Chapter 705: When the Snow Melts

Chapter 705: When the Snow Melts

Outside the Thunder God Temple at Mahu Prefecture, Pei Axiang sighed in sincere admiration, "Good fists."

As if the phrase "good fists" alone was insufficient to fully capture the wondrousness of this boxing, Pei Axiang reached out and lightly rubbed his knee, his eyes shining as he nodded repeatedly, adding, "Simply in terms of the boxing technique's continuity and the accumulation of fist intent, I am inferior to the founding master of this style. Truly good fists, truly a waterfall hanging from the sky, the boxing technique is very lofty, and when the fists land, they are extremely heavy."

Among the tenth-realm martial artists of the world, none of them were easy opponents.

For a proud and haughty pinnacle-realm martial artist to so genuinely praise the excellence of another's boxing technique was actually quite rare.

It turned out that that little girl who called herself Pei Qian, using the same fist intent, had actually delivered seventeen consecutive punches, each one landing on Pei Axiang's most accomplished disciple, Liu Suiyu.

To the point where Liu Suiyu had been forced to interrupt that fist intent, no longer daring to allow Pei Qian to keep accumulating it.

Liu Youzhou, hiding behind Pei Axiang, craned his neck and whispered softly, "Over a dozen consecutive punches, beating Aunt Liu until she could only parry without any power to counterattack, it's simply too exaggerated. If this got out, no one would believe it."

Pei Axiang cursed with a laugh, "What the hell do you know? That little girl's seventeen punches only count as one punch."

On the square outside the Thunder God Temple, fist essence surged. Pei Axiang's own fist intent flowed slowly, silently protecting Liu Youzhou behind him.

As for that Old Madam Liu, she didn't receive such treatment. Even though the old woman was a land immortal realm cultivator, even watching from afar, she still felt somewhat uncomfortable.

On the square, wherever the fist intent touched, light was distorted, shadows and light interweaving in a chaotic pattern. This was a sign that a pure martial artist was shaking heaven and earth with his fists.

Old Madam Liu wasn't worried that Suiyu would lose. There were thousands of martial artists in Aiai Continent, and of course, Pei Axiang of the Thunder God Temple was the highest realm, but when it came to the martial fortune of a continent, once Suiyu managed to reach the mountaintop realm as the strongest, she would have the most. Liu Suiyu had obtained the title of 'strongest' three times. It was strange to say, but according to her master Pei Axiang's deductions, based on the signs of martial fortune's comings and goings in the world, Liu Suiyu's several failures to grasp the title of 'strongest' seemed to be mostly related to that tiny Vial Bottle Continent.

This meant that besides Song Changjing of Great Li, there were at least two more grandmasters of at least the ninth realm hiding there.

Liu Youzhou sighed with a myriad of emotions, speaking slowly, "I've heard of Fallen Mountain in Vial Bottle Continent. They have close ties with the Northern Mountain Lord, Wei Po, of Piyun Mountain. The ferry business at Ox Horn Mountain is doing well, and now they're doing considerable business with Buried Garment Sect and Spring Dew Nursery of Julu Continent. I just never heard of such a young girl with boxing skills that reach the heavens. Vial Bottle Continent is such a strange place, a territory as small as a grain of rice, yet always full of surprises. The martial artist Song Changjing, the sword immortal Wei Jin, the cultivator Ma Kuxuan, not bad at all."

Pei Axiang teased, "Whose side are you on, you little brat? Are you married off like a daughter?"

Liu Youzhou exclaimed in surprise, "Aunt Liu is finally making a move!"

From his tone, it seemed that Liu Suiyu taking punches without fighting back was the norm.

Pei Axiang had to patiently explain to this outsider, "This little girl is both asking for a fist fight and a guest. And Suiyu, in terms of age and realm, is her senior and half a host. According to the rules of the martial world, she had to receive the first punch, so she was at a slight disadvantage. Of course, the little girl has polished this one punch to perfection, that's the foundation. When the opponent's fist is good, we have to acknowledge it. As for Suiyu's punch, it was a 'Great River Horizontal Style' I comprehended long ago when I saw a flood dragon crossing a river. Naturally, it won't be too bad."

In fact, the horizontal river punch that Liu Suiyu used to interrupt the opponent's fist intent was also inexpressibly wonderful, fully inheriting Pei Axiang's true essence.

Of course, it was also very important that Liu Suiyu, as a mountaintop realm martial artist with completed fist intent, was one realm higher than Pei Qian.

Otherwise, if they were both in the distant wandering realm, with just this one punch from Pei Qian, if they wanted to determine the victor, they would probably have to separate life and death.

Liu Suiyu not only interrupted the opponent's fist intent with one punch, but her second punch hit Pei Qian right on the temple, sending her flying sideways for over ten zhang.

Pei Qian's head shook, her figure flipped in the air, one palm slammed onto the ground, suddenly gripping it, instantly stopping her lateral movement, then somersaulted backward. In an instant, Liu Suiyu appeared beside Pei Qian and delivered half a punch. Because Pei Qian hadn't appeared at the expected position, if Pei Qian had taken this punch, the fist fight would probably have ended. A punch from a ninth-realm pinnacle martial artist would have required this junior to stay in the Thunder God Temple for over a month to recover properly before she could continue her travels.

Liu Suiyu withdrew that half punch but didn't chase after Pei Qian. Instead, she stopped in her tracks. This mountaintop realm female martial artist was somewhat amazed in her heart; the little girl's physique was tough beyond imagination.

Pei Axiang laughed, "If you could make this little girl become a family guest of the Liu Clan, your father would earn at least a Monkey Rampant Manor from Inverted Suspension Mountain."

Liu Youzhou shook his head, "My father warned me, never, ever easily do business with true good friends. It's easy to fail as friends, hard to finish business properly, and it's a loss either way."

The Liu Clan had an ancestral motto: The money in the world can be divided into two kinds: one is solid immortal money, the other is people's hearts.

Pei Axiang taunted, "How is the little girl your friend? Did you ask her? Did she agree?"

Liu Youzhou remained silent, watching the good-looking young woman who was slightly darker than Snowflower money.

High above the Thunder God Temple, Xie Songhua's sword energy overflowed like floating clouds, providing a foothold for her two direct disciples. Juxing was holding a bamboo box, while Zhaomu held a mountain-traveling staff. She found that this green bamboo staff was extremely heavy in hand, so her master explained that the staff had an illusion technique applied to it. Its true material was similar to something condensed from Thunder Pond liquid, refined by someone into the shape of a mountain staff. Then Zhaomu said that inside the staff there seemed to be wisps of pure sword intent. After Xie Songhua took it and carefully sensed those traces of sword intent, she sighed slightly, saying that this was a gift from Zhou Cheng, a female sword immortal of their Sword Pile Great Wall.

Juxing asked, "Master, is Sister Pei's martial arts realm now comparable to a Nascent Soul cultivator?"

Xie Songhua said, "As long as it's not a sword cultivator, Pei Qian has a certain chance of winning against a Nascent Soul."

But this female sword immortal quickly corrected herself, "Actually, a very high chance."

Because once Pei Qian experienced a life-and-death battle, she would very likely break through again and kill a Nascent Soul from the mountaintop realm.

Seeing that Liu Suiyu had stopped and withdrawn her fist, Pei Qian had no choice but to stabilize her staggering figure. She frowned slightly, as if wondering why this Senior Liu hadn't pressed her advantage, causing one of her backup fist techniques to miss. She had taken a very heavy blow to the temple from Liu Suiyu earlier; of course, it was unpleasant, but Pei Qian really didn't feel it had diminished her combat power. Otherwise, her years of practicing in the bamboo building and the feeding of fists by Senior Li Er at Lion's Peak would be a huge joke. In her Fallen Mountain lineage, from her master to Grandpa Cui, even including the old chef, and then to herself—the one with the worst aptitude and lowest realm—injuries were only useful for increasing fist intent! And as a cover too.

Her next punch would also be the Divine Drummer Style, and it would be faster and heavier than the first.

The old chef had once said, "Unless I die, the fist fight never ends."

And the first important thing for a martial artist practicing boxing is to kill the instinct of fearing death and pain within the small heaven and earth of the human body.

Back then, when Pei Qian had just started training in the bamboo building's second floor, the old chef would casually say things while tying his apron, stir-frying with a spatula, or scooping rice with a ladle. Pei Qian would let each remark go in one ear and out the other. It wasn't until later, when she traveled with Li Huai in Northern Julu Continent and had nothing to do but walk and practice boxing every day, that she naturally picked up those deliberately forgotten words. They were like pickled vegetables in a jar; Pei Qian took them out and chewed on them repeatedly, crunching loudly, and then thought that the old chef's words actually had some level to them after all.

