Chapter 1157: Killing a Fourteen Realm
While Huang Zhen and Zhu Lu were drinking tea and listening to the Daoist melody under the vines on the mountain path of Huayang Palace, at the very moment Zheng Juzhong and Liu Xiang passed through the mountain gate archway and set foot on the territory of Fallen Mountain.
Ancient ruins, new battlefield.
Upon the earth, it was already crisscrossed with ravines, a scene of utter devastation. Fist essence, sword aura, martial aura—all mingled together, heaven and earth in chaos.
It was as if the entire blue sky began to teeter and totter, and continuously, pieces of glazed Dao charm, baked and melted, dripped down into the mortal world.
Two figures brushed past each other. Jiang She twisted his wrist; the body behind him, which he had broken in half at the waist, split into two sections in midair.
Even though Jiang Shangzhen had witnessed similar scenes countless times, he still felt a strange sensation in his heart. It was said that those who cultivate the Dao were no longer human; then what about their mountain master?
Cui Dongshan's face was expressionless, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on Jiang She. A flaw—truly there was no flaw. And a freak—he was genuinely a freak.
A leisurely ten thousand years had passed, times had changed. Through a joint execution, the so-called Primal Patriarch of the Martial Artists had become an illegitimate title, nothing but an empty name, receiving no incense offerings for ten thousand years.
His yin spirit had not yet returned to its position.
An eleventh-realm martial artist, but five portions of martial aura were locked in battle within his body's heaven and earth, forcing Jiang She to simultaneously repel external threats and pacify internal turmoil.
Invisibly, he was also suppressed in his great Dao by Zheng Juzhong.
And beside him, Wu Shuangjiang watched menacingly, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Yet even so, Jiang She still fought so fiercely that the divine nature of Chen Ping'an could only parry and could not counterattack.
His dharma form towered majestically. Jiang She's enormous golden body stood in the center of the battlefield ruins, pounding the layer of blue sky barrier, which was soft as mud, with both hands, constantly testing the resilience of Wu Shuangjiang's talismans.
Wu Shuangjiang clicked his tongue in wonder. If left unchecked, over a long time, Jiang She might actually pierce through the heavens.
Chen Ping'an had just taken a punch from Jiang She's true body, finally managing to steady himself. The result was that half of his body was completely exposed, revealing golden bones. To be more precise, on his divine nature body, which had no flesh and blood, countless golden threads had been broken by Jiang She. Fortunately, relying on this divine nature body, although he was completely at a disadvantage, he was not trapped in a deadly situation.
As a witness to the entire duel between the two, Jiang Shangzhen went from initial nervousness, narrow escapes, horrific scenes, and heart-wrenching anxiety, to striving to stabilize his Dao heart, trying to view the battle with the mindset of observing the Dao, and finally, becoming utterly numb. Jiang Shangzhen didn't even know how to describe this "demonstration of martial arts" that was so one-sided.
Wu Shuangjiang suddenly spoke, asking with a smile, "Senior Jiang, since the outcome between you two is already clear, but you cannot decide life or death, why not both take a rest?"
Jiang She withdrew his dharma form and said, "Just talk a few more sentences; say your last words."
The three portions of martial aura that had rebelled against the superior were about to be completely suppressed by Jiang She.
What Jiang She was relatively most wary of was naturally the taciturn Zheng Juzhong.
Chen Ping'an and Jiang She distanced themselves. Jiang She also took the spear, "Breaching Formations," into his hand.
For the time being having leisure, Wu Shuangjiang flicked his sleeve. "Since I'm giving them away, they're all yours."
Four imitation swords, like lightning, streaked towards Chen Ping'an, and finally landed point-first into the ground, surrounding Chen Ping'an.
The imitation swords had already been wiped clean of all restrictions by Wu Shuangjiang; they were temporarily ownerless.
Chen Ping'an was a bit puzzled, and even more worried. Without the four imitation swords, wouldn't Wu Shuangjiang lack killing power?
After all, Wu Shuangjiang's original intention in refining the imitation swords was to compensate for his lack of killing power when seeking debate against Yu Dou.
Wu Shuangjiang explained, "This is the reward you deserve for this guardian of the Dao. Don't worry that my means of attack are insufficient."
Cui Dongshan muttered quietly, "Master, this is very hot to the touch."
Precious? Naturally, extremely precious. After all, they were the next-grade authentic traces of the four immortal swords. It was believed that Wu Shuangjiang had spent immeasurable heavenly materials, earthly treasures, time, and Dao practices to refine them. An ordinary Ascension Realm cultivator, even if only possessing one of the imitation swords, would probably wake up laughing in dreams.
