Chapter 672: Life Is but a Dream Within a Dream

Chapter 672: Life Is but a Dream Within a Dream

Chen Ping'an was not startled by Nian Xin's alarming words, but rather by the seamstress’s intense and focused gaze, which made him extremely uncomfortable.

When he had been a ragpicker picking up scraps, spotting money and treasures on the ground, he might have worn a similar expression.

Nian Xin said, "Wait until you've reached the Far Traveling realm to talk about this. I don't want to collect your corpse."

As for whether this young Hidden Dragon could break through to a higher realm and what method he would use, Nian Xin didn't care.

Chen Ping'an nodded. As he walked slowly, he already had his own plans.

Nian Xin drifted away and vanished in an instant, clearly unconstrained by anything.

Chen Ping'an hurled out three questions in one breath, "How old is Nian Xin? What realm is she in? What is her origin?"

The old deaf man chuckled and said nothing.

Chen Ping'an said, "I can refrain from tampering with the youth in the water prison."

The old deaf man laughed, "As a scholar, how can you be so improper?"

Chen Ping'an pretended not to hear, crouched down, bent his fingers, and tapped lightly on the path. There was a metallic ringing sound. Then he spread his palm and pressed it against the ground.

Sure enough, it was an ancient divine corpse, full of strangeness.

It was obvious that the old deaf man valued the youth the most and had placed the biggest bet on him. Of course, the possibility of a misdirection could not be ruled out. But in the end, only three demons would survive. Where could the old deaf man mislead them to?

Chen Ping'an meticulously searched through the secret archives of the Summer Resort again in his mind and discovered that the three chosen by the old deaf man had many obscure points. Chen Ping'an could be certain that the previous Hidden Dragon, Xiao Xun, must have had some dealings with the old deaf man, which was why the Hidden Dragon lineage had helped conceal some key information. Chen Ping'an had no intention of digging up these long-dusted old matters, nor did he think he could easily overturn them. The old deaf man beside him was a Flying Ascension realm cultivator. If he angered the old deaf man, the latter only needed to keep his promise to the Old Sword Immortal. In the end, the reason the old deaf man was willing to show face to him was still out of respect for the Old Sword Immortal. A Hidden Dragon jade token, held by someone who wasn't even a Sword Immortal, was of little use.

However, although that was the reasoning, business could still be done. After all, Chen Ping'an and the old deaf man had no grudges. If they truly fell out, the one who was younger and held a higher official position would still have the advantage.

So Chen Ping'an's business approach was very simple. It was equivalent to telling the old deaf man plainly: "You training three disciples here is already raising tigers to cause trouble at the Sword Qi Great Wall. Since this was the Old Sword Immortal's intention, it can't be changed. But for them to leave the prison under the watch of me, the Hidden Dragon, and for the Summer Resort to release them back into the wild, that arrangement can be managed. There are many ways for these three disciples to leave alive."

"The agreement between you, old deaf man, and the Old Sword Immortal does not conflict with the final decision of the Summer Resort."

Probably because the old deaf man was used to being manipulated at the Sword Qi Great Wall, although he had suffered a small loss, he had at least received a promise from the young Hidden Dragon, so he wasn't annoyed.

In fact, regarding the three disciples, the old deaf man would eventually have to speak frankly with this young man; otherwise, he wouldn't feel at ease.

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment, then slapped the ground heavily with his palm. It didn't budge at all. No wonder this divine corpse, refined into a small world prison by a Sword Immortal, could trap those great demons.

Nowadays, the mountain and river deities of the Haoran World were also renowned for their indestructible golden bodies. However, there was no specific cultivation method. Usually, they were steeped in the incense offerings of believers year after year, like "gilding." The lifespans of these mountain and river deities were indeed longer than those of cultivators. It was said that many earthly immortal cultivators, unable to break through their bottleneck on the path, would resort to forbidden secret techniques to forcibly extend their lives. Before that, they would collude with the imperial court and local governments to help them conceal the matter from the Confucian academies, secretly building illicit shrines in local areas. If their luck was bad, they couldn't survive the two hurdles of physical decay and soul dispersal, and everything would be over. If their luck was good and they managed to survive, their subsequent cultivation path would shift from immortal to deity, allowing them to enjoy the incense offerings of the mortal world.

Wei Bo should be an exception.

However, regarding the many secrets of this former mountain and river lord of the Old Divine Water Country, Chen Ping'an never inquired. Zhu Lian and Zheng Dafeng were also experienced in the world, so Piyun Mountain and Luopo Mountain had a tacit understanding and mutual agreement.

