Chapter 1166: Amidst the Chaos
Meeting at the mountain summit, after exchanging identities, each took the measure of the other.
This Teacher Lin, now the foremost martial artist in the human world, seemed more like a refined and cultured scholar, his divine radiance so deeply concealed it had reached the pinnacle. If Jiang She's aura was like a solitary great mountain standing alone in the human world, then the demeanor of the present "Teacher Lin" of Crow Mountain was like the silent flow of mighty waters.
This last Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall was truly young, and Chen Qingdu's eyes were as sharp as ever, skilled at picking up bargains. This meeting was many years earlier than expected, nor did he anticipate the location would be here.
Lin Jiangxian smiled and said, "New mountain summit? As the host, did the Hidden Officer employ some illusionary tactic?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Afraid that the batch of new thrones would learn of this in advance. If we were to return the courtesy to the Barbaric Wasteland in the future, it wouldn't be a surprise anymore."
Lin Jiangxian laughed heartily. "Makes sense."
When the Sacrificial Officer and the Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall met, what was the biggest common topic? Naturally, it was still that Barbaric Wasteland.
Chen Ping'an could clearly feel the other's goodwill and closeness. Perhaps this was what was meant by a meeting and a smile that forms a bond without words.
Just then, at a cliff edge not far from the summit, ripples appeared, and a terrifying sound like tearing silk came from the mountain's great Dao barrier. A hand forcibly pried open layer upon layer of restrictions. A woman with a wooden expression slowly walked out, revealing a burly figure. As she stood still, the door behind her closed on its own. Chen Ping'an had intended to set up more secret prohibitions, but Lin Jiangxian said it was fine, and a meeting was worthwhile.
The tall woman introduced herself: "Xie Shiji, maidservant to Qingzhu. I came uninvited; forgive the offense."
An eleventh-realm martial artist coming to apologize was indeed a novel sight.
Xie Shiji twisted the corner of her mouth, perhaps trying to soften her expression and look friendlier, showing an attitude of apology. "Bound by my divine spirit identity, it was not good for me to act against Jiang She, who is the Wood Lord. I could only stand by idly from start to finish. Fortunately, through the Hidden Officer's hands, we got a very clean conclusion. I had to thank you in person to fulfill proper courtesy. After I thank Hidden Officer Chen, I will say a few words and leave."
Chen Ping'an did not exchange pleasantries, waiting for her to continue.
Xie Shiji said, "If in the future Hidden Officer Chen and my master come into conflict over the Great Dao, I will not repay the favor. I will still throw my punches."
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Understood."
Xie Shiji continued with her second sentence, "Other than that, I am at your disposal to kill at your command twice. Who exactly to kill does not matter."
Although Chen Ping'an did not ask aloud, he was inevitably puzzled as to why there were two opportunities.
Xie Shiji grinned. "Before my master attained the Dao, he had a pet phrase: 'In this world, there is only misfortune that comes singly, never good fortune that does not come in pairs.'"
Chen Ping'an smiled knowingly. "It seems that whenever I encounter trouble in the future, I should also chant this sentence a few times."
Xie Shiji, usually taciturn, rarely wanted to say a few more words to someone. She clasped her fists. "We part here. I wish the Hidden Officer great luck, a joyous marriage, and soon a son."
There was no hint of teasing. She considered herself dull and not well-read, and coming up with these festive words was already a great strain for her.
Chen Ping'an beamed, cupping his hands in return. "I also wish Patriarch Xie in martial arts..."
Lin Jiangxian coughed, reminding Hidden Officer Chen that times had changed. Chatting about mountain cultivation was unrestricted, but when on this mountain, mentioning martial arts fortunes or the like required caution.
Chen Ping'an paused slightly, then still wished Xie Shiji prosperity in martial arts.
Xie Shiji said, "We hit it off. Add one more."
Perhaps, as the immortal raft had said, the young man still had thin skin. Chen Ping'an said, "If Patriarch Xie can kill a top fifth-realm demon in the Barbaric Wasteland, that counts as one."
