Chapter 681: Why the Painstaking Cultivation

Chapter 681: Why the Painstaking Cultivation

Frostfall tentatively asked, "You want to trade me a large piece of Golden Body Fragment for a little story about a tying-knot, Hidden Official Ancestor?"

The story was actually not that little.

Just looking at the matter of untying the knot, Chen Ping'an had already used the ancient Dragon-Slaying Platform's execution blade, the Kan Kan Dao. He used a cyan talisman paper to hold the blood, extracted a single drop of heart's blood essence, and also separated out one wisp each from the Three Souls and Seven Poppers, pouring them all into the signature at the end.

For ordinary cultivators, tying and untying a knot wouldn't require making such a big fuss.

If she didn't make this deal, Frostfall felt she might be tempting divine retribution.

But Chen Ping'an had no interest in making this deal. With that Gold Essence Copper Coin transformed into the elder fellow daoist Longming, she was highly likely to serve as a registered guest elder of Fallen Mountain. Having a treasure bowl in the family, Chen Ping'an now felt he was utterly indifferent to fame and fortune, definitely not one to be dazzled by money. The Punishment Official was gone, the Old Deaf Man had followed suit. All the heavenly materials and earthly treasures in this place, no matter how many long-legged legs, couldn't escape this prison world. Chen Ping'an had always wanted to ask the Great Sword Immortal why he didn't empty out the family wealth here, hand it over to the Summer Retreat Palace to manage, or move it to the Pill Workshop for disposal. Unfortunately, the Great Sword Immortal never gave him the chance. Every time he showed up, Chen Ping'an's ending wasn't good. Even a clay Bodhisattva has some temper. A Bundle Peddler can set up shop anywhere, right? In the long years to come, there might be no end to them, so he had to find something to do, like counting money, like refining objects.

Chen Ping'an flipped his wrist and summoned a Five Thunder Law Seal made of strange material, holding it in his palm. Although it was only the size of a jujube pit, faint thunder rumbled within, and colorful light swirled around it. The aura was severe, naturally suppressing ghosts and filthy things.

Just like the imitation White Jade Capital Pagoda and the Sword Immortal Banner, Chen Ping'an didn't dare to heavily refine them into lifebound objects. He only did a medium refinement. Firstly, there was no need for heavy refinement, and secondly, he didn't dare to act rashly. After all, these were things obtained from Li Zhen. He worried about "what ifs." Things like the Pine Needle and Coughing Thunder were also things he had for a very long time before changing them from medium refinement to heavy refinement. Of course, it wasn't that he didn't trust Liu Jinglong and Yuan Lingdian, but things that are heavily refined are not ordinary. Besides occupying an entire lifebound acupoint, they also divert a cultivator's spiritual energy. For a Lower Five Realms Qi Refiner who hasn't opened many palaces and whose spiritual energy accumulation isn't deep enough, these two things are huge problems.

Chen Ping'an, now a Fifth Realm cultivator, actually has a fair number of qi palaces. But just the things related to the Five Elements that were refined for his Longevity Bridge have already taken up five of them, all needing diligent refinement with spiritual energy. How much surplus spiritual energy does he have left to "reward his ministers"? This is like a clever woman can't cook a meal without rice. Otherwise, just by opening a single Water Palace, with all the fortuitous encounters Chen Ping'an had during his travels, the Green-Robed Child Servants would never be so idle. Take the supply of Mirage Lake Water Pills. Each time the Water Palace finally gets some rain after a long drought, the spiritual energy still has to be split and given to the Mountain Shrine, Wood Residence, and other places.

But even with just this medium refinement of the seal, Chen Ping'an believed that with this single mountain treasure, in a vassal state of Treasure Vase Continent, he could be a divine, demon-slaying, magic-penetrating Immortal Master with zero problems. And even if he walked through wild mountains and marshes, he would be treated as a registered Immortal Master. Because cultivating the Five Thunder Arts, if the techniques and formulas aren't orthodox enough, it's easy to damage the internal organs. Over time, the physical body becomes flawed, and the damage is irreversible. For example, that blind Daoist Jia Sheng had damaged his eyes because he cultivated a heterodox thunder method... Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an laughed silently to himself.

Chen Ping'an suddenly asked, "It's not Golden Sand?"

Frostfall pulled out a Golden Body Fragment the size of a tangerine, tossing it lightly. Treasures of this weight aren't common; digging them out of mountains is a huge pain.

Chen Ping'an, his left hand manipulating the Five Thunder Law Seal, stretched out his right hand and grabbed the Golden Body Fragment from the Extra-Terrestrial Demon's hand. He held it in his palm for a moment, then used the Refining Three Mountains Dao Technique to refine a single drop of golden liquid from the fragment. He caught it with his finger and gently smeared it onto the "Accumulate" character among the sixteen true words on the Five Thunder Law Seal, like applying gold leaf to a statue in a temple or Daoist temple.

During this gold-leafing process, a trace of spiritual energy automatically flowed through each of Chen Ping'an's five lifebound acupoints, as if receiving a divine decree. It traveled to and from his palm, rising and swirling around the Five Thunder Law Seal, helping to refine that drop of golden liquid into the seal. This was much faster than using the Immortal Refining Technique alone for gold-leafing. This was the advantage of a cultivator who has fought hard to get Five Elements lifebound objects. The various mysteries are indescribably wonderful.

Chen Ping'an put away the seal and the Golden Body Fragment, and said, "My hometown is the Li Zhu Cave Heaven. When I was a child, one snowy night in the deep of winter, I happened to have a nightmare and woke up in fright. Then I heard movement outside my front door, and it seemed like I heard a faint voice. The wind and snow were heavy that night, so I couldn't hear clearly, only that it was very creepy. Actually, I was very hesitant at the time, not knowing whether I should go out or stay under the covers. I also thought about maybe Song Jixin had heard it too. He's bold, so maybe he would go out before me. Later, I still timidly went out and saved a..."

Saying this, Chen Ping'an suddenly didn't know how to define Zhigui.

Frostfall, familiar with many of Chen Ping'an's mental and emotional journeys, revealed the heavenly secret: "She didn't go to that prince, Song Jixin. There are two possibilities. One is that she chose to enter Nipin Alley from the west entrance. Entering the alley was difficult, and even though she was just one door away, her strength was already exhausted. So she collapsed at your doorstep and couldn't knock on Song Jixin's courtyard gate. This is the predestined connection of the Great Dao guided by the unseen hand of fate. The other possibility is that she entered Nipin Alley from Gu Can's house. When she got to Song Jixin's doorstep, she changed her mind temporarily. Because forging a pact with a dragon son and dragon grandson of the Great Li Song Clan would have many constraints. She might have had no choice but to sign a true master-servant contract, with life and death in the hands of others. For the last remnant true dragon left in heaven and earth, this wouldn't be a comfortable choice. After you saved her, she secretly forged a contract with you. Because your lifebound porcelain was already broken and your soul was weak, the matter of forging the contract was completely unknown to anyone. She could then live peacefully, secretly stealing your fortune."

Chen Ping'an nodded and said, "That's exactly it."

"Oh my Hidden Official Ancestor, how can you do business like this?"

Frostfall stamped her foot in regret and said, "You and that woman who called herself Zhigui had an equal contract. The more you suffered early on, the more blessings you would reap later. Hidden Official Ancestor, what on earth were you thinking? It's obvious that if you had just endured a little longer and hadn't written the termination contract so decisively, you, honored ancestor, would now be entering a wonderful era where bitterness ends and sweetness begins! It would be like breaking through realms while lying down. At the Book-Simple Lake, that bastard mud loach that dug such a pit for you, how it fed back Gu Can's physique and soul—Hidden Official Ancestor, how could you not know?"

The White-Haired Boy talked excitedly, waving his hands and stamping his feet: "No matter how Wang Zhu stole your fate and fortune in the early years, the more one attains the Dao, the more the world's affairs demand repayment. This is a fixed principle. So as long as she truly transforms into a dragon, you will have achieved a perfectly complete merit. It will be the most genuine "Dragon-Supporting Merit" in all the world. From now on, you will receive a steady stream of benefits. Every time she breaks through a realm, she will give feedback to the one who forged the contract with her. Forming a Golden Core or nurturing a Nascent Soul would be no trouble. Let alone the matter of naturally suppressing dragon-kind, or even Water Gods and Lake Lords—which cultivator doesn't dream of that?"

Chen Ping'an stood up, walked slowly, and smiled. "All I know is that when you bestow kindness on someone, you shouldn't think of it as charity. I didn't know about forging the contract back then. I only knew that I saved her, and it was something I did on a whim."

A monk begging with a bowl is about forming connections. Daoism also has the saying that every drink and every peck is predetermined by heaven.