Liu Suiyu asked with a smile, "Pei Qian, the boxing lineage of my Thunder God Temple at Mahu Prefecture doesn't just take punches. When we truly throw a punch, it's not light. For this fist fight, shall we agree to stop at the touch, or shall we go until it's done?"

Pei Qian replied without hesitation, "The latter. Senior Liu, from now on, don't worry about whether I'll get hurt. When the fist fight is over, if both of us are still standing, then it doesn't count as a fist fight."

Liu Suiyu nodded with a smile. This Pei Qian, she had a good temperament.

Earlier, she had used the 'Great River Horizontal' style to first receive Pei Qian's punch, then break her opponent's fist intent. If it had been a same-realm fist fight, that would be considered a counterattack, winning the first exchange.

But Liu Suiyu was after all one realm higher than Pei Qian, and she hadn't allowed her opponent to fully deliver her punch. So this first exchange could barely be considered a draw.

Pei Qian lightly rubbed the ground with the tip of her foot, staring intently at Liu Suiyu. "Senior Liu's earlier punch fully demonstrated the bearing of a senior. I am grateful! But if from now on you intentionally let me win, then it would mean the boxing lineage of the Thunder God Temple at Mahu Prefecture looks down on the boxing lineage of my Fallen Mountain."

Liu Suiyu laughed heartily, "Alright, then I'll look up to your Fallen Mountain martial artists from now on!"

Pei Qian finally said, "If I lose, it's because Pei Qian hasn't learned boxing well enough, not because Fallen Mountain's boxing is inferior."

Liu Suiyu slowly assumed a boxing stance, her arms interwoven with several streaks of thunderous light. Her eyes even took on a pale golden hue. "Whether it's inferior or not, you'll be lying down and talking to me!"

Pei Axiang reached out a finger and rubbed his brow. "This little girl seems to be used to getting beatings."

Liu Youzhou said, "Don't spoil the goodwill."

Pei Axiang straightened his waist, holding the green bamboo flute from Green Divine Mountain, and said, "Hesitation in a fist fight spoils goodwill. Fighting fair and square, with the fist determining the stronger, that is the martial path."

Liu Youzhou watched the two women exchanging blows on the square. Aunt Liu had already gained a stable advantage. Liu Youzhou's realm wasn't high enough; he wasn't even a Golden Core land immortal yet, only a Dragon Gate realm cultivator. He couldn't even see their forms clearly, relying only on the colors of their clothes to gauge the situation. Every time Aunt Liu punched, there was a thunderous aura, interwoven lightning that lingered long. So with more punches, the square was like a thunder pool created by fist intent.

Aunt Liu seemed like a thunder deity banished to the human realm. In fact, the entire Thunder God Temple lineage of Aiai Continent was like this when their boxing was perfected: as if born wearing a divine dew-receiving armor, impervious to water and fire. Ordinary magical techniques could hardly break through that fist intent, causing the most headache for their qi cultivator opponents. However, among Pei Axiang's direct and secondary disciples, Liu Suiyu had grasped the true essence of the boxing technique the best.

Old Madam Liu watched her Suiyu's punches, and the old woman was naturally exceedingly gratified.

Xie Songhua transmitted her thoughts to her two disciples: "Behind the Thunder God Temple, there's a small hill called the Thunder Barrier Mountain. Few know it's near this small temple. That mountain is said to be the ancient forge of the Thunder Ministry deities' weapons. Juxing, your natal flying sword 'Thunder Marsh' is most suitable for tempering here, with twice the effectiveness at half the effort. For us sword cultivators, if a flying sword can reach the rank of a semi-immortal weapon, it's like heaven and earth compared to a qi cultivator refining a semi-immortal artifact."

Of course, the amount of immortal money and heavenly materials needed for a sword cultivator to temper their sword is a bottomless pit, far surpassing other qi cultivators, a fact recognized throughout the mountains.

For example, for Juxing to refine his sword at Thunder Barrier Mountain, Xie Songhua had prepared three offensive magic treasures and a large sum of Grain Rain coins as compensation for Pei Axiang of the Thunder God Temple. The problem was that Pei Axiang might not agree.

That required Xie Songhua to use the sword hidden in the bamboo box on her back to bargain.

Zhaomu said happily, "The Summer Resort's evaluation listed Juxing's 'Thunder Marsh' as Class B Middle, a very high rank indeed."

On the Sword Pile Great Wall, every Class A flying sword, such as Wu Chengpei's 'Sweet Rain,' was most suitable for large-scale battlefield slaughter, so they were few and far between. They were more of a strategic choice by the Summer Resort. If placed in one-on-one combat between sword cultivators, they might not necessarily have the advantage.

Therefore, after leaving the battlefield, in the mountain cultivator duels, it was the Class B flying swords selected by the Hidden Official lineage that had the most outstanding killing power. Especially the batch of natal flying swords ranked Class B Upper; without exception, they all possessed a once-in-a-century natal ability. For instance, Chen Sanqiu's 'White Deer' was only promoted to Class B Upper because of its connection with literary fortune.

As for Juxing's 'Thunder Marsh,' since it could be rated as 'Class B Middle,' it was naturally because this sword immortal seedling's natal flying sword had abilities that were both suitable for one-on-one combat with great killing power and for the battlefield with a magnificent aura.

In contrast, the little girl Zhaomu had two natal flying swords, 'Torrential Rain' and 'Rainbow,' but they were only rated as Class B Lower and Class C Upper respectively.

However, this 'only' was relative to Juxing. Apart from Class A, Classes B and C each had three ranks: Upper, Middle, and Lower, making six in total. Their natal flying swords were still considered good.

The sword immortal seedlings brought away from the Sword Pile Great Wall by Hao Ran's sword immortals, including Juxing, Zhaomu, Chen Li (a direct disciple of Li Cai), and Gao Youqing, all had natal flying swords of Class B and C.

But the rank of a flying sword was one thing; it was still just paper theory. Actual combat was another matter entirely. Nothing in the world is absolute; there are always unexpected outcomes.

However, just like the officialdom in the mortal world, those who came from the Hanlin Academy were more likely to become high officials and receive good posthumous titles than ordinary jinshi officials.

Juxing said with a stubborn expression, "Master, I'm not very willing to rely on others to nurture my flying sword."

But then he added, "But if Master insists I do it, I won't slack off in refining the sword."

Juxing said this with some dejection.

Zhaomu was worried that her master might get angry.

Xie Songhua reached out and pressed the child's head, speaking gently, "The Hidden Official said that after you arrive in Hao Ran's world, don't act on impulse. Learn to do as the Romans do. Just as when he came to the Sword Pile Great Wall, he first had to learn to respect all your customs. Juxing, can you live up to the Hidden Official's expectations for you?"

Juxing hummed in agreement, his eyes bright, and nodded vigorously. "I often read the letter that Lord Hidden Official sent to Master through Deng Liang. The letter said we should slowly learn the customs of Hao Ran's world, not rush, but remember them all with our hearts. We should see both good and bad, and then think about why. At the end of the letter, he also stressed that we must first practice sword well. Only when our realm is high enough to at least protect ourselves can we then reason with others."

Juxing then slanted a glance at the little girl holding the mountain staff, and laughed to his master, "The Hidden Official's instructions for me in the letter took up a lot of space. Zhaomu only got a tiny paragraph. It seems the Hidden Official knew she wouldn't amount to much. Master, rest assured, with me around, that's enough."

The little girl wrinkled her face in grievance, on the verge of tears, but didn't dare cry, looking pitiful.

Juxing looked at Zhaomu's expression and, for once, felt a bit of regret. Sister Pei had privately told him back at the Casting Rainbow City that he shouldn't always put on such a stern face with Zhaomu, because she was a little girl and he was a boy. Bullying her wasn't a sign of skill. They were both from the same hometown and the same lineage—such a rare fate. So he should protect her more, or at the very least, not let others bully her.

Juxing thought Sister Pei's words made a lot of sense, so he patted his chest and agreed. But sometimes, he just couldn't help saying a thing or two about Zhaomu.

Besides, he wasn't just 'anyone.' Sigh, it's a pity that no outsider ever bullied this foolish girl. The master was too good, too invincible in Aiai Continent, which also gave the disciple headaches.

On the square, Pei Qian was hit on the cheek by Liu Suiyu's elbow and crashed to the ground. She immediately raised both hands to block Liu Suiyu's toe aimed at her heart.

If that toe had landed, the fist fight would probably be over.

Pei Qian slid backward over ten zhang on the ground.

She slapped the ground and rose gracefully, only to be slammed in the chest by a knee strike from Liu Suiyu, who had followed like a shadow.

The slender young woman crashed backward and fell to the ground.

Liu Suiyu landed on her feet and gently exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

A series of ninth-realm punches, though not every one was a full-strength blow, had exhausted her pure martial artist qi for the moment.

