# Chapter 1117: Challenging the Jade Capital One After Another
The bamboo hut was separated from the corridor by a single wall, a hidden world within.
Inside, it was like a vast and boundless primordial void realm. Chen Ping'an sat with his eyes closed in meditation, legs crossed. Before him hovered a severely damaged bright red dharma robe and two broken sword fragments.
This was the price Chen Ping'an had to pay for his life-and-death battle with Ma Kuxuan.
On the dharma robe that had formed from his "immortal molting" when Chen Ping'an broke through to the Immortal realm, numerous "seal scripts" of various colors and depths stirred restlessly, as if trying to break free from their cage.
These were the true names of great demons that Nian Xin had once twisted into wicks in the prison and sewn onto Chen Ping'an's body using secret arts. Woven together, they resembled a vast patch of rooted duckweed, gently swaying with the water.
And the "roots" of this duckweed? They lay with Chen Ping'an, who had merged with half of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
The deeper the color of the demon race's script, the larger the ripples pulled from the dharma robe's watery patterns. None were below Flying Ascension or Immortal.
As for the true names of Jade Pelvis realm demon races, they lay low obediently. No matter how the embedded "waterweeds" of script struggled, they remained immobile.
Chen Ping'an was already at the Immortal realm. Unless they obtained a great opportunity, they could not break through this invisible barrier that was one of the manifestations of the Great Way.
This ethereal binding would persist forever in a form similar to Dao traces. It wasn't that with this binding, this "Heavenly Gate barrier," Chen Ping'an could directly decide whether a great demon broke through to a higher realm on their cultivation path. But at least he could infer a demon cultivator's current realm level, depth of cultivation, and even the quality of their talent based on the strength of these true names.
This was probably Chen Ping'an's hard-earned reward for "merging with the Dao" of half the Sword Qi Great Wall. A white-robed Chen Ping'an with pure golden eyes, wearing a Daoist crown, drifted back from afar. The style of the crown—perhaps having seen the golden crown of the "newly ascended" False Monarch of the Void from Fuyang Continent—had changed from a lotus crown to a more presumptuous style, and he had even given it a name: "Yujing Mountain."
Chen Ping'an had granted this counterpart a certain degree of freedom, mainly tasked with protecting and observing the Dao for Taoist Ding.
Without opening his eyes, Chen Ping'an's true body furrowed his brow slightly. "You've only just cut open the primordial chaos, at the initial stage of creating a new world. You're far from being able to slack off yet, aren't you?"
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an crouched beside the broken sword Night Travel. "The old saying 'the beginning is the hardest' doesn't apply here. Don't worry. When it comes to being a person, I have no right to say anything, but when it comes to getting things done, I'm definitely more reliable than you."
Chen Ping'an said nothing.
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an smiled. "Between the ninth and tenth realms of a pure martial artist, you need to crash through the Heavenly Gate. Similarly, today in the Barbarian Wilderness, among the Immortal and Jade Pelvis cultivators bearing true names, when they seek to prove the Dao and ascend, they'll also need to communicate and greet you."
Chen Ping'an said, "In the prison, I once asked Nian Xin when it would truly play a substantive role. Nian Xin's answer was the Flying Ascension realm."
Back then, Chen Ping'an felt that the Flying Ascension realm was too far away.
Once he broke through to Flying Ascension, he could trip them up on their path.
This situation was somewhat similar to a certain sneaky Fourteen Realm cultivator who forcibly interrupted Chen Ping'an's three sessions of refining swords, leaving even Bai Jing, who was helping protect the Dao, helpless.
That kind of underhanded trick couldn't kill Chen Ping'an, whose physique was tough and soul stable, but it could still disgust him—someone who rarely went into seclusion only to run into obstacles everywhere.
The key point was that Chen Ping'an wasn't sure if the other party would have a fourth attempt. This was the annoyance of having to guard against thieves every day.
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an said angrily, "How can you strip away even this kind of insignificant trivial memory from me?"
Chen Ping'an placed his hands folded on his abdomen, breathing deeply. With each exhalation, a brilliant, resplendent river of stars would appear in the boundless void, while at the same time, a vast sea of stars would vanish. Cycle after cycle, birth and extinction without end. The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an sat on the long sword he had temporarily pieced together. "If one day you break through to Flying Ascension, at most it would be somewhat interesting, but not very meaningful. At best, you can secretly trip them up, use distant means to disturb their minds, delay some demon cultivator's seclusion, and still worry that you might accidentally become a 'good deed' that helps them temper their Dao heart. Wouldn't that be counterproductive?"
"So, only when you become a Fourteen Realm cultivator will it become both interesting and meaningful." "This statement might not be accurate either. Whether we can become Flying Ascension depends first on the effect of this Dao observation. We need Taoist Ding to help us verify whether this Flying Ascension method is feasible. As for merging with the Dao, who knows how many years that will take. Who knows what the configuration of the several worlds will be by then? After a hundred years, even Fourteen Realm cultivators won't be worth much. Several worlds might have been shattered, or maybe peace will prevail? Don't let it be that after we've painstakingly merged with the Dao, the dishes on the table have gone cold."