The old deaf man finally spoke: "Nian Xin is probably around seven or eight hundred years old now. She struggled to reach the Upper Five Realms. Her talent is excellent, but several breakthroughs damaged her vitality. Her current Jade Pendant realm is only achieved through unorthodox means, plus a chaotic piling up of immortal money and treasures. Her future path's pinnacle, barring major accidents, will stop here. Nian Xin has no clear master or lineage. She's most likely a wild cultivator who stumbled onto an unorthodox path to ascend the mountain. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had such a rough journey."

"However, she doesn't aim for the summit anyway. After avenging her grudge in Golden Armor Continent, she thought dying was fine. But then she heard an unverified rumor that the city lord of White Emperor City was somewhat interested in her. Nian Xin didn't want to end up in a state worse than death, so she fled to Inverted Suspension Mountain. Originally, she planned to sneak into the Barren Wastes World, where the situation was even more chaotic. With her skills, a hero would have a place to shine. Who knows, if a blind cat caught a dead mouse, she might even break through to a higher realm. Unexpectedly, she was intercepted by a Sword Immortal and thrown here."

"Here, she hasn't been idle either. She has dismantled the bodies and skins of many great demons and sent them to the alchemy workshops. Her techniques are exquisite, saving the workshop cultivators a lot of trouble."

Many of these inside stories were heard by the old deaf man from that white-haired child.

The old deaf man himself never cared about these convoluted stories of others. If he didn't know, he wouldn't lose a few pounds of flesh; if he did, he wouldn't gain an extra jug of wine.

Chen Ping'an withdrew his hand, stood up, and asked curiously, "Would the city lord of White Emperor City be interested in a seamstress?"

It wasn't that Chen Ping'an had prejudice against Nian Xin or seamstresses. For unorthodox paths, there were many wild fox zen teachings in the world's knowledge. Cultivation methods had differences in high and low, superior and inferior, but cultivators themselves were not necessarily so.

It was just that that demonic magnate was too far above the clouds. As a recognized figure of the demonic path, yet able to enjoy fame throughout the world, Chen Ping'an had some private thoughts early on. Among them was that when he later traveled through the Central Divine Continent, he must see the cascading water of the Yellow River Grotto-heaven with his own eyes and look at that flagpole of White Emperor City bearing the slogan "Dare to be the first under heaven."

Cui Chan had played the Colorful Cloud Score with him. Even whenever Cui Dongshan mentioned that city lord, he couldn't hide his admiration.

Mr. Qi had also traveled by the great river, and that city lord had even left the White Emperor City amid the colorful clouds to personally invite Mr. Qi for a game of Go.

Such a demonic magnate with excellent judgment, Chen Ping'an would be very willing to respectfully call him 'senior.' Of course, Chen Ping'an didn't think he was qualified to meet that city lord.

The old deaf man shook his head and explained, "Hidden Dragon, you truly underestimate Nian Xin. She is no ordinary seamstress. Back when she was merely at the Golden Core Realm, she already had the means of the Jade Pendant Realm. Once she unleashes several of her techniques and magical powers fully, even a Jade Pendant Realm cultivator caught in them would have to suffer greatly."

Chen Ping'an inexplicably recalled the battle in the canyon of Northern Juzhou Prefecture, where a group of assassins from Gedeer Mountain had ambushed him.

That seemingly mismatched fight, in terms of danger, was in Chen Ping'an's mind no less than the encirclement by Li Zhen and the others.

The old deaf man laughed, "Otherwise, just based on Nian Xin's Nascent Soul Realm cultivation, how could she single-handedly bring down a sect-level immortal clan in Golden Armor Continent? Even if it were you, Hidden Dragon, you couldn't do that, right?"

Chen Ping'an was greatly surprised and somewhat incredulous. "A Nascent Soul cultivator, all by herself, could cause an entire sect to be destroyed?"

The old deaf man said calmly, "Within half a year, all seven hundred members, from top to bottom, including the entire ancestral hall, died off completely. A rather large sect, its incense offerings completely cut off."

Chen Ping'an squinted. "Nian Xin caused such a huge disaster. How did she manage to escape to Inverted Suspension Mountain?"

The old deaf man shook his head. "Why should I care about that?"

Chen Ping'an laughed. "Right, why should you care? But if I get the chance, I want to have a good discussion with Senior Nian Xin."

The old deaf man became interested. "Hidden Dragon, as a Confucian disciple, do you have personal grudges?"

Chen Ping'an said, "A few."

The old deaf man laughed. "I suppose they didn't burn enough incense."

Chen Ping'an didn't want to dwell on that. He frowned and asked, "What about that heavenly fiend? What's the story?"

