Chapter 1101: Slaying a Flying Ascension in Passing

Chapter 1101: Slaying a Flying Ascension in Passing

Returning to the house, Chen Ping'an hadn't even stepped through the door when he heard Liu Xianyang's thunderous voice, boasting about how his sword techniques were divine and his heroism unparalleled during his visit to True Martial Mountain.

Gu Can couldn't be bothered to call Liu Xianyang out on his unprepared bragging. The guy had indeed gone to block the gate of the True Martial Mountain Patriarch Hall, but no conflict had occurred. The two male and female patriarchs of True Martial Mountain who had arrived together at the gate treated this sect master of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect with great respect. They even led Liu Xianyang to visit several sealed grand halls usually closed to outsiders. By the time Gu Can arrived, the leisurely Sword Immortal Liu was already sipping tea.

It was just that, to be fair, when Liu Xianyang got serious, he did cut a decent figure. Whether he was a sword immortal or not aside, he had the full bearing of a sect master.

When Liu Xianyang went to True Martial Mountain, he had flown directly to the Patriarch Hall on his sword. But when he left, he pulled Gu Can along to walk down the mountain on foot.

Facing an old True Martial Mountain patriarch who personally escorted them to the mountain gate, Liu Xianyang smiled and asked if he should make up for the missing courtesies.

The implication was that he could first pass through the mountain gate, then traverse the divine path, and finally walk back down the mountain.

The old patriarch, who year after year was responsible for adding lamp oil in the Patriarch Hall, smiled and said Sword Immortal Liu needn't be so polite.

Before descending the mountain, Ma Kuxuan had already voluntarily removed himself from the registry, leaving behind several extremely rare and precious treasures as a way to repay True Martial Mountain for their teachings, settling any debts between them.

Not only that, but on True Martial Mountain's tightly guarded gold and jade registry of disciples kept in the Patriarch Hall, even the names and Daoist titles of Yu Shiwu had been erased by Ma Kuxuan.

Gu Can saw Chen Ping'an slowly walk into the courtyard, looking even more listless than before. He sent a voice message, "What's going on?"

Chen Ping'an said, "Nothing serious. It's not something that can be explained in a few words. I don't have the energy to talk right now. I'll go over it with you when I get a chance later."

Whether it was because Liu Xianyang was broad-minded or just didn't notice, he waved at Chen Ping'an and said, "Come on in and have a drink."

Chen Ping'an replied, "Can't drink. You can have my share if you want more."

Liu Xianyang laughed heartily, "The hometown wine is sweet, and the hometown folks are dear. Almost forgot this isn't our little town."

When Chen Ping'an sat down on the bench, Gu Can looked outside and asked out of the blue, "Could we say that rain is basically money falling?"

Liu Xianyang said carelessly, "Spring rain is as precious as oil, and a long drought is quenched by a timely rain. Every old saying makes sense. If that's not money falling, what is it?"

Gu Can didn't respond.

Gu Lingyan was curious about what the young hidden official would say.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an just echoed, "You could look at it that way."

Gu Can glanced at Liu Xianyang. A lucky guess?

Liu Xianyang was furious. "The two of you never spent a day in a proper school, yet you look down on someone like me who's actually been properly educated?"

Noticing Chen Ping'an's expression, Liu Xianyang understood and shook his head. This whole scattering of the Way by the Three Patriarchs hadn't benefited his own path at all.

Gu Can suddenly said, "Hey, Liu, when exactly are you having your wedding banquet? Give me a straight answer. Can you move it up or push it back?"

Liu Xianyang sprayed a mouthful of wine at Gu Can. Gu Can waved his sleeve to disperse the projectiles. Liu Xianyang cursed, "You little snot-nosed brat, if you don't want to be a groomsman, just say so! You think I care?"

Gu Can said testily, "I don't care about being a groomsman. I just want to listen at the wall on your wedding night."

Liu Xianyang immediately backed down, grumbling, "Let's skip that vulgar custom if we can."

Chen Ping'an found it strange and sent a voice message, "Jade Declaration Kingdom isn't close to True Martial Mountain. How did you two get back and forth? Did you use the Three Mountain Talisman?"

Liu Xianyang sneered, "In my spare time, Sword Immortal Liu created a sword-light teleportation technique that can split heaven and earth. It's no slower than a Flying Ascension realm cultivator."

Gu Can said, "White Emperor City has a secret teleportation technique, but it's expensive to use. That's the only downside."

For most registered cultivators in a sect, they would beg for Dao techniques. But in White Emperor City, Gu Can just picked and chose whatever techniques he wanted to learn, depending on his mood and fancy.

Pu Liu and the others had long suspected it, but when they actually heard Gu Can say "White Emperor City" with his own mouth, they still... pretended not to hear it, pretending not to know who this young man in a Confucian robe sitting at the same table was.

Chen Ping'an sent a voice message, "Something urgent?"

Gu Can said, "Liu Youzhou just agreed to be my vice sect master. Both sentiment and reason demand that I go to Cloud Rock Kingdom's capital in Parasol Leaf Continent to meet this future right-hand man."

Since their parting in the Barren Wastes, Gu Can had Yu Juanfu deliver a few words and a gift to Liu Youzhou.

He hoped Liu Youzhou would serve as vice sect master of the new sect. From then on, everything within the sect—people and affairs—except for Sect Master Gu Can himself, would be arranged and assigned by Liu Youzhou.

Gu Can had also sent Liu Youzhou a small wooden box inlaid with precious stones. It was empty, but once the restrictions were successfully unlocked, it could be used to speak with Gu Can. Even if they were on different continents, there were limits on the number of words and time, directly tied to their respective cultivation realms.

Gu Can had always been the type to think big and act boldly. Since everyone was scrambling for talent, he wanted to grab hold of the richest future Qi refiner.

The one he had his eye on was Liu Youzhou, the future head of the Liu Clan of the Snowy Plains Continent. In contrast, people like Zhong Su of Yellow Oriole Island in Letter Lake were essentially optional.

Liu Xianyang rubbed his chin. "That's no small matter. I forgive you, little snot-nose. If you need to travel, get going. Just make sure you don't miss being the groomsman and drinking at the wedding. Chen Ping'an can handle the toasts, and you can handle the drink-blocking. With you two around, I won't have to worry about being forced to drink."

On the night of the wedding, I can't be snoring away till dawn.

