Chapter 707: Contending for the World with One City

Chapter 707: Contending for the World with One City

In the early spring of the seventh year of Jiachun.

The Patriarch Hall of Ascension City held the second formal meeting that all direct disciples were required to attend. All sword cultivators who had established residences elsewhere or were traveling abroad were to return on time.

Six years had passed since the first meeting, where portraits were hung and incense was offered.

In the main hall of the Patriarch Hall, forty-one chairs were currently placed.

Only the two chairs beside the table under the portraits remained empty.

The seats of the Punishment Official lineage were on the left, while those of the Hidden Official and Spring Treasury lineages were on the right.

There was a vague sense of confrontation between the two sides.

The leader of the Punishment Official lineage, Qi Shou, had only recently broken through to the Jade Pure realm.

The seats to the south, in order, were for two elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators. They came from small families of Taixiang Street and Yuhu Street respectively, and in previous years had been vassals of the two great surnames, Chen and Nalan.

The two old men had an average relationship with Qi Shou.

Both had withered souls, with at most a hundred years of life remaining. Their main interest now was helping Ascension City flourish and multiply, and they were willing to impart their sword techniques to young sword cultivators without reservation.

This was like the official circles of a mortal dynasty—those about to retire were often more outspoken, daring to say and do things they wouldn't have before.

Now that Ascension City had a new atmosphere, sword cultivators practiced their swordsmanship without any sectarian bias. The Hidden Official lineage of the Summer Retreat Palace had previously examined archives and compiled secret records, releasing many sword techniques and sword scriptures left behind by various sword immortals that had originally been heavily sealed.

However, cultivation on the mountain emphasized that the Dao should not be lightly transmitted, and techniques should not be lightly taught. One should not take it too seriously, but also not take it too lightly.

Therefore, young sword cultivators had to rely on their own talents, contributions, and the quality of their life-bound flying swords, especially the general outline of their flying sword's lifebound divine ability. Then, after joint verification by both the Punishment Official and Hidden Official lineages, they could access various secret archives and sword manuals of different ranks and entries. The threshold still existed, but compared to the former Sword Qi Great Wall, it was much, much lower.

Not only that, but the Hidden Official lineage had also brought out a revised cultivation method for the Eighteen Sword Qi Halts, which was made public to all sword cultivators of Ascension City for practice.

It was said that this new Eighteen Halts was originally passed down from A Liang. In the early years, only a handful of young people, including Ning Yao, Chen Sanqiu, and Diedie, were able to cultivate this method.

One by one, sword cultivators crossed the main gate and took their seats.

Not only were the vast majority young faces, but they were also genuinely young in age.

These young geniuses had at minimum the Dragon Gate realm as sword cultivators. There were also a few exceptions: several sword immortal seedlings who were not yet twenty years old. Rumor had it that these five young boys and girls, who had entered the middle five realms but were still not earthly immortals, were highly likely to be candidates for the Hidden Official lineage of sword cultivators.

In the Patriarch Hall of Ascension City, there were too few old people and too many young ones.

This was an unprecedented scene in any immortal sect's Patriarch Hall in the Haoran world.

About the time of a stick of incense remained before the appointed hour.

Qi Shou had already taken his seat. He actively leaned slightly to the side, discussing matters with an elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivator beside him. Nowadays, the Punishment Official lineage of sword cultivators held the most authority in Ascension City, with endless tasks every day. Qi Shou personally attended to everything—the site selection, placement of suppressive objects, and creation of landscape formations for the eight mountains around Ascension City all required his decision. To have broken through to the upper five realms amid such busyness fully demonstrated Qi Shou's astonishing talent.

Moreover, over the years, Qi Shou had never solely focused on practicing swordsmanship or deliberately pursued the Jade Pure realm. Instead, year after year, he bustled about for Ascension City, which earned him considerable goodwill.

Since Ning Yao had not yet appeared, the atmosphere in the Patriarch Hall was still relatively relaxed for the time being.

Because everyone knew full well that in the Patriarch Hall of Ascension City, Ning Yao alone could account for half.

Guo Zhujiu placed her walking staff horizontally across the armrests on both sides of her chair, gently swinging her legs. Next to her sat an old maiden and a fair-speaker, respectively.

Gu Jianlong communicated via heart voice, saying, "Lu Duan, why hasn't Ning Yao broken through to the Ascension realm yet? Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed."

Regarding the address for Ning Yao, this was actually a major problem for the Hidden Official lineage of the old Summer Retreat Palace. Calling her "Hidden Official" didn't seem quite right. Addressing her by name seemed even less appropriate, after all, Ning Yao was already a true great sword immortal. But saying "Great Sword Immortal Ning" felt too distant. Fortunately, Ning Yao herself had previously spoken up, allowing them to address her by name. In the end, no one was polite, nor dared to be polite with Ning Yao. Besides, the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage were never particularly polite people.

Guo Zhujiu lightly tapped her green bamboo staff with both hands, sneering via heart voice, "What do you know? You don't understand anything. This is the master's wife saving face for those Punishment Official lineage sword cultivators."

Dong bude suddenly slapped Guo Zhujiu on the back of the head.

Guo Zhujiu raised both hands, making a messy fist frame, and shook her shoulders, as if she had arduously dispersed Dong bude's "fist intent." Then she said angrily, "Sister Dong, what are you doing? I wasn't saying anything bad about you, heaven and earth as my witness!"

Dong bude was deftly flipping a book stamp made of Shuangjiang jade between her fingers and said with a smile, "My hands are itching."

Guo Zhujiu muttered softly, "The Hidden Official master isn't here, and the Hidden Official mistress hasn't arrived yet, so you just take the opportunity to bully me."

Wang Xinshui suddenly asked, "Sword Immortal Mi, along with Cao Gun and Xuan Shen, our good brothers—do they still count as sword cultivators of our Hidden Official lineage?"

Gu Jianlong rolled his eyes and said, "Aren't you being stupid? Would it be that hard to bring in a few more chairs? Aren't their names still on our own roster in the Summer Retreat Palace?"

Wang Xinshui nodded and said, "Reasonable, reasonable."

In the early years of the Summer Retreat Palace, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, Cao Gun, and Xuan Shen sincerely called each other brothers and regarded each other as kindred spirits. Hence, Dong bude referred to them as the four great lackeys under the Hidden Official. And the four of them together equaled one Guo Zhujiu.

Luo Zhenyi felt inexplicably sentimental.

In the current Ascension City, Luo Zhenyi was somewhat similar to predecessors of the Sword Qi Great Wall like Song Caiyun, Zhou Cheng, and Nalan Caihuan. Not only did she possess naturally stunning beauty, but she was also destined to become a female sword immortal.

