clearly darkened. When they first met in Mud Vase Alley back then, they had been like needle against pin—each disliked the other. So this reunion after many years still had nothing to say. Ning Yao just reminded her to watch herself. Wang Zhu smiled sweetly and said a few thorny soft words wrapped in silk, like "Congratulations, the youngest fourteenth realm cultivator in history, it seems unprecedented. Miss Ning's luck and talent are equally good."

Ning Yao twitched the corner of her mouth and left with, "Still the same as ever."

On the way, she passed the New Rain Dragon Sect. She hesitated but stopped there, meeting Nalan Caihuan, the new sect master, once.

Nalan Caihuan hadn't expected Ning Yao to already be at the fourteenth realm. She mistakenly thought Ning Yao was at the Ascension realm. After all, it had only been a few years since the entire city flew up to the Colorful World, and Ning Yao had already broken through three realms.

Leaving the Rain Dragon Sect, she arrived at the Sword Qi Great Wall ruins. Standing alone on one of the remaining city walls, she turned her back to the unfamiliar north and gazed at the familiar south.

Pei Min was hiding too well; Ning Yao could never find him.

So throughout this journey, Ning Yao kept hesitating whether to take a detour to find the great demon Yangzhi, who was now on Parasol Leaf Continent. She heard Yangzhi was by the side of the Great Spring Female Emperor, who was known for her youthful appearance. But after thinking it over, she held back. She believed Chen Ping'an could handle it better, just like when he challenged Sunlit Mountain. If it had been her, she couldn't have made those sword immortals on Sunlit Mountain smart and suffer for a long time, constantly disgusted by Fallen Mountain.

Ning Yao floated down from the city wall and looked up at the large characters carved there.

The newest carving was Chen Ping'an's character "Ping" (duckweed) chiseled into the wall.

Life is like duckweed, gathering and parting in haste.

Now, many traveling foreign cultivators would stop and linger in those large characters' strokes, which were like corridors or caves, drinking and chatting.

Thinking back, Ning Yao used to sit there often with her friends.

This return to the Sword Qi Great Wall, Ning Yao had a private motive: she wanted to be a persuader for Chen Ping'an.

She didn't care if Qi Tingji would bear a grudge, accusing her of poaching.

Qi Tingji, the old sword immortal who had also carved characters on the wall, was after all just a perfected Ascension realm.

Of the group of native Sword Qi Great Wall sword cultivators who had hidden their identities for years in the Desolate World and then returned from afar, only Xing Yun from Beauty Alley and Liu Shui from the Taixiang Street family had chosen the Green Lotus Sword Sect.

The others, like Gao Shuang, Guo Du, Huang Ling, and that group of upper-five realm sword cultivators, seemed more inclined toward Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect in Southern Brashear Continent. The Jin Gao family had a long and close relationship with the Qi clan, so that choice was understandable. The female sword cultivator Zhu Su, originally from Xuanhu Street, had been a family guest elder of the Qi clan; her choice was reasonable. Zhu An, who had once been part of the Hidden Officer lineage and a right-hand man to Xiao Xun, was from her same clan.

Huang Ling and Xuan Yang each had private sword immortal residences, reportedly named Vajra Slope and White Hair Nunnery. During their years of seclusion in the Desolate World, Gao Shuang and Mei Kan had each taken a Dao partner and a disciple, all Desolate World sword cultivators. Gao Shuang's partner, Ling Xun, was now apparently at the Jade Pure realm, but Mei Kan's direct disciple was an Immortal realm sword cultivator.

This group of sword cultivators—those from home and those from the Desolate World—Ning Yao had never met a single one. The intervals of years were too long; they were separated by too many generations.

When they had left their homeland to become death warriors in the Desolate World, except for Huang Ling and Xuan Yang, who had already made names for themselves on the Sword Qi Great Wall earlier, most were Earth Immortals, not even Golden Core or Nascent Soul. The archives at Summer Palace never recorded these things out of fear that the lists would leak and be traced by Tuoyue Mountain. In hindsight, this decision was both wise and overly cautious, because when Xiao Xun led the two Jade Pure sword immortals of the Hidden Officer lineage, Luo Shan and Zhu An, to defect from the Sword Qi Great Wall, she never, from beginning to end, helped the Desolate World uncover a single spy.

This showed that Xiao Xun did indeed hate the Grand Unity World, and by extension the entire Sword Qi Great Wall. She felt too stifled and chose to defect to the Desolate World. But Xiao Xun bore no grudges against those hometown sword cultivators who seemed to be waiting for a meaningless death.

Ning Yao walked casually across the old battlefield. When she reached a certain spot, she crouched down and pinched some soil.

On the city wall and along the wall, someone recognized the woman with the sword case on her back. Word spread, and suddenly there was an uproar.