Chen Ping'an hesitated, then said cautiously, "Liu Xianyang, could you hold your wedding banquet with Sheyue on the Mid-Autumn Festival this year? I checked the almanac and even asked the Ritual Sage. It's indeed a good day for marriage. But if you've already set a date, just pretend I didn't say anything."

Gu Can curled his lip.

If Ruan Qiong had already made arrangements and Chen Ping'an came with this, Liu Xianyang might not even let him be the groomsman, let alone drink at the wedding.

Liu Xianyang's eyes lit up. He rubbed his hands and grinned. "This kind of thing... you actually went and asked the Ritual Sage? How embarrassing! If possible—I'm just saying if—Chen Ping'an, you've got quite the face now. Why not just invite the Ritual Sage to come drink at the wedding? He could sit at the head table, and it'd be even better if he said a few words as a witness..."

Chen Ping'an listened with a headache, rubbing his brow.

But he seriously considered it. If he had agreed to take that official position at the Confucian Temple when the Ritual Sage asked, would it have been feasible?

Gu Can started pouring cold water on the heated sect master, sneering, "How about that? Want Chen Ping'an to drag the Ritual Sage along to listen at the wall too?"

Liu Xianyang quickly turned his head and spat, muttering, "Childish nonsense, childish nonsense."

Liu Xianyang drank a bowl of wine, wiped his mouth, and laughed. "The exact date for the banquet hasn't been set yet. Whether it's the Mid-Autumn Festival this year, I still need to discuss it with your sister-in-law and talk it over with Ruan the Blacksmith. Anyway, you two just wait for my notice on the date. Little snot-nose, you just go ahead to Parasol Leaf Continent. When you see Liu Youzhou, get moving quickly and establish the sect. Then the three of us will all be sect masters! Sounds good when people talk about it. Oh, by the way, Chen Ping'an, inviting the Ritual Sage to the wedding was a joke. Don't take it seriously. But there's one thing you absolutely must do for me: Ning Yao has to be your sister-in-law's bridesmaid! I'm not negotiating with you about this; I'm giving you an order. You must do it, hear me?!"

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.

Gu Can, for once, didn't undermine him. He nodded and promised, "Then I'll establish the sect as quickly as possible."

Not counting guest elders and certain anonymous, hidden offerings, the several hundred registered cultivators openly listed in White Emperor City had been split in two by Zheng Juzhong and given to his two direct disciples.

This meant that the two sects founded by Fu Jin and Gu Can would equally share this vast fortune that Zheng Juzhong had amassed over three thousand years.

It also meant that Gu Can, who had already grown his wings, would leap to become a prominent figure with significant influence on one of the continents of the Bright World.

Liu Xianyang sent a voice message, "Does this division of White Emperor City at this critical juncture mean you've been tacitly recognized as Master Zheng's final closed-door disciple?"

Gu Can shook his head, very certain. "I'm definitely not Master's final closed-door disciple."

Liu Xianyang asked curiously, "Does the City Lord favor you more, or Fu Jin?"

Chen Ping'an rolled his eyes.

Liu Xianyang was indignant. "What? When the big brother cares about his little brother, is that wrong?!"

Chen Ping'an tilted his chin. "Go on, go on."

Gu Can took a sip of wine and said slowly, "It's not about favors. In this division of assets, Fu Jin and I each have our advantages and disadvantages. As for cultivators—numbers and realms—Master calculated it very precisely. Besides Han Qiaose joining my sect, the entire Gold King City will also be merged into my sect, including two Immortal realm cultivators. Liu Chicheng and the Colored Glaze Pavilion will follow Fu Jin. There's an anonymous Flying Ascension realm cultivator, the chief offering of White Emperor City, who will serve as Guardian for Sect Master Fu Jin."

Gold King City in the Barren Wilds was governed by the female immortal Qing Jia, whose Daoist name was Yuan Hu.

She possessed a large collection of high-grade Dharma robes, including "Water Refinement" and "Banana Leaf."

Gold King City itself was a money tree that could keep profits rolling in.

Zhu Lian had stolen a fox kingdom from the Xu family of Breeze City.

Zheng Juzhong had relocated the entire Gold King City from the Barren Wilds.

That's what it meant to be in the same league.

"The rest are Jade Pure realm and Earth Immortal cultivators. Nothing much to say. Master believes their potential is limited."

"The only thing I find regrettable is that I asked twice but still couldn't get Master to give me a female cultivator from White Emperor City who's unknown. Her realm is average—on the surface, she's just a Jade Pure realm cultivator stuck on her path. But her identity is special. Having her or not makes a big difference to a sect."

Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue in amazement, enviously. He picked up his wine bowl. "The way this inheritance is split is unprecedented. It makes my mouth water. I need to drink to calm my nerves."

Chen Ping'an smiled and asked, "Does she have some innate divine ability?"

Gu Can nodded. "Something like that maid named Ji Qing who's with Du Shanyin."

Chen Ping'an immediately understood. He expressed regret for Gu Can. "That really is a pity."

Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue. "Money-grubbing. Old habits die hard."

The two ancestor coins of the world's snow money were naturally treasured by the Liu Clan of the Snowy Plains Continent. After all, their ancestor had made his fortune from that mine. Whether there was any manifestation of the Great Way in human form was unknown. If there was, in what form it appeared was a mystery. According to what the White-Haired Boy had leaked to Chen Ping'an back then, the ancestor coins of the world always came in pairs. This meant there were others like Chang Ming and Ji Qing in the mortal world.

Liu Xianyang asked, "Really not drinking?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "The spiritual energy of one or two pots of celestial brew is just a drizzle. It can't quench the drought of a human body's heaven and earth."

Liu Xianyang frowned. "That serious?"

Chen Ping'an said, "It's fine. When I get back to the mountain, I'll slowly recover. I can make up for it."

Taking a full-force killer move from a Flying Ascension realm perfect ghost—even with precautions—still left Chen Ping'an a bit unable to handle it.

It wasn't the physical pain or the damage to the body, nor even the turmoil caused by the agitation of the soul, which required Chen Ping'an to carefully harmonize and expend a great deal of mental energy.

The real trouble was that this malicious blow had nearly caused Chen Ping'an's "Sparrow in a Cage" to "leak its energy," like how the Yellow River Cave Heaven had been pierced through by Bai Ye's sword, leaving a hole.