Liu Youzhou thought that this fist fight could probably be considered satisfying for both sides. He watched the young woman stand up, spit out a mouthful of stagnant blood, and actually assume another boxing stance. She seemed completely oblivious to her injuries. He was reminded of the ancient battlefield ruins in Golden Armor Continent, where Yu Juanfu had asked Cao Ci for a fist fight. It was probably similar, but also different somehow. He couldn't quite articulate it, as he wasn't a martial artist. Maybe it was that Yu Juanfu knew she couldn't win?

But this strange young woman in his eyes probably didn't think she was inferior to Aunt Liu? But the more you do that, with Aunt Liu being a martial arts fanatic, she would only throw heavier punches.

Liu Youzhou couldn't bear to watch anymore. He turned to glance at the bamboo flute in Pei Axiang's hand and asked, "Axiang, those ancestor bamboos from Green Divine Mountain rarely leave the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven. They are mostly personally gifted by that lady. In the entire Hao Ran world, including the Achievement Forest of the Confucian Temple, there are only about four or five places in total. Apart from the ordinary green bamboos of the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven, every bamboo product made from ancestor bamboo is accurately recorded in the Mountain God's mansion. Your bamboo flute has never been recorded. Is there a story? I asked Aunt Liu before, but she refused to tell me."

Pei Axiang, hearing this question, had a strange expression. He shook his head, gently twirling the bamboo flute in his hand. The hanging yellow bead lightly tapped the flute, producing a crisp, pleasant sound. Pei Axiang laughed, "Past events are too painful to recall."

Liu Youzhou, who was least afraid of this, immediately lowered his voice and said, "The family salary for the last ten years, I'll double it."

Pei Axiang raised two fingers.

Liu Youzhou slapped Axiang's finger away and laughed, "Axiang is truly a straightforward person, deal!"

Only then did Pei Axiang say, "Have you ever heard of a bastard named A Liang?"

Liu Youzhou nodded. "Axiang, don't talk nonsense. That senior's reputation is, of course, thunderous. Besides, my aunt has never forgotten that man. Who in the entire Aiai Continent doesn't know this? He once broke the water of a great river in the Central Earth Continent with one punch and even carried an ancestral mountain of a Zongzi-level sect for dozens of miles. But that's not what I admire most about him.

I heard that before a fight, he likes to recite a poem. I admire that the most. He calls himself 'A little butterfly among the flowers, a handsome lad in ten miles and eight villages.' In my opinion, that's not an undeserved reputation. So many celestial maidens yearn for him, it's a sea of them."

Old Madam Liu listened with deep worry.

Her young master, she hoped he wouldn't learn from that man.

Pei Axiang pointed to the bamboo flute on his finger, "After being beaten by that man, I got this as compensation."

Liu Youzhou, like a pot that wouldn't boil, asked, "How many of you ganged up on him?"

Pei Axiang said helplessly, "About five or six."

Liu Youzhou patted him lightly on the shoulder, "Axiang, you're something. If this gets out, it'll bring you glory."

Pei Axiang laughed, "That's true."

Indeed, it wasn't shameful. After all, there had been a case where ten mountain cultivators besieged one man, and only one escaped alive.

In fact, during his time in Hao Ran's world, that man's swordsmanship wasn't particularly outstanding. It was only after he spent a hundred years traveling the Sword Pile Great Wall and beheaded a pinnacle flying-ascension realm great demon that the entire Hao Ran world, especially the Central Earth Continent, which he had plagued so often, suddenly realized that the bastard was that formidable, and that his earlier actions had been restrained and understated. Later, when this man ascended from Hao Ran's world to the heavens beyond, and finally traded punches with 'Dao Old Two,' who was 'truly invincible' in the White Jade Capital, each sending the other back to their respective worlds, it was truly astonishing.

Being contemporaries with some people in the same era seems both tragic and honorable.

Like Pei Axiang's group, who encountered that A Liang.

Those earlier had encountered the 'world's most proud,' who had summoned the heavenly water with one sword.

Now, all the young martial artists in all worlds are encountering Cao Ci and the eleventh 'Hidden Official.'

Thinking of this, Pei Axiang glanced at the two still sparring on the square.

Pei Qian was once again sent staggering by a whip kick from Liu Suiyu. After struggling to stabilize herself, she was hit by six consecutive punches from Liu Suiyu: two on the forehead, two on the cheek, two on the neck.

Delivering two punches to the same spot was one of the essence techniques of the Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple lineage, called 'Thunder Overlay.' It was a technique Pei Axiang had newly comprehended after entering the tenth realm. It appeared to be the same punch, but the fist intent was exactly opposite, making it most effective at damaging a martial artist's fist intent or a qi cultivator's qi mansion.

Finally, Pei Qian was hit twice heavily in the chest by consecutive punches. Her feet left the ground, and she fell to the ground in defeat.

But this slender young woman, just over twenty years old, planted her elbows on the ground, twisted her body, and immediately stood up again gracefully. She was quite injured. Though the outcome was clear, the little girl's fist intent did not diminish or decrease; instead, it increased and grew stronger.

Blood was flowing from her seven orifices, but for a distant wandering realm martial artist, that was a minor matter.

Pei Axiang nodded.

Liu Suiyu's expression became serious. There was also some anger.

She had already exchanged two cycles of pure qi, but the opponent hadn't exchanged a single one.

It wasn't that Liu Suiyu's fist intent was weaker in continuity; rather, she had been more focused on teaching and feeding punches, so she had actively exchanged qi twice. But this little girl, was she too stubborn? Did she really think the boxing lineage of the Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple was inferior to your Fallen Mountain? Had she decided from the start to weigh the heaviness of Liu Suiyu's ninth-realm martial artist pinnacle fists?

Juxing and Zhaomu watched nervously.

They realized that when Sister Pei fought with someone, she was a completely different person from the Pei sister who was serious when copying books, silent when traveling, and smiling when chatting.

Xie Songhua sighed with emotion. The Hidden Official's choice of disciple was good.

Chen Ping'an probably didn't have many opportunities to truly teach Pei Qian the boxing techniques, considering she was still so young, and Chen Ping'an had left for the Sword Pile Great Wall early.

So Fallen Mountain, that mysterious mountain whose reputation didn't spread beyond a single continent, definitely had another master overseeing it.

As for Liu Youzhou's early knowledge of Fallen Mountain, that was because this future god of wealth of Aiai Continent was too idle.

In Xie Songhua's view, the spiritual core of Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian, master and disciple, was too similar, as if they were cut from the same mold.

But looking at the boxing techniques they chose to use in combat, the two were quite different. Pei Qian, before her, used fists with an unyielding, consistent spirit.

As Pei Qian's master, Chen Ping'an had many considerations. He rarely pursued that kind of unrestrained style. His fist techniques were numerous, his methods changeable, emphasizing adaptation to the time, person, and place, almost to the point of perfectionism. Every punch was laid out and calculated to maximize benefit.

But Pei Qian was completely different. When she threw a punch, she had the heroic spirit of someone who saw no one before her. It seemed that at such a young age, she understood that 'the world has no second person; to ask for a fist fight, one only asks oneself.'

Xie Songhua, after all, was a sword immortal who loved to travel. She had contact with tenth-realm martial artists from Flowing Sunset Continent and Golden Armor Continent, some of whom were good friends. Two of those pinnacle-realm elders, with vastly different boxing methods and temperaments, shared only one commonality: they both revered the mysterious and profound state of 'eternal world, one man's pair of fists.' However, this great principle was simple to say and easy for others to understand, but to actually practice it was too illusory and difficult to manifest with one's own martial path. It was far too difficult.

But Xie Songhua had a doubt: since the master and disciple were often apart in their homeland, why did Pei Qian respect her master so much?

Her own two direct disciples, Juxing and Zhaomu, were also understanding and grateful. Not only did they see her as their backbone, but also as a loving elder. So Xie Songhua was very satisfied; she couldn't find any fault with her disciples. But compared to Chen Ping'an and Pei Qian, there seemed to be some difference.

Although the martial world had the rigid saying that 'entering a master's tutelage is like reincarnation, and master and disciple are like father and son,' in the young Hidden Official's disciple Pei Qian's heart, it seemed that 'heaven, earth, ruler, parents, teacher' had all become one.

Bringing up children, indeed, the young Hidden Official was good at it.

Xie Songhua could only explain it that way.

Watching the ongoing fist fight, Pei Axiang clicked his tongue in admiration, "To be able to ask for such a fist fight, the benefits won't be small. Maybe Suiyu will even have unexpected gains."

Liu Youzhou muttered, "The origin of the bamboo flute, Axiang still hasn't told me. That family salary, I feel embarrassed to give it, but you feel fine accepting it?"