The old deaf man shook his head. "I can't say. It's not a business matter, Hidden Dragon, so don't make things difficult for me."

Chen Ping'an then asked, "Why does that heavenly fiend wear green serpents as earrings, don a dharma robe, and hang a short sword?"

In Chen Ping'an's eyes, that white-haired child was no different from a human, and the other party didn't use any illusion techniques.

The old deaf man looked intrigued. "Can't he like to show off?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "Too imprudent."

The old deaf man was speechless, then laughed.

In this prison, who was there to be prudent for?

Chen Ping'an didn't continue to probe deeply. He changed the question: "Besides Nian Xin and the heavenly fiend, are there any other guests in your residence, Senior?"

The old deaf man nodded. "There's also a heartbroken drunkard and gambler."

And he was very wealthy.

The old deaf man asked, "The young Hidden Dragon asked me for the cultivation methods of demon clan. Is there a demon in your hometown worth cultivating?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "It's not about cultivation. Having an extra method of self-preservation is always good."

On Luopo Mountain, all grasses and trees grow naturally.

The old deaf man waved his hand. A Jade Pendant Realm great demon moved its massive body close to the sword-light fence. The old deaf man reached out his arm, tore off a large bloody piece of flesh, put it in his mouth, and slowly chewed. Since there was a young Hidden Dragon beside him, he covered his mouth with his hand as a gesture of hospitality.

As they walked out of the prison together, Chen Ping'an began to tour that ancient battlefield littered with corpses. As the host, the old deaf man had to accompany him.

The old deaf man asked, "Hidden Dragon, the great battle at the Sword Qi Great Wall is imminent. Are we just going to wander around like this? Don't you want to finish early and return to the Summer Resort to preside over affairs?"

Chen Ping'an lowered his eyelids. "It can't be rushed."

The young man slowly raised his gaze. "Actually, I don't really want to go there either."

Sitting there every day, not a single sword cultivator of the Hidden Dragon lineage was relaxed or happy. Chen Ping'an was certainly no exception.

The Old Sword Immortal had mentioned before that in the upcoming battle, the Summer Resort should not interfere too much.

He wanted to give all sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall a chance to draw their swords without restraint.

Neither he, Chen Qingdu, nor the Hidden Dragon lineage should interfere too much.

Chen Ping'an had no objection.

Looking ahead at a great demon's skeleton as majestic as a mountain, the bone color was too ghastly white. It lacked the "vitality" of the gleaming white bones in the Ghost Valley. If moved to some desolate wilderness of the Haoran World and exposed to wind and sun, it would probably weather away within a few years. In simple terms, these great demon corpses were worthless. As for the remaining golden bodies of the deities, though they seemed as solid as ever, giving a sense of indestructibility—the golden bodies shining brightly, with only some holes negligible compared to their massive frames—these were also illusions. So they couldn't be turned into immortal money for the Summer Resort, nor could they count as assets for the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The old deaf man said that although these ancient deities were once venerable and powerful, they were pitiful creatures whose path had reached its end. Once their golden bodies showed signs of decay, even a single speck of flaw meant that a deity had officially begun to decline, with no hope of reversal.

Chen Ping'an said a word: "Merit."

The old deaf man nodded. "This is the remedy of the three teachings' saints for later deities, and it is also the key to the stability of the world."

The mountain and river deities, first enshrined by the imperial court and then recognized by Confucian academies, had always been an important bridge connecting the mountains above and the world below in the Haoran World, preventing ordinary mortals and cultivators from constantly being in direct confrontation. As for the numerous local illicit shrines, whether the imperial court turned a blind eye for whatever reason, or the Confucian academies seldom intervened, it was naturally because they saw the merit of those shrine deities in mending local customs and encouraging good deeds.

They arrived at a place where a deity was extremely tall, its upper half buried in the sea of clouds, invisible in its entirety.

Chen Ping'an slightly bent his knees, then suddenly exerted force, launching himself into the sky toward the sea of clouds.

With his hands tucked into his sleeves, his body swaying, he leaped out of the sea of clouds and finally saw the solemn-faced deity. Chen Ping'an stood on top of his two flying swords, Pine Needle and Thunder Cough, hovering above the clouds.

Chen Ping'an's mood became heavy. "That sword cultivator, Yu Si?"

Above the sea of clouds around this deity, there floated dozens of naturally formed, deep green water droplets—more than a hundred of them. The abundance of water fortune was astonishing. Clearly unrefined, their quality was almost comparable to the water pills produced by ordinary water temples. Of course, they couldn't match the vial of Shen Ze Water Pills gifted by Fiery Dragon Immortal, but these water droplets were still treasures for any water deity, river goddess, or qi refiner practicing water methods. The key was that they were easy to obtain and inexhaustible. Any sect would covet them.