Sure enough, Wu Shuangjiang smiled and reminded, "Accepting or not, each has its pros and cons. If you accept, the benefits need not be elaborated. You are a sword cultivator; you know that possessing them has endless wonders, not just having four sharp weapons. Although they are severely damaged and difficult to repair, requiring some spirit energy and immortal money, it's definitely a gain."
"The downsides are also considerable. If later you fight against someone and casually sacrifice them, and someone with sharp eyes sees them, it would be tantamount to confirming that you are an ally of the Year-End Palace. Of course, even if you are caught in the trap, it won't be easy for the White Jade Capital to stay idle in recent years."
Chen Ping'an rolled up his sleeve and without hesitation put away all four imitation swords, which were worth a fortune, saying, "Accept them. Why not accept them?"
Tai Bai, Dao Zang, Wan Fa, Tian Zhen. Each of these immortal swords, which could not be refined, contained a lineage of ancient orthodox Dao traditions.
Therefore, each imitation sword was Wu Shuangjiang's deconstruction and reshaping of those four Dao lineages, like four exegetical works that provided detailed annotations and commentaries on the ancient heavenly Dao. As long as Chen Ping'an held all the imitation swords, the process in future years of cultivation to repair and refine the imitation swords was akin to reading four heavenly books with words—how beneficial would that be to open a book?
At the same time, Chen Ping'an also had a unique innate advantage: he was the Dao partner of Ning Yao, so he could come into contact with the immortal sword "Tian Zhen."
He himself also possessed a sword tip of the immortal sword Tai Bai, which he had refined into the longsword "Night Wander." Moreover, there was his fellow townsman Zhao You, who had another quarter of Tai Bai. Calling him "uncle" now was a matter of friendship, but in the future, calling him "state preceptor" on the Great Li court would be the proper duty.
Earlier, when Wu Shuangjiang led the sword inquiry upon the White Jade Capital, the four imitation swords had fallen in quality. Using them against Jiang She was like a chicken rib—rather than having them completely shattered by Jiang She's punches, it was better to give them to Chen Ping'an and earn a favor.
Jiang She laughed heartily and said, "Zheng Juzhong, the capable work more, the strong gain more—this is the natural order of things. The title of Martial Patriarch, Jiang She's great Dao and life—take them all if you can, on the premise that you can leave this place alive!"
Zheng Juzhong nodded to him in acknowledgement.
Jiang She looked at Wu Shuangjiang. "I didn't expect that on our path there would be a hero like you. Fortunate. But unlikeable, very unlikeable."
Wu Shuangjiang smiled slightly. "That's easy to say."
In the willow-shaded Daoist field, where birds sang and flowers bloomed like a fairyland, Jiang Shangzhen said cheerfully, "Don't tell me Patriarch Jiang is a hidden Fifteenth Realm? We won't succeed in besieging him, and instead we'll all be wiped out."
Cui Dongshan, who was in charge of the small heaven and earth of the ancient Shu marsh, spit and said, "He'd have to wipe us all out before he could have a chance to step into the Fifteenth Realm."
Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his hands together. "Then I'm relieved. I volunteer to be the vanguard general, daring to lead the charge."
Cui Dongshan grinned slyly and reminded, "Just don't be struck down by Patriarch Jiang in three exchanges, losing a good head for nothing, boosting the enemy's morale and deflating our own."
Jiang She glanced at them and shook his head, both self-deprecating and sarcastic. "Truly every Tom and Harry can sit at the table and eat now."
If Xiao Mo and Bai Jing interfered—one a quasi-Fourteenth Realm sword cultivator, one a perfected Ascension Realm—their experience and killing power were there, indeed not to be underestimated. But those two? And these two Immortals? What did they amount to?
Cui Dongshan said indignantly, "Chief Zhou, this fellow praises me for having nine lives, but calls you, the 'Collapsed True Lord,' a dog. Can you bear that? I don't appreciate it. Why don't we join forces and collapse him?"
Claiming himself as the "Collapsed True Lord," Jiang Shangzhen looked supremely composed, having the skill of letting spittle dry on his face while walking the martial world. "Nowadays, this isn't even considered abusive language anymore."
If being scolded could increase Dao practice, Jiang Shangzhen would probably already be a Fourteenth Realm.
Jiang Shangzhen sent a voice transmission to Cui Dongshan, "We're both surnamed Jiang; he'd better not be my ancestor."
Cui Dongshan said with a cheeky grin, "What's the problem? You betray your sect and I annihilate my lineage—good brothers."
Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his chin. "That's true."
