Chapter: Receiving the Sword at the Age of Fourteen
Only then did they learn that Qi Tingji would soon become the first City Lord of Ascension City, and that Chen Ping'an would formally assume the position of Great Li Kingdom Master on the day of Grain in Ear.
Nine upper fifth realm sword cultivators, plus Lu Zhi, Shao Yunyan, and Crimson Cheek Madame, made a total of twelve upper fifth realm cultivators.
In the entire Bottle Gourd Continent, if one set aside the mist-shrouded Fallen Mountain, how many upper fifth realm cultivators were there in total?
At the highest point of the city wall, between life and death, they delivered the brightest sword light between heaven and earth.
This bowl of strong liquor—the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall had been drinking it for ten thousand years and still found it unsatisfying.
In truth, Qi Tingji's transfer to the role of City Lord was entirely acceptable to old sword cultivators like Gao Shuang.
Since the new Sect Leader had merely told them to wait and see, it meant that the next time the Five Colors World opened its gates, they would be free to "return home."
As for Chen Ping'an taking over as Sect Leader, it wasn't that hard to accept either. After all, he was the final Hidden Officer of the Summer Resort Palace and Ning Yao's Dao partner.
The Northern Julu Continent and the Bottle Gourd Continent were the two continents most closest to the Sword Qi lineage. Similarly, the native sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall held these two continents in the highest regard.
Chen Ping'an of Fallen Mountain on our Bottle Gourd Continent had once served as the final Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall.
Our young Hidden Officer of the Sword Qi Great Wall would soon be the new Kingdom Master of the Great Li Dynasty.
Only sword cultivators truly understood sword cultivators.
As an old sword immortal who had carved his name on the city wall and the head of the Qi Clan, Qi Tingji understood the deepest desires of this group of private sword cultivators.
For instance, the Liu Clan of the Snowy Continent had long wanted to invite Xie Songhua to serve as their clan's honored guest, offering many seemingly tempting conditions. Yet, until Chen Ping'an stepped in to mediate, not only did the two sides fail to reach an agreement, they nearly became enemies. In the end, Xie Songhua grew annoyed and directly told the old "persuader" from the Liu Clan ancestral hall, "This is you asking me for a sword duel."
The reason was that the Liu Clan, steeped in merchant aura, neither understood that Hao Ran sword cultivators came in two types—those who had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall and those who had not—nor did they know what Hao Ran sword cultivators who had been to the Sword Qi Great Wall truly wanted. Money? Of course, no one disliked having more, especially sword cultivators, as refining a sword was a bottomless pit. But if all you talked about was money, then why would Han Huaizi, Xie Songhua, Pu He, Li Cai, and the others have gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall?
For private sword cultivators like Gao Shuang and Huang Ling, who had left their homes for many years and labored painstakingly in the wildlands of the Barbarian, risking life and death, by the time the dead were dead and the living returned home, Ascension City had already entered the Five Colors World, and what they could see was that the city wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall had been broken into two halves.
So what did they most want? Whether Hao Ran Heaven remembered the sacrifices of the Sword Qi Great Wall didn't matter; whether it felt gratitude also didn't matter. But Hao Ran Heaven must clearly understand one thing: the Sword Qi Great Wall was powerful, its sword cultivators numerous as clouds, and they should feel fear from the bottom of their hearts.
Qi Tingji stood up, patted the chair, and said with a chuckle, "Remember to keep this guest elder's seat for me. You all continue your discussions; I'll take my leave now since my task is done."
Before leaving the Founder's Hall, Qi Tingji shattered his jade token right on the spot, a token inscribed with the words "Lord of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect" and his name on its front and back.
Xiao Mo saw some of the purple-gold threads extending from Qi Tingji either completely dissipate or suddenly dim in brightness.
Truly a straightforward person.
Seeing everyone stand up, Qi Tingji waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need to see me off. I'm just stepping down as Sect Leader; my Dharma abode here remains. Don't trouble yourselves to escort me."
"From now on, when making offers, don't be coy; when bargaining, don't be ambiguous. Let each rely on their own ability. Behind closed doors, we're all family; family doesn't speak in two tongues. Once the arguing is done, once you leave the Founder's Hall, no one should complain or bear grudges—that would only invite ridicule."
"Wu Manyan, you three stay a while longer. The Hidden Officer still has some matters to attend to. Later, when you follow your master to the Five Colors World, you'll enter the Summer Resort Palace directly and become sword cultivators of the Hidden Officer lineage. As for the Archer Bow Blessed Land, I won't take it with me; I'll leave it to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect."
Qi Tingji left the Founder's Hall hall alone. The doors opened automatically, and after he crossed the threshold, they slowly closed.
