Chapter 1212: Slaying It
At this moment, "Zhou Haijing," with her indestructible flesh as a martial artist at the Divine Arrival first level—both a martial god and a cultivator who had attained the Dao—raised her spear and ascended to the heavens. The Dao lay beneath her feet, and she possessed an aura of invincibility among mortals.
Xian hovered in midair and flicked her sleeve. As the life-or-death battle was about to erupt, she withdrew the divine ability of the universe within her sleeve, tossing Yin Ji and Yin Miao out of the domain and throwing them into a vortex of time.
Whether they would be discovered by Chen Ping'an and pulled out of the whirlpool, Xian could no longer care. If she fell here, their fate would be no better. If she could return to the Central Earth Divine Continent, they might gain a slim chance at survival.
As one of the fundamental Dao roots of a ghostly being, Xian found herself severely constrained. It was near the Dragon Boat Festival, a time when yang energy surged, and the great sun in the mortal world had not yet set—this was a hindrance from the heavenly timing.
Being in the Bottle Gourd Continent, the earthly advantage naturally lay with the Great Li court. Beyond her ghostly domain of black hair, there was also Chen Ping'an's sword-qi domain, created by his two natal flying swords, Caged Sparrow and Well-Mouth Moon. Within this small realm, nearly a million flying swords, split from a single sword, were concealed.
Further outward, a manifested martial mountain towered, ready at any moment to forcibly drag part of "Xian" into it, precisely because she could indeed be considered a martial artist. Her knowledge was eclectic—was it merely the accumulation of three thousand years of Dao power? It could even be said to surpass Chen Ping'an's. After all, his Dao age was too short. No matter how much he stole from others, he could never match Xian's "taking what was ready-made." Countless mortal techniques, divine abilities, martial arts, talismans... she could pick and choose as she pleased. Yet, she never expected that Chen Ping'an would successfully usurp the throne, occupying that lofty mountain, turning her martial arts mastery into a burden.
At the outermost layer, a flying sword from the heavens, "Northern Dipper," and the nine cloud-sea whirlpools in the sky of the Bottle Gourd Continent continued to move slowly, their tips all pointing at Xian.
Finally, the "human harmony" factor: that extraordinary young girl, whose martial fist intent and Five Thunders Orthodox Method naturally restrained yin and ghostly beings, also gave Xian considerable trouble.
With disadvantages in heavenly timing, earthly advantage, and human harmony, Xian seemed to have to rely solely on a "fourteenth realm" after the rain.
She sighed inwardly. Bai Ye was indeed formidable, worthy of the meticulous schemes of Zhou Mi of the Barren Wastes.
Now, the external cultivators of the浩然 World probably still didn't fully understand the true power of the Great Li Earthly Branches lineage. These young people could turn disadvantage into parity bit by bit, then repeatedly test and err, accumulating slight advantages over time. Once the Great Li Earthly Branches seized an advantage, they could directly turn it into victory, inevitably killing the enemy.
The only problem was perhaps that they were not well-suited for battlefields outside the Bottle Gourd Continent?
The two Dharma appearances were of comparable height. Zhou Haijing leaped into the air, her spear almost piercing straight through Xian's chest.
A vast expanse of colorful glazed light burst forth in the sky, a brilliant scene of blades grinding against time and space.
Xian's pupils contracted slightly. Such speed? The influence of the River of Time was so minimal on her? Was it to say that the current Zhou Haijing moved like a flying sword? Her speed was close to those ancient primordial swords that first fell... the Sword Veins?
Xian had already shrunk the distance and retreated far away. Zhou Haijing twisted her wrist, her spear tip twisting, entangling the originally invisible black hairs. The talismans engraved on the spear shimmered brightly, forcing the hairs to manifest. Zhou Haijing yanked hard, and a chilling sound of tearing silk rang out. Countless black hairs rustled and scattered like ashes.
Zhou Haijing, clad in colorful armor, lightly shook her spear, dispersing large patches of nearby calamity ash, and said calmly, "Facing a formidable enemy, you dare to be distracted?"
As she spoke, strange phenomena erupted around Xian. Golden whirlpools shaped like jujube pits appeared out of thin air, like the eyes of deities staring at this ghostly being.
Xian threw a punch, shattering a blazing sun, then flicked her sleeve, sending a long river of flame like a rope flying away. She strode directly toward Zhou Haijing, reaching out and crushing a white-robed sword immortal who emerged from a golden whirlpool.
Suddenly, Xian, who seemed to be strolling leisurely but was actually moving like thunder, experienced a momentary stagnation. A barrier of the Dao seemed to appear in the surrounding heavens and earth. On Xian's face, countless sparks erupted, and her entire head of black hair transformed into countless flying swords, slowly scraping across the air like blades on glass, producing a piercing screech.
Zhou Haijing sneered, "Die!"
Xian's form was frozen, but Zhou Haijing was even faster. Her spear pierced through Xian's neck, and with a lift of her iron cavalry, she hoisted Xian's body into the air.
The moment the spear tip passed through the ghost's neck, thunder techniques, fist intent, sunlight essence, and so on all surged out together, like a mountain piled with firecrackers being ignited, exploding in an instant.
Xian, whose entire neck had been blown apart—or rather, this suspended head—remained expressionless. She coldly stared at Zhou Haijing, who looked up to meet her gaze.
On Zhou Haijing's forehead, a jujube-pit-shaped vertical eye opened like a primordial high-level deity's celestial eye. A golden light flashed, shattering Xian's face completely. It shot in a straight line, slamming fiercely into the sky dome. After being struck by the pure gold light containing supreme divine power, the terrifying truth of the sky being a writhing mass of black hair was immediately revealed.
Having lost her head, Xian dodged Zhou Haijing's attack of twelve streamers aiming to nail her. Her form turned to mist and fled far away, then reconstituted in the distance. Xian raised her hand, created a head, casually placed it on her shoulder, and gently twisted her neck.
Zhou Haijing squinted and said, "The Great Dao of the Bottle Gourd Continent shines brightly; how can a ghostly creature be allowed to run rampant here?"