Chen Ping'an acted as if he hadn't heard.
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an shook his sleeves, raised his arm, and brought two fingers together. He pointed from afar at a great demon's true name on the shattered dharma robe.
The true name of that Immortal realm demon was lightly pressed down, like a person prostrate on the ground, leaving a depression in the bright red dharma robe.
On the Barbarian Wilderness side, a great demon Immortal Lord, who was feasting with distinguished guests in his own Dao field, suddenly felt a stifling sensation in his chest and a tremor in his Dao heart.
He immediately ordered the activation of the mountain protection grand formation, unhesitatingly offered up two half-immortal artifacts as lifebound objects, and manifested his dharma appearance to carefully inspect his territory.
A perfectly good banquet full of honored guests was thrown into chaos. That Immortal Lord even began personally investigating whether there were spies hidden among the feast.
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an smiled. "Once you break through to the Fourteen Realm, even across an entire world, you can still execute those below Flying Ascension with a single point."
"And with my help, finding the traces of Flying Ascension cultivators will be very simple in the future. Aren't you quite yearning for the elegance of the 'private swordsmen' of the Sword Qi Great Wall in days past? We can certainly learn from that too. Sneak over to the Barbarian Wilderness, slaughter Upper Five Realm cultivators along the way—below Fourteen Realm, including Flying Ascension—cut through them all, kill a whole bunch in one go."
Chen Ping'an still had his eyes closed, speaking calmly. "Just because you ate a watermelon, you've gotten swollen-headed?"
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an was momentarily speechless. After sulking for a while, he wrapped his hands behind his head, shook the Daoist crown on his head, and self-deprecatingly said, "You're pretty hard on yourself."
Chen Ping'an smiled slightly. "You've got it reversed. I've always been lenient with myself and strict with others."
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an wanted to go back. The preface and opening of that youth book carefully compiled for Taoist Ding were quite good.
Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and said, "Since you're idle anyway, help me do two proper tasks."
With their minds connected, the white-robed crown-wearer naturally couldn't avoid or escape it. He had no choice but to jump down from the broken sword and wave his sleeve.
In the void realm, a majestic dharma appearance manifested, making the two Chen Ping'ans look as small as mustard seeds.
From that dharma appearance, the hair, nails, skin, flesh and blood, and sinews were all stripped away, leaving only a skeleton and countless meridians, along with the "qi mansions" serving as connection points. This kind of "hanging image" star chart diagram, Chen Ping'an had revealed twice before: once to his close disciple Zhao Shuxia, guiding him in fist techniques and teaching him how to use a single breath of pure true qi, like a fiery dragon coursing through water, in a more intuitive way—since it was called martial arts, where was the path? He explained the entire process to Zhao Shuxia. Another time was in the Big Wood Temple of the Lotus Root Blessed Land, preaching to the native qi refiners and martial artists, essentially opening a magnificent landscape scroll for both sides, so they were no longer like frogs at the bottom of a well, unable to see their hands in front of them. Whether practicing martial arts or refining qi, they could avoid many detours. In the eyes of the blessed land's qi refiners at the time, there were various guesses and explorations about the number of qi mansions in the human body. Sun Wanyan, who had decent cultivation talent, only dared to estimate around three to four hundred. But the hanging image that Mountain Lord Chen had revealed showed qi mansions scattered like stars, with a solemn aura—actually numbering over a thousand!
The crown-wearing Chen Ping'an looked up at the dharma appearance, dotted with golden lights inside. "The human body is a small heaven and earth. Each qi mansion is both a ferry port and a Dao field."
He raised his sleeve and pointed, "You haven't been idle either, have you? Using gold essence copper coins like this? Each gold essence copper coin is a talismanic boat anchored at sea?"
It turned out that the number of qi mansions in this image diagram was significantly more than the two publicly revealed images—at least four hundred more.
And the number Chen Ping'an needed to raise the rank of his flying sword Well-Moon, according to Zheng Juzhong's deduction, was exactly one thousand five hundred—no more, no less.
The old Flying Ascension from Fuyang, Yang Qiangu, said he was a ghost and also feared Zheng Juzhong. Indeed, such reverence was not at all excessive.
"Neighbor Wang Zhu deliberately chopped down and discarded the wooden puppet as defective goods, leaving it for you. That was your first contact with human acupoints. Back then, the key was thrown away by Song Jixin, but the wooden puppet was left by Zhigui. You had two awkward good neighbors."
"During your travels, you intentionally bought various medical books from the mortal markets, combined with the Daoist scriptures and secret manuals you collected along the way, gradually accumulating knowledge of qi mansions to seven hundred." "By browsing the secret archives of the Summer Retreat Palace and the treasured books in the Meritorious Forest of the Wen Temple, you meticulously recorded those 'chicken rib' secret realms that had been verified by predecessors as such, or those that had been lost because many immortal sects and schools regarded them as secrets not to be passed on. You gained great harvests. Actually, by this step, you had already obtained accurate markers for nearly one thousand and sixty qi mansions. Right?"