Back then in the Summer Retreat Palace, the sword immortal Chou Miao was still there, and young outsiders like Lin Junbi and Song Gaoyuan were all present.

Just watching Lin Junbi play chess against Cao Gun or Xuan Shen—behind each side was a pile of terrible players, yet every single one loved acting as armchair strategists.

At the time, she didn't find it particularly interesting. Looking back now, Luo Zhenyi realized it was a very enjoyable thing.

There was a young man who watched the games with his hands tucked into his sleeves. His own chess skill was not high, but he loved giving random advice, as if afraid the world wouldn't be chaotic enough.

When Cao Gun or Xuan Shen beat Lin Junbi, Guo Zhujiu would lead the four lackeys in flattering and praising him. When he lost a game, the man would righteously shrug and say, "Blame me? That doesn't make sense."

Fan Dache took his seat with a solemn expression and remained silent. Among the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, he had the most proper sitting posture and was also the most sentimental.

The girl he liked most had already married. Once he encountered her on the street, and her child already knew to call him "Uncle Fan." For some reason, at that moment he only felt a bit disappointed, yet no longer heart-wrenchingly pained. Looking at the child whose features resembled hers, Fan Dache only knew that he smiled in relief at that time. But he didn't know what that smile of his looked like in the eyes of the woman who had become a wife and mother.

His best friend, Chen Sanqiu, had gone to the Haoran world.

The young Hidden Official he trusted most had stayed behind alone on the Sword Qi Great Wall.

He deeply missed that voice calling out, "Dache ah!"

Fan Dache quietly turned his head to glance behind him, smiled bitterly, then quickly withdrew his gaze and continued to hold his breath, silently nurturing his sword intent.

Fan Dache knew that his own sword Dao talent couldn't compare to any sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage. He had stumbled and struggled through hardships to reach the Golden Core realm. Moreover, Guo Zhujiu, Gu Jianlong, and the others not only had excellent innate talent but also far exceeded ordinary people in acquired effort. So Fan Dache felt considerable pressure.

As the second-in-command of the Punishment Official lineage, Nian Xin almost never showed her face in public. She usually wore a wide dharma robe, was at the bottleneck of the Nascent Soul realm, but was not a sword cultivator.

Her true identity seemed unclear even to the Summer Retreat Palace. She had appeared out of nowhere in Ascension City and somehow become a major figure among the Punishment Officials.

She was one of the latest four great oddities of Ascension City.

Nian Xin's seat was located behind the Punishment Official and the two elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators.

However, like Ning Yao, Nian Xin had not yet appeared.

Three chairs south of Nian Xin's seat were occupied by another of the four great oddities.

Three Golden Core sword cultivators who had studied under the same master, but the men wore women's clothing.

They came from the former sword immortal private residence "Basket and Sundries Studio," which was adjacent to the Immortal Zhongyu Pavilion. Using the divine ability passed down by their master, the three now helped Ascension City search for young sword cultivator seedlings.

In truth, they would have preferred to become sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, but Ning Yao, who was publicly acting as the Hidden Official, had not agreed.

The old sword immortal of Basket and Sundries Studio, who had an excellent personal relationship with A Liang, had collected many ancient inkstones. Therefore, the three Golden Core sword cultivators—Shezhou, Shuiyu, and Yanzhen—though not high in realm but possessing particularly outstanding killing power, were most familiar with Guo Zhujiu, who in her youth loved to climb walls and visit uninvited.

Thus, in the Patriarch Hall, although factions were clearly divided, the interrelationships between them were actually intertwined in countless ways—some as friends by affinity, some through ancestral ties—all tangled together.

A woman crossed the main gate and quietly took her seat. During this time, she did not greet anyone, not even exchanging glances.

It was Nian Xin.

Nian Xin began to close her eyes and rest. In today's meeting, she was destined not to speak.

In current Ascension City, to become a member of the Punishment Official lineage, among qi refiners, only sword cultivators were eligible. This was an iron law of Ascension City.

Conversely, the Hidden Official and Spring Treasury lineages had no such restriction; practitioners of the hundred schools of thought could all join without hindrance.

For the Punishment Official lineage, if one was not a qi refiner, only pure martial artists who had originated from the old Hanhan Palace could have their names written on the Punishment Official roster.

The martial artist lineage of the old Hanhan Palace had hired Zheng Dafeng, the temporary manager of the wine shop, as their fist instructor.

However, Zheng Dafeng had declined the position of patron offered by Ascension City. He only taught fist techniques to the group of young boys and girls including Jiang Yun and Yuan Zaohua, receiving only a salary.

Now, the martial artist lineage under the Punishment Official had grown rapidly, with over sixty members. Apart from the first ten people taught fists by Bai Lianshuang, including Jiang Yun, and two children newly taken in by Nian Xin when the city first landed, the third batch was mostly children aged five or six.

Practicing martial arts, although requirements for talent were far lower than for sword cultivators, it was a settled principle that one needed to start learning fists early.

Thus, in the end, the Punishment Official lineage had invisibly formed a pattern of one lineage with three branches.

Qi Shou held great power; Nian Xin was responsible for cultivating martial artists; and the two elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators got along well with the three Golden Cores from Basket and Sundries Studio. One side taught sword techniques, the other searched for sword cultivator seedlings, so their cooperation was smooth.

Nevertheless, even so, Qi Shou, who managed nearly half the sword cultivators, was still the undisputed most powerful person in Ascension City.

After finishing discussing official matters with the elderly sword cultivator beside him, Qi Shou resumed his sitting posture and glanced at the chair opposite him.

On the opposite side, the Hidden Official lineage was led by Ning Yao. Others included Dong bude, Xu Ning, Luo Zhenyi, Gu Jianlong, Wang Xinshui, Chang Taiqing, Guo Zhujiu, and Fan Dache.

Currently, there were nine people in total.

Compared to the Punishment Official lineage with its scattered factions, the Hidden Official lineage had fewer people but was clearly more cohesive, far beyond what the Punishment Official lineage could match.

When Ning Yao returned from her second far journey, Qi Shou found that she had clearly reached the bottleneck of the Immortal realm, a true great sword immortal.

Yet in the eyes of all Ascension City sword cultivators, the surprising thing was that when Ning Yao returned home riding her flying sword, she had not broken through.

This shows Ning Yao's position in the hearts of Ascension City.

Becoming a sword immortal is difficult; becoming a great sword immortal is harder; becoming an Ascension realm sword immortal is even more difficult than ascending to heaven.

But Ning Yao was the sole exception.

Qi Shou had no resentment about this, because Ascension City indeed needed such an existence.