Just as the two doors were about to meet, Qi Tingji turned his head, peering through the gap at the young Hidden Officer still standing inside the hall.
Chen Ping'an transmitted his thoughts: "Is this what Old Sword Immortal Qi meant by 'minor matters'?"
Qi Tingji let out a hearty laugh, turned away, and walked out, passing through the courtyard and the main gate of the Founder's Hall. He arrived at the railing of the viewing terrace paved with white jade, facing the sea, gazing at the ten-thousand-mile expanse of blue waves. Qi Tingji's Dao heart suddenly felt lighter, as if heaven and earth had revealed a new face.
Shao Yunyan said, "I'll craft a new Sect Leader jade token for the Hidden Officer later."
Chen Ping'an nodded.
Until this moment, Crimson Cheek Madame, whose mind was still a jumbled mess, realized that the young Hidden Officer had also become the Sect Leader of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, not merely that Fallen Mountain had become its superior sect.
In truth, over in the Five Colors World, Chen Ping'an had already discussed this matter in detail with Qi Tingji. Lu Zhi was definitely unwilling to succeed as Sect Leader. The highly capable Shao Yunyan could fill the vacancy, while Gao Shuang, the most prestigious among the private sword cultivators, could serve as the Law-Bearing Ancestral Master. Zhu Su, hailing from the Jade Scepter Street noble clan and skilled in accounting, could manage the Treasury—likely no issue there. Crimson Cheek Madame would remain as the chief guest elder, her status unchanged. However, if any of the private sword cultivators particularly wanted that role, it could be negotiated. Old Sword Immortal Qi could discuss it with that private sword cultivator, while Chen Ping'an would make a deal with Crimson Cheek Madame, trading benefits for the title. Additionally, among Guo Du and Ling Xun, the Dao couple, and Mei Kan and Mei Dangdang, the master-disciple pair, at least one should serve as the second-ranked worshiper… At the time, Qi Tingji agreed readily, saying it was all minor matters.
As a result, Chen Ping'an had been completely outmaneuvered by Qi Tingji. Indeed, the older the ginger, the spicier it gets?
Crimson Cheek Madame had recovered by now. Recalling something, she secretly chuckled. The personal disciple of our Sword Immortal Shao, Wei Wenlong—who had gone from the Inverted Suspension Mountain's Spring Banners Studio to Fallen Mountain—was the finance god over there. Now that Fallen Mountain was the superior sect, what would happen when master and disciple met again? She shot a sidelong glance at Shao Yunyan, who was clearly pondering the same thing.
Crimson Cheek Madame deliberately stirred the pot, grinning as she asked, "When you two, master and disciple, meet in the future, how will seniority be calculated? How will you address each other?"
Shao Yunyan ignored her.
Zhu Su and the others also felt a bit awkward. Earlier, Xing Yun and Liu Shui, two familiar private sword cultivators, had advised them to transfer to the Green Duckweed Sword Sect, but they had all declined. Now, when the news reached the sycamore leaf continent, there would surely be plenty of sarcastic remarks like "Why bother taking off your pants to fart?" Would they feel vindicated, thinking that the Hidden Officer had handled this brilliantly?
Wu Manyan and the others were quite happy. They could both visit that new world and enter the Summer Resort Palace to become sword cultivators of the Hidden Officer lineage—a double blessing. After all, they were still young, so the prospect of traveling far from home sparked more anticipation than nostalgia.
Shao Yunyan proposed, "Hidden Officer, your idea of keeping everything as it was must be abandoned. The specific division of labor within the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect must be clearly redefined. Let's take this opportunity to finalize it quickly."
Crimson Cheek Madame was somewhat surprised. Sword Immortal Shao had quite the nerve.
Shao Yunyan explained, "I've been weighing this matter for a long time. Regardless of who the Sect Leader is, I was going to bring it up at this Founder's Hall meeting. Everyone here should take on disciples, manage affairs—the registered cultivators of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect will only increase. We absolutely cannot hinder the Dao-path futures of those young children!"
Gao Shuang nodded with a smile, "We can't just idle away, burying our heads in sword refining within the Archer Bow Blessed Land. As for how high our own future Dao achievements will be, at least Jin Zhao, Xuan Yang, and I know our own capabilities. If, say, sixty years from now, we'll be leaving the sect's registry to go to Ascension City in the Five Colors World, then my personal opinion is that we should contribute during this period. We can't have the future young members of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect think that the first generation of worshipers and guest elders were all good-for-nothing loafers. If we're just coasting on past merits, what merits do we even have for the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect?"
Chen Ping'an said, "Then let's first decide on the positions and division of labor within the sect?"