Xian smiled. "What do you, a young girl, know of the Dao? What do you know of ghosts?"
Zhou Haijing beckoned, and a Tongbo Daoist mountain folded like paper, layer after layer, eventually manifesting as a talisman swirling with purple qi.
Pinching the talisman between two fingers, Zhou Haijing said sternly, "Slay the ghost."
Xian's Dharma body was cut in half by the talisman like a knife. Xian kept reforming her golden body in various places, but the talisman, like an inescapable heavenly principle, kept cutting her down on the spot.
With a twist of the spear, Xian's Dao body hidden in the void was shattered to pieces. The remnants of her Dao intent scattered through the heavens and earth, trying to connect with the writhing black hair in the sky.
Zhou Haijing's Dharma appearance simply blew gently, and a great wind arose, manifesting a vast river that washed away the remnants.
She tilted her head slightly, as if pondering the flaws in the Dao of Zhou Haijing's Dharma appearance. Lingering and wasting Dao power was pointless; better to finish the battle in one stroke.
The spear was already upon her, wreathed in massive lightning and thunder. Xian tried to grab the spear tip, but it pierced straight through.
However, in the blink of an eye, the countless black hairs like billions of black snakes filling the void also enveloped Zhou Haijing.
In an instant, the Dao confinement shattered with a bang. Zhou Haijing's expression remained calm. She floated in the air with her spear, her colorful armor slightly dimmed. She looked around, quickly searching for the ghost's Dao traces. She opened her vertical eye, and golden light cut through heaven and earth wildly.
A flying sword, "Ballad," had been continuously absorbing the world's spiritual qi and baleful qi, then using another flying sword, "Firefall," to refine the mixed ghostly baleful qi into pure, heavy, clear qi.
Even if she couldn't kill this ghost on the spot, she could wear it down bit by bit. When its spiritual qi was exhausted, no matter how great the divine powers of a fourteenth realm, it would be like water without a source.
Heavenly light flashed. Zhou Haijing and Xian each displayed their divine abilities.
Standing at the entrance of the cave dwelling, Yuan Huajing remained silent, his heart shaken. He never imagined that their Earthly Branches lineage could fight like this.
Gaiyan was still kneeling in the wind-and-flowers tent. Her eyes rippled with emotion, but she regretted not seeing the figure in green. Mr. Chen, truly a genius.
Han Zhoujin was clearly shocked. A Daoist mountain could be used like this?! Those palace buildings were all runic symbols? The purple qi was actually cloud seal script?
---
Outside the Great Li Earthly Branches formation, the five mountain gods of the Bottle Gourd Continent appeared simultaneously. Using the great mountain temples as their domains, they manifested golden Dharma appearances, overlooking the mortal world and governing the mountains and rivers.
Chen Ping'an, who had just been appointed as the Great Li national teacher today, had already issued a decree to these high-ranking mountain-and-river deities of the Bottle Gourd Continent: to surround and intercept a ghostly creature, ensuring it was trapped within the continent.
Generally speaking, to mobilize them, an imperial jade seal stamp was needed for legitimacy. But no one wanted to bring that up—neither willing nor daring.
North Mountain, Piyun Mountain: the god Lord Night Wanderer, Wei Bo, wearing a snow-white robe with a golden ring dangling from his ear.
He possessed three regent mountains: Shenchen Mountain, Long Mountain, and the Birds-and-Rats Mountain. Among them, the mountain lord of Shenchen Mountain, Gu Tao, was a new face in the Great Li landscape bureaucracy. It was said that he was promoted directly from a ghost to a mountain god for his achievements in mending the landscape. Later, regent mountains were established, including Shenchen Mountain. After that, Wei Bo of Piyun Mountain received his divine title, confirmed by the Confucian Temple, and Shenchen Mountain rose with the tide. Now, when patrolling his domain, he had to be addressed as Lord Gu. Gu Tao wore a black robe, kept a low profile, and rarely interacted with his fellow mountain-and-river officials, except to occasionally select one or two trusted subordinates to go on inspection tours incognito.
Jin Qing was tall and stout, in a purple robe with a jade belt. His expression was solemn. "Wei Bo, what's going on? The Great Sui Emperor suddenly died of violence? And the Great Li court has listed him as an enemy state?"
Middle Mountain, Chezi Mountain, divine title Bright Candle. Its two regent mountain lords were, besides Fu Dechong of Pu Mountain, the female mountain god Wan Shugui of Yulin Mountain.
Jin Qing's previous life was that of a poor stonecutter, killed by a cruel overseer. After death, he did not become a vengeful ghost full of resentment but instead became a local heroic spirit. Because of his pure nature, the old mountain god valued him, leading to his later position as the mountain god of Diezhang Peak.
Halfway up Chezi Mountain was a Sword-Washing Pool famous across the continent. Before the Zhu Ying dynasty's Dugu clan lost its throne, countless sword cultivators had come here to temper their swords. Jin Qing had greatly favored them, regardless of their talent level or the strength of their Dao lineage. He had a particularly close relationship with Li Tuanjing of Wind and Thunder Garden. When they first met, Jin Qing was already a noble mountain god, and Li Tuanjing was only a Dragon Gate realm sword cultivator.
Wu Ya had left Huaihuang County in sorrow years ago. Frustrated in her official career, she served as the prefect of Yuchun County at the mountain's foot for a few years. Her office was so quiet that sparrows could be caught at the door.
Wei Bo smiled and said, "Why ask so many reasons? We just need to follow the court's arrangements."
Jin Qing sneered, "Is it Teach Tiger who taught you to obey unquestioningly? Or is it Mr. Chen who gave you a clever plan?"
Wei Bo grinned. "Lord Jin, you're so sharp today. Did you eat gunpowder before coming?"
Jin Qing said angrily, "Once war is officially declared, what about the Barren Wastes front? Our Great Li iron cavalry is strong, of course, but the Great Sui cavalry is not weak either. They are so close, and many will die. It's not my place as a mountain god to speculate on the direction of two worlds, but 'eating the sovereign's salary and doing the sovereign's business'—do I need to teach you that simple truth, Lord Wei?"