The weight of being the number one person in a world recognized by the Dao was something all mountain cultivators understood.

So no cultivator dared approach her or exchange a single greeting.

Up on the wall, a group of cultivators from Vase Bottle Prefecture felt proud—Ning Yao was the Dao partner of their prefecture's Sword Immortal Chen. The other eight prefectures could eat dust.

Ning Yao quickly sensed the sword cultivator presence at Horse Ferry, so she called out.

Sensing the commotion at the Sword Qi Great Wall, Qi Tingji and Wei Jin quickly arrived on their flying swords, along with some unfamiliar faces. Without exception, they were all sword cultivators.

Ning Yao turned around and clasped her hands in salute to this group.

Qi Tingji, the highest in realm and with the best eyesight, suppressed the ripples in his Dao heart and only asked Ning Yao with his eyes.

Ning Yao nodded gently.

Qi Tingji didn't hide his bitter smile. If not for caution, he would have wanted to ask this Ning girl, who seemed to have broken through four realms in the blink of an eye, which Dao integration path she had chosen.

Wei Jin, the great sword immortal of Wind Snow Temple, said guiltily, "It was only with the Great Sword Immortal's help that I received a few gifts of sword intent from Senior Zong Yuan."

Ning Yao said, "If not for Sword Immortal Wei's own sword Dao attainment, the Great Sword Immortal couldn't have helped."

Wei Jin laughed, "That horizontal scroll at the tavern wasn't misleading."

After all, Sword Immortal Wei was the tavern's biggest customer.

As Desolate World sword cultivators, the woman Ling Xun and the "youth" sword immortal with the Dao name Zhen Ze were clearly very curious about this former unique genius sword cultivator of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Ling Xun introduced herself first: "I am Ling Xun, Dao partner of Guo Du."

The Immortal realm sword cultivator smiled and said, "I take my master's surname. My Dao name is Zhen Ze. I now go by the alias Mei Dandang."

Mei Kan rubbed his "youth's" head and said with a grin, "This disciple of mine broke through to the Immortal realm at over two hundred years old. Not bad aptitude."

Xuan Yang said bluntly, "We all received flying sword messages from Xing Yun and Liu Shui, so we agreed to meet Sect Leader Qi."

Xuan Yang and Liu Shui's master were old friends.

But Xuan Yang wasn't too keen on going to Parasol Leaf Continent or Fallen Mountain.

Huang Ling asked with his heart voice, "Ning Yao, I heard from Qi Tingji that after Chen Ping'an returned his realm, he fell to the Nascent Soul realm?"

Ning Yao nodded.

Huang Ling laughed, "Then I won't go to the Green Lotus Sword Sect. That Sect Leader Cui doesn't seem to be a sword cultivator, right?"

Mei Kan said with a grin, "First, Chen Ping'an was the Hidden Officer. Second, word is the atmosphere on Parasol Leaf Continent isn't good. So my disciple and I won't cause trouble for the Hidden Officer."

This was clearly a feeble excuse.

"Suit yourselves."

Ning Yao said with sparkling eyes, "But Chen Ping'an is now a sword immortal."

Her implication, excluding Qi Tingji and even Wei Jin, was that in a one-on-one fight, none of them would be a match for Chen Ping'an.

It seemed her mission as a persuader was in jeopardy. Ning Yao didn't force it. A forced melon isn't sweet.

Zhu Su suddenly said with a smile, "Even Mi Hu's little brother is now an Immortal realm? I might find an opportunity to visit the Green Lotus Sword Sect."

In her memory, there was only that ugly boy Mi Hu; she had no impression of Mi Yu.

But Zhu Su had heard quite a few rumors about the Mi brothers in the Desolate World.

It seemed this group of sword cultivators was set on staying at the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect.

Gao Shuang, Zhu Su, Jin Gao, Guo Du and his partner Ling Xun, Huang Ling, Xuan Yang, Mei Kan and his disciple Mei Dandang.

All were upper-five realm sword cultivators. Whether as elders or guest elders, just here, at this moment, there were nine.

If one added Lu Zhi, who was sure to reach the Ascension realm, Jade Pure realm sword cultivator Shao Jingyan, Jade Pure realm Drunken Yan Lady, and Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, could it be called the number one sword sect across all worlds? Now in the Grand Unity World, besides Yu Xuan's Peach Talisman Mountain and Zheng Juzhong's White Emperor City, how many sects could contend with it?

Had Qi Tingji, when he chose to stay in the Grand Unity World to establish a sect, been waiting for today?

Even Ning Yao couldn't help but ask, "Are there other sword cultivators joining the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect?"

Qi Tingji smiled and nodded, "Probably three or four more."

