Chapter 699: The Number One Person in the World

Chapter 699: The Number One Person in the World

The three thousand Daoists of the Azure Bright Heaven entered the Fifth Heaven in an orderly fashion, with the White Jade Capital occupying the largest share, over a thousand people. In addition, the Black Observatory, the Year-End Palace, the Immortal Staff Sect, the Soldier Dissolution Mountain, and others were all first-class major sects, with two to three hundred Daoists each. The next tier of immortal families had decreasing numbers. But regardless of their sect, most were orthodox Daoist officials of the Azure Bright Heaven, as the Daoist registry system was universal throughout the world.

There were also three thousand Buddhist disciples.

And a flood of refugees crazily pouring into the Fifth Heaven, numbering nearly ten million in the two years since the gates opened.

Below the Nascent Soul stage, people from all walks of life—mountain cultivators, worldly mortals, a mixed bag—had experienced great sorrow and great joy after surviving a calamity, displaying all facets of humanity.

They came from the Southeast Parasol Leaf Continent and the Southwest Soaring Shake Continent, but the numbers between the two were extremely disproportionate. Soaring Shake was merely a migration from the eastern coastal areas, while Parasol Leaf was a continent-wide exodus.

A great sword immortal was responsible for opening two gates each.

Those who opened the gates with swords: the old sword immortal of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Qi Tingji.

And the lineage of Literary Sage, Zuo You.

These two sword immortals, in addition to opening the gates, also had to guard them from being broken by great demons.

The three thousand Daoists were roughly positioned in the east. The White Jade Capital Daoists had already joined forces to create a vast sea of purple clouds, radiating purple qi, sending down rain and dew to moisten the earth.

The sea of clouds was uneven. All mountain peaks that rose above it were coveted by the White Jade Capital and other Daoists.

Some peaks were not far from the ground, some were tall but still couldn't surpass the sea of clouds, depending on their spiritual qi and fortune.

The White Jade Capital Daoists, according to the broadly similar instructions from their respective sects (the Five Cities and Twelve Towers), tried to select five adjacent peaks, inscribe the True Form Diagram of the Five Sacred Mountains, and use treasures to suppress the peaks and gather spiritual qi. Whenever the Five Sacred Mountains were formed, it was the embryo of a great dynasty or a vassal state. Besides this, there was another subtle use: the vast heaven and earth spiritual qi would be "detained" near the mountain peaks, and within the Five Sacred Mountains' territory, many hidden heavenly materials and earthly treasures would often reveal their precious light and anomalies. Once the White Jade Capital Daoists followed the clues, they could immediately collect them, somewhat like draining the pond to catch fish, but in fact, it didn't damage the spiritual qi at all—instead, it condensed scattered qi into currents of fortune, entwining the Five Sacred Mountains, or driving them into great rivers and lakes to stabilize them, as future sites for mountain and river spirits' mansions.

But the sword immortal lineage of the Black Observatory most infuriated the White Jade Capital Daoists. They only occupied a few peaks with acceptable spiritual qi and then began to specifically sabotage, doing things that clearly harmed others without benefiting themselves. Each time, only after the White Jade Capital had painstakingly inscribed four of the Five Sacred Mountains diagrams would the Black Observatory Daoists secretly draw a sword immortal guide map of their own temple. If even one of the Five Sacred Mountains diagrams was missing, the whole thing was ruined. Then they'd have to select a new mountain elsewhere—how difficult was that? Moreover, the loss was immeasurable.

Because of the Black Observatory sword immortal lineage's deranged actions, the Year-End Palace and several other top immortal sects had unexpected gains. They quickly formed contracts, roughly delineated their territories, and minimized unnecessary conflicts, all to get ahead of the White Jade Capital and snatch up as many feng shui treasures with the potential for grotto-heavens and blessed lands as possible.

In short, the three thousand Daoists each had their own long-term plans, with conflicts of varying sizes breaking out constantly.

The three thousand monks were located in the west.

The refugees from Soaring Shake Continent flooded north.

The exiled refugees from Parasol Leaf Continent were in the south.

The city occupied by the Sword Qi Great Wall sword cultivators was in the center.

Ning Yao went east alone on her sword. From afar, she saw the purple sea of clouds thick with Dao intent. After a moment's thought, she headed south directly.

Mountains and waters were distant, the world was desolate.

But inside her storage artifact, there were two more strange skulls.

Yet the killings were far more than two instances.

This, of course, meant that the currently unnamed Fifth Heaven was extremely dangerous.

At the Heavenly Gate, Lu Shen extended a finger to rub his lips, smiling slyly. "Senior Sun, isn't this a bit too harmful to goodwill? If I go back to the White Jade Capital, it'll be hard to explain to my senior brother. Shouldn't we just let it go? You know my senior brother's temper—when he gets angry, he likes to act without restraint. If he goes to the Black Observatory, I won't be able to stop him."

Little Junior Brother Shan Qing stood beside him, looking grave.

The little Daoist boy carrying the "Douliang" sword-nurturing gourd diagonally across his back looked gloating, hoping Lu Shen and Sun Daoist would scratch each other's faces.

Sun Daoist said guiltily, "These grand-disciples of mine, none of them follow the patriarch's decrees. They're like wild horses let loose. Young people have hot tempers and no sense of proportion. What can I do? If I break the rules to go and mediate, I'd be a peacemaker?"

The little Daoist boy, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, felt that this Sun Daoist was really good at talking nonsense with his eyes wide open. He'd have to learn that skill. In the future, when he met that old scholar, no one knew who would be cursing whom.

Sun Daoist laughed again, "But Daoist Lu needs to coordinate with the Confucian sages first. I can't break the rule of not leaving a hundred zhang from the gate—it was established by Ritual Sage himself when he dealt with both sides. I have great respect for Ritual Sage. You're different, Daoist Lu. You're bold, and you have such a good master as your great backing. But I'm unlucky—the founding patriarch of the Black Observatory left long ago, and I'm the strongest here. If I really lose a fight, who would I cry to?"