Xie Shiji frowned. "Truly?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Truly."
Xie Shiji said, "Then there are only two left."
Withdrawing a grain of mind, Xie Shiji directly left the mountain summit and returned to a demon sect deep in the Barbaric Wasteland.
She stood in the ruins of what had been an ancestral hall, stepping on a head that had died with eyes wide open—a demon cultivator who had no time to reveal his true form. She increased pressure slightly, and the head burst open.
The entire sect-level immortal mansion she had swept clean was littered with corpses of demons stretching across the hills, bones piled high, blood streaming down the mountain like streams.
Beside her was an elderly man with a gaunt face, dressed in a blue shirt and long gown, hands clasped behind his back. He said calmly, "How did the talk go?"
Xie Shiji said, "Not bad. Although I'm heavily injured, I have strong energy and complete spirit meaning. I can definitely stand firm at the summit."
Chen Qingliu did not care much about who stood on that summit or the nominal ownership of the new ancestor of human martial arts. He chuckled, "These beasts, having been to the Haoran World, haven't even heard of the Dao title 'Qingzhu.'"
Xie Shiji nodded. "They deserve to die."
Chen Qingliu said, "Did Senior Sister ever fight with her in the Lotus World?"
Xie Shiji shook her head. "During my travels through the world, I never heard of her."
Chen Qingliu said, "Let's find a territory with richer spiritual energy. I refuse to believe that in this vast Barbaric Wasteland, no one has heard of 'Qingzhu.'"
Xie Shiji grinned. "Visit a few more mountain peaks, and the whole Barbaric Wasteland will know my master's Dao title."
Chen Qingliu smiled and no longer called her "Senior Sister." "Big fool."
Both Xie Shiji and Lin Jiangxian had already broken through to the eleventh realm. Coming here for an "audience" with the new master of the summit felt like officials from border regions entering the capital for reporting.
Of course, whether Chen Ping'an saw them or not depended solely on his mood.
Lin Jiangxian said, "How will you arrange things here? The old rules?"
Chen Ping'an thought for a moment. "The images of Lin Jiangxian and Xie Shiji will remain permanently at the summit."
Words became law: two figures stood firmly on the summit.
As Chen Ping'an spoke, three more martial artists on the summit simultaneously broke through to the eleventh realm. Their figures condensed at the summit, each attached with a mustard seed of mind.
In the Barbaric Wasteland, one of the newly enthroned great demons was a female martial artist. She was stunningly beautiful, with snow-white skin, extremely bright red lips, and no eyebrows.
Her gaze wandered and eventually sensed the anomaly at the summit, as if facing each other through a wall.
In the Azure Heaven, the martial artist from the Leap Month Peak, Xinku. He harbored no curiosity and quickly withdrew his mind, exiting this place.
In the Haoran Heaven, from the Great Duan Dynasty in the Central Divine Continent, was National Teacher Pei Bei, bearing a sword. She did not seek anyone out but walked to the cliff's edge to gaze into the distance, simply enjoying the view for a moment.
Each of them left the summit, leaving behind their martial manifestation figures. There were slight differences in height; only Lin Jiangxian stood out more prominently than his peers.
Unlike the ease of victory and difficulty of death in battles between fourteenth-realm cultivators, even among those who had both broken through to the eleventh realm of martial arts, when sparring was without restraint and no strength was held back, it was still beyond doubt that the higher fist lived and the lower fist died.
From the first realm of martial arts to the summit realm, plus the three layers within the Ultimate realm—Qi Flourishing, Return to True, and Spirit Arrival—a circle of twelve martial artists appeared on the summit. They were the current strongest of each realm and layer in the martial arts realm.
The Haoran Heaven, Azure Heaven, Lotus Heaven, Barbaric Wasteland, and Five Colors Heaven each had martial artists standing at the top with the words "strongest."
Chen Ping'an could not help but chuckle because he saw two people.