Just take the Rain Dragon Sect, which bordered the Dragon-Trench. If they could move this deity statue and turn it into the fundamental hub of their mountain and river formation, their sect's power could directly be elevated by a major step.

The reason Chen Ping'an felt resonance with this deity was that he sensed some familiarity with the young sword cultivator Yu Si.

The old deaf man stood nearby and nodded. "He has a significant background. As expected of the Hidden Dragon—you don’t slay nameless enemies."

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "The small Jia Shen style roster is truly a hidden dragon and crouching tiger."

The old deaf man said with schadenfreude, "Hmph."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Is the youth’s water prison formed by these water droplets?"

The old deaf man was too lazy to hide such trivial details and admitted it openly.

Raising a dragon required a high threshold. First, you had to find a worthy member of the dragon kind, then have a method for raising dragons, and finally a technique for creating a dragon pool.

The old deaf man happened to lack none of these.

Indeed, the cultivation path of every Flying Ascension realm grand cultivator in the world could be compiled into an exceptionally fascinating book of strange tales.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and asked, "If you were the one acting, Senior, how would those demon cultivators die?"

The old deaf man answered casually, "The snap of a finger."

With a perfected spirit and qi at the Flying Ascension realm, dealing with prisoners at most at the Immortal realm, the old deaf man presiding over this small world had the full advantage of timing, location, and harmony. It really was as easy as crushing an ant with a finger.

The old man added, "If they were noisy—cursing, begging for mercy, and the like—they would probably die more slowly. When I had nothing to do, I learned some skin-flaying and sinew-winding methods from that little girl."

Chen Ping'an muttered to himself, "Having stayed at the Sword Qi Great Wall for so long, I almost forgot that Sword Immortals are Sword Immortals and great demons are great demons."

He still remembered when he first traveled to Northern Juzhou Prefecture and encountered Sword Immortal Ji Yue of Ape Cry Mountain. He was trembling with fear, walking as if on thin ice; one wrong step and he would be damned forever.

Even earlier, during that ferry ride from Dajiao Mountain, he had watched three sword challenges between Wind Thunder Garden and Zhengyang Mountain through a magic mirror. Li Tuanjing's final sword stroke in the Nascent Soul stage was exceptionally brilliant.

Even earlier, on a rainy night, he had lodged in an ancient mansion and encountered a "great demon" of the Middle Five Realms from the ancient Elm Country.

Ah, how time flies, like a white horse passing through a gap.

Chen Ping'an said, "Senior, feel free to collect this water fortune. I can turn a blind eye."

The old deaf man, in front of Chen Ping'an, plucked several dozen deep green water droplets, taking them into his possession using the sleeve universe technique. These should be the ones with the most abundant water fortune.

Then Chen Ping'an demanded half of the water droplets. He placed most of them into the Sword-Nourishing Gourd, leaving only three. He sat cross-legged and openly refined them using the Dao technique recorded on the Rain-Praying Stele outside the shrine of the Buried River Water God.

This heavenly fortune was split fifty-fifty between the two parties.

The old deaf man could accept that, so he didn't hesitate.

The old deaf man glanced at the young man's general operational pattern for this water-refining technique and praised, "Hidden Dragon, just with this Dao technique alone, if one day you're truly forced into a corner, you can abandon your physical body and choose a river adjacent to a major tributary to become a genuine river deity."

Chen Ping'an still kept his eyes closed, focusing his mind. He refined the three water droplets, which were of a quality equivalent to ordinary water pills, at a very fast pace. Inside the water mansion, it was like a drought finally meeting rain. The green-clad child servants busied themselves, repairing the flaws in the water-character natal object, adding color to the water mansion murals that had almost become mere outlines, and supplementing the dried-up small pond with fresh, flowing water.

Chen Ping'an distracted himself slightly to speak: "I advise you, Senior, not to go to the Haoran World."

The old deaf man asked, "Why?"

Chen Ping'an remained silent.

The white-haired child appeared on the deity's shoulder and sneered, "Old deaf man, you flatter people too much. You'll definitely be torn limb from limb and ground into meat paste."

Then the white-haired child jeered again, "You young man aren't very bright. The old deaf man deliberately chose some water droplets with thin spiritual energy, knowing you'd ask for them. Above the sea of clouds, water droplets keep emerging. The ones with the most abundant water fortune, the old deaf man certainly let pass by each time. Such a little fool, how did he become the Hidden Dragon? He's a million miles worse than Xiao Xun. No wonder the Sword Qi Great Wall can't be defended."