After all, in this world now, heroes were contending for supremacy. There was not only Ascension City.

It was just that on the path of the sword, he was destined not to compete with Ning Yao. However, Qi Shou had an entire world he could contend for.

Qi Shou's gaze shifted slightly.

Gao Yehou's seat was on Ning Yao's side.

This man had arrived at the Patriarch Hall earlier than Qi Shou.

Gao Yehou was still at the Nascent Soul realm; breaking through to Jade Pure would not be possible in just three to five years. One step slow, and every step is slow. Qi Shou did not regard Gao Yehou as a rival. He was even willing, like Deng Liang, to become friends with Gao Yehou.

The Spring Treasury managed Ascension City's financial power. The three workshops—Clothing Workshop, Sword Workshop, and Pill Workshop—had been merged, headed by Nascent Soul sword cultivator Gao Yehou. However, as the God of Wealth, Gao Yehou himself was not skilled in financial matters. The real managers were several sword cultivators promoted from the Yan and Nalan families. They were older in age and not high in realm, but they were most suitable as accountants.

The name "Spring Treasury"—just looking at it, one could tell it was the handiwork of that young Hidden Official. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so refined.

Qi Shou had once fought side by side with Chen Ping'an on the city wall.

Public and private were separate. On the battlefield, the two were more than friends, though not quite friends. Chen Ping'an had even actively made a big deal with Qi Shou.

But outside the battlefield, each had their own ways to annoy the other, though it never reached the point of life and death.

Deep down, Qi Shou had to admit one thing: if that fellow had come along to this world, he would definitely be constrained everywhere, but it might actually ignite his fighting spirit.

Moreover, besides the deep foundation of the Qi clan, his own ancestor Qi Tingji was, after all, the only old sword immortal still standing at the peak of the sword Dao. Even though Qi Tingji was now in the Haoran world continuing to wield his sword against demons, for the current Ascension City, it was still a tremendous deterrent.

Deng Liang's position was near the main gate, so he sat next to several children with the shallowest experience but excellent talent.

This was not quite proper. As the first registered patron of Ascension City, his seat should have been near Gao Yehou and Nian Xin.

It was Deng Liang who insisted on this arrangement.

This also made Deng Liang, who already had decent popularity in Ascension City, become quite well-liked.

He came from Jiudu Mountain, a major sect in the Aiai Continent. As a direct disciple and a Nascent Soul sword cultivator, he was the mountain master of Suran Peak on Jiudu Mountain. After returning to his homeland, he had secretly attained Green Registry status as a Compilation Editor, which was even more difficult than becoming a direct disciple of the Patriarch Hall. Because once one attained the immortal Green Registry of Jiudu Mountain, a cultivator could share a portion of the sect's landscape qi fortune.

Deng Liang was originally from the old Hidden Official lineage and also had a close relationship with Qi Shou, leader of the Punishment Officials.

Therefore, Deng Liang chose not to side with either faction and intentionally kept a slight distance from the Hidden Official lineage. This was a wise move with good judgment.

Deng Liang had come here for three things: to practice swordsmanship and break through realms, aiming to become a great sword immortal; to see his beloved Dong bude, without hoping for anything more; and to serve as a bridge between Ascension City and Jiudu Mountain. He also hoped to do practical things for Ascension City and, as much as possible, prevent the Punishment Official and Hidden Official lineages from becoming irreconcilably opposed.

Thus, Deng Liang's position had to be impartial. Only then would his words, spoken as a patron, truly be heard by Ascension City's sword cultivators.

His current journey to Ascension City had brought a considerable quantity of the sect's unique immortal materials—gifts of heavy sentiment and not light in value. These included the New Year's Wine favored by the monarch beneath the mountain, as well as Zhongsi Rice and Quegui Talismans. On his trip to the fifth world, Deng Liang carried with him a special distance-measuring object and a miniature space object bestowed by the sect. Among them was immortal wine rich in spiritual qi, sixty jars; Zhongsi Rice, an immortal grain, with grains like pomegranate seeds, bright red in color, tasting like water chestnuts, totaling eight hundred catties, most suitable as medicinal food for cultivators in the lower five realms, gentle in nature, a top-class dietary supplement for mountain cultivators.

Especially the three hundred Quegui Talismans, which were extremely precious. In the Aiai Continent, they were also known as Green Vein Gold Script. The talisman paper, made from a unique immortal tree leaf of Jiudu Mountain, had green veins. Under sunlight and moonlight, golden light flowed. Posting one talisman was like having a spiritual door god protecting the home.

All of these were given to the Spring Treasury.

Ning Yao appeared outside the main gate.

The various low conversations inside the Patriarch Hall instantly ceased.

Over the years, Ning Yao had excelled at both breaking through realms and traveling far.

No one knew this world better than she did.

Ning Yao did not take her seat. Instead, she went to offer incense to the portraits of Ascension City's ancestors.

Punishment Official Qi Shou and Spring Treasury head Gao Yehou followed closely behind.

The nine sticks of incense for the three of them were to be provided by the eldest person in the Patriarch Hall.

This was a new rule established during the first meeting of Ascension City's Patriarch Hall, proposed by Ning Yao, with no objections.

Today, the person responsible for handing out the incense was one of the elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators of the Punishment Official lineage. It was the first time the old man had handed incense to the three, and he was on the verge of tears.

Previously, there had been several meetings here each year, but since Hidden Official Ning Yao was always away traveling, if she didn't appear to light incense, it couldn't be considered a true Ascension City meeting.

Moreover, in previous meetings, half the chairs in the Patriarch Hall were often empty. Each time the old sword cultivator handed incense to Qi Shou and Gao Yehou, the mood was never like today.

Except for the three offering incense, everyone else in the Patriarch Hall stood up.

After Ning Yao took her seat, she did not speak.

Qi Shou said, "Begin the meeting."

For this grand Patriarch Hall meeting, even the Punishment Official lineage, including the two elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators and the three Golden Cores including Shezhou, were quite worried that the Ascension City Patriarch Hall, from today onward, would become a one-man show.

This worry was not entirely selfish.

On Ning Yao's first return to Ascension City, she had chopped Qi Shou with her sword—something the entire city knew.

So would it be that in the future, whenever the Hidden Official lineage felt "wronged," regardless of whether they had reason, Ning Yao would simply deliver a sword strike and be done with it?

No one doubted Ning Yao's status as the city's leader, nor would anyone think Ning Yao would abuse her power for personal gain. The reason was too simple: there was no need. Ning Yao simply looked down on such so-called authority. For Ning Yao, whose vision now encompassed the magnificent scenery of the Ascension realm, everyone—including Punishment Official Qi Shou and Spring Treasury master Gao Yehou—clearly understood that for Ascension City to become the number one sect in the fifth world, it could lack anyone except Ning Yao.

