Chapter 693: Another Golden Elixir Guest in the Human World
In the Fifth World, a celestial canopy tore open, and two young Daoists walked out. One wore a lotus crown, the other was clad in a celestial cavern robe, with a far-roaming cap on his head and cloud shoes on his feet. They looked about the same age. The former, nominally serving as protector for the latter, was in truth simply too lazy to go to the Outer Heavens and slay the outland heavenly demons.
Daoists of the Green Obscurity World were required to adhere strictly to ceremonial attire, without the slightest presumption. However, the far-roaming cap on the head and the cloud shoes on the feet were exceptions—regardless of Dao lineage, sect, or origin, anyone who had obtained a Daoist registry could wear this cap and these shoes. It was said that the Dao Ancestor himself had issued a decree, encouraging cultivators to roam far and wide, cultivate the Dao and establish virtue, uniting all in purity and stillness.
After the canopy opened, the young Daoist with the lotus crown began to seal the great gate behind him, tracing talismans in the air with his fingers.
Besides the White Jade Capital, dozens of great immortal sects including the Profound Capital Observatory and the Year-End Palace had a certain number of slots, allowing them to enter this brand-new world for training and cultivation, and from there spread their branches in this foreign world, taking the establishment of subordinate sects as their responsibility.
This time, the Confucians had single-handedly opened up the Fifth World. In principle, the Literary Temple should have monopolized this place. For other worlds, at most they could advance slowly. However, the Central Earth Literary Temple had permitted both the Green Obscurity World and the Lotus World to each open a gate here. Cultivators below the Upper Five Realms, within a hundred years, could enter this place one after another after obtaining permission from their respective worlds. But the total number could not exceed three thousand. Once the number was full, the gates would close immediately. After a hundred years, the gate restrictions would be opened again, and what the situation would be then would require another round of careful negotiation among the Literary Temple, the White Jade Capital, and the Buddhist Kingdom.
A small Daoist child walked out from the gate, looking around. Around his waist was tied a five-colored rattle-drum, and on his back was slanted a huge golden gourd.
The young Daoist wearing the far-roaming cap made a Daoist salute to the little child, but the latter waved his hand, speaking in a venerable tone, "Not of the same lineage. Your master and my master are sworn enemies, currently arguing in the Lotus Cavern Heaven. If we two get along well, that won't do. Later, if we become mortal foes and need to fight to the death, it would be awkward instead."
The Daoist drawing talismans with his fingers smiled and said, "We're not in the White Jade Capital anyway. The three of us can speak freely, and we can ask any questions we like."
The little Daoist child asked, "Why did the Literary Temple voluntarily allow cultivators from other worlds to enter this place, six thousand of them, to compete for qi fortune? If the Confucian sages keep a tight watch, even if you of the White Jade Capital can use some underhanded means to smuggle in favored individuals, the numbers are ultimately limited, and you wouldn't dare to brazenly expand your territory. As time passes, the cultivators of the Grand Peace World should have already gained a preliminary foothold here, seizing the advantages of time, place, and people. How can the other two worlds compete with the Grand Peace World for those blessed caves and paradises suitable for cultivation?"
The three were Lu Chen, the Third Teaching Master of the White Jade Capital; his junior apprentice brother, whose secular name was Tian Shanqing, but who had another name in the White Jade Capital registry, and when away from home, used the Dao name Shanqing—this "Shanqing" was the Dao Ancestor's final disciple; and finally, a fire-tending boy from the East Sea Contemplation Daoist Temple. The Lotus Flower Blessed Land, which was "connected to heaven and earth" with the Lotus Cavern Heaven, had been split into four parts. The old Daoist of the East Sea took only one, one was given to the Fallen Mountain, and the other two were given to Lu Tai, specifically to annoy Lu Chen. One was given to that "young Daoist of Taiping Mountain" disguised as a yao. Finally, he took the entire blessed land and "ascended" to the Green Obscurity World, personally asking the Dao for the Dao Ancestor.
Lu Chen countered, "The Grand Peace World has the Hundred Schools of Philosophers. Do other places have that?"
The little Daoist child said, "Is the Ultimate Sage Master reading himself stupid, going a bit senile? Or is he just lazy, unable to manage everything himself, so he simply lets outsiders help?"