This left Chen Ping'an with a lingering fear, a deep terror. The sudden disaster was made worse by the fact that he didn't even know the name, Daoist title, or master lineage of his enemy. Chen Ping'an was itching with hatred. He wanted to put on a heroic air, drink a few bowls of wine at the table to let Liu Xianyang and Gu Can relax a little, but he was afraid he would vomit blood while drinking. If not for the fact that his merit was insufficient to support a long journey to the Fengdu underworld, Chen Ping'an would really want to take Xiao Mo and Xie Gou on a trip to the underworld, dig three feet into the ground, and drag out that ghost. A fourteenth-realm candidate? Go ahead, stand in front of me, and let me see if you can kill me!

But Chen Ping'an knew in his heart that this ghost, since it dared to act this way, was not only hard to kill but even harder to find.

Unwilling to dwell on these annoyances, Chen Ping'an changed the subject. Looking at Gu Can, he smiled and asked, "And that Dragon Earl fellow?"

Gu Can said, "Gone without a trace. Chai Bofu wasn't on the list. I don't know where Master tossed him."

He was an interesting character too. When he went to train at White Emperor City, Chai Bofu's realm dropping was as common as eating a meal. No wonder Chen Ping'an asked about him. A kindred spirit?

Chen Ping'an asked, "I heard you took on a student?"

Gu Can was uncharacteristically embarrassed.

There was a rogue cultivator in the Jade Pure realm in Support Continent named Yellow Flower God. Because of a small matter, Gu Can had harassed him for over two years.

The man couldn't defeat Gu Can's diverse techniques, and Gu Can at the time couldn't kill him either.

Gu Can had extraordinary patience, sticking to him like a shadow, deliberately making his life miserable. It was like a pair of lovesick fools entangled in love and hate.

Eventually, Yellow Flower God was so grief-stricken that he was close to despair. Could you just let me eat a peaceful meal and take a clean shit?!

In the end, he had no choice but to admit defeat and apologize to Gu Can. But Gu Can said he wasn't sincere enough, so it didn't count. Let's continue to reason together.

Yellow Flower God nearly had a Dao-heart collapse.

Later on, Yellow Flower God followed Gu Can and performed the rites of a disciple. He underwent a complete transformation, changing his temperament, and became very dignified in both actions and speech.

It was considered a fun anecdote among the mountain communities.

For those who loved wine, wine was a worry-dispelling elixir, a nectar that could lead to enlightenment and immediate Buddhahood.

Liu Xianyang, for once, talked about his student days at the Chen Clan of Pure Confucianism. He reminisced about his former classmates. He remembered that the day before the Spring Purification Festival outing one year, two of his poor dormmates—actually from decent families with strict traditions in the scholarly house—thought that studying was a hardship. Their families wouldn't give them extra money unless it was for buying books. So the two scions of wealthy families often joked that they hadn't worn silk clothes until they were sixteen. That day, they planned to boil a few eggs for food. They boiled the water but didn't know how long it took to cook the eggs. So they poked one with a chopstick, found it wasn't done yet, and waited. Liu Xianyang, returning to the dormitory, was amused. One said, "A scholar is useless in every way." The other said, "There's nothing more useless than this."

Later, those two became a great historian and a famous economist in Southern Bodhi Continent.

Unlike Chen Ping'an, who grew more depressed as he drank, Liu Xianyang couldn't control his mouth once he started drinking. Two ounces of wine could produce the volume and bravado of two pounds.

Chen Ping'an suddenly stood up. "I'm going outside to see a friend. You two keep drinking."

He opened the door. In the sky, fiery clouds burned. In the afterglow of dusk, a young woman in a plain horse-face skirt stood there.

She was lightly made up, her brows faintly brushed, or perhaps the clouds had lingered on her face, reluctant to leave.

It was the female ghost Xue Ruyi, who had summoned her courage to "pass by" this alley. Whether she saw the Daoist Wu Di or not didn't seem important.

At the creak of the door, she suddenly caught sight of the unfamiliar man in blue. Her heart fluttered. But then she looked again, blinked her autumn-water-like eyes, recognized him, and curtsied. "Greetings, Mountain Lord Chen."

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Miss Xue, there's no need to be formal. Just call me Daoist Wu."

Xue Ruyi didn't know how to respond.

Just now, she had glimpsed the lively scene in the main hall. So many guests?

Ah, he was who he was.

As long as he didn't close his doors to visitors or seal his mountain for cultivation, wherever he stayed, of course, there would be no commoners among his guests—only the worthy and the brilliant.

Except for her quiet, ghostly residence? It was so lonely that she often sat on the swing in the twilight, waiting for the sound of cart wheels outside the wall.

Chen Ping'an smiled. "I won't be staying long. I'll be heading back soon. You're welcome to visit Fallen Mountain anytime you're free, Miss Xue."

Xue Ruyi nodded and smiled, her hands behind her back, her fingers twisting together. She tried not to be so nervous, not to make their distance so apparent.

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Miss Xue, if I may be so bold—once the capital's affairs are settled and the neighbor boy has his official career, would you like to establish a sect somewhere in Jade Declaration Kingdom? Or negotiate with the court to be enfeoffed as a mountain-and-river spirit to enjoy incense offerings? Or would you prefer to travel for a while and then find a quiet place for cultivation?"

Xue Ruyi shook her head, murmuring softly, "I haven't thought that far ahead."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and smiled. "For the first two options, there's someone inside—a friend I just made—who could help with both. He has connections with the Jade Declaration Kingdom court. As for the third option, that's not difficult either. I have friends managing affairs on the Five Islands Sect in Letter Lake."

Huang Lie had just stepped down as the national preceptor, but surely he could still put in a word for Xue Ruyi with the Emperor.

Liu Xianyang wouldn't miss this kind of excitement. He hurried over, leaning against the doorframe, watching with a grin.

Gu Can was afraid he might say something stupid, so he followed.

Sure enough, a dog couldn't change its habits. Liu Xianyang didn't disappoint Gu Can's expectations. Soon, he sent a voice message teasingly, "Chen Ping'an, you're really something now! Is this your way of keeping a mistress outside? Can't bring her to Fallen Mountain, so you stash her out here?"

He immediately took an elbow from Gu Can and winced.

Chen Ping'an continued, "If you think Letter Lake is too close, you could go to Green Tiger Palace in Parasol Leaf Continent, or Peace Mountain. Both are good places with excellent sect traditions."