For the superior sect Fallen Mountain, the Law-Bearing was Chang Ming with the Dao name Ling Chun, the chief worshiper was Jiang Shangzhen, and the Treasury was Wei Wenlong.
On the Green Duckweed Sword Sect side, there were Cui Dongshan, Mi Yu, Cui Wei, Zhong Qiu, plus the still-unannounced chief guest elder Qing Tong.
Chen Ping'an said, "The Sect Leader's decision is final; there's nothing to debate."
Lu Zhi spoke up first: "Hidden Officer Chen managed the Summer Resort Palace well; how could he not manage a Dragon Elephant Sword Sect?"
Was that setting the tone?
Shao Yunyan smiled wryly. Was this how Founder's Hall meetings were supposed to go? In fact, he had already prepared a draft in his mind, wanting to save face and make Gao Shuang and the others feel comfortable. After all, as the owner of the Spring Banners Studio, Shao Yunyan had once tricked countless Hao Ran ferry owners and managers into sitting down and partnering to make money. Wouldn't he be on the same side as Chen Ping'an?
Wu Manyan was deeply impressed. Mr. Lu indeed never beat around the bush.
Lu Zhi added, "I don't want to be the chief worshiper anymore. Just make me an ordinary nominal worshiper. You all decide on the chief worshiper. Also, Crimson Cheek's position as chief guest elder should be vacated."
Having inexplicably lost her chief guest elder title, Crimson Cheek Madame looked bitter and reluctant but dared not say anything.
Chen Ping'an pondered for a moment and then said slowly, "Let me throw out a rough idea first. Everyone listen and raise any objections on the spot. I'll be the Sect Leader. Shao Yunyan will be the Deputy Sect Leader. Lu Zhi remains the Chief Worshiper. Gao Shuang will be the Law-Bearing Ancestral Master. Zhu Su will manage the money and be our finance god. Guo Du will be the Second-Ranked Worshiper. Mei Dangdang will be the Chief Guest Elder. Crimson Cheek Madame will transfer to Second-Ranked. Jin Zhao and Xuan Yang will handle all matters related to teaching and sword refining for registered disciples. Mei Kan will be in charge of opening and operating the Archer Bow Blessed Land. Huang Ling will handle secret communications with private sword cultivators from various continents in the future."
Gao Shuang's head throbbed. "I said I wanted something to do, but I didn't want to be Law-Bearing! Let Sword Immortal Huang Ling do it; I'll swap with him."
Huang Ling had been quite pleased with the assignment just now, feeling that the young Hidden Officer truly understood him. This arrangement was exactly to his liking. He had no fondness for Hao Ran Heaven, but he greatly appreciated its immortal wines. Since he'd be handling communications with private sword cultivators from various regions, he'd need to travel often. So when he heard Gao Shuang's self-serving nonsense, he immediately put away his gourd and started cursing loudly. Since they were sitting next to each other, Gao Shuang quickly turned his head, even raising his hand to shield himself from the spittle.
Zhu Su, the female sword immortal, boldly cupped her hands to the young Hidden Officer and new Sect Leader, smiling. "I've always thought I'm better at making money than practicing swords—it's my old trade! Sword Immortal Shao does business too much concerned with face and steady streams; it makes me anxious for him. Honestly, I've had my opinions for a while."
Crimson Cheek Madame was in a great mood. Becoming the second-ranked guest elder was acceptable.
She cupped her hands to Sword Immortal Shao, shaking them lightly, congratulating Deputy Sect Leader Shao.
The addition of a Deputy Sect Leader caught Shao Yunyan off guard, but he wasn't intimidated, nor did he decline. To be fair, this Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, even under Qi Tingji's leadership, wouldn't have been the same without him. Besides, now that he was Deputy Sect Leader, the next time he saw Wei Wenlong, at least the master and disciple wouldn't be at a loss for words, each more awkward than the other.
Jin Zhao, from Grand Elephant Street, and Xuan Yang, who once owned the sword immortal private residence "White Hair Hut," exchanged smiles and nodded to each other. From now on, they'd be colleagues. As Zhu Su put it, they both shared a common flaw: they loved to act as teachers. Now they would be precisely in charge of teaching and passing on the art of swordplay to young sword cultivators… enough to fill them up!
Chen Ping'an said, "As long as we finalize the division of labor today, I'll stick to my word: from now on, Fallen Mountain won't interfere in any affairs of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. At most, every twenty or thirty years, we'll hold a Founder's Hall meeting with cultivators from all three sects—Fallen Mountain, Green Duckweed Sword Sect, and Dragon Elephant Sword Sect—rotating the host."
Chen Ping'an asked, "If there are no objections, are we agreed?"
Clearly, there were none.
Chen Ping'an looked at Xiao Mo, who nodded, stood up, and "shook out" eighteen people from his sleeve.