Chen Ping'an acted as if he hadn't heard.

The old deaf man was even more unmoved, offering no explanation.

After all, if that heavenly fiend found an opening and moved the young Hidden Dragon's mind, the old deaf man wouldn't stand by idly.

That heavenly fiend of unknown origin was moody and erratic. It flew into a rage and said indignantly, "Confucian disciples of the Haoran World are so treacherous. It serves you right that the Barren Wastes World demons plunder and pillage you, reforming your customs properly!"

Chen Ping'an took out more water droplets from the Sword-Nourishing Gourd and refined them one by one into the water fortune of his own water mansion.

This Qi Refiner of the Fifth Realm, only one step away from being an immortal of the Middle Five Realms, was indeed far more powerful in magical techniques than a Third Realm cultivator.

The white-haired child seemed to detect the young Hidden Dragon's state of mind and jumped up, cursing, "Shameless bastard! A Fifth Realm cultivator, worse than an ant, and you still have the face to feel satisfied?!"

The next moment, the child suddenly fell silent, sat cross-legged again, and slowly said, "That boy surnamed Chen has a perfect Dao heart and is a cultivatable talent. I have five superior Dao methods that lead directly to the Upper Five Realms. They are the most profound. With your five-element natal objects as a foundation, learning them will yield twice the result with half the effort. Want to learn? I can swear that if you nod in agreement, there will be absolutely no hidden dangers. If you don't believe me, ask the old deaf man. I guarantee you can quickly ascend to the Jade Pendant Realm. This is a no-cost deal. Do it or not?!"

Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and looked at him, asking with a smile, "Do you think you and Lu Chen can compare in terms of Dao technique?"

The white-haired child burst out laughing. In an instant, a young Daoist wearing a lotus crown appeared on the deity's shoulder, smiling without a word.

Chen Ping'an asked the old deaf man, "He's causing such a ruckus. Isn't there anyone to restrain him?"

The old deaf man nodded. "There is."

A sharp sword light arrived in an instant, shattering the "Lu Chen" like ice crushed by a heavy hammer.

The white-haired child reformed his body at a great distance, unharmed, but the dharma robe on him was already tattered. He stopped speaking, as if he had an agreement with the owner of the sword light.

He glared at some distant place, then transformed into a rainbow light and flew to a nearby deity corpse. He drew his short sword and began "chiseling the mountain," using the short sword as a chisel and his palm as a hammer. Clanking sounds rang out, and debris flew everywhere. He finally dug out a piece of bronze-sized golden body fragment. He crushed it in his hand and then casually smeared it onto his dharma robe. Golden light flowed like water, as if alive, mending the robe on its own.

Chen Ping'an asked softly, "The forging material for the Military Strategist's Armor Pills, is it actually fragments of the deities' golden bodies?"

As for what specific heavenly treasures and earthly gems were used to forge the three types of Military Strategist's Armor Pills, including the Divine Man Dew Receiving Armor, there was no written record in any books in the Haoran World. Previously, Chen Ping'an hadn't asked Cui Dongshan or Wei Bo about it. As for the origin of the Golden Essence Copper Coins, it had already been confirmed. After the Lotus Root Grotto-heaven was elevated to a mid-level grotto-heaven, besides immortal money, it also required a large amount of Golden Essence Copper Coins.

The old deaf man nodded. "The process for forging the Military Strategist's Armor Pill is complex. But the fundamental material is indeed golden body fragments."

The Old Sword Immortal suddenly appeared beside Chen Ping'an.

But the next moment, he was shattered by another sword light.

Then the white-haired child, who had just unearthed a second golden body fragment, flew toward the prison entrance, only to be shredded by a sword light halfway.

At the prison gate, he peeked inside. The sword light came again. The white-haired child had to squat on the steps and continue mending his dharma robe with the palm-sized golden body fragment.

The old deaf man laughed. "After breaching the agreement, he can only stay inside the prison for the next ten days."

Chen Ping'an said helplessly, "Isn't that more troublesome for me? Could you ask that Sword Immortal senior to change the punishment?"

The old deaf man said, "It can be done with wine."

Chen Ping'an was somewhat regretful.

He had come in a hurry, and there were only two jugs of wine left in his close-at-hand objects.

He wasn't willing to give them away.

Especially after seeing Nian Xin, these two jugs of wine were even less something he could give away.

Having that heavenly fiend pester him incessantly, it could serve as a whetstone for his Dao heart.

Unexpectedly, a strange phenomenon occurred. The Old Sword Immortal slowly walked out of the prison, holding the neck of the heavenly fiend in his hand like a chicken.