"Lu Chen temporarily lent you Dao techniques, and you explored your own heaven and earth, verifying and disproving those 'chicken ribs' respectively, gaining additional benefits in quantity. Plus, you traveled beyond the heavens with her."
"This is a result worth boasting about. Even if Yu Xuan knew, he'd probably be startled and say 'Oh, Fellow Daoist Chen' again."
"Where's the promised sincerity? Not giving all the qi mansion locations to Sun Wanyan and the others is one thing—they're outsiders, and knowing too much wouldn't be good. It would be a considerable variable when they leave the blessed land and travel outside. But why even deceive your close disciple Zhao Shuxia?"
Speaking to this point, the crown-wearing Chen Ping'an sighed, "Why deceive yourself, deliberately forget? With the phrase 'I have wrestled with myself for so long,' do you really need to split into two of me? No wonder Chen Qingliu, as an observer, says you're a pitiable person."
Chen Ping'an said, "So talkative."
The crown-wearer laughed. "You were always a talkative person. Once, you murmured to yourself among the mountains, and the mountains made no echo. Your voice would grow lower and lower, and your heart's voice older and smaller. Believe me, if you had someone to accompany you as a youth, walking the night roads with you, you'd be a talkative person that would definitely annoy them."
Chen Ping'an smiled dismissively at this, stood up, and looked up at the ethereal dharma appearance as tall as a great mountain. One thousand five hundred gold essence copper coins, glittering like stars, each guarded a human qi mansion.
Among them, the five lifebound qi mansions that housed great-refined objects had clear, vivid scenes.
Beyond these, there was even greater, boundless aura.
However, the other proper task was relatively more interesting.
Chen Ping'an had the crown-wearer create, within the mental image heaven and earth, a 'true' and a 'false' Chen Ping'an.
The true one was Chen Ping'an at this very moment. The false one was Chen Ping'an with all talismanic script techniques removed.
They faced off and fought fiercely. The former won without suspense, defeating the first-class inferior version of himself.
Chen Ping'an shook his head, still unsatisfied, intending to make the disparity even greater. "Then remove all external dharma artifacts and all memories of related techniques and supernatural powers from the latter."
The former crushed the latter with overwhelming ease, defeating that almost-counterfeit Chen Ping'an.
Chen Ping'an continued, "Also remove the latter's martial artist identity."
The crown-wearer shook his head helplessly. "Meaningless."
Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment, then said, "Then let each remove half, retaining only the sword cultivator and martial artist identities, pitting pure against pure."
The crown-wearer laughed. "Now that's more like it."
Chen Ping'an, while concentrating on observing the battle, took out a treasure from his sleeve—a dark green dharma blade obtained from the Immortal Han Yushu. This item had a significant origin; it was acquired by the founding patriarch of Wanyao Sect from the Green Cloud Cave Heaven.
The crown-wearer glanced at that dharma blade, which even Han Yushu couldn't great-refine, and sensed a certain thought from the true body. He asked curiously, "Is it really necessary?"
Chen Ping'an said, "It is necessary. We'll have to try to know whether it succeeds or fails."
The crown-wearer warned, "Once you choose this path as a key auxiliary means for merging with the Dao, it will consume time, energy, money, and spirit. There's no turning back. If it fails, the loss will be too great."
A smile appeared on Chen Ping'an's face, his brows and eyes flying high. "On this path, proceed step by step, constantly correcting. What if it succeeds? If it really fails, consider it a grand string of firecrackers set off for the New Year!"
The crown-wearer rubbed his cheeks. "This is too extravagant."
One day, when the opportunity to merge with the Dao arrives, within a small heaven and earth of one's own—
Heaven and earth, people, and objects will resonate together, and spring thunder will explode in the mortal world.
The crown-wearer also laughed. "Just thinking about it feels extremely satisfying. So to hell with success or failure—I don't care anymore!"
Chen Ping'an's expression returned to normal, and he said calmly, "A Daoist should have this heart." Back in the prison, he had made a deal with the white-haired boy who still liked to call himself "Shuangjiang" back then. The total price was one Guyu coin. If the white-haired boy could earn ten Xiaoshu coins from him by his own ability, Chen Ping'an would be willing to speak a few good words for him before the old sword immortal, and the white-haired boy would have a chance to regain his freedom.
One of the Xiaoshu coins earned from the Hidden Lord Ancestor was for the white-haired boy to help Chen Ping'an find the six heir-apparent mountains that were connected by the Great Way to his ten lifebound qi mansions.
At that time, Chen Ping'an was about to break through to the Cavern Dwelling realm and finally had the opportunity to become a "Middle Five Realm Immortal," which he had long yearned for. The white-haired boy said that opportunity must not be missed—strike while the iron was hot. When opening the mansion, heaven and earth spiritual qi would pour back into the human body. At that moment, a single bit of Chen Ping'an's mind could, through the mysterious "marking the boat to find the sword" method, determine the precise locations of those six heir-apparent mountains.