Frostfall asked cautiously, "Hidden Official Ancestor, you are a disciple of the Confucian school. A gentleman bestows kindness without expecting repayment. I can barely understand that. But she caused you years of bad luck, and you are still willing to return good for evil? Doesn't that make you a bit of a doormat?"

Chen Ping'an shook his head. "There is a priority and urgency to things. Firstly, in my heart, she, Zhigui, is just a neighbor, not at all comparable to the great situation of Treasure Vase Continent. And as for returning good for evil? You know very well that this actually contradicts my fundamental doctrine. Matters have their order, mistakes have their size. We must clarify everything before we talk about forgiveness or mercy."

Chen Ping'an paused for a moment, pressing his palm against the hilt of that Dragon-Slaying Execution Blade, and smiled. "Suppose the big matters are settled. Let her come and stand in front of me now and try."

Frostfall now gets a headache just hearing the word "try."

Chen Ping'an continued, "If you set aside right and wrong and conspiracies, and take things one at a time, just talking about my time living as neighbors with Song Jixin and Zhigui, it wasn't as bad as you imagine. It could even be said that having them living next door gave me some extra hope for survival. At least I got to know roughly how common folk live their good days: not short of money, food and clothing without worry. Have you ever heard the sound of a kitchen knife scaling fish scales on the chopping board, or the sound of a wooden stick gently beating a thick quilt hung on a bamboo pole under the scorching sun? They are both very pleasant to hear. Before I even learned to read, I had already heard many words from books, and I owe that to Song Jixin's boring recitations."

At that time, young Chen Ping'an was kept in the dark about everything. All he thought about was having enough food for two meals a day, fearing heatstroke in summer, shivering from the cold in his thin clothes in winter, dreading the New Year in spring, and worrying about the lack of farmland in autumn.

When he got along with those neighbors, the master and servant, the Nipin Alley youth would help if he could. For example, if he met Zhigui on the road, he would help her carry water, or help her dry books on the wall between their houses. At that time, Song Jixin, as the "illegitimate son of Supervising Official Song," seemed to have endless money, as if it fell from the sky. Song Jixin could spend it without any heartache, without even blinking.

Nipin Alley was too narrow, and Song Jixin was someone who enjoyed comfort and hated trouble. He would always let Zhigui buy wagonloads of firewood and charcoal, solving the winter problem once and for all.

If Chen Ping'an saw this, he would also help. At that time, Zhigui, who seemed to be lacking in strength, would also run to the door of the house, lifting her skirt, and call out for Chen Ping'an to come out and help.

Chen Ping'an wouldn't refuse either. He did these trivial things not because he had any particular thoughts. Quite the opposite, it was because he was so proper and orderly, treating everyone around him the same way, considering it his due, that Chen Ping'an could do these things with mud and charcoal dust on his clothes, yet a clean heart. Besides, compared to helping the neighbors, Chen Ping'an had done even more for Gu Can's family.

Moreover, at that time, the straw-sandal-wearing youth knew absolutely nothing about matters between men and women.

So Song Jixin, a narrow-minded peer, never felt that Chen Ping'an had any designs on Zhigui. He was only sensitive and hostile towards Liu Xianyang and Ma Kuxuan.

Occasionally, when Zhigui was picking vegetables in the next yard, she would also tentatively talk to Chen Ping'an. She would say, "You've helped that Gu family mother and son so much. You should at least ask for some payment. Even if it's not money, you take care of their farmland. It would be only reasonable for you to ask for a few measures of white rice from the harvest. If that vixen woman still won't agree, then she's just a bad person, trying to take advantage of you, Chen Ping'an. In town, there are always jobs for day laborers, helping with weddings and funerals. You can always make money."

Song Yushao once said something while drunk at a hotpot meal. At the time, Chen Ping'an didn't feel its impact deeply. Now, Chen Ping'an, at the age of thirty, is no longer that teenager for many years.

Chewing on those words again carefully, he found a lot of aftertaste. It was like drinking a bowl of vintage rice wine. The aftereffect was strong. Even after so many years, the potency of the wine still lingered in his heart.

When young, memory is good. Whenever one is homesick, people and events are vivid in the mind, the heart is moved, and one feels as if they are there, like returning home.

When older, memory is blurred. Whenever one is homesick, they feel farther from home. The helplessness of life is probably in this.

Frostfall smiled and nodded. "I actually know quite a bit about the mundane trivialities of the marketplace."

Chen Ping'an teased, "A great cultivator at the Flying Ascension Realm knows about these things too?"

According to the life story Frostfall had told Chen Ping'an earlier, as an orphaned refugee, "Little Grass," drifting and homeless, always on the verge of being killed by frost and snow, she was lucky to be taken in by a well-off family, becoming their servant and later a young master's book boy. Through a series of coincidences, a reclusive old teacher in the marketplace saw her potential and gave her the name Frostfall, setting her on the path of cultivation. During this time, she certainly should have known a lot about the hardships of the common people.

But Chen Ping'an didn't believe her story at all.

Frostfall rubbed her cheeks. "A miserable Flying Ascension cultivator like me, born from muck and filth like a pitiful worm, is truly rare."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "It is indeed a bitter fate to have to call a Fifth Realm Qi Refiner 'Ancestor'."

By the steps, the Extra-Terrestrial Demon put its hands on its hips and said with great righteousness, "Hidden Official Ancestor, I won't allow you, honored ancestor, to belittle yourself like this!"

Chen Ping'an summoned the Five Thunder Law Seal again and said to Frostfall, "Tell Senior Nianxin to start working. Help me move this thing to the center of my palm first. I can do it myself now, but it takes too much time, and I don't want to delay her unpicking the robe."

Frostfall greeted the girl who was busy unpicking the dharma robe.

Chen Ping'an walked to the steps and gently rolled up his left sleeve.

Frostfall crouched beside him and said, "Look, Hidden Official Ancestor, this arm of yours is full of profound meaning. Ordinary women, with poor eyesight, might not see the mystery, but it perfectly matches the exquisite doctrines of the 'Jade Branches and Golden Leaves'. Inside, it's all the divine light and flowing colors of a great achiever of the Dao. It could make those discerning mountain fairies green with envy. In the future, when Hidden Official Ancestor travels far and wide, you must wear several layers of dharma robes, otherwise, you'll accumulate a lot of romantic debts. I say, just covering your arms won't do. With your face, your figure, your eloquence, your demeanor, you'll have to learn from the Punishment Official. Otherwise, the fairies will see you and lose their hearts, their minds wavering, their souls lost, a little deer bumping around in their heart-lake, ripples spreading, their cheeks blushing. Hidden Official Ancestor naturally won't be moved, but it's still a troublesome thing. It's like that matter of forging a contract..."

Chen Ping'an asked, "So this was how you annoyed that Old Deaf Man into giving in?"

Frostfall giggled. "That grandson's heart cultivation wasn't enough. He's a waste."

Nianxin arrived and helped Chen Ping'an move the Five Thunder Law Seal to a different "cave heaven," shifting it from the Mountain Shrine to the peak of a "mountain" at the center of his palm's meridians.

When evenly matched cultivators fight, the difference of an instant can be the difference between life and death.

This not only allowed Chen Ping'an to execute this thunder art more swiftly but also helped him adapt more quickly to the connection and linkage of his five lifebound objects. Once executed, the five thunders would gather, the heavenly might would be vast, and the creation would be infinite.

Relocating a medium-refined object within a Qi Refiner's body is not simple. It requires temporarily carving out a "post road," which naturally causes a certain amount of damage. However, compared to the task of tailoring true names, it's still a minor matter.

Chen Ping'an didn't need Nianxin to nail down his soul with an embroidery needle. He could think freely and speak without hindrance, asking, "What is the material of this Five Thunder Law Seal?"

The material was strange. The grain was like beautiful wood, but the texture was like green jade.

Nianxin only recognized it as a piece of Thunder-Struck Locust Wood.

Thunder-struck wood is not rare in the Haoran World. It can be found in both market towns and rural areas. Wealthy families might even spend a lot of money to buy it, asking Daoist priests with proper credentials to carve it into amulets for their children to wear, in order to ward off evil spirits and avoid unclean things. It's like 'inviting a Door God' to be with them.

Chen Ping'an didn't get an answer and turned to look at the Extra-Terrestrial Demon, who looked confident.

Frostfall, worthy of being a Flying Ascension cultivator, knowledgeable and experienced, smiled and said, "It is indeed Thunder-Struck Locust Wood, but it's far from ordinary."

Saying this, Frostfall pretended to be deep in thought.

Chen Ping'an said, "One small summer coin."