Lu Shen said helplessly, "Little Daoist doesn't get along well with Ritual Sage. Would Senior Sun be unaware?"

Sun Daoist laughed heartily, "Getting old, easy to forget things."

The little Daoist boy was full of admiration.

Shan Qing frowned deeply.

If the Black Observatory kept interfering like this, one move would affect the whole situation. One step slow, every step slow. His second senior brother's plan to collect five hundred spirit officers through the Fifth Heaven might be delayed by hundreds of years.

Lu Shen raised his hand to stroke his lotus-shaped Daoist crown, smiling as he comforted this cute little junior brother who had his feet on the ground but his heart worried about the heavens. "Every outcome, big or small, is the manifestation of ten thousand great Daos. Let nature take its course, just observe from the sidelines."

Lu Shen really didn't care about the conflicts between the White Jade Capital Daoists and the Black Observatory sword immortal lineage, but he had to say something about certain things. Later, when he returned to the White Jade Capital or the Lotus Flower Small Grotto-Heaven, he could gloss things over with his senior brother and master. But in the eyes of his little junior brother, the matter was right in front of him, and it was his own business—not bad, but certainly not good.

Lu Shen hopped twice, straining to look south. "Little smelly ox-nose, you should get on with your business. I can hand over that iron ring and the Sword-Nurturing Gourd to the Confucian sage for you."

The little Daoist boy flew into a rage. "Chief Lu, watch your tone with Little Daoist!"

This fire-tending little Daoist boy from the Guan Dao Temple had been relatively respectful around Lu Shen.

He himself wasn't afraid of Lu Shen at all, but before his master left for the Azure Bright Heaven, he had given him three instructions. One of them was not to make an enemy of Lu Shen.

Another was to take out one of the Lotus Flower Blessed Lands and place it somewhere in the Fifth Heaven, in a place where no one had yet set foot.

On Parasol Leaf Continent, there was a grand Suppression Tower, an ancient parasol tree called the Demon-Suppressing Tower, similar in meaning to the Suppressing White Ze. It was just a superficial gesture by scholars.

The old temple master hadn't touched the foundation of the Demon-Suppressing Tower, but without that iron ring belonging to the old Daoist as a hub for the grand formation, it was meaningless. So this could be an opportunity for some merit trade. With the Douliang Sword-Nurturing Gourd added, that made two trades. According to the little Daoist boy's guess, if his master accidentally debated with the Dao Ancestor and lost, at least he could rely on these two merits to ask Ritual Sage to plead for him, allowing master and disciple to return to the Grand Boundless Heaven without staying in the Azure Bright Heaven and kowtowing to others. As for what his master actually planned and what he would ultimately do, the little Daoist boy didn't care. He was used to living alone with his master.

And calling the fire-tending Daoist boy "little ox-nose" was an insult—cursing him and his aged master together. As a disciple, he couldn't stand that!

Lu Shen said, "Little ox-nose, the old temple master worked hard to accumulate some good karma for you, but you've almost used it all. Ease up."

The little Daoist boy asked doubtfully, "What do you mean?"

The fire-tending Daoist boy always considered himself the temple master's chief disciple, but the old Daoist never treated the little fellow as a true heir. That was another of life's frustrations.

Lu Shen smiled, "The Lotus Flower Blessed Land was split into four. Giving the Parasol Leaf Umbrella to Chen Ping'an was a calculation of Chen Ping'an's heart-path. He would definitely be uneasy and would have to build a thatched hut there to cultivate, observe Dao through human hearts, and then encounter countless right-wrong, true-false, trivial dilemmas. Things like goose feathers piling up into a mountain—moving them would be much harder than moving an equal weight of rocks. In the end, Chen Ping'an would discover that cultivation was only about taking care of this one original heart. From big to small, from complex to simple, from myriad to one. At that point, Chen Ping'an would still be Chen Ping'an, yet not Chen Ping'an, because he would have become a fellow traveler with the old temple master, moving a bit away from the Confucian path. Now, you carry one of the Lotus Flower Blessed Lands with you. That's the old temple master reminding me to be patient with you and give way."

The little Daoist boy nodded, suddenly understanding. "Makes some sense."

Sun Daoist laughed, "One dares to talk nonsense, the other dares to pretend to understand. You two are a perfect match."

Lu Shen didn't mind.

The little Daoist boy reached his right hand into his left sleeve, where there was a parasol leaf.

It was exactly one of the Lotus Flower Blessed Lands. Split into four, one part was taken by the old scholar's closed-door disciple. A young Daoist had been thrown into the blessed land by the temple master, lost his memory, and then met a young scholar from the capital of Nanyuan Kingdom during his travels in the North Jin Kingdom. The boy had a little white ape with him at the time.

Lu Tai occupied one.

Song Lai Kingdom's Yu Zhenyi was the first true cultivator in the history of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land. His blessed land was now taken by the temple master to the Lotus Flower Small Grotto-Heaven. That Yu Zhenyi, who received the great prophecy from the Dao Ancestor that "dwelling in the mortal world for a thousand years, always with the countenance of a child," was certainly blessed with great fortune. Even the little Daoist boy was a bit envious.

The little Daoist boy hesitated for a long time, then took out an iron ring from his sleeve and handed it to Lu Shen, who was not quite proper in his actions, words, speech, and cultivation.

This Lu Shen was a native of the Grand Boundless Heaven, the foremost "heretic and rebel." He had even cursed the Supreme Sage in his own book through allegory.

The little Daoist boy had a good relationship with the old scholar, but he was not at all familiar with the Confucian Temple, so he was unwilling to deal with those sages he remembered as rigid and pedantic. Besides, Lu Shen said that this world was not particularly strange, but it was very large. If he traveled alone, he should be careful not to be eaten as food by the strange creatures.