Cui Dongshan laughed. "Last time, when I called you to rush to the Great Quan dynasty to gang up on old Pei Min, you became the chief offering. This time, shouldn't you get the position of vice-mountain master of Fallen Mountain?"
Jiang Shangzhen took a deep breath, no longer any hint of frivolity.
Chatting idly with Cui Dongshan was just to bolster courage.
After all, he was about to face the Primal Patriarch of Martial Artists in a life-or-death confrontation. Even Jiang Shangzhen, renowned in the world for his audacity, would have an unstable Dao heart.
Fortunately, Jiang Shangzhen had just obtained a newly forged flying sword, so he could practice first.
The flying sword was the same length as a longsword. Jiang Shangzhen held the longsword and performed a beautiful wrist twirl.
This sword came from a half-familiar old acquaintance.
In the Cloud Grotto Heaven of the Jiang clan, at Yellow Crane Pier, the punting ferryman, under the alias Ni Yuanzan, was formerly a scholar from Lotus Flower Grotto Heaven named "Lu Sheng," style name Xizhou. He was the teacher of Sui Youbian. In the past, the Pure Yang Lv Yan traveled through Lotus Flower Grotto Heaven and once enlightened Lu Sheng, giving him a golden millet dream. Not long ago, Lu Sheng received a dharma decree from afar from the Old Temple Master, and at the same time, a Daoist formula was given to him.
At that moment, Lu Sheng realized that Jiang Shangzhen had not deceived him. That Lu Sheng of Lotus Flower Grotto Heaven and Ni Yuanzan of Cloud Grotto Heaven were indeed, in their very existence, a sword.
Since the old master had spoken, how dare Lu Sheng, a settled native living under another's roof, refuse?
Besides, Lu Sheng didn't lose out. From then on, he had vast skies, freedom in cultivation, freedom in reading, freedom in life and death—truly unrestrained.
Jiang Shangzhen looked carefree and muttered to himself, "The old temple master's Dao arts are profound, but his heart is a bit petty. Just because I said a few insolent words at Ni Yuanzan's place, he made Lu Sheng send a sword and send a junior to his death."
Now I have received the sword of the teacher, and when the heavens darken and the earth blackens, I will spit out light.
Chen Ping'an waved at Jiang Shangzhen from afar, indicating he didn't need help for now.
Jiang She twisted his neck and looked at Chen Ping'an in the distance.
"It's not because you once served as the last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall that you have the right to meddle with the high positions of the martial family."
"You are only Cui Chan's junior disciple brother, after all, not that Embroidered Tiger."
"Your heart is too soft. Being ruthless only to yourself is not enough. Towards allies and close friends, you still overemphasize benevolence and morality."
"Wu Shuangjiang is fine; his goals are clear, his methods unscrupulous, yet he is straightforward. Zheng Juzhong—his thoughts and what he seeks in the Dao—can you truly glimpse even a fraction now?"
Appearing from nowhere, cultivating for three thousand years, building the White Emperor City—what exactly does Zheng Juzhong want? That is indeed a big question.
"Are you not afraid that while the snipe and clam fight, the fisherman will benefit? First, Zheng Juzhong will devour Jiang She's great Dao, then capture all of you in one net, chew you up and swallow you down? Do you really think I don't know the truth of this ruin? Your Chen Ping'an's 'body outside the body,' 'dream within a dream.' His Zheng Juzhong's 'heart within the heart,' 'belly within the belly.' The two superimposed form a prototype of a 'Dao upon Dao.' What pretended jesting student Cui Dongshan, what chief Jiang Shangzhen who spares no expense of death—mere illusionary tricks to deceive the eyes. Ah, I forgot this Dao partner as well. Such softheartedness, womanly benevolence—what qualifications do you have to conspire on great endeavors with the likes of Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang?"
Cui Dongshan and Jiang Shangzhen exchanged glances.
Could you be fake? Could you also be fake?
Ning Yao, who had been enduring until now, rolled her eyes.
Jiang She stabbed the spear into the ground, released his grip, and stretched his muscles and bones. True or false, it didn't matter anymore.
"When the time comes, across the entire mortal world, who will still be able to obstruct Zheng Juzhong's journey on the great Dao? The Three Teachings Patriarchs who have already dispersed their Dao? Or Li Sage, who must keep watch over that trajectory of the green Dao? Or Yu Dou, busy suppressing rebellions everywhere? Could it be the desolate Bai Ze? Once Zheng Juzhong chooses to no longer hold back, he would be more than just a second Zhou Mi!"
Wu Shuangjiang smiled and said, "I'm almost convinced."
Jiang She's speech was not some alarmist instigation of discord.
