Chapter 262: A Leaf Boat, a Dashing Youth
(An 11,000-word chapter.)
A fierce sword strike came from the land to the Osmanthus Island in the middle of the sea, followed closely by another strike, still breaking through the air from the summit of the Sea of Clouds above Old Dragon City. The might of these two sword strikes was earth-shattering.
On the sea surface between Old Dragon City and Osmanthus Island, two ravines were carved out successively by the sword intent from the heavens.
While Chen Ping'an closed his eyes to comprehend the sword intent, the Golden Core elder sword cultivator had already come to his senses. The reason he did not seize the fleeting sword intent like Chen Ping'an, attempting to use another's stone to polish his own jade, was not because the old sword cultivator's experience was inferior to that of a fourth-tier martial artist, but because the old man deeply understood that once his own sword intent was formed, if an onlooker recklessly borrowed and absorbed the spirit and will contained in another sword immortal's strike, it would easily lead to self-contradiction, making his own pure sword intent become impure.
However, if the two sword intents were roughly similar, that would naturally be a good thing.
The foundation of Ma Zhi's lifebound flying sword, [Cool Shade], was about taking shelter under a tree's shade. Thus, its sword intent was close to spring chill, heavy snow, clear springs, and so on, and far from great fire, scorching heat, furnaces, etc. This was vastly different from the "slaughter and assault" derived from battlefield true intent in the two sword strikes from the Sea of Clouds. Therefore, the old sword cultivator would not follow the clues to gather those two sword intents and turn them into his own. On the contrary, some junior sword cultivators who had just entered the Middle Five Realms had unstable sword intents, so even if the two intents were completely opposite, they would still benefit.
Chen Ping'an stood in place, subconsciously assuming the Sword Furnace Standing Stance.
Ma Zhi, being so experienced and shrewd, naturally would not disturb the boy's small opportunity. He even deliberately swept his sleeve, not only dispersing some of the ancestor tree's cool shade cover but also actively capturing some fleeting strands of sword energy, allowing them to seep into the Gui Vein Small Courtyard, letting Chen Ping'an feel the sword intent more deeply.
In this process, Ma Zhi's reverence for that Old Dragon City sword cultivator grew even stronger. An Earth Immortal's single sword strike, with power enough to topple mountains and overturn seas, was a form of intimidation, not particularly remarkable. What truly determined how far an Earth Immortal sword cultivator was from the Upper Five Realm was no longer the surface power, but rather the test of the cohesion of sword intent. If the sword energy was scattered and the spirit was disordered, even if the strike was powerful, the sword intent would flow out in all directions, indicating that the sword cultivator's control over sword intent was not yet perfect.
And that sword cultivator who had struck fiercely from Old Dragon City, even though the strike had crossed such a vast distance over the sea, the cohesion of the sword intent was almost equivalent to Ma Zhi striking from a hundred zhang away. How could Ma Zhi not be amazed and admire him?
A tenth-tier sword cultivator hailed as an Earth Immortal, only one step away from breaking through the bottleneck and entering the Upper Five Realm. Because sword cultivators had such great killing power, throughout their entire Middle Five Realm career before that, they often showed their sharp edges. Therefore, compared to ordinary tenth-tier Nascent Soul Earth Immortals, they were even more "reclusive," like Wei Jin of the Wind Snow Temple, who completely left the martial world before becoming a Jade Core Realm sword immortal and had been in a closed-door life-and-death seclusion.
It seemed that this old sword cultivator from Old Dragon City must have been greatly angered by someone on the Fan family's Osmanthus Island, or else he would not have struck so fiercely, risking causing a heavenly tribulation.
Ma Zhi asked the Aunt Gui with his mind voice, "Madam Gui, which mighty figure made a move? Was it a means targeting our Fan family, or a dispute with guests from outside?"
Aunt Gui hesitated for a moment, then answered vaguely: "It should be a reclusive expert from Old Dragon City, who had some conflict with a member of the Jiang clan of the Jade Gui Sect from Parasol Leaf Continent. Our Fan family and Osmanthus Island need not interfere; maintaining neutrality is sufficient."
Ma Zhi sighed with emotion: "Since it's a fight between two groups of immortals on the mountaintop, we'll just watch the show."
Aunt Gui smiled faintly, "That is proper."
Ma Zhi suddenly exclaimed in surprise: "The Jiang clan of the Jade Gui Sect? Is that the Jiang clan that holds the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land?"
But Aunt Gui had already closed her heart, cut off her mind voice, and no longer paid attention to the old sword cultivator's inquiry.
Ma Zhi was not bothered by this, simply assuming that the Madam Gui, with her special status, was worried that Osmanthus Island itself might be affected, requiring her to focus on dealing with the situation.
Seeing that the boy was still standing in his stance, Ma Zhi simply put away his Cool Shade flying sword and sat down at the stone table. In the world, the Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands totaled ten major Cave Heavens, thirty-six minor Cave Heavens, and seventy-two Blessed Lands, shared by several realms. They were divided into three classes and nine grades, with different ranks. The Clear Pool Blessed Land held by the Shen Gao Sect in Bottle Gourd Continent was of a very low rank, while the Cloud Cavern Blessed Land in the hands of the Jiang clan of Parasol Leaf Continent was extremely extraordinary.
After Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, the old man asked with a smile: "How was it?"
Chen Ping'an smiled and said: "I only know this sword strike was very powerful, but I can't say exactly how powerful. After pondering for a long time, I only vaguely grasped a tiny bit of meaning. What a pity. If only this sword strike could have been a little slower."
Ma Zhi teased: "A Nascent Soul Realm Earth Immortal sword cultivator, when he strikes, he has to give you, Chen Ping'an, a heads up?"
Chen Ping'an scratched his head, "How would I dare."
Chen Ping'an suddenly asked worriedly: "Could it be that a sword cultivator wants to harm Osmanthus Island?"
Ma Zhi waved his hand, looking relaxed, and explained with a smile: "No, it's just that he had a grudge against a guest from Parasol Leaf Continent on the island. He struck two swords as a show of force. The two swords were very particular; they didn't damage the foundation of Osmanthus Island at all. This is actually no different from expressing goodwill towards Osmanthus Island. Otherwise, when Earth Immortals exchange blows, unless it's in a remote, uninhabited area, it's normal for some qi to leak out if they can't fully restrain themselves."
Ma Zhi said this lightly, but the old man thought more deeply.
This unknown Earth Immortal sword cultivator was either an extremely rule-abiding existence, or he had an old connection with the Fan family of Old Dragon City. The latter possibility was obviously greater.
Elsewhere on Osmanthus Island, the atmosphere was not as harmonious and amiable as in the Gui Vein Small Courtyard.
Jiang Beihai's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
The family's tenth-tier Nascent Soul elder, an old man, lay in a pool of blood. The priceless dharma robe "Ink Bamboo Grove" had been almost completely destroyed; the cost to fully repair it would probably be more than buying a new, superior dharma robe. The old man was not seriously injured and soon staggered to his feet, but he looked miserable and terrifying because the brunt of the second sword strike had been absorbed by that precious dharma robe bestowed by the Jiang clan ancestor.
The tall, thin old man fixed his gaze on Old Dragon City on the mainland, gritting his teeth: "The villain struck twice by surprise, too oppressive!"
"Elder Su, what exactly happened?" Jiang Beihai asked softly, his body motionless, his feet planted firmly on the ground. Not only he, the legitimate son of the Jiang clan, but also the other family attendants and the direct line of the Jade Gui Sect were exactly the same, standing rigidly, not daring to breathe loudly.
The old retainer, furious but helpless, said: "We only know that both strikes came from the same person, the place of the strikes was in the Sea of Clouds above Old Dragon City. Could it be that some patriarch of the Fu family, holding a half-immortal weapon, is showing off to us?"
Jiang Beihai thought for a moment: "The Fu family has never liked the Ding family, and the Ding family has a good relationship with the Parasol Leaf Sect. The Ding family was able to stand firm in Old Dragon City before because of that guy. Our Jade Gui Sect and the Parasol Leaf Sect have been mortal enemies for a thousand years. Logically, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Even if we chose the Fan family's Osmanthus Island to go to Hanging Mountain this time, instead of the Fu family's Swallowing Treasure Whale..."
He paused, then continued: "We shouldn't have incurred such great resentment from them. The Fu family is not stupid; they know the strength of the Jade Gui Sect, and they also know the status of our Jiang clan within the Jade Gui Sect. Moreover, the Fu family has always had a good relationship with the Fan family..."
The palace-attired woman said cautiously: "Could it be related to Madam Gui? Perhaps some Fu family patriarch admires her?"
Jiang Beihai lowered his voice, laughing angrily: "It's not like we're openly trying to seize Madam Gui? We're just talking business openly. If Osmanthus Island were Fu Qi's property, and Madam Gui were Fu Qi's mistress, then this disturbance would barely make sense. But this Osmanthus Island was obtained by the Fan family ancestor through luck. Would the Fu family stick their necks out for this? Do you really think our Jade Gui Sect is a vegetarian? If I add a little fuel to the fire, believe me, those two hot-tempered patriarchs of our Jade Gui Sect will immediately come to Old Dragon City to demand an explanation."
Women always like to think about matters of love, men prefer to think about matters of power.
The tall, thin old man's eyes flashed with severity, and he warned Jiang Beihai with his mind voice: "Young master, regarding this trip to Hanging Mountain, we must not report it to the sect!"
Jiang Beihai nodded bitterly in his heart: "Elder Su, I understand the gravity of the situation."
The old man took a deep breath: "I will immediately go to Old Dragon City and meet that sword immortal in person. We must resolve and finish this matter before we can safely proceed to Hanging Mountain. I will try to return to Osmanthus Island as soon as possible."
Jiang Beihai said softly: "Elder Su, be cautious."
"Rest assured, I will not disgrace the reputation of the Jade Gui Sect and the Cloud Cavern Jiang clan."
After saying this, the old man rose into the air and flew towards Old Dragon City. Before that, he had already put away the priceless dharma robe "Ink Bamboo Grove." The bloody wounds healed at a visible speed, truly a divine method of growing flesh from white bones. He was indeed a long-established Nascent Soul Realm big shot from Parasol Leaf Continent.