Back in the sky of the Five Colors World, Old Master Jiang had broken the silence, saying that during the Confucian Temple meeting, the usually mute old Li had spoken up for Ascension City, apparently about balancing accounts or something.
Chen Ping'an had explained to Ning Yao earlier about the Confucian Temple meeting, mentioning that he'd chatted with Old Mr. Li on the steps. The old gentleman was very meticulous in both life and scholarship and had even quizzed him. In the end, Chen Ping'an couldn't help bragging, "I'm quite good with elders."
Earlier, Xiao Mo had used his "sleeve universe" technique to bring back eighteen people from Ascension City to Hao Ran Heaven. Among them was the seamstress Nian Xin, who had resigned from her registered identity in the Punishment Officer lineage.
Two sword cultivators from the Hidden Officer lineage had actively requested to come to Hao Ran Heaven for experience: Dong Bude and Fan Dache.
The rest were mid-fifth realm sword cultivators of good aptitude, with Dao ages ranging from sixty to a hundred years, equally split between men and women, all meticulous in thought and steady in conduct.
Dong Bude would next go to the New Rain Dragon Sect, where Nalan Caihuan had recently become Sect Leader. She would first familiarize herself with the customs and mountain rules of Hao Ran Heaven there. Afterwards, she would secretly contact old masters like Song Pin and Pu He, who were veteran sword immortals and local powers, to choose a location on either Golden Armor Continent or Flowing Xia Continent to establish a sect.
Fan Dache refused to follow the Hidden Officer's suggestion to go to Northern Julu Continent or Sycamore Leaf Continent. He only wanted to follow the Hidden Officer into the Kingdom Master's residence and serve as a secretary for planning and counsel. Chen Ping'an had no choice but to indulge him. It was because Fan Dache had only recently let go of a long, bitter love affair; the battlefield against demons hadn't suffered, his realm had broken through, he'd entered the Summer Resort Palace, and he'd finally found closure. He thought he'd turned the page. But then he met a little girl on the street, her face red, happily calling him "Uncle Fan," and his heart clenched again.
The Hidden Officer hit the nail on the head: before the gate of love, where is the sword immortal?
He had already secretly sent a flying sword message to Chen Sanqiu in the Barbarian World, telling him that Dong Bude had arrived in Southern Sampha Continent and urging him to be proactive.
Chen Ping'an had already introduced the general situation to them back in Ascension City. Now appearing was just to let the two sides get familiar, especially Sword Immortal Huang Ling.
As for another group of "private sword cultivators" who had crossed the Inverted Suspension Mountain into Hao Ran Heaven, both Qi Tingji and Chen Ji had provided a few names.
Dong Bude and the others knew exactly what they needed to do next and whom to see.
For instance, Huang Ling would "visit doors" with a few young private sword cultivators along a predetermined route.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "The Founder's Hall meeting is over. Only Shao Yunyan and Huang Ling need to stay. I'll discuss details with Dong Bude and the others. The rest of you can go out and enjoy the scenery. Oh, He Qiusheng, you can stay and listen too. Dong Bude and Fan Dache are your seniors in the Summer Resort Palace."
Ning Yao and Lu Zhi stood up first. Xiao Mo sat by the door, and Xie Gou also wandered out.
Ning Yao transmitted her thoughts, mentioning that Azure Sky Cave Master had invited Lu Zhi to visit Bright Moon Bright Grace someday. Lu Zhi quipped, "So the Hidden Officer is already paving the way for my union with the Dao?" Ning Yao said it wasn't Chen Ping'an's idea, but the old temple master's own suggestion. Lu Zhi nodded. "Then I'll go have a look."
There was also Xie Gou, using the alias "Plum Blossom," who whispered to the similarly surnamed Mei Kan, "Mei Kan, your beloved disciple—why did you give him such a tricky name? Combined with the surname, when read together, it's easy to misunderstand. It sounds like 'no backbone.' Read it a few times. Isn't it?"
Mei Kan was taken aback. He silently recited it a few times. It really did seem that way? Should he advise Mei Dangdang to change it?
Xiao Mo said, "Sword Immortal Mei, don't listen to her nonsense. Brother Lei Ze's name is quite good. It's clearly taken from a classical poem by Mr. Bai Ye: 'I too am a carefree man, flicking my robe to find a like-minded tune.' As a demon clan sword cultivator, he took you as his master and then traveled far from home—truly a case of 'mission accomplished, flicking his robe, a sword immortal acting as a wandering knight.'"
Xiao Mo then transmitted to Xie Gou, "Mei Dangdang's sword Dao foundation is related to both thunder and water methods. He didn't choose his name carelessly."