But for Ascension City to stand firmly in the fifth world, it couldn't rely entirely on Ning Yao's realm and sword techniques to solve all problems.

Therefore, a group of elderly sword cultivators had met privately before coming, with the general idea being that they hoped Ning Yao would completely detach from the Hidden Official lineage and become a transcendent existence—or, more directly, become a second Chen Qingdu.

Major matters could be decided by her single word, but for the city's daily affairs and trivialities, it would be best if Ning Yao didn't interfere. She could focus on practicing swordsmanship and leap to become the first Ascension realm sword immortal in this world!

Patron Deng Liang had a clear view of the general sentiments of the current three lineages.

Having come from a major sect like Jiudu Mountain in the Haoran world, and having been a wandering wild cultivator for many years, Deng Liang didn't think these mixed feelings were necessarily a bad thing. He even felt that the current Ascension City, if one set aside combat power, was actually more vibrant than the former Sword Qi Great Wall.

Taixiang Street and Yuhu Street were still within the city, but now there were no true wealthy families or sword immortal clan heads.

Not many old people remained.

After all, almost all the sword immortals had died in the distant homeland.

It seemed that in that war, the old sword immortal had intentionally forced all the sword immortals and old people to make way for the younger generation.

This place was now a foreign land, but one day it would become the homeland for more and more young people and children of Ascension City.

Qi Shou spoke first. The first matter he raised was summarizing and screening information on all immortal sects, with emphasis on those sect-level schools, such as White Jade Capital, Xuan Du Temple, and Sui Chu Palace, located at the easternmost part of the world.

Another was collecting intelligence on all genius cultivators who had broken through to Jade Pure realm here. For example, the female Daoist Huang Ting of Tongye Continent, who had already reached Jade Pure realm. On a mountain peak, she had erected a stone stele and sword-engraved the three characters "Taiping Mountain." Additionally, there was a man using the alias Yang Hengxing, who was both a Far Traveling realm martial artist and a Nascent Soul cultivator—not to be underestimated.

Apart from Ning Yao's solo sword travels, four groups of Punishment Official sword cultivators had respectively gone to different directions to probe for information. They had also collected a large number of landscape gazettes from Fuyang Continent and Tongye Continent.

Qi Shou said, "Following the old practices of the Summer Retreat Palace, we should compile two volumes—main and supplementary. One records all sect forces, the other records upper five realms and earthly immortal cultivators. What do you think?"

Ning Yao nodded.

Gao Yehou said, "No objection."

After six years of continuous expansion, because Ascension City was located at the center of the heaven and earth, it had come into increasing contact with outside regions.

Sword cultivators constantly traveled abroad, while others came to visit. Apart from Ascension City's steady growth and orderly state, visible to all, many affairs of other families had gradually surfaced.

Among the young top ten, the Daoist priest Shan Qing of White Jade Capital was the closed-door disciple of the Dao Ancestor. A young monk, holding a twelve-ring tin staff, traveled alone.

Among the reserve ten, there was Shu Zhongshu of Tianyu Cavern Heaven in the Liuxia Continent, who had already built a Transcendence Platform.

Moreover, there were already several Jade Pure realm cultivators in this world, such as a female Daoist from the sword immortal lineage of Grand Xuan Du Temple in the Qingming world.

For the Hidden Official lineage, they had precedents to follow for everything, so they just needed to go through the motions. In fact, the Summer Retreat Palace had already made plans and provided a detailed proposal.

Earlier, the Hidden Official lineage had left the city and dispersed in all directions to survey the landscape. The Punishment Official lineage then selected eight places with abundant spiritual qi and favorable geography to expand territory, demarcating a thousand-mile domain for Ascension City as the foundation for its eternal enterprise.

The old Summer Retreat Palace had left behind a detailed book, handwritten by the young Hidden Official, with joint compilation by all the out-of-town sword cultivators including Lin Junbi and Song Gaoyuan.

This book was divided into sections. The Structural Section covered cases like the Pima Sect in Beiju Continent, Chunlu Garden, Taiping Mountain in Tongye Continent, the Deerhorn Palace where Song Gaoyuan belonged, and the court and battlefield of the Shaoyuan Dynasty where Lin Junbi belonged—each analyzed in terms of their operational methods.

The Expansion Section covered how to build immortal residences, arrange formations, plant spies abroad, and included twelve major entries on the sects, dialects, and customs of various continents.

The Human Heart Section covered topics like how to establish schools and related considerations.

The Landscape Section specifically explained the five sacred mountains and landscape deities of various places in the Haoran world.

This book, with over a hundred thousand words, was given to all Patriarch Hall members except that the Hidden Official lineage had deleted the Human Heart Section. Other than that, everyone had a copy. So now, although Ascension City's sword cultivators were not yet truly familiar with the tedious rules of the Haoran world, they were by no means ignorant.

"Punishment Official, I have something to say."

Gu Jianlong suddenly stood up and said with a smile, "Among the Punishment Official lineage, two groups of sword cultivators, totaling fourteen people, encountered considerable conflict with Tongye and Fuyang continent cultivators while heading north and south respectively. I heard they even killed people. After returning to Ascension City, over drinks, the main topic was how those two continents' cultivators were all useless. After hearing this, I almost felt that in the Haoran world, Golden Core cultivators from those two continents could be considered Observing Ocean realm cultivators. If this is true, then wouldn't I, Gu Jianlong, a Golden Core sword cultivator, be able to rampage alone across both north and south? After all, there aren't many Nascent Soul cultivators currently, and even fewer Jade Pure."

Gu Jianlong added at the end, "Of course, the people killed by the two groups of Punishment Official sword cultivators deserved to die—I want to make that clear. But having said that, for now, the so-called 'deserving death' is judged only by the words of the Punishment Official cultivators who traveled abroad. As for the actual facts, whether they match the truth, requires further confirmation by our Hidden Official lineage. When we close our doors as a family, we're not afraid to say the unpleasant things first. If we confirm that some sword cultivators, while abroad, wantonly killed to win great fame for our Ascension City, we appreciate the intention and must return the courtesy. At that time, I will personally visit them to discuss the matter."

The Golden Core sword cultivator from Basket and Sundries Studio, named Shuiyu, frowned slightly and said, "Gu Jianlong, aren't you making a mountain out of a molehill?"

Wang Xinshui confronted him tit for tat, saying with a false smile, "Brother Shuiyu, is there really such a thing as a small matter in the human world? Which major event didn't start as a small matter?"

