Chapter 469: Sword Qi Like a Rainbow, Man in the Sky

Chapter 469: Sword Qi Like a Rainbow, Man in the Sky

The commotion was too great, the momentum too fierce. The key thing was that this opponent's posture didn't look like that of a friendly fellow traveler coming to Misty Mountain for a nostalgic chat.

Without the slightest hesitation, Misty Mountain activated its protective formation, using the Patriarch Hall as the formation's central hub. The already torrential, pitch-black rain was joined by white mist rising and spreading from the mountain's base, shrouding the entire peak. From the inside looking out, visibility on the mountain was as clear as daylight. From the outside looking in, an ordinary mountain woodcutter or hunter would see only a vast expanse of white, with no discernible outline.

Not only that, several strands of white light, over ten zhang in length, shot out from the Patriarch Hall at the mountain summit and darted unpredictably through the mountain mist and rain curtain.

On full alert.

Many of Misty Mountain's influential cultivators had already left their private residences and were heading to the Patriarch Hall for a meeting. Deep down, they naturally hoped that this sword-riding immortal, whose momentum was like a rainbow, was a friend and not a foe.

At Misty Mountain, the sect leader, Lu Yundai, and his legitimate son, Lu Tingjiao, were both famous figures in the Colorful Garment Kingdom—one by virtue of his cultivation, the other by virtue of his father.

Gathered around the father and son were dozens of Misty Mountain's nationally renowned elder cultivators, direct disciples of the Patriarch Hall, and guest elders. Most of them were heavy-hearted.

All they could do was watch helplessly as that golden thread of light drew closer and closer to Misty Mountain.

They couldn't exactly go out and greet him, could they?

Sword cultivators were both the poorest and the richest people under heaven. As one of the four most troublesome types on the mountains, and ranked first at that, they were troublesome because of their immense killing power, their swift sword strikes, and—on top of that—their speed in fleeing. However, one thing needed to be understood: this speed in fleeing was mostly used *after* killing someone.

If it were the past, Misty Mountain might still have been afraid, but they wouldn't have been so utterly grief-stricken. But circumstances were unforgiving. The backbone of the mortal courts and battlefields had been broken, and the courage of the mountain cultivators had been smashed to pieces. The old ways of neighboring mountains forming alliances for defense, coordinating with mountain and river gods, or brazenly mobilizing mortal troops for propaganda and intimidation—all of that had become a thing of the past. It could no longer be done.

After all, the world had changed.

Many immortal sect rules that had stood unshakable for millennia suddenly no longer applied.

Because they now had to constantly interact with cultivators from the Great Li homeland, the mountain grottoes of the Colorful Garment Kingdom and the other dozen-plus kingdoms realized that their own realms and power were essentially paper-thin.

When the Great Li Iron Cavalry swept south, they had punctured a great many embroidered pillows.

Now, both on and off the mountain, almost everyone was like a bird startled by the mere twang of a bowstring.

On the battlefield, the Colorful Garment Kingdom had previously boasted military strength that was supposedly unmatched among the central kingdoms of the continent. The heavy infantry of the Ancient Elm Kingdom, the swift cavalry like the wind of the Pine Creek Kingdom, the mountain warfare expertise of the Comb Water Kingdom—when they truly faced the Great Li Iron Cavalry, they either didn't move a single soldier or crumbled at the first blow. Later, the kingdoms further south, like Stone Brush Kingdom and Plum Glaze Kingdom, which were vassals of the Vermilion Flame Dynasty, fought to the death, causing no small trouble for the two Great Li Iron Cavalry forces led by Su Gaoshan and Cao Ping. In contrast, the dozen-plus kingdoms including Colorful Garment had border forces so weak and incompetent that they became a huge joke. It was said that a famous seasoned general from the Comb Water Kingdom, after his disastrous defeat, claimed that all his military strategy was actually learned from the Great Li Prince Song Changjing. Unfortunately, his skills were lacking, and his greatest wish in life was to meet Song Changjing in person and humbly ask the Great Li military god for the essence of his art. Thus, a "beautiful tale" of acknowledging one's roots was born.

But the pot shouldn't call the kettle black. The Colorful Garment Kingdom wasn't much better. It boasted the strongest armor and troops, yet it didn't fight a single battle in this war. Moreover, the Colorful Garment royal family had always liked to proclaim that a Golden Core Earth Immortal sat in their capital, often spreading vague and cryptic messages, hiding things, making it impossible to discern truth from falsehood. So in the past, Colorful Garment cultivators had always looked down on the mountains of the other dozen-plus kingdoms.