Lu Chen smiled slowly, "Scholars emphasize self-cultivation, family regulation, state governance, and world peace. They don't think of becoming emperors themselves and enjoying life. A poor family, when hungry, goes fishing—just to fill their stomachs. An ordinary family, if they have a large vat to raise fish, the knowledge is only in feeding the bait, tending to each one, observing their birth, aging, sickness, and death, finding joy in their leisurely life, and worry in their death. For a wealthy family, if they have a few acres of ponds, the real concern is no longer in feeding matters, but only in instructing servants not to forget to buy fish and release them. Their own pleasure lies only in appreciating fish and fishing. When you have a great lake, where does the pleasure lie? It's just letting things take their natural course, occasionally throwing a big bait and catching a huge one. The real worry lies in the river changing course, the droughts and floods. The Literary Temple of the Grand Peace World is different in that it doesn't mind outsiders cutting bamboo as fishing rods and fishing by the water."
The little Daoist child frowned, "Can you say it more simply?"
Lu Chen smiled, "Can the sky be lower? Can the ground be higher? Can people not cultivate the Dao and still avoid death?"
The little Daoist child didn't want to talk nonsense with this Third Teaching Master anymore. He hopped a couple of times and complained, "I heard the Old Scholar is here as a laborer. Why hasn't he come to greet me yet?"
Lu Chen smiled, "If the Old Scholar really comes, I'll have to hide from him."
The little Daoist child said, "The Old Scholar is just merged with the way of heaven and earth. His means of fighting and killing aren't impressive."
Shanqing said, "The Little Senior Brother, of course, has nothing to fear. But in the future, when three thousand Daoists come here to cultivate, they will stumble at every step."
The little Daoist child agreed wholeheartedly, nodding vigorously: "The Old Scholar's biggest problem is that he holds grudges. 'The superior man is cautious when alone'—he's never had that! The Old Scholar took a step up the ladder; he never held the title of Worthy or Superior Man."
Back in the day, on the sea between the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Vase Continent, the little fire-tending boy stood still and took a beating, extending his palm. The Old Scholar, using the reason that "if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam is twisted," used a tree branch as a ruler and gave him a thorough spanking.
Lu Chen stabilized the gate and turned to look. In this world, for ten thousand years, the heavens and earth moved without anyone pushing, the sun and moon shone without anyone lighting them, the stars were arrayed without anyone arranging them.
What would happen in the future was hard to say.
Lu Chen suddenly smiled, "Truly 'Bai Ye's poetry is unmatched, the world's most smug.'"
Even suppressed by the Dao, Lu Chen's current "descended realm" of Flying Ascension was ultimately not something an ordinary Flying Ascension could match. Moreover, in the far distance, that scholar wielding an immortal sword, the momentum of his sword strike was too astonishing. Lu Chen could still see some clues. Watching from afar was fine; getting closer would easily create trouble. After all, Bai Ye had the Old Scholar by his side, and Lu Chen had a life-and-death enmity with the Old Scholar's proud disciple. The Great Senior Brother and Qi Jingchun were in a dispute over the Dao, but the most thankless task fell to him, this junior apprentice brother. There was no helping it—among the Five Cities and Twelve Towers of the White Jade Capital, he was usually the most idle. The Second Senior Brother had too bad a temper, so when critical moments came, the dirty work had to be done by him, Lu Chen, the little junior. Fortunately, now the little junior also had a junior, and Lu Chen hoped that the young man in the far-roaming cap beside him would grow up quickly, so he wouldn't have to busy himself so much in the future.
The little Daoist child glanced at Lu Chen and said, "No wonder you're so well-behaved. Are you worried about being suppressed by the Dao here and then being chopped down by that man's sword?"
Lu Chen smiled, "So the mountain man has his own cunning plan."
An old Daoist walked out from the gate, and the little Daoist child hurriedly hid behind Shanqing. This Old Daoist Sun was truly not to be trifled with.
Currently, in the Green Obscurity World, it was Dao Number Two's turn to sit in the White Jade Capital. The heavy task of opening the gate this time was given to Lu Chen and Sun Huaizhong, the Observatory Master of the Profound Capital Observatory. Lu Chen's relationship with Old Observatory Master wasn't good, nor was it bad—it was passable. Otherwise, if Old Daoist Sun and Lu Chen's senior brother got together, the safety of this brand-new world would be precarious. Then add that scholar who couldn't be dissuaded, who would fly into a rage, setting aside the friendship with the Profound Capital Observatory for the time being. With the Old Scholar fanning the flames, Bai Ye would probably take his sword straight to the Green Obscurity World. No matter how much of this new world's mountains and rivers Dao Number Two and Daoist Sun smashed, the Green Obscurity World would have to pay it all back.