Lu Shen held the iron ring, slightly bent his knees, assumed a martial arts stance of sinking qi to the dantian, then spun around. He stomped one foot, raised the other, leaned forward, and threw the iron ring with force. It turned into a brilliant rainbow light, piercing through the air towards the place where the Confucian sage was stationed at the heavenly canopy.

The little Daoist boy craned his neck and reminded, "Don't throw it crooked, making the Confucian sage search everywhere."

Sun Daoist chuckled, "Shouldn't you be worried about it hitting the Confucian sage on the head, giving him a bump? Scholars care most about face. If the Confucian Temple investigates later, Lu Shen threw the ring, but the ring is yours, so you each share half the blame. Lu Shen can just skip town, but where can you run with that blessed land?"

The little Daoist boy smiled awkwardly, "Surely not, surely not."

He glared at Lu Shen.

Lu Shen nodded, "Steady hand, accurate aim. Where I point, it goes. No possibility of error."

Sun Daoist nodded, "Point and shoot."

The little Daoist boy grew more uncertain. He looked at Lu Shen, who was doing things for him, then at Sun Daoist, who spoke for him, and felt unsure.

Sun Daoist shook his head.

This fire-tending Daoist boy was really a little fool. That iron ring streaking into the distance, millions of miles away—just the residual ripples of qi along its path were enough for Lu Shen to more accurately deduce the mountains, rivers, and all things.

This made Sun Daoist miss that Daoist friend Chen he'd met in North Jambu Continent.

He was someone truly willing to use his brain and think things through. He was also worthy of the old Eastern Sea temple master's long-term scheming.

Thinking back to that year, when they met on the mountain, both sides treated each other with sincerity. They were friends in need, with a close relationship, so they could part amicably.

"Daoist Chen, one should be honest."

"Senior Sun, business must be fair!"

At this moment, Sun Daoist stroked his beard and smiled. This kind of quick-witted young man was quite likable. It was just that the path he walked left no grass behind. Fortunately, at parting, that sincere "Senior Sun, Senior Sun" made up for everything.

Shan Qing, who had been silent, suddenly asked, "Little Senior Brother, I want to travel alone. Is that okay?"

Lu Shen slapped his forehead, smiling bitterly, "We're fellow disciples of the same generation. Why ask such things? Is it that unless you're in the Azure Bright Heaven, you can't leave a hundred zhang?"

Sun Daoist stroked his beard and smiled, "Daoist Lu, congratulations. You've found a good junior brother."

Shan Qing made a Daoist salute to his little senior brother and Sun Daoist, then turned and stepped a hundred zhang away. As he rode the wind, he broke through to the Jade Pu Realm.

Almost simultaneously, a Buddhist son in the west also broke through.

Lu Shen nodded, shook his wrist, "Not bad, not bad. I almost couldn't help myself."

Sun Daoist smiled slightly, "Daoist Lu, why make things hard for yourself? Next time, just tell me. A single slap is a single slap—who does it, it's the same."

The little Daoist boy asked worriedly, "Chief Lu, how did you know I would lend the 'Douliang' gourd to the Confucian Temple later? Master personally used a concealment spell, and you don't know about the Parasol Leaf Continent matter..."

Lu Shen smiled, "In a high position with nothing to do every day, one can only let the mind wander, guessing east and west, thinking north and south."

The little Daoist boy reached back and touched the huge golden gourd on his back.

Lu Shen said, "This Douliang—the old temple master, you, the sages here, the Central Earth Confucian Temple, the Embroidered Tiger of Vase Bottle Continent, Old Man Yang—after a long journey, it will eventually end up in the hands of a girl surnamed Li."

The little Daoist boy frowned, "Another wild guess from Chief Lu?"

He was a bit reluctant to part with it, even though the Douliang would eventually be returned.

Lu Shen smiled, "Have you ever thought about who the seven Sword-Nurturing Gourds originally came from?"

A single vine had borne seven Sword-Nurturing Gourds. Ultimately, it was one thing in the Grand Boundless Heaven.

Seven veins flowed, merging into one.

The Dao Ancestor used this to observe the Dao in his leisure, just as he watched a lotus pond bloom and fall, or a water droplet fall somewhere—the same principle.

The Dao Ancestor's Dao arts were transcendent, but he wouldn't really do anything, and the Confucian Temple naturally had no reason to interrupt these veins rooted in the Grand Boundless Heaven.

The little Daoist boy said, "Of course. And then?"

Sun Daoist smiled, "Playing the lute to a cow, talking to a chicken about ducks."

That was cursing four people at once.

Lu Shen said helplessly, "Senior Sun, I do respect teachers and honor the Dao."

Sun Daoist asked doubtfully, "What? I'm old and confused, my ears aren't too clear either."

Lu Shen let it go with a smile.

Since his master didn't care, he as a disciple shouldn't meddle.

Only the little Daoist boy was left with a head full of mush.

He only knew that the vine planted by the Dao Ancestor himself, after "bearing fruit," produced the seven best Sword-Nurturing Gourds in the world.

The gourd vine at Spring Curtain Studio of the Inverted Mountain, Sword Immortal Shao Yunyan's "uniquely favored by heaven and earth," was far from comparable.

The big golden gourd on the little Daoist boy's back, as one of the seven most precious Sword-Nurturing Gourds in the world, was named "Douliang." It contained countless waters of the Eastern Sea. It was said that the entire surface of the Eastern Sea had dropped several feet. But the temple master didn't let him use it to nurture swords. Instead, he used it to catch dragons and raise dragons. Especially before "ascending" to the Azure Bright Heaven, the old temple master had quietly accomplished a great deed.

When Li Liu and Gu Can met on the Resting Dragon Stone at sea, there was not a single dragon species resting there. This was because the water dragons on both sides of the Parasol Leaf Continent had been almost entirely caught by the old Daoist, and water dragons from other seas had also willingly entered the Douliang. And the Dragon Trench between the Inverted Mountain and the Rain Dragon Sect—tired dragons no longer needed to stop at the Resting Dragon Stone.