Pei Axiang laughed, "There's nothing I can't say. But you just listen and don't spread it around."

Liu Youzhou nodded.

It turned out that in the early years, in the beautiful Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven, Pei Axiang, as the youngest ninth-realm martial artist in Aiai Continent's history, was at his most spirited. As a guest at a Green Divine Mountain water banquet, Pei Axiang and several friends were drunk and admiring the scenery when they got into a dispute with a dirty man who was sneakily digging bamboo roots and shoots. They had never met such a shameless person. At first, he claimed to be the local earth god of Green Divine Mountain, needing to dig bamboo shoots to entertain a distinguished guest. When exposed, he claimed to be a dinner guest at the private banquet of the Lady of Green Divine Mountain, so digging a few bamboo shoots was nothing. Then a young sword immortal immediately sent a flying sword message to the Green Divine Mountain. That man had good nerve. Leaning against a bamboo, arms crossed, he said they were unlucky to have provoked him, and that they should wait for the lady to expel them. They wouldn't be able to step foot in the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven again, or he would take their surname.

Then the Mountain God's mansion replied that the lady didn't know this man. So Pei Axiang and his group chased after the thief like chasing a dog. At first, no one took it seriously; it was more for fun. But when a sword cultivator's strike was a bit too heavy, the man yelled, "One punch, one little brother," and knocked them all down. Not only that, he buried them all in the ground, saying that tomorrow many Jade Pu sword immortals and mountaintop realm martial artists would grow from the ground, as his return gift to Green Divine Mountain.

When burying Pei Axiang, the man asked Pei Axiang how he thought his boxing was.

A few others tried to break out but were punched unconscious. They were buried up to their necks, like bamboo shoots sprouting after rain.

Pei Axiang dared not move, so as not to invite humiliation.

The young sword immortal friend earlier had the most dirt piled on him, because the man, while gathering soil, muttered complaints, saying it was the sword immortals who were the most bothersome and romantic, and today they had fallen into his hands...

Finally, a female official from the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven's Mountain God Mansion appeared and rescued everyone.

The man, who had been squatting on the ground gathering dirt and burying Pei Axiang, stood up with lightning speed when he saw the female official. He leaned against a bamboo pole, stood on one toe, spat into his palm, smoothed his hair to reveal a big forehead, clasped his hands, and shouted, "Miss!" He called himself Brother Liang, all in one smooth, flowing motion.

So natural, just practice makes perfect.

The woman ignored the man and asked directly, "Since you are a Confucian scholar and a sword cultivator, why are you using fists against your enemies? Is it to deliberately insult these people?"

She glanced at the sword on the man's back and then asked, "Daring to steal bamboo shoots and roots here, that has nothing to do with being a scholar. Are you challenging our Green Divine Mountain to a sword duel?"

The man shook his head, lightly tugged at his belt, shifted his gaze slightly, not daring to look the woman in the eye, and smiled shyly.

A true man, a real hero, never draws his sword lightly.

Everything was left unsaid.

After that came a chaotic chase. That fellow named A Liang scurried around the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven, perfectly fitting his intentionally ambiguous catchphrase, "Believe it or not, I've been chased by countless celestial maidens"?

Probably, being chased counted as being pursued.

Until he met the legendary Lady of Green Divine Mountain, who was said to be 'beautiful in appearance, fond of bare feet, with jet-black hair.'

Then there was another new story not meant for outsiders. After that, opinions varied, and there was never a definitive conclusion.

And that A Liang liked Pei Axiang's looks. After a fight, they became friends. He helped Pei Axiang cut a section of Green Divine Mountain's green bamboo and let him take it out of the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven.

After hearing this wonderful story, Liu Youzhou couldn't help but ask, "Axiang, didn't you later return to Green Divine Mountain to attend a night banquet? Did A Liang actually take your surname?"

Pei Axiang said helplessly, "His idea was that he wouldn't mind changing his surname to be the ancestor of all of us."

Liu Youzhou's eyes widened. This also works? Makes some sense.

Pei Axiang picked up the bamboo flute, stood up, and planned to stop the fight.

If they continued like this, the small Thunder God Temple would really have another sickbed.

That stubborn little girl had already fallen seven times.

And Liu Suiyu had gotten serious, each punch increasingly approaching the divine essence of the ninth-realm pinnacle. Just the Thunder Overlay technique alone, if an ordinary distant wandering realm cultivator had taken half of them, they would already be lying on the ground, vomiting blood, and it wouldn't just be broken bones and tendons; the roots of the ailment would have been planted.

No matter how solid the foundation of a distant wandering realm physique, it couldn't withstand such battering from a mountaintop realm martial artist.

This was just a fist fight.

Even if Liu Suiyu could increase her fist intent through this and hope to advance further, Pei Axiang didn't think this approach was in line with the rules of the martial world.

In the martial world, pure martial artists protecting their own disciples had to have a limit.

Seriously injuring a girl one realm lower to gain a share of martial fortune for the Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple lineage would be shameful.

Pei Axiang couldn't afford to lose face like that.

So Pei Axiang said, "That's probably enough."

Xie Songhua nodded slightly. This Pei Axiang was decent enough. If he hadn't spoken, she would have drawn her sword.

She would have directly challenged the Thunder God Temple, challenging the oldest and most senior.

Although Liu Suiyu was still unsatisfied, she hurriedly withdrew her fist. But Pei Qian seemed completely absorbed, still delivering a punch. However, she suddenly came to her senses, suppressed the reverse flow of pure qi, and endured the surging qi and blood to withdraw her fist and retreat a few steps.

The slender young woman staggered, her slightly dark face torn and bleeding, one eye socket swollen and red, looking quite miserable. She tilted her head slightly, and blood flowed from her ear.

Indeed, the ninth-realm fist of a woman was not light.

Pei Qian's miserable state made Liu Youzhou's scalp tingle. It was too gruesome.

Pei Qian raised her hand and wiped the bright red blood that slid from her temple to her cheek with the back of her hand.

Liu Suiyu began to retract her fist intent, looking at Pei Qian with unconcealed admiration in her eyes. She nodded and smiled, "I haven't won this time, and you haven't lost. Let's call it a draw. Later, when you break through, come and ask for another fist fight. You can come to Mahu Prefecture to find me, or I can go to Fallen Mountain to find you. Either is fine."

Pei Qian clasped her fists in salute but remained silent, as if she had something to say but held back.

Juxing found his palms wet with sweat. He turned to look at Zhaomu, who was holding the mountain staff. She was drenched in sweat.

Zhaomu noticed his gaze and forced a smile at him.

Juxing immediately got angry. "Sister Pei is injured, and you're still smiling! Why don't you just stretch your mouth to your ears..."

Before Juxing could finish, Xie Songhua gave him a rap on the head and scolded, "Zhaomu is just a little girl. She cries, and you say something. She smiles, and you also say something. Do you want her to learn from you, a silent gourd?"

Juxing groaned, "She's so stupid, how could she learn from me?"

Xie Songhua remembered something and said seriously to Juxing, "Apologize to Zhaomu. What did the Hidden Official tell you in the letter? 'A true hero admits his mistakes; a real man can correct his faults'?"

Juxing was stunned. Huh, so even the master was using the Hidden Official to suppress him now. Reluctantly, he said gruffly, "Sorry, okay?"

Xie Songhua raised her hand as if to hit him, "Say it with sincerity!"

Juxing saw Zhaomu foolishly shaking her head and waving her hands, so he softened a bit and forced himself to whisper, "I'm sorry."

Damn, it felt so awkward.

Zhaomu beamed a smile.

Xie Songhua, for some reason, was reminded of another line in the letter. Previously, she had thought the young Hidden Official was too fussy and detailed, especially when he wrote such grand words for two little brats. It was too early to say such things. But now, for some reason, she felt it wasn't too early; she regretted that the young man hadn't written more in the letter. Principles like "It's not enough to just do as the Romans do; a great sword immortal changes the customs" were indeed not too many to hear.

She believed that in the future, Juxing and Zhaomu would truly realize how much hope the young Hidden Official had placed in these words.

Standing on the distant steps outside the Thunder God Temple, Pei Axiang's respect for Pei Qian grew. On the martial path, which emphasized 'no pain, no gain,' the younger a genius was, the easier it was to leave a hidden danger that would hinder future ascension to the peak regarding the tempering of the physique.

When martial arts grandmasters exchanged fist fights and honed their physiques, there were both pros and cons. The benefits were increased fist intent and perfected techniques. But the fear was that injuries might not fully heal, leaving many subtle and undetectable roots of illness. The higher the realm, the greater the problem. For example, the first layer of the pinnacle realm is called 'qi exuberance.' In the small heaven and earth of the human body, if the bones, tendons, and meridians are mostly broken and shattered, how can qi be exuberant?