So it seemed that the sect that truly inherited the Sword Qi Great Wall's foundation wasn't Chen Ping'an, the last Hidden Officer, but Qi Tingji's Dragon Elephant Sword Sect.

Wei Jin joked, "It seems Old Sword Immortal Qi's reputation is still more useful than that of the young Hidden Officer."

He was an unregistered guest elder of Fallen Mountain, so he couldn't side with outsiders.

Qi Tingji nodded, "A sect where upper-five realm cultivators outnumber lower- and middle-five realm cultivators—our Dragon Elephant Sword Sect is unique."

So Qi Tingji, who had a touch of obsessive-compulsive disorder, had already decided to raise the sect's entry threshold another level. They had to pick the best of the best. For those sword immortal seeds sent one after another by various forces, they could teach sword techniques wholeheartedly, but none would be registered temporarily. Every young sword cultivator's inclusion in the sect's genealogy required his personal approval. Suppose the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect one day had twenty upper-five realm cultivators. Then the gold-and-jade genealogy would have exactly nineteen registered disciples besides the "sword immortals."

Qi Tingji planned to make a trip to Parasol Leaf Continent soon to personally invite that "Sword Immortal Xu Jun" from Golden Armor Continent to join the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect as the sect's law keeper.

Fortunately, it was Ning Yao who had come, not Chen Ping'an.

Otherwise, Qi Tingji wouldn't dare speak such big words. Hidden Officer Chen wouldn't be as easygoing as Ning Yao.

Ning Yao said, "The strong get stronger. I hope the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect can keep striving and contend for the title of the Grand Unity World's deepest sect foundation."

She would definitely be partial to Chen Ping'an and Fallen Mountain, but if the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect flourished, she considered it a good thing and would be happy to see it.

Qi Tingji asked with a smile, "Ning Yao, can I say it?"

Ning Yao asked in confusion, "Say what?"

Qi Tingji said helplessly, "Your realm."

Ning Yao laughed, "Why can't I say it?"

Only then did Qi Tingji reveal the heavenly secret to everyone with his heart voice: "Ning Yao is already a fourteenth-realm pure sword cultivator."

His subtext was: Our Sword Qi Great Wall finally has another person who has reached the pinnacle of the sword Dao.

Even though Qi Tingji was the most selfish among the sword immortals—to the point that Chen Qingdu hadn't wanted him to go to the Colorful World and had entrusted Ascension City to Chen Xi instead—in the end, Qi Tingji was still Qi Tingji.

Qi Tingji laughed, "Shall we go to the city wall?"

In the old days, those who deliberated on the city wall were all sword immortals.

The only exception in ten thousand years was when the Great Sword Immortal personally appointed Chen Ping'an to take over the Hidden Officer lineage's mess.

Ning Yao nodded.

They all flew up to the city wall.

On the wall, eleven upper-five realm sword cultivators stood, crouched, or sat in a line.

Some sword cultivators who had returned but found their homeland gone felt melancholy at the absence of that swing with clothes fluttering in the wind. Some missed the private sword immortal residences where they used to visit and drink. Some missed Beauty Alley. Some missed the Great Sword Immortal's thatched hut.

Ning Yao asked softly, "You didn't invite Old Deafy to join the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect?"

Qi Tingji shook his head, "He finally regained his freedom. Old Deafy wouldn't walk into a trap. Besides, he's hiding well. I doubt anyone will find him until the war is over."

Zhu Su teased with a smile, "Ning Yao, you came to be a persuader for your man, but you didn't recruit a single one. You're returning empty-handed. Doesn't that bother you?"

Ning Yao said, "Not at all."

Wei Jin said, "Ning Yao, help me pass a message. That ten-thousand-year-old pine on the Immortal Terrace—Chen Ping'an can move it if he wants. I agree. As compensation, let Fallen Mountain take good care of Wind Snow Temple's disciples in the future."

Ning Yao asked in confusion, "Are you planning to find an opportunity to challenge Zong Yuan with a sword?"

Wei Jin's silence was the answer.

Ning Yao said, "I'll go to the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains."

Qi Tingji said, "If you get a chance, visit the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect and see Lu Zhi."

Ning Yao said, "I won't persuade her to go to the Azure Bright World."

Qi Tingji laughed, "No need to persuade."

Ning Yao showing up at the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect would be more effective than any words of persuasion.

Ning Yao nodded, and her figure vanished from the wall.

As soon as Ning Yao left the wall, several sword cultivators simultaneously let out a long breath. After all, given their ages and Dao ages, they couldn't show weakness while she was there.

But they had to admit that being in such close proximity to a fourteenth-realm pure sword cultivator was stressful. Especially since Ning Yao was the number one person of a brand-new world.