Wei Bo pointed his chin toward the layers of restrictions and realms within that light and said, "If you want to know why, ask the national teacher yourself."
Even the five mountain gods could not see what was happening inside. They could only faintly discern flashing sword lights, surging tides of sinister ghostly qi, and divine abilities flickering on and off.
Jin Qing fumed, "Hey, Wei, are you deliberately playing dumb? I want to know whether the Great Li court is acting impulsively or with purpose. If it's the former, we need to quickly figure out what to do about the Barren Wastes. If it's the latter, you and I could also attend the small court meetings in the imperial study to help with planning."
Wei Bo chuckled. "You understand human speech now? National Teacher Chen clearly wants us to do our part. If it's not our business, we shouldn't meddle. Just hold the borders between yin and yang in the continent."
Compared to the verbal sparring between the North and Middle mountain gods, the other three gods appeared relatively at ease.
Meng Rong had a stern expression, clad in golden armor and wearing a long sword, like a meritorious general from a temple mural. He guarded the East Mountain, Qishan, with the divine title Heroic Spirit.
East Mountain had two regent mountains: Eryou Mountain and Yandang Mountain. Their mountain lords were one civil and one martial, one male and one female—the former in a scholar's attire, the latter in palace makeup.
Meng Rong was the only Great Li old mountain lord to become a great mountain god, showing the trust and reliance of the Great Li Song clan.
Tong Wenchang wore coarse linen, was barefoot, and walked stooped, like an old village man, holding an emerald tobacco pipe. West Mountain, Ganzhou Mountain, divine title Great Banner.
Meng Rong said telepathically with a smile, "Old Tong, this is what they mean by 'a new broom sweeps clean'?"
Tong Wenchang grunted in acknowledgment.
Luanshan, Huai Lu, holding a jade tablet, was a very decisive female mountain lord. She was short and slender but had a resolute expression, carrying an aura of inviolability.
Whenever someone with a grievance submitted a petition to Luanshan, whether they were mountain cultivators or commoners, whether through the civil or martial temple or the city god temple, she would personally review it and pursue the matter to the end.
Huai Lu nodded and said, "National Teacher Chen does things I like. Some people shouldn't be indulged forever."
Beside her, Chang Fenghan of Deerhorn Mountain, of the same rank as Luanshan, naturally caught the insinuation and his face turned ugly immediately.
Although they were both regent mountains under the West Mountain, the two sides had long had conflicts. For example, regarding petitioning, Huai Lu completely ignored official taboos. She handled Luanshan's affairs and also meddled in Deerhorn Mountain's territory. Moreover, every time Luanshan's investigation bureaus and patrols entered Deerhorn Mountain's jurisdiction to investigate cases, they never notified Deerhorn Mountain's mountain lord residence in advance. At most, after arresting someone, they would send a letter saying so-and-so was arrested for such-and-such. If Deerhorn Mountain had objections, they could submit a petition to Ganzhou Mountain, and their mountain lord Huai Lu was willing to confront them in court...
Meng Rong asked, "Something wrong at Deerhorn Mountain?"
Tong Wenchang said, "Family scandals shouldn't be aired. Don't pry. The national teacher's office has files. If you're close with Chen Ping'an, go check them yourself."
Meng Rong laughed angrily, "You have the nerve to say that? Last time, we both gave National Teacher Chen the cold shoulder. Now you're buddying up with him, leaving me out?"
Tong Wenchang was silent.
Huai Lu of Luanshan complained telepathically, "Old Tong, last time Chen Sword Immortal was in the Yuxuan Kingdom pretending to be a fortune-telling Taoist priest, why didn't you tell me about it?"
At the last Great Li capital's imperial study meeting, Huai Lu didn't attend. She disliked such boring scenes of sitting around. Fortunately, Tong Wenchang didn't force her to accompany him in meetings.
Chang Fenghan of Deerhorn Mountain was very keen on attending such meetings, but Tong Wenchang often forgot to call him. Chang Fenghan was very frustrated about this, but he couldn't very well ask North Mountain Lord Wei Bo to notify him.
Tong Wenchang said, "Even if I told you, what could you do?"
Huai Lu smiled. "Under the pretext of checking travel permits, I could chat with Chen Sword Immortal. If he didn't mind, maybe I could even help someone predict their marriage."
Luanshan had been a rather magical site since ancient times, with some connection to the common saying "the red thread star moves"—a sign of romantic fate.
Tong Wenchang said, "Don't forget who his Dao partner is."
Huai Lu was momentarily speechless.
Tong Wenchang hesitated but still warned, "Admiration is fine, but don't go too far."
Huai Lu felt even more stifled. She couldn't exactly say she had no feelings of admiration; she was really just curious because of Fan Junmao.
Fan Junmao's appearance could only be described as delicate. Wearing a dark green robe, he had a jade plaque inscribed "Jun Qing Yu Xiang" hanging at his waist.
She carried a large bow, refined from part of the moon soul of an ancient moon. It was a gift secretly given to the South Mountain by Lady Gui. Fan Junmao had once drawn the bow and killed many demons.
As for Caizhi Mountain, another regent mountain, the mountain lord Wang Juan wore an imperial crown adorned with a green plum-sized pearl, his hands resting on a white jade belt.
After the Great Li Song clan returned half of the Bottle Gourd Continent, since South Mountain Zitong Mountain was no longer within Great Li borders, the court had temporarily adopted a compromise. They would no longer send annual officials to sacrifice at the South Mountain. In the future, whichever country had Zitong Mountain within its borders would be responsible for the South Mountain's sacrificial rites. However, this was only a verbal promise from the Great Li court, not written into law.
Back when the Great Li Song clan was at its peak, and several Great Li iron cavalry units had not yet withdrawn north of the Great River, who dared to say no to the southern countries, whether they were restoring or founding kingdoms? Not to mention that the Great Li Ministry of Rites temporarily stopped going to the South Mountain for sacrifices; even if they ordered the southern countries' ministers of rites to travel to the other four mountains for sacrifices annually, didn't they all obediently comply?
So recently, there were rumors that the Great Li court was planning to resume the South Mountain sacrifices, sending Ministry of Rites officials to Zitong Mountain for pilgrimages and incense offerings annually.