Shuiyu, who had a decent relationship with both Gu Jianlong and Wang Xinshui, was about to continue speaking when his senior brother Shezhou stopped him via heart voice.

A young sword cultivator from the Punishment Official lineage sneered, "During the great war, some people didn't contribute much. Now that they're idle, they spare no effort in dealing with their own people. If this is the case, I say from now on, whenever we meet outsiders, we Ascension City sword cultivators should just actively make way and apologize first when encountering problems. How about that?"

Could it be that only you Hidden Official lineage sword cultivators can speak in such a sarcastic tone?

Anyone could do that!

Dong bude and Luo Zhenyi almost simultaneously stood up.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yao glanced at that young sword cultivator.

In an instant, he, along with his chair, flew out of the Patriarch Hall's main gate.

Then Ning Yao said, "After the meeting, replace that person and get a new chair."

The young sword cultivator crashed to the ground, shocked, frightened, and even more resentful. He was about to speak when it seemed sword qi enveloped his entire body, turning him into a bloody mess. He immediately fell unconscious.

Ning Yao said, "Continue the meeting."

Qi Shou's expression was calm.

Gao Yehou was unmoved.

One of the elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators seemed about to speak but hesitated.

Deng Liang sighed softly. That person outside—did he not use his brain at all when speaking?

Gu Jianlong's words addressed the matter itself, but that person outside had targeted people and specifically aimed at the entire old Summer Retreat Palace lineage.

Major principles, private virtue, good and evil, merit and fault, right and wrong—how complex they are. Once one targets people instead of matters, how can any principle be clearly explained?

Ning Yao looked at the silent crowd, no one daring to speak for a long time, and said indifferently, "People sitting here don't have to be sword cultivators, don't have to be high in realm, but their brains can't be too stupid. Ascension City currently has so few people, and we've only demarcated a thousand-li area, yet it's already stretched thin. Playing the game of court factional struggle under the mountain is still too early. There is only one rule in Patriarch Hall meetings: address the matter, not the person. Those who like to target people instead of matters should stop taking up space here."

Ning Yao then looked at Qi Shou and asked, "Who are the recommender and guarantor for this person within the Punishment Official lineage?"

Qi Shou gave two names.

Two Golden Core sword cultivators immediately stood up in the Patriarch Hall.

Ning Yao turned to Xu Ning and said, "Record this matter, then go check that person's file."

Xu Ning stood up, acknowledged, and then sat back down.

Ning Yao said slowly, "Including the Hidden Official lineage, from now on, everyone—including Gu Jianlong—should be careful when stating matters and speaking. In the past during Sword Qi Great Wall meetings, even Jade Pure realm cultivators generally weren't qualified to show up. Only Immortal realm cultivators could appear, and only old sword immortals could speak."

Gu Jianlong quickly nodded and said, "Understood. I'll be careful."

Ning Yao turned to look outside the Patriarch Hall's main gate and said, "In less than seven years, are you all already so arrogant?"

For a moment, the atmosphere was extremely tense.

Deng Liang had to stand up and explain, "If we still regard all qi refiners who are not Ascension City sword cultivators as potential enemies, then one day our Ascension City will degenerate into a military isolated place surrounded by enemies on all sides. If we still regard all the world's qi refiners as embroidered pillows with low killing power, then we will surely suffer great losses. We will be outmaneuvered by other forces using vertical and horizontal alliance tactics. We will eventually find that when we challenge others with our swords, the problem won't lie in the sword itself. Unexpected incidents will happen one after another, and we will all perish one by one."

Deng Liang gradually emphasized his tone, "What one thinks in the heart and what one does with the hands are two completely different things. If we Patriarch Hall sword cultivators are so arrogant, what about the sword cultivators outside? How conceited must they be? Liking to regard all outsiders as dogs and ants, thinking others' lives are insignificant—everyone who could be killed or not killed, kill them all with the sword. Then I think Ascension City doesn't need to contend for the world at all. If we can barely gain a foothold in a hundred years, that would already be worthy of burning high incense before the portraits in the Patriarch Hall. The qi refiners of the Haoran world are not higher in realm than Ascension City's sword cultivators, and their killing power is insufficient. So what? In mountain battles, there are machinations, scheming, conspiracies with threads laid a thousand miles away, often buried for a hundred years before emerging. That is how they kill without form. These words are not my Deng Liang deliberately being alarmist!"

Deng Liang finally clasped his fists and said, "If this were another sect in the Haoran world, a patron is ultimately half an outsider. Words like these, which would offend everyone, should not be spoken. The reason I still couldn't help it is that the position Deng Liang occupies is worth my boldness in pouring a basin of cold water for you all!"

The sword cultivator from Basket and Sundries Studio, Shuiyu, stood up and said, "I have received your instruction."

Gao Yehou rarely took the initiative to speak: "In this world, our Ascension City has the best timing, geographical advantage, and human harmony. Within the next hundred years, even if our hearts are scattered like sand, no force will be able to match us. But for long-term development, as Patron Deng said, we need to learn the strengths of the Haoran world's qi refiners and use them to make up for our shortcomings. Then, when we have both the world's highest sword techniques and strategic skills not inferior to others, Ascension City will have hope of dominating this world. Otherwise, after a hundred years, when accumulated problems fully emerge, it will be too late to correct them. Once the general trend is lost, even if Ascension City still has the most sword immortals, it will be useless."

This was a prudent and steady argument.

The sword cultivators seated in the Patriarch Hall all felt it was reasonable.

Qi Shou echoed, "Sword cultivators and public sentiment are the foundation of Ascension City's existence. Beyond that, high realms, large territory, and numerous people are only advantages on paper."

Gao Yehou nodded and said, "Therefore, the urgent task is to draw extremely clear boundaries for the power of the three lineages—Punishment Official, Hidden Official, and Spring Treasury—to reduce unnecessary consumption. Besides clearly knowing what must be done, everyone should also be clear about what we can do and what we cannot do."

This statement, in fact, could be considered the Spring Treasury lineage "speaking out for justice" on behalf of the Punishment Official lineage.

It seemed unreasonable but was actually extremely appropriate.

Perhaps this was where Gao Yehou's overall perspective lay.

Gao Yehou had already prepared his speech and began to elaborate on the powers and boundaries of the three lineages.

During this time, among the Punishment Official lineage, Shezhou raised an objection, while from the Hidden Official lineage, Xu Ning and Luo Zhenyi had different opinions.

However, with the earlier conflict over personal grievances as a backdrop, the current discussion on matters, even with some disputes, still seemed quite relaxed.

In the end, the three sides settled the matter, with only some details needing further refinement.

Ning Yao remained silent throughout.

These matters were indeed things Dong bude, Xu Ning, and others were better at handling.