Zheng Juzhong's expression was as usual. Jiang She's claim wasn't a bad suggestion; worth considering?
Wu Shuangjiang felt helpless. Master Zheng, don't scare people.
Chen Ping'an rubbed his brow.
Jiang She looked around and said to himself, "One incense stick's time. Enough."
Within the martial family ancestral hall of the Haoran world, along with the military temples across the nine provinces, the portrait hanging on the wall of the Patriarch shook without wind, rustling loudly. The painted clay sculptures of famous generals serving as attendants in the halls also began to show fine cracks.
Jiang She stepped forward slowly, grinning ferociously. "You ungrateful disciples and descendants, treasonous and rebellious, each one of you loves to play the part of traitors and rebels!"
Chen Ping'an's mind stirred slightly. That golden longsword, which had always remained "an onlooker from the wall," broke through the air and came, grasped in his hand.
Jiang She saw this, twitched the corner of his mouth, and simply walked forward slowly. Without a word, he crooked his finger at Chen Ping'an. Come.
The longsword slashed down on Jiang She's arm, like metal and stone colliding, sending countless sparks flying across heaven and earth.
A hand knife sliced off Chen Ping'an's entire right arm.
The razor-sharp sword tip scraped across Jiang She's cheek, screeching like an awl scraping glass.
Jiang She slapped his face, and the sword holder instantly lost his head.
One after another, fierce golden sword qi cut through the space of heaven and earth, their light reaching the blue sky barrier, stirring up surging waves of spiritual energy like a tidal sea.
Jiang Shangzhen felt relieved. At last, it wasn't just about taking hits.
This was also the first time Jiang Shangzhen witnessed Chen Ping'an wielding this sword.
He had thought that with the sword, Chen Ping'an would fight Jiang She for a long time, but an unexpected phenomenon occurred. The longsword in Chen Ping'an's hand directly flew out, turning into a dazzling rainbow light, breaking through the blue sky, and disappearing in an instant. At first, Jiang Shangzhen mistook it for a hidden trump card. But almost at the same time the longsword shot up to the sky, Cui Dongshan saw that his master seemed to have a momentary lapse of concentration. Jiang She took advantage of this opportunity, punching through Chen Ping'an's heart. He loosened his fist, twisted his five fingers fiercely, pulling all the golden threads of the divine nature body toward the heart, causing Chen Ping'an's face to contort.
Jiang Shangzhen sensed something wrong and said in shock, "What's going on?!"
Cui Dongshan said resentfully, "Zhou Mi, that bastard, is causing trouble again."
Jiang Shangzhen felt heavy-hearted and said with a headache, "What to do?"
Cui Dongshan said shamelessly, "Fear nothing. Old Zheng is here."
Just as Jiang Shangzhen began to feel relieved, he witnessed a scene that made his heart and liver shake.
Unlike Jiang Shangzhen, Wu Shuangjiang immediately looked up at the hole in the blue sky pierced by the longsword. Just as it was about to close, a majestic sword light of a completely different aura, dazzling and brilliant, descended from the sky. The speed of the sword light was so fast that even Wu Shuangjiang felt thrilled. The sword light instantly pierced through Chen Ping'an's head.
Like a longsword of unimaginable length, it "nailed" Chen Ping'an in place.
Jiang Shangzhen was frantic. "This longsword is also Zhou Mi's sneak attack?"
Cui Dongshan narrowed his eyes. "No."
Jiang Shangzhen muttered, "Probably not a big problem."
But Cui Dongshan said, "Not small either."
A Ascension Platform not connected to the earth.
It was like a slender fishing line suspended in the sea.
Countless stars, some far, some near, some large, some small, bizarre and brilliant, hung on both sides of this divine path.
Zhou Mi appeared relaxed, sitting alone on the steps, with a warm smile, looking at the tall woman slowly ascending.
He was actually waiting for the old Blind Man, waiting for that Zhi Ci to ascend from here again.
Zhou Mi and Chen Ping'an were both exactly half of the one—not a hair’s breadth different. Neither could have more or less than the other.
Occupying the new heavenly court, he was undeniably the one in the high position, relaxed in form but weary in spirit. After all, being blocked at the door by the Three Teachings Patriarchs, Zhou Mi was not at ease.
The one in the lower position, relaxed in spirit but weary in form. Chen Ping'an seemed to be busy and toiling in the mortal world, deeply strategic, facing too many people and matters.
A Fifteenth Realm fighting a Fourteenth Realm was like a vigorous young man arm-wrestling a child—a game.
So what about a Sixteenth Realm dealing with a few Fifteenth Realms?
She reached the step where Zhou Mi was. At Zhou Mi's feet was placed the head of a false supreme god.