Old Daoist Sun had just crossed the gate when he raised an eyebrow and said, "Eh? How long has it been? The first Jade Realm cultivator has already been born? What kind of talent must it be to accomplish such a feat? Extraordinary, extraordinary. To have such fortune and favor at the dawn of heaven and earth, to be favored by this world—truly, one can testify to the Dao on the path of the Dao."
It wasn't that any bottleneck cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage, any sure-fire Upper Fifth Realm seedling in their respective homelands, could still ascend to the Upper Fifth Realm upon arriving in this world. Every qi refiner who came to this world would be suppressed by it. Most could only slowly align with the flow of the Dao over time, hoping to break through.
Daoist Sun turned to look at the young Daoist in the far-roaming cap and asked with a grin, "Being beaten to the punch—how does it feel?"
Shanqing first respectfully made a Daoist salute to the old Daoist, then said, "This humble one dares not contend with the heavenly mandate of the Dao."
Daoist Sun laughed, "Opportunities lost are lost forever. You can say light and easy words now, but later you'll know what it means to be one step slow in every step. Even in ancient times, this was so. Do you really think that now they don't care about who comes first?"
The little Daoist child nodded, "By becoming the first Jade Realm cultivator as a sword cultivator, all sword cultivators are slightly blessed. The rise of the Sword Qi Great Wall is even more unstoppable."
Daoist Sun glanced sideways at the little brat, "What nonsense are you talking?"
The little Daoist child, embarrassed and angry, said, "Even the blind and the stupid know that the world's first Jade Realm cultivator is protected by the Heavenly Dao. Is that nonsense? If you can say nonsense, why can't I?"
Daoist Sun instantly appeared beside the little Daoist child, reaching out to press the latter's head, giving the reason: "This poor Daoist is high in realm, so the nonsense I speak is all dharma decrees and true words."
The little Daoist child, unable to dodge that palm, felt a mountain pressing down on his head, his mind dizzy, his soul agitated. Fortunately, Daoist Sun flung his head, and the little Daoist child staggered a few steps. Daoist Sun laughed, "For your master's sake, daring to debate with the Dao Ancestor, I won't hold it against you for secretly cutting peach branches."
Lu Chen looked toward the city and said, "In all directions, meticulous geomancy. Later, sword cultivators will follow the rules, placing suppressants in lofty mountains, great marshes, rivers, and lakes to imprint the landscape. In this way, isn't the expansion speed a bit too fast? Not to mention the future, in just a hundred years, they will become the greatest force in this world. The only limitation is that the city's population can't keep up. But when the three great gates of the Grand Peace World open and countless cultivators of the Lower Five Realms and common folk flood in, if this batch of young sword cultivators plays their cards right... tsk tsk, the future of sword cultivators is limitless."
But of course, Lu Chen knew that the sword cultivators, except for a slightly better impression of the South Bodhi Continent, had a decidedly poor view of the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Supporting Rock Continent. Therefore, that city would probably be quite unwilling to accept too many people from those three continents of the Grand Peace World.
This was probably what they meant by "the wheel of fortune turns, every shot has its counterpart." But if the young sword cultivators held grudges too much and, within a hundred years, acted only on impulse, heavily suppressing the cultivators and commoners of the three continents, then the Heavenly Time would also shift unpredictably and quietly depart.
Daoist Sun sneered, "This was the Literary Temple's intention from the start—to give the Sword Qi Great Wall some justice. What can you, Lu Chen, do about it? If you're not convinced, go argue with the Old Scholar? This poor Daoist will accompany you, and I guarantee Bai Ye won't draw his sword. How about it?"
Lu Chen smiled, "No thanks."
Far, far from this Heavenly Gate.
The scholar asked, "What are you muttering about?"
The Old Scholar said, "Be kind to others, and don't mess with them."
---
Inside the city, four schools were being established. In the Sword Qi Great Wall, which had existed for ten thousand years, this was an unprecedented novelty.