Even earlier, when traveling through Tongye Continent with Lu Tai, Lu Tai had explained many insider details and cultivation techniques of the mountain realm to Chen Ping'an, who was an outsider at the time.
For cultivators, having more great-refined lifebound objects was not necessarily better. Only geniuses among geniuses were qualified to pursue that "the more the merrier" realm.
"Earthly talents" had no right to speak of this. Only "heavenly talents" could.
If cultivators could be considered lucky ones to whom the Old Heavenly Father gave food, then what Lu Tai called a "heavenly talent" wasn't just being given a bowl by the Old Heavenly Father—it was directly given a big pot and a dining table.
And such figures, rare even when looking across the entire world, were like far away—in the Middle Earth Divine Continent, there was a talisman user; in the Aiai Prefecture, a certain Wei. And close at hand, coincidentally, there were two.
At that time, Chen Ping'an looked at that fellow with the mocking smile and thought Lu Tai was a fool talking foolishness, so naturally he didn't take it seriously.
The crown-wearer said, "Lu Tai and the others have appeared at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Not many, countable on one hand, but among their group is someone like Yuanxiao from the Five Colors World."
Chen Ping'an laughed. "Can't even take care of myself, so I won't bother."
The crown-wearer said, "Taoist Ding's book is about to turn the page into the second chapter." Chen Ping'an said, "A noble descendant scattered among the market alleys, after going through hardships and suffering contempt, encounters an extraordinary person who looks upon him with favor and begins to walk the path of cultivation. Tell me yourself, isn't this opening cliché?"
The crown-wearer imitated the true body's tone, sighed, and said, "Great vulgarity is great elegance. I think this story's beginning is very satisfying."
Chen Ping'an glanced at the crown-wearer. The latter insisted on his opinion.
Chen Ping'an had to concede a step. "Add my travels with the incense boy. Remember to transition the plot naturally. Don't make it too abrupt, ultimately making the protagonist seem too much like a protagonist."
The crown-wearer looked stunned. "Even copying your own book? Not great, shows lack of learning and insufficient talent."
Chen Ping'an said nothing, his gaze fixed back on the dharma appearance. A decision had formed in his mind.
The crown-wearer had no choice but to raise both hands. "Shall we each get to work?"
Chen Ping'an nodded, sat back down, closed his eyes to rest, hands folded, thumbs touching.
He did not withdraw the dharma appearance.
"The one who dwells in mountains and cultivates the Dao"—time stretches long, thoughts myriad, unaware of the sun's rise and moon's set or the weather changes outside the mountain.
According to the white-haired boy's explanation, the three hundred fifty-six acupoints on the human body are equivalent to three hundred sixty-five ready-made cave heavens and blessed lands. They are what a person brings from the mother's womb.
This is the root reason why all spirits and monsters in the world must cultivate human form.
So Chen Ping'an, earlier at the Ma residence, had said to Yu Shiwu those heartfelt words: "This human body is hard to obtain, and hard to obtain again." Back then in the prison, when having Nian Xin sew on the true names, Chen Ping'an was at a low realm, and the number of mansions he could open was extremely limited. He opened only ten acupoints. At that time, the five elemental lifebound objects each occupied one mansion. The two lifebound flying swords, Sparrow in Cage and Well-Moon, plus the two flying swords First and Fifteenth that he could never refine into lifebound objects, definitely needed a place to dwell. Add the imitation sword Pine Needle and Cough Thunder that had to share a mansion—at that time, Chen Ping'an simply had no spare qi mansions to place them, let alone mid-refine them.
Back then, having this scale of acupoint opening was also thanks to the three strands of sword qi he obtained as a youth, which had helped open mountains and build mansions early on.
Otherwise, Chen Ping'an would have been even more stretched and at a loss.
As for great-refining certain external spiritual artifacts into lifebound objects, Chen Ping'an hadn't even thought of it. Refining things on the mountain—didn't that cost money? I have no money! Besides, not all spiritual treasures were suitable for mid-refining or great-refining. History often recorded great cultivators staring helplessly at an immortal artifact for centuries, either unable to find the method, unable to break through layer after layer of restrictions, or the person and the supreme treasure not being compatible with the Great Way. They could only reluctantly pass it on to a direct disciple or a grand-disciple.
Times were different now.
By the time the crown-wearer came to visit this scene again, he clicked his tongue in wonder. Truly oneself, such a bold move.
What his eyes saw was both lofty and profound. The ten heir-apparent mountains he had found had all been refined into lifebound objects by Chen Ping'an's true body, like deploying troops and generals, stationed in the mansions. They perfectly matched the five elemental lifebound objects, with a "one master, two followers" relationship. The former had the authority to reward the latter, while the latter had the duty of paying tribute and offerings to the former.
The imitation swords purchased from the Hate Sword Mountain in the Northern Ju Luzhou had all been refined by Chen Ping'an. Not minor refinement—he skipped mid-refinement entirely and directly great-refined them into lifebound objects closely related to the Great Way!