Mei Dangdang had originally intended to go to the Archer Bow Blessed Land to practice swordplay. He was the kind of person willing to devote his entire life to the sword Dao.
Qi Tingji had once made a judgment to Lu Zhi: among the current batch of upper fifth realm sword cultivators, Mei Dangdang was the only one with a chance to achieve the Flying Ascension realm.
Changing his mind, Mei Dangdang came over, full of admiration. "Mr. Xiao Mo is truly learned and knowledgeable. You really understand me. I do admire Bai Ye, and I can barely be considered proficient in assassination. Before entering the upper fifth realm, I always regarded myself as a wandering knight and assassin."
Mei Kan was exceptionally proud of his prized disciple, not hiding his regard and appreciation. "Becoming an Immortal realm cultivator at two hundred Dao age—even in the Sword Qi Great Wall, that counts as top-tier talent."
Xie Gou wasn't about to indulge anyone. "That's not right. If you'd been born in the war-torn Sword Qi Great Wall, would you have even lived to two hundred?"
Mei Kan was momentarily speechless, his expression a bit awkward.
This time, Xiao Mo didn't feel the need to "polish" Xie Gou's phrasing. Her words were simply the truth.
Mei Dangdang thought for a moment and nodded. "That's fair."
Mei Dangdang, Dao name Lei Ze, was an Immortal realm sword cultivator.
The key point was that his master, Mei Kan, was only a Jade Pure realm. This meant his talent for sword practice was indeed exceptional.
He wanted to spar with Xiao Mo, who was already at the fourteenth realm.
This proud and arrogant wildland sword immortal wanted to determine just how vast the gap between two realms truly was—whether it was truly as vast as heaven and earth.
He wasn't afraid to lose. He was only afraid that in the constraining environment of Hao Ran Heaven, his Dao heart would breed laziness.
Mei Dangdang's eyes burned with intensity. "Mr. Xiao Mo, may I experience the Daoist vision of a fourteenth realm pure sword cultivator?"
Xiao Mo hesitated. It wasn't that he looked down on Mei Dangdang's Immortal realm, but he feared he might not control the force of his sword well. Earlier, when he returned to Fallen Mountain's Sword Worshiper Platform to go into seclusion, it was precisely to stabilize his realm. Unlike Xie Gou, in the ancient times, he had also passed down numerous Dao lineages.
Lu Zhi, not far away, found it amusing. If you want to show off your cultivation talent, picking Bai Jing to boast to was a mistake. If you want to flaunt your courage, don't pick Xiao Mo.
Qi Tingji smiled and suggested, "Why don't you go to the wide expanse of the sea? Stop at the point of contact, and have a friendly spar."
Xiao Mo thought it was feasible, so he asked Mei Dangdang to go to the sea first, at least three thousand miles away, and he would follow shortly.
Qi Tingji squinted off into the distance. The brilliant sun scattered gold on the mirror-like blue sea, and he could faintly see a speck of a mustard seed in the clouds and water.
He thought to himself, this Liu Tui fellow—coming early is worse than coming at the right time.
Qi Tingji transmitted his thoughts over the distance, telling Liu Tui not to bother going to Bottle Gourd Continent to find Chen Ping'an. The young Hidden Officer was currently in the mountain.
A Flowing Solar Boat sped across the sea, then abruptly turned back, heading straight for the coastline of Southern Sampha Continent. The boat's owner was Liu Tui.
This old Flying Ascension—now a new Immortal—who had dropped in realm, wore a white robe and jade belt, a green jade lotus crown on his head. He had a youthful appearance but a gloomy gaze, thick Dao aura, and a sharp edge—obviously not someone easy to deal with.
Heavenly Song Village's subordinate sect had a White Porcelain Cave Heaven on Flowing Xia Continent, where a mineral formed naturally like porcelain and jade, rich in spiritual energy—a veritable treasure trove. If not for that, the recent decision by Heavenly Song Village to renovate Azure Sky Mountain would not even be worth mentioning.
On this Flowing Solar Boat were several guests, mostly sword cultivators. A young earthly immortal couple, Yan Houdao and Tian Xian. Tian Xian was the female golden core sword cultivator who had facepainted off against the "Flying Ascension realm" Wang Jia at Quanjiao Mountain.
Her courage and spirit were truly remarkable.
Even Ning Yao knew that Tian Xian's ancestral master came from Rui City Dragon King Hall, surnamed Hong, who had gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall in the early years and even owned a sword immortal private residence with a good relationship with Lu Zhi.
Since becoming the Hidden Officer, Ning Yao had also perused some secret records and archives of the Summer Resort Palace. The focus of her reading was, of course, the annotations and notes.