Although it's just a bit of profit, earning money from Chen Ping'an is extremely difficult. Only then did Frostfall slap her forehead and say in a sudden realization, "It's not ordinary thunder-struck wood, and not ordinary locust wood either. Normally, for a thunder-struck wood of extremely good material and very high grade, these sixteen characters, 'Accumulate and gather the five thunders, govern all methods. Slash and sever the five defects, the pivot of heaven and earth,' should be carved on four separate sides, otherwise it simply couldn't bear this true meaning of the thunder method. The key lies in this locust wood once being a 'Locust Mansion,' a kind of miniature blessed land, a den where ghosts gathered and foxes and snakes nested. Therefore, it must have been created by a powerful person proficient in the orthodox Five Thunder Law, who used fierce methods to subdue demons and vanquish evil. That person then picked up this piece of locust wood from the ruins, carved it into a seal, engraved these sixteen seal-script characters of birds and insects, and only used it as the 'Dharma Seal Bottom Inscription,' which is only one of the 'Pivots of Heaven and Earth'."

Chen Ping'an turned his head and stared at the dharma seal "traveling" within his meridians. It was moving from the Mountain Shrine to his shoulder, then down his arm, guided by Nianxin all the way to be rooted in the center of his palm. This process was like plowing a field, reclaiming land, but it was the cultivator's own bones, sinews, and flesh.

Frostfall, sitting beside him, propped her chin on her hands and said slowly, "The dharma seal has six sides, an ancient design. Because all sides have seal-script patterns, it's an extremely rare 'Six-Sided Full Seal,' also known as a 'Full Moon Seal.' A full moon wanes. Otherwise, such a dharma seal would be too overbearing. Every major mountain and faction would have one by now. So if Hidden Official Ancestor uses this item against a strong enemy, the cost is high. It's easy to weaken the seal's thunder method, dim its divine light, and attenuate its true meaning. Fortunately, you can repair the item's appearance afterwards, such as with the fragments of Gold Bodies from mountain and river deities. Since Hidden Official Ancestor isn't lacking in such items, this is truly a mandate of heaven!"

Frostfall found it too troublesome to focus on the dharma seal, as it might distract the Hidden Official Ancestor. So she gently twisted her two fingers together, and the dharma seal appeared before Chen Ping'an's eyes, becoming the size of a palm, clearly visible.

She rotated the seal gently with her mind and explained in detail, "On the four sides of the seal, a total of thirty-six deity images are carved: the Thunder God, the Lightning Mother, the Wind Uncle, the Rain Master, the Cloud Clerk, the Spiritual Official, the Heavenly Human Divine Official, and other ancient patterns. All of them are in this 'Mountain' of the dharma seal. Nine is a great number, which is another excellent proof of it being a 'Full Moon Seal.' An ordinary seal master truly wouldn't dare to be so reckless."

"Besides the sixteen characters on the seal's bottom, which serve as the 'Earth Inscription,' there should have been a 'Heaven Inscription.' But for some reason, a part of it has been shaved off, greatly damaging its quality and drastically reducing the power of this Five Thunder Law Seal. Otherwise, this item should have been a consecrated object in the Patriarch Hall of a prominent immortal sect, suppressing mountains and rivers, drawing upon Qi Luck, and it might have even become a 'Dharma Transmission Seal.'"

Frostfall sighed. "Without the crucial 'Heaven Inscription,' the quality has plummeted. What a pity!"

When dealing with human affairs, perfection is taboo. But when it comes to collecting items, it's just the opposite.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Can I make up the 'Heaven Inscription' myself? Even if it doesn't increase its power by a single ounce, it can at least scare people. Besides, if I ever end up broke and need money, whether a 'Six-Sided Full Seal' is fully inscribed or not would mean two different prices."

Frostfall sighed inwardly. Look, how could one not admire such a Hidden Official Ancestor? How could that fellow daoist Longming not be smitten?

The moment he had an idea, it was as if he was about to sever the five defects. Hidden Official Ancestor truly is a born cultivator.

It's a pity that they weren't in the Qingming Heaven realm, and hadn't met Hidden Official Ancestor earlier. If they had, by now Chen Ping'an would be calling *him* ancestor. Just imagining it was wonderful.

Frostfall chuckled foolishly a few times, wiped her mouth, quickly turned her head, covered her face, rubbed it vigorously, then turned back with a perfectly serious expression. She said respectfully, "Although Hidden Official Ancestor is proficient in carving seals, this 'Heaven Inscription' engraving really can't be done."

Chen Ping'an nodded, not disappointed, but rather relieved.

Excessively good luck is a great calamity. He needs to reflect deeply on his current situation.

Nianxin said, "It's done."

The Sewing Woman came in a hurry and left in a hurry, without any delay.

The only thing that could make her stay now would be if Chen Ping'an changed his mind and stopped this nonsensical male-female boundary. A cultivator, of all people, needing to keep his body pure and chaste—how antiquated and pedantic, like an old scholar. But Nianxin couldn't very well strip Chen Ping'an's clothes by force. She did have some complaints about Frostfall's insufficient skill. If, back then, she had been able to do more with Chen Ping'an through that seven-tailed vixen, perhaps her sewing now wouldn't have this flaw. Then again, if a youth's heart had been seduced by a fox spirit, he wouldn't have made it to the prison, let alone become the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Chen Ping'an slowly raised his hand and summoned the Five Thunder Law Seal. Instantly, the five thunders gathered. Around a palm as white and smooth as jade, it was like holding a small heaven and earth in his hand: lightning flashed, thunder rumbled, clouds formed, water rose, and the ethereal forms of the thirty-six deities were faintly visible, each containing a divine decree.

Chen Ping'an turned to the Extra-Terrestrial Demon and beckoned with a smile, "Come, come, let your Ancestor touch your little puppy head."

Frostfall sighed mournfully, obediently tilted its head, stretched out its neck, and then said with heartfelt emotion, "Hidden Official Ancestor, you must cherish a loyal follower like me, someone who risks his life every day, who constantly faces death with courage!"

Chen Ping'an flipped his wrist and heavily slammed the Five Thunder Law Seal onto the Extra-Terrestrial Demon's head.

With a loud bang, the Extra-Terrestrial Demon vanished on the spot. Chen Ping'an's sleeves billowed, and the wind of True Qi tousled his sideburns. He saw the Extra-Terrestrial Demon reform its body a short distance below the steps. Residual lightning still crackled on its dharma robe, causing its eyes to roll back in a white stare, its whole body twitching. Like a drunkard groping in the dark with both hands, it staggered back up the steps.

Chen Ping'an knew he didn't have this kind of power. He hadn't cultivated the orthodox Five Thunder Law, lacked superior Dao formulas to assist him, and didn't have enough true meaning of the Dao. How could he possibly make an Extra-Terrestrial Demon so miserable? So he asked, "If I had struck a Qi Refiner squarely like that, what realm could I have killed? Sea-Viewing Realm? Dragon Gate Realm?"

Frostfall trotted up the steps and said, "Without a dharma treasure for protection, the strength of one slap from Hidden Official Ancestor, without damaging the seal's quality at all, could kill an ordinary Dragon Gate Realm cultivator on the spot!"

Chen Ping'an asked again, "What if I paid any price? Even sacrificing the dharma seal?"

Frostfall said, "An ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator would also lose half their life. And when facing Hidden Official Ancestor, losing half a life is the same as losing their life entirely."

Chen Ping'an said softly, "Ordinary."

Frostfall said helplessly, "There is indeed a slight regret. The opponents that Hidden Official Ancestor will face in the future, requiring such a high price to defeat, will certainly not be any ordinary Qi Refiners."

Chen Ping'an smiled and said, "Let's make a deal worth one Small Summer coin."

Frostfall was eager to try, rubbing its hands together. "If Hidden Official Ancestor talks business like this, the sleep bug in me will be completely dead."

Chen Ping'an said, "I have quite a few items on me, and I'm about to become a Middle Five Realms Immortal. You help me review and plan how I can get the most benefit. The focus is on the major and minor passes of the Cave Abode, Sea-Viewing, and Dragon Gate realms, the combination of medium-refined and heavily refined lifebound objects, and finally, the key points of forming the Golden Core."

Frostfall said, "With such a big matter, why don't I accompany Hidden Official Ancestor up the steps, climbing the heights together?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Is there a need for all these fancy tricks?"

Although he said this, he stood up without hesitation.

Just consider it as asking for a good omen.

Back when he left Inverted Suspension Mountain and traveled through Tongye Continent with Lu Tai, the other had already leaked heavenly secrets and advised Chen Ping'an that when a cultivator first starts their climb, heavily refining lifebound objects is not a case of the more the merrier. There's no need to deliberately pursue a large number.

The lifebound objects of heavy refinement in the world are roughly divided into three types: offensive, defensive, and auxiliary. For example, a Dew-Collecting Bowl, when placed in a place with abundant water in the world, can help a Qi Refiner absorb spiritual energy faster. A willow branch cut down from the Spring Dew Garden, when placed in a place with lush vegetation, can also increase the absorption of spiritual energy.