Gu Can smiled. "If Miss Xue is willing, you could go a bit farther to Southwest Support Continent. Treat it like a sightseeing trip. There's a sect there with a strange name, 'Back Hill.' It's easy to find—just ask. I'm still an offering at Back Hill. I can write a letter of introduction."

Xue Ruyi smiled. "Are you trying to chase me away, Mr. Chen?"

Chen Ping'an was amused. For a moment, he didn't know how to explain. If instead of the woman in the green skirt at Chongyang Temple, he had encountered Xue Ruyi here—even with Lu Chen's mugwort "guarding the door"—the consequences would have been dire. Xiao Pu's realm was high enough to withstand the backflow in the river of time, and her body could bear the aftereffects, possibly even turning it into a benefit on her path. But Xue Ruyi might not have been able to handle such an accident. In many matters, Chen Ping'an didn't think the saying "once bitten, twice shy" was derogatory.

Xue Ruyi looked at the two at the door and asked, "Are you Sect Master Liu and Immortal Gu?"

Both of them were displeased.

Because Xue Ruyi had gotten it exactly wrong.

Maybe she thought the sect master of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect should be a gentle and refined sword immortal.

And that the reckless Gu Can of White Emperor City would be a joker, cynical and flippant.

Chen Ping'an couldn't stop laughing. "Good, good, good. Miss Xue, you said it well. They both feel like a shit-pot's been dropped on their heads."

But as he opened his mouth, he couldn't help coughing. He quickly pressed his fist to his lips to stop the laughter, though his face and eyes were still full of mirth.

Gu Can just smiled.

Liu Xianyang said sullenly, "Miss Xue, we may be familiar, but I have to say something. What kind of eyesight do you have? No wonder you let a wolf into your house and let Chen Ping'an stay at your place."

Gu Can said a fair word, "Who's familiar with you? Miss Xue..."

But before Gu Can could finish, Chen Ping'an kicked backward.

His long robe now bore a shoe print. Gu Can smiled and flicked his robe.

Xue Ruyi sidestepped, curtsied gracefully, and said with a smile, "Mr. Chen, I came today to thank you."

If you do a good deed, don't speak of it, especially not to outsiders.

If you receive a kindness, don't forget it, and it's best to tell others about it.

Chen Ping'an smiled and nodded.

Xue Ruyi thought seriously for a moment, then said, "As for staying or leaving, I'll decide later. If I ever have any ideas, I certainly won't stand on ceremony with Mr. Chen. I'll write to Fallen Mountain immediately."

The one who felt the deepest regret was not Chen Ping'an, but Huang Lie inside, who had his ears pricked up listening. He wished he could run outside and beg her... to ask for something!

If Xue Ruyi was willing to stay in Jade Declaration Kingdom, whether founding a sect or becoming a mountain-and-river goddess with a shrine or temple, it would be easy for him, Huang Lie, to say a word or two to Emperor Xue Feng.

Did the female ghost Xue Ruyi owe a favor to the former national preceptor Huang Lie? Of course not. It was Chen Ping'an, the intermediary, who owed a favor to Huang Lie, the offering of a certain sect.

Would Chen Ping'an need to repay the favor? No. And even if he tried, Huang Lie would absolutely refuse to accept it. As long as he didn't accept, it meant that in Gu Can's eyes, he had an extra "iron certificate of immunity," a free pass.

Huang Lie wondered whether he should talk to Emperor Xue Feng and have the court secretly support her a little.

Gu Can, with his back to the hall, sent a voice message, "Offering Huang, I advise you not to add superfluous things."

Huang Lie, whose thoughts had been seen through, was startled and quickly apologized.

Xue Ruyi left the alley, lifting her skirt, her embroidered shoes picking dry spots on the street.

She was truly grateful and respected that Mr. Chen.

But for some reason, she still felt that the roguish Daoist Wu Di was more interesting, more approachable.

Everywhere in life is a drinking table. Just hope the cup is always full.

Chen Ping'an packed up some luggage and personal items into a dimensional artifact. Of course, he didn't forget the fortune-telling stall that could be disassembled and reassembled.

One skill is one too few. In the future, when traveling, besides being a "pack peddler," he could also return to his old trade and set up a stall to earn money.

Chen Ping'an asked, "What about you? Going straight to Parasol Leaf Continent? Or taking a cross-continent ferry at Ox Horn Ferry?"

Gu Can said, "To Ox Horn Ferry."

Liu Xianyang asked lazily, "How are we getting back? The Three Mountain Talismans are too precious. Can't use them too often. We need to save them."

If it were just the three of them, it was simple. They could fly on swords or by wind.

Gu Can said, "I have a Flowing Cloud Boat. It's not slow. Once we leave the capital, I'll summon it, and we can take the boat back to Ox Horn Ferry."

Liu Xianyang clicked his tongue. "I've heard of that but never seen it. How did you get your hands on it, kid?"

Gu Can said, "White Emperor City has a few secret vaults, unguarded. I often go there to wander and clear my mind. One of the vaults used to store treasures held this Flowing Cloud Boat. Since it was lying idle, I refined it a bit and took it out."

Liu Xianyang was shocked. "So you're a thief from the inside? Doesn't City Lord Zheng care?"

Gu Can said, "Since he didn't stop me, that means he doesn't care."

Would Fu Jin dare? No, he wouldn't.

Liu Xianyang asked, "And the pile of treasures on the Flowing Cloud Boat?"

Gu Can nodded. "All mine now."

Since they weren't using voice messages, Huang Lie's eyelids twitched.

Truly a product of White Emperor City. Such a wild road.

After that, they all hid their figures and traces, quietly flying by wind out of the Jade Declaration Kingdom capital, arriving at a secluded mountain ridge in the Waist Mountain area.

Old Grandmaster Shen was only in the Golden Body realm and couldn't travel far by land, so he was the only one carried by the shoulder.

Gu Can took a miniature ferry boat the size of a palm from his sleeve. He first used a secret technique to unseal layers of restrictions, then tossed it into the air. It suddenly grew to the size of a normal ship, hovering eerily in midair.

Liu Xianyang boarded this renowned Flowing Cloud Boat of the Bright World and asked tentatively, "Sect Master Gu, could you ask Master Zheng if he's still accepting anonymous disciples?"

Gu Can sneered. "How about a godson? Want to be that?"

Liu Xianyang grabbed Gu Can's arm. "Besides City Lord Zheng, is there any other way?"

Gu Can lifted his arm. "Get off."