Pei Axiang himself had suffered greatly. Although he had a rather effeminate-sounding name, Pei Axiang's boxing was famous for its ferocity. In his early years, his temperament was even more arrogant. The reason he became the third family guest of the Liu Clan was certainly not because he coveted a bit of immortal money. As a pure martial artist, he valued having no external possessions. The main reason was his concern for his disciples' future and the continuation of his legacy. Don't be fooled by Pei Axiang's youthful, handsome face; in fact, he was quite old, about the same age as Wang Fushu, the old geezer from Northern Julu Continent. Pei Axiang had made too many enemies in his youth, and Wang Fushu was just one of them.

Pei Axiang had his own bitterness that he knew well. He had indeed reached the second layer of the tenth realm, 'return to truth,' but unfortunately, the foundation of his earlier 'qi exuberance' was terribly poor. Now, Pei Axiang could only force a breath of heart qi, not allowing himself to despair of reaching 'divine arrival.'

So in recent years, when occasionally instructing his three direct disciples, including Liu Suiyu, Pei Axiang stressed one point: besides seeking loftiness in boxing, they should also seek grandeur. They must pursue a 'qi that moves mountains and rivers,' for example, by learning from the distant-wandering sword immortals of Northern Julu Continent. However, aside from Liu Suiyu, the other two direct disciples and seven secondary disciples had not truly understood Pei Axiang's meaning. None of them had gone to the Sword Pile Great Wall to temper their physiques and fist intent.

Some pretended not to understand, unwilling to go to the Sword Pile Great Wall to die. The reasoning was simple: even sword immortals could die there, and martial artists would die even faster. Often, going out of the city meant a one-way trip. Others felt they had reached the end of the martial path and began to enjoy the fruits, dedicating themselves to passing on the boxing to the third-generation disciples of the Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple, beautifying it as helping Master Pei Axiang spread his legacy and dominate the continent. Of course, some had become military generals in secular dynasties, needing to help the monarch and emperor suppress and gather a nation's martial fortune, truly unable to extricate themselves. Pei Axiang's senior disciple was in such a situation.

Many times, after painstakingly selecting and finally accepting a few talented disciples, cultivating them for years or decades, imparting the true essence of boxing, as time passed, the disciples would have their own lives. Gradually, only the nominal master-disciple relationship remained. Even within the same boxing lineage, the gap between master and disciple would widen. Even if those disciples still respected their master in their hearts, most were not their own masters, the fists not their own. Pei Axiang had some regrets about this, but not too much sadness or disappointment.

His own Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple lineage, besides Liu Suiyu, who could stand on her own, had a few other disciples, including a young final disciple who could inherit the mantle.

In fact, during that encounter in the Bamboo Sea Cave Heaven, A Liang had already told Pei Axiang to broaden his mind. Since he was a sure bet to reach the tenth realm, he shouldn't always stare at this realm; it wasn't going anywhere. He should look at higher and more magnificent scenery. Climb the peak of Sui Mountain, go see the Sword Pile Great Wall, tour Northern Julu Continent, drop by Tianyu Cave Heaven...

But at that time, Pei Axiang didn't think much of it. Of course, it was also because that bastard A Liang quickly changed the subject, his eyes shining, drunkenly wiping his mouth, and talking about the figures of certain celestial maidens.

Pei Axiang sighed and sighed. Life always throws a punch at you out of nowhere, not too hard, not too light, but enough to leave you powerless to parry. That's probably what the feeling of powerlessness is.

Even a tenth-realm martial artist is no exception.

Pei Axiang put away these thoughts and laughed, "Pei Qian, if you don't mind the cramped space, stay here and recover from your injuries for a while."

This little girl, who called herself the 'inaugural disciple' of Fallen Mountain, was indeed a distant wandering realm martial artist who had 'only' obtained the title of 'strongest' five times. The foundation she had built was astonishingly solid.

Recovering here wouldn't take long.

Pei Axiang grew even more curious about Fallen Mountain in Vial Bottle Continent. Who was the master who had taught Pei Qian boxing and helped temper her physique? Could it be a ninth-realm martial artist other than Song Changjing of Vial Bottle Continent? A pinnacle realm martial artist was very unlikely, otherwise, Pei Axiang could not have failed to hear of their name. In Hao Ran's world, there were far too few tenth-realm grandmasters compared to Upper Five Realm cultivators. For example, in the neighboring Northern Julu Continent, there were only Wang Fushu, Gu You, and a martial artist surnamed Li. A ninth-realm martial artist already involved the comings and goings of a continent's martial fortune; it was very difficult to hide too deeply.

After the fist fight, the headache for Pei Axiang was that female sword immortal, Xie Songhua.

No matter how he looked at it, she had come with bad intentions.

Pei Qian, who had been silent, finally spoke up, "Senior, I still have one last punch I would like to ask Senior Liu for guidance."

Liu Suiyu raised two fingers and pressed them against her temples, gently massaging them.

Xie Songhua hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Pei Qian, are you sure?"

Pei Qian nodded. She turned to look at Xie Songhua and grinned, "Just one punch."

Liu Suiyu turned to look at her master behind her.

Pei Axiang thought for a moment, "Then let the little girl stay here for a few more days."

His implication was that Liu Suiyu shouldn't be too constrained by seniority and realm differences.

However, Pei Axiang transmitted his voice to his disciple, reminding her, "Remember, you can punch harder, but absolutely do not damage her martial path foundation."

He didn't want to make enemies of Fallen Mountain, and it was also out of the conscience of a senior martial artist.

Liu Suiyu replied with a smile, "How could I bear to? The more good seedlings like this in the world, the better."

Pei Qian clasped her fists to Liu Suiyu and said, "Senior, I know I was rude. To Senior Liu..."

Then she looked at Pei Axiang, "And I apologize to Grandmaster Pei."

Liu Suiyu nodded, "Alright, then let's exchange one punch each. Yours is a greeting gift, and I'll reciprocate on behalf of the Mahu Prefecture Thunder God Temple."

Xie Songhua suppressed a smile and said to the two children, "Learn from that. Your Sister Pei is the epitome of a great master."

Juxing nodded, "I can learn if I want. Harder for some people."

Zhaomu gently tugged at Xie Songhua's sleeve and whispered tremblingly, "Master, I'm a little scared."

Then Pei Qian stopped walking and made a strange move. She raised her hand and lightly slapped her forehead.

In Northern Julu Continent at Lion's Peak, under Li Er's fists, Chen Ping'an had used the sixth realm to reach the seventh realm, the Golden Body realm.

And when Li Er fed fists, he always had a purpose and was very targeted. Therefore, many punches unsuitable for a sixth-realm martial artist were perfect for tempering Pei Qian's physique.

It was fortunate that Li Huai had spent that half year at the foot of the mountain town, helping his mother do business and earn money, never seeing Pei Qian's training methods once. Otherwise, he would have completely lost his motivation to practice boxing.

Practicing boxing is truly bitter.

And the aversion to hardship was exactly the same in Pei Qian back then as it is in Li Huai now.

It's just that Li Huai is luckier than Pei Qian, for now not knowing that he doesn't have to suffer at all.

If someone wants to compete with Li Huai in knowledge or courage, they have a chance. But competing with him in luck? No way.

Pei Axiang suddenly asked, "What was that first punch you threw called?"

Since the fist intent was clear, asking about the fist technique wouldn't be against the rules of the martial world.

Pei Qian slowly retreated, increasing the distance from Liu Suiyu, and answered, "The boxing comes from Fallen Mountain, but it's not something my master taught me. It's called the Divine Drummer Style."

Pei Axiang smiled and nodded, "How old is your master?"

Pei Qian shook her head.

She knew very well what she could say and what she shouldn't.

She kept her mouth shut about what she shouldn't say. That was also treating others with sincerity.

Back then, in the fist fight on the Sword Pile Great Wall, Yu Juanfu had broken her master's Divine Drummer Style fist intent.

Today, outside the Thunder God Temple at Mahu Prefecture, Pei Qian's Divine Drummer Style had also been interrupted by Liu Suiyu, only delivering seventeen punches.

Indeed, the world is full of extraordinary martial artists.

Pei Qian was convinced that if she could deliver twenty-four punches, her opponent would definitely collapse. Even a ninth-realm martial artist would be the same.

But her opponent could also break her fist intent with that same punch around the twenty-second punch. Whether it was a sparring match to determine victory or a life-and-death struggle to decide survival, she would lose.

There was nothing she could do. The gap of one realm between pure martial artists, her master could ignore it when fighting opponents, but she, Pei Qian, still couldn't.

What she could do now was deliver this one punch.

It was something Pei Qian had comprehended on her own.