But both heavily refined and medium-refined objects require "pay and provisions" from the Qi Refiner. So having one or two auxiliary lifebound objects, aside from offensive and defensive ones, to help the Qi Refiner open up new sources of spiritual energy is crucial.

Therefore, before forming a Golden Core, a Qi Refiner's accumulation of spiritual energy is limited. It depends on the number of opened palaces and acupoints, and the size of each opened palace. A small household is naturally a world apart from a deep, courtyard-filled mansion.

So-called cultivation geniuses excel in both: they have many opened palaces, and each palace is large.

So-called flower-pot registered Immortal Masters often have many palaces and residences, but every place is a small alley or a shabby room. They don't amount to much. They may have their moment of glory, but in the end, their achievements are limited. They can only wander halfway up the mountain for their entire lives.

Many mountain field cultivators, even if they don't have many lifebound objects, can still get impressive combat power by meticulously managing one or two lifebound acupoints and heavily refined objects, and by focusing on this fundamental aspect of the Dao to develop suitable techniques. They can patch things up along the way, and even if they take a winding mountain path, they can still stumble and stagger their way to the top of the mountain and get a panoramic view of all the lesser peaks.

The three acupoints where Chen Ping'an once lingered with three wisps of "infinitesimal sword energy" housed the heavily refined Chu Yi, Shi Wu, Pine Needle, and Coughing Thunder. Because the latter two were just imitation swords from Sword Immortal Mountains, and his Qi Palaces were exceptionally large, the two imitation swords from the Hate Sword Mountain could crowd into one room without any problem. And by the look of it, it seemed he could even add another imitation sword without any issue.

But the lifebound flying sword "Tian Lai" from the Condensing Majesty Clan's demon sword cultivator, and the short sword that Frostfall gave Chen Ping'an in exchange, could only be nurtured in the Sword-Nurturing Gourd, just like the flying sword Tian Lai.

He simply didn't have enough Qi Palaces to house them, and he didn't think they were suitable for heavy refinement.

Frostfall got straight to the point. "When a Qi Refiner opens the gates of a palace, it's like opening a cave heaven, allowing them to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth on their own. This is called the 'Cave Abode Realm.' The 356 acupoints in the human body are 365 innately born cave heavens and blessed lands. The sun and moon alternate, day and night cycle, yin and yang blend. This wealth that people are born with is something that countless spirits and ghosts envy. To enter the Cave Abode Realm, you open nine acupoints to enter the Sea-Viewing Realm. A female Qi Refiner needs fifteen acupoints. You currently possess lifebound objects of the Five Elements, and you already have five acupoint palaces. After becoming a sword cultivator, with 'Caged Sparrow' and 'Well-Moon,' you have opened two more. Chu Yi and Shi Wu each have one palace. Pine Needle and Coughing Thunder share one palace. So that's ten acupoints opened."

"When you enter the first of the Middle Five Realms, the Cave Abode Realm, a single misstep can lead to the disaster of a 'great flood.' Once the small heaven and earth of the human body connects with the great heaven and earth, spiritual energy floods in like water, pouring in wantonly. Your Great Dao is water-friendly, and because you are a pure martial artist, your physique is tough and resilient. Moreover, the Fire Dragon has expanded the paths of your soul considerably, and you have a 'Water' character seal guarding your Water Palace. You have absolutely nothing to fear from this matter."

"So entering the Cave Abode Realm will be as easy as turning your hand. An ordinary Qi Refiner would still have to carefully control the heat and timing. You, on the other hand, must do the opposite. Absorb as much spiritual energy as possible. You must do it in one go, with the force of a tiger drinking and a whale swallowing. Seek out more affinity places, like Water Palaces and Mountain Shrines, to open as your palaces. Think of the Central Five Sacred Mountains of the human world. You should also find a 'Heir Apparent's Mountain' to serve as a supplementary place. The Haoran world doesn't care much about this. In the Qingming Heaven realm, not only Mountain Lords but also Water Immortals consider the selection of a 'Heir Apparent's Land' a top priority. Imagine this: you have one supplementary palace for each of the Five Elements. Your spiritual energy accumulation before forming the Golden Core will be quite impressive. You don't need to place a lifebound object to guard it, lest it gets damaged in a fierce battle and harms your fundamental Dao. But it allows you to absorb and store spiritual energy twice the result with half the effort on your cultivation path. However, there is a key trick to knowing which Qi Palaces are suitable to serve as the 'Heir Apparent' for the mountain and water. Opening a Cave Abode is such a major event. It's like the first opening of heaven and earth. Spiritual energy pours in, and the places it passes through will have many manifestations. The one guiding the Dao must be observant to find some traces and subtle signs. These signs disappear in an instant. So the realm of the Dao-guiding person must be high enough, otherwise it's in vain. Even if you know the trick, it's useless. At a minimum, you need to be at the Immortal Realm. Even if a Jade Pu Realm cultivator saw the signs, would he dare to make a move? Of course not. The opening of a human body's small heaven and earth is a grand pattern. To barge in recklessly—is that guiding the Dao, or harming both yourself and others?"

Chen Ping'an had been listening intently, not wanting to miss a single word, but he said, "You're speaking too superficially."

This was the first time in his life that Chen Ping'an had been so serious, treating his own cultivation matters with such gravity.

What the Extra-Terrestrial Demon said about the selection of a Cave Abode's 'Heir Apparent Land' and the initial entry into the Cave Abode Realm being akin to the 'first opening of heaven and earth'—this was indeed the first time Chen Ping'an had heard of it.

The two slowly climbed the steps. Frostfall laughed. "In my opinion, your only good move was refining that Sword Immortal Banner. But refining that imitation White Jade Capital Pagoda and placing it at the peak of the Mountain Shrine was extremely unwise. If Nianxin hadn't helped you change its cave heaven and moved the Five Thunder Law Seal, which was hanging above the Wood Residence's gate, to the center of your palm, it would have been an even bigger mistake. Once an Upper Five Realms cultivator gets a hold of your trail, any subtle and profound technique thrown at you will not only fail to protect the wooden door but will only become a hammer to break it. Cultivators hate flashy things the most, Hidden Official Ancestor. You must pay attention to this..."

Without any warning, Chen Ping'an smacked his hand down on the Extra-Terrestrial Demon's head, causing it to vanish on the spot and reappear elsewhere. It ran up the steps, looked up with tearful eyes, and said, "Hidden Official Ancestor, punishing without teaching first—why?"

Chen Ping'an squinted. "Is this what you said earlier about my refined objects?"

Frostfall thought for a moment. He had talked so much nonsense, it was hard to remember clearly. He had to sort it out. The result was that he found he was indeed in the wrong. But this Hidden Official Ancestor really had a good memory for settling scores. Frostfall had to find a way out for itself. "Back then, you were 'Hidden Official Grandfather.' Now you are 'Hidden Official Ancestor.' It's different. That Old Deaf Man also calls me 'grandfather,' but he didn't mean well. His heart wasn't sincere, right? Now that I and the Hidden Official Ancestor are relatives on the family tree, and also business partners of sincere cooperation, adding closeness on top of closeness. This relationship of ours is solid!"

Chen Ping'an seemed quite relaxed, but inwardly he was terrified.

After refining an object, if you get into a fight and your body or soul are severely damaged, smashing the acupoints and destroying the heavily or medium-refined objects is a classic case of "when the city gate catches fire, the fish in the moat suffer." Depending on the quality of the lifebound object, a Qi Refiner's fundamental Dao will be damaged to varying degrees. All things in the world have both blessings and disasters. Earlier, when Chen Ping'an refined the Five Thunder Law Seal, the Green Brick Dao Intent, and the imitation White Jade Capital Pagoda, although they were medium refinements used to assist his Five Elements lifebound objects, the benefits were considerable. However, if the lifebound acupoint they were in was damaged, and it shattered together with the lifebound object, it would make matters worse. The calamity would be even greater. It could very easily implicate the neighboring Qi Palaces, causing them to collapse and crumble.

Every time Chen Ping'an summoned a refined object, as the Extra-Terrestrial Demon said, once it is connected to a lifebound object, it's easy for an Upper Five Realms cultivator to trace the trail of its release and retrieval back to its lifebound Qi Palace. And Chen Ping'an's Five Elements themselves have a mutual attraction. Finding one makes it easy to find all five! Thinking of this, Chen Ping'an slammed down another punch.

Medium-refined objects, no matter how high their quality or how much they can enhance one's Dao, can be placed in lifebound acupoints, but it must be done with extreme caution.

This time, the Extra-Terrestrial Demon was prepared. It proactively tiptoed behind Chen Ping'an, following the Hidden Official Ancestor with fawning steps, not forgetting to praise, "Good punch! Good punch! In the future, when the two of us, grandparent and grandchild, travel together in the Qingming Heaven realm, the first thing Hidden Official Ancestor does is punch that drum that beats the heavens, so that the entire White Jade Capital and the whole Qingming Heaven realm will know that the Hidden Official Ancestor has arrived!"