But when the Great Li Iron Cavalry's blades arrived, the Ancient Elm Kingdom at least made a symbolic gesture. They mobilized over ten thousand border troops, a trained field force, to clash head-on with a unit of Great Li Iron Cavalry. Of course, the result was never in doubt. A single finger of the Great Li Iron Cavalry was thicker than the Ancient Elm Kingdom's thigh. The Ancient Elm Kingdom paid a heavy price. The Colorful Garment Kingdom, seeing the bad omen, actually surrendered even earlier than the Ancient Elm Kingdom. Before the Great Li envoy had even entered their borders, they sent a delegation led by the Minister of Rites to seek out the Great Li Iron Cavalry, voluntarily becoming a vassal of the Song Clan. That wasn't the end of it. The Great Li then conducted a search of various registries across the kingdoms and mountains, and the world discovered that the Ancient Elm Kingdom ran quite deep. They had been hiding a Dragon Gate Realm sword cultivator of the Vermilion Flame Dynasty, who was killed in a spectacular joint attack by a group of Great Li Martial Secretary-Librarians. As for the Colorful Garment Kingdom, if not for Lu Yundai breaking through to the Dragon Gate Realm, barely salvaging some face, then a Observing Ocean Realm cultivator would have been the leading immortal master of the entire kingdom. Apart from the Ancient Elm Kingdom's court and commoners looking down on the cowardly Colorful Garment, the mountain cultivators and martial heroes of the neighboring Comb Water Kingdom almost laughed their teeth out.

Lu Yundai was an old man in splendid robes and a tall crown, with an excellent appearance.

Lu Tingjiao was a handsome young master with slightly sunken eye sockets. He had a decent appearance, and with the saying that gold needs gilding and people need fine clothes, he wore a snowy white dharma robe of superior spiritual quality called "Reed Flower." At thirty years of age, he looked like a young man of twenty. Whether it was a realm bought with immortal cash or a reflection of his natural talent, on the surface he was at least a Fifth Realm cultivator. He enjoyed traveling through mountains and rivers and often befriended the children of powerful Colorful Garment families. So in the Colorful Garment Kingdom, he wasn't considered bad. In the secular dynasties, he truly deserved the descriptions "promising young talent" and "elegant and unrestrained."

But in the eyes of true Dao seekers, especially the few Middle Five Realm immortals and the gods of the Five Sacred Mountains of the Colorful Garment Kingdom, this Lu Tingjiao naturally didn't amount to much. His heart for seeking the Dao was not firm; he was fond of women, wasting a great deal of time on the powder and rouge of the mortal world. He wouldn't achieve anything. If Lu Yundai truly wanted to hand over the entirety of Misty Mountain to his son in the future, it might well lead to internal strife.

However, in recent years, a piece of gossip had quietly spread. It was said that the reason Misty Mountain had smoothly latched onto a powerful general of the Great Li Song Clan—with hopes of becoming the next Colorful Garment Kingdom's National Master—was because Lu Tingjiao had been the one to help his father Lu Yundai make the connection. If this were true, then he was a true master who didn't show his hand.

An old, decrepit cultivator leaning on a walking stick asked softly, "Sect Leader, this old man's eyes are dim. I can't discern the visitor's true realm. Could it be... the legendary Earth Immortal?"

Lu Yundai looked composed, smiled, and countered, "An Earth Immortal sword cultivator?"

The old cultivator seemed to feel he was scaring himself. After all, they had the protection of the formation and were right at the door of their own Patriarch Hall. There was no need to lose composure like this. He said sheepishly, "That would be too shocking to the world. I suppose it can't be."

A beautiful woman with an ancient sword at her waist sneered, "Even if it's a passing sword cultivator of the Middle Five Realms, so what? Would he dare to forcefully break through Misty Mountain's formation? Does he really think Misty Mountain is a soft persimmon to be squeezed at will?!"

Lu Tingjiao glanced at the woman's towering chest, squinted, then quickly averted his gaze. This female guest elder wasn't actually of a very high realm—Grotto Residence Realm—but as a cultivator, she was proficient in the sword-control techniques of mortal swordmasters. She had once accomplished a feat: using her exceptional sword-control techniques to disguise herself as a Grotto Residence Realm sword cultivator and scare off an Observing Ocean Realm great cultivator from the Comb Water Kingdom. It was just a shame she was so fiery-tempered and uninterested in romance. It was a waste of a good figure. Lu Tingjiao regretted it deeply. If not for that, he wouldn't have backed down back then; he should have put more effort into pursuing her. However, after the situation in the Colorful Garment Kingdom was settled, when father and son talked heart-to-heart, his father had privately promised him that once he broke through to the Grotto Residence Realm, his father himself would play matchmaker. Then Lu Tingjiao could have her as a "Dao companion" in name, but without the title. In other words, it would be taking a concubine on the mountain.