Liu Xianyang grinned cheekily. "Chen Ping'an's injured. You're worried about him. Taking it out on me—what kind of hero is that?"

Chen Ping'an asked, puzzled, "Can you really refine something as huge as the Flowing Cloud Boat?"

Gu Can grunted an affirmation. "White Emperor City has a lost ancient secret technique specifically for refining objects into emptiness. But the threshold for practicing it is high. As far as I know, only Han Qiaose is skilled at it. To master this technique, she once destroyed quite a few mountain artifacts, including more than thirty Dharma treasures. I paid a fair amount of attention to it, but still only learned a bit of the surface. It's not really entering the hall. If you want to learn, I can copy it for you later."

Chen Ping'an waved his hand. "Since it's one of the twelve major Dao techniques she swore to master, now that you've learned it, don't pass it on."

Gu Can said, "You and she already have a deal, don't you? Trade money for Dao techniques. It's negotiable."

Chen Ping'an glared. "Even someone about to be a sect master should know the rules of different sects! Don't you understand the difference between close and distant? Do you really think Han Qiaose won't be hurt?!"

After dropping that reprimand, Chen Ping'an went to pick a room to sleep in. He told Liu Xianyang to wake him up once they were out of Western March territory.

Liu Xianyang let out a drawn-out "Ow" and fanned the flames. "Kind intentions, but you get scolded for nothing. Someone's really bitter inside."

Gu Can, clearly with good intentions that had been treated like donkey liver, just snorted, but his mood had improved.

Gu Can let Gu Lingyan pilot the Flowing Cloud Boat. As for Huang Lie, Shen Ke, and the others, they could pick any room to rest in.

Liu Xianyang stuck to Gu Can like a shadow, which annoyed Gu Can, who had his own plans. "Why don't you just carry a chamber pot behind me?"

Liu Xianyang wrapped his arm around Gu Can's neck, grinning. "Come on, let's have a private chat between brothers."

Gu Can came to a room heavily layered with restrictions. He pushed the door open and stood outside. "Pick a few things, then get lost. One condition: no using dimensional storage."

Liu Xianyang complained, "What kind of brother are you, being so vulgar?"

Haha, he'd struck it rich! The room was filled with flowing treasure light, a dazzling array that nearly blinded Liu Dage's dog eyes.

Gu Can moved to close the door.

Liu Xianyang quickly reached out to stop it, putting on a righteous air. "You're vulgar? Then I can't be noble either! No way!"

Gu Can sat on the threshold, not bothering to care what Liu Xianyang picked or how many he took. Whatever.

A bamboo basket of fish, a leg of muntjac, a basket of eggs, half a steamer of buns...

When Liu Xianyang had sent these things to the little snot-nose of Mud Vase Alley back in the day, he hadn't batted an eye.

Entering the room was like entering a treasure mountain. Liu Xianyang touched this one, rubbed his face against that one, his eyes dazzled by the choices.

Gu Can didn't rush him. He just sat there patiently. Liu Xianyang turned and shouted, "Sect Master Gu, can I borrow a few dimensional artifacts?"

If he didn't make such a request, he wouldn't be Liu Xianyang.

Gu Can ignored him.

"Corrupting my Dao heart! I can't look anymore. I really can't look anymore. If I do, I'll start thinking about robbery and murder."

Liu Xianyang covered his eyes with one hand and groped his way to sit beside Gu Can, like two door gods.

Gu Can said, "Pick and not take? Careful, I might say 'you snooze, you lose.'"

Liu Xianyang laughed. "Forgot? I'm different from you and Chen Ping'an. When have I ever worried about making a living? When have I ever taken advantage of you two?"

Gu Can nodded.

Back in the day, Chen Ping'an's biggest dream was to grow up and go into business with Liu Xianyang, to make money together. He'd do the grunt work while Liu Xianyang made the decisions.

As for Gu Can, it was even simpler. He'd just tag along, eat and drink for free, and lie around enjoying life. After all, he was the youngest.

Liu Xianyang carefully took out a jade token from his sleeve and handed it to Gu Can. "Be careful. Don't drop it. This is an old thing with quite a history."

Gu Can took it, puzzled. "An early gift for my founding of the sect?"

Liu Xianyang laughed angrily. "Dream on! I'm showing off my family's assets. I have to save face!"

Gu Can asked, "Is it an unregistered ancient cave heaven or a broken blessed land?"

Liu Xianyang smiled slightly. "Cave heaven or blessed land, do you have one?"

Chen Ping'an had the Lotus Root Blessed Land. I have a small cave heaven. Only you, Sect Master Gu, are a bit shabby.

Gu Can suddenly raised his hand high, feigning to smash the jade token.

Liu Xianyang immediately begged for mercy. "No, no, no! Brother Gu, Brother Gu! I kneel to you!"

Gu Can casually tossed the jade token back to Liu Xianyang. "A country bumpkin who's never seen the world. Treasure it all you want."

Liu Xianyang caught it with both hands, gently breathed on it, and carefully wiped it with his sleeve. "An ancient Water Field Cave Heaven. Small territory, but great mysteries."

If not compared to White Emperor City, the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, now under Liu Xianyang's leadership, was actually not poor. Its assets were substantial, and on Vase Island, it was famously low on expenses and high on income.

As the last overseeing sage of the Pear Orchard Cave Heaven, Ruan Qiong had once made a deal with Old Man Yang, secretly "buying" a cave heaven and a blessed land from him.

However, only two people in the entire Dragon Spring Sword Sect knew this: Ruan the Blacksmith, who had gone off to focus on smithing and sword-making, and Liu Xianyang, the successor sect master.

Water Field Cave Heaven, also known as Green Sprout Cave Heaven, was not among the Ten Great Cave Heavens or the Thirty-Six Lesser Cave Heavens.

The Misty Cloud Blessed Land was a medium-grade blessed land. There were no people inside, only mountain spirits, water monsters, and flora spirits—truly a paradise.

One jade token bore the seal inscription, "Not the Azure Dragon overseeing waters, but land becomes gullies and water becomes fields." Another seal had the side inscription, "In the world, years are fleeting; here, mist and clouds abound."

A blessed land depended on the land and the people, on natural treasures. A cave heaven depended on heaven and the Dao, on hidden cultivation and immortality.