When the Confucian sage didn't stop this, the Confucian Temple naturally had its own considerations.

Among the other six priceless Sword-Nurturing Gourds, the one that nurtured the most swords was called "Ox Hair." The name wasn't good, but its rank and power were terrifying. It was also the best at helping its owner curry favor with mountain sword cultivators and sword immortals.

The one that formed natal flying sword embryos fastest was called "Zhongnan Mountain Road." The better the sword cultivator's talent, the more natal flying swords he had. Once he owned this gourd, it was most complementary.

The one that tempered flying swords to be toughest had a strange name—just one word: "Three."

The most sharp and unmatched—a sword cultivator could break ten thousand methods with one sword; the sword in the gourd could break ten thousand swords. It was called "Heart's Desire," meaning exactly that: whatever the heart desires.

The smallest and most subtle flying sword, the fastest to strike, could be refined to be truly formless, ignoring the river of time. "Immediately."

And the one best at nurturing the owner's physique, suitable for holding wine. When a cultivator drank, he was absorbing sword qi, with no hidden dangers. It was called "Fine Wine." It signified the best thing in the mortal world: the finest wine.

In total, seven Sword-Nurturing Gourds. For some reason, all of them were left in the Grand Boundless Heaven.

Little Vase Bottle Continent was incredibly blessed, possessing two. The one from Zheng Yang Mountain, the purple-gold Sword-Nurturing Gourd "Ox Hair," was once given to a female sword cultivator who was the sect's great hope, Su Jia.

It wasn't an heirloom of Zheng Yang Mountain, of course—the mountain lacked such heritage. It was acquired midway.

Snow Wind Temple also had a snow-white Sword-Nurturing Gourd. It was obtained early by Wei Jin, who had reached the fifth realm sword immortal at forty. The little Daoist boy guessed it was the "Fine Wine" gourd.

Additionally, the eldest disciple of the White Emperor City Lord in the Central Earth Divine Continent obtained a "Three." The Liu Family of the Ai Ai Continent, half-buying, half-snatching, got a "Zhongnan Mountain" and had kept it for a long time, never showing it lightly. They had announced it would be one of the betrothal gifts for their legitimate son Liu Youzhou's future marriage.

The great sword immortal of the northern lands of North Jambu Continent, Bai Chang, obtained the "Zhongnan Mountain Road."

But "Heart's Desire" and "Immediately," the two Sword-Nurturing Gourds most suited for sword cultivators' duels and offensive power, had always been missing.

The little Daoist boy wanted to get even, so he grinned and asked, "Chief Lu, would you like to meet a descendant of the Lu clan?"

Lu Shen meeting Lu Tai—that would be interesting to imagine.

Lu Shen smiled, "A child who couldn't even light the Three Pure Ones incense at the Inverted Mountain doesn't need to be seen."

Sun Daoist looked into the distance, clicking his tongue in wonder. That Shan Qing was quite interesting.

He said he was going on a distant journey, but he was heading straight for a mountain newly occupied by the Black Observatory. From the looks of it, he intended to kill all the Black Observatory lineage Daoists below Nascent Soul?

Lu Shen let out an "aiyo," stomping his foot. "That's not proper, not proper. Aren't you afraid Little Senior Brother will be beaten to death by Senior Sun?"

Sun Daoist nodded, "Driving a dog into a dead end—even a dog will jump over the wall."

Since Sun Daoist himself said that, Lu Shen had nothing more to say.

Sun Daoist then snorted, "That's the logic, but is it really that easy to kill? With so many treasures on him, combat power and cultivation increased by one realm—so what? My Black Observatory sword immortal lineage may not be as wealthy as the White Jade Capital's old and young immortals, but when it comes to fighting, we have some skill."

In the west, a young monk broke through almost simultaneously with Shan Qing.

A young, beautiful back-sword female Daoist from the Black Observatory broke through a little later.

But she could wield her sword to face Shan Qing. Though she certainly couldn't win, she could hold him off for a while.

When the Black Observatory cultivators went down the mountain, they were either amiable, allowing others to scold and beat them without fighting back, or they struck directly—and when they did, they fought to the death.

Moreover, the Black Observatory Daoists... most liked to call fellow disciples and friends to join in a group beating.

Thus, the lower fifth realm Daoists of the Black Observatory often had seen great scenes.

Of course, after reaching the upper fifth realm, they shouldn't act so blatantly. According to the founding patriarch, it didn't sound good if word got out.

As for less blatant, private matters—Sun Daoist was often traveling abroad, so he couldn't see or hear them. Naturally, he couldnt control that. He took disciples, disciples took grand-disciples—he only taught Dao techniques and swordsmanship. When they went down the mountain to travel, whether they brought honor or shame to the Black Observatory was up to them.

In fact, Sun Huai Zhong never bothered with small matters.

He had a catchphrase: "This poor Daoist has achieved cultivation, so I am calm."

The old temple master only concerned himself with major matters.

So he also had a catchphrase: "This poor Daoist has practiced the sword diligently in this life—is it to reason with fools?"

Lu Shen, in fact, often performed finger calculations after the two new gates opened in the Fifth Heaven.

Sun Daoist asked, "Do you miss the Grand Boundless Heaven so much?"

Lu Shen smiled slightly, "In the Pearl Bead Grotto-Heaven, I ran a fortune-telling stall for many years. I can't help but feel some attachment."

Sun Daoist shook his sleeves, raised his hand, and made finger calculations like flying. "Eh," he said, "What a coincidence. I didn't expect that Daoist Lu, having traveled far from home for only a few years—much less than I have—would have such deep karmic ties. And I didn't think that we, going our separate ways and never meeting, would still have some karmic intersection. But mine is good karma, while yours is bad fruit. I'm worried for you."

Lu Shen agreed, "It is worrying."