A talented young direct disciple asked softly, "Don't those arrogant Great Li cultivators do anything about this?"

Although he was allowed to stand here tonight due to his status, he was of a low generation, so his position was further back. He was the proud disciple of that sword-wielding Grotto Residence Realm woman. He carried a sword gifted by the Patriarch Hall, and because he was a sword cultivator—albeit only at the Third Realm—he had almost exhausted his master's savings to nurture his nascent flying sword, only a sword embryo, still weak. So when he saw the magnificent bearing of that sword immortal riding the wind and thunder, the young cultivator felt both longing and jealousy. He wished the man would crash headlong into Misty Mountain's protective formation and be cut to pieces by the flying swords. Perhaps then, the sword beneath that sword immortal's feet would become his personal possession. After all, he was the only sword cultivator on Misty Mountain. If they didn't award it to him, would they leave it in the Patriarch Hall to eat incense ash?

The golden thread at the edge of the sky became clearer and clearer.

The opponent was riding a sword through the air, thunder rolling, the commotion so immense that it shook the mountain and river spiritual energy of Misty Mountain. The six protective formation flying swords even began to tremble slightly. Their originally tight trajectory based on the movement of the stars began to fall into disarray.

Lu Yundai said softly, "If he's willing to stop outside the formation, then it's probably fine. Most likely not here to settle a grudge."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

The old cultivator leaning on his stick tried his best to open his eyes wide and look into the distance, hoping to discern the opponent's approximate realm so they could act accordingly. But unexpectedly, that sword light was extremely dazzling, causing even his Observing Ocean Realm eyes to ache severely. The old cultivator nearly started crying. He was so frightened that he quickly turned his head away. He absolutely must not be mistaken by the sword immortal as issuing a challenge. If he was chosen as the chicken to scare the monkeys, he would die unjustly. So he quickly switched to holding his redwood dragon-head walking stick with both hands, bent over, lowered his head, and muttered, "How could there be such a sharp sword light in this world? From dozens of li away, such a brilliant aura! It must be some kind of immortal treasure artifact, no doubt about it. Sect Leader, why don't we open the gates and welcome the guest? To avoid adding legs to a snake—if he was just a passing sword immortal, and we happened to activate our formation, he might see it as a provocation. Then he'll drop a sword strike..."

The old cultivator, whose courage had shrunk with age, rambled on, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. Anyone with poor hearing wouldn't be able to catch it at all.

Lu Yundai, as a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator and the leader of the kingdom's cultivators, naturally heard his uncle's words, which tried to please both sides. He smiled and said, "Uncle Hong, there's no doubt about it. He's definitely coming for Misty Mountain."

That Uncle Hong couldn't even look directly at that golden sword light, let alone the young master Lu Tingjiao, the Grotto Residence Realm woman, and her proud disciple.

In the end, only Lu Yundai could gaze at the sword light.

Lu Yundai seemed to be alerting everyone, or perhaps talking to himself: "Here he comes."

That dazzling sword light, which illuminated the rain-soaked sky like daylight, grew even faster as it neared Misty Mountain. The anonymous sword immortal riding the sword obviously didn't care about a protective mountain formation. Without the slightest hesitation or delay, the sword light suddenly blazed even brighter. At this moment, even Lu Yundai had to squint, avoiding the explosive, resplendent sword light.

With one sword strike, he broke through Misty Mountain's offensive-and-defensive protective formation, slicing through it like a knife through tofu. In a straight line, he crashed toward the Patriarch Hall at the mountain summit.

The six protective flying swords, which had rendered meritorious service to Misty Mountain, couldn't intercept him at all. They seemed to be innately fearful of the sword beneath the immortal's feet, wobbling and wavering, on the verge of falling.

The most frightening part was that after the sword-riding broke through the formation, that golden thread extending from the horizon to Misty Mountain didn't vanish.

The length of this sword qi and the intensity of its sword intent were absolutely terrifying.