The teachers and masters were some older sword cultivators of lower realms. Those dozen or so instructors were all selected from the Hidden Official lineage. Their main task was to teach the children the basic doctrines of Confucianism, Legalism, and the School of Mo, in a simple and easy-to-understand manner. As for how the children first learned to read and write, there were stone tablets in the city's streets and alleys, all collected by the Summer Palace. In addition, there were several iron rules for the instructors: for example, they were not allowed to freely discuss the good and evil of the Grand Peace World or their personal likes and dislikes, nor were they allowed to teach the students too much about the grievances between the Sword Qi Great Wall and the Grand Peace World.
The teachers only taught. As for these instructors, outside the schools, at dining tables and wine tables, they could speak freely.
The Punishment Official lineage of sword cultivators had some objections, believing that the selection of teachers to transmit the Dao, impart skills, and resolve doubts should not be monopolized by the Hidden Official lineage. Even if the Hidden Official lineage took the lead, the Punishment Official lineage should assist and not be entirely excluded. They made a fuss about this, to the point that the first time the Ancestral Hall convened to discuss affairs, it was to argue over this trivial matter.
Most of the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage were out surveying the terrain. After receiving flying sword messages, only Guo Zhujiu and Gu Jianlong returned to the city.
The Punishment Official lineage had a dozen or so earth immortal sword cultivators, but neither Qi Shou nor Nian Xin, the first and second leaders of the Punishment Official lineage, showed up. Qi Shou was outside the city, personally overseeing the construction of the first mountain stronghold. As for Nian Xin, aside from occasionally teaching boxing to those martial arts seedlings at the Former Cold Evasion Palace, she was always drifting, making it clear she had no interest in the Punishment Official authority. In this way, the Punishment Official lineage, with the most members and the highest combat power, was subtly divided into three factions: Qi Shou's Punishment Official camp, which essentially gathered half of the Sword Qi Great Wall's combat power; two old Nascent Soul sword cultivators who led the rest, mostly elderly people who didn't get along with Qi Shou; and finally, Nian Xin, along with the twelve seemingly insignificant children. The second-in-command of the Punishment Official lineage had become a ridiculous king of children.
However, in the current city, cultivation would later diverge into three paths: sword cultivators, then qi refiners as a secondary option, and finally, pure martial artists as a tertiary option.
In fact, the latest breakthrough of every sword cultivator or pure martial artist was an unspoken major event. For the former, it was a bit better. Apart from Ning Yao's advancement to the Jade Realm, after all, there were sword cultivators of various realms, and as the "first" breakthrough of a certain realm's bottleneck in this world, the qi fortune was ultimately limited. But the martial artist path held great opportunities! Because the martial arts seedling Jiang Yun from the Former Cold Evasion Palace was at most at the third realm. This meant that each subsequent realm would be the first in this world, equivalent to raising the martial arts of the Fifth World by one realm for each higher realm. Although this world might not have the martial qi endowment of other worlds, it was as if they had fist intent in their bodies, blessed by spirits, favored by this world. As for what specific fortune martial arts breakthroughs in this world would bring, whether martial qi would descend, it would all depend on which of the twelve children broke through first. Especially the great threshold of the seventh realm—who would first enter the Golden Body realm and whether there would be any heavenly phenomena—was particularly worth looking forward to.
Now, inside and outside the city, everyone was full of vitality. Even the old cultivators with decaying physiques and stagnant realms felt like withered trees meeting spring, thinking only of living a few more years and doing a few more things for the young and the children.
Today, in the Ancestral Hall meeting, Gu Jianlong, who had returned to the city travel-worn, said a lot of fair words.
Guo Zhujiu rested his walking stick horizontally on his knees, a bit tired, dozing off, nodding like a chick pecking at rice.
The Punishment Official lineage and the Hidden Official lineage were in a quarrel, with a huge disparity in numbers but a relatively equal situation. Gao Yehu was actually just an outsider looking on with folded arms. Now, as a young Nascent Soul cultivator, he held great power in charge of the finance treasury. The sword workshop, clothing workshop, and pill workshop had been merged into one and assigned to Gao Yehu. Under him were a bunch of accountants with mediocre cultivation aptitudes. Even if a sword cultivator was selected, it was considered a lowly drudgery that they were reluctant to take on. But Gao Yehu, holding financial power, never said no to the Punishment Official lineage's requests for funds to expand territory.
In short, Gao Yehu managed all the immortal money and assets, but he was easily looked down upon by sword cultivators.
Gu Jianlong only spoke fair words, debating the crowd without falling behind.