So Ning Yao simply didn't bother to say much.

Ning Yao never liked to meddle in trivial matters. When she felt the need to step in, it meant that Ascension City had a significant problem.

Qi Shou's next concluding remarks were like a thunderclap out of a clear sky: "From today onward, the mindset of Ascension City sword cultivators being superior to others is permissible, but don't make it too obvious. In the Patriarch Hall, the habit of judging the rightness of arguments based on realm levels also needs to change."

Almost everyone intentionally or unintentionally looked at Ning Yao.

Because Qi Shou's words seemed to imply something specific.

Unexpectedly, Ning Yao's expression was as usual as she said, "From now on, if any sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage acts beyond the rules, both the Punishment Official and Spring Treasury lineages can bypass me and punish them directly according to the law. And each punishment should be severe rather than lenient."

This greatly surprised everyone and also relieved them.

Strangely, the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage each looked calm, without any sense of grievance.

Ning Yao trusted all the sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage.

Moreover, she thought that in a few years at most, or a few decades at most, either she would go find him, or he would come here. Then she would let him handle all the trouble.

These matters she didn't want to deal with—he was best at them anyway.

Besides, the atmosphere, rules, and reasoning of the Summer Retreat Palace were all his creation.

In the future, there would inevitably be more and more registered and unregistered patrons and guests, as well as outsiders who came to travel or settle.

Ascension City would gradually become a mixed bag.

Conflicts between outsiders and local Ascension City sword cultivators, whether overt or covert, would only accumulate. They would in turn affect the hearts of local sword cultivators. The complexity of human hearts might even be more troublesome than in the old Sword Qi Great Wall.

The Human Heart Section of the Summer Retreat Palace's book had already openly discussed this. Since this new path was chosen, one could only proceed step by step, looking back after each step. If there were mistakes, correct them. Every correction was not a bad thing but a gain. That person asserted that as long as we used a stupid method of constantly correcting small errors to eventually avoid major errors, the people's hearts would never be in great chaos.

Don't learn from those sect-level mountain gates in the Haoran world. Their greater skill was in covering up mistakes. Our Sword Qi Great Wall sword cultivators must have the courage and strength to correct mistakes.

After this sentence in the book, that person had additionally written the word "certainly" twice, with extremely heavy strokes that penetrated the paper.

Once one has great power, one often becomes arrogant.

Since the sword cultivators of the Sword Qi Great Wall no longer had life-and-death enemies like the Barbarian world, their true enemy was themselves. Therefore, from now on, they needed to cultivate their minds more.

In Patriarch Hall meetings, as long as the starting point was for Ascension City, then all sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage must tolerate people saying harsh words and slamming tables and cursing. And such people, after leaving the Patriarch Hall, must absolutely not be resented or excluded.

If this continued over time, then it wouldn't matter much whether the Patriarch Hall had sword immortals or whether the number of sword immortals was the best in the world.

Also, all children growing up in the city must remember the senior sword cultivators and also remember those out-of-town sword cultivators from the Haoran world. Both sides must firmly remember. Through schools and teachers, teach them what it truly means to be a sword cultivator and what the true bearing of a sword immortal is.

At the end of the booklet, there was an extra sheet of paper. The young Hidden Official, who always wrote in regular script, had for the first time written a sentence in running script: "Making you distracted is not my wish."

Guo Zhujiu was the first to flip through the book and found this paper. She swaggered over to show it to her master's wife, hoping to claim merit. But after Ning Yao took the paper, poor Guo Zhujiu ended up banging her head against the door—thud, thud, thud.

Ning Yao was silent for a moment, then only added one sentence: "As for whom I draw my sword against, and when and where, anyone can try to stop me."

Guo Zhujiu quickly clapped her hands without touching her palms, making no sound, very skillfully.

But invisibly, Ning Yao, who had already made the Hidden Official lineage take a big step back, added this sentence. It not only didn't make people feel heavy-hearted but instead gave them a long-lost... familiar feeling.

It was as if with Ning Yao there, saying such words, it more proven that the current Ascension City was still the former Sword Qi Great Wall.

Still that Sword Qi Great Wall with clouds of sword cultivators and the most dashing sword immortals.

Still that hometown that used one city of sword cultivators to resist an entire world of demons.

After Ning Yao's words, while listening to the meeting, she let her mind wander thousands of miles away.

She was currently quite concerned about a sword cultivator of unknown origin: Liu Cai, who was also among the young top ten of the several worlds.

He possessed two Sword Nurturing Gourds. He used "Heart's Affairs" to nurture his flying sword "Blue Fall" and used the Sword Nurturing Gourd "Immediately" to nurture his flying sword "White Colt."

Thus, this person was the only outsider Ning Yao paid relatively close attention to. Not because of the saying "Only Liu Cai can match Ning Yao in a same-realm battle a hundred years later."

But because the innate divine abilities of Liu Cai's two flying swords were truly too strange. By some mysterious design, they seemed most targeted at—one could even say specifically designed to counter—Chen Ping'an.

The flying sword White Colt ignored the river of time, suppressing Chen Ping'an's "Caged Sparrow."

The flying sword Blue Fall could break ten thousand swords with one strike, precisely targeting Chen Ping'an's "Moon in the Well."

Ning Yao frowned slightly.

Qi Shou continued to discuss the matter of leading teams for training travels. After all, without the Sword Qi Great Wall, the growth speed of sword cultivators would be far, far slower.

There was also the matter of planting spies to the north and south and winning over mountain forces outside.

As well as selecting martial artist seedlings. They also needed to establish seniority rankings for the current sixty pure martial artists in Ascension City. To achieve true orderly inheritance, some seemingly superfluous formalities were indispensable.

As for cultivating spies and death warriors, the matter was of great importance and involved the possibility of establishing a separate lineage.

Alternatively, the Hidden Official lineage sword cultivators could take full responsibility, thereby gaining an additional share of authority.

Qi Shou had long decided on this matter. After proposing it, he directly said, "Let the Hidden Official lineage handle this. Otherwise, merely supervising Ascension City would be overkill for their talents."

Deng Liang nodded lightly.

As the Punishment Official, one should have this kind of tolerance.

This could not only prevent the Hidden Official lineage from finding fault with the Punishment Official lineage—which would lead to both sides staring at each other all day and internal strife consuming too much energy—but also allow the Summer Retreat Palace sword cultivators, who were most familiar with intelligence and battle operations, to fully stretch their hands and help Ascension City truly set its sights on the entire world.

After today's Patriarch Hall meeting, Deng Liang had gained a deeper understanding of Qi Shou, Gao Yehou, and the three sword cultivators including Shezhou, whose status would continue to rise.