Wind and rain were dragged along by the man and his sword. A fierce gale swept the summit, spiritual energy boiled, and aside from Lu Yundai, the Dragon Gate Realm old immortal, almost everyone on Misty Mountain had unstable souls and difficulty breathing. Some cultivators of insufficient realm stumbled backward. In particular, that young man who relied on his sword cultivator qualifications to stand outside the Patriarch Hall—if his master hadn't secretly tugged his sleeve, he might have fallen.

It was at this moment that Misty Mountain could finally see the distinguished appearance of the uninvited guest. A green robe, a tall, slender build, and a very young face.

The man landed gracefully. The sword beneath his feet followed seamlessly into the scabbard on his back, smooth and flowing.

Chen Pingan tucked his hands into his sleeves and walked forward slowly. He glanced at the relatively calm Lu Yundai, then at the white-robed Lu Tingjiao, who had a shifty gaze. He smiled and said, "I'm here to visit your Misty Mountain today to tell you one thing: I am the protector of Zhao Luan of the Rouge Commandery in your Colorful Garment Kingdom. Understand?"

Old Hong, leaning on his walking stick, lived a reclusive life. He had long resigned himself to fate, handed over all authority, and was merely relying on his status as the Sect Leader's uncle to live out his twilight years in peace, meddling in no worldly affairs. At this moment, he nodded hastily. Regardless of whether he understood, he would pretend he understood first.

The Grotto Residence Realm woman, proficient in sword-control techniques, had a dry mouth and a clear look of fear. The boldness and spirit she had shown earlier—"What can an outsider do to me?"—had vanished without a trace.

Her proud disciple behind her, a "fellow sword cultivator" of the visitor, didn't even have the courage to look the enemy in the eye.

Lu Yundai narrowed his eyes, feeling some doubts, but still wore a smile on his face. "Sword Immortal Senior, what do you mean by this?"

The two sides were no more than twenty paces apart.

Chen Pingan chuckled. "Misty Mountain is quite interesting. Those who don't understand pretend they do, and those who do play dumb. It doesn't matter."

He paused, his gaze sweeping past the crowd. "So this is your Patriarch Hall?"

Lu Yundai was still weighing things in his mind, but his face showed great anger. "Senior, if you truly intend to be unreasonable and say nothing clearly, and just try to bully us by force, then..."

Chen Pingan turned his head slightly. Lu Yundai's expression couldn't fool Chen Pingan. He was very familiar with it—the false front of bluster was fake; the real intention was to seize the moral high ground. What Lu Yundai really wanted to say but didn't need to say was that now the mountains of the Colorful Garment Kingdom were under the jurisdiction of Great Li. Chen Pingan should think carefully. Most of the Vase Bottle Continent was now part of the Great Li Song Clan's territory. No matter how arrogant a "sword cultivator" might be, how long could he last?

Chen Pingan spoke to Lu Yundai in the Great Li official language: "I am a native of Great Li. So your backing, if it happens to be the Great Li Iron Cavalry, might not be of much use. Of course, believe it or not is up to you. And my relationship with the Great Li court is, in fact, rather mediocre."

Lu Tingjiao cursed inwardly.

With this kind of ambiguous talk, all those fence-sitters on Misty Mountain won't have a shred of common hatred or unity.

Lu Tingjiao was indeed a waste when it came to cultivation. The rumors outside were not false. In fact, his father was helpless about it. But his ambition was never to seek longevity on the mountain. That was too far out of reach. However, settling for second best and becoming a sect leader who didn't have to personally fight and kill—that, Lu Tingjiao believed himself more than capable of.

Chen Pingan's next words were very straightforward. In fact, to be precise, he had pushed open the door and entered, seeing Misty Mountain directly: "As Zhao Luan's protector, I've come to visit Misty Mountain this time. I won't waste words with you. I only ask you, father and son: From now on, will you still covet Zhao Luan's cultivation aptitude, and will you still lust after a little girl's beauty? You only need to say yes or no."

Lu Yundai's face darkened.

In his life, he hated this kind of direct, blunt style of doing things.

Lu Tingjiao was about to speak and try to deflect, trying to salvage some reason and face for Misty Mountain.