At the Spirit Arrival layer, Cao Ci; at the Return to True layer, his senior disciple, Pei Qian.
In addition, there was the face of a sixth-realm martial artist that looked somewhat familiar—the young woman from the Summer Vacation Palace in the Five Colors Heaven.
The positions of the lower martial realms changed quite rapidly. Each time a martial artist's face and form were replaced, it meant the strongest martial artist in that particular realm had changed.
Even someone as strong as Lin Jiangxian could not see the grand Dao scene in Chen Ping'an's field of vision.
Countless silken threads, billions upon billions over the land, of varying thickness, rose like incense smoke. Those in the human world who had found a strand of pure true qi saw their qi converge into a vast and thick martial qi cloud sea above their respective worlds, a golden torrent dazzling to behold. Then five martial qi rivers, rising from the cloud sea, came to this celestial location. It turned out that the mountain beneath their feet was accumulated from martial qi itself. Each martial artist who received the word "strongest" upon breaking through received a gift of martial qi returning to the human world. From their own martial qi cloud sea, one strand descended, and from each of the other four worlds, one strand also descended, vast and boundless, like a "congratulatory visit." This cycle of the Great Dao was unending.
However, outside the circle formed by these twelve individuals, there were twelve positions corresponding to each realm and layer.
These positions symbolized the highest achievements in the "history" of the new human martial arts, from each realm and layer.
For example, at the current Return to True layer in both circles, the figure was Pei Qian. If she broke through to the Spirit Arrival layer, and in the future another martial artist at the Return to True layer surpassed Pei Qian in martial arts height, that martial artist's image would replace hers. Chen Ping'an looked at the height of those two "Cao Ci" figures and wondered if anyone in the future could raise that bar further. Probably not.
For martial artists in the Body Tempering three realms, breakthroughs were most frequent, hence the ups and downs of martial qi were naturally many. Different individuals had already appeared among the earlier and later martial artists of the same realm. The situation for pure martial artists in the Qi Refinement and Spirit Refinement major realms was relatively much more stable.
Chen Ping'an recorded each "face" in his notes, snapped back to reality, and asked, "How long can Teacher Lin stay?"
Lin Jiangxian smiled. "Total of one incense stick's time. We can chat a bit more."
Chen Ping'an asked, "Did Su Dian arrive at Crow Mountain? Is her martial arts training going smoothly?"
Lin Jiangxian said, "Not bad. She has a solid foundation and high spirit. The problem is she lacks a few life-and-death sparring sessions."
According to the seniority at Yang Family Medicine Shop, Su Dian was Lin Jiangxian's junior sister.
Chen Ping'an hesitated, then said, "Tell her not to overthink things. Just focus on learning martial arts."
Last time, Chen Ping'an had gone to Yang Family Medicine Shop intending to talk things through with Su Dian, but she had already left for the Azure Heaven.
Su Dian's uncle Su Han had worked with Chen Ping'an at the same dragon kiln in the early days, earning money as a kiln worker.
In Chen Ping'an's memory, Su Dian was still that small-faced girl with enormous eyes, dark and thin as a bamboo pole. Occasionally seeing her at the kiln, he always felt the little girl might be blown away by the wind. The dragon kiln had many traditions and taboos passed down through generations. One rule was that women were not welcome nearby. That she could do odd jobs there was likely because she was young, and also because Su Han had begged the kiln master, Master Yao, for it. Liu Xianyang had also put in a word at the time: "Women near the kiln fire? Unlucky? Would it be lucky if a little girl starved to death there? Can't we spare a few steamed buns at our kiln? It's no big deal—deduct her meal cost from my wages every month..." Su Han had mentioned this while lying on a sickbed recovering from an injury, trying to make conversation with Chen Ping'an. At that time, aside from being grateful, Su Han had also been showing off. "Sure, you're friends with Liu Xianyang, but Liu Xianyang also looks out for me. You're the jinx everyone talks about in the small town, like a plague god. I'm the 'effeminate' guy the kiln dislikes. Neither of us should look down on each other..." Later, on the Liuxia boat returning from Fuyao Continent, Chen Ping'an mentioned this, but Liu Xianyang had forgotten completely, looking blank.