She hadn't thought of a name yet. She would have to wait for her master to come home and help her think of one.

Her master was excellent at naming things.

Jingqing, Nuanshu, how beautiful were those names?

And look at herself. Pei Qian, 'Paying money'?

Pei Qian looked around, held her breath, and focused her mind. Her eyes sparkled.

Her knees slightly bent, one palm extended upright, the other fist clenched tightly before her.

This punch hadn't been thrown yet; it was just a stance.

But Xie Songhua had already taken the two children and flown several dozen zhang away.

Pei Axiang squinted from the steps, then lightly moved a step, shielding Liu Youzhou.

Behind the young woman, it was like a great sun breaking through the surface of the sea, rising into the world, then suddenly and rapidly hanging in the sky.

When my fist is thrown, it is like the sun at high noon.

All martial artists in the world can only bow their heads.

--------

In the Central Earth Continent's sixth great dynasty, the Shaoyuan Dynasty.

The national teacher Chao Pu and his proud disciple Lin Junbi began to review the early deployments of that Embroidery Tiger in Vial Bottle Continent.

Inside the pavilion, it was warm as spring, but outside, heavy snow was falling.

However, the national teacher spoke little, letting Lin Junbi explain for himself the interconnected and complex strategies of the Great Li Dynasty, both on and off the mountains. He commented on their strengths and weaknesses, explaining where the gains and losses lay. Lin Junbi didn't have to worry about being wrong; he could speak freely.

This was not unusual in the National Teacher's Mansion. Chao Pu had always believed that a major problem in the world was that everyone's knowledge was shallow, yet they liked to play the teacher, without truly knowing how to be one.

So Chao Pu had a peculiar habit when teaching and resolving doubts: he liked to let his disciples who thought they had achieved something, regardless of age, imitate the masters of private schools. They could either explain the principles to others in a school or convince themselves in the study first. To convince others with reason, one must first convince oneself.

During Lin Junbi's occasional moments of thoughtful silence, Chao Pu would say some digressions, but the conversation between master and student would not deviate from the main topic.

This national teacher of the Shaoyuan Dynasty, who held power second only to the emperor, wore a tall hat and a broad belt. He looked thin but refined, holding a snow-white whisk draped over his arm.

What stood out was that the old man appeared very scholarly and approachable. He didn't look like someone to whom the emperor had entrusted the reins of the country; he was more like a leisurely, bohemian celebrity.

Chao Pu smiled and said, "The three and a half disciples of Wen Sheng can barely count as four. Now, of course, a new closed-door disciple has been added: the Hidden Official Chen Ping'an. The orthodox lineage of my Confucianism is roughly divided into six main branches. The branch of the old scholar has the fewest successors. Especially one of them, who never acknowledged being part of the Confucian lineage, recognizing only the master, not the Confucian Temple's orthodoxy. These four people, due to their different temperaments, have been likened to spring, summer, autumn, and winter, each representing one season."

The old Confucian spoke unhurriedly, "No matter who it is, being with Qi Jingchun is like being bathed in a spring breeze."

Lin Junbi asked, "I heard that before Mr. Qi became the mountain master of the academy, his temperament wasn't very good?"

His master could address Qi Jingchun by his name, but Lin Junbi had to respectfully call him Mr. Qi. Even in a master-disciple relationship, Lin Junbi didn't want to overstep propriety.

Chao Pu laughed, "Spring is still chilly; it can freeze the young."

The old man then said, "A scholar is approachable, reasonable, and respectful, but he is not a yes-man. The spirit of a scholar, the quality of integrity, cannot be like mud."

"As for the sword immortal Zuo You, he is like a scorching summer sun. It is easy to feel the heat. Outsiders from Wen Sheng's lineage find it hard to get close to him. Zuo You is straightforward in his studies and unfeeling. Later, he turned to practicing swordsmanship, and inadvertently, his swordsmanship became unparalleled in the world. There's no point in arguing with him."

"The one the old scholar calls 'Silly Big Fellow' has never had a confirmed real name. Even the fellow disciples of Wen Sheng's lineage are used to calling him Liu Shiliu. This man left the Achievement Forest long ago and has been missing ever since. Some say he is a very old tenth-realm martial artist, others say he is an immortal of ghostly form, and he even has some connection with the 'Most Proud.' Legend has it that they once went into the mountains together to gather herbs and seek immortals. There is no record of this man in the Confucian Temple. Probably, it was written down initially but then secretly erased by the old scholar."

"This man is taciturn. He is the most silent member of Wen Sheng's lineage. Some of the rumors about him are mostly from the tales of A Liang, which cannot be trusted. The autumn wind is bleak and harsh. This man's only known action involved a huge storm. In the end, it was the old scholar who stepped in. It's hard to say whether he was cleaning up a mess or making a bigger one, causing a mountain to sink. Now, Hao Ran's world only knows the aftermath, not the true cause."

Hearing this, Lin Junbi was puzzled. "Such a hidden and unfathomable figure. He didn't show up when the Li Zhu Cave Heaven fell. He still didn't appear when Left Sword Immortal rushed to the Sword Pile Great Wall. And now, when the Embroidery Tiger is stationed in Vial Bottle Continent, there's still no news of him. Master, isn't this too unreasonable?"

Chao Pu nodded, "So there are rumors that this man has already gone to another world, that Western Buddhist Kingdom."

Lin Junbi's expression turned strange. A Liang once caused a riot in an academy. There was a popular saying, a 'golden advice' to those juniors and sages: "Don't stay up late, it's not easy to get a monk's pedigree. Be careful, you might go bald, and the temple still won't accept you."

Chao Pu shook his whisk, switched arms, and laughed, "A Liang got too close to Wen Sheng's lineage. In the beginning, there was quite a lot of controversy. After the 'Three-Four' dispute ended, A Liang went to the Sword Pile Great Wall. There might have been an element of deep disappointment."

Then the old Confucian talked about the Embroidery Tiger, Cui Chan, Wen Sheng's former senior disciple. He had originally been expected to become the 'heartwarming winter sun.'

Academy mountain master, academy libationer, deputy leader of the Central Earth Confucian Temple, and finally, a saint enshrined in the Confucian Temple at a high rank. These titles would have been easy for Cui Chan to achieve step by step.

Most importantly, this man, Cui Chan, had excellent relations with many forces outside the Confucian Temple.

He had composed the 'Caiyun Score' with the city lord of Martial Emperor City, was a close friend and chess opponent of the ancestor of the Yu Clan, whose original name was 'Shui,' was an academy mountain master and a sword immortal, and also the ancestor of the White Paper Blessed Land... They all sincerely recognized Cui Chan's knowledge and character. However, later came waves of criticism. The trend was inevitable, and Cui Chan was not one to gather friends easily. So he became increasingly silent. It wasn't until the world was turned upside down and the mountains and rivers changed color that Cui Chan re-entered the world's vision. Even if people wanted to ignore him, it was hard.

For example, Chao Pu himself looked down on Cui Chan. He wished Cui Chan would just obediently die in the position of the Great Li Dynasty's national teacher. Now, Cui Chan had helped Great Li occupy a continent and block the demon race's advance north into Vial Bottle Continent. Chao Pu admired this, but recognizing a person's profound knowledge and far-reaching calculations didn't mean Chao Pu could accept Cui Chan's betrayal of his master. In fact, Chao Pu had always considered Cui Chan's hurried promotion of practical studies and his subsequent defection from the lineage as the key turning point in Wen Sheng's lineage's decline from prosperity.

However, Chao Pu was also a national teacher of a dynasty. More than ordinary scholars, he had to admit that Cui Chan's practical studies had been implemented to an extreme in Vial Bottle Continent.

Both on and off the mountains, the entire continent was indeed under Cui Chan's control.

Chao Pu sighed softly, "Winter is good for drying books. The hidden darkness in people's hearts has been brought out by that Embroidery Tiger to see the light of day. Without this, which vassal state in Vial Bottle Continent doesn't have national hatred and family grievances? Their hearts would be no better than Tongye Continent."

Lin Junbi looked down at the Vial Bottle Continent chess game on the table and said softly, "The Embroidery Tiger is truly ruthless. Ruthless in heart and even more ruthless in action."

Even in Vial Bottle Continent, where a single country covered a continent, when disaster loomed, there were scholars who resigned from office, registered immortal masters who left their sects, and mountain and marsh wild cultivators who went into hiding.

But the Great Li Dynasty seemed to have anticipated this. Before this situation could intensify, they quickly produced a comprehensive set of countermeasures. The response was swift. It clearly seemed as if they had been waiting for these people to surface.

The young emperor of Great Li, Song He, issued an imperial decree, ordering all vassal states of the continent.