Unexpectedly, the green-robed sword cultivator had already laughed. "Let me give you one last reminder. All those slick words and so-called reasoning you have—'Lu Yundai is certain that Zhao Luan is a fine piece of jade for cultivation; Misty Mountain will treat her with utmost courtesy and spare no effort to nurture her, with no improper intentions. If she absolutely doesn't want to come up the mountain, we won't force her.' 'We definitely won't use Wu Shuowen's family as leverage. Furthermore, a fair maiden is a gentleman's pursuit. Lu Tingjiao hasn't actually offended Zhao Luan in any substantive way, so how can he be convicted? Moreover, Great Li stipulates that one cannot initiate a conflict on the mountain without reason, or they'll be held accountable.' All that rubbish—I understand it completely. You have plenty of time to waste; I don't. So now, I'll only ask you the previous question. Answer yes or no."

Chen Pingan withdrew his hand from his sleeve and rubbed his cheek, self-deprecatingly. "No, I can't have this habit of chattering before a fight. What's the difference between that and Ma Kuxuan back then?"

Chen Pingan waited for a moment.

He nodded. "I understand."

Chen Pingan extended his hand.

The immortal sword in the scabbard behind him clanged as it unsheathed, landing in his grip.

With a casual swing forward, he slashed out a sword.

His hand was relaxed, but the sword qi contained in the immortal sword in his hand was anything but casual.

The Misty Mountain Patriarch Hall split in two.

At least it didn't completely collapse.

Those with more combat experience didn't dare to turn around.

Only a mountain novice like that Third Realm young sword cultivator would stiffly turn his head to look at the result of that sword strike.

Chen Pingan raised his arm behind him, sheathing the sword.

Just then, Lu Yundai seemed to sense something amiss. He wanted to take a risk and confirm something, so one of his hands moved slightly within his wide sleeve.

The summit of Misty Mountain shook with a loud boom, but it wasn't coming from the grand Patriarch Hall structure. Instead, the ground where the green-robed sword immortal had been standing was shattered, but he had disappeared.

The moment Lu Yundai tried to make a move, Chen Pingan's other hand, hidden in his sleeve, had already pinched out a Square Inch Talisman.

Twenty paces.

You Misty Mountain cultivators are quite bold, aren't you? Just swaggering around like this, standing so close to a pure martial artist who was practically trading lives with a Far Traveling Realm grandmaster every single day?

Is a Dragon Gate Realm cultivator's physique really that indestructible?

With a loud bang.

Chen Pingan was already standing near where Lu Yundai had been moments ago. And that Misty Mountain Sect Leader, the leader of Colorful Garment's immortal masters, had been sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. Blood flowed from his seven orifices. He crashed dozens of zhang away.

Within Chen Pingan's line of sight, everyone, including Old Man Hong and Lu Tingjiao, began to retreat.

Chen Pingan slapped his Sword Nurturing Gourd. The already eager flying swords, First and Fifteenth, shot out one after the other. Two streaks of firefly light tore through the air, each nailing through one of Lu Yundai's palms, eliciting a howl of agony.

In Chen Pingan's view, this Dragon Gate Realm cultivator must have been too accustomed to smooth sailing in the Colorful Garment Kingdom, hadn't suffered much hardship in too long, and that's why he couldn't endure the pain of such small wounds.

Was that why he was pretty much like Pei Qian?

Chen Pingan looked at Lu Tingjiao and asked, "You're one of the main parties too. So, you tell me what you think."

Lu Tingjiao said in terror, "Since Sword Immortal Senior is Zhao Luan's protector, from now on, no matter who on Misty Mountain sees Zhao Luan, they will immediately take a detour!"

Chen Pingan smiled. "Right now, you're convinced on the surface but not in your heart. You're thinking you still have a trump card you haven't played. No matter. I'll wait for you in the Rouge Commandery of the Colorful Garment Kingdom for a few days. Either send someone, or send a letter. In any case, give me a sincere reply. Otherwise, I'll have to make another trip to Misty Mountain."

Chen Pingan glanced at the Patriarch Hall, which was still repairable. His gaze was deep and intense, so much so that the immortal sword behind his back actually began to hum happily within the scabbard, like two dragon cries echoing each other. Golden light continuously overflowed from the scabbard, and sword qi flowed like a thin stream. This scene was bizarre and, naturally, even more shocking to the heart.

Chen Pingan took a deep breath, steadied his mind, and said slowly, "Don't get in the way of my cultivation!"

Chen Pingan turned around, took a step, and his figure shot out like a wisp of green smoke from the summit. He dropped, the immortal sword unsheathed, then sharply rose, soaring straight into the clouds.

In the eyes of the Misty Mountain cultivators, that sword immortal had used some unknown method. The protective formation's offensive flying swords fell into a complete mess, utterly miserable.