Lin Jiangxian smiled. "Some things are not decided by what you or I say, nor by high realms."
How someone who feels gratitude repays that gratitude, or someone who holds resentment takes revenge—whether others understand or accept it doesn't really matter.
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "Is Jiang Shangzhen the soul presided over by the Second Ancestor of the Military Philosophers?"
The First Ancestor of the Military Philosophers was Jiang She. And the main officiant at the ancestral hall was also surnamed Jiang, known as Jiang Taigong.
Plus, Jiang She's mysterious ramblings in the courtyard earlier had so frightened Jiang Shangzhen that he immediately reported this to Chen Ping'an mentally upon entering the house.
Lin Jiangxian chuckled and shook his head. "Definitely not Jiang Shangzhen. She has been hiding in some cave heaven, not daring to act rashly. I met her once; we didn't reach an agreement. The conversation was not pleasant."
Chen Ping'an breathed a sigh of relief.
Lin Jiangxian asked, "Do you ever get the feeling that the Great Dao, yin and yang, infinite creation, the sky and earth spinning—all revolve around you?"
Chen Ping'an's eyes lit up. "Does Teacher Lin also often have this illusion?"
Lin Jiangxian smiled. "Why assume it's an 'illusion'?"
This Teacher Lin crouched down and grabbed some dirt, speaking softly, "The dirt under your nails, the dirt on the earth; how many 'people' beyond the sky, after countless kalpas, managed to become us as humans, to take a walk on this ancestral land? How could we look down on ourselves? How could we look down on others?"
They walked down the mountain together. Lin Jiangxian spoke of recent events in the fourteen provinces of the Azure Heaven. Five provinces had already stopped recognizing the White Jade Capital as orthodox. Among the ten great dynasties, three had publicly established altars and compiled Dao name registers, granting Dao titles to ordained priests. However, Youzhou remained relatively quiet, with no movement yet. The Red Gold Dynasty in Ruzhou, where Lin Jiangxian was, along with over a dozen vassal states, was soon to "rise up" and grant its own ordinations. Half of the territory in one province was about to change its colors.
At the foot of the mountain, Lin Jiangxian smiled. "See you in Ruzhou."
--
On Fallen Mountain, after a lively late-night meal, Xiaomili burped and was not yet sleepy, so she went to play by the bamboo tower alone. There she found the white-haired dwarf sitting by the stone table. Xiaomili dashed over and put some sunflower seeds on the table. The Annals Compiler of Fallen Mountain muttered to herself that even her farts would stink from now on. Xiaomili frowned, unable to understand the Compiler's profound meaning. Suddenly, the white-haired boy slammed his hands on the table, pounding it: "I'm done for! Can't live like this!" Xiaomili reached out to press his head, hoping to calm him down, but was startled as she grabbed a handful of white hair and lifted it gently. The white-haired boy winced in pain, grimacing, and looked up, glaring. "What the hell?!"
Xiaomili quickly released her grip and whispered, "What's going on?"
The white-haired boy sighed. "A dog and pony show, that's what. Starting today, I'm no longer a Flying Ascension realm cultivator. A genuine waste. How am I supposed to cheer for the Hidden Officer Ancestor in the future? Just thinking about it makes my heart ache..."
He clutched his chest, rolled his eyes, and with a thud, fell backward to the ground.
Xiaomili was stunned and was about to check on him, thinking to call Old Chef or Divine Lord Wei... but the white-haired boy nimbly got up, dusted himself off, sat down again, and continued sighing, though he didn't forget to snack on seeds.
Xiaomili felt so worried that her eyebrows were practically fighting each other.
The white-haired boy said, "Xiaomili, what realm are you at now?"