Huai Lu "gazed" at the female god to the south and said telepathically, "Junmao, is the Great Li Song clan really going to resume sacrifices at the South Mountain?"
Fan Junmao shook her head. "I don't know, and I don't care. I'm about to be driven crazy by that Night Parade Banquet."
Huai Lu asked, "Junmao, you always say Chen Ping'an has several faces, that his true face is extremely handsome and beautiful, that he was a dashing young man in his youth... Don't trick me!"
Fan Junmao said seriously, "The first time Chen Ping'an traveled far, he took a ferry south along the Walking Dragon Path. I happened to be traveling north on a boat. We crossed paths. Why would I lie to you?"
Huai Lu nodded. "Right. Ning Yao has such high standards. When they first met in the Lizhu Cave Heaven, she fell in love with Chen Ping'an at first sight. He must be good-looking."
Fan Junmao said, "Makes sense."
Besides the five mountain gods and the many mountain lords, there were also three "outsiders."
The three water gods of the Great River: Changchun Marquis Yanghua, Linli Earl Cao Yong, and the newly appointed Qiantang Governor Cen Wenqian.
Jin Qing's face changed slightly. His golden eyes shimmered with light. Suddenly he said, "Not good. The ghost has built a strange arch bridge."
The other four mountain gods also sensed this anomaly. They immediately ordered all civil and martial temples and city god temples within their domains to seal the yin roads and patrol the Huangquan passes.
At the same time, in the North Mountain domain, the sound of reading from academies and schools suddenly arose. It grew louder and louder, rolling like thunder.
In the Middle Mountain domain, various chants began to sound, as if accumulating thousands of years of labor—boat trackers dragging large ships on plank roads, and rustic songs of mountain quarrying, rising and falling.
In the East Mountain domain, iron armor clanked, and horses' hooves thundered, as if millions of soldiers were assembling in formation on a vast sandy plain.
In the West Mountain, there was the sound of flags flapping in a strong wind, and gradually, a melodious horn echoed, accompanied by urgent drumbeats.
The Great River turned golden, like a golden ribbon floating in the air.
South of the Great River, it seemed as if a heavy snow was falling—the snowflakes were all paper money burned over countless green mountains and graves. There were weeping sounds and the murmurs of blessings for ancestors.
After that, a figure in green descended from the martial mountain. The usurped arch bridge shattered on the spot, and the ghost had to retreat.
The mountain-and-river orthodox gods of the Bottle Gourd Continent were all shocked. Was it possible for a pure martial artist at the Divine Arrival level to have such vast fist intent that could channel a hundred rivers?
Jin Qing breathed a sigh of relief. They had almost made a huge joke. It wasn't about whether the Great Li court would investigate afterward. If the first thing they did after receiving their divine titles and obeying orders was to let a ghost escape the Bottle Gourd Continent...
Though extremely curious about how Chen Ping'an had done it, none of the mountain-and-river gods asked. Even Fan Junmao, who usually didn't take the landscape bureaucracy seriously, didn't comment. Whether Chen Ping'an was the national teacher or not made a difference.
Before today's celebration—more precisely, before Chen Ping'an sat in that imperial study chair—when he went to the East Mountain temple to see Meng Rong to patch the earthly advantages of the Tongye Continent, Chen the Sword Immortal was the supplicant. Meng Rong could refuse to see him if he wanted. Now, if something similar happened, it would be National Teacher Chen personally issuing a decree. Meng Rong couldn't choose to disobey.
Cen Wenqian repeatedly gave secret orders to the officials along the Qiantang River and the civil and martial temples and city god temples to carefully inspect the yin roads within their jurisdictions for any branch roads. They must thoroughly investigate and strictly seal them off.
The Great River Changchun Marquis Yanghua appeared more composed and said telepathically with a smile, "Don't worry, newly appointed Qiantang Governor. Even Linli Earl and I are joining hands with the five mountains for the first time."
Cao Yong nodded with a smile. "It's like the first time for an old maid to sit in a bridal sedan chair."
Yanghua couldn't be bothered to argue with this Great River colleague's crude joke.
She had just cut ties with the Great Li Dowager Empress, and now she would no longer be constrained in her actions. She was in a great mood.
Yanghua telepathically reminded Cen Wenqian, "The nature of the Qiantang River is like a cultivator's nature. Don't try to forcibly change it with harsh measures. You need to both restrain and go with the flow. Mastering this balance requires careful consideration."
Cen Wenqian nodded. "I have already surveyed and traced all branches of the Qiantang River. I will consult with Changchun Marquis and Linli Earl on some matters later."
Yanghua nodded, and Cao Yong said he would be most welcome.
The heavenly and earthly restrictions deployed by National Teacher Chen and the ghost were too many, so the mountain-and-river gods could still only see the general situation of the battlefield.
After a long silence, Huai Lu couldn't help but ask, "Even with the Earthly Branches lineage completed, there isn't a single Upper Five Realm cultivator among them. How can they hold off a fourteenth realm ghost for so long?"
This question puzzled not only Huai Lu but also Meng Rong and the others. In the early days, the Earthly Branches had killed Jade Realm enemies on the battlefield. But the Jade Realm and the fourteenth realm were separated by two major realms: Immortal and Flying Ascension!
Fan Junmao explained, "Our National Teacher Chen's ability to 'patch up the household' is probably rare across several worlds. No need to make a fuss."
That said, Fan Junmao had already decided to find an excuse to visit the National Teacher's Office and earnestly ask how he accomplished such a feat!
Wei Bo looked at Jin Qing with a playful expression.
The Great Li Earthly Branches had some hypothetical enemies, including Qi Zhen of the Divine Revelation Sect and Middle Mountain Lord Jin Qing. The latter, as the chief great mountain god of the former Zhu Ying dynasty, had always been the one least close to the Great Li Song clan.
Jin Qing sensed Wei Bo's gaze and snorted coldly.
Before Chen Ping'an officially became national teacher, the relationships among the high-ranking mountain-and-river orthodox gods of the Bottle Gourd Continent were actually complex. It was far from harmonious; beneath the surface, undercurrents flowed.