In addition, there was the lifebound flying sword "" of the demon sword cultivator from Zhengrong Sect. The white-haired boy had given him a short sword engraved with the character "Du."
The quantity of qi mansions, the quality of Dao fields—I want both.
Greedy but unable to digest? In the Immortal realm, Chen Ping'an intended to go against the grain.
Very rogue cultivator!
Chen Ping'an ignored the crown-wearer's arrival and continued to sit in corpse meditation.
Like a deity in a shrine.
All his square-inch objects and inch-level objects were placed at his feet.
Obviously, in the path of refining objects, the true body had only just begun.
From a "leaving home" bundle merchant, to a "knowing when to stop" Hidden Lord, to Sword Immortal Chen—this lifetime of wandering and cultivation career had accumulated some possessions after all.
The crown-wearer paced slowly behind his back, his head always tilted up to look at the dharma appearance.
Within the lifebound water mansion, a Water-Character Seal rotated slowly. Below was a deep, dark pool with indistinct shadows, as if dragons swam within. The mansion had three walls, with vivid depictions of all kinds of water gods and water immortals.
In another lifebound qi mansion, atop the mountain shrine, a translucent imitation Yujing pagoda was built, exuding vast Dao aura.
In a deep, misty qi mansion stood a sword immortal banner, billowing loudly with brilliant treasure light.
In a newly opened qi mansion, a floating white jade ganoderma trailed rainbow light.
A hexagonal seal imbued with the true essence of thunder law and forming its own thunder realm hung high in the sky, lightning flashing and thunder rumbling, like a deity driving thousands of golden whips, constantly flogging and compacting the earth of the entire qi mansion.
There were also several dharma robes of varying ranks that had been refined—some as large as the sky curtain, others covering mountains and rivers. Those of lower ranks were like a sea of clouds, mayflies dwelling between heaven and earth.
Old Man Yang once asked, "Chen Ping'an, have you eaten your fill?"
The answer was no.
---
Chai Wu was Wei Xian's disciple. Wei Xian had an addiction to officialdom, following the Great Li Iron Cavalry to the Barbarian Wilderness to accumulate military merit, leaving the young girl behind here.
Since Wei Hailiang said her talent was as good as his own capacity for alcohol, Chai Wu had a fairly good understanding of her martial arts aptitude.
Plus, later another incident occurred that gave her even more understanding.
That legendary Mountain Lord Chen—it was said he didn't even teach fist techniques to his own first disciple, let alone help others transmit the Dao. Yet this very Mountain Lord Chen, who never easily guided others in cultivation, personally transmitted the Dao and resolved her doubts. The result was somewhat unexpected—basically like talking to a chicken or playing the lute to a cow. Chai Wu then knew that she indeed had decent luck and could cultivate immortal techniques, but it was limited to "could"!
So when she broke through from the Willow Muscle realm, which some called the Retention Realm, directly to Jade Pelvis in the Changchun Cave Heaven of the Secret Snow Peak, Chai Wu was more stunned than anyone.
But she quickly figured it out—it must be thanks to the lifebound flying sword given by Mr. Xiao Mo. Besides, those who congratulated her were actually only her peers. Sect Master Cui did show up once and said some strange things, roughly praising her talent and asking if she, now an Upper Five Realm sword cultivator, was interested in calling her master and transferring together to the Green Lotus Sword Sect.
Every ferry boat, whether cross-continent or short-distance, required trial voyages.
Chai Wu took the Thunder Chariot ferry boat sent by the Yao of Great Spring to Green Shirt Ferry, following the steward Old Immortal Jia, heading north back to her hometown.
But Chai Wu didn't go to the Sword Worship Platform—she was quite annoyed with that Bai Xuan. She also didn't go to Fallen Mountain, mainly afraid of that second-in-command titled guest, a woman named "Xie Gou."
Because it was said she and Mr. Xiao Mo were Dao companions, the young girl felt a bit guilty, so she hid on the ferry boat, delaying going to Fallen Mountain or Qilong Alley as long as possible.
It wasn't really hiding—Chai Wu liked ferry boats, liked that feeling of being "high and mighty."
But when the Thunder Chariot returned from Northern Ju Luzhou, Chai Wu thought she might as well delay a few more days, go to Tongye Continent, and come back next time.
Then the Law-Keeper Changming came to Niujiao Ferry, appeared on the boat, and told the young girl that Xie Gou wanted her to go to Fuyang Foothills to have a few words.
Chai Wu grimaced but didn't dare refuse.
Arriving at that private Dao field of the mountain lord at Fuyang Foothills—it was a place so beautiful words failed to describe it, and also a very strange place.
In Chai Wu's field of vision, all the scenery was distorted in light, but you had to look closely to notice the traces.
It was as if all things in heaven and earth were composed of billions of fine silk threads, which perhaps swayed slightly when the mountain wind blew.
Xie Gou leaned against the corridor wall, squinting as she examined the young Jade Pelvis realm girl.
So this was the little girl who had obtained a lifebound flying sword stripped away by her Xiao Mo?
Changming nodded to the second-in-stand guest. The young girl had been delivered.