Xiaomili replied, "Cave Dwelling realm, and it won't grow any higher."
The white-haired boy immediately perked up, shaking his head with an air of pride. "Then I'm two realms lower than you!"
Xiaomili hesitated. Seeing him puffing up his tail, she felt she should be a straightforward friend. She covered her mouth and whispered, "I heard from Doggy that you've been removed from Alliance Leader Guo's roster."
The white-haired boy's expression froze but soon he sneered. "Alliance Leader Guo's handling of this is poor. It lacks popular support and can't achieve a great enterprise. This place doesn't suit me; there are plenty of others..."
The back of his head was suddenly pressed down, his face against the stone table. The white-haired boy raised his hands in a fist-palm salute. "Your humble servant is full of loyalty, my heart is known to sun and moon. I'm willing to follow you through thick and thin, through fire and water. I only beg for leniency from the Alliance Leader, one more chance!"
Guo Zhujiu released her hand, snacking on seeds as she said, "Later, we'll take a trip to the Azure Heaven. You'll return to Suichu Palace as a human."
The white-haired boy reached for seeds, muttering, "I was scared before; now I'm even more afraid."
Guo Zhujiu slapped his hand away, squinting. "Then how dare you keep disgusting my master?"
The white-haired boy said guiltily, "Heaven have mercy, that was flattery, not disgusting the Hidden Officer Ancestor."
Without my being the foil, your words wouldn't seem sincere at all. Otherwise, the atmosphere on Fallen Mountain would really be concerning.
Xiaomili went "oh-oh," so you do know that's called flattery.
It turned out that Lu Chen had refined that pseudo-fifteenth-realm external heavenly demon, and Liu Xiang, upon ascending Fallen Mountain, personally "conferred" the Dao name Konghou to the white-haired boy, and Wu Shuangjiang had secretly severed the karmic ties.
Thus, through a confluence of conditions, the external heavenly demon white-haired boy was genuinely "transformed into a person."
The white-haired boy glanced at Guo Zhujiu and said with a smile, "Don't worry. The Hidden Officer Ancestor's powers are boundless, his boxing supreme, his swordsmanship unparalleled, his martial arts unmatched. He'll surely turn danger into safety, and when all hope is lost, a new path will open..."
Xiaomili nervously reminded, "How can you not learn? Be careful—Alliance Leader Guo might record another big demerit... But your words are good, very sincere, right, Alliance Leader Guo?"
Guo Zhujiu smiled and nodded. "Effective immediately, your roster status is restored. You'll sit in the second chair."
The white-haired boy quickly turned to spit out seed shells, then stood up swiftly. "Right here, I won't waste words. Let me make my attitude clear to the Alliance Leader..."
Guo Zhujiu only heard it as wind passing by.
Xiaomili silently applauded.
The white-haired boy felt he might be a bit excessive. He walked to the cliff's edge, hands on his hips, looked up at the bright moon in the sky.
How much of the forced lightness and feigned cheer in the world was just someone drowning in the mire of human hearts taking a breath? Yet in some hearts' muddled depths, a lotus could suddenly bloom.
The green-robed boy wandered over, saw the white-haired boy's back, and sucked in a cold breath, as if drinking alcohol that hit a nerve. He carefully approached the stone table and couldn't help asking, shocked, "Daoist Konghou, I always thought you were a girl. You mean you've got the goods? Could Wei Yeyou be strolling below and happen to pass by?"
Aiyayaya, the green-robed boy's cheek was pressed against the table. Who had the audacity to press the head of Senior Jingqing? Truly a case of daring to touch the emperor's head... Oh! Divine Lord Wei is here! Haha, Daoist Meizheng is also here! Let me lead the way—I'll ask Old Chef to go back to the kitchen and show off some skills!
--
Xuan Capital Temple.
Yao Qing spoke calmly, "If Xu Jun walks the path with no deviation, then his Great Dao will be long-lasting, and who can kill him? If Xu Jun himself goes astray, that too is his fated calamity."