After the two stormy sword strikes, everyone on Osmanthus Island, whether Fan family members or passengers, was discussing it. Fortunately, almost everyone was a mountain person who had traveled far and wide, well-traveled and knowledgeable. Since they were qualified to go to Hanging Mountain in person, whether for business or sightseeing, they were not simple. Although shocked, they were not terrified or panicked. Moreover, Osmanthus Island soon came forward to calm things down, and the disturbance quickly subsided.
Golden Millet delivered the medicinal herbs retrieved from the foot of the mountain to the Gui Vein Small Courtyard, then quickly returned to her master, Aunt Gui. Seeing the calm and composed woman, who rarely had the good mood to brew a pot of tea, she handed a cup of hot tea to Golden Millet. After Golden Millet sat down, even before tasting her master's craftsmanship, her mind had already settled down along with the atmosphere.
The woman knew Golden Millet was full of questions but didn't want to say much. She just smiled and said: "For that young master Jiang, it was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. For us master and disciple, it's an unexpected blessing. Golden Millet, you don't need to ask. On this sea voyage, after returning from Hanging Mountain, I will try my best to arrange a meeting for you with the person who struck those swords."
Aunt Gui said softly with a smile: "'There is always a sky beyond the sky, and people beyond people' is not just empty talk. In the future, when you travel the world alone, it's better to be a little more restrained."
This last piece of golden advice fell on deaf ears. Golden Millet had already turned her head to look in the direction of Old Dragon City, full of anticipation.
A secluded Gui Vein Small Courtyard had no need to concern itself with these mountaintop storms.
From then on, Chen Ping'an spent each day practicing swordsmanship with the Golden Core old sword cultivator. The old man did three things: first, he would manifest his lifebound flying sword, enter Chen Ping'an's body in a void form, and help him temper his Three Souls, consolidating the foundations of the three soul paths of Martial Soul, Spiritual Soul, and Ethereal Soul. Second, Ma Zhi would suppress his realm and use his sword cultivator methods to wield the flying sword Cool Shade in combat against Chen Ping'an. Third, he would observe Chen Ping'an practicing the sword techniques from the "Orthodox Sword Manual," offering pointers and correcting flaws in his sword strike postures.
But Chen Ping'an's sword practice was very interesting. He never drew any sword from the wooden box on his back. Each time, he simply performed a sword-grip posture, imagining he was holding a sword in one hand. Ma Zhi had questions about this, and Chen Ping'an's answer was somewhat absurd. He said that one of the two swords on his back, named "Demon Subduer," was someone else's sword and could not be used. The other, a locust wood sword named "Demon Vanquisher," had been drawn from its sheath once on a battlefield, but after that, he found the wooden sword was too light. He felt that the sword he should use to start his sword practice should be an iron sword or something of sufficient weight. Otherwise, the sword felt weightless in his hand, like holding nothing, and it always felt wrong.
Only by wielding a heavy sword and still being able to strike extremely fast could he, in the future, when facing a formidable enemy his heavy sword couldn't defeat, switch to a wooden sword and use his fastest possible strike against them.
Ma Zhi, as a celestial being in the eyes of the secular world, felt rather indifferent towards martial arts swordsmanship in general. He had no particular feeling for this insistence of a martial world swordsman, and deep down, he even held a trace of contempt. Searching for heavenly treasures in a farm field? What could you possibly find? But if Chen Ping'an were to delve into the deep intricacies and dig into the fine points of the sword intent Dao, Ma Zhi might be compelled to talk endlessly, even for three days and three nights.
The Osmanthus Island maiden, Golden Millet, delivered three meals a day regularly. What relieved this woman was that Chen Ping'an did not take advantage of the situation and treat her like a maidservant, demanding she serve him for bathing and changing clothes. She would have had a headache otherwise. Even the changing of the medicinal bathwater was done by Chen Ping'an himself, which finally made Golden Millet feel a bit of goodwill towards this young guest of the Fan family.
Also, the small osmanthus wine stored in the Gui Vein Small Courtyard needed to be replenished every few days.
Given Golden Millet's status, she could have brought dozens of jugs of wine to the courtyard in one go, but she ultimately gave up on this idea of settling it once and for all, perhaps hoping to use the opportunity of an extra meeting to see through the depth of this young stranger. After all, a long sea voyage, for these Osmanthus Island maidens already familiar with the route, was a bit dull. The so-called Ten Scenes of Osmanthus Island, such as the Bright Moon Rising with the Tide, the faint sight of the Moon-Born Osmanthus Tree, the mirage transforming into ancient palaces, the school of flying fish encircling the island, etc., would be stunning at first, and people would even hire painters to capture the beautiful scenery, but after seeing them too many times, they lost their charm. Some strange happenings and odd people on the island were more likely to interest them.
Chen Ping'an now woke up around the beginning of the Mao hour (5-7 AM), before dawn, and first practiced the Six-Step Walking Stance for about an hour. The old sword cultivator Ma Zhi would appear around the Chen hour (7-9 AM), leisurely drinking a pot of osmanthus wine, and after Chen Ping'an finished the unremarkable boxing stance, or rather, after the old man finished a pot of wine, it would be about the time Golden Millet brought the breakfast food box, taking about two quarters of an hour (approx. 15-30 min). During this time, Ma Zhi would roughly explain the strength and weight of the day's sword strikes, the reasons for the focus of the sword intent, and some interesting stories about sword cultivators in the world.