Xie Gou clasped her fists in greeting. That smiling long-robed woman was the Law-Keeper, a rank higher than her.
Changming patted Chai Wu's head and said softly, "Don't be nervous seeing our guest."
Chai Wu shrank her neck.
Changming took two pouches from her sleeve and placed them by the corridor.
Xie Gou asked, "What for?"
Changming smiled. "A little gold essence copper coins, for emergencies."
Xie Gou frowned.
Changming explained, "Don't worry, I didn't touch the principal."
Xie Gou finally nodded.
Indeed, Fallen Mountain didn't much like that kind of "I think so-and-so," "I'm doing this for your own good" attitude.
After the Law-Keeper Changming left the mountain, Xie Gou asked, "Can you drink?"
Chai Wu blushed and honestly said, "I drink a bit, whether I have business or not."
Xie Gou beckoned. "That's perfect. Let's have a few small bowls together, warm up our feelings."
Chai Wu sat on the steps, took off her boots, and sat opposite the mink-hatted girl. Between them on the corridor were two jugs of wine and two large white bowls.
Before drinking, Xie Gou asked, "Can you see the difference here?"
Chai Wu looked nervous. "What difference?"
Xie Gou retorted, "What do you think?"
Chai Wu's forehead broke out in sweat. Xie Gou smiled and gestured—stop sitting dumbly, start drinking.
They each poured wine properly, clinked bowls. Chai Wu, who originally wanted to just sip, saw the other woman tilt her head and down it all, so the young girl had to follow suit.
Xie Gou wiped her mouth and asked, "Little girl, do you know what a sword cultivator is?"
Chai Wu looked bewildered.
She had only been cultivating for a few days—how could she answer such a question?
Xie Gou changed the subject, repeating the content of the techniques she had passed to the eight cultivation seeds at Tiaoyu Mountain's Huaying Peak. "Do you understand?"
Chai Wu nodded. "I understand."
Xie Gou asked, "Can you learn it?"
After a moment, Chai Wu nodded. "Barely."
What Xie Gou saw was the weather within Chai Wu's human-body small heaven and earth. She had to admit, this "barely" was a very reluctant barely.
Actually, she had learned it all.
See, it wasn't that there was any problem with her own teaching—it was those students lucky enough to hear the Dao but too dull to comprehend who were inadequate!
Xie Gou poured another full bowl of wine, stuck out her thumb in praise, and said, "Wow, a little Bai Jing!"
Earthly talent to earthly immortal, heavenly talent to heavenly immortal—this was the simplest calculation method in the ancient tumultuous years.
In terms of talent and bone structure, in Xie Gou's view, looking across Fallen Mountain and the Green Lotus Sword Sect, among the younger generation, Cao Qinglang and Bai Xuan were both somewhat lacking.
Xie Gou now wondered if that little girl named Sun Chunwang would give her any unexpected surprises.
Probably like Wei Po said, in the eyes of these few mountain-peak cultivators, those below Flying Ascension were just so-so.
If raised another level, how did the older generation of Fourteen Realm cultivators view that batch of new Dao-consolidators who had risen in response to the times? Wasn't it the same?
Xie Gou laughed. "Our mountain lord hit the jackpot. No wonder he can't teach you Dao techniques."
Chai Wu blinked, looking incredulous, then quickly lowered her head to drink.
Xie Gou squinted. "Little girl, why keep playing dumb every day and deceiving yourself? Don't you trust this world at all? You're already Jade Pelvis realm, it's been so long—still haven't come around?"
Chai Wu hesitated for a moment, then raised her head, her eyes bright.
Xie Gou said, "Too smart for your own good. You can fool fools like Bai Xuan or Sword Immortal Mi, fool Cui Dongshan, but our Mountain Lord Chen?"
Chai Wu seemed about to speak but stopped.
Xie Gou asked, "Do you really like hiding on ferry boats so much? The farther from the ground, the higher, the better?" Because Chai Wu had a connection with Xiao Mo in the Great Dao, and Xie Gou was supposedly "a match made in heaven with Xiao Mo, might settle in a bridal chamber tomorrow," Xie Gou roughly knew Chai Wu's childhood experiences, how she met Wei Xian—Chen Ping'an had given Xie Gou a general account. At four years old, the pitiful girl, fleeing with her parents, was hidden in a ruined grand tomb in a hanging basket, which contained all the food they had left.
Chai Wu finished her bowl of wine, wiped her mouth with her arm, raised her head, shaded her brow with her hand, and said calmly, "I feel that the mortal world is in high places."
Xie Gou smiled, showing neither pity nor surprise, just raised her wine bowl. "Cheers."
Chai Wu poured another bowl of wine, blushed, and said, "Drinking too fast—I'm afraid I'll talk drunk nonsense or go crazy with drink later."
Xie Gou said, "Then just take a small sip."
Chai Wu, as if granted amnesty, said, "Okay!"
Xie Gou suddenly asked, "How about you become my disciple?"
Chai Wu shook her head. "I already have a master."