In Deng Liang's view, perhaps Shezhou, Shuiyu, and Yanzhen—these three sword cultivators with unique master-transmitted divine abilities—might not yet fully realize it themselves, but their small mountain of fellow disciples, along with the two elderly Nascent Soul cultivators, had actually become a crucial entity resembling half a Ministry of Personnel and half a Ministry of War. Moreover, compared to the two old men, the three from Shezhou's group were younger and could achieve higher on the Great Dao.

So Deng Liang, given the opportunity, would definitely find a chance to drink with them.

Deng Liang had never denied and always faced his own selfishness. He knew others wisely and knew himself clearly.

Afterward, they discussed those strange existences that Ning Yao had killed in considerable numbers. Their identities resembled remnants of ancient deities, but they differed from what was recorded in ancient texts.

Gao Yehou asked whether they could be captured and used as landscape deities to preside over qi fortune and gather spiritual qi.

Ning Yao said, "Very difficult to subdue. Barely a chance. The Hidden Official lineage will produce a booklet afterward, but this booklet should not be circulated."

Currently, there were only a handful of cultivators in a single world capable of slaying such existences. So every word in the booklet was essentially immortal money.

Qi Shou said solemnly, "Apart from the Hidden Official lineage sword cultivators, at most ten people within the Patriarch Hall may read it. Any slight leak will be thoroughly investigated by the Hidden Official lineage!"

After this, the Punishment Official lineage had more work to do. Qi Shou planned to allocate ten Earthly Immortal realm sword cultivators specifically to deal with such existences.

Gao Yehou requested to go along.

Because the mountains occupied by these existences often contained considerable quantities of natural treasures, and even the great opportunity of a blessed land or cavern heaven might appear. The female Daoist of Taiping Mountain in Tongye Continent had already proven this.

And the Spring Treasury, which managed all immortal money, certainly would not sit idly by or have any reason to stay out of it.

Even if Gao Yehou wanted to be an idle crane in the clouds, the other cultivators under the Spring Treasury would jump up and curse. After all, money and power are inseparable. Nowadays, a saying had somehow spread within the Spring Treasury: "If our Spring Treasury sword cultivators aren't high enough in realm, we'll make up for it with mountains of immortal money." Especially the younger sword cultivators, who often casually said things like "leave nothing behind, damn it" or "picking up scraps is also a craft"...

The atmosphere was worrying.

Currently, the four great oddities of Ascension City were Ning Yao's refusal to be the city lord.

As for Ning Yao's breakthrough in realm, that was the least strange.

Then there was the true identity of Nian Xin.

The three sword cultivators from Basket and Sundries Studio wearing women's attire.

So much so that last year, two young sword cultivators who had just been taken as disciples by Shezhou and Yanzhen, before jointly paying respects to their master, both asked with bitter faces whether they too had to wear women's clothes.

Shezhou was furious almost to death. Junior brother Shuiyu, imitating Gu Jianlong, said a fair word and smiled, asking the two brats, "What's wrong with wearing women's clothes? Back then, that Hidden Official even wore them on the battlefield, and wasn't he graceful and charming?!"

Finally, there were the young accountants of the Spring Treasury, whose eyes lit up as they collected wealth everywhere.

After that, the meeting dealt with matters that were all significant.

One elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivator reported the current number of sword cultivators in Ascension City and the projected number of native sword cultivators in the next hundred years.

Thus, Shuiyu proposed to lead a traveling team. The number of sword cultivators need not be large—three to five would suffice—to search for foreign sword cultivator seedlings for the Sword Qi Great Wall.

Gao Yehou suggested, in addition to the eight vassal mountain peaks of Ascension City, to develop four more cities. These could both guard the four directions and accommodate more people, while also to a certain extent preventing rapid infiltration of Ascension City by outsiders.

And the candidates to preside over the eight mountain peaks, including Zifu Mountain, were successfully approved today. The Punishment Official lineage got five spots, and the Spring Treasury lineage obtained three seats. One of those seats was fought for by Gao Yehou. The Spring Treasury cultivators had argued with the Punishment Official lineage until their faces were red.

The Hidden Official lineage had too few people and was not suitable, so they didn't get involved. However, Gu Jianlong did speak a few fair words on behalf of the Spring Treasury lineage.

When Gao Yehou proposed the four new cities, Luo Zhenyi spoke up, saying that sword cultivators of the Hidden Official lineage, or figureheads they supported, must in the future occupy one city and serve as vassal city lords.

Gao Yehou and Qi Shou exchanged a glance and acknowledged the matter one after another.

When the discussion turned to city construction, Luo Zhenyi then took the opportunity to mention the matter of "exclaves" far from Ascension City, saying that preparations must be made early for this.

This was also a matter of utmost importance that required great caution.

Because it was highly likely to cause conflict with various forces.

Due to the Hidden Official lineage's earlier questioning of Punishment Official sword cultivators, and Deng Liang's heartfelt words, the cultivators in the Patriarch Hall hesitated for a moment.

They were really worried about inviting trouble.

Ning Yao said coldly, "In this world now, apart from the four extremities—east, west, north, south—all other places are ownerless. There are no proper mountains that belong to anyone. We go to distant places, find a high place in each of the four directions, erect a stele, and engrave the four characters—Sword, Qi, Great, Wall. Anyone who is dissatisfied and dares to compete with us for territory will be treated as challenging Ascension City with their sword! If the defending sword cultivator cannot withstand the opponent's divine art, I'll go challenge them myself!"

In the Patriarch Hall, everyone received a huge reassurance.

Deng Liang smiled knowingly, full of admiration.

Indeed, this was Ning Yao.

A woman who had never set foot in the Summer Retreat Palace.

Ning Yao stood up and said, "Sword cultivators are sword cultivators. In another hundred or thousand years, in this Ascension City Patriarch Hall, at least half of the people must be sword cultivators. No matter what happens in the future, for thousands or ten thousand years, if among the several worlds only one sword cultivator remains, that person must be in this Patriarch Hall."

"A hundred years from now, the number of sword immortals in Ascension City must exceed the total of all other sword immortals in this world."

"In this world, Ascension City has the most sword cultivators. In this world, Ascension City stands highest on the sword path. This is not a great feat; it is a matter of natural right."

Ning Yao wore the dharma robe Jin Li and carried a sword case on her back.

Her brows and eyes were flying high.

Qi Shou was the first to stand up and said with a smile, "What about you, Master Gao? When will you reach Jade Pure?"

Gao Yehou stood up and smiled, "It won't be too much later than you."

Everyone in the Patriarch Hall, especially those sword immortal seedlings, had firm looks in their eyes.