Afterwards, Chen Ping'an would return the food box to Golden Millet waiting at the courtyard gate, mostly just saying thank you. If the Gui Vein Small Courtyard needed more wine, he wouldn't be embarrassed and would just tell the young woman directly.
For daily practice, on Ma Zhi's suggestion, they proceeded from easy to difficult. Chen Ping'an would first practice the sword techniques from the "Orthodox Sword Manual" for two hours in the morning. During this time, Ma Zhi would strike without warning, deliberately disrupting Chen Ping'an's smooth execution of the sword techniques. So Chen Ping'an not only needed to polish techniques including Avalanche Strike and Town Spirit Head, but also needed to constantly be alert to a Golden Core sword cultivator's interference. Occasionally, Ma Zhi would even move up the afternoon sparring session to the morning.
Before the end of the noon hour, they would definitely have lunch, then begin the afternoon sparring and sword testing. Ma Zhi had now silently raised his realm from the Cave Abode Realm sword cultivator to the seventh-tier Sea Gazing Realm. He sat at the stone table, drinking, constantly striking with his lifebound flying sword Cool Shade to assassinate Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an was free to use any means to counter—whether it was those imposing ancient boxing stances, the four new offensive and defensive techniques from the "Orthodox Sword Manual," or a chaotic flurry of "old master beating" random punches. Ma Zhi never cared about this; as long as Chen Ping'an could dodge the rapidly flying Cool Shade filling the courtyard, or knock back that flying sword with a punch, it was fine.
Often, before the afternoon sword practice was even finished, Chen Ping'an would be covered in cuts and bruises, his clothes in tatters.
Sometimes, Ma Zhi would slow down his sword strikes, letting the miserable Chen Ping'an catch his breath, and drink a few more sips of wine. The small dishes on the table—drunkard peanuts, garlic clams, fried small fish, cold pig ear salad—were enough to go with the old man's wine. But every time Chen Ping'an had a rare moment to breathe, the old man's next sudden strike would be overwhelmingly powerful. Maybe at that moment, the old man was still chewing on crispy small dried fish, but Chen Ping'an would find a swift sword thrust into his heart, then the flying sword would arc back and pierce through his back from behind. The old man would then sneer: "If the flying sword hadn't turned void, you would have died twice. You would never get to taste this spiced small fish. Chen Ping'an, even just for this drinking snack, you should try harder."
To ensure the continuity of the sword practice, there was no dinner in the Gui Vein Small Courtyard, only a late-night snack. Golden Millet only needed to place the food box at the courtyard gate.
Generally, after the You hour (5-7 PM), Chen Ping'an would stand and take a beating, using the flying sword Cool Shade's "passing through halls and walking through beams" and "galloping on post roads" within his soul to temper the thickness and resilience of his Three Souls.
Recently, the old sword cultivator no longer explained his sword techniques in detail, just carefully controlled the intensity, letting Chen Ping'an chew on that suffering.
Chen Ping'an both liked and disliked this time the most. He liked it because he knew this tempering provided the greatest benefit to his martial arts practice. He disliked it because it always reminded him of the torment in the Bamboo Tower of the Fallen Mountain. Fortunately, the old sword cultivator's methods were more restrained. Compared to the Barefoot Old Man's grand and fierce techniques, like a god from the Heavenly Court smashing a mortal, they were much easier. Chen Ping'an could not only endure it, but also use this opportunity to practice the Six-Step Walking Stance and the two defensive sword techniques from the "Orthodox Sword Manual," Mountain Form and Armored Form. Compared to his own slow, gentle simmering, the old sword cultivator's help was like a fierce fire boiling, yielding twice the result with half the effort.
But over time, Chen Ping'an, seeking joy amidst hardship, figured out something interesting. Using the fast and complex Avalanche Strike, combined with the excruciating pain of being disemboweled and having his heart cut out by the old sword cultivator's flying sword tempering, if he gritted his teeth and persisted, his strikes would become faster. His understanding of this offensive sword technique progressed rapidly. Later on, every time Chen Ping'an "held the sword" and executed the Avalanche Strike, even he felt that if he really had a divine weapon in his hand, it would truly have an aura of sword light piercing the heavens, maybe even enough to illuminate the entire courtyard.
The sword practice for the day would usually end around the transition between the Xu and Hai hours (7-11 PM). Then Chen Ping'an would go boil water and put herbs into a bucket. While waiting for the water to boil, he would go to the courtyard gate to get the food box. The old man and the youth would use the stone table as a dining table and eat the late-night snack. Sometimes, if Chen Ping'an was more seriously injured, or his clothes were too bloody, he would first soak in the bucket, bathe, change, and then eat. Even if the old sword cultivator Ma Zhi had eaten earlier, he would sit at the stone table and wait for Chen Ping'an. During the latter's meal, he would explain the gains and losses of the day's practice, like a game review in chess. Ma Zhi was, after all, a Golden Core sword cultivator with unique insight. And compared to the old man named Cui in the Bamboo Tower of Fallen Mountain, although Ma Zhi's realm was vastly different, he was more willing to explain things in detail. Most of Chen Ping'an's questions would be answered.