Xie Gou imitated their mountain lord, sighed, "Can't drink properly, can you? Not understanding the etiquette."
Chai Wu's gaze was firm.
Xie Gou, clearly having prepared her words, said, "You could recognize Wei Hailiang as your father—wouldn't that be doubly close? Then recognize me as your master."
Chai Wu was stunned on the spot. Could it be done like that?
---
Two visitors had arrived who, by all logic, should never have appeared in the Fallen Mountain territory.
One was a grim-faced young man, the other a thick-eyebrowed boy. They were both direct disciples of Ma Kuxuan.
Earlier, they had stayed on the summit of Sheyao Mountain, near the temple of the mountain god lady, watching the commotion in the capital of Yuxuan Kingdom from afar.
A white-haired boy suddenly appeared out of nowhere, asking if they wanted to ascend the mountain. If they did, they had to register their names.
The young man said his name and Daoist title were both "Wangzu." He wasn't ascending the mountain today—he was just here to find someone, their mountain lord, Chen Ping'an.
The boy, carrying a kindling knife at his waist, said his name was Gao Ming and asked the dwarf who claimed to be a registry official if he could also register without ascending the mountain.
The white-haired boy said there was no such rule. After asking Gao Ming's current realm and hearing he was Middle Five Realm, he lost interest.
If it were a rare Lower Five Realm qi refiner, maybe an exception could be made.
The diligent registry official now had two book volumes in hand—a main volume and a secondary volume.
The main volume, of course, recorded proper matters. The secondary volume? It recorded everything.
From the mountain side came an old man in cloth shoes, stooped. Arriving at the mountain gate, the old man gestured for them to go sit at the table and talk slowly.
Seeing that they didn't move, Zhu Lian smiled and introduced himself, "Zhu Lian, handling miscellaneous affairs at Fallen Mountain. Our mountain lord is currently in seclusion, unable to receive guests in person."
Wangzu said calmly, "Since he won't show himself, we'll leave."
Gao Ming said, "Ah," clearly unwilling to leave just like that. He had already taken a mental journey to this famous Fallen Mountain and the renowned Mountain Lord Chen, and had long yearned to visit.
The boy even found a common point—both carried kindling knives at their waists. Maybe when they met, they'd have things to talk about.
Don't judge by Old Ma's foul mouth—whenever he talked about Chen Ping'an, he didn't spare a few good words. Zhu Lian laughed, "Don't think our mountain lord is putting on airs or using seclusion as an excuse to brush you off. To put it bluntly, the number of times I need to personally come to the mountain gate to receive guests is not many. And to tell you the truth, the mountain lord is indeed in seclusion. If not, he would definitely be willing to come here to meet you. I've said both the unpleasant and the pleasant. Whether you stay or go, you decide."
Wangzu seemed to be verifying the truth of the old man's words. Gao Ming, whose mouth had no filter, said, "Whether true or false, even if we take ten thousand steps back, for a big steward who can manage everything to come running to the mountain foot to fool us like this, it's already giving us face enough. Don't the books say a prime minister's gatekeeper is a third-rank official? And Zhu Lian is a big steward. Brother, with your 'two golds,' you don't amount to much here, so don't be so pretentious. Listen to me, don't rush off—sit down and talk slowly."
So-called "two golds" referred to a person simultaneously having a Golden Body realm and a Golden Core realm.
The last one was the martial instructor now at Tiaoyu Mountain, Grandmaster Wen.
Among the large volume of letters sent to the Sword Room on Jise Peak like snowflakes, one came from Yugui Sect in Tongye Continent, inviting Chen Ping'an to attend the celebration of Qiu Zhi's Golden Core formation on Jiuyi Peak. Bai Xuan's "Hero Registry" had been called a "Book of Life and Death" by Zheng Dafeng, but the old cook called it an "Iron-Boned Edict." Among those listed was this genius sword cultivator and peak master of Jiuyi Peak, Qiu Zhi, with whom Bai Xuan had hit it off at Green Lotus Peak earlier. There were also two great generals: Bai Shou, peak master of Pianran Peak at Taihui Sword Sect in Northern Ju Lu Continent, could hold the rear. Wen Zixi of Lingfei Palace in Precious Vase Continent could be the vanguard.
Every day, licking his finger to flip through this Hero Registry, Bai Xuan himself felt that the lineup he had painstakingly assembled was terrifyingly strong.
Wangzu said, "I came here this time accompanying my junior brother."
Gao Ming transmitted with his mind, "Old Ma told me a name, said if I come to Fallen Mountain and tell Chen Ping'an, there'll be a great opportunity waiting for me. Chen Ping'an definitely won't let me make this trip for nothing." Zhu Lian nodded, gathering sound into threads and speaking to them secretly, "Either find a place in the town to stay and wait, Immortal Gao, until our mountain lord comes out of seclusion. I'll notify you. Or tell me that name, and I'll relay it to the mountain lord later. Leave an address, and the mountain lord will find you himself."
Wangzu asked suspiciously, "You're not going to ask about that deserting one's whereabouts?"