Tong Wenchang was promoted by former national teacher Cui Chan. Meng Rong was naturally a loyal minister of the Great Li Song emperor. Yanghua was originally a maid of Great Li Dowager Empress Nanzan.
Wei Bo's Piyun Mountain had countless connections with the Desolate Mountain. It was well known across not only the Bottle Gourd Continent but probably the entire Haoran World—the famous "Night Parade Banquet."
Cen Wenqian had leapfrogged in officialdom, from a small river god to the new Qiantang Governor. Who was behind that?
As for the mountain lords of the regent mountains, each had their own connections. Eryou Mountain was on good terms with the Yuan clan of the Pillar of State. Yandang Mountain was the summer retreat of Patrol Envoy Cao Ping. The aristocratic families of Yichi Lane often visited Deerhorn Mountain together. On Pu Mountain, Lu Baixiang was said to be a member of the Desolate Mountain Ancestral Hall registry. Long Mountain often saw the children of general families from Chier Street. Luanshan was the preferred incense-burning destination for the wives of officials in the Great Li capital and secondary capital...
Wei Bo tucked his hands into his sleeves and smiled. "Great Banner, Heroic Spirit, Luxuriant Green, Bright Candle. These divine titles are too grand. Do you really think they all came from the Central Earth Confucian Temple?"
Fan Junmao reminded him, "Don't forget the 'Night Wanderer' title."
The conferment ceremony for the five mountains of the Bottle Gourd Continent this time—from the elevation of the "Golden Body Divine Rank" to the Confucian Temple granting divine titles, to the Confucian "scholar" presiding over the ceremony—had all exceeded imagination.
Far exceeding their expectations.
For example, Fan Junmao could never have imagined getting "Luxuriant Green." Could Meng Rong have dared to hope for "Heroic Spirit"?
Jin Qing asked, "Did National Teacher Chen really help smooth things over with the Confucian Temple?"
Tong Wenchang chuckled. "It's not like National Teacher Chen just threw a list at the Confucian Temple and forced them to sign and seal it on the spot, is it?"
Fan Junmao said, "He could do that kind of thing."
Pu Mountain's Fu Dechong still valued official rules. In such meetings of the five mountain gods, he wouldn't speak unless spoken to, just keeping his ears open.
He remembered that at the last imperial study meeting, three of them had sat on the steps outside, stealing a moment to smoke. That instantly brought them closer.
Besides the always free-spirited Old Tong, and Fu Dechong of Pu Mountain who dared to imitate him, the most important reason was, of course, that the young national teacher had also slipped out.
After a casual chat, Fu Dechong had a fairly good impression of Chen Ping'an. Of course, Chen Ping'an also had a favorable view of this Pu Mountain god. Lu Baixiang and his two disciples had settled around Pu Mountain, where they discovered a rare secret realm. Fu Dechong not only didn't take it but never even asked for a share. Instead, he took good care of them. Logically, since the secret realm was on Pu Mountain's main peak, if Fu Dechong had wanted to "reclaim" it, even if Lu Baixiang argued vehemently and took the case to the Great Li court's imperial study, the best outcome would be for the secret realm to be returned to Pu Mountain, and Fu Dechong would just pay Lu Baixiang some immortal coins.
Thus the old saying: "A person's character is most evident in matters of money."
Fu Dechong's study was named "Autumn Water Spirit Mansion." Even his name came from the essay "The Seal of Virtue and Harmony."
After the imperial study meeting ended, just as he returned to his mountain lord residence, a wandering Taoist priest with the Dao name "Self-Reflection" visited the Pu Mountain temple. The young man stood outside the main hall, saying he had encountered some difficulties and wanted to borrow an immortal Daoist scripture from the mountain lord to take home for good luck and to ward off misfortune. Fu Dechong dismissed him as a fraud seeking attention and tossed him a book. The young priest became furious, saying it wasn't a celestial book and wasn't worth anything. He disdainfully threw the book back into the hall, gave Fu Dechong a Daoist book with no title, and left, cursing that Fu Dechong was like Lord Ye, who professed love for dragons but was afraid when faced with a real one...
Later, reminded by Jin Qing, Fu Dechong said, "Welcome the Dao book to the mountain," and only then realized that the mysterious, fraudulent young Taoist was actually Patriarch Lu.
On Pu Mountain, the various immortal officials and goddesses were very curious about the young man of great fame, so whenever they had the chance, they asked Lord Fu this and that.
"What is the Hidden Official's character like?"
"Meticulous in matters, witty in conversation, generous to others, and very approachable."
"What is Chen Sword Immortal's bearing like?"
"He seems stern when looked at but is warm upon approach. His spirit is inwardly contained. He is an outstanding scholar."
"And his appearance? Very..." Fu Dechong couldn't answer and had to brush them off, saying, "You'll have a chance to see him in person someday."
Fu Dechong stroked his sleeve, where he treasured the Dao book given by Patriarch Lu.
He couldn't help but sigh. Whether Patriarch Lu or Chen Sword Immortal, they seemed to have similar lives. It was said that heroes feared meeting their hometown neighbors the most; they were always more fragrant outside the wall than inside.
In an instant, all the mountain-and-river gods sensed an astonishing divine aura. Facing off against the fourteenth realm ghost, the two sides were closing in, and the former was not losing ground.
Wei Bo squinted. "Gentlemen, prepare to have your eyes opened."
Jin Qing suppressed the shock in his heart and said, "Don't let the two sides break everything apart. We'll continue to reinforce the formation. Besides the five mountains and regent mountains borrowing qi, the regent mountains must also borrow earthly advantages from their jurisdictions. Have all the orthodox gods recorded on the golden jade register participate. No need to explain for now; just have them follow orders."
Tong Wenchang nodded. "Whether it's a tortoise shell or an iron bucket formation, we must trap this fourteenth realm ghost. Don't let us bring shame upon the Bottle Gourd Continent."
Fan Junmao was worried. Her tenure as a great mountain god was still short, but in terms of the length of "becoming a god," Jin Qing and the others were like children to her.
She felt something was off.