Unlike before when he was indifferent to the sword lights, the white-haired child trembled violently in the Old Sword Immortal's hand, extremely fearful.

But Chen Ping'an suspected that this scene might be an illusion deliberately created by the heavenly fiend.

However, he quickly confirmed that the Old Sword Immortal was not a false image.

Because on the surface of Chen Ping'an's mind-lake, the Old Sword Immortal casually manifested a piece of paper, on which were written many arrangements of the Sword Immortal.

As soon as Chen Ping'an finished reading, the paper dissolved and disappeared.

Regarding the retreat routes for young genius sword cultivators at the Sword Qi Great Wall who were not Sword Immortals, the Old Sword Immortal had long made his decisions and laid them out plainly to Chen Ping'an. Chen Ping'an had made some minor modifications. The Old Sword Immortal accepted some and rejected others.

After seeing this paper, Chen Ping'an understood the Old Sword Immortal's intentions even more clearly.

They were not much different from his own guesses.

The three old Sword Immortals who had carved words on the city wall: Qi Tingji, after the great battle, would go alone to Fuyang Continent. The Qi clan descendants of Taixiang Street—this ancestor couldn't bring any of them along.

When Qi Tingji arrived at Fuyang Continent, he would need to guard that mountain and water cavern for a hundred years. After a hundred years, he could do as he pleased. If the demons attacked and took Fuyang Continent, Qi Tingji still couldn't defect to the Barren Wastes World. He would have to dig a hole for himself and obediently hide.

Chen Xi would fight to the death, using the Death-Transformation technique to reincarnate. His soul would be gathered into a life-bound lamp and taken by other sword cultivators to the Fifth World. Although he would be born with innate knowledge, he would still need a guardian.

As for Dong San'geng, he would not leave. Both life and death were in his homeland.

Nalan Shaowei would also depart via Death-Transformation. His life-bound lamp would be taken by a guardian to the Azure Glimpse World. Although after Death-Transformation, in his next life, the cultivation path would have great obstacles, and his achievements would be extremely difficult to match his previous life, it was still better than annihilation.

The old deaf man himself chose to attach himself to the Old Blind Man rather than follow the demon army to the Haoran World and serve as a menial laborer in the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

In truth, the reasoning was simple: fear of death.

Many Flying Ascension realm grand cultivators were so afraid of death that it was beyond belief. Du Mao of the Parasol Tree Leaf Sect was the best example. He would stop at nothing and use any means.

Sect, descendants, disciples, reputation—all could be abandoned.

As for Lu Zhi, Chen Ping'an had helped pave her retreat route. Besides Lu Zhi, Drunken Yan, and Spring Bunting Studio's Shao Yunyan would all travel with Lu Zhi.

Connecting this to the Old Sword Immortal's earlier arrangements for the young sword cultivators, Chen Ping'an finally determined a principle.

Almost everyone would be scattered.

Afterward, it would be truly separated across the heavens. In a sense, their respective cultivation levels were for the sake of reunion.

For example, Qi Tingji would go to Fuyang Continent, but Qi Shou would stop at Inverted Suspension Mountain.

Chen Xi would go to the Fifth World, but Chen Sanqiu would travel the Haoran World.

And Gao Yepeng, who would accompany Chen Xi, his sister Gao Youqing, would become the direct disciple of Floating Reed Sword Lake's Li Cai and go to Northern Juzhou Prefecture.

The next great battle would also be the last war of the Sword Qi Great Wall in ten thousand years.

For those who weren't sword cultivators, it didn't matter—just hide. But when the war drew to a close, there would inevitably be some demons slipping through the net, heading north beyond the city walls. Not everyone would necessarily survive.

For sword cultivators of the Lower Five Realms: those willing to die die, going up to the city wall to fight; even if their skills are insufficient, they still die. But as long as they can hold on until the end, they can preserve their lives and future paths.

For sword cultivators of the Middle Five Realms: those willing to live live. Those who cannot die won't be allowed to die even if they want to.

Only the Sword Immortals of the Upper Five Realms: life and death are not up to them; the Old Sword Immortal has long made arrangements.

The Old Sword Immortal walked out from the top of the prison steps, threw the white-haired child he was holding to the ground, and asked, "Tired of living?"

The heavenly fiend prostrated itself on the ground. Facing the old deaf man and the young Hidden Dragon, the white-haired child, who was usually willful, now only dared to shake his head and not speak.

Beside Chen Qingdu appeared a figure shrouded in clouds and mist, his true form invisible. Only the long sword hanging at his side was clearly visible.