This unfamiliar green-robed visitor, who had broken through Misty Mountain's formation with a single sword strike, came riding the sword and returned riding the sword.

----

The sword immortal had left, but strands of bone-piercing sword qi still lingered around the summit outside the Patriarch Hall.

That young, handsome Third Realm sword cultivator sat heavily on the ground, drenched in sweat.

The Grotto Residence Realm woman hastily helped him up. Her face still showed the lingering panic, but she still comforted her proud disciple, who held so much promise. She lowered her voice and said, "Don't damage your sword heart. Whatever you do, don't let your mind be disturbed. Quickly soothe your natal flying sword. Otherwise, your Dao path in the future will be full of obstacles... But if you can suppress that panic and trembling, it will actually be a good thing. Your master is not a sword cultivator, but I've heard that for a sword cultivator to subdue inner demons is itself a way to sharpen one's natal flying sword. Since ancient times, there has been the saying of 'grinding the sword by the lake of the heart'..."

The disciple's eyes were hazy, but thanks to his master's awakening, he didn't remain in a daze, ignoring even the unusual phenomena in the vital acupoint where he nurtured his flying sword. The young sword cultivator quickly used the direct disciple's mantra of Misty Mountain's Patriarch Hall, reciting it silently in his heart, circulating his spiritual energy, trying as best he could to stabilize his mind.

This master and disciple pair was no longer of concern to anyone.

Everyone had gathered around the Sect Leader, Lu Yundai. His complexion was ashen, like gold leaf, but it seemed his foundation hadn't been gravely damaged. With careful recuperation for a few years, he could return to his peak. That was the silver lining in the misfortune. If he, who had just broken into the Dragon Gate Realm, had been knocked back to the Observing Ocean Realm, and on top of that, the Patriarch Hall had been split in two, implying an intangible loss of fate and luck—then Misty Mountain would truly have been scared out of their wits.

Lu Yundai waved his hand. "All of you go back first. Regarding today's turmoil, we'll discuss it tomorrow at the Patriarch Hall... at my Misty Abode residence."

The crowd dispersed, each with their own thoughts.

Lu Tingjiao accompanied his father as they walked toward the Patriarch Hall. The protective formation still needed to be turned off; otherwise, it would cost one Small Summer Coin for every incense stick's time.

On the road, there was a line about a finger wide that extended all the way, splitting the Misty Mountain Patriarch Hall before them in two.

Lu Yundai stopped outside the Patriarch Hall gate and asked, "What did you see?"

Lu Tingjiao shook his head.

Lu Yundai said flatly, "Such heavy sword qi. A casual sword strike that left such a neat cut—how was it done? Generally speaking, it's undoubtedly a genuine sword immortal. But I feel something is off. It turns out that this person is indeed not a Golden Core sword immortal, but rather a... cultivator who defies common sense. His martial skills are that of a grandmaster, his aura is that of a sword cultivator. As for his exact background, it's hard to say now. But dealing with a Misty Mountain that only bullies others in the Colorful Garment Kingdom is more than enough. Tingjiao, since your connection with that General Ma of Great Li was successfully cultivated by you in the early years, you now have two choices."

Lu Tingjiao smiled bitterly. "Please speak plainly, Father."

Lu Yundai covered his heart, coughing continuously, and waved his hand to signal his son not to worry. He spoke slowly, "In the end, both are gambles. One: bet on the best outcome. That General Ma, whose surname belongs to one of the Pillar States of Great Li, is willing to take the money and handle the matter for us, stand up for Misty Mountain. According to our narrative, he will act swiftly, using the word 'rules' to quickly kill that young man. Then what does it matter if another Wu Shuowen dies? Zhao Luan will be your woman, and Misty Mountain will gain a younger generation with the potential to become a Golden Core Earth Immortal. If you do this, go down the mountain now with Uncle Hong to find General Ma. Two: bet on the worst outcome. We've offended a hard nail that we shouldn't and can't afford to offend. Then we accept defeat, send someone to the Rouge Commandery as fast as possible to apologize and admit fault, pay whatever money is necessary, without any hesitation. Hesitating between two options and being indecisive is the biggest taboo."

Lu Tingjiao's expression was bitter. "This involves the sect's survival and the incense fire of our Lu family's Patriarch Hall. Father, shouldn't you make the decision?"