It wasn't just the ghost Xian's state of mind, as if there were a strange tug-of-war within her—like a hanged ghost suspended between heaven and earth, torn between killing and closeness, pulling at her Dao heart, making her hesitate and unable to unleash her true killing move.
Nor was it that the Earthly Branches had gathered all their divine powers, techniques, and qi into the martial artist "Zhou Haijing," boosting her combat power to the point where she could wrestle with Xian.
Fan Junmao couldn't quite put her finger on it; it was just a vague intuition.
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A solitary high platform surrounded by the great sea.
Yin Ji took shelter here after being thrown from Xian's sleeve. If possible, he hoped that the moment he saw daylight again, he would already be in the Great Sui capital on the Central Earth Divine Continent.
But ripples spread, and the green-robed swordsman with two swords at his waist had arrived.
Prince Yin Miao's face showed panic. You're a debt collector, aren't you?!
Chen Ping'an tucked his hands into his sleeves. Was this the same high platform as in Old Dragon City?
Yin Ji, in the form of a handsome young man in yellow robes, clasped his hands behind his back and voluntarily walked up to Chen Ping'an. Together, they gazed at the dead, still sea. After a moment of silence, Yin Ji smiled. "Do you know, because you lack a distinguished family background or lineage, and especially because you are no one's 'incarnation,' how many cultivators aspiring to immortality are scratching their heads? They think, 'No, this can't be right. It shouldn't be like this.'"
Chen Ping'an smiled back. "Words of kindness at the end of one's life?"
Yin Ji shook his head. "The final outcome is still uncertain."
Chen Ping'an said, "Relying on the guidance technique of that Jade Capital immortal official behind the scenes? The fourteenth realm Xian couldn't even take you out of the Bottle Gourd Continent, let alone a Dao official far away in the Azure Underworld. Does he really think he's the Invincible One of the Upper Purity Pavilion?"
Yin Ji turned to look at "Yin Ji."
Earlier, the Great Li Prince of Luo, Song Mu, had a saying that could be applied to Prince Yin Miao, who aimed high but had a thin fate: "He can't succeed but can ruin things."
Chen Ping'an said, "Since it's come to this, why not tell me where this all started and with whom."
Yin Ji laughed. "Good son, why not help National Teacher Chen clear things up? If you chat congenially, maybe you can turn war into peace and turn misfortune into fortune."
Even though he had already become a ghost and was still wearing the skin of "Yin Ji," the old-looking Prince Yin Miao stood in silent grief, not saying a word.
He had shown exceptional talent as a cultivation prodigy from a young age. A few years ago, he had even had a mystical experience of visiting the celestial capital in a dream.
Those celestial buildings, too magnificent to be described in any language, seemed to form the legendary palace of the Heavenly Emperor.
Yin Miao's spirit soared as he strolled along a divine path like a ladder of blue clouds. Finally, he met a young immortal official wearing a tall crown. His aura was ethereal, his Dao intent vast and boundless.
The other claimed to be there to guide Yin Miao to immortality.
Yin Miao plucked up the courage to ask where this place was. The immortal official said it was a forbidden land that even heavenly demons dared not approach, a place that even those listed among the immortals would never see in their lifetimes.
The immortal official also said that Yin Miao had an unfinished karmic connection with him. As they toured the palace towers together, the official said that Yin Miao was a chosen one, destined to ascend the mountain and cultivate immortality. What were mortal emperors and kings compared to that? At best, they were merely "sons of Heaven."
Yin Miao was tempted. Precisely because he had the talent for cultivation, according to the rules of the Haoran world's Confucian Temple, he was automatically disqualified from ascending the throne.
Finally, as the immortal official sent him out of that imperial palace, which used stars as its dwelling place, he said that Yin Miao's opportunity had come, but he still needed to accumulate a great merit to successfully ascend to immortality and rule the world. He said that mortal refiners, relying on meager techniques, could slight kings and nobles. But when Yin Miao inherited the imperial lineage, those refiners who toiled for immortality without success would be like dust that he could summon or dismiss at will.
Yin Miao curiously asked what this merit was.
The immortal official, shocking him to the core, said, "You need to go to the Bottle Gourd Continent and help someone... become a god!"
Yin Miao wanted to ask more, but the immortal official's cold gaze silenced him in fear.
As he descended the celestial ladder connecting heaven and earth, Yin Miao finally asked the immortal official's title and name.
The official pondered for a moment and sighed deeply, saying his name had long been abandoned: Shi Zhouren.
After saying this, the young immortal official flicked his sleeve and sent Yin Miao's consciousness back to the mortal world of the red dust.
When Yin Ji saw that Yin Miao was being a mute, he grew anxious and scolded, "Yin Miao, with everything revealed, you still won't confess?!"
Yin Miao felt staying silent wouldn't help. He shook his head, a look of bewilderment on his face. "What Hidden Official? What national teacher? A mere serving maid carrying a tray can unsettle his Dao heart."
Though he spoke, his words were still barbed.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Do you think saying a few light 'honest words' will make me let you go?"
Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Don't learn from Wang Jia of Furao Continent. The things engraved in one's bones—if you pretend, it's always obvious."
Yin Ji slowly said, "Big events, big situations, big trends—they can't affect his state of mind in the slightest."
"Not to mention that a sword immortal's Dao heart is firm as a rock. Take the Tongye Continent, for example—a whole continent rotting. Seeing too much only makes one more numb. Even the weak-hearted will become iron-willed."
"So the only way is to start small, with small people and small things, to have a chance."
"Does National Teacher Chen agree?"
Chen Ping'an nodded. "Correct."
Yin Ji said, "I once toured the provinces and saw with my own eyes a stonemason splitting a huge rock with a row of iron nails. It left a deep impression."
Chen Ping'an smiled. "Seeing the big in the small—you're a smart man."
Yin Ji continued, "I once had people secretly collect some 'small matters' about Teach Tiger. For instance, the national teacher liked to stand alone on the city walls."
Chen Ping'an changed the subject and asked, "Since you are such diligent learners, didn't the Great Sui dynasty try to imitate the Earthly Branches lineage?"