After all, Cao Ci was only at the Mountain Peak Realm now.

Back when he returned to his hometown world and set up a stall in the small town to tell fortunes, he only had a literary sparrow to examine literary fortunes. If he'd also had a martial sparrow, Qi Jingchun's concealment technique wouldn't have worked.

Lu Shen shook his sleeves and stopped his finger calculations.

Sun Daoist was still doing calculations in his sleeve, laughing, "Daoist Lu can't hold out anymore?"

Lu Shen said sarcastically, "Temple Master, stop putting on airs over there."

Sun Daoist laughed heartily, raised his hand, and shook his sleeve. Even just acting, he counted this as a win over Lu Shen. When he returned to the Black Observatory, he'd tell his direct disciples about it, and "instruct" them not to mention such trivial matters to their grand-disciples.

Lu Shen sighed, "This world has opened its gates, and the five worlds are now connected."

Sun Daoist stopped smiling and nodded, "That's the hardest calculation."

They both fell silent.

Plus the fire-tending Daoist boy, who had heard the Dao principles but understood nothing.

Lu Shen said casually, "It's a pity I can't go meet Daoist Shuang Jiang's Dao partner. Quite a regret."

"He's at most half a Dao partner to Daoist Shuang Jiang."

Sun Daoist sighed, "The world is just trapped by love. Daoist Shuang Jiang did the opposite, using it to trap her beloved—both passionate and ruthless. Outsiders can't say right or wrong."

The most famous cultivation giant in the history of the Year-End Palace was the palace master, Wu Shuang Jiang. He almost single-handedly elevated a second-rate sect to the top-tier of the Azure Bright Heaven.

After he secured his foothold, a wave of talented disciples, including the Guardian of the Year, rose to prominence.

Wu Shuang Jiang himself had once been among the top ten in the Azure Bright Heaven. Though his rank wasn't high, being in the top ten of the entire world was still a feat.

This man clearly could break the bottleneck of the Flying Ascension Realm, but he still remained in seclusion.

Because Wu Shuang Jiang hadn't appeared for so long, he dropped out of the top ten hundreds of years ago.

The little Daoist boy was most interested in this kind of inside information. "If that Wu Shuang Jiang fought with all his might, using all his techniques, could he beat you two?"

Lu Shen smiled slightly, "Isn't cultivating the Dao precisely to avoid fighting?"

Sun Daoist nodded and smiled, "It shouldn't be just for fighting."

The little Daoist boy scoffed. What were the White Jade Capital Daoists and the sword immortal lineage doing right now?

Lu Shen stood on tiptoe to observe the flow of fortune in this world, then said without reason, "Number one is beyond doubt?"

Sun Daoist said, "You should be glad it's not Daoist Chen who came here. Otherwise, in the future, a duel of swords or a collision of two worlds is possible."

Lu Shen smiled, "You're wrong. If he came here, he'd only become more and more constrained, and his Dao path would stop."

Sun Daoist stroked his beard and nodded, "That's true."

The little Daoist boy muttered, "Can you two talk about something I understand?"

Lu Shen said, "Difficult."

Sun Daoist said, "Extremely difficult."

In the central region of this world, two Confucian sages were stationed at the heavenly canopy—one from the Ritual Sage lineage's Book of Rites Academy, one from the Second Sage lineage's Riverside Academy. Both were accompanying sages in the Confucian Temple.

One recorded everything he saw and heard, the other watched the east and west gates, preventing upper fifth realm cultivators from sneaking in, and forbidding Nascent Soul cultivators from entering through the north and south gates.

Each sage brought a disciple from their own lineage, both of whom held the title of scholar in their academy or school.

One scholar wore a long sword called "Righteous Qi," a gift from a friend during his earlier travels to the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Because of the sages, these two scholars could sit and observe the mountains and rivers, seeing the whole world. There were many interesting people and events.

For example, among the three thousand Daoists, the leader of a talisman sect, one of the ancestral halls, was a Nascent Soul cultivator named Nan Shan.

His sworn enemy, from the Harvesting Mountain sect, also had a Nascent Soul cultivator, a woman named You Ran.

This pair were not only born in the same year and month, but also at the exact same hour, not a hair's breadth different.

Beyond this, the two scholars also learned many things about the Azure Bright Heaven.

Such things were not recorded in the books of sages.

The Grand Boundless Heaven had ten types of wandering cultivators: the Sewing Clothes Man, the Single Rider of the Southern Sea, etc., defined as heretical paths that everyone should kill.

And the Azure Bright Heaven also had ten types of cultivators who were unwelcome. They weren't treated like cornered rats, but they certainly didn't dare approach the White Jade Capital territory.

They were: the Rice Thieves, the Corpse Dissolving Immortals, the Roll-up Curtain Red Hand, the Porters, the Coffin Bearers, the Patrol Envoys, the Dressing Female Officials, the Ghostwriters, the One-Word Teachers, and the Han Men.

This time, when the three thousand Daoists entered the new world, besides the major sects' quotas, there were hundreds of "mountain and marsh wild cultivators" from the Azure Bright Heaven who, by fortunate circumstances, had obtained a jade pass issued by the White Jade Capital to the world.

And within and around the sword cultivators' city, after Ning Yao reached the Jade Pu Realm, even though she deliberately kept away from the city and traveled alone, the heavenly Dao still slightly suppressed the Sword Qi Great Wall's Nascent Soul sword cultivators, including Qi Shou. Especially Qi Shou, who was the most likely to break through after Ning Yao. Because Ning Yao not only broke through but made rapid progress in the Jade Pu realm, Qi Shou's breakthrough was actually much slower than that of Tian Qing, the Western Buddhist son, and the Black Observatory female Daoist—all these proud sons of heaven.

When a world first opens, many great Daos manifest, with relatively profound and obvious influences. Later, they become increasingly faint and obscure.