Lu Yundai shook his head. "I can't see the situation clearly now. It's like back when you were rejected by me, so you had to rely on yourself, sneaking around behind Misty Mountain's back to stake everything on a Great Li general. And what was the result? The entire Misty Mountain was wrong; only you were right. I think in this chaotic age, it's no longer that whoever has the highest realm always has the final say. So I'm willing to trust your instincts once more. If we lose, we lose everything. If we gamble big, we win big. If we lose, the incense fire is cut off. If we win, then you can truly become a friend of General Ma. As for before, it was just you leveraging his power and him throwing you a bone. Maybe in the future, you can even take the opportunity to cling to that Pillar State surname."

Lu Tingjiao asked softly, "What if that person truly is a native of Great Li?"

Lu Yundai sneered. "So what if he's one of our own? Is our Uncle Hong truly loyal to Misty Mountain and my Ma family? Are the two Pillar State surnames of Yuan and Cao in Great Li all harmony and goodwill? Does that General Ma have no rivals he despises in the military? Killing a 'sword immortal' who doesn't follow the rules, using that to establish his authority—wouldn't that General Ma be able to stabilize his position in the Colorful Garment Kingdom and stand out from several of his fellow 'regents' of equal rank? Isn't that also a gamble!"

Lu Tingjiao probed, "From what Father says, are you leaning toward the first option?"

Lu Yundai sighed. This son of his, aside from his mediocre talent and hopeless prospects in cultivation, had one other flaw: too many schemes, too clever. Most of the time, that was a good thing. But in certain moments, it was hard to say. He could be aggressive and forge ahead, or he could assess the situation. But when a person is clever, they often fear death, fear taking responsibility. Why had Lu Yundai gritted his teeth and risked his life to break into the Dragon Gate Realm? It was because he worried that in the future, Lu Tingjiao wouldn't be able to command respect. The Lu lineage would lose power in Misty Mountain—perhaps to that woman with the sword cultivator disciple, or to Uncle Hong, who might suddenly take an interest in power again. Many of the newly arrived guest elders were not easy to deal with. Otherwise, the number of people appearing outside the Patriarch Hall tonight should have been seven or eight more.

Lu Yundai suddenly coughed up a mouthful of stagnant blood. It looked frightening, but it was actually a good thing.

As if his heart and chest had opened up a bit, the qi in his body was no longer so stagnant.

Lu Yundai's eyes suddenly widened. He leaped to the edge of the cliff and stared intently. He saw a tiny flying sword hovering not far below the cliff, and a talisman had just burned to ashes.

Lu Yundai stamped his foot and finally began to panic. It was very likely a Mother-Child Echo Talisman! Even if not, among the thousands of talismans in the world, it was most likely a talisman paper with a similar function.

That bastard was truly malicious!

Sure enough, beyond the mountain and river formation's rain curtain, sword light broke through the formation again and arrived.

The old man leaning on his walking stick, who had just returned to the gate of his own residence, stood still, showing his respect.

The Grotto Residence Realm woman had finally stabilized her disciple's state of mind. But when the thunder and sword light returned to Misty Mountain, she found her young disciple's breathing in complete chaos, his expression worse than that of the Sect Leader, who had taken a punch and two flying swords.

The sword-wielding woman gritted her teeth, pressed her sword, and rushed back to the summit, thinking to fight that man to the death!

If this disciple's Dao foundation was ruined, his sword heart stained with dust, with no future prospects, would she really have to become Lu Tingjiao's bed-warming concubine in the end?!

Atop Misty Mountain.

The green-robed young man landed on the summit again. He slapped his Sword Nurturing Gourd, and the flying sword First, which had been secretly hidden outside the cliff, flew back into the gourd.

This time, he couldn't be bothered to sheathe his long sword. It slowly rose until it hovered at Chen Pingan's side, within easy reach. The sword tip pointed directly at Lu Yundai in front of the Patriarch Hall.

Chen Pingan smiled. "General Ma, is it? Shouldn't you and your father accompany me to pay him a visit?"

His double sleeves billowed violently. His words were spoken amiably, but his momentum was not light at all. In particular, a drop of golden sword qi condensed at the tip of the sword, dripping onto the ground. It quickly spread, a dazzling halo.

Into his mind came the words he had uttered earlier: "Don't get in the way of my cultivation." Lu Tingjiao's legs went weak.

Lu Yundai clasped his hands and bowed deeply. "Sword Immortal Senior, we admit defeat. We are completely and sincerely convinced! If Senior does not believe me, I, Lu Yundai, can go to the Patriarch Hall, use three drops of heart blood to light three incense sticks, and swear a poisonous oath before heaven in the name of our ancestors."