After clearing the food box, Chen Ping'an would continue practicing the walking stance from the Mountain Topple Fist Manual. Even after ten or a hundred years, no matter what realm he reached, Chen Ping'an probably would never abandon this crude boxing stance, the most basic of martial arts.
Around the middle of the Zi hour (11 PM - 1 AM), Chen Ping'an would go back to his room to sleep.
Almost every day was this cycle repeated. Unknowingly, over thirty sunrises and sunsets had passed on Osmanthus Island, and three of the nine sea scenes had quietly passed.
Another ten days passed. Regarding the fourth sea scene on the route, the old sword cultivator suggested Chen Ping'an could temporarily pause his practice and go to the ancestor osmanthus tree to enjoy the view.
Since the old man said so, Chen Ping'an complied. Just at dawn, Chen Ping'an arrived at the crowded top of Osmanthus Island. Looking into the distance, he saw a huge gap. The route of Osmanthus Island passed straight through it. On both sides were two island mountain ranges, with heights descending from high to low. On the peaks, buildings stood in close succession, built along the mountains, surrounded by swirling mist.
The wonder of this scene was not in the solitary, isolated immortal sect suspended overseas, but in the fact that Osmanthus Island passed between two facing steep cliffs. On the summits of the two cliffs stood a pair of hundred-zhang-tall golden statues, towering majestically. After countless years of wind and water erosion, the statues were still bright and dazzling. Even Qi refiners would feel awe at the sight.
It was said that the righteous gods of these two statues were once a divine general guarding the Southern Heavenly Gate and a god in charge of the water transport of all the great rivers in the world, the first of the many rain masters in heaven, nominally in charge of all true dragons' cloud and rain activities. The Heavenly Gate divine general rested his sword before him, his hands stacked on the pommel, a huge god-like being overlooking the human world.
That Rain Master deity had a blurred face, shrouded in mist and clouds, gender indistinguishable. Colorful ribbons of unknown material wrapped around its body, gently fluttering, vivid and lifelike, making the golden body, which had dissipated its divine radiance for who knows how many tens of thousands of years, seem as if it were still exerting its divine power in the mortal world, in charge of the entire southern water transport.
Chen Ping'an chose a spot on a bench by the railing at the mountaintop, sat cross-legged, facing the two statues, and slowly drank some wine.
The conversations of the Qi refiners around him were mostly in the elegant languages of Julu Continent and Parasol Leaf Continent, occasionally mixed with some Old Dragon City dialect. Chen Ping'an naturally understood none of it. Fortunately, not far away, there was a Qi refiner from the Fan family of Osmanthus Island. She looked like a young girl, but was not dressed as an Osmanthus Island maiden. Her voice was crisp. She was probably specially explaining the wonders of this sea scene to the passengers. She was narrating the "Two Gods Confrontation" scene in Bottle Gourd Continent elegant language, explaining the origins of the two statues, and also briefly describing the long history of that immortal sect. Someone seemed to ask why the Osmanthus Island ferry didn't dock at the island. The Fan family Qi refiner smiled and explained that although the ferry could pass through, this sect never accepted any ferry to dock. If anyone dared to land without permission, they would be driven away at the very least, or imprisoned in the island's jail. Historically, there had even been tragedies of direct execution by that immortal sect.
Finally, the young girl Qi refiner told the crowd on the mountaintop with a smile that the next scene, half a month later, was particularly spectacular and not to be missed.
As Osmanthus Island slowly passed between the cliffs, suddenly an object shaped like an embroidered ball came plummeting down, sweeping towards a young man among the spectators on the mountaintop.
The man instinctively reached out and caught the embroidered ball, looking up in a daze, wondering why that immortal sect was doing this.
The young girl Qi refiner from the Fan family was shocked, then urgently shouted: "Young master, according to the old seniors of our Osmanthus Island, this is a sign that a woman from that immortal family is seeking a husband. She has uniquely chosen you. This is a great opportunity that happens only once in a hundred years! Young master, if you are not yet married, you must agree! Even if you already are... in any case, only a direct descendant immortal maiden of this sect can throw an embroidered ball at a passing ferry. This kind of good fortune is not to be missed. Young master must consider it carefully..."
It was obvious that the young Qi refiner, holding the embroidered ball, looked up towards a certain place on the cliff. He was undergoing a question-and-answer session within his heart lake.
Then the young man seemed to have passed the test. The embroidered ball, made of a rolled-up ribbon, suddenly unfurled. One end of the ribbon tied itself around the man's wrist, and the other end flew swiftly towards the mountain peak. Thus, it carried the man floating towards a colorful pavilion on the mountaintop at the foot of a statue. In the pavilion, there was a woman of breathtaking beauty, her cheeks flushed, holding the other end of the ribbon tightly in her hand. Beside her were several extraordinary women and madams, with the bearing of immortals, smiling as if blessing this heavenly couple of immortal lovers.
Chen Ping'an witnessed all this. He looked at the young man's sudden rise to fortune. He felt neither envy nor a sigh of amazement at this worldly wonder. He was just a little dazed. Earlier, that young man had been standing just over ten paces away. When the Fan family Qi refiner mentioned whether he was married, the man's expression had clearly changed. Most likely, when this fortune fell upon him, he decisively abandoned his wife at home without a second thought.