All generals, ministers, and officials in the vassal states who dared to defy Great Li's national laws, either by passive aggression or lazy governance, would be held accountable according to the law. There were rules, and they would be followed.

Those who dared to withhold information, report only good news, or muddy the waters in times of trouble would have their vassal rulers recorded. This detailed file would be immediately handed over to the Great Li garrison civil and military officials. The local Great Li troops had the authority to act first and report later, bypassing the vassal kings.

The hundreds of resigned officials in Vial Bottle Continent would, according to the newly issued Great Li law, have their descendants banned from officialdom for three generations, reduced to commoners. Furthermore, all the commendations, memorial arches, and plaques historically bestowed on their families by the government would be cancelled, either dismantled on the spot or confiscated and destroyed. Additionally, the government ordered local officials to revise local county records, naming and shaming those who had resigned.

A scholar from Guanhu Academy, hailed as a 'Great Gentleman,' personally took charge of this matter, working alongside two deputy ministers from the Great Li Ministry of Personnel and Ministry of Rites, and traveled across the land.

This scholar, known for his gentleness and rigorous scholarship, was in flattering terms a man of amiable and kind nature. But to put it bluntly, he was too mild and kind. However, during that accountability tour to various Great Li vassal rulers, he displayed extremely decisive methods. Time and again, he appeared by the rulers' sides, delivering severe reprimands. On one occasion, he directly overstepped the academy's rules and appeared in the court where the monarch and his ministers were deliberating. There, he loudly rebuked the entire court, especially the group of aristocratic civil officials, berating them mercilessly.

His words, since they had reached Lin Junbi's Shaoyuan Dynasty, must have reached the entire Confucian Temple, academies, and schools.

"Studying books is like eating shit. In ordinary times, we let you be those pedantic Confucians and cynical dogs. But at this critical juncture, anyone who dares to shit on the sages' books will be held accountable if I find them! If any monarch dares to cover for them, I will shed my title as a gentleman and make you get off the dragon throne. If there's another, I will shed my title as a worthy and drive the next one away. And if there's yet another, I will shed my identity as a Confucian scholar and take on the identity of a monarch myself."

Due to the aggressive stance shown by this Great Gentleman from Guanhu Academy, and the strict implementation of the Great Li's harsh laws across the land,

during this period, an old Confucian suggested that at such a perilous time, perhaps they should set aside some of the rights and wrongs, pay the matter down, and allow those people to atone for their mistakes through meritorious deeds, which would be more beneficial to the overall situation.

The result for this man was that he was kicked to the ground by the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Personnel of Great Li, who had been watching coldly from the sidelines.

On the coastal battlefield, Great Li's iron cavalry were all dying before others, but these pampered officials were in no hurry at all.

The other Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Rites sneered on the spot, "Every single one of them is a good hand at being an official. Unfortunately, once they become officials, they forget how to be human."

In the court, the entire assembly of civil and military officials trembled in fear.

As for those registered immortal masters who had flinched in the face of danger, the Great Li military command was sent to the ancestral halls of the various immortal families. The leaders of the disciplinary enforcement, if they had already joined the Great Li army, were handed over to other ancestors. They were responsible for arresting those masters and bringing them back to the mountain. If there was resistance, beheading on the spot. If they couldn't be captured within a year, Great Li would directly hold the mountain sect accountable, and then Great Li's accompanying military cultivators would take over.

Liu Xunmei, one of the three overseers of the great ferry, was jointly responsible for this with the Left Deputy Minister of the Great Li Ministry of Justice.

Lin Junbi suddenly said, "If the Great Li civil and military officials had another thirty years to digest the power of a continent, they probably wouldn't be so rushed and struggling now."

Chao Pu nodded, but then shook his head.

Lin Junbi understood. With a complex expression, he said, "Great Li has the Embroidery Tiger."

Chao Pu's words went a step further, "Of course, having the Embroidery Tiger is best. Without him, as long as the practical studies can persist, the national power of Great Li can continue to rise. Qi Jingchun, at Cliff Academy, cultivated a large number of visible and hidden scholarly seeds for half a continent. Cui Chan then taught and utilized these seeds through practical studies. This was the unspoken agreement between Qi Jingchun and his senior fellow apprentice. Their studies both constrained and complemented each other."

Chao Pu pointed at the chessboard. "Junbi, talk about the details. Also, talk about the intricate parts that our Shaoyuan Dynasty wants to do but can't."

Lin Junbi said, "At all strategic points along the coastal front, the Great Li iron cavalry is divided into a front and rear army. The rear army is relatively thinly manned. The front army is on the offensive, with a spirit of bravery in the face of death, generating morale and securing the army's spirit. The rear army superintends the vassal state troops in the center."

Speaking of this, Lin Junbi sighed with emotion, "Often, a few thousand troops dare to superintend tens of thousands of troops. This shows the strength of the Great Li iron cavalry."

Lin Junbi continued to talk about the landscape gazetteers of the immortal mountain sects, which could be posted in the prefectures, counties, and towns of the vassal states across Vial Bottle Continent. This demonstrated the Great Li Dynasty's astonishing control over the continent's mountain cultivators.

A flying sword transmitted a message into the pavilion.

Chao Pu held the whisk in one hand and with two fingers caught the flying sword. After opening a top-secret letter sealed with mountain-grade purple clay, he sighed deeply and said, "Fuyao Continent can't hold out any longer. Zhou Shenzhi has already fallen in battle. Qi Tingji has begun to lead a retreat to Golden Armor Continent. He will continue to serve as a pillar, but at best, he can only hope to hold half of Golden Armor Continent while awaiting reinforcements. So many scholarly seeds from the academies and schools, just like that, they are gone."

Lin Junbi was heavy-hearted.

Before this, there had been even more devastating news. Compared to the orderly retreat from Fuyao Continent, where a large number of Fuyao Continent cultivators fell back to Golden Armor Continent, Tongye Continent was even more hellish.

Taiping Mountain was breached. Not a single cultivator from Taiping Mountain survived.

Having lost the Three Walls and Four Symbols Grand Formation, the entire Fuqi Sect followed suit, all dying in battle, not one seeking to cling to life.

Da Fu Academy was personally handled by that great demon, the throne-level demon known by the alias Zhou Mi from the Barren Wilderness World. By Confucian means, he suppressed the academy.

This meant that the entire Tongye Continent had only two remaining flickers of human lamp, teetering on the verge of extinction. One was the deeply entrenched Yup Gui Sect, and the other was the Tongye Sect, where Zuo You stood with his sword, repelling the enemy.

Though not all of the continent's mountains and rivers had sunk, eight or nine out of ten of its fortune had fallen into the hands of the demon race.

Lin Junbi asked, "Master, the Chen Clan of Chun Confucianism?"

Chao Pu was even more sorrowful, as he himself was a descendant of the Sub-Saint lineage.

And Chen Chun'an of the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva was a pillar of the Sub-Saint lineage.

Chao Pu said helplessly, "Mr. Chen made the worst choice. When the world thought he should die, he didn't. When it was time for him to live for the sake of personal honor, he didn't."

Chao Pu stood up, looking at the heavy snow falling outside, accumulating into thick snow, and murmured, "What is 'should die'? In the eyes of the world, being the first to die a spectacular death among all ascension realm cultivators in Hao Ran's world. What is 'should live'? Regardless of right and wrong or merits, as long as Chen Chun'an is alive, as long as he holds the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva, he will have the chance to explain why he didn't die earlier. Even if Mr. Chen doesn't speak, I, Chao Pu, and our Sub-Saint lineage, will explain for him."

Lin Junbi followed his master and stood up. "But without Mr. Chen guarding the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva, it cannot hold. Even with the 'Searching Mountain Scroll' given by that Mr. Bai, still, a continent cannot be defended. If Mr. Chen, to preserve his own reputation, chooses to leave the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva without authorization, appearing to sacrifice himself nobly, he would in truth be the true eternal sinner of Hao Ran's world."

Chao Pu said, "As long as Mr. Chen doesn't leave the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva, all the cultivators related to Tongye and Fuyao Continents, even if they understand this reasoning, will still harbor resentment against Mr. Chen. If this is still human nature, then consider this: people who only talk about grievances but not reason are too numerous in this world. If one ascends the mountain to practice the Dao only on the surface, they will only cultivate power, not the mind. The consequences will be endless."

The old Confucian's expression was grave. "It is said that Zhou Mi, at Da Fu Academy, laughed and said, 'Since you Confucians hold power, why delegate it to secular kings? Since you know the human heart, why have you not acted in ten thousand years? So you say the human heart is originally good. It is your own fault. So I will hold up the demon-revealing mirror and let your Hao Ran world see if your innards are truly filled with righteous qi, or if, under the demon-revealing mirror, human nature, both good and evil, will be exposed in its true form. Now, one Tongye Continent is not enough to see. Let us look at a few more continents.'"