Pei Ji, holding a broom in his arms, asked, "You've already accumulated three thousand merits, haven't you? Why persist in 'collecting corpses' and 'killing ghosts'?"
The Azure God Dynasty in Bingzhou was under the jurisdiction of the Green Emerald City of the White Jade Capital. Yao Qing was hailed as the Elegant Chancellor, styled Zi Mei, with the Dao title "Shou Ling" (Guardian of the Tomb).
A thousand years of Dao age, three dynasties as prime minister, a host of official titles—it would take over a hundred characters to fully introduce him.
Yao Qing often went to the Green Emerald City of the White Jade Capital to preach and teach. When he had originally attained the Dao and ascended, Yao Qing had walked the path of "chopping the three corpses." However, unlike the general Daoist methods, the three corpse-free immortals Yao Qing chopped out, aside from being unable to cultivate a yang spirit external form, did have yin spirits. Pei Ji was one of those three corpses.
Yao Qing said, "Breaking through to the fourteenth realm is only the true beginning of my Great Dao. It is precisely because I know myself that I left you behind, responsible for overseeing and recording my merits and faults. So do not worry that I have come here to 'collect corpses.' On the contrary, if someday you can use a corpse-free immortal to manifest the Dao and ascend in broad daylight, then I will sincerely address you as 'Daoist Friend.' If Xu Jun gives you the opportunity in the future, then seize it—that will be your chance to merge with the Dao. If Xu Jun's path is bright, do you dare to walk a crooked path and harbor evil thoughts? I will settle accounts with you."
Pei Ji remained silent for a long time. "I am convinced that Yao Qing can merge with the Dao."
Fatty Yan ran over and made a Daoist salute, reporting cheerfully to Yao Qing, "Elegant Chancellor, Mr. Bai asked me to invite you over."
Yao Qing maintained his composure and returned the salute, asking Yan Ming to lead the way. Inside, however, Yao Qing felt uneasy, because a celestial intuition told him that besides Bai Ye, there was another person waiting for him at the peach forest—surnamed Zheng.
Yao Qing naturally wanted very much to meet this demon tycoon of the Haoran World, but his desire to see Zheng Juzhong was quite different from the other party finding him.
Also allowed into the peach forest were two women: National Teacher Bai Ou, a terminating realm martial artist, who wore a short halberd at her waist called "Iron Chamber."
She had indeed sensed the subtle signs of that "Great Amnesty," but her skill in the Spirit Arrival layer was insufficient, destined that she could not enter.
Beside Bai Ou was Fu Xuanjie, the young sword cultivator on whom the Azure Mountain Dynasty and Elegant Chancellor Yao Qing had placed great expectations.
Previously, Bixiao Cave Lord and a sword immortal calling himself Xiao Mo had visited the capital of the Azure God Dynasty to teach Fu Xuanjie swordsmanship.
Bai Ou used sound condensation to transmit a whisper, asking with a smile, "I heard Senior Bixiao gave you a seal?"
Fu Xuanjie smiled awkwardly, making up a flimsy excuse, and mentally said, "A gift from an elder cannot be refused."
Bai Ou did not press further. The fact was that two collections of seal imprints published by Xuan Capital Temple had recently been sold in all provinces. Fu Xuanjie of course didn't miss them; the price wasn't high anyway. Thanks to the old temple master, she and Mr. Xiao Mo had witnessed the Great Wood Temple debate in the Lotus Root Paradise. Most importantly, one of the seal imprints on the Sword Immortal's seal collection had captivated Fu Xuanjie as a sword cultivator.
The side inscription read: "Land of generous death, home of revenge. Here, sword cultivators' lives drift like duckweed but never sink."
The bottom inscription read: "Pure Sword Cultivator."
Thus, she had asked Bixiao Cave Lord to request the Hidden Officer to carve a bookplate seal for her, with the side and bottom inscriptions modeled after that seal.