Hong Yi was the previous Law-Bearing Ancestral Master of Rui City Dragon King Hall, who had been in seclusion for many years. She had also founded the mural lineage of Fan Zhi Princess Temple, whose members were all sword cultivators, mostly women.
Tian Xian was Hong Yi's secondary disciple. She and her Dao partner Yan Houdao had initially wanted to become guest elders of the Green Duckweed Sword Sect on Sycamore Leaf Continent, to lay groundwork by doing some practical work first, and later ask for a worshiper position. Unexpectedly, not long ago, the Green Duckweed Sword Sect directly sent a flying sword letter to Fan Zhi Princess Temple. It was a personal letter from Sect Leader Cui Dongshan, directly addressing them as worshipers.
A truly unexpected delight.
This time, they were traveling with Hua Qinggong and Nie Cuie on the Levitating Continent. They were all old acquaintances, having agreed to first visit Heavenly Song Village to see Azure Sky Mountain, the ancestral mountain, and then head to Southern Sampha Continent to tour Sycamore Leaf Continent. Rumor had it that at the foot of Azure Sky Mountain, at the Fallen Treasures Beach, over a dozen immortal treasures still awaited their destined owners.
For some reason, Heavenly Song Village had never dug three feet deep to take all those heaven-defying treasures. Instead, they let them appear and disappear at the beach. Occasionally, a cultivator would obtain a treasure, and Heavenly Song Village never stopped them, even allowing them to take the treasure away from Azure Sky Mountain's territory, even escorting them back to their immortal mansion or a kingdom. Thus, throughout the entire Levitating Continent, whenever one mentioned the successive ancestral masters of Heavenly Song Village, they would give a thumbs-up, saying their virtue was boundless and their righteousness was lofty!
Liu Tui and Jing Hao, with the Dao name "Green Palace Grand Guardian," were close friends from the mountains. He had always been rather at odds with the Heaven's Edge Cave Heaven.
That was why Jing Hao's personal disciple, Gao Geng, a Jade Pure realm cultivator, had gone to the Jin Pu Kingdom on Levitating Continent to become a Guardian True Person. Liu Tui had already spoken to the Hong Emperor there.
Liu Tui had many confidantes on his cultivation path, never lacking beauties. He had accumulated many romantic debts in his youth.
But when he pursued Flying Ascension, he restrained that intention, focusing on finding the Dao path and discarding love affairs that hindered his Dao heart.
For instance, Tian Xian's ancestral master, Hong Yi of Rui City Dragon King Hall, had some distant relation to the Hong ancestors of Jin Pu Kingdom.
That's how it was in the mountains—twisting and turning, one could always find some connection, whether it be old friends, disciples, marriage ties, or sworn enemies.
Hua Qinggong was a Nascent Soul realm sword cultivator. Her parents were both halfway-there cultivators, and their offspring were often called "immortal descendants" in the mountains. But those who could actually walk the path of cultivation, especially those who truly achieved something, were rare. It was similar to the imperial examination system in successive dynasties—starting high but ending up with limited Dao accomplishments. Someone like Hua Qinggong was already an anomaly.
She was extremely famous in the three western continents of Hao Ran Heaven. Like Pu He, she was a sword immortal figure. Simply put, she had a good family background, a strong sect, loved to travel, had a bad temper, and followed a wild path.
Earlier at Quanjiao Mountain, she had asked the young Hidden Officer to deliver a message, hoping to become a nominal guest elder of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. It was because her family branch had established a clan hall on Southern Sampha Continent, a second-rate, bottom-tier mountain sect that hadn't produced a genius in over a hundred years, though its business kept growing. The main hall wanted to invite Hua Qinggong, who had long been stuck at a bottleneck, to preside over affairs for a few decades to see if they could reverse the decline. Otherwise, in another hundred years or so, they would degenerate into a completely secular wealthy clan. To forge iron, one must themselves be strong; simply throwing money to hire worshipers and guest elders to save face was ultimately not a long-term plan.
Standing together at the boat's prow to enjoy the view, Liu Tui smiled and said, "Manpo Daoist, it seems you met the young Hidden Officer before at Quanjiao Mountain. What was your impression?"
Nie Cuie wondered why Liu Tui asked, but she still answered truthfully, "I couldn't see him clearly. I only felt I should keep my distance in reverence."
That man in blue robes seemed gentle in demeanor and had clear eyes, but Nie Cuie was well aware that she was still seeing him through a fog.
Her master taught that truly powerful cultivators in the mountains, those who had perfected their cultivation and nurtured their nature, would never make you feel they were clever at first glance.