Yin Ji admitted honestly, "We tried, but it was like drawing a tiger that ended up looking like a dog."
No matter how strong the Great Sui dynasty was, it could never compare to the Great Li Song clan of old, which was one country synonymous with one continent. The Great Sui Yin clan could not compete with the monopoly of a continent's qi.
Yin Ji sent people to secretly search for over fifty cultivation prodigies, barely piecing together two "Earthly Branches." Even Cai Yushan personally joined, but the result was disastrous—they were like chicken ribs: tasteless but a pity to discard. Their Dao hearts were scattered, they hindered each other, and their combat power existed only on paper. Yin Ji watched two exercises and found them unbearable, so he immediately halted the project, wasting a large amount of the national treasury.
Chen Ping'an smiled. "So, instead, you ended up with something like Yin Miao?"
Yin Miao, left aside by the Great Sui emperor and the Great Li national teacher, said angrily, "Chen, are you done or not?!"
Yin Ji sighed. He could probably guess that what Yin Miao was thinking here was exactly what Chen Ping'an saw and heard.
The matter of the dream visit to the celestial capital—Yin Miao could no longer hide it.
Chen Ping'an murmured to himself, "Fatherly kindness and filial piety—they put on a double act."
"Transferring souls, trying to cling to the dragon throne through such shady means—just relying on Xian's tricks to fool the heavens isn't reliable. The Great Sui is no remote small country. You couldn't hide within your borders forever. This trip to see the Great Duan emperor, besides discussing an alliance, was also to test if you would be exposed? But it seems you left one soul and one spirit on Yin Miao, just in case. For example, today is the 'just in case.' At least one of you has to survive."
"Right, both Yin Jis?"
Hearing these words, Yin Miao was stunned. If even Xian couldn't kill the Great Li national teacher, he seemed unable to even hate Emperor Yin Ji.
Yin Ji sighed deeply. This time, he truly admired Chen Ping'an. "Of course, I was afraid of accidents, like the Confucian Temple discovering traces. I was also afraid that that coward Yin Ji would be useless, so I left a backup plan for a second occupation of the nest. 'Yin Miao' himself remains unaware."
Chen Ping'an said, "I'm not an expert in the Dao of the soul, but dealing with you is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut."
Perhaps Xiao Xing and the other Barren Wastes demons would disagree?
Chen Ping'an looked sideways at Yin Ji. "How can you be sure you are still Yin Ji?"
Yin Ji said calmly, "Chen Ping'an, don't try to fool me with such crude tricks. The benefit of not being a cultivator is that there's no Dao heart to disturb."
Chen Ping'an said, "Yin Ji, do you know what the Great Sui dynasty is really holding?"
Yin Ji smiled. "What are you talking about? Xian is a fourteenth realm ghost. Need to doubt that? Even the Central Earth Confucian Temple doesn't bother with her..."
Chen Ping'an said, "If I'm not mistaken, Xian only came into contact with you after the Lizhu Cave Heaven shattered?"
Yin Ji was silent.
Chen Ping'an said, "Cai Yushan is of the Dragon-Supporting lineage. Daring to throw himself into the Great Sui dynasty—he really doesn't know when he's asking for death."
Yin Ji was puzzled. "What do you mean by that?"
Chen Ping'an asked, "Have you ever carefully read the Great Sui secret archives? Have you ever seen the word 'Heavenly Punishment' in any book?"
Yin Ji shook his head. "I've only heard of some mountain-top cultivators attracting 'Heaven's Disgust.' It's said to be more terrifying than the heavenly tribulation that comes when breaking through a bottleneck."
Chen Ping'an said, "The origin of the dragon-slaying campaign three thousand years ago stems from an accumulation of Heaven's Disgust that could no longer be changed. Just one Dao saying—'The wren builds its nest in the deep forest, using but a single branch'—threw Xian's Dao heart into fury. She hates all existence that gives goodwill and hope to flood dragons. The writer of that phrase, Patriarch Lu of the Jade Capital, is one of them. The Lady Feng, who once burned the dragon girl's forehead with mugwort, is naturally another."
"When the Lizhu Cave Heaven shattered and fell to the ground, and Wang Zhu appeared at Nilpotent Bottle Alley, Xian, who had been lingering around the Great Sui dynasty, naturally followed into the world."
"I was still a bit puzzled before. Why could Wang Zhu, who harbored resentment toward the Haoran world, stubbornly resist fleeing through the waterways to the Barren Wastes? It seems she vaguely sensed Xian's 'malice' toward her."
"Xian is the Dao manifestation of the 'Heavenly Punishment' of three thousand years ago."
When Chen Ping'an was young, passing through Dragon-Lair Trench on a ferry, he was forced to form a bond with Wang Zhu. Therefore, whether because of his affinity with water or his great connection to flood dragons, the almost certain disaster he faced should not have happened—unless it was Xian. Especially after the young traveler uttered "Lu Chen's decree," Xian would only become more enraged. But Chen Ping'an also said, "He who kills Chen Ping'an is Lu Chen." That was the turning point? In that crisis, whether Senior Brother Zuo Yousheng arrived at Dragon-Lair Trench quickly or slowly meant life or death for the young man.
Later, when Chen Ping'an served as the Hidden Official on the Sword Qi Great Wall, he voluntarily dissolved the bond with Wang Zhu. But when he returned to the Haoran world, he also stood between Chen Qingliu and Wang Zhu at the East Sea Water Mansion.
Unconsciously, he still became the common guardian of Wang Zhu—or, more accurately, all flood dragons under heaven.
Yin Ji sighed. "Having no illustrious predecessor grants freedom. But it also easily makes one a solitary boat, drifting like duckweed in the long river of history."
Completely ignoring what Chen Ping'an and Yin Ji were saying, Yin Miao suddenly became excited and laughed wildly. "The tide has turned! The Earthly Branches can't beat Xian after all. You may be smug for a moment, but how can you kill a fourteenth realm? Chen Ping'an, you've lost! Completely lost..."
It turned out that they had opened a blurred mirror-flower-water-moon projection, roughly able to discern the battle situation between Xian and "Zhou Haijing."