Mei Dandang, one of only two outsiders, asked a very big question: "Between Ning Yao and Fei Ran, aren't they the most likely to reach the same realm as the Three Teachings Patriarchs?"

No one dared answer that question unless Qi Tingji spoke first.

After a long silence, Ling Xun asked with a smile, "I'm very curious about what kind of person Hidden Officer Chen is, to make Ning Yao like him."

Qi Tingji laughed, "He is an extremely stubborn clever man. Even if you walk different paths and can't be friends, it's best not to provoke him."

Xuan Yang exclaimed in surprise, "Such high praise?"

Qi Tingji put it in a more vivid way, "Just think of him as a younger version of White Emperor City's Zheng Juzhong."

Someone shook their head, clearly unconvinced.

Ning Yao arrived at that familiar mountain in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

She saw a sable-hat girl with flushed cheeks sitting on the cliff edge, staring blankly.

Old Blindy rarely came out of his thatched hut voluntarily. He laughed, "Ning girl is here! Oh, not bad! From now on, we'll have to address each other as fellow Daoists."

Ning Yao smiled, "Grandpa Zhi Ci."

Old Blindy nodded, "When are you having the banquet? Remember to reserve a spot for me. I want to sit at the head table."

Ning Yao said, "I don't know. I can't be the one to push him, can I?"

Old Blindy nodded, "That's not right."

The sable-hat girl perked up her ears, turned around, and said with a flattering smile, "Wow, are you Ning Yao? Our mountain lord's lady?"

Ning Yao asked with her heart voice, "Are you Bai Jing? Have you seen the Five Supremes of the Old Heavenly Court?"

Xie Gou rubbed her sable hat and said with a grin, "Except for that one, never. I've seen the other four from afar, though. I didn't dare get close. The Sword Bearer, the Armor Bearer, the Water God, and... who was the other one? Oh dear, look at my memory."

Ning Yao smiled.

Old Blindy chuckled, "See? She can't sleep around strange Daoists for a reason."

Ning Yao nodded, "No wonder."

Xie Gou curled her lip, "I'm busy choosing my path of Dao integration now. I won't argue with you."

Back on Cut Jade Mountain, after Ning Yao left, Chen Ping'an went down into the old pit to bid farewell to Uncle Bai.

On the way, he met two familiar teenage quarry workers, who were stealing a moment of leisure, drinking water and chewing dry rations. When they saw the outer gate receptionist, they didn't stand on ceremony and called him by name.

The young people who made a living on Cut Jade Mountain all liked talking to Chen Jiu. He had a good temper, was easygoing, could hold his liquor, and could spin out all sorts of anecdotes. A story that was five parts interesting from an ordinary person became ten parts interesting when Chen Jiu told it. He seemed to have an endless supply of local proverbs. Chen Ping'an asked the two boys what they were chatting about. One of them said with a smile, "We're talking about that Mountain Lord Chen of Fallen Mountain. He's good at everything—establishing a sect, finding a wife, taking disciples."

The other boy said, "Actually, Cut Jade Mountain isn't bad. The only difference between us and Fallen Mountain is that we don't have a Sword Immortal Chen who knows how to make money."

Chen Ping'an nodded and smiled, "You really understand Sword Immortal Chen."

"Chen Jiu, you've been around a lot. Have you ever seen Chen Ping'an?"

"Strictly speaking, twice."

Once on Duckweed Island in North Ju Luzhou, and once in the mental realm within his own heart.

One boy put his hands behind his head, "I wonder what I'd talk about if I ever actually met Chen Ping'an."

Chen Ping'an reached out. The other, thinner boy, familiar with the routine, tore off half a piece of dried plum vegetable pancake and handed it to Chen Jiu.

Chen Ping'an crouched down and chewed slowly, smiling, "Think hard. You can start thinking now."

The thin, dark boy grumbled, "Chen Jiu, you're supposed to be a receptionist. Aren't you embarrassed to keep mooching off us?"

Chen Ping'an laughed, "The receptionist deigning to eat your pancake is doing you a favor, you know. And you giving it every time shows you're generous. So that superfluous complaint—take it back."

The boy rolled his eyes. To be fair, if anyone was mooching, it was them. Chen Jiu never managed to keep any salted fish; they always ended up filching them.

The other boy, who had been seriously pondering the earlier question, snapped back to reality and asked, "Chen Jiu, didn't you quit as the outer gate receptionist? A good horse doesn't turn back to graze on old grass. Why'd you come back?"

Chen Ping'an chuckled, "A youth learns writing and swordsmanship, already has the eye to watch clouds. Amidst orioles and flowers, he cranes his neck to glare at the eight wilds. Recently he can gallop, not inferior to ancient heroes. His sword can rival one man, his writing enough to record names. The long wind enters his short sleeves, his inner hands feel like holding ice. Alone on an empty mountain, the case rattles last night. I, together with a few friends, have forged deep bonds in this life."