Chen Qingdu said, "Without drinking wine, you lack energy. Your sword strokes are soft. Are you embroidering?"

The strange Sword Immortal being scolded said nothing.

Chen Ping'an and the old deaf man arrived before the Old Sword Immortal.

Chen Qingdu had two youths captured and thrown into this world. They both fell to the ground, vomiting.

Chen Ping'an only recognized one of them. He was a Third Realm sword cultivator unknown at the Sword Qi Great Wall, with ordinary origins and ordinary talent. The youth was responsible for distributing clothes from the clothing workshop and long swords from the sword workshop on the city wall. He often carried injured sword cultivators off the wall.

As for the other youth, Chen Ping'an had no impression at all.

Chen Qingdu said to the old deaf man and the Sword Immortal, "Take them with you for now. For the next hundred years, they will serve you as masters. Afterward, follow your inclinations."

The old deaf man dared not defy.

The Sword Immortal, whose true form was unseen, also remained silent.

For both youths, it was a tremendous fortune.

Chen Qingdu looked at the heavenly fiend lying on the ground. "Being silent when you should speak?"

The white-haired child quickly sat up and said with great righteousness, "The Hidden Dragon should feel resentment. He has worked so hard and for whom? More than a seamstress, he has made a wedding dress for others. Such great fortune falls on these two worthless brats. This Chen Qingdu is so unfair. Why even bother being the Hidden Dragon? He might as well rebel against the Sword Qi Great Wall and scheme for a position in the Barren Wastes World no less than that of the Hidden Dragon. That would be the act of a true man..."

Chen Ping'an held his forehead.

A youth who would inexplicably gain a Sword Immortal attendant was very uneasy. The other youth, who would become the master of the old deaf man, had a calm expression.

That Sword Immortal took off his long sword and gave it to the youth.

The old deaf man smiled at his nominal master.

Chen Qingdu led Chen Ping'an toward the prison.

Chen Qingdu said slowly, "If it weren't for being in this place, the one speaking with you now would be that heavenly fiend. Life is but a dream within a dream. From the moment you focused your mind to refine those water droplets, it had an opening to slip in. Don't believe me? You think you've been vigilant enough against that heavenly fiend? Then try it."

Chen Ping'an suddenly stopped, summoned his natal flying sword, Cage Finch.

Then he seemed to suddenly wake from a dream.

Chen Ping'an looked around and found himself still sitting cross-legged, refining water droplets.

The old deaf man was still standing nearby with a smile.

The white-haired child with green serpent earrings and a short sword was still sitting cross-legged on the deity's shoulder.

But the small world of Cage Finch did not exist.

It was an illusion.

Chen Ping'an felt as if he had fallen into an ice cavern.

The world changed again.

He was at the bottom of the prison, meeting the seamstress Nian Xin for the first time. She still gracefully curtsied, but when she looked up, her eyes were full of mischief. "Am I the false one? Is she necessarily real?"

The next moment, Chen Ping'an was staring at the youth in the water prison. The youth stood up, smiled slightly, and said, "Are you sure that killing me will reduce a calamity for the Haoran World?"

In an instant, he was back in the sea of clouds. The "young Daoist Lu Chen" stood on the deity's shoulder and smiled, "Isn't my Dao technique high?"

Before Chen Ping'an could form any thoughts, he was at the prison entrance. The sword cultivator shrouded in clouds and mist, his true form unseen, slowly dispelled the clouds, revealing half his face, and said, "Aren't you curious why my form is blurred? Is it because it's a manifestation of the Sword Immortal at the peak of your mind?"

Scenes and scenes kept appearing around Chen Ping'an, but with extra words.

The old deaf man stood under the stele inscribed with "Partridge Sky" and slowly spoke, "Hidden Dragon, as a direct disciple of the Sage of Literature, your knowledge seems insufficient."

At the prison entrance, the Old Sword Immortal held the white-haired child by the neck and slowly walked to the top of the steps. Suddenly, he laughed. "Do you really think Chen Qingdu has such divine abilities? I never thought that deep down, the Hidden Dragon reveres the Old Sword Immortal so much. But it seems his temper isn't very good?"

The two youths were snatched by the Old Sword Immortal from the Sword Qi Great Wall into the small world. The more timid one suddenly laughed. "So the Hidden Dragon believes that a young boy should be so pure-hearted to be good?"

The other youth shook his head. "No, no. Even as a youth, one should have a steady temperament like mine. Otherwise, one won't live long."

Even when he secretly condensed his mind into a mustard seed and went to the water mansion, the green-clad child servants were all crowded outside the water mansion gate, all bearing the face of the heavenly fiend.