Guo Zhujiu groggily opened her eyes, rubbed her face, looked at Gu Jianlong who was still chatting cheerfully, held her walking stick with both hands, and asked softly, "Not done arguing yet?"
Gu Jianlong turned his head and said, "Not yet. Plenty to argue. Xuan Shen was right: in his homeland's immortal sects, whether you win or lose an argument in the Ancestral Hall depends on who has more saliva and a louder voice."
Guo Zhujiu crossed her arms and frowned, "The matter of schools and teachers was our Hidden Official lineage's idea. Then even a fool knows whose idea it was originally. What, with my master and master's wife not around, are you planning a rebellion?"
Gu Jianlong had spoken a basketful of fair words earlier, but he didn't dare say this sentence.
For a moment, the atmosphere in the Ancestral Hall was extremely strange.
A young Golden Core sword cultivator from the Punishment Official lineage couldn't help but speak up, "Guo Zhujiu, don't escalate this. It's just a trivial matter."
Gu Jianlong warned her through mental voice, "Green Duan, talk less about your master. Have you forgotten what the Hidden Official said? Once you leave the Summer Palace, the more you talk about him, the more annoying the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage will become."
At this point, Gu Jianlong sighed inwardly. Back then, he didn't know what "leaving the Summer Palace" meant. Now he realized it was actually about being in two different worlds.
Guo Zhujiu nodded, looking at the Punishment Official sword cultivators opposite, "Then since you have more people, you have the final say."
This left the Punishment Official sword cultivators exchanging glances, feeling very uncomfortable.
Guo Zhujiu said, "But you can't stop the children from reading that book..."
Gao Yehu finally spoke his first sentence: "It's already been banned. If I remember correctly, one of the Punishment Official lineage's reasons was that the customs of the Grand Peace World would dirty the eyes. Anyone who dares sell that book will be expelled from the city."
That book was full of stories about mountains and rivers, compiled into a volume, linking travelogues and experiences through small tales. Hidden within the stories were various customs and practices of the Grand Peace World: mountain spirits and goblins, gods of mountains and rivers, civil and martial temple city god pavilions, literary pavilions, setting off firecrackers and pasting spring couplets for the New Year, the twenty-four solar terms, the Kitchen God, officialdom knowledge, jianghu rules, wedding etiquette, scholars' notes, poetry exchanges, terrestrial and aquatic rituals, grand cosmic ceremonies... in short, the vast world was full of wonders, all written in the book.
This was something the young Hidden Official, "having nothing to do" in the Summer Palace in his early years, had compiled. He had Lin Junbi, Deng Liang, and all the other foreign sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage dictate, and the Hidden Official himself recorded and compiled it. So the book, totaling over four hundred thousand characters, was signed by the Summer Palace.
Guo Zhujiu still maintained roughly the same meaning, "You Punishment Official lineage has more people. You have the final say."
Gu Jianlong was quietly getting angry and was about to stop speaking fair words.
But Guo Zhujiu had already stood up, holding her walking stick, and said to Gu Jianlong, "Let's go."
Gu Jianlong stood up and stuck his thumb out at the row of chairs opposite.
Because the Hidden Official lineage was small, and those from Gao Yehu's accounting office who had the right to attend the Ancestral Hall were even fewer, the two sides sat side by side, apparently confronting the Punishment Official sword cultivators, standing as equals.
Outside the Ancestral Hall, in the square, a dazzling sword light arrived in an instant. Ning Yao, who had been traveling tens of thousands of miles on her sword, landed and sheathed it.
In her hand, she carried a bizarre head with dried bloodstains. It was like a human but not, with pale golden blood. Even as just a head, it exuded a rich, ancient, wild atmosphere.
Ning Yao casually threw it on the ground.
Inside the Ancestral Hall, everyone stood up.
Guo Zhujiu wrinkled her face, looking a bit aggrieved.
Ning Yao was startled. She walked next to the girl, touched Guo Zhujiu's head, but looked at Gu Jianlong and asked, "What's wrong?"
Gu Jianlong subconsciously stepped back, but without time to think, feeling extremely frustrated, he said in a deep voice, "The Punishment Official lineage has objections to the matters of schools and books."
Ning Yao nodded. Standing at the threshold, only one step away from entering the Ancestral Hall, she said, "Those with objections, sit down again. I'll reason with you. Those without objections, get out of the Ancestral Hall."