Chen Ping'an muttered to himself, "I need to change some of my mountain field cultivator mindsets now."

Many subtle mindsets can be an indispensable boost on the path of life, but at a certain stage, they can quietly become a hindrance.

It's not about completely negating the past, but about thoughts arising continuously. The Dharma has no fixed method. Once this fundamental thread is formed, there is hope to always be in the Dharma, and everywhere the Dharma will be unobstructed.

For example, a mountain field cultivator might refine any object he gets his hands on, only regretting that he has too few. As long as he has enough opened palaces, he doesn't care about the details. But the registered Immortal Masters of large factions will not be like this. They will only carefully select a few items to refine into lifebound objects, with the guidance of their sect elders. The rest will at most be medium refined, for attack or defense, just adding a little extra. For each higher realm, the 'water level' of spiritual energy rises, and they will refine one more lifebound object. The selection of Qi Palaces is another profound study. They must also select one early on as a future 'Elixir-Forming Chamber,' which they will manage and build early, creating an immortal mansion, leaving the seat vacant, only waiting for 'an immortal to make it sacred.'"

Among pure martial artists, there is a rare type known as 'Tip Masters.' They are the natural enemies of cultivators. Every punch can be aimed directly at a Qi Refiner's elixir chamber. When facing a Golden Core cultivator, their fists are aimed at the location of the elixir. When facing a Qi Refiner below the Golden Core realm, their fists break the Qi Palaces that have the prototype of the elixir chamber. One punch down, and those key acupoints in the small heaven and earth of the human body are churned into chaos by the fist force, shattering like a mountain collapse and earth splitting.

Frostfall, while taking stock of the Hidden Official Ancestor's possessions, gave detailed suggestions and patiently explained the reasons for each.

For example, that short sword it had given the Hidden Official Ancestor, "The Former Years' Boat," engraved with the character "Blaspheme," was certainly not suitable for heavy refinement. But it was perfectly suited for medium refinement. It could be placed in the pond of the Water Palace. The little dragon formed earlier by the Water Pills and Water Fortune was both fake and weak. It was a stain on the Hidden Official Ancestor's residence's feng shui. It should never have been formed into a dragon. Instead, it should be transformed into a pearl. As the Water Fortune thickens by a fraction, the pearl will become more substantial by a fraction. Then, together with the other short sword engraved with the character 'Lake,' it could create the pattern of 'Two Dragons Vying for a Pearl.' That would be the best choice.

And that Sword Immortal Banner should be erected at the peak of the Mountain Shrine. There were also great intricacies involved, far different from Chen Ping'an's current method of just tossing it there.

Chen Ping'an listened intently.

This Extra-Terrestrial Demon, as long as it was willing to 'teach the Dao' properly, was worthy of its Flying Ascension realm identity. When it discussed the heavens, it reached up to pluck the sun and moon. When it spoke of the mundane, its words were built from a high house with a commanding view.

Chen Ping'an benefited greatly. One Small Summer coin was a very worthwhile deal.

Halfway there, a Nascent Soul demon sword cultivator came near the sword-light fence and asked curiously, "Young man, just how are you cultivating? How can you progress so quickly, changing every day?"

Chen Ping'an stopped walking and asked in return, "I heard that you, a sword cultivator, are also proficient in qi observation techniques, can verify dragon veins, and are good at finding cave abodes and secret realms?"

The demon laughed. "Want to learn? Call me 'father,' and I'll consider it."

Chen Ping'an took out his last piece of golden talisman paper and handed it to Frostfall. "This is a bonus for the Small Summer coin deal. It doesn't count as money."

"I obey the divine decree." Frostfall lowered its head, bowed, took the paper with both hands, and then flashed away, entering the cage.

A moment later, it "walked out" of that Nascent Soul sword cultivator demon's body, shook the talisman paper in its hand, and said, "Suspended" on it was a dense array of text, like water droplets on a lotus leaf, shaking slightly.

Frostfall blew a breath of air onto the golden talisman paper. All the text was firmly embedded in the paper. It handed it to Chen Ping'an.

That demon cursed and retreated back into the fog.

Chen Ping'an asked, "You can freely pass through the heart-mind of a Nascent Soul Earth Immortal?"

Frostfall shook its head. "It's because I've been a neighbor to him 'for many years.' I've visited him so many times that I can do it with such ease. Otherwise, the Dao heart of a Nascent Soul cultivator is as firm as a rock. It would take years of painstaking effort to succeed."

After that, Frostfall talked about several inside pieces of information regarding the Sea-Viewing Realm. For example, it revealed a shortcut for the 'Dotting the Eyes' in the Water Palace. The reason it was called a shortcut wasn't because it was some heterodox method, but because Chen Ping'an had laid a good foundation. The right time, right place, and right people were all in his favor. He could visit more Water God palaces, seek out like-minded gods and Water Immortals, and mutually discuss Dao techniques. By using an upright and honorable method to obtain a strand of their true Water Method intent, he could add one more 'Dotting the Eyes Stroke' to the 'Water Immortals Paying Homage' painting on the wall. Doing this in the Sea-Viewing Realm would yield the maximum benefit. It would also work after forming the Golden Core, but the gain would be less. The mystery of the Great Dao lies in this.

Thus, on the path of cultivation, there are often certain points where a Qi Refiner is willing to spend several years, or even decades, slowly grinding away.

They reached the top of the steps. Chen Ping'an sat down at the prison entrance to rest.

Frostfall sat beside him. One Small Summer coin was in hand, and it was very pleased.

Chen Ping'an said, "Next, I need to temper my martial fortune."

Earlier, Chen Ping'an hadn't accepted any bestowed martial fortune, but this time at the Sword Qi Great Wall, he felt that his martial fortune wasn't enough.

The sword dao Fortune and martial fortune of the Sword Qi Great Wall had been accumulating for ten thousand years. The depth of the martial fortune naturally couldn't compare to the Sword Dao fortune. But since there were so many sword cultivators here, and the relationship between sword cultivators and sword fortune was like 'more monks than porridge,' no matter how much sword dao fortune there was, it wasn't enough to go around. For example, when Chen Ping'an nurtured two lifebound flying swords, there wasn't much of a heavenly phenomenon. For pure martial artists and their relationship with martial fortune, it was like there wasn't much porridge in the bowl. But there were even fewer martial artists on the Sword Qi Great Wall. Not many people had taken up the porridge bowl. The surplus of martial fortune was naturally quite considerable. Chen Ping'an's breakthrough this time was major, going from the Golden Body Realm to the Far Travel Realm. So he had siphoned off a huge amount. He had even snatched a portion of martial fortune from the Barbaric Wild Heaven realm. This filled Chen Ping'an with great delight.

Frostfall leaned over, rubbed its eyes vigorously, and said pitifully, "Hidden Official Ancestor is so busy, his body and mind have no time for rest. When I see this, I feel both admiration and sadness. A hundred emotions intertwine, and tears stream down my face."

Chen Ping'an reached out and placed his hand on the White-Haired Boy's head. "Even though it's feigned affection, it's still comforting to hear."

But this remark from the Hidden Official Ancestor came too late. Frostfall had already shattered its own body and materialized into a human form elsewhere. So it was extremely awkward and didn't dare to immediately return to its original seat.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and looked at it with an amused expression. Frostfall said with a sheepish grin, "You haven't even thrown the punch, but the intent arrived first, scaring me half to death. This isn't me being a sycophant. In the future, when the Hidden Official Ancestor travels to other heavens, whether it's the Barbaric Wild Heaven, the Haoran, or the Qingming Heaven realm, just a single glance from you will make even an Earth Immortal demon's liver and gallbladder rupture, making them kneel on the ground and obediently offer their necks for execution!"

Chen Ping'an withdrew his gaze and smiled. "Then I'll take your auspicious words."

According to Senior Li Er, the human body has six hundred and thirty-nine muscles, each of which can be considered a mountain range, a great mountain, or a small hill. Tempering martial fortune is like 'opening mountains' which can solidify the foundation of a pure martial artist's entire body. The amount of martial fortune determines the number of mountains opened. If there is no bestowed martial fortune, it's not a problem. When martial artists fight to the death, determining life or death, or when they spar to decide victory or defeat, they can all temper these mountains. The foundation of a martial artist's fist technique lies solely in the technique itself. They must not crave martial fortune. If they lose their martial fortune, the sky won't fall. And even if the sky does fall, they must still practice their fist techniques and throw their punches.

Chen Ping'an asked, "What insider information do you know about martial fortune?"

Frostfall shook its head. "I only cultivate the Dao. I don't know much about martial arts..."

Chen Ping'an suddenly said, "One Small Summer coin."