Chen Ping'an's head ached more and more.

He swayed, returned to the steps, sat down, and summoned his natal flying sword, Cage Finch, but was stunned—hadn't he already summoned it before?

Looking up, Chen Qingdu, standing at the bottom of the steps, turned his head and asked, "How is it?"

Chen Ping'an was speechless.

"Chen Qingdu" smiled. "You saw through my illusion, so you've won? Did you ever take a single step out of the prison? Are you sure you ever came to the Sword Qi Great Wall? How do you know that everything you have today is not just a golden millet dream given to you by Lu Chen? Is it possible that you are still in your hometown, Mud Bottle Alley? How can you be sure that you are not a fish in the Hao Liang watching people? Could it be that you are a certain immortal entering a dream to observe the Dao?"

Chen Ping'an closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and punched himself hard, knocking himself unconscious.

On the steps, the white-haired child crouched beside him and said gloomily, "Taking advantage of a loophole is not a fair victory. This kid is just confident in one thing: that I don't dare to delay his serious business too much."

Chen Qingdu laughed. "Solving the immediate trouble first has always been Chen Ping'an's strength."

The old deaf man praised from the side, "Our Hidden Dragon, at least he could still determine that he was in the prison. That's already not easy."

The white-haired child said angrily, "I'm too restricted here. Otherwise, this kid couldn't even throw that punch."

He asked tentatively, "Chen Qingdu, do you have the ability to let me enter his dream? If he can wake up, I'll call the old deaf man 'grandfather'!"

Chen Qingdu said, "I don't have that ability."

So the white-haired child wisely gave up the idea.

Because although Chen Qingdu had no other abilities, he did have the ability to completely kill this heavenly fiend, which was left behind by a Flying Ascension realm Sword Immortal.

The seamstress Nian Xin appeared around them. First, she respectfully bowed to Chen Qingdu, then asked curiously, "Old Sword Immortal, why did you do all this?"

Chen Ping'an, still unconscious, seemed to be continuing his dream on his own.

His expression changed constantly—sorrow, anger, nostalgia, relief, grief, joy.

Chen Qingdu frowned.

Chen Ping'an had knocked himself unconscious earlier. That wasn't a big problem; it was correct.

But if someone else had knocked him awake now, the hidden dangers would be considerable.

The white-haired child said fearfully, "It really wasn't me."

In the end, the young man slept soundly, breathing steadily, as if dreaming a good dream he didn't want to wake from.

Chen Qingdu grabbed the white-haired child by the head, lifted him, and said in a deep voice, "Go and see what's going on."

The heavenly fiend grumbled, but Chen Qingdu squeezed harder. It suddenly howled in pain and had to flash away into the young man's dream.

After a moment, it left the dream and said helplessly, "How strange. Nothing remarkable. Just a little kid hopping around in an alley, his face full of smiles. Then it turned into a snowy little courtyard. The child, not much older, was overjoyed, looking very happy. Two scenes, looping repeatedly, unchangeable, only these two paintings."

The old deaf man asked tentatively, "Are there any other people in the paintings? Can you transform into someone and say something to break the dream?"

The white-haired child shook his head. "Difficult. The paintings are too blurry. This is a small world, already separated from the Haoran World by a major world. And this kid's hometown seems to be another small world. I'm not familiar with this kid's life either. How can I do it? If I actually tamper with it, it would be easy to make him sink deeper into the dream. Then even immortals would find it hard to save him."

In an instant, Chen Ping'an opened his eyes, sat up abruptly, drenched in sweat.

Chen Qingdu breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "How did you exit the dream?"

Chen Ping'an was silent.

Chen Qingdu shook his head and sighed. "Now you should know how difficult it will be to break into the Upper Five Realms in the future."

Chen Ping'an nodded, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Chen Qingdu looked at the heavenly fiend. The latter immediately assured, "This kid is my grandfather from now on. I promise I won't mess around."

Chen Qingdu left with the old deaf man and Nian Xin. The white-haired child didn't dare stay long either, fearing that Chen Qingdu, who was in a bad mood, would take it out on him. So in the end, only Chen Ping'an remained.

After they left, Chen Ping'an smiled.

He had had a good dream. At the very end of the dream, he saw someone bow with cupped hands, while another person returned the bow at the same time. The former did not know about it.

It was himself as a youth, carrying a large bamboo basket at the time.

Mr. Qi had returned the bow with cupped hands, smiled, and said goodbye to his junior brother.

Chen Ping'an didn't remember such a thing. He only knew that back then, he had indeed expressed gratitude to Mr. Qi with a bow.

What a good dream indeed.