Inside the Ancestral Hall, it was finally empty.
The Punishment Official sword cultivators mostly walked out with lowered heads and sideways steps.
Ning Yao stepped into the Ancestral Hall, sat in the Hidden Official seat, and began to rest with her eyes closed, "Flying sword message to Qi Shou."
A moment later, Qi Shou arrived on his flying sword.
Ning Yao struck him down with a single sword blow.
Qi Shou gave a wry smile. He didn't even go to the Ancestral Hall. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, left the city on his sword, and continued supervising the construction of that mountain stronghold.
The injury wasn't severe, but it wasn't light either.
Guo Zhujiu and Gu Jianlong sat on the steps outside the Ancestral Hall. For some reason, Guo Zhujiu didn't feel very happy.
Gu Jianlong also had a heavy heart. The Hidden Official had said that the world is complex, people's minds are unsettled, and in chaotic times, there's no room for much thought—only survival matters. But in peaceful times, two situations were more likely to arise: satiety leads to lust, or a full granary leads to knowledge of propriety. Perhaps Qi Shou had deliberately taken this sword today. Since his swordsmanship was destined not to surpass Ning Yao's, he would play the pitiful role to win people's hearts. As for realm, he could slowly grind it out. The gap between Qi Shou and Ning Yao in the sword path could be compensated by the expansion of the Punishment Official lineage's power.
As for why Ning Yao hadn't directly become the leader of the Punishment Official lineage, Gu Jianlong and the other Hidden Official sword cultivators couldn't figure it out. Perhaps Old Great Sword Immortal and the Hidden Official had some far-reaching plan—that was the only explanation.
But the Punishment Official lineage wouldn't have it too easy either. Because after losing that "Sword Qi Great Wall," fewer and fewer of the children born in the city would become sword cultivators. Instead, more and more would turn to other techniques and pure martial arts. And from the very first day the new Punishment Official lineage was born, there was an iron rule that could not be violated: only sword cultivators could serve as Punishment Official members. In contrast, the Hidden Official lineage had no such restriction. The only problem at present was that Nian Xin's identity was too shrouded in mist, and her stance was ambiguous. If she chose to join hands with Qi Shou, the Hidden Official lineage would have a bit of a headache. The number of qi refiners and martial artists in the city surpassing sword cultivators was a general trend. If Nian Xin's branch of Punishment Officials always worked together with Qi Shou, it was possible that the situation inside and outside the city would gradually develop: the Hidden Official lineage vying for qi refiners, and the Punishment Official lineage monopolizing all martial artists...
Gu Jianlong had, after all, spent many years in the Summer Palace. Having mingled for a long time with little bastards like Lin Junbi and Cao Gun, who were on very good terms, he could foresee these hidden dangers early.
Ning Yao stood on the steps and laughed, "You don't need to worry. I will pull two realms ahead of all sword cultivators. After that..."
The implication was that before Qi Shou or Gao Yehu reached the Jade Realm, she, Ning Yao, would become the world's first Immortal realm—sword cultivator!
Guo Zhujiu jumped up, hopping with joy, and continued, "Then Master should come to see Master's Wife!"
Ning Yao said to Guo Zhujiu, "During this trip, I have some insights and experiences. I'll speak, and you, Green Duan, write. Later, have it printed in the name of the Hidden Official lineage and distributed."
Guo Zhujiu pounded the ground with her walking stick, "Order received!"
Gu Jianlong acted as the laborer, picking up the bizarre head that Ning Yao had casually tossed on the ground.
Ning Yao took Guo Zhujiu on her sword and flew to the Ning Manor.
Before the Sword Qi Great Wall, there was him; after it, there was him. So from now on, Ning Yao would have no restraints when wielding her sword.
Ning Yao glanced at the celestial canopy but said nothing.
Who would seek whom—it wasn't certain.
---
On Reed Flower Island.
The Throne great demon Qie Yun said helplessly, "Little Junior, you could have gone to the Sword Qi Great Wall for cultivation, but you chose to come here and take this broken-down place as your residence? Isn't it a bit too shabby? Wouldn't it be better to find a sect's ruins on Parasol Leaf Continent?"
Qie Yun's little junior was none other than the first of Mount Tuo's Hundred Sword Immortals, who styled himself a swordsman: Fei Ran.
On the battlefield of old, South Shouchen and North Hidden Official, with Fei Ran, they were two of a kind.