But the problem was that the seal sent by the old temple master had the bottom inscription: "Fu Xuanjie of the Azure Heaven and Chen Ping'an of the Haoran Heaven share the same year, month, and day of birth."
Thinking about this made her blush. Was this young Hidden Officer not afraid of his wife? But then again, he hadn't even met her. Was he so sanctimonious, so womanizing, such a playboy? If so, then the romantic stories in that travelogue were all true?
Next time they met, it would truly be awkward.
Under the bright moonlight hanging high in the sky, at the entrance of the Taoist temple, the newly accepted mountain guardian Gu He stood holding an iron mace like a gate god.
At Gu He's feet sat the temple master's senior disciple, Wang Yuan, crouching on the steps with hands tucked into his sleeves, still wearing that old hemp Daoist robe washed until it faded white. This poor-looking, short Daoist often gazed down from here at the mountains and rivers of the mortal world, the great rivers winding like ropes, the four small provinces like a green jade.
Having completed a great task and refined a furnace of elixirs for his master, the young Daoist boy waved a whisk and came to the temple gate. He found Junior Brother Wang Yuan indeed strange—the scenery was beautiful, but after seeing it so many times, there wasn't much to it. Yet Wang Yuan never tired of it, even eating a meal while staring for a long time.
Gu He said with a smile, "Daoist Jinjing."
Xun Lanling ignored him.
Every time he saw Daoist Jinjing, a very complex sense of guilt appeared in Gu He's eyes.
This made the young Daoist boy's hair stand on end.
Xun Lanling sat beside the lean Daoist and saw him looking at Qizhou, where Xuan Capital Temple was. Xun Lanling knew a secret from his master. The Elder Sun of Xuan Capital Temple had once tricked Wang Yuan badly, making him think Elder Sun was his own ancestor, and the old Daoist had even fabricated an entire genealogy...
Xun Lanling casually said, "The person is gone—what are you looking at?"
Wang Yuan said nothing.
The old temple master had arrived at the gate at some point and sat on the steps. He patted the furnace boy's head. "Take it easy. Don't stir up a hornet's nest."
Most people have harsh words on their lips and harshness on their faces. A few have harshness in their eyes and harshness in their bones.
Wang Yuan explained with a smile, "We're fellow disciples from the same sect; I won't hold a grudge."
Xun Lanling's Dao heart instantly went cold halfway.
The old temple master chuckled. "A broad mind and heroic spirit are inherited from the master."
--
A mustard seed of mind left that mountain and returned to the courtyard of the Night-Faring Boat. Chen Ping'an immediately held his breath and calmed his spirit, observing his own small- universe within.
He saw pitch darkness, with a long column of swirling vortex suspended between heaven and earth, like a terrestrial tornado, slowly moving amidst the chaos, as if it were creating a chaotic primordial universe from the emptiness of the Great Dao.
All the destined objects he had refined on the path of life—both from his homeland and foreign lands—were gone, all within that vortex.
The rest was fine, but he never should have lost even that pair of Mountain-Seal Seals. Despite his reluctance, he couldn't keep them.
Sitting cross-legged in that desolate emptiness, it was like being in a pitch-dark chamber that would remain closed for thousands of years, never seeing light.
Chen Ping'an muttered to himself for a long time, then let out a heavy sigh. He braced his hands on his knees, about to stand up. Huh, a real waste.
At that moment, a glimmer of light suddenly flared at the edge of the sky.
Chen Ping'an raised his head abruptly.
A fire dragon soared through the air, as if pulling an extremely brilliant thread of gold across the heavens and earth.
It was like a golden, resplendent eye opening in the infinite, boundless, endless chaos.
On top of that fire dragon's huge head stood a little bald head wearing a golden kasaya, a bundle slung diagonally, his face dirty and disheveled. In the local accent, he shouted and cursed, "Chen Ping'an! Just keep breaking things, won't you?! If you've got the guts, break it all! I'll fuck your granddaddy!"