Many people on the Precious Vase Continent knew that Ma Kuxuan had a maidservant and two disciples. Fallen Mountain had a relationship with the Northern Mountain Piyun as close as wearing the same pants—there's no way they didn't know about this.
Ma Kuxuan had given her that unpleasing name, but her real name was Su Qingshen.
She had followed the general direction of that golden light and gone alone to the Middle Earth Divine Continent.
How was that different from searching for a needle in the ocean?
Right, a woman's heart was indeed a needle at the bottom of the sea.
They still didn't know what that golden light was, what it contained.
Because their master Ma Kuxuan had told the three of them himself: if he lost, given his special identity, there would definitely be no reincarnation.
Saying words that were practically a last testament, yet they saw from Ma Kuxuan's face a kind of... relief and anticipation.
Wangzu felt saddened by this. Even the kindling-knife boy, whose heart was even broader than "Old Ma," as if he'd use the sky as a blanket if it fell, had been very sad at the time.
Probably Ma Kuxuan couldn't stand the atmosphere. He kicked his youngest disciple in the crotch, who howled, saying if it broke, he'd scramble it into egg-fried rice.
At that time, Su Qingshen's face showed no particular expression either.
Zhu Lian smiled and said, "Our Fallen Mountain won't be so fallen as to trouble a young woman."
Wangzu seemed to be waiting for this answer. He said, "Junior Brother Gao can tell you that name today, but I want to make a bet. I'll wait until I break through to the Nascent Soul realm and hit a bottleneck before I speak."
In other words, he intended to use that name to exchange for a secure Jade Pelvis realm. But if he smoothly broke through the bottleneck, he would reveal the mystery even later.
Betting that Fallen Mountain and Chen Ping'an would neither trouble Su Qingshen nor trouble him, Ma Kuxuan's first disciple.
Then the name he knew would have great use at a critical moment.
Zhu Lian nodded and smiled. "As expected of Ma Kuxuan's first disciple—dare to act, dare to take responsibility, and even more dare to gamble."
Ma Kuxuan had left three riddles for Chen Ping'an.
The answers actually had two layers. Even if Chen Ping'an knew those three names, he still had to guess who they really were and what they would do.
---
A group of unexpected visitors from the Green Underworld Heaven, led by the new Fourteen Realm cultivator Zhang Fenghai, stood on the flat ground south of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Also present were: Xinku from the Runyue Peak; Lu Tai of the Lu clan from Middle Earth; Lü Bixia; Yuan Ying, whose two masters Liu Qi and Cao Zu were now in the Righteous Qi World; and Shi Xingyuan.
They all looked up at the inscriptions on the city wall.
This was the place—for ten thousand years, the land every military strategist must contend for.
Once, someone in a bright red dharma robe stood here, leaning on his sword as a gatekeeper, a figure watched by the entire world.
---
On the mountain path of Jise Peak, the white-haired boy, accompanying Little Rice on her patrol, suddenly stopped. He covered his forehead, swaying like a drunkard.
An old Daoist with a towering figure tore through the sky curtain. Without greeting the chaotic Jade Capital or reporting to the Righteous Qi Wen Temple, he came directly to Fallen Mountain.
As luck would have it, a green-clad boy was standing with one foot on a bench, chatting away with Daoist Xian Wei.
Seeing that towering old Daoist, sensing trouble, the boy shrank his neck and tried to run. He had a minor misunderstanding with that senior of peerless Dao techniques before.
But the old Daoist reached out, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, and lifted him high. "Running?"
Chen Lingjun, his feet dangling, began to play dead.
Xie Gou put her hands on her hips and laughed heartily, "Wahaha! Old man Bixiao, long time no see! Where's my Xiao Mo?"
The old abbot of the Guan Dao Temple of the Eastern Sea, whose Dao title was Master Bixiao Cave, said, "Xiao Mo needs to go into seclusion in the Haocai Bright Moon Dao field. The duration is uncertain. He told me to tell you all."
Xie Gou glanced at Master Bixiao.
The old Daoist transmitted with his mind, "Sun Daoren of Xuan Du Temple and the Jade Capital exchanged swords across continents. Yu Dou donned the feather robe and held the immortal sword, leaving the Jade Capital of his own accord to receive the sword."
"After some time, Wu Shuangjiang, Gao Gu, and Jiang Xiu—three old and new Fourteen Realm cultivators—plus a Flying Ascension sword cultivator Baolin—together challenged the Jade Capital."
Xie Gou's expression turned solemn. "The result?!"
The old Daoist said calmly, "All died."
Xie Gou raised her palm and rubbed her chin.
The Daoist Xian Wei hesitated several times, then stood up and made a bowing salute to the old Daoist.
The old abbot casually tossed Chen Lingjun far away.
This Master Bixiao, known as one who never spared anyone, turned around and, with proper formality, returned a bowing salute to the Daoist with the wooden hairpin.
---
Note 1: Chapter 750, "Eleven Men on a Ten-Thousand-Year-Old Mountain Peak"
Note 2: Chapter 889, "What It Means to Travel Day and Night"