According to Ruan Qiong's plan, Water Field Cave Heaven would be managed by Liu Xianyang as a private dojo, a benefit exclusive to the sect master. It could be passed down from generation to generation. Whether each new sect master received a cave heaven ruined or enriched by the previous one depended on fate. Ruan Qiong didn't care about such things. In the mundane world, children had their own fortunes; how much more so for mountain cultivators seeking immortality?

The Misty Cloud Blessed Land would be given to Dong Gu, the senior disciple. But that created a headache: what to give to Xu Xiaoqiao of Boiling Sea Peak and Xie Ling of Horizontal Halberd Peak, also direct disciples? Especially after Xu Xiaoqiao took on a personal disciple named Li Shenyuan, Ruan Qiong became even more worried.

A sect that could possess both a cave heaven and a blessed land was the dream of everyone.

Before the Dragon Spring Sword Sect and Fallen Mountain, these "junior" mountain powers, the only sect on Vase Island that had achieved this feat was the Divine Declaration Sect. Heavenly Lord Qi Zhen simultaneously held Clear Pool Blessed Land and an unnamed cave heaven not listed in the official registry. The wonder of a cave heaven lay in certain unexpected "surprises," such as elusive Daoist auras from unknown origins, fragments of golden bodies washed and deposited by the river of time, or even an ancient supreme treasure naturally tempered by time. So, for a cultivator, possessing a cave heaven meant having an extra golden rice bowl bestowed by heaven.

Liu Xianyang said, "Inside this Water Field Cave Heaven, there's another layer of wonder I figured out myself not long ago. Sitting by the field, looking at the reflection in the water, then contemplating myself—it's perfect for practicing swords in dreams, with twice the result for half the effort."

"Ruan the Blacksmith guessed that Old Man Yang has even better treasures that would align with my ancestral sword scripture, but Old Man Yang was reluctant to bring them out back then. If I had known earlier that I'd become the second sect master of the Dragon Spring Sword Sect, heh, the backyard of the Yang Family Pharmacy would be my second home!"

Gu Can smiled without smiling. "What's there to regret? Just go build a good relationship with Li Huai. You might get unexpected gains."

Liu Xianyang rubbed his chin. "I'm not very familiar with him."

Gu Can said, "Chen Ping'an is very familiar with him."

Liu Xianyang laughed heartily. "That sourness is so unreasonable."

Gu Can asked, "Have you heard of the legend of the Ren Family Treasure Mirror?"

Liu Xianyang nodded. "When I was studying at the Chen Clan of Pure Confucianism, I skimmed over it in some strange-note book. Didn't pay much attention. It was called 'Flying Essence' or something, said by knowledgeable people to be a relic forged by an ancient great mountain's true man? Why do you ask?"

Gu Can gave a thumbs-up and pointed inside the room. "It's in there."

Liu Xianyang rubbed his hands. "Brother Gu, you're generous."

Gu Can said, "My master once said that Sheyue has an extraordinary background. She has the greatest potential to become that 'Past Life of the Bright Moon.'"

Liu Xianyang immediately scolded, "How presumptuous! No respect! Your sister-in-law's name is something you can casually call?"

Gu Can said nothing.

Liu Xianyang was silent for a moment, then said calmly, "She is herself. She doesn't need to become anything. If she wants to, I'll help her. If she doesn't, no one can force her to do anything. No one should talk to me about benevolence, righteousness, morality, gains, or losses. Zheng Juzhong is no exception."

Gu Can smiled. "I can tell. Master was just giving a friendly reminder, letting you prepare in advance so you won't be caught off guard when the time comes."

Liu Xianyang immediately clasped his fists and declared, "Master Zheng's righteousness is great. I am deeply grateful!"

Gu Can rubbed his brow.

Liu Xianyang shuddered, his expression strange.

How odd. He hadn't directly called Zheng Juzhong by name at all.

Gu Can smiled. "What, Master's chatting with you?"

Liu Xianyang said seriously, "Master Zheng praised me for being young and promising, with responsibility and ambition."

Gu Can chuckled. "If that makes you happy."

He stood up.

But he didn't close the door.

Liu Xianyang stood up too, asking in surprise, "Just leaving the door open like that? Aren't you afraid of thieves?"

Of all the thieves to guard against, the inside thief is the hardest. My Dao heart is limited. When I can't control my hands, don't blame me for not standing on ceremony. I'll learn from Chen Ping'an and know when to stop!

Gu Can walked away directly, smiling. "They were all your things anyway. I don't know what you were picking and choosing for. And borrowing dimensional artifacts—was that fun or not? Wasn't it embarrassing?"

Liu Xianyang was stunned for a moment, then lightly stomped his foot and asked tentatively, "Could it be?"

Gu Can said bluntly, "Yours too."

Liu Xianyang raised his arm and shouted, "Brother Gu isn't stingy!"

Gu Can, with his back to the guy, raised his arm and stuck up his middle finger.

Some people don't ask for a full cup; they just want a refill.

At the array nexus of this Flowing Cloud Boat, Gu Lingyan, who was steering, had changed outfits: snowy skin, pitch-black clothes.

She looked around with beautiful eyes and asked, "Young master, have you truly decided to locate the sect in Support Continent?"

Today, Gu Can was willing to chat with her a bit more. "Support Continent is a new chessboard with a new game. Actually, it's a better place to maneuver than Parasol Leaf Continent. The old sect forces have been swept clean by the Barren Wilds demons. If it were to set up the sect in the Barren Wilds, Fu Jin could do it. But Gu Can at Jade Pure realm isn't qualified yet. I won't beat my face to look fat. Besides, Master handing over the entire Gold King City to me is also a hint—don't aim too high. If Master moved Gold King City to the Bright World, and I turn around and put it back in the Barren Wilds, what would that look like? Besides, those years I spent in Support Continent weren't wasted. I have a decent reputation among the mountain communities. Sure, plenty of people call me arrogant, but not many say I'm malicious. Even if they hear about what I did in Letter Lake on Vase Island in my early years, they think... it's nothing. I guess compared to the Barren Wilds demons rampaging through Support Continent, it's far less severe. Chunqing, Xu Bai, and the others have to owe me one too. They can no longer regard me as a vicious criminal. In truth, without Cao Ci, we might have all perished. But because it was Cao Ci, many people in their hearts thought it was natural. They're grateful to him, sure. But whether they feel indebted enough to repay him is another matter. That's Cao Ci's loss from being Cao Ci. Gu Can, not expected to be anything, benefits from being Gu Can."

She asked with a smile, "Is that all calculation and reasoning? Doesn't young master have any selfish motives?"