Chen Pingan was silent for a moment, then finally spoke, "Then you need a Patriarch Hall to burn incense, don't you?"

Since breaking into the Middle Five Realms, Lu Yundai felt fear for the first time like this.

The Patriarch Hall had never been something dispensable; it was half the life of every mountain immortal grotto!

Lu Tingjiao's expression shifted unpredictably. He wanted to find a way to break this deadlock.

Chen Pingan suddenly fixed his gaze on Lu Yundai and asked, "Lu Tingjiao's life or the survival of Misty Mountain's Patriarch Hall—which do you choose?"

Lu Tingjiao burned with anxiety and fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face. He begged, "Father, this is a vicious plot to sow discord! Don't listen easily..."

Lu Yundai met Chen Pingan's gaze, then looked away from his son. He slowly raised his hand.

Such a clear action. It naturally wouldn't be an act of smashing things in despair, to tear apart any pretense with the sword immortal.

Lu Tingjiao's heart shocked violently. He rolled and scrambled backward with all his might, desperately fleeing. The Reed Flower dharma robe on his body was a considerable help, making his speed not inferior to an Observing Ocean Realm cultivator.

Even though the chance of escape was minuscule, Lu Tingjiao couldn't simply wait to be killed, especially not in front of the Patriarch Hall, to be beaten to death by his own father.

Didn't he know his father's ruthless, tyrant-like nature? He would truly kill his son to downplay a major issue, or at the very least, use this to weather the immediate crisis.

Moreover, Lu Tingjiao held onto a sliver of hope. If he could escape that sword immortal's line of sight, then his father Lu Yundai might lose the chance to strike. Then it would be up to his ruthless father to face the sword immortal's settling of accounts afterwards.

Chen Pingan glanced at Lu Tingjiao, whose qi had already been locked onto by Lu Yundai from afar. Expressionless, he said, "Lu Yundai, go burn incense in the Patriarch Hall. Let this matter be put to rest. Those who cultivate the Dao must think of hidden virtues and karmic retribution. It's about the deed, and more about the heart."

Lu Yundai quickly withdrew his hand, turned around, and strode towards the Patriarch Hall. Suppressing the bitterness in his heart, he deactivated the mountain and river formation. Facing the spirit tablets and portraits, he dripped out three drops of heart blood, silently lit three specially made sacred incense sticks, and performed a secret immortal art said to reach the highest heavens and the deepest underworld. According to the agreed terms, he made an offering to his ancestors, held the incense aloft, and loudly swore a poisonous oath.

When that Grotto Residence Realm woman arrived at the summit,

It was just in time for the swearing of the oath from Misty Mountain's Patriarch Hall.

In her eyes, she saw that green-robed sword immortal, with a jade hairpin in his bun and a gourd at his waist. The mountain rain blew in gusts, causing the young man's hair and sleeves to flutter.

He leaned back and glided backward, lightly stepping onto the immortal sword that had been following him like a shadow. A streak of gold light traced a large circle in the sky above Misty Mountain, heading south.

Like an ancient immortal wielding a brush, drawing a great circle on the mortal world.

Not just this woman, whose heart was trembling, but almost all the cultivators of Misty Mountain had a similar thought stirring within them:

The bearing of a sword immortal, unparalleled.

But far away, the man and his sword fiercely tore through the entire rain curtain and thick sea of clouds. Suddenly, heaven and earth became bright, and the great sun hung high.

Chen Pingan shifted from a standing posture to a strange seated pose, hovering slightly in the air. There was still a qi connection with the immortal sword, allowing him to sit steadily, but it was absolutely not that heart-to-heart communication of a sword cultivator riding a sword, nor that legendary realm of a sword immortal seeming to "link to a grotto-heaven."

It was a new boxing stance from the Shake Mountain Manual: a seated stance called "Corpse Sitting."

Because the manual recorded that ancient gods coiled in the heavens like a corpse sitting.

That Chen Pingan could "ride a sword" far away was actually just him standing on top of the immortal sword, enduring the bitter wind. In addition to his exceptionally tough physique, it was also thanks to this unmoving seated stance.

Cui Cheng had once said that boxing stances were dead and not considered advanced. It all depended on the heart of the practitioner—whether they could give birth to spirit and nurture momentum. An ordinary, beginner-level boxing stance could still lead straight to the end of the martial path.

Under the great sun's radiance.

The green-robed sword immortal sat atop that immortal sword. Man and sword, sword and heart—clear and bright.