Fei Ran and Qie Yun were currently inside the Creation Cave on Reed Flower Island. The great demon that had lurked there for many years had unfortunately been killed by Zuo You passing by on his way, taking a sword strike.
Fei Ran said, "I took a heavy wound from Wei Jin's sword on the battlefield earlier. I'll stay here and recuperate peacefully."
After looking at the Creation Cave, they left together and came to the peak of Reed Flower Island's high mountain. Since this place had been taken over by Fei Ran, all the people of Reed Flower Island were spared. Of course, those who sought their own death were dealt with one by one by Qie Yun, and Fei Ran didn't stop him. But compared to the Rain Dragon Sect, the small Reed Flower Island was in a much better situation. At the Rain Dragon Sect, those killed by Qie Yun and Xiao Xun were taken under the command of the Bone-dry great demon Bai Ying. As for the female cultivators whose faces were peeled off by Qie Yun, they were refined alive by the great demon Yang Zhi into Throne handmaidens.
Fei Ran looked eastward and asked with a smile, "Senior, after Blue Flower and Wine Dimple, have you thought of new names?"
Qie Yun nodded, "Lu Chen is a good name, but not suitable for now. I'll wait until we get near the Central Earth Sacred Continent."
Naming it Blue Flower meant personally seeing the Sword Qi Great Wall shatter like a piece of blue and white porcelain.
After breaching the Sword Qi Great Wall, he would rename it Wine Dimple, naturally because this Grand Peace World was full of fine wine and beautiful women.
The South Bodhi Continent, guarded by Chen Chun'an, and the southwest Supporting Rock Continent had been in chaos earlier. As for the direction they were now looking toward, that was the southeast Parasol Leaf Continent.
The Jade Pendant Sect and Parasol Leaf Sect echoed each other north-south, and the Fu Ji Sect and Taiping Mountain echoed each other east-west. Currently, they were all engaged in large-scale construction, hurriedly building a massive great formation.
Fei Ran asked, "The Confucian Literary Temple gave so much authority to the world, yet now finds itself in this awkward situation. Isn't that like lifting a rock to drop it on its own feet?"
Qie Yun said, "Why bother with that? Anyway, after the Grand Peace World changes owners, aside from a very small number of peak experts, life up the mountain and down the mountain will not be so comfortable."
Fei Ran shifted his gaze toward the South Bodhi Continent and said, "Poor Chen Chun'an."
Whether Chen Chun'an personally sat in the South Bodhi Continent was the difference between heaven and earth.
Qie Yun nodded and smiled, "We won't attack the South Bodhi Continent first. Instead, we'll attack the Parasol Leaf Continent and the Supporting Rock Continent separately. Chen Chun'an will soon be caught in a dilemma: whether to guard his continent for its safety, or to come out and die to preserve his reputation as a scholar, thus losing the South Bodhi Continent. Just watch the show. Chen Chun'an can ignore the gossip of the Central Earth scholars, but all the cultivators related to the Parasol Leaf and Supporting Rock continents—the kind ones will secretly grieve, and those who are human but don't act like humans will curse this pure Confucian Chen family."
Fei Ran said, "The only major disadvantage, speaking only of time and place, not of people, is that the Barbaric Wild World trying to come ashore is everywhere like the Sword Qi Great Wall."
The Upper Fifth Realm cultivators occupying the mountain peaks, especially the Three Teachings sages, plus the military strategists, academy Daoist temples, and Buddhist monasteries, along with the battlefield ruins—wherever they were, they were all small heavens.
And outside of these, there was another silent, great heaven protecting them.
On the South Bodhi Continent, Supporting Rock Continent, and Parasol Leaf Continent, all the accompanying sacrificial sages guarding the celestial canopy had already descended into the human world.
Unlike the three sages of the Sword Qi Great Wall, they were more straightforward, without exception choosing to sacrifice their lives, protecting one continent's mountains and rivers.
Not only that, several celestial canopy sages from the Golden Armor Continent had also rushed to the South Bodhi Continent and Supporting Rock Continent, falling in the human world. Only the two accompanying sacrificial sages of the Vase Continent's Literary Temple remained still.
Qie Yun sneered, "Little Junior, don't insult the Sword Qi Great Wall."
Fei Ran smiled, "True."