Frostfall's spirits immediately lifted. "There's something to say! There's something to say!"

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an said, "Never mind."

Frostfall fell flat on its back, kicking its hands and feet wildly, rolling around.

Chen Ping'an asked, "Besides the Sewing Woman helping to temper martial fortune, is there any other method that produces immediate results?"

If a martial artist can break through at their strongest, it is naturally a great honor, equivalent to being acknowledged by the martial path of an entire world. However, this kind of breakthrough is only compared among martial artists of the same realm in the same era. Cao Ci, who breaks through every realm at their strongest, carries great weight and gains a lot of martial fortune. Yu Juanfu is far inferior. When Chen Ping'an was in the Ghost Valley of Beiju Luxu Prefecture years ago, he met a strange person at Baoshan Mountain who called himself Yang Chongxuan. It was only later that Chen Ping'an learned his identity: he was a member of the Yang Clan of the Cloud Sky Palace, the brother of that scholar. He had also entered the Golden Body Realm at the peak strength of the Sixth Realm.

Thinking about it this way, Chen Ping'an found it quite interesting. Cao Ci, Yu Juanfu, and Yang Chongxuan—the three pure martial artists he had met had each been the world's strongest Sixth Realm for a period of time.

Frostfall sat up and said listlessly, "There isn't any. The Sewing Woman's work is very precise. I do have some methods of tempering, but unfortunately, using them would do more harm than good. I am very fair in my business dealings. I would never talk nonsense or be blinded by greed for money."

Chen Ping'an nodded. "You don't have to beat around the bush to scold someone."

Frostfall jumped up, raised one hand above its head, and said, "Heaven have mercy! Hidden Official Ancestor, if you wrong me like this, do you believe I will slap myself to death right now to prove my innocence?"

Chen Ping'an raised one of his own palms, indicating it should go ahead.

Just as Frostfall was about to speak, it spotted a little brat. It flicked its wide sleeve and casually pulled him over. It glared at him angrily. "You little bastard, how dare you covet my Hidden Official Ancestor's majestic back view? You're not even a pretty young girl!"

It was the youth You Yu. The Old Deaf Man would probably return to the prison. This time, the Old Deaf Man went to fight at the city wall, so he didn't take the youth, who bore the title of 'master,' with him.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled. "You Yu, if you're not busy cultivating, sit and chat for a bit."

The White-Haired Boy immediately helped the youth brush the dust off his sleeves and said, "You Yu, what are you standing there for? Go and sit next to the Hidden Official Ancestor. What an honor! If it were the Old Deaf Man, he would be on his knees right now, crying and kowtowing in thanks."

You Yu sat near Chen Ping'an. The youth was a bit shy and wasn't good with words, so he simply kept quiet.

Besides, there was a White-Haired Boy with the young Hidden Official. Deaf Old Man had said this guy was a Flying Ascension realm Extra-Terrestrial Demon. When you meet him, just be casual, even fighting and killing is fine, because you can't guard against him anyway.

If Deaf Old Man had said that, how could the youth still be casual?

Chen Ping'an asked about You Yu's affairs. The youth answered every question. Where he was from, who his teacher was, what his lifebound flying sword was like, how he hadn't been able to kill any demons in the previous great battle, only doing small tasks for the clothing workshops and sword workshops on the city wall. There was nothing to hide anyway. The other party was the Hidden Official. You Yu didn't think about hiding anything. Besides, the story of this legendary foreign Hidden Official was too numerous. The younger the listeners, the more they liked talking about him. You Yu had a friend. The friend had a beloved childhood sweetheart. She always liked to ask her friend, 'If I were in the Haoran World, would you go through untold hardships to find me?' The first time she asked, he just replied, 'But you're not in the Haoran World.' She ignored him for days afterward. Later, the friend learned to be smarter, but his answer never satisfied her. Finally, the friend complained to You Yu in private, 'I'm not the Hidden Official. How can I compare to him?'

Chatting more, You Yu realized that the Hidden Official was actually quite approachable. When they talked, no matter who was speaking, the young Hidden Official listened very seriously. His gaze never wandered, and he was never absent-minded or perfunctory.

Frostfall felt that his excellence was redundant, so he silently got up and sat on the other side of the Hidden Official Ancestor.

Without the White-Haired Boy sitting in the middle, You Yu became even more relaxed and told the story of his friend's embarrassment.

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but laugh. "You Yu, next time you see your friend, tell him that he only needs to say one sentence to his beloved girl: 'Don't be separated in two different heavens. How could I bear to let that happen? Just thinking about it makes my heart ache. But if, by any chance, we are separated, you must wait for me. Wait for me.'"

You Yu whispered, "Will that work?"

Chen Ping'an tucked his hands into his sleeves, smiled broadly, and nodded lightly.

You Yu nodded firmly. He thought it was feasible.

Frostfall leaned forward and kept poking two fingers together, signaling the kid to get lost and not delay the Hidden Official Ancestor's cultivation.

As a result, Chen Ping'an punched him in the face without even turning his head.

The youth suppressed a smile, got up, and left.

Chen Ping'an stood up and bid farewell to the youth.

Chen Ping'an walked down the steps and returned to the bottom of the prison. Frostfall began walking in front again, muttering along the way, "Hidden Official Ancestor, watch your step."

Chen Ping'an asked, "Do you think I should break through into the Cave Abode Realm here? Or would it be better to wait until I'm outside?"

Frostfall said, "This matter is actually entirely up to you."

Chen Ping'an's Longevity Bridge had already been reconstructed. He could enter the Middle Five Realms at any time, anywhere.

If Chen Ping'an, as a pure martial artist, tempers the martial fortune in his body, it is an act of 'opening mountains.' Then crossing the major threshold of cultivation into the Cave Abode Realm is an act of 'opening a palace.'

It doesn't matter whether he becomes a Middle Five Realms Immortal inside the prison world or after he leaves.

Opening a palace in the Cave Abode Realm cannot be compared to entering the Far Travel Realm. Especially on the Sword Qi Great Wall, it's like throwing a small pebble into a lake. No one would notice.

But if Chen Ping'an hadn't become a sword cultivator, he would never have dared to open a palace and enter the Cave Abode Realm. The reason is simple: on the Sword Qi Great Wall, the Sword Qi is too heavy!

For Qi Refiners who are not sword cultivators, the suppression of the Great Dao is everywhere. It only makes them feel overwhelmed.

Therefore, the stories of foreign Lower Five Realms Qi Refiners who are not sword cultivators going to the city wall and causing trouble are too numerous to count. If they slip up once, they can even lose their lives.

They need their attendants and guest elders to guide them constantly. They are seen as 'babies who haven't been weaned' in the eyes of the native sword cultivators.

Therefore, the Haoran world's poor impression of the Sword Qi Great Wall is not solely due to the prejudice of the Haoran world's Qi Refiners.

The more young those proud children from immortal noble families are, the more accustomed they are to the flattery they receive at home. The moment they arrive at the Sword Qi Great Wall, even without any verbal conflict, the cold or disdainful looks from the Sword Immortals and Sword Cultivators are enough to give them a hard time. They will surely remember it for life.

The Sword Qi Great Wall's xenophobia, from the heaven and earth's Sword Qi to the Sword Dao Fortune condensed from the wills of ancient Sword Immortals, is extremely unfriendly to the Haoran world. As for the Sword Cultivators' view of the Haoran world, it's even worse.

The Hidden Official Xiao Xun, the Sword Immortals Luoshan and Zhu An, who were in power in the Hidden Official lineage, Zhang Lu, the sword-carrying man who guarded the gate, and the young geniuses like Pang Yuanji and Qi Shou—none of them harbors any goodwill towards the Haoran world. It's not just a matter of having a positive or negative impression. Sword Immortals like Sun Juyuan are extremely rare. In the end, when they encountered the group of young sword seedlings from the Zhongtu Shaoyuan Dynasty led by the Sword Immortal Ku Xia, their impression quickly turned extremely negative.

Among Chen Ping'an's disciples and students, Pei Qian was someone you couldn't reason with. At the Sword Qi Great Wall, she felt like a fish in water.

Cui Dongshan was at such a high realm that he simply didn't care.

The one who actually had the hardest time adapting was Cao Qinglang, who had become a Qi Refiner. But during those years at the Sword Qi Great Wall, the youth never made others feel he was uncomfortable after walking through the gate.

Therefore, Chen Ping'an always felt that he was unparalleled in three things, even more talented than he was as a Bundle Peddler!

Finding a wife.

Naming things.

Taking disciples.

Chen Ping'an suddenly asked again, "If I enter the Cave Abode Realm, will my two lifebound flying swords gain more killing power? Especially the 'Caged Sparrow's small heaven and earth? Will it take a huge step up?"

Frostfall's expression turned awkward again.