The boy sighed. Here he goes again. Chen Jiu's literary rambling was nowhere near as interesting as his earthy jokes.

Chen Ping'an smiled, "Want me to explain it in detail?"

The thin boy slapped his forehead and took out another pancake, "Alright, alright. I knew half a pancake wouldn't shut you up."

Chen Ping'an laughed heartily and didn't stand on ceremony with the generous lad.

A slender girl walked by, her waist delicate, her steps light. The boys immediately raised their voices.

In Parasol Leaf Continent, in the capital of Cloud Rock Nation, Jiang Shangzhen, along with Xu Jiaoqie (under the alias Luo Wan), found Wen Yu, the vice-mountain chief of Heavenly Eye Academy. After Wen Yu read Chen Ping'an's secret letter, he didn't hesitate at all. Instead, he helped "Luo Wan" devise a plan and finalize the details—how to impersonate the Wan Yao Sect's Sect Leader Han Yushu more convincingly.

Outside the capital, at Fish Scale Ferry, Liu Youzhou, Liu Suiyu, and Yu Juanfu went out to a small eatery. They got into an argument with a group of unruly mountain cultivators. The former had come for the local delicacies; the latter had come to the small eatery to experience the hardships of the common people. Seeing Liu Youzhou, who looked like a useless pretty boy, yet could bring two beautiful women to such a place to drink, they flew into a rage. One of them, a descendant of immortals, was used to bullying with his family background and wealth. When he couldn't out-argue the ever-smiling Liu Youzhou, he asked Liu Youzhou if he even knew who his father was. Liu Suiyu laughed out loud on the spot and said, "If you don't know who your father is, go ask your mother."

In Green Apricot Nation, Chen Ping'an, along with the Zhang clan of Heavenly Cao Commandery, took the initiative to find the old emperor Liu He and the nation-protecting true man Cheng Qian. They brewed wine around a stove and talked all night.

The crown prince Liu Yu, who was listening in, quickly turned pale and broke into a sweat. The old emperor, however, chatted and laughed with the youthful-looking Sword Immortal Chen, reviewing matters for Liu Yu. It was obvious that the old emperor had long seen all the problems in Liu Yu and the Eastern Palace. The older, the more cunning. Taking this opportunity, the aging emperor helped outsiders discipline the crown prince. In fact, all the Eastern Palace officials that Sword Immortal Chen mentioned, Liu He had already filed records on. He handed them all over to Liu Yu that night—who was a glutton and a good-for-nothing, who had true talent, how capable each was, where their strengths and weaknesses lay, how much property they had, how many secret lovers they kept. Their political achievements over the years and their private conversations had all been secretly recorded by the Ministry of Justice's archives.

In the capital of Jade Proclamation Nation, Yu Shiwu and Ma Kuxuan met at a tavern run by a beautiful woman. Bent Ear Mountain had been renamed Waist Mountain, and the mountain goddess had changed her name to Song Ji.

As Chen Ping'an had predicted, Yu Shiwu still leaked the existence of that formation to Ma Kuxuan. After Ma Kuxuan thought for a moment, he just said, "Finish your drink and leave. There's no need to get involved in this personal grudge. Stirring muddy water on the mountain is worse than drinking murky liquor down below."

Prefectural Governor Wu Yuan of Chu Prefecture took off her official robes and privately visited the Mountain Lord Chen on the first floor of the bamboo tower. Her main question was this: Zhao Yao and the new ministry department under the Ministry of Justice could oversee all civil and military officials of the Great Li Dynasty, both in court and in the countryside. Then who would oversee Zhao Yao? Chen Ping'an said it would be Cao Gengxin and a secret organization called the Great Li Earthly Branches. So Wu Yuan asked, who would oversee Cao Gengxin and the Great Li Earthly Branches? Chen Ping'an said he would. Wu Yuan pressed on, asking who could oversee you, the new national teacher of Great Li? Or was there no restraint, only conscience? Chen Ping'an smiled and said nothing. Wu Yuan then brought up an old incident. Not long after the Master became the national teacher of Great Li, he had personally handled a muddled case. Back then, a courier report had gone missing—along with the courier and the official documents. Neither the Ministry of War nor the Ministry of Justice could find any trace. The two sides blamed each other. Instead of downplaying the matter or giving both sides a slap on the wrist, the national teacher had imposed heavy penalties on all involved. All officials—from the vice ministers of war and the Ministry of Justice officials overseeing post stations to the stationmasters along the route—lost their positions and were permanently banned from serving the Great Li court. Additionally, from the prefectural governor downward, all responsible officials were held accountable. Even a nearby mountain immortal mansion and several martial arts schools suffered undeserved calamities, either being imprisoned or expelled. After that, whenever a courier report went missing, the court's accountability process, whom to hold responsible, and the severity of punishment all followed this case as a precedent, becoming standard practice for Great Li. Hearing this, Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Wu Yuan, I know what you mean. And I know that this whole matter was deliberately orchestrated by Senior Brother Cui from start to finish. So you're asking me whether those officials who suffered collateral damage deserved to lose their positions, and whether the Great Li court was right to wrong them." At that time, Wu Yuan was sitting inside the bamboo tower's first floor, facing a brazier, warming her hands. She sat opposite the new national teacher. Wu Yuan nodded and emphasized, "As insiders, shouldn't we ask whether we deliberately wronged them?"