This was not Zhou Mi's alarmist talk. Even within the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva, how many people were whispering, pointing fingers at Chen Chun'an?

Two continents had fallen, but the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva stood aloof.

And in Tongye Continent and Fuyao Continent now, if snow fell, there were few left to sweep it away.

Chao Pu smiled, turned to Lin Junbi, and said, "By the way, there's barely some good news. The young Great Li prince, whose vassal residence is at Old Dragon City, has refused to allow any cultivator from Tongye Continent to cross north and land. Not only that, this Song Mu has ordered that any cultivator approaching within ten li of Old Dragon City is to be considered an enemy of Great Li. Not only can no Tongye Continent cultivator enter Old Dragon City, but in fact, they cannot land anywhere along the coast of Vial Bottle Continent. If found, regardless of identity, they are to be beheaded on the spot."

Lin Junbi exclaimed in admiration, "No wonder the Embroidery Tiger trusted this man to oversee the construction of the secondary capital and garrison Old Dragon City."

Chao Pu then said, "But the bad news is that the demon race's focus has always been on this line of four continents: Tongye, Vial Bottle, Northern Julu, and Aiai. You wait. The first time the ancestor of the Tuoyue Mountain strikes in Hao Ran's world, it will definitely be on Vial Bottle Continent. And it will certainly be a great stroke of art, with profound Daoist powers."

The old Confucian glanced at the sky dome.

He was silent for a moment, then said, seemingly casually, "Junbi, turning the tide when defeat is inevitable is a great feat. Stitching up the broken land is also a feat. One should form close friendships with upright gentlemen and pure scholars, but also learn to manage those who are petty and scheming. Only then can you truly accomplish something. Otherwise, at best, you'll end up as a lecturer, a teacher, or a name-dropping celebrity. Not bad, but not good enough."

Lin Junbi made a deep bow. "Master's teachings, your student has received them. For now, it is hard to reverse the heavens' collapse. I am willing to be a mender of the sky."

Chao Pu nodded.

Now, the snow was falling heavier and heavier, already making people feel the biting cold. But when the snow melts, the roads are actually more muddy and impassable.

It is coldest when the snow melts, and then the human heart is most exposed.

The old Confucian suddenly asked, "That Hidden Official, what kind of person is he?"

Lin Junbi thought for a moment and replied, "A good man who is smart enough."

Chao Pu muttered to himself, "Qi Jingchun is already dead. Zuo You is trapped in Tongye Sect. Cui Chan is holding Vial Bottle Continent. The closed-door disciple is alone on the Sword Pile Great Wall. The old scholar is truly... willing to let go."

Lin Junbi couldn't help but say, "Chen Ping'an once said that true great deeds have always been visible everywhere in the world. The lamps of human nature and good hearts can be found everywhere. It just depends on whether we are willing to open our eyes and see the world."

Chao Pu laughed, "A traveler in the snow at night, far from home, can find comfort in even a flickering lamp. On the journey of life, indeed, every time you see one more lamp, even if you are in the night of the world, your eyes and heart will be brightened by one point."

The old scholar proposed naming the fifth world the 'Clear and Bright World,' but the Central Earth Confucian Temple didn't agree, and the matter was shelved.

Chao Pu suddenly burst out laughing, "Good heavens! Leaving aside the discussion of good and evil in human nature for now, and just talking about good people and good hearts, this allows the Confucian orthodoxy to put more effort into education and cultivation. These words are clearly spoken through your mouth to us, the scholars of the Sub-Saint lineage!"

Lin Junbi was a little nervous.

Another flying sword message arrived.

After Chao Pu read the confidential letter, he stared blankly.

Lin Junbi said softly, "Master?"

Chao Pu came back to his senses and said, "Within our lineage, a moral essay was specially written to explain what Chun Confucianism truly is."

Lin Junbi's face darkened. "Was it instigated behind the scenes, or did it come from the heart?"

Chao Pu threw out that confidential letter and smashed it with the whisk, sneering, "Pure stupidity."

Lin Junbi rubbed his face vigorously with both hands.

The old Confucian mocked himself, "Suddenly, I'm a bit envious of Cui Chan."

--------

Among the sword cultivators, besides the central Ascension City, under the leadership of the Executioner lineage, both cultivators and commoners worked together to open up eight immortal mountain peaks in the surrounding areas, all rich in spiritual energy. Construction was booming everywhere. Some built mansions along the mountains, some cities by the water, and they also created landscape formations, continuously and secretly placing suppression artifacts.

This was essentially delineating a unique forbidden area covering a thousand li in circumference.

This would be the first layer of landscape boundary for Ascension City, which would naturally continue to expand outward in the future.

A sword cultivator who had traveled far became one of the first batch of visitors to Ascension City.

He wasn't really a guest; he could even be considered half of their own.

Because he was Deng Liang from Aiai Continent, a sword cultivator of the old Hidden Official lineage of the Sword Pile Great Wall. He had spent years in the Summer Resort, so he was very familiar with Xu Ning, Guo Zhujiu, and others.

When he left Inverted Suspension Mountain, as a sword cultivator at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm, the young Hidden Official gave him a personal secret letter.

Soon after, Deng Liang's sect began secret operations to facilitate his entry into the fifth world, where he could find an opportunity to break through, with additional fortune. This was a good thing for both Deng Liang and his sect.

In the letter, the young Hidden Official reminded Deng Liang that if he could convince his sect's ancestral hall to let him go to the new world, it would be best to go to Tongye Continent, not the Southern Continent of Bodhisattva or Fuyao Continent. But he must not reveal this to the sect. Finally, at the end of the second year of Jiachun, with everything prepared, Deng Liang chose the travel route through Northern Julu Continent, Vial Bottle Continent, and Tongye Continent. He intentionally passed by the Piaoran Peak of the Taihui Sword Sect in Northern Julu Continent, the Floating Ping Sword Lake in the center, and Fallen Mountain and Wind Snow Temple in Vial Bottle Continent, but he did not visit any of them.

Even though his sect had already contacted an academy of the Confucian Temple to secure a highly significant travel document for him, Deng Liang was still worried about unexpected problems. He feared that Tongye Continent, so far from the center of power, would be full of muddled minds. In fact, the root cause was that Deng Liang had a very poor impression of Tongye Continent, and consequently a bad view of the three academies there. He was even prepared to be shut out.

Deng Liang arrived at the gate of Tongye Continent in the late spring and early summer of the third year of Jiachun. Then he changed his mind and stayed there for nearly three years, guarding the gate alongside Senior Zuo You and the sword cultivator Wang Shizi, until the last moment before the gate was about to close. Only then did Deng Liang enter the fifth world.

Then he flew all the way to Ascension City.

Along the way, leveraging the sword intent he had accumulated through three years of gate-guarding battles alongside Senior Zuo You, and with Senior Zuo You's guidance, Deng Liang finally broke through to the Jade Pu realm in this new world.

At Zifu Mountain, southeast of Ascension City, he met the leader of the Executioner lineage, Qi Shou, who had also broken through to the Jade Pu realm.

Qi Shou was clearly surprised by Deng Liang's arrival. He was even more enthusiastic, personally guiding Deng Liang on a tour of this Zifu Mountain. He showed him an ancient stele that had been designated a forbidden zone, engraved with two lines of ancient seal script: "Six Caves' Red and Purple Mysterious Scripture, Three Purities' Zifu Green Charter." Qi Shou did not hide anything from Deng Liang. He confessed that at the foot of the mountain, they had unearthed an ancient jade box of archaic design, but for now, they couldn't open it. They didn't dare act rashly, fearing that carelessly, they might trigger an ancient prohibition and destroy the box and its contents.

Even though Deng Liang was from the old Hidden Official lineage, Qi Shou's sincerity toward this sword cultivator from another region was genuine. On the battlefield, they had cooperated once with great synergy. In fact, Qi Shou had a lukewarm impression of the young outsiders like Cao Gun and Xuanshen, but he felt a special affinity for Deng Liang.

Once at Zifu Mountain, Deng Liang was in no hurry to enter Ascension City.

After all, he would have to wait until the gate opened again a hundred years later to leave this new world, which didn't even have a name yet.

Deng Liang wasn't so foolish as to think he could break through two realms and reach the Ascension realm within a hundred years.

Fortunately, there was a reign name.

It was said that two things, time and weight, still had not been agreed upon.

When Qi Shou heard about this, he was slightly taken aback, seemingly unaware of the significance of these two matters.

Deng Liang didn't hide anything. He directly told Qi Shou why these two matters were not to be underestimated. One concerned the manifestation of some great Dao of the seasons and calendar, and the other determined the measurement and calculation of the weight of all things in the world.

As for the undercurrents