Chen Ping'an looked up towards the colorful pavilion, thinking that the immortal woman who threw the embroidered ball might have a high cultivation level, but her eyesight was really not that good.
Back in the Gui Vein Small Courtyard, the old sword cultivator laughed heartily, drinking wine with his snacks, "I didn't expect that the embroidered ball would actually be thrown. It's a pity it wasn't you, kid. A pity, a great pity! You know, in the history of Osmanthus Island, encountering the scene of the mountaintop colorful pavilion throwing an embroidered ball is not an exaggeration to say it's a once-in-a-century event. It's just too bad you didn't have this romantic fortune..."
Chen Ping'an grinned and bared his teeth. The old man restrained his expression and said softly: "The Ten Scenes of Osmanthus Island actually contain opportunities of varying sizes. Of course, they can't be sought; it's all fate. Take this embroidered ball of the overseas immortal island. Who could have thought that a Cave Abode Realm mountain and swamp unorthodox cultivator, with mediocre cultivation aptitude, would become the lucky one?"
The old man said seriously: "As for the other nine scenes, you don't need to worry, not even thinking about trying your luck. That's fine. But for the very next scene, you must personally go to the foot of the Osmanthus Island mountain, the closer to the sea outside the ferry, the better. Because this is a stroke of luck. If anyone happens to encounter it, it would be a great fortune that even Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators would envy."
Chen Ping'an said helplessly: "I won't go trying my luck on something like that. It's more practical to practice swords in the courtyard."
The old sword cultivator glared: "Go, you must go. Even if it's a one in ten thousand chance, you, kid, have to join in the fun. On the path of cultivation, you shouldn't expect everything to go smoothly, but you should at least have some hopes. You make this trip. You can enjoy the wonderful scenery and try your luck. Even if you don't hit the jackpot, what do you lose? You kid! Remember, the word 'maybe' is both what Qi refiners fear most and what they dream of most..."
Chen Ping'an said cautiously: "Mr. Ma, I'm not a Qi refiner, I'm a pure martial artist."
The old sword cultivator slapped his forehead, stood up and said: "You're infuriating me to death! These next two days, practice on your own. I need to walk around a bit, clear my head. Being stuck with such a withdrawn gourd all day is no fun."
After that, for two days, the old sword cultivator didn't show up, and Chen Ping'an practiced swords by himself.
Later, the old man returned to the Gui Vein Small Courtyard looking travel-worn. He met Chen Ping'an, said he was practicing well and to keep it up, and then disappeared again.
Chen Ping'an assumed the old man had his own social engagements and wasn't surprised.
Then came the fifth sea scene on the Osmanthus Island cross-continent route: the Flood Dragon Trench.
Because the old man had reminded him again, Chen Ping'an decided to take half a day off. He first informed Golden Millet. Then, at noon that day, Golden Millet came to the small courtyard gate, reminding Chen Ping'an to go down the mountain to watch the scene. As a guest of the Fan family hosting the Gui, there was a specific secluded path down the mountain with few people. Chen Ping'an and Golden Millet walked side by side. The Osmanthus Island maiden explained the origin of the Flood Dragon Trench.
In that trench in the sea dwelled a large number of flood dragon species, mostly impure descendants. Among them, some were genuine water dragons who would instinctively fly to the sky above the land continents, causing clouds and rain. A round trip covered who knows how many tens of thousands of miles. By the time they returned to their lair, they were exhausted. Often, these flood dragons, without any rules or orders from the higher deities above, would use their divine powers to send down rain, easily causing floods. As a result, they were often seen as "evil dragons" by the common people and were relentlessly hunted by local Qi refiners, both to enforce justice for the people and to obtain the flood dragons' priceless innate treasures.
Chen Ping'an was startled and walked faster towards the foot of Osmanthus Island. He came from the Li Zhu Cave Heaven, where the last true dragon in the world had fallen, so he definitely wanted to see what flood dragons really looked like. Were these creatures in the Flood Dragon Trench considered the descendants of true dragons?
Soon, he reached the foot of the mountain. At the ferry port, many small boats were moored. The boatmen were all Fan family Qi refiners who regularly plied the Flood Dragon Trench. Osmanthus Island guaranteed that as long as passengers did not make loud noises or use divine powers to disturb the underwater flood dragons, there would be absolutely no accidents. Even if danger did occur, the Golden Core cultivators of Osmanthus Island would intervene immediately.
Guests of the Gui could board the boats for free.
In fact, even if he had to pay spirit coins, Chen Ping'an would have dug into his pockets. He and Golden Millet boarded a small boat. The boatman was an old man. Chen Ping'an noticed that the one-zhang-long bamboo pole in the old man's hand was engraved with a series of talismans. Among them, four ancient characters resembling earthworms were similar to the "work at what is essential" recorded in the "True Scripture of the Vermilion Book." The talisman was called the "Lock-Breaking Talisman," of extremely high rank. Moreover, the "Vermilion Book" stated at the end of this talisman that once the talisman was completed, the talisman paper would naturally ooze bloody spots; the talisman painter need not worry, as this was a sign of great achievement.