The Western March God Tong Wenchang, after eating a few bowls of rice porridge at Chen Ping'an's place, went directly to one of the two reservoirs, Staghorn Mountain. Before summoning the mountain god Chang Fenghan, Tong Wenchang personally visited a certain storeroom on Staghorn Mountain. He dug out all the files concerning the flow of civil and military fortune within Jade Proclamation Nation over the past century, brushed off the dust, sat behind a table, and began puffing smoke while flipping through the files. A group of assistant officials and clerks from the mountain god's archive department stood nervously in the corridor outside, not daring to breathe loudly, along with the two directors of the Civil Fortune and Military Fortune departments. They had no idea why the Lord God, who had almost never set foot on Staghorn Mountain, was doing this. Chang Fenghan put on his official robes. This high-ranking mountain god, second only to one on the Western March territory of Vase Bottle Prefecture, stood expressionless at the door, accompanied only by two trusted assistant officials from the Rites Department and the Incense Department. Chang Fenghan bowed toward the room but didn't speak or enter. Tong Wenchang didn't look up. Apart from the rustling of pages, only the old god's smacking lips could be heard. The room was thick with lingering smoke.

Chang Fenghan stood silently at the door for nearly a quarter of an hour before glancing at the department heads, who began to quietly leave the corridor.

Tong Wenchang finally spoke, "Mountain God Chang, are you worried about airing your family's dirty laundry?"

Chang Fenghan hesitated. As soon as Lord God Tong said this, the officials in the corridor froze like nails driven into the ground.

Tong Wenchang closed a ledger, shook the dust off a new one, looked up at Chang Fenghan at the door, and asked, "Do you know the female ghost Xue Ruyi?"

Chang Fenghan honestly shook his head, "Reporting to the Lord God, Your subordinate has never heard of this ghost."

Tong Wenchang asked, "Do you know Hong Zhongyu?"

Chang Fenghan nodded, "Yes. He was the Civil Judge at the City God Temple of the Jade Proclamation Nation capital. He was recently promoted to City God of Ling Prefecture near the Great Li auxiliary capital. Before Hong Zhongyu took up his post, he sent me a letter asking me to pay attention to the flow of civil fortune and the civil examination rankings in Jade Proclamation Nation over the past two years. Not long ago, I had Gao Congxun of the Civil Fortune Department check the archives. Gao Congxun's reply to me was that there were no errors."

Tong Wenchang said, "Gao Congxun."

A female official of the mountain god's mansion felt her head swell. Biting her lip, she moved to the door and prostrated herself on the ground, "Civil Fortune Department of Staghorn Mountain, Gao Congxun, pays respects to the Lord God."

Kneeling at the door, Gao Congxun's face was pale. Her earlier reply to her mountain god had actually been "no major errors," but she couldn't expose that in front of the Lord God.

Tong Wenchang said, "I promised National Teacher Chen that the Western March would give him a satisfactory answer. Chang Fenghan, Gao Congxun, tell me—how should we do that?"

Earlier, in that small residence, he had drunk a little wine with Chen Ping'an, accompanied by wild chives stir-fried with sauce. Though they hadn't known each other long, they understood each other well, so they spoke freely.

The young man said, "Great human world, great beauty of the world." The old man said, "Countless mountains and waters, what a great human world."

The rain was torrential, the sky and earth dark. A tavern by the roadside was still open. A single horseman arrived leisurely, holding a golden whip in one hand and a wine jug in the other, braving the rain to drink. The horse's hooves splashed mud.

Tomorrow was Qingming Festival.

But for the drunken young nobleman on horseback, it didn't matter. The Ma family wasn't busy on this day. Their hometown was far away; there was no need to visit graves and offer sacrifices.

Soaked by the rain, Ma Yanshan dismounted, hiccupped, and shouted outside the door, "Sister Song, Sister Song! I need your wine to sober up. Also, help dry my clothes."