Yin Miao, looking like a madman, pointed at the green-robed figure. "Quickly apologize to us! Kneel and kowtow a few times. Maybe we won't hold it against you too much. But the Great Li court ceding territory and paying reparations to the Great Sui is a must. Don't you dare go to the Confucian Temple to twist the truth and try to weasel your way out... Haha, Chen Ping'an, even you have your day! Blame your rise to power on that Desolate Mountain!"
Suddenly, Yin Miao was forced to his knees, his head banging on the ground as if someone were pressing it. He screamed, feeling as though his brains were spilling out.
Yin Miao kowtowed until his head split open, his soul shattered, and he died again.
Yin Ji said nothing more and paid no attention to the dissipation of the soul and spirit on Yin Miao. He just looked into the distance. If Chen Ping'an hadn't exposed the truth, even he, the Great Sui emperor, wouldn't have understood why Xian's latest domain appeared so tragic.
Xian's fundamental domain was like the common grave of all beings who had died unjustly or in vain over the past ten thousand years, especially the last three thousand years. It was filled with endless grief, indignation, and suffering.
Countless invisible karmic threads entangled "Zhou Haijing," who was like a great golden immortal descending to the world, corroding her spear, rotting her colorful armor, dragging her streamers, gradually spreading over her face and three eyes.
Yin Ji's voice changed slightly. "Chen Ping'an, you're too impatient. That's only natural. Being a mortal enemy of an Invincible One puts pressure on anyone. Though we are enemies, I, a poor Daoist, admire you deeply."
Clearly, the green-robed swordsman had two swords at his waist, but he didn't draw them. Instead, he spread his hands, and in infinite light, two narrow blades appeared—Execution and Judgment.
He took a step off the high platform in the center of the sea.
The sword-qi realm created by Caged Sparrow and Well-Mouth Moon crushed against Xian's Heavenly Punishment domain, like Dao tides colliding, grinding against each other, each losing its fundamental Dao.
With another step, he broke through Xian's domain.
The nine cloud-sea whirlpools in the sky—seven visible, two hidden—merged into one. The sword light from beyond the heavens descended in a straight line. Northern Dipper marked for death, descending upon the mortal world.
Chen Ping'an voluntarily entered Xian's domain.
At the pinnacle of martial arts, his flesh became divine. A green Dharma appearance stood tall between heaven and earth.
His eyes were pure gold, his face half bright, half dark.
Xian looked up to meet his gaze.
The space that had been filled with billions of howling screams fell instantly silent.
Loud anger is silent. Great bitterness is wordless. Perhaps, as he said and as it was written in books, "Nothing is more dead than a heart that is dead, and the death of a person is secondary."
The fourteenth realm ghost, in a daze, saw the Dao.
Both the pinnacle of martial arts and the supremacy of the Heavenly Dao.
What Yin Miao had said earlier—"release, seek release"—was of course a lie. But for a being like Xian, suffering the agony of three thousand years of Heavenly Punishment, day and night, was it not also the truest voice from the depths of her soul?
Before coming to the Bottle Gourd Continent, there was only one path: either she devoured Wang Zhu and successfully reached the pseudo-fifteenth realm, wiping out all flood dragons under heaven, or Wang Zhu devoured her, and the mortal world would retread the old path.
Then the Heavenly Punishment would manifest with even greater violence, repaying past hatred with even greater resentment, until all living beings in the yang world became ghosts like Xian.
Xian suddenly laughed. She seemed to repeat that phrase: "You are truly pitiful."
She caught sight of Judgment's slash, Execution's sweep. The blade light was dazzling, so bright that it seemed the entire mortal world was filled with light.
There was no way she would submit to the blade. Like a water ghost in the River of Time, Xian tried to drag this person down to be her substitute.
Xian resolutely chose to forcibly scatter her Dao, letting the Dao tide drown the entire Great Li dynasty and the whole Bottle Gourd Continent.
The flying sword Northern Dipper descended straight.
A straight line split open the Dao tide of the fourteenth realm ghost. Xian's head flew high, a ring of blade light flat as a mirror. Her body was cut in half at the waist. The great Dharma appearance of the fourteenth realm ghost tilted slowly.
The entire small world of Caged Sparrow enveloped the Dao tide. Hundreds of thousands of flying swords instantly cut into the tide, as if splitting the surging waves into streams... Just as the small world was about to burst and the two natal flying swords were about to shatter, one of the swords, Night Wanderer, clanged out of its sheath. As a guide, it pulled the entire sword-qi domain in a huge arc. The second long sword, Duckweed, with the engraved inscription "Thunder Pond" shining brightly, temporarily sealed the three thousand years' worth of Heavenly Punishment Dao intent.
In the end, only a vague, ethereal "Xian" remained, her form and black hair drifting in the heavens and earth.
Unable to flood the Bottle Gourd Continent, she sighed faintly. "In the end, all my efforts came to naught."
Another sword light arrived.
Slaying it!
Between heaven and earth, there was only sword light.
On the high platform, Emperor Yin Ji stared blankly, maintaining his upward-looking posture for a long time.
Witnessing Xian's body fall and Dao dissolve was indeed a magnificent, dazzling picture. Yin Ji's expression was dejected. Even if he guessed that they might slay the ghost in broad daylight, how could he have imagined that Chen Ping'an could withstand the Dao backlash of that Heavenly Punishment, truly saving the Bottle Gourd Continent from disaster? Protecting a continent of the Haoran world's yang realm. If he hadn't withstood it, he would have been the eternal sinner of the Haoran world! No matter how high his realm became in the future, no matter how much he mended the mortal world, even after three thousand years, ten thousand years! He would still be the sinner who caused a continent to sink into a yin ghost world!
"Zhou Haijing" had already escaped. She slowly floated to the ground, using her spear as a staff. Her colorful armor was shattered, her cheeks and arms exposed bare bone. The spear was covered in rust.
Zhou Haijing let out a long breath. The many divine abilities, treasures, and flying swords on her were returned one by one to the Earthly Branches cultivators.
It was as if heaven and earth had passed through a great tribulation, and the light boat had already crossed ten thousand mountains.