Gu Can nodded. "Yes."

She was curious. "I'd like to hear it."

Gu Can smiled. "It seems Support Continent lacks someone like Chen Ping'an to Vase Island."

Gu Lingyan pretended to suddenly understand. Blushing like an innocent girl, she said shyly, "Young master, I have a little wish. If I can break through to the Flying Ascension realm, can you fulfill one request for me?"

Gu Can smiled. "If you reach Flying Ascension, I'll lie still and let you ride me wherever you want."

She said seriously, "Deal. No backing out."

Gu Can nodded. "Remember to learn a few Daoist bedroom arts."

This made her a bit disheartened.

Across the nine continents of the Bright World, the Central Earth Continent had too many masters. No one dared claim to be the absolute leader of the mountain immortals there.

Even Fu Lu's Yu Xuan, who had reached the fourteenth realm, was no exception. Even Bai Ye, the once most accomplished man in the world, wouldn't think so.

But the other eight continents were a different story.

For example, Fire Dragon True Man of Crouching Ground Peak was the recognized boss of both the righteous and dark paths in Northern Clam Continent.

Liu Jubao of Snowy Plains Continent had replaced the early "Seventy-Two Peaks' Master" Wei She.

In Southern Bodhi Continent, it had once been the pure Confucian Chen Chun'an, who carried the sun and moon on his shoulders. But now it had become Qi Tingji of Dragon Elephant Sword Sect.

In Parasol Leaf Continent, it had once been the Flying Ascension realm cultivator Du Mao of Parasol Leaf Sect. Now it was the Great Sword Immortal Wei Ying of Emerald Gui Sect, but he was barely filling the role and couldn't truly command respect.

The Grand Protector Jing Hao of the Green Palace, as the ostensible leader on the surface of Flowery Haze Continent, was also a figurehead. The true master of Green Palace Mountain was Chen Qingliu.

Support Continent and Golden Armor Continent had no such continental leaders at all.

On Vase Island, the one named Lu Yan, Dao name Pure Yang, had an erratic whereabouts and was still not very famous. He didn't hold up the facade but was the substance beneath the appearance.

If we weren't talking about cultivation realm but just reputation, maybe someone serving as the Great Li's new national preceptor in his capacity as the last hidden official of the Sword Qi Wall would suffice?

Gu Can tucked his hands into his sleeves. "Learn Dao techniques in White Emperor City. Be number one in Support Continent."

She blinked, her voice soft. "Young master, that still doesn't seem arrogant enough. Just being the number one in Support Continent."

Gu Can twitched the corners of his mouth, his face full of unrestrained laughter. "One day in the future, Zi Wu Meng, whose Dao name is Spring Night, will feel that her decision to be Gu Can's humble, head-lowered personal maid was a great honor—the single most correct choice she ever made in her life."

She lightly patted her generously endowed chest. "Young master, to be honest, I still don't think it's that great a feat. Not nearly arrogant enough."

Gu Can interlocked his ten fingers inside his sleeves and said gravely, "In the future, no matter how far Chen Ping'an walks on his path, I will walk abreast with him. No matter how high he stands on the mountaintop, Gu Can will stand shoulder to shoulder with him."

Gu Lingyan's lively eyes narrowed into a smile. "Does young master have the confidence to break through to the fourteenth realm in the not-too-distant future?"

The young man in the Confucian robe smiled faintly. "Wait and see."

On a mountaintop in the Barren Wilds, an old man wearing a bamboo crown looked up at the sky, opened his mouth wide, but made no sound. He just gently beat his chest, one blow after another.

As if he would suffocate otherwise.

The old man wept with joy, tears streaming down his face. He silently felt the thick aura of fortune rolling in from heaven and earth. "Fourteenth, this is fourteenth."

Heaven never seals off all exits. After a full ten thousand years, he had finally reached this realm.

Previously, when Chen Qingliu visited White Emperor City, he and that good disciple Zheng Juzhong had exchanged a few heartfelt words.

They discussed which Barren Wilds great demons were most likely to take that step and become the first to reach the fourteenth realm.

According to Zheng Juzhong's calculations, the answer he gave was extremely surprising. The order was: Wang Youwu, whose Dao name was "Mountain Lord"; Li Gou; Bai Jing; and an unnamed person.

Just as Zheng Juzhong had predicted, the first great demon in the Barren Wilds to successfully unite the Dao was precisely Wang Youwu, the one least favored by others.

Wang Youwu didn't bother to wipe away his tears. He slowly stood up, raised his clasped hands high, and declared in a sonorous voice, "Zhou Mi, I thank you here!"

On the Bright World, in the Liu Clan Ancestral Hall of the Snowy Plains Continent, beneath the "Four Waters Returning to the Hall" courtyard, Wealth God Liu was catching rainwater with his hand. He had stood there for many days.

For merchants to make money was as natural as heaven and earth.

And Liu Jubao's path to uniting the Dao could be divided into two veins. One of them, relatively simple, was spending money.

He had successfully united the Dao and reached the fourteenth realm.

This finally made it not entirely impossible to wrestle back the character "North" from Northern Clam Continent for the Snowy Plains Continent.

On the Azure Underworld, the co-sect master of Two Capital Mountain and Great Tide Sect, Zhao Ge's Dao partner Xu Juan, had been flipping through the Discourse on Xu Wugui by the Baiyu Capital's Lu Zhangjiao for days.

When Xu Juan turned to look out the window, the sky had already begun to lighten. As he put down the book, he inexplicably entered the fourteenth realm.

Thus, the first fourteenth-realm ghost appeared in the world.

Xu Juan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

In the Western Buddhist Kingdom, the sword cultivator from the Sword Qi Wall, Pang Yuanji, had for many years been following a monk with disheveled hair, as if he had never taken tonsure, carving five hundred Arhat statues together for the temple.

In addition, the monk would also sit cross-legged in the corridor outside the hall, concentrating as he carved a Buddha statue made of some unknown material.

For some reason, the monk carved statues inside the hall during the day and outside the hall at night, neither eating nor sleeping, resting or stopping, until he was haggard and exhausted, yet unwilling to rest.

Pang Yuanji once asked the temple abbot how many years this monk, who never spoke a single word, had persisted. The old abbot only said many, many years.

Pang Yuanji asked whether the monk was cultivating the "mouth-sealing meditation." The old abbot said that if not for the temple's protective array, every single subtle thought of that man would be a rolling thunderclap.