He let out a surprised grunt. He thought it was strange—the tavern was clearly open, but the mountain goddess of Bent Ear Mountain hadn't teased him as usual.

Ma Yanshan hesitated, then composed himself. He hiccupped again and turned to leave, preparing to ride away.

At the tavern entrance, a black-robed young man stood, sneering, "Not stupid."

Ma Yanshan's body stiffened. He waved his hand as if to signal the family guards hiding in the shadows not to show themselves.

Ma Kuxuan rubbed his chin, "Stop pretending. In Jade Proclamation Nation, who would dare to make trouble for the Second Young Master of the Ma family? And you're too high-and-mighty to bring attendants."

Ma Yanshan slowly turned his head, looking at the young man who seemed both familiar and strange. He froze for a moment, then a flood of emotions hit him. He stood rooted in the rain, his lips moving but unable to speak.

Ma Kuxuan said, "Come in and drink."

Ma Yanshan wiped the rain from his face and strode quickly into the tavern, losing all pretense of a rich idler.

The mountain goddess personally heated the wine for the guests.

Ma Kuxuan said, "This is the third time we've met."

Ma Yanshan fumed, "Why don't you see our parents?! Just because you've become an immortal on the mountain, you don't even recognize your own father and mother?!"

Ma Kuxuan laughed, "I was never close to them since I was a child. There's no real affection. It has nothing to do with cultivating on the mountain or not."

Ma Yanshan's face turned livid with rage.

Ma Kuxuan said, "Earlier, when your family held a clan council, I sat on the beam with this mountain goddess of Waist Mountain and listened. From what I could see, there weren't many good people—just fools and mediocrities. You might be the only exception. You're not stupid. That's why I waited for you here to drink. But today's tab is on you."

Ma Yanshan ground his teeth, "I'll pay. Of course I'll pay. The prosperity of the Ma family of Apricot Blossom Alley is all thanks to you, Ma Kuxuan."

Ma Kuxuan turned to Song Ji with a smile, "Hear that? He's got a bit of cleverness, doesn't he?"

Song Ji didn't dare to respond and continued heating the wine.

Ma Yanshan downed a pot of the tavern's homemade yellow wine in one go. If he could beat the other man, he'd punch him in the face.

Ma Kuxuan asked, "Do you know who your enemy is?"

Ma Yanshan remained silent.

Ma Kuxuan laughed, "I'm asking you."

Ma Yanshan nodded, "I overheard something as a child, so I've been paying attention to my hometown over the years. I have an answer."

Ma Kuxuan said, "Did you ever try to do something about it?"

Ma Yanshan handed over the empty bowl. The mountain goddess took it and filled it with yellow wine. Ma Yanshan thanked her and downed half the bowl in one gulp. With a dejected expression, he said, "I tried. It didn't work."

Ma Kuxuan nodded, "Having the intention is good. That's already far better than those fools."

Ma Yanshan looked up and asked quietly, "Did you come to Yongjia County this time to take our parents and Yue Mei up the mountain?"

Ma Kuxuan laughed, "I can't take them. You can hide from the rain, but you can't escape the debt. And the debt collector is the most grudging person in Mud Vase Alley."

Ma Yanshan was terrified, "Even you can't handle it?"

Ma Kuxuan couldn't help but laugh, "Who do you think Ma Kuxuan is? All-powerful and omnipotent?"

Ma Yanshan asked, "Then why did you come to see me?"

Ma Kuxuan smiled, "I'll have Yu Shiwu take you to True Martial Mountain. There's only this one slot. Giving it to Ma Yuemei would be a waste."

Ma Yanshan said sternly, "I'm not going."

Ma Kuxuan said, "Who do you think you are to decide that?"

Ma Yanshan tried to speak again, but a sudden knock on the table sent him into a stupor.

At the school, nine talisman lights flashed and vanished into a blue sleeve.

The teacher told his two disciples and students that he was going on a long trip.

Zhao Shuxia and Ning Ji didn't ask further.

Chen Ping'an shrank the mountains and rivers, returned to the bamboo tower's first floor, took down the Night Tour sword from the wall, and put it on his back. He glanced at the couplet, walked out of the house, went to the mountaintop, looked at the two alleys in the small town, and then left the mountain.

Qingming Festival.

In the capital of Jade Proclamation Nation, Yongjia County.

A figure in a blue robe with a sword on his back walked through the streets holding an umbrella. He stopped at the entrance of a large mansion and closed his umbrella.

The gatekeeper was a well-fed middle-aged man, a pure martial artist who also served as one of the Ma family's security guards. He asked with a smile, "Are you looking for someone? Do you have a name card?"

The blue-robed visitor smiled, "I'm looking for someone. I didn't bring a name card."