Liu Tui said, "On this trip, Manpo Daoist deliberately accompanied Tian Xian and the others as travel companions. Whether it's the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect or the Green Duckweed Sword Sect, could it be that Old Man Jing wants you to use a honey trap on the Hidden Officer? The idea isn't bad, but I don't think it'll work."
Nie Cuie said helplessly, "Lord Liu, please stop teasing this junior."
Liu Tui only lost out due to his high seniority. Otherwise, with Nie Cuie's appearance and aptitude, if he were eight hundred or a thousand years younger, he'd definitely make Daoist Jing raise his generation.
Three continents had two women whose beauty weighed on the world.
They referred to Song Pin of Golden Armor Continent, who owned the famous sword "Levitating," and Nie Cuie of Green Palace Mountain on Flowing Xia Continent, Dao name "Manpo."
Since they were equally famous, naturally they didn't see eye to eye. When they occasionally met, they'd just glance sideways and say no more.
To Nie Cuie, Liu Tui—a mountain summit figure who was both a Dao friend and mountain ally to her master—was someone who felt more dangerous the closer you got.
Such people's eyes, words, and demeanor were all full of sharp edges.
They were eternally ambitious, as if constantly telling others a fact: such and such should be mine; who is so and so? When I speak, you just listen…
Thus, deep down, Nie Cuie very much wanted to see Liu Tui also humbled, his momentum diminished.
But that scene was hard to come by.
After all, both her master and Yang Qiangu of the Levitating Continent's back mountain were Liu Tui's peers. As for Shu Nanyuan, the cave master of Heaven's Edge Cave Heaven, he had just achieved Flying Ascension. Liu Tui had recently even openly declared that a Flying Ascension realm cultivator hiding in a turtle pit was worthless. As for Yang Qiangu, in his back mountain, why was his realm the highest but his battle achievements the lowest? Truly strange…
It was said that Liu Tui only had great respect and gratitude for Old Sword Immortal Qi, who had once saved his life.
Her master had also privately evaluated Liu Tui to her and her junior brother Gao Geng, saying that Daoist Liu Tui was a true "meat-eater."
As for you two, with your low seniority, shallow Dao power, and small strength, just respect him, Liu Tui, without necessarily fearing him.
Liu Tui said with a grin, "At Quanjiao Mountain on Levitating Continent, that ghostly Yu Jin, returned to his homeland, has an unfinished karmic bond with Song Pin. When Song Pin was young, she could make the famous sword 'Levitating' acknowledge her as master; naturally, there was a deep connection. Yu Jin, that fatty, is also an interesting fellow. He once visited Azure Sky Mountain to find me, wanting to invite me out of seclusion. He said he wanted to accomplish the feat of turning a continent into a kingdom, making the entire Levitating Continent take his surname. He asked if I wanted to go down in history together, remembered for tens of thousands of years. I was still quite young then and almost tempted. I got scolded thoroughly by my ancestral master. Now, Ding Ding, who founded the Fish Dynasty in the Five Colors World, is copying everything from Yu Jin. Yu Jin is willing to assist Gu Can in finding a place to sit in the Levitating Sect's Founder's Hall. It might not be without the little intention of renewing old ties."
Hua Qinggong and the others were hearing such mountain summit insider stories for the first time.
But Liu Tui didn't mention that Emperor Yu Jin from back then and the female kingdom master Song Pin's past life had no romantic entanglement. Instead, it was a perilous Dao path struggle. Song Pin, who almost had the momentum to become a continent's Dao master, wanted to go further, usurp the throne, and become emperor herself. She was outmaneuvered by Yu Jin and thus underwent military dissolution. However, Yu Jin also paid a heavy price, planting the seed for his later path as a ghost and causing the kingdom to quickly fall apart. That was why the famous sword "Levitating," manifested from the fortune of half a continent, left Levitating Continent and went to Golden Armor Continent to seek Song Pin's reincarnation, choosing to acknowledge her as master.
Probably any great cultivator who spent a long time at the mountain summit was well-versed in the hidden truths of a continent's history. Unfortunately, they didn't write books.
In truth, Liu Tui's mood was far from the easy-going demeanor he showed.
After all, he was about to meet the young Hidden Officer, whose fame was at its peak, and he still owed Fallen Mountain a huge favor.
Liu Tui steered the Flowing Solar Boat toward the ancestral mountain of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect. The former Flying Ascension realm of Levitating Continent, who only ever caused headaches for others, was now troubled by one thing: when he met Chen Ping'an, how should he address him?
Thanks to that "heavy rain," Liu Tui had actually already returned to Flying Ascension, but he hadn't announced it publicly. Instead, he deliberately claimed that his seclusion in the White Porcelain Cave Heaven had yielded little result. Liu Tui wanted to see which dogs on Levitating Continent, seeing him drop in realm and also seeing Yang Qiangu leave the Merit Forest, would switch allegiance to the back mountain.