Pang Yuanji asked again why, after carving Buddha statues outside the hall for so long, the monk never gave them faces. The old abbot said he was still searching for his own original face. The statues he carved were himself.

Pang Yuanji couldn't help asking, "Is becoming a Buddha so difficult?" The old abbot said, "I fear it's difficult beyond difficulty."

Pang Yuanji asked his final question: "What about the monk's hair?" The old abbot said, "They are all obsessions he cannot let go. The more he cuts, the more they grow. The more he severs, the longer they become."

Several days of heavy downpour. At noon, the sky was as dark as night. No one knew how many more days it would rain before it stopped.

Today, Pang Yuanji sat near the monk. Usually, the monk carved statues outside the hall at night. Was this a breach of his own inner precepts?

Pang Yuanji had thought of directly quoting from scriptures, hoping inadvertently to help the monk a little. For example, "Why light a lamp in the daytime? Why burn a candle at noon?"

When the monk heard such words, he would stop his carving knife, look up, and smile at Pang Yuanji in thanks.

Later, Pang Yuanji learned from the old abbot that the monk had already read all the Buddhist sutras in the world. He had fully absorbed every recorded anecdote and clever retort.

Pang Yuanji was suddenly startled. The monk put down his carving knife, crushed the wooden statue, sat in the full lotus position with empty hands, shook his head, and murmured, "Ultimately, it cannot be done."

Pang Yuanji felt infected by the monk's sorrowful mood. This sword cultivator, who had been away from home for many years, also became a little downcast.

The monk looked out at the dim rainy curtain. Soon, he was relieved. If he couldn't become a Buddha, it wasn't like he had nothing to do. He brought his palms together, bowed his head, and chanted a Buddhist name.

The young-faced monk slowly stood up, turned, and walked toward the main hall. One foot crossed the threshold.

Pang Yuanzi, for no reason, remembered a story supposedly written by Chou Miao back home. Only Chen Ping'an had read it and said it was very good. Chou Miao had said he had nothing better to do and was just passing the time, so he had written it casually. But the young hidden official had said so, and the Summer Resort had started cheering, making Chou Miao very troubled. He regretted taking out a story that didn't yet have an ending. Now Pang Yuanji only remembered a few dialogues from it, which were deeply etched in his memory and unforgettable. In the book, a monk seemingly destined to become a Buddha asked his disciple, who seemed destined never to become a Buddha: "Disciple, while there is still daylight, why don't we continue our journey, walking one more stretch of mountains and rivers." "Master, why should we travel by day and not by night? Better to rest first. It won't be too late to set out tomorrow morning."

"Disciple, on our journey to the west for the scriptures, when will we reach Spirit Mountain?" "Master, you have traveled from youth to old age, from old age to youth, circling a thousand times like this, and it will still be extremely difficult. As long as you see your true nature, the moment you turn back, you are at Spirit Mountain seeing the Buddha."

The young monk withdrew his foot, turned back to the corridor, and actually walked down the steps into the rain.

With every step the monk took, his hair fell off of its own accord, and beneath his feet, a golden lotus bloomed, radiant and flowing with light.

When he stood still.

The heavy rain stopped.

To rest—that is enlightenment.

To turn—that is the Buddha.

A sword light, magnificent as a rainbow, arose from near Support Continent in the Bright World. With a sharp strike, it cut open the boundary between the living and the dead.

The woman looked around, spotted the City God Zhou holding a divine weapon, and went straight to the dojo abandoned by that Flying Ascension perfect ghost.

The Fengdu underworld was vast and boundless, very different from the living world. It wasn't just a matter of mountains and rivers blocking the way; there were hidden vortices of the river of time everywhere.

Ning Yao didn't exchange any words with City God Zhou or the various Yan Kings of Fengdu. She simply drew a finger across her brow. Blood poured out, as if opening a third eye.

She didn't even bother with harsh words for that fourteenth-realm candidate ghost. She just swung her sword once. In all directions of heaven and earth, densely packed golden sword lights appeared, like trees and flowers.

The enemy who had inexplicably become hostile was more than thousands of miles away. This brilliant sword light pierced through countless vortexes of time and space. The sword light followed like a shadow, and the ghost had nowhere to hide.

Since you were already a ghost and still sought death, I'll let you die again.

With a single stroke, she cut off the ghost's head. Whether it was sword technique, sword intent, sword method, or sword Dao, it was impossible to tell. The ghost, along with its entire soul and true body, was blasted to pieces by the sword light.

Ning Yao's expression was cold. She casually wiped the blood from her brow. The sword light trailed a golden river, and the long sword returned to its sheath with a clang.

Zhong Kui, wearing a bright red Dharma robe, arrived here. Standing beside City God Zhou and the others, he feigned calm and laughed loudly, "She is Chen Ping'an's Dao partner."

Everyone knew that. Zhong Kui didn't need to explain who she was.

Ning Yao pretended not to hear Zhong Kui's words. She clasped her hands in apology to the others, saying, "I'll try to make sure it doesn't happen again."

When they were certain that Ning Yao had left and returned to the Bright World, Zhong Kui said seriously, "Ning Yao is also my sister-in-law. I've already received the invitation to their wedding banquet. You haven't, have you?"

City God Zhou couldn't help smiling and asked, "Why haven't I heard the old scholar mention this?"

General Fan nodded. "Pei Qian, that little bookworm, is Chen Ping'an's first disciple. She doesn't even know about this. Brother Zhong Kui, you're something."

Zhong Kui showed no sign of embarrassment. He put his hands on his belt and said casually, "You may not know this, but given my friendship with Chen Ping'an, at their wedding banquet, Ning Yao will have to toast me more than once. Two drinks would be too few; three drinks wouldn't be too many."

City God Zhou asked, "Calling them Chen Ping'an and Ning Yao like that—aren't you afraid they'll hear you?"

Zhong Kui immediately shut his mouth.

Earlier, in the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, the old blind man had told Gan Tang that among the new fourteenth-realm cultivators, there would be quite a few with insufficient substance. But Ning Yao was the exception.

At that time, Gan Tang had actually been half-doubting, thinking the old blind man was biased toward Ning Yao and just said a polite phrase.

If this ordinary offering of Fallen Mountain had witnessed this scene, she would know that the old blind man's words had essentially no exaggeration.

All across the world, the fourteenth realm appeared.

Ning Yao casually slayed a Flying Ascension.