To be honest, in the eyes of a Flying Ascension cultivator, this kind of realm improvement is completely negligible.

As for the 'Caged Sparrow's small heaven and earth, it has some relation to Chen Ping'an's actual realm, but very little.

Furthermore, Chen Ping'an's enemies, besides the five Upper Five Realms great demons including Yun Qing and Qing Qiu, were all Nascent Soul sword cultivating demons. Whether he became a Middle Five Realms cultivator or not was equally insignificant.

But since the Hidden Official Ancestor cared so much about that bit of 'improvement,' Frostfall's mind raced, trying to think of some touching words to redeem itself. "Of course it will be even bigger! The one realm difference between the Fifth Realm and the Cave Abode Realm is certainly not ordinary. Furthermore, the Hidden Official Ancestor's two lifebound flying swords are unprecedented and will never be surpassed. They support each other, balancing offense and defense..."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll break through here. You help me pay attention to the traces and find the 'Heir Apparent Land' for my ten Qi Palaces. If you find five or fewer, including five, it's worth half a Small Summer coin. If you find more than five, it's worth one Small Summer coin. If you find ten but only tell me about six, that's fine too. But if you can't find even one, don't blame me for being a tough business partner."

Frostfall pounded its chest with a sound like thunder. "If I can't find even one, I will have no face to see the Hidden Official Ancestor. I will present my head to you myself!"

Frostfall suddenly warned, "Hidden Official Ancestor, you are so extraordinarily talented, so remember not to break through too fast. Don't break two realms in a row and directly enter the Sea-Viewing Realm! Otherwise, I will have made a wasted trip!"

Once Chen Ping'an made his decision, he immediately stopped walking and began to close his eyes, calming his mind.

His mind sank, his thoughts stirred slightly. The Longevity Bridge rose. He walked onto the arched bridge, crossed it gently.

In the small heaven and earth of the human body, more than three hundred cave heavens and blessed lands all opened simultaneously. Spiritual energy poured in like a flood.

Not only that, Chen Ping'an's mind returned to the Longevity Bridge. He looked up, focusing even more intently, paying attention to what Frostfall called the 'initial opening of heaven and earth.'

Sure enough, if the Extra-Terrestrial Demon hadn't warned him in advance, no matter how cautious Chen Ping'an was, he would never have been able to find that clue.

In a daze, he could faintly see a line opening in the sky. From then on, heaven and earth were separated. The sun, moon, and stars, the great earth and mountains began to stand in opposition, high and low.

But Chen Ping'an was a little puzzled. Logically, the sun and moon hung in the sky, far away from the earth. But in his own small heaven and earth of the human body, the distance between heaven and earth seemed not to be very great.

Or was this the case for all Qi Refiners?

Not only that, the stars on the celestial dome rotated like pieces of broken mirror. All sorts of people and events flashed past.

It seemed that if Chen Ping'an raised his hand a little, he could touch them, could pursue past events and old acquaintances.

But Chen Ping'an suppressed the thoughts in his heart. He just stood there, firmly restraining himself, absolutely not reaching out.

He tried his best to keep a single spark of spiritual light, silently telling himself that the things of the past and the people who had walked away, no matter how much he missed them, could never be retrieved after all.

The loyal White-Haired Boy, when it came to the great business of earning money, dared not be negligent. The Extra-Terrestrial Demon, wearing a dharma robe with green snakes coiled in its ears, narrowed its eyes and carefully watched the subtle movements of the flood of spiritual energy crashing against the gates of the many Qi Palaces.

The phenomena dissipated.

Chen Ping'an withdrew his mind.

The result was that he saw the Extra-Terrestrial Demon standing in front of him, holding its head in its hands.

Chen Ping'an could do nothing but start walking.

Frostfall put its head back on its neck and laughed heartily. "Hidden Official Ancestor, six! Six! One Small Summer coin!"

Frostfall mentally communicated the names of the six Qi Palaces.

Chen Ping'an knew there were definitely more than six, but he didn't care at all. The selection of the 'Heir Apparent Lands' and opening of palaces was only to lay the groundwork for the Sea-Viewing Realm after entering the Cave Abode Realm. It wouldn't be a big problem if there were none. Having them was naturally best. So this Small Summer coin had to be given to Frostfall.

Now came the real duty of the Hidden Official: to kill all the demons in the prison.

Regardless of the method, he had to kill the Upper Five Realms great demons, and it would be best to challenge the five Nascent Soul sword cultivating demons.

Only then could the 'sewing work' be perfected, allowing him to bear all the predetermined true names of the great demons.

Chen Ping'an was not interested in whether the Punishment Official stayed or left. The Great Sword Immortal would handle it himself. Besides, Chen Ping'an, the Hidden Official, was not qualified to order the Punishment Official, who held an equivalent rank.

The only thing he was slightly interested in was the Washing-Sand Girl, who had transformed from the Guyu Coin. How was she making money? Would her lifebound abilities be different from Fellow Daoist Longming, who was temporarily staying by his side?

Passing by a prison cage holding a Nascent Soul sword cultivating demon—the one from whom Frostfall had stolen a unique technique using its powers—the demon showed itself again and asked, "Are you annoying or what? Why don't you just ascend to the Upper Five Realms directly? What are you parading back and forth in front of me? If you have the guts, take down this fence right now. Do you believe I can't kill you with one sword strike?"

Chen Ping'an smiled. "Care to make a bet? Wagering your lifebound flying sword? Let's make a vow right now. You stand to gain, but I'm betting my entire life against half of yours. If I were you, with even a shred of heroic spirit, I would definitely take the bet."

Having just entered the Cave Abode Realm, his aura was not yet stable, and his spiritual energy was surging, flowing between the two heavens. So it was very normal for a Nascent Soul cultivator to see through him at a glance.

The Nascent Soul sword cultivator glanced at the White-Haired Boy beside him, cursed, "Your grandfather," and retreated back into the fog.

Chen Ping'an said, "It won't make a move."

The Nascent Soul cultivator immediately returned. "Really?"

Chen Ping'an nodded. "We can hammer out the details of the vow. Once both sides agree, then we'll bet."

That Nascent Soul sword cultivator was actually interested. Since he was going to die sooner or later anyway, dying sooner or dying later, he would die by this young man's hand. Might as well have some fun and get some advantage.

Frostfall tried its best to keep a straight face, but its eyes darted left and right. It resolutely remained silent.

Chen Ping'an began to settle on the details with this senior Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator regarding "whether or not I will kill you with one sword strike," trying to make sure the betting table was stable and fair.

Result: just when the Nascent Soul demon felt it could go ahead with the bet, it glanced at the White-Haired Boy, who had been completely silent the whole time, and suddenly changed its mind, retreating back into the fog again.

Chen Ping'an was caught off guard.

For a Qi Refiner to break a vow would indeed damage the foundation of the soul, with serious consequences. But who was the founding patriarch of the Fallen Mountain Patriarch Hall? The demon didn't know about Chen Ping'an's Literary Lineage. So, as long as Chen Ping'an had the Extra-Terrestrial Demon guarding his heart lake, he had many tricks up his sleeve. To have Chen Ping'an swear a vow in accordance with the Barbaric Wild Heaven realms mountain pact was something he would have welcomed with open arms. Chen Ping'an felt that on his side, there wasn't a single flaw in the tone of his words, the subtle changes in his expression, or the content of the vow. So the problem could only be with the Extra-Terrestrial Demon. It was usually too jumpy, but today it was too well-behaved. Dammit, couldn't you at least pull off some true-and-false diversionary tactics? How can you call yourself an Extra-Terrestrial Demon?

Frostfall clutched its head and wailed, "Hidden Official Ancestor! This really isn't my fault!"

Chen Ping'an sneered. "If I were an Extra-Terrestrial Demon, I could crush you effortlessly."

Frostfall said aggrievedly, "Even an Extra-Terrestrial Demon's methods depend on the depth of the cultivator's Dao heart when they were alive. I was just too simple and honest when I was alive!"

Chen Ping'an sighed, not too concerned about the gain or loss of a lifebound flying sword. His Sword-Nurturing Gourd was still too few, anyway.

It was just a small bet for fun. Whether it succeeded or not didn't matter much. Besides, the greatest benefit came from a successful sword challenge itself.

Nianxin was still sitting in her original spot, unpicking that dharma robe, tirelessly, with particular focus.

If you didn't look below her head, Senior Nianxin actually looked just like any ordinary woman.

Chen Ping'an didn't disturb her. He walked to the rest pavilion.

He sat cross-legged, hands folded over his abdomen, slowly breathing in and out. He stabilized the phenomena within his small heaven and earth, gradually solidifying his realm.

At the same time, he let his mind wander. There would be no more major decisions from the Summer Retreat Palace. All the established deployments, outlines, and details were in place. The sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage just needed to follow the plan. Even if there were unexpected incidents, Sword Immortal Chou Miao would handle them correctly. Chou Miao was someone Chen Ping'an could completely trust.