Qie Yun said, "Bai Ying, Yang Zhi, Fei Fei, Huang Luan—these four were restrained on the Sword Qi Great Wall, but once they reach the Grand Peace World, they are the easiest to accumulate battle merits. Unfortunately for Huang Luan, his luck is too poor; otherwise, he is skilled at breaking formations and could easily pile up merits."
Yang Zhi and Fei Fei were both Throne great demons who had proven the water Dao. The vast sea, besides helping to open the way, was also suitable for impacting the qi fortune of a continent's mountains and rivers. Huang Luan could help "open doors." After each great battle slaughter, it would be Bai Ying's turn to display his divine powers. But that white ape was one step short; he failed to completely kill Zhong Kui, the Superior Man of the Great Inscription Academy, which was a bit of trouble.
Also, the Green Water Pit had vanished into thin air, which was quite an unexpected event.
But the problem wasn't big. That Parasol Leaf Continent couldn't hold out for long.
Fei Ran said softly, "Sword Qi Great Wall Chen Ping'an, Parasol Leaf Continent Zuo You, Vase Continent Cui Chan."
Qie Yun smiled, "Anyway, they all have to die."
---
At the cliff of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Li Zhen came beside that gray long-robed figure. The closest group of sword cultivators were Liu Bai, Yu Si, and Jin Tan, all of the Jia Shen Tents' sword immortal seedlings. Only Zhu Qie was not on the city wall practicing his sword; he had followed his master to the Grand Peace World. It was said that that big-bearded man was going to take a sword strike at Chen Chun'an of the South Bodhi Continent.
Li Zhen asked with a smile, "Senior Dragon Lord, why don't you cross this city wall? There are quite a few opponents in the Grand Peace World worthy of your sword, aren't there? For example, Chen Chun'an, or Xun Yuan of the Parasol Leaf Continent."
Dragon Lord said hoarsely, "I would die."
Dragon Lord continued, "So you sword immortal seedlings should hurry up and break through your realms, grab a share of sword qi fortune. For every bit you take, the opposite city wall loses a bit of support. When I grow impatient, all sword cultivators who haven't broken through or grasped a shred of sword intent will have to take a sword from me. Spread the word."
Li Zhen shuddered. Taking a sword from Dragon Lord—it wouldn't be his turn. What Li Zhen found terrifying was whether that dead Chen Qingdu still had a hidden hand?
Li Zhen looked far into the distance, frowning. Based on that person?
If so, then why didn't Dragon Lord fight back when he took a sword strike at him earlier?
Li Zhen's mind raced, and he asked curiously, "Senior, why are you telling me this?"
Dragon Lord said, "You don't consider yourself Guanzhao, but I consider you as Guanzhao."
Li Zhen smiled, "That kind of talk, only Senior Dragon Lord can say it. I wouldn't dare get angry."
Earlier, on Li Zhen's suggestion, the Jia Zi Tent had ordered that all yao were not to approach the other half of the Sword Qi Great Wall, absolutely not giving that person the chance to temper his physique. Not only that, that person could only watch helplessly as the yao race's torrent at the foot of the Barbaric Wild World rushed by. If he looked, it would trouble him; if he didn't look, it would be as if he was the only one between heaven and earth. Didn't he like to show off? Since ancient times, sages and heroes have all been lonely. Let Chen Ping'an have his fill of it.
Li Zhen walked to the edge of the cliff, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted, "Hidden Official, want to chat?"
Dragon Lord said, "Stop shouting. In the past three days, he has formed his golden core, shattered it, and formed it again. Right now, he's about to prepare for Nascent Soul. He has no time for you. After he breaks into the Nascent Soul realm, I suggest you don't come wandering around here anymore."
Li Zhen was stunned for a long time. A month ago, when Li Zhen came here to relax after sword practice, that guy had just stabilized his soul, finally looking a bit more normal after being neither human nor ghost. That same day, he broke into the Contemplating Sea realm. Now he was heading straight for Nascent Soul? Was eating like this, bowl after bowl? And what was this about forming, shattering, and reforming his golden core?!
At the high cliff opposite, that extremely eye-catching bright red robe appeared without warning in Li Zhen's sight. The other leaned on a long sword, smiled, and said, "A son advising his grandson not to send himself to death—have you asked your ancestors if they agree?"
Li Zhen shook his head regretfully, "I won't be able to visit the Hidden Official often from now on."
Chen Ping'an smiled, "No problem. When I accidentally break into the Jade Realm one day, I'll go see you."