The two elderly Nascent Soul sword cultivators stood up simultaneously. The old man responsible for handing incense in the Patriarch Hall clasped his fists and said solemnly, "Then I entrust everything to you all!"

——

At the Chen family mansion on Taixiang Street, there was a child with a solitary disposition who enjoyed basking in the sun. He lived in seclusion, occasionally going to the entrance of the Chen family mansion to look at the street outside.

His name was Chen Ji.

This was the new name he had given himself.

In all of Ascension City, only Ning Yao of the Hidden Official lineage, Nian Xin of the Punishment Official lineage, and Gao Yehou of the Spring Treasury lineage knew his original name.

Besides them, there was only a death warrior of the Chen family and a young maidservant. The former was nominally a Golden Core sword cultivator but was actually a Nascent Soul. This Nascent Soul sword cultivator was not only extremely young and talented but also fiercely loyal to the Chen family of Taixiang Street, ready to die generously for this child named Chen Ji at any time.

"Xi" meant light, also meant broadness.

"Ji" and "Xi" both meant brightness. The "Daya·King Wen" chapter said, "Ji xi, meaning brightness."

To reassure the people, to bring peace and stability within and without. To establish rites and create music, achieving the merit of bringing peace to the world.

Now only seven years old, Chen Ji—or rather, the former Sword Qi Great Wall old sword immortal Chen Xi—had actually read quite a few books.

Otherwise, the Chen family wouldn't have had descendants like Chen Sanqiu.

The Chen family on Taixiang Street once had a small custom. On the day Chen Xi carved the character "Chen" on the city wall each year, they would scatter a large dustpan full of illuminating pearls onto the street. The children of Taixiang and Yuhu streets would often gather early in the morning, waiting to pick up those pearls. Among the generations upon generations of children, there had been many who later became sword immortals, and even more who died before they could become sword immortals.

Today, Chen Ji stood at the entrance, looking at the quiet, deserted street, and smiled.

There was once a damned fellow who shamelessly crouched among the children every time, using fists, feet, and even his butt to push others aside. By these means, he would snatch a large handful every year. Then a group of children would follow behind him, wailing and cursing his parents.

At this moment, beside Chen Ji stood a young maidservant of ordinary appearance. She carefully watched every part of the street and gently reminded him via heart voice, "Family head, we can go back now."

Chen Ji nodded, turned, and walked back into the mansion.

After his death and reincarnation, his old soul was incomplete and hadn't fully awakened. But his memories remained. However, through a long-life lamp in the Chen family shrine, one soul and one spirit were supplemented, so his temperament inevitably changed somewhat.

That seamstress Nian Xin, who came from the prison of the old deaf man, had once secretly sent a confidential letter to him, the Chen family head. In the letter, the young Hidden Official asserted that within the city, there were still key pieces planted by the Barbarian world. Their realms were certainly not high, but they were hidden so deeply. When the city expanded rapidly in the fifth world, one must be careful of certain pieces, perhaps several, that seemed to usurp high positions without leaving traces. This was to prevent these existences from colluding with those demons who entered the new world through the three-continent gates, making long-term plans.

Therefore, within sixty years, Chen Ji was earnestly requested to find an opportunity to remind the Summer Retreat Palace, especially to closely monitor those old faces already in the Patriarch Hall, as well as the first two batches of new faces expected to enter the Patriarch Hall by merit. The Hidden Official lineage must carefully examine them. Additionally, they should watch those sword cultivators who were originally older and not known for talent but suddenly accelerated in realm-breaking. If they were Earthly Immortals, those who could break through two realms within a hundred years should be given extra attention.

Chen Ji walked through the most familiar mansion and smiled slightly.

This Hidden Official really had worn himself out worrying about the Sword Qi Great Wall.

The confidential letter had gentle wording, meticulous writing, and importantly, every word showed the courtesy of a junior.

And the biggest worry of the young Hidden Official in that letter was that the old sword immortal Qi Tingji, who was in charge of guarding the landscape cave on Fuyang Continent, would break his agreement and enter the fifth world.

Qi Tingji must absolutely not be allowed to gain control over the life and death of all sword cultivators.

Therefore, one must be careful that Tongye Continent would close its gate first, and ultimately Fuyang Continent would close its gate later than Southern Basa Continent.

Chen Ji muttered to himself, "Fortunately."

The gate of Fuyang Continent was indeed the last to close, but Qi Tingji had stayed in the Haoran world.

In the end, that young man was still worried about the safety of his unmarried wife.

As it turned out, Chen Ping'an had worried unnecessarily.

First, facts proved that Qi Tingji's skin wasn't as thick as Chen Ping'an had imagined.

Second, Ning Yao broke through too quickly. Even if Qi Tingji had great ambitions—coming here first to seize power, then coerce the city's sword cultivators to challenge Confucian rules—with Ning Yao present, and with the Wen Saint helping to keep watch, Qi Tingji would not easily succeed. Moreover, the relationship between Bai Ye and the old scholar, as well as the firm grip on power by his descendant Qi Shou, Qi Tingji would certainly have weighed the pros and cons.

But Chen Ji didn't think this kind of "proved unnecessary worry afterward" was not needed. On the contrary, it was most needed.

After all, Qi Tingji had almost become the second Xiao Sun.

For such a person to claim he had never thought of becoming the number one in a new world, seizing Great Dao qi fortune, and thereby breaking through to the fourteenth realm—no one would believe it.

Anyway, the young Hidden Official didn't believe it, and he, Chen Ji, didn't believe it either.

If Qi Tingji went mad, completely tore off all pretense, and chose to break into the fifth world, the first person he'd kill would be Ning Yao, and the second would certainly be "Chen Xi."

As for Chen Ji himself, over the years he had been taking it slow, breaking one realm per year. Chen Ji had just reached the Golden Core realm.

The two chairs under the portraits in the Ascension City Patriarch Hall were empty for a reason.

One was the head seat of the future city lord. The other was reserved for the first Ascension realm sword immortal in Ascension City's history.

One was the city's face; the other was the city's substance.

But those who became the face of Ascension City wouldn't be inferior.

Barring accidents, Chen Ji would sit in one chair, and Ning Yao would sit in the other.

However, Chen Ji didn't mind Ning Yao occupying both chairs alone, nor did he mind Qi Shou, that child, growing up quickly enough and being promising enough to sit in the city lord's chair that would have been his.

After Chen Ji's death and reincarnation, his soul had changed slightly, and his temperament inevitably changed somewhat. He had become quite interested in the Haoran world and the Qingming world.

He quite wanted to one day, alone, wield his sword to ascend and travel to those two worlds.

But if within a hundred years, there was never a suitable junior who showed the talent to sit firmly in