The retreat path for those young children and adolescent sword cultivators had also been arranged long ago.

They would need the foreign Sword Immortals themselves to be willing to accept disciples. They also had to consider the temperaments of both master and disciple, the local customs and practices of the continent where the Sword Immortal resided, the friendly and hostile forces of their clan and faction, and clarify the family background and personal temperament of those sword seedling, as well as whether they held innate hostility towards the Haoran world.

Naturally, this process was fraught with concerns.

As for those foreign Sword Immortals who would return to the Haoran world—leaving aside the seniors who were originally field cultivators—if it was a prominent immortal clan, whether it was the Patriarch, a Grand Elder, a guest elder, or a patron, as long as one was a Sword Immortal, they could always protect one or two direct disciples. A sect was a protective talisman, but when conflicts arose within the sect between the sect and those children, the master Sword Immortal would serve as another protective talisman. Only a Sword Immortal had enough confidence to confront any sect master, to argue for what was right for their own disciples.

But if it were a Nascent Soul sword cultivator like Deng Liang, even though he was already a top-tier figure in the Nine Continents of the Haoran world, Chen Ping'an still wouldn't feel at ease. There were many reasons. For example, Deng Liang needed to break through a major boundary himself. Moreover, Deng Liang was young and needed to cultivate diligently himself. He was also heavily relied upon by his sect. Furthermore, being young meant he had shallow experience and wouldn't have many connections in the mountain world. There was another hidden peril: within the sect, someone like Deng Liang would naturally attract jealousy. All sorts of schemes would chip away at him. That disciple from the Sword Qi Great Wall would be the perfect target.

When Deng Liang was in power, these things wouldn't be apparent. If he encountered a slight setback, they wouldn't necessarily target Deng Liang himself, but it would be very easy to take it out on his disciple.

To do something, to form good connections and also reap good fruits—it's not that simple.

Any ill-considered assumption from the Summer Retreat Palace would affect the Great Dao of a pair of sword-cultivating master and disciple.

For every child who goes to the Haoran world to cultivate and practice swordsmanship, the word 'Sword Qi Great Wall' from their hometown will be two obstacles: one in the eyes of the foreigners, and one in the heart-lake of the sword cultivator themselves.

Besides all this, there was the matter that the Great Sword Immortal had been planning for a long time: 'Lifting the City to Ascend.'

This was also the top priority for the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage right now. They had to go to various key points to watch for any unexpected events.

Chen Ping'an opened his eyes and gently exhaled a mouthful of turbid qi.

What he could do, it seemed, he had done.

What he couldn't do, no matter how much he thought about it, was useless. But it was hard not to think about it.

So Chen Ping'an, who was used to calming his mind by practicing the Six-Step Stake Form and the Sword Furnace Stake Form, began to practice the 'pottery-throwing' technique in the rest pavilion.

Frostfall sat on the steps. The Hidden Official Ancestor was very busy, which made him feel even more lazy.

Now, he actually had a doubt: Did Chen Ping'an already know his true background?

---

Mi Yu set off for the Sword Qi Great Wall. A flying sword message from the Summer Retreat Palace reached the Spring Canopy Studio, ordering him to go to the Mirage and hold it down for a while. Mi Yu's heart was heavy. The secret letter didn't have the Hidden Official's stamp. That was normal; the Hidden Official had been gone for a long time. The Summer Retreat Palace had been handed over to Chou Miao. But why wasn't Chou Miao the one giving orders now, but Dong Bude and Xu Ning?

Wei Wenlong followed Sword Immortal Mi nervously.

Because Wei Wenlong had never been to the Sword Qi Great Wall. Mi Yu had brought this Golden Core cultivator, who had spent his whole life at the Inverted Suspension Mountain, along. Wei Wenlong initially refused several times. His main concern was that the Sword Qi Great Wall was currently on high alert. Anyone who dared to cross the line would have a bad ending. He wasn't a true sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage after all. He was worried that he would end up embarrassing Sword Immortal Mi. Letting an outsider into the Mirage now would be against the rules and could easily cause trouble.

After crossing the gate, Wei Wenlong felt a slight suffocation. His breathing was extremely uncomfortable. Operating his lifebound objects would be at least two or three percent more sluggish than at the Inverted Suspension Mountain.

Wei Wenlong was slightly shocked. If he were to confront a Golden Core sword cultivator, wouldn't he die in at most one sword strike?

Mi Yu said, "It wasn't this suppressing for a Golden Core cultivator before."

Naturally, it was because of the intense fighting, the chaotic aura of heaven and earth, and the increasingly fine and shattered Sword Qi and Sword Intent. It was like a city full of catkins flying in the wind, making pedestrians miserable.

This city had long activated its mountain and river formation, enveloped by a massive Sword Qi.

Besides this, the clothing workshops, sword workshops, and pill workshops were in a similar state.

Because often, great demons would uproot mountains and hurl them at the Sword Qi Great Wall from above. Some 'stragglers' would fly over the city wall and smash into the city's mountain and river formation. They were mostly shattered by the sword immortals. Rubble would tumble down. The private residences of sword immortals outside the formation, which were not protected, were in ruins everywhere, broken and shattered.

The entire Sword Qi Great Wall began to 'close its mountain gates.' This was the third time in history.

It was easy to get out, but climbing in was as hard as reaching the heavens.

Goods transported from the Inverted Suspension Mountain ferry into the Sword Qi Great Wall had to pass through checkpoints one after another, each guarded by groups of sword cultivators.

It was only after entering the Sword Qi Great Wall that Wei Wenlong realized the power of the word "Hidden Official."

Mi Yu simply said that Wei Wenlong was a guest of the Hidden Official. It was just a verbal statement, difficult to prove, yet they passed through every checkpoint without any hindrance.

Back in the account room of the Spring Canopy Studio, Chen Ping'an was the one who made Wei Wenlong feel the most at ease. Now, in a different place, with Chen Ping'an not around, Wei Wenlong finally began to truly connect Chen Ping'an with the Hidden Official.

The Mirage was a layered structure, occupying a large area and was extremely tall. It was a cluster of buildings, with over three thousand large and small rooms, which were once shops and private residences of the shopkeepers.

On the Mirage, a boy and a girl were leaning against the railing, looking out.

Wei Wenlong looked up and met the gaze of the girl.

Wei Wenlong felt it was strange. Why did he feel that seeing that girl high up was like reading an account book, very endearing?

Du Shanyin smiled softly. "Miss Jiqing, is the man beside Sword Immortal Mi someone with fortune?"

The bright-eyed and white-toothed Washing-Sand Maid was radiant. She nodded at this moment. "Reporting to the young master, this man does indeed carry fortune."

"Miss Jiqing, can the art of Qi observation be taught to others?"

"This is the lifebound ability of my sister Longming and me. It cannot be taught, so it cannot be learned. Please forgive me, young master."

Du Shanyin felt a bit regretful. Money can make the gods work, can make ghosts push the mill. These principles are too simplistic.

But thinking about his own future path of cultivation, the sky would be high and the earth wide. He was no longer confined to the Sword Qi Great Wall, so his mind also opened up.

Mi Yu told Wei Wenlong to look around freely. He himself rode his flying sword to the highest point of the Mirage. There, he saw a White-Robed Sword Immortal hovering on a sword, raising a cup to drink. His entire body was shrouded in cloud and mist, his true features hidden.

The flying sword message from the Summer Retreat Palace mentioned the identity of this Sword Immortal: the Punishment Official.

In the history of the Sword Qi Great Wall, there had been three ancient offices. Among them, the Hidden Official was hereditary, but it wasn't passed down within a single family or clan; it was passed down through the master-disciple line. This continued uninterrupted until Xiao Xun betrayed him and Chen Ping'an succeeded, breaking the rule. Otherwise, when Xiao Xun stepped down from the position, his disciple Pang Yuanji would have had the greatest hope.

There were also the Punishment Official and the Sacrificial Official. The Sacrificial Official's lineage had long been severed. The successive holders of the Punishment Official position were all Great Sword Immortals.

The current Punishment Official had retreated from the scene long ago. He still held the position, but no one saw him. Over time, he had lost his voice in the Sword Qi Great Wall. Many rumors circulated. Some said he had gone into hiding in the Barbaric Wild Heaven realm. Others said he had quietly left the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Mi Yu bowed. "Sword cultivator Mi Yu pays respects to the Punishment Official."

The Punishment Official nodded in acknowledgment but did not speak. He just held his cup and drank.

Mi Yu asked, "Has the Punishment Official encountered the Hidden Official?"

The Punishment Official said, "I have."

Mi Yu asked, "Has the Hidden Official already entered the Far Travel Realm?"

The Punishment Official