It was precisely because Zhou Mi forcibly promoted that god to one of the supremes that she had to come here temporarily.
But such an act could only be done once, not twice. Zhou Mi also had his own concerns.
Zhou Mi looked down at the stark line of sword light across the mortal world and said with a smile, "Not bad."
Chen Ping'an's real hidden danger in the great Dao lay in this tug-of-war between human nature and divine nature. As long as Chen Ping'an was too heavily soaked by divine nature, once he passed a certain critical point, it wouldn't be a gradual dissolution of his human nature, but an instantaneous complete occupation by divine nature. In other words, at that moment, Chen Ping'an would become a supreme god walking the world.
That would be easy.
All problems above and below heaven would be solved.
Zhou Mi was happy to see this happen.
Unfortunately, Chen Ping'an was too cautious, setting up numerous barriers to prevent such a situation.
"Several possibilities were foreseen. For example, one: I will devour all of Chen Ping'an's divine nature, and I will become the complete One."
"Thus, whether you return here or not is not so important. This is the best result. 'Chen Ping'an' will become the true and rightful new Sword Bearer. You can serve as his sword spirit, or you can embark on an eternal exile in the boundless void."
The great Dao of the new heavenly court would thus be completed. With the Sixteenth Realm, those three would be mere decorations. Even if we added a supplementary one like Zhi Ci, it would still be meaningless.
Only then would real earth-shaking changes occur.
Zhou Mi smiled and said, "The worst result, of course, is that I am devoured by Chen Ping'an, and he becomes the One, still a brand-new Dao. But this possibility is extremely small."
As for the third possibility, which in Zhou Mi's view was "neither good nor bad," it was the outcome Zou Zi least wanted to see.
She asked curiously, "What kind of Dao do you want to create?"
Zhou Mi answered, "Definitely more colorful than the present one."
She fell into silence.
Zhou Mi smiled and said, "I've also urged the Heavenly Lord to shake himself up."
Jiang She was clearly also a bit surprised. Interesting.
Zhou Mi dealing with Chen Ping'an was not strange.
But there was another enemy who struck first? They certainly chose their timing well.
This sword was extremely odd, as if it had an incredible innate divine ability that could suppress divine nature.
Chen Ping'an tried to "pull out" the sword from his head and upper body, but failed.
He reached out to grab the sword body, but the sword seemed intangible—like trying to catch the moon in water, futile.
Chen Ping'an could only maintain that posture of slightly raising his head and leaning back.
This was the swordsmanship of a Fourteenth Realm pure sword cultivator.
A second and third sword arrived, piercing through Chen Ping'an's neck and chest respectively, each tilting and nailing into the ground.
Then streaks of sword light pierced the blue sky barrier; his body became a cluster of longswords.
Chen Ping'an, who had always believed that if he caused more trouble, the world would have less trouble, now seemed to have all troubles converge upon him, asking for trouble. Truly pitiable.
Those longswords seemed to carry great hatred; now that the great revenge was avenged, how exhilarating.
Each time the sword tip pierced the body, the punished person's shoulders might shake slightly, or the hanging sleeves might tremble.
Jiang She, having already restored his martial arts to perfection, raised his spear. All efforts in one stroke—now was the time!
Chen Ping'an slightly turned his head and looked towards Zheng Juzhong. The latter nodded gently. Now.
Chen Ping'an's brow opened as if opening a heavenly eye. A brand-new sword appeared in the mortal world.
The third flying sword came into the world.
Huang Zhen, who had sought the Dao and refined his sword for over a thousand years, long hidden in the vortex of the river of time, aspiring to be a quasi-Fifteenth Realm sword cultivator, was slain. The Huang Zhen who first met Lu Chen and Zheng Juzhong by the riverside was slain. The Huang Zhen who encountered the descendant of Yin-Yang Fish at the Thunder Marsh Lake bottom Daoist field in the Azure Underworld was slain. The middle-aged Huang Zhen standing at the Fish-Gazing Pavilion on Difei Mountain, beside the Deaf Daoist, was slain. The Huang Zhen on the mountain path listening to the Daoist melody with Zhu Lu and others was slain. The Huang Zhen saying farewell to the missionary Ma Kuxuan in Bottle Gourd Continent was slain. The young Huang Zhen wandering in a foreign land, staying at an inn, was slain. The adolescent Huang Zhen, who had just left the small town and looked back at his hometown from the post road, was slain… On this long line, countless Huang Zhens, at the same instant, all were slain!
Chen Ping'an leisurely straightened up, shook his sleeves, and casually dispersed some Dao calamity ashes and mortal world dust. How composed.