That he had returned to Flying Ascension—Yang Qiangu knew it, but the two had a gentleman's agreement. Liu Tui had even wanted to hide it from Jing Hao for a while, but at Quanjiao Mountain, he had been seen through at a glance. After ending his trip to Fallen Mountain and returning to Levitating Continent, Liu Tui would first settle accounts with one group of rebellious bastards, then make them keep their mouths shut, even deliberately fanning the flames…
Liu Tui's principle in making friends was simple: in the jianghu, one must speak of jianghu righteousness. Whoever respected him, he would respect more; whoever schemed against him, he would scheme against more.
Suddenly, a sword light blazed on the sea, splitting the sea surface for unknown hundreds of miles in an instant. It seemed briefly obstructed by another sword light, veering slightly off course, just passing by the Flowing Solar Boat dozens of miles away. Thunder boomed. Even the residual sword energy stirred up massive waves. Not only Hua Qinggong and the other earthly immortal sword cultivators who hadn't yet entered the upper fifth realm, but even Liu Tui, a great cultivator who had seen mountain summit scenery, felt deeply shaken. He had to steer the Flowing Solar Boat up a hundred zhang. He caught a glimpse of that fleeting sword light, leaving a glass-like mirror of dense sword intent on the sea and in the water, enduring for a long time.
It seemed the dueling duo had also sensed the visiting Flowing Solar Boat.
The second sword light, originating from the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect's ancestral mountain, deliberately changed its trajectory. The brilliant sword energy cut through heaven and earth like a thick lightning rope as thick as a mountain peak, exploding in the air, twisting and turning freely. The sword cultivator receiving the sword at sea was already not weak in Dao power, but he was still forced to manifest a majestic Dharma form, wielding a giant sword of five colors. He tangled briefly with the elusive golden sword energy. Blade clashed with sword light, countless sword energies bursting forth, raining fire across a thousand miles. Eventually, the Dharma form had its throat shredded by that sword light. The sword immortal's Dharma form collapsed thunderously. The sword wielder on the shore, with a thought, condensed the sword light into a physical sword, pointing at the forehead of the one who had received the sword at sea.
On the Flowing Solar Boat, Liu Tui fared slightly better, quickly assessing the realms of the two duelists. For the one receiving the sword at sea, Liu Tui at his peak might have a chance of winning, but victory with killing was not something he dared to hope for. As for the one casually delivering the sword on shore… why provoke him?
The others were all shaken, more or less drawn by the overwhelming sword intent. Even though they used various means to stabilize their Dao hearts, Nie Cuie, Hua Qinggong, and the others still felt terror-stricken, all thinking the same thing: observing the sword was like seeing the Dao.
Mei Dangdang gained immense insights and decisively admitted defeat without hesitation.
He then flew back to the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect on his sword.
The Flowing Solar Boat consequently docked.
Liu Tui led the group lightly down at the mountain foot, passed the archway, and then flew by sword toward the viewing platform. Before Liu Tui could speak, Qi Tingji transmitted his thoughts as a reminder, "You dropped in realm and just returned to Flying Ascension. Your realm is unstable and your Dao power weakened. It might also be related to your time in Azure Sky Mountain. So you couldn't hear a 'proclamation' announced on all mountain summits and several worlds. He, along with Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang, recently jointly slew the ancestral master of the Military Strategist school. The one who delivered the final sword was him."
"Afterward, that high and far-reaching sword light of the Dao was merely a deliberate smokescreen by Chen Ping'an. It was meant to fool you—a bunch of mountain summit cultivators whose realms are either high or not high enough."
Liu Tui's Dao heart shook violently upon hearing this.
Chen Ping'an had teamed up with Zheng Juzhong and Wu Shuangjiang to kill that surnamed Jiang?! That meant ten thousand years later, humanity had once again jointly slain the ancestral master of the Military Strategist school?
Nie Cuie also recognized the woman carrying a sword on her back—Ning Yao! And Lu Zhi beside her!
The focus of Hua Qinggong and the other sword cultivators was slightly different. Apart from Old Sword Immortal Qi, their attention was naturally more on the young sword cultivator in the yellow cap, green shoes, and green bamboo staff.
Nie Cuie had more thoughts. She glanced sideways at Liu Tui of Heavenly Song Village. At this moment and place, he had none of his usual authority.
Then, Liu Tui and the others saw Chen Ping'an emerge first from the Founder's Hall of the Dragon Elephant Sword Sect, bathed in sunlight, followed by a group of unidentified young people.
It was like a gentle man leading out a vibrant scroll, with hot sunlight, majestic buildings, and sharp young sword cultivators.
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