But with Qi Shou's outstanding talent and the potential reward of leading the Executioner lineage, he would certainly become part of the second wave of Jade Pu realm cultivators within the first ten years.

The so-called first wave was really just Ning Yao.

Then the second wave would include Shan Qing, the Western Buddhist son, Qi Shou, and others—no more than ten.

After that, cultivators from various sides who reached the upper fifth realm within ninety years comprised the third wave.

The cultivators from Parasol Leaf Continent and Soaring Shake Continent wouldn't be many, because aside from the east and west gates, the two continents entering the Fifth Heaven through the north and south gates would not allow any Nascent Soul cultivators into the new world, except for a handful. And that handful were exceptions only because their sects' merits and their own characters were recognized by the Central Earth Confucian Temple. For example, the female Daoist from Peace Mountain, sword cultivator Huang Ting. She and the others were all sent here by their sects under pressure—their sects were prepared to be annihilated, everyone dead, with only one person left to keep the incense burning for the ancestral hall.

It was now the end of the year of the fifth year of the Jia Chun era.

Before this, there had been a considerable dispute over whether the era name should be Jia Chun or the one suggested by the Confucian Temple. The final selection of Jia Chun was only recently settled. Before that, both names were used simultaneously. The old scholar used one, the Confucian Temple used another, and neither would concede. Of course, according to the old scholar, it was that Bai Ye, who rarely spoke, had finally opened his golden mouth for the first time, saying that he thought Jia Chun was beautiful, with an even more beautiful meaning. "If he held a sword to my neck every day, a worn-out scholar like me would have to obey."

Besides that, there was another dispute about which year was the first year—whether it was when the old scholar and Bai Ye first entered the new world, or when the Sword Qi Great Wall city landed. The definition of the first year was also fiercely debated.

Of course, it was again the old scholar arguing against the entire Confucian Temple.

In the end, the old scholar won both arguments. Regarding the Jia Chun era name, Bai Ye first opened the way with his sword, and later the merit of opening the sky with a sword was too great. In between, the old scholar was not idle, working tirelessly and accomplishing many things, like establishing the mountains and rivers. So the Confucian Temple essentially agreed with the old scholar: "Let's at least give Bai Ye some face." But everyone knew that the scholar hailed as the most accomplished in the world, Bai Ye, would never meddle in the choice of an era name. And holding a sword to the old scholar's neck? It was hard to say who would hold a sword to whose neck.

As for the Jia Chun first year being ultimately set at the moment the city landed, that was another matter of endless dispute. It was after the old scholar left the Fifth Heaven not long ago, triumphantly went to the Confucian Temple, walking with his nose in the air, his large sleeves flying, that he had stolen the ancestral scroll of the World Mountain-Searching Picture from Bai Ze. Actually, at first, the Confucian Temple had hoped that the Jia Chun first year would be set at the moment the old scholar and Bai Ye entered the new world. But the old scholar first gave up all his own merits to buy a share of great Dao fortune protection for that city, and then added the Mountain-Searching Picture, which he again didn't keep for himself but gave to Southern Bodhisattva Continent. Only then did the Confucian Temple have nothing to say.

At that time, the Confucian Temple was closed for discussion. First, the old scholar had a big fight with the Confucian Temple's vice-dean, the Grand Academy's chief libationer, and that group of Central Earth Academy mountain masters.

Later, the Second Sage arrived. Even the Ritual Sage came.

The old scholar directly said that as scholars, they not only had to argue behind closed doors, but also close the study door. Otherwise, he wasn't afraid of disgracing Confucianism, but every one of them was a pillar of civilization, and it would be too shameful, making juniors laugh. So in the end, except for three people, everyone left the Confucian Temple gate and stood obediently in the square outside, waiting for news.

Anyway, in the end, the two vice-deans, three chief libationers, and over a dozen academy mountain masters saw this: the three sages walked out of the Confucian Temple together. Originally, the old scholar and the Second Sage walked on either side of the Ritual Sage. Unexpectedly, the old scholar smoothly slowed his pace, squeezed past the Second Sage, and walked in the middle swaggeringly. Fortunately, the Ritual Sage smiled, and the Second Sage didn't mind. They allowed the old scholar to overstep the rules this once.

But the old scholar was still the old scholar. He didn't regain his Literary Sage identity, his statue wasn't moved back into the Confucian Temple, and he wouldn't accompany the Supreme Sage in offerings.

Finally, everyone dispersed.

Only the old scholar sat on the steps, seemingly chattering to someone about domestic affairs.

The old scholar complained to others but never wore a worried expression.

Moreover, that day, the old scholar complained a lot but showed off even more.

An old man enshrined as the Supreme Sage sat beside the old scholar.

The old man wanted to leave to attend to his affairs, but the old scholar had a firm grip on his sleeve, preventing him from leaving.

The old man had to gently tug his sleeve, indicating that enough was enough.

The old scholar then turned sideways, using both hands to grab the sleeve. "Let's chat a little longer, a little longer! Where have we gotten to? We haven't even gotten to how my closed-door disciple went to the Sword Qi Great Wall to find a wife. Old man, you don't know—this closed-door disciple of mine is the culmination of my lineage's learning. And finding a wife—compared to his master and senior brother, the disciple has surpassed them!"

The old man said helplessly, "Bai Ye's sword strike was considered quite restrained."

—

Within the southernmost gate, Confucianism had set two mountain-river restrictions. Once inside the Fifth Heaven, and after crossing the second boundary, one could only exit, not return.

Ning Yao hovered on her sword a thousand miles away, looking from afar at the gate standing between heaven and earth.

If she split the restriction with her sword, she could cross the gate and go to Parasol Leaf Continent.

But in the end, Ning Yao turned and left.

Finally, she changed her mind again. She sheathed her sword, carried it on her back, and landed on the ground.

She wore the Dharma robe Golden Ale, with a sword immortal's sword on her back.

Ning Yao planned to find a few Parasol Leaf Continent cultivators to ask about the latest situation.