Chen Ping'an then asked Golden Millet about the name of the talisman on the bamboo pole. She looked blank, as if she had never thought about this question. She then asked the boatman. The old man smiled and said: "I really can't say clearly. Ever since the first day the Fan family route was opened, these vermilion characters seemed to have been on the bamboo pole. There has never been an accurate explanation. When my master passed the boat and bamboo pole to me, he couldn't explain it either. Our Osmanthus Island just calls it a Dragon-Striking Pole, saying it can scare away the dragons from the bottom. In fact, we boatmen don't believe it ourselves. We believe more in these..."
The old man grabbed a handful of paper figures and paper horses folded from snow-white silver foil from a bag at his feet: "If a dragon swims by under the boat, just throw a handful into the water, and they'll quickly disperse. Works every time. There's no other way. If we detour around the Flood Dragon Trench, this route would be over two hundred thousand miles longer. But, you know, though the Flood Dragon Trench looks scary and makes people tremble with fear, for the past few centuries, our Osmanthus Island has had a peaceful relationship with those flood dragons. So, young master, there's no need to worry."
The boatman laughed heartily, obviously an honest old man. "But if something really does happen, then it's a disaster. Not just this small boat, but the entire Osmanthus Island shouldn't hope to escape. So many flood dragon species, if they all stirred up the wind and waves together, how terrifying? If you ask me, even if a Nascent Soul Realm sword immortal dared to strike a sword here, provoking a flood dragon counterattack, he'd have a hard time escaping calamity."
Golden Millet's face darkened, and she complained: "The guest is on the boat. Why do you have to talk about such unlucky things?"
The boatman was mortified: "I won't say anymore, I won't say anymore. Young master, sit tight. We'll go enjoy the underwater wonders of the Flood Dragon Trench. I guarantee you a safe journey..."
The Flood Dragon Trench was a strange, deep gully with clear water reaching the bottom. It was over ten li wide and several thousand li long. Lurking coiled at the bottom were one by one flood dragon species of the sea, varying in color, their bodies winding, sizes different. Some were as thin as a basin, others as thick as a wellhead. It was said there was even a giant one whose eyes were as big as an urn. Under the water, their scales gleamed, clearly visible, making people afraid to speak, fearing they would disturb the flood dragons and invite disaster.
The old boatman suddenly pointed to a certain place in the sky: "Young master, look. That's a tired dragon returning from making rain on land. Oh, looks like it's got some injuries. It was probably used as an archery target by Qi refiners from Bodhi Continent, chased a long way. Not every water dragon is lucky enough to return alive. Some dragon corpses that die on the way back often become unexpected gains for cross-continent ferries. But our Osmanthus Island is decent. When we encounter a dragon corpse floating on the sea, we don't salvage it. Instead, we tow it to the Osmanthus Island reefs and bring it all the way to this Flood Dragon Trench..."
Chen Ping'an and Golden Millet followed the old man's finger and saw a huge creature fall from the sea of clouds, crashing into the distant sea, sending up a huge splash. Fortunately, the place where the tired rain-making dragon fell was over ten li from Osmanthus Island, so it had little effect on the small boat, just a slightly larger rocking motion.
The small boat slowly sailed forward along the side of Osmanthus Island, never leaving the island shore too far, at most two or three li. The sea water was clear. The small boats were like flying swords hovering in the air. Deep under the water, many flood dragon species sleeping or playing looked like they were coiled on undulating mountain ranges, making people forget they were sailing on the sea.
Chen Ping'an suddenly frowned.
He reached behind him and held a sword in the sword box, asking in a deep voice: "Are these flood dragon species considered one of the mountain and swamp spirits?"
The boatman thought the young man was inexperienced. The boat was already more than two li from the island, about to reach the deepest part of the Flood Dragon Trench. Looking down, there was no bottom in sight, so the boy was a bit scared. The boatman smiled and said: "In ancient times, these flood dragon species were considered royalty among heaven and earth. But now, times have changed. Young master, you are not wrong, they are just considered one kind of spirit now."
The boatman smiled: "Young master, don't be afraid. Osmanthus Island is a frequent visitor here. According to our Fan family genealogy, our ancestors even saw two Nascent Soul Realm Qi refiners fighting a great battle here. Although the Flood Dragon Trench beneath the feet of the two immortals was restless, in the end, not a single water dragon leaped out of the water. So, those rules about not making loud noises are actually deliberately meant to scare ordinary guests. Since young master is wearing the Gui guest wooden token, I won't be mysterious anymore..."
Golden Millet glared at the boatman. These internal matters of the Fan family could not be easily revealed.
The old man shrank his neck, continued to wield the bamboo pole, rowing honestly, occasionally throwing handfuls of white silver foil folded paper into the water. Besides paper figures and paper horses, there were also intricately folded paper buildings and vehicles.
The old man suddenly widened his eyes, staring at a place ahead: "Not good! Someone is deliberately framing our Osmanthus Island!"
At almost the same time, Aunt Gui flashed down from the Osmanthus Palace on the mountaintop and landed beside this small boat. She looked ahead at the foremost small boat with an angry expression: "Someone took out a Dragon King Basket and illegally caught a small water dragon playing in the shallows!"