The gatekeeper was puzzled. Visiting someone on this day? Either he had a screw loose or an urgent matter. Still, the gatekeeper kept a smile and asked patiently, "Who are you looking for?"

The blue-robed visitor said, "I want to see Ma Yan and Qin Zheng of Apricot Blossom Alley."

The gatekeeper scoffed inwardly. Who did this guy think he was to ask for the family head and his wife? But as the face of a great household, he asked again, "May I ask, who are you?"

The blue-robed visitor smiled, "I'm from Huaihuang County of Chu Prefecture. My name is Chen Ping'an, son of Chen Quan and Chen Shu of Mud Vase Alley. Just announce that."

The gatekeeper frowned. What was all this? Mud Vase Alley? Chen something?

Wait.

The Great Li's Chu Prefecture, Huaihuang County... Chen Ping'an?!

The gatekeeper swallowed and asked cautiously, "Which Chen Ping'an?"

Chen Ping'an narrowed his eyes, "Don't guess. Don't block the way. I know not only your name and surname, but also what deeds you did in the martial world back then, and what shady businesses you're running in Jade Proclamation Nation now. I know you better than you know yourself. I even know your ancestors for eighteen generations. My patience is limited. Go announce me now."

The good doesn't come, or the bad doesn't come alone?

Maybe the gatekeeper was so scared he grew bold, or more likely he simply didn't believe the man before him was that person. He sneered, "You really picked a good day to die."

Chen Ping'an smiled, "Fair enough."

He reached out, grabbed the little grandmaster of martial arts by the neck, and tossed him inside the door. He didn't kill him—that would be too easy.

Just about to step over the threshold, Chen Ping'an withdrew his foot. He went to the main gate, kicked it to pieces, then walked in, carrying his umbrella and sword on his back. With a gentle kick, he moved the gatekeeper blocking the way to the side, sending him sliding against the wall. The blue robe walked straight ahead. A spirit screen wall in the path split open on its own, shattering into dust. Outside the Ma mansion, the rain poured heavily, but inside the mansion, the rain stopped without warning.

On the doors of the Ma family ancestral hall, two painted armored door gods shimmered brightly, about to manifest.

Chen Ping'an said calmly, "Back off. Stay put."

The two door gods were instantly trapped within the paper.

A cultivator elder rushed over on the wind, shouting, "Who dares trespass here? Do you have a death wish..."

Before he could finish, he seemed frozen in midair. The cultivator's heart was filled with terror. His mind raced as he began to proclaim his master's lineage.

Cultivators on the mountain had to consider connections and friendships. Without any enmity, why fight and hurt relations?

In an instant, the cultivator's vision blurred. When he focused again, his Dao heart nearly collapsed. In a daze, he found himself in his sect's ancestral hall. Lofty ancestral dharma forms, as high as mountains, looked down on him like an ant, cursing the rebellious disciple to die...

As he walked, the blue-robed man didn't seem to raise a hand. Martial artists fell to the ground on their own. Cultivators became possessed.

Entering the Ma ancestral hall as if into an empty land, Chen Ping'an saw a black-robed youth sitting on the steps, indifferent to the chaos in the family.

Chen Ping'an smiled, "Little bastard of Apricot Blossom Alley, long time no see."

Ma Kuxuan clicked his tongue in wonder, "I almost didn't recognize you, Chen Ping'an."

Chen Ping'an shook his sleeve, and two figures fell out—one was the unconscious Ma Yanshan, the other the dead Yu Shiwu.

Ma Kuxuan's expression finally turned serious.

Chen Ping'an laughed, "Why haven't you activated the formation? Are you saving it for dinner?"

Suddenly, the world was covered in white mist, leaving only the sitting Ma Kuxuan and the standing Chen Ping'an.

Within a mountain-water barrier formation, the world was vast and boundless. The earth rumbled like thunder, and one hundred and eight majestic golden-armored spirits appeared.

They surrounded Chen Ping'an, who was as tiny as a speck of dust.

Ma Kuxuan could clearly see the sarcastic expression on Chen Ping'an's face.

Ma Kuxuan's heart immediately tightened. He looked around and saw that beyond the golden-armored spirits, one mountain was higher than the next. There was a sky beyond the sky—four supreme spirits appeared.

Four of the five supremes of the ancient Heavenly Court: the Sword Bearer, the Armor Bearer, the Water God, and the Fire God.

Ma Kuxuan slowly stood up and said with a bitter smile, "Chen Ping'an, you really dare to think."

Outside this all-encompassing world, Chen Ping'an found that old pair of dogs from Apricot Blossom Alley. He smiled, "I've prepared forty ways for you to die. With interest, there are even more. Don't worry. Pay them back slowly."

To hell with the avenger not breaking the precious swords.