A group of over a dozen people, riding the wind on a long journey, getting further and further from the gate. They were all Dragon Gate and Golden Core stage cultivators.

After the panic of fleeing, having formed alliances here, they felt that misfortune had turned to fortune. The sky was high and the earth was vast. The reason was simple: there wasn't a single Nascent Soul cultivator nearby!

Moreover, in this world, there were no upper fifth realm cultivators!

Three Golden Cores, nine Dragon Gates—would killing a Nascent Soul be difficult?

Actually, it wasn't easy. Paper strength was illusory. If the Nascent Soul first killed one or two, making everyone terrified and unwilling to fight, then picked them off one by one, in the end it would be a crowd surrounding one person, or one person chasing everyone down—who killed whom was uncertain.

But now, the world was vast, and there were no Nascent Souls.

What were Insight Sea and Cave Dwelling realm cultivators? They weren't qualified to be on the same level. Those thirty-odd auxiliary cultivators from various immortal families and dynasties were gathering power at the gate for them.

These twelve had already agreed to build the largest "sect" on the mountain, competing for people, territory, momentum, fortune, power, and heavenly materials and earthly treasures—they wanted to seize everything!

After that, even if their cultivation talent was limited, they would use mountains of immortal money to break through their bottlenecks. As long as one of the twelve was the first to reach Nascent Soul, a solid, eternal enterprise would be completely secure.

Then they saw the back-sword woman walking on the ground.

Everyone was slightly surprised. Was she so bold?

Dare to travel alone?

Looking more closely, each had their own thoughts. Some were drawn to the woman's beauty. Some saw that her Dharma robe seemed to be of good rank. Some wondered how much her long sword was worth. Some had purely murderous intentions. Of course, there were also those who were cautious, afraid of trouble, and unwilling to provoke anything. And there was the only female cultivator, a Golden Core, who pitied the woman's doomed fate. Save her? For what? She wasn't in the mood. In this chaotic world where neither heaven nor earth cared, only cultivators ruled. If a woman was so beautiful and her realm was not high, and she dared to go out alone, wasn't that asking for death?

Ning Yao looked up. Seeing they had no intention of acting, she continued walking.

The twelve Parasol Leaf Continent refugee cultivators hovered in the wind, looking down from above at the beautiful woman on the ground whose identity was still unknown.

A moment later, the female Golden Core cultivator felt annoyed. Were these men all pure gentlemen with no desires? Not a single one made a move?

So she smiled and said, "I think that woman is passably attractive. Don't fight me for her. I happen to be lacking a maid recently. She'll do."

When she spoke, a burly man with a burning gaze reached out and grabbed her slender waist, chuckling, "A maid is fine, a bedmaid is even better. Big brother will grab that lucky little lady for you. Sister Yu Jia, let's settle it. Hurry and find an auspicious day for us to become Dao companions. Who knows, maybe we'll be the first Daoist couple in this world. If there's some mysterious extra fortune, two good things will come at once..."

As he spoke, the man simultaneously transmitted his thoughts to two friends: "Remember to support me. I don't trust anyone, including this slut Yu Jia."

The man took out a soldier's armor pill, clad himself in a set of Spirit-Raining Armor, then rode the wind down, striding towards the back-sword woman, laughing, "Hey there, little sister. Which part of Parasol Leaf Continent are you from? How about traveling together? More people means less trouble, right?"

Despite his frivolous words, the man was actually a seasoned Golden Core soldier cultivator, gripping his long blade tightly.

Ning Yao said calmly, "More people means less afraid of death?"

She used a somewhat clumsy Parasol Leaf Continent dialect.

In terms of language talent, he was indeed better. He could speak three continents' dialects, various national languages, and many local dialects. He would deliberately use a nonchalant expression and speak words she didn't understand.

But she knew what he was saying because she looked into his eyes.

The man laughed heartily, "Little lady sure knows how to tell jokes..."

Starting from his brow, the man split in two cleanly from head to toe.

A set of Spirit-Raining Armor plus a Golden Core soldier cultivator's physique—it was less than a thin piece of paper.

The female cultivator named Yu Jia sensed something was wrong. She was also cut in half at the waist by an invisible sword qi. Her Golden Core was wrapped by her soul, spinning, and was about to flee into the distance when it exploded with a bang.

Ning Yao glanced at the sky.

The ten cultivators scrambled, each wishing they could plunge straight into the earth to be the first to kowtow to that female sword immortal.

It wasn't that they knew she was a sword cultivator. They had no idea how she struck. But since she carried a sword on her back, they considered her a sword immortal. Whether she was a Golden Core sword cultivator with a terrifying natal flying sword or an unexpected Nascent Soul sword cultivator, she was a sword immortal! Either way, killing them was like butchering a flock of chicks with a kitchen knife.

Suddenly, Ning Yao didn't feel like asking about the situation on Parasol Leaf Continent anymore.

He had once told her about his travels on Parasol Leaf Continent, which she still carried with her. It was also written in that book.

But Ning Yao knew that the Parasol Leaf Continent cultivators who didn't come to this world were the ones who should have come.

So Ning Yao turned and left.

She planned to walk a while. On the way here, there was a mountain not far away that produced a strange green bamboo. Ning Yao intended to make a walking stick.

As she turned, the two friends the man had communicated with via heart voice died on the spot.

Whispering in their own heart lakes in front of a Jade Pu realm bottleneck sword cultivator—that wasn't cautious enough.

A young-faced sword cultivator floated down, frowning, "Fellow Daoist, is your killing intent a bit too heavy?"

The ten cultivators each had their own thoughts.

Because this sword cultivator had a great reputation. He was the recognized heir of the Parasol Leaf Continent's Immortal Minister Sect, named Nie Yun. A hundred-year-old Golden Core, and crucially, a sword cultivator.

Why was he instantly recognizable? Because of the sword at his waist, "Corpse Dissolution," which was far too conspicuous. The scabbard had five-colored light fluctuating, a self-acknowledging half-immortal soldier!