The old man stood up: "Could it be Jiang Beihai deliberately retaliating? When they chose to disembark mid-journey, we had Ma Zhi secretly follow them for about ten days, and there was nothing unusual. Or could it be someone from the Ding family causing trouble secretly? But the Ding family shouldn't have a Dragon King Basket. The Fu family? The Fu family has one, but there's no reason for them to harm us..."
Aunt Gui shook her head: "It's hard to say for now. The top priority is to appease this Flood Dragon Trench. Once universal anger is aroused, even if Upper Five Realm cultivators are willing to help, they will be helpless and powerless! The entire Osmanthus Island, thousands of lives... Alas, what can be done? Damn, everyone has already been locked on! No one dares to fly up now..."
The boatman looked serious and immediately called out: "All small boats, dock immediately! All Qi refiners of Osmanthus Island, do not fly away without authorization, or you will be seen as provocation by the Flood Dragon Trench. Ma Zhi, trouble you to show one move, so the guests don't think we are crying wolf!"
Golden Core Realm sword cultivator Ma Zhi took out a long sword and swiftly threw it into the high sky. The speed was extremely fast, like a thunderbolt, certainly faster than a Golden Core cultivator flying. But just as this flying sword was whistling away, only a few li out from Osmanthus Island, it was heavily pressed down by an illusory claw from the sea of clouds, and the flying sword instantly exploded in the high sky.
Then he threw another sword, resulting in the same fate.
That Aunt Gui turned to Golden Millet and Chen Ping'an and said softly: "You two go back to the Gui Vein Small Courtyard first. No matter what happens, remember to hold on tightly to the osmanthus tree roots. That is your only chance of survival."
Golden Millet touched her toes, left the small boat, and landed at the ferry on the shore. She looked back.
That sword-bearing youth actually seemed to still be standing in the small boat. When he finally returned, he had an extra bamboo pole in his hand.
Golden Millet asked: "What are you doing?"
Chen Ping'an replied: "Dragon-Striking Pole. It might actually work."
Golden Millet glanced at the boy as if looking at an idiot, then turned and flew towards the mountaintop.
In an instant, it was as if mountains collapsed and the earth split apart. The entire Osmanthus Island suddenly sank over a hundred zhang with the sea surface.
Within a radius of several li centered on Osmanthus Island, all the sea surfaces inexplicably fell at the same time.
As a result, the Flood Dragon Trench, which had originally been under Osmanthus Island and the small boats, suddenly transformed from a seabed scene into tall mountain ranges submerged in the water.
All the flood dragon species gazed intently at the Osmanthus Island. This was what was truly called an undercurrent.
Aunt Gui floated forward, finally hovering in mid-air, communicating with a distant golden-scaled water dragon in an ancient, obscure language that no one understood. The latter's gaze was cold.
Behind Chen Ping'an, the sword forged by the sage Ruan Qiong, "Demon Subduer," was already humming non-stop in its sheath.
According to Ruan Qiong's previous warnings, when encountering such a great demon, Chen Ping'an should run as far as he could. But right now, where could Chen Ping'an run to?
He neither ran to the Gui Vein Small Courtyard on the mountaintop to hide, nor did he stand still and wait for death.
Chen Ping'an looked at the bamboo pole in his hand, which was still maintaining a vibrant green color. He thought for a moment, sat down cross-legged, laid the bamboo pole horizontally across his knees, and vigorously wiped away the talisman characters inscribed on it that did not conform to the "True Scripture of the Vermilion Book." Then, relying on memory, he took out the small brush "Little Snow Cone" gifted by Li Xisheng, breathed on it to moisten the tip. The tip was cinnabar red, like dipping in thick ink. Chen Ping'an smiled, placed the bamboo pole on the ground to his left. As a left-handed youth, he held his breath and concentrated, suspended his arm in the air. Holding the brush whose handle was engraved with "Ink Possesses Divine Power," he began to carve stroke by stroke onto the bamboo pole the so-called "Lock-Breaking Talisman" from the "True Scripture."
This was the last resort, treating a dead horse as if it were still alive.
If it didn't work, he would just have to draw the famous sword forged by the sage from behind and perform a heroic deed recorded in ancient books, learning from the ancient sword immortals, striking flood dragons where they were.
After the talisman was completed, the emerald green bamboo pole indeed showed a bloody, spotted appearance.
Chen Ping'an's heart settled slightly. Holding the bamboo pole, he touched his toes and leaped onto a lone, drifting boat that had not been tied to the ferry. He stood alone in it, took a deep breath, then slapped the sides of the small boat with both palms. The small boat shot forward like an arrow.
Chen Ping'an carried the bamboo pole on one shoulder, took off the Nourish Sword Gourd with one hand, and drank wine while looking up. He silently chanted in his heart: "Lock-Breaking Talisman, break any lock. Best if it can break the ancient sword immortals' dragonslaying, break the dragon-locking of our hometown's Iron Lock Well. Success or failure, it all depends on this one move."
In the great sea, surrounded by flood dragons, a great disaster was clearly imminent, inescapable even for immortals.
In the eyes of everyone on Osmanthus Island, it was an extremely dashing scene.
A single leaf boat, moving leisurely forward.
Shouldering a bamboo pole, a youth drinking.