And his name had been given by his protector when he was young and chosen by the Immortal Minister Sect's founding patriarch. It meant this child would one day have the hope of treading clouds to ascend.

Ning Yao acted as if she hadn't heard.

The young sword cultivator kept a distance from the woman, walking side by side.

Ning Yao said, "Blind eyes, deaf ears, low realm, talk less, go farther."

Nie Yun smiled, "Are you saying I can't tell good from bad? It's not like that. Besides Xu Tao and Yu Jia, the other two weren't guilty enough to warrant death. A lesson would have sufficed. As long as they're not great villains, we Parasol Leaf Continent cultivators should put aside past grudges, cultivate quietly, each climb high. Sooner or later, we'll meet Soaring Shake Continent cultivators, or even those most bloodthirsty sword cultivators from the Sword Qi Great Wall..."

Before, he hadn't noticed. But now, up close, this woman was truly captivating.

It wasn't lust. For a young genius with a pure sword heart, she simply made one forget the mundane.

Ning Yao kept looking straight ahead and said, "If you don't listen to advice, change that habit after you fall in realm."

Nie Yun was about to speak.

He was suddenly sent flying backwards. Most of his Golden Core was shattered. Blood flowed from his seven orifices. He struggled desperately but couldn't get up.

His vision blurred, he could only vaguely see the woman's back as she slowly walked away.

The other ten looked at each other.

Should they take the opportunity to kill him, steal the treasure, and grab the Corpse Dissolution, or save him and forge a great connection of incense with the Immortal Minister Sect?

The Immortal Minister Sect had two Nascent Soul patriarchs, but almost all their elders, guest elders, and ancestral hall direct disciples had entered this new world.

It was said that even the ancestral hall's hanging portraits and spirit tablets were carried by Nie Yun in a family heirloom storage artifact.

Someone gritted his teeth and transmitted his thoughts: "What incense connection? That's all empty nonsense. Who cares about that now? What registered immortal masters? Now we're all mountain and marsh wild cultivators! If we get a half-immortal soldier, whoever breaks through to Nascent Soul first gets it. We all swear an oath: the one who gets the Corpse Dissolution will be the leader, and that person must help each of the others break through one realm!"

Another reminded, "That Corpse Dissolution is a self-acknowledging half-immortal soldier. Who dares to take it? Who can refine it? If Nie Yun dies, it's one thing. But Nie Yun isn't dead."

One said softly, "Nie Yun fell in realm, but the Corpse Dissolution didn't unsheathe. The 'self-acknowledging' claim is probably just the Immortal Minister Sect's way of building his reputation."

A few other registered immortal masters who didn't want to take risks were reluctant to speak. On the mountain, blocking one's opportunities was more hated than cutting off someone's livelihood down below.

Unexpectedly, while everyone hesitated to strike first,

Nie Yun sat up. His sword Corpse Dissolution unsheathed itself, hovering in the air. He reached out and grasped the blade, but it didn't cut his palm. It was as if the sword helped him stand.

Nie Yun's eyes were dark as he looked at those bastards. Even if he were deaf, he wasn't blind. He could see their expressions and glances!

Nie Yun released the half-immortal soldier Corpse Dissolution, swaying unsteadily, but he showed no fear. Through gritted teeth, he said, "A bunch of trash. All you have is some broken Golden Core with a bit of talisman Dao, and you dare to kill me and take my sword?"

Nie Yun suddenly looked down at his beloved sword, tears streaming down his face. He covered his heart, sobbing, "Why did you pretend to be dead earlier? Why didn't you unsheathe yourself? Why didn't you protect my Golden Core? Even if you couldn't kill her, at least protect my Golden Core..."

The long sword hummed, as if weeping and complaining.

It seemed more wronged than its fallen master.

It hadn't dared to unsheathe.

It was afraid its master would die.

But half-immortal soldiers of the world were often like unenlightened, ignorant children. They couldn't speak or write.

Otherwise, this Corpse Dissolution would clearly tell Nie Yun that woman was very likely the first person to be recognized by the great Dao of this world.

The ten cultivators finally realized that the half-immortal soldier Corpse Dissolution could kill on its own. Without hesitation, they each used their own methods to escape on the wind.

But Nie Yun had no intention of pursuing them. First, his mind was unsettled after this disaster. Second, after falling in realm, there were too many uncertainties. He didn't want to risk it.

He had already memorized the faces, clothes, and even the rough backgrounds of several cultivators. The green mountains remain, the green waters flow. Eventually, they would meet again for a reunion.

The young genius, bearer of all his sect's hopes, looked up in the direction the woman had gone. Suddenly, he realized: she was from the Sword Qi Great Wall!

Ning Yao reached that green mountain bamboo grove. She searched around and finally selected a verdant bamboo shoot, making a walking stick. She carried it in her hand.

Seeing no one around, Ning Yao began to walk with the stick, imitating how he had led the way when opening the mountain as a youth. She imagined him traveling alone after coming of age. She imagined him drinking, tipsy. She imagined him walking through the mountains and waters, eyes wide open to take in the scenery, which he would then write down in a book...

After a while, Ning Yao returned to normal. She stood on the mountain peak, leaning on the walking stick, and softly called a name. Then she listened attentively to the wind rustling through the bamboo grove, as if it were answering her.

Earlier, when she had first arrived in this new world and was breaking through to the Nascent Soul, the heart demon had been Chen Ping'an in her heart.

For Ning Yao, the heart demon could only be that.

But at a single glance, after staring at it for a while, she quickly killed it.

Thus, the breakthrough was instantaneous.

It was both extremely complex and extremely simple. At that moment, Ning Yao suddenly understood one thing: the Chen Ping'an in her eyes and heart could never compare to the real Chen Ping'an. The sky was vast, the earth was vast, and there was only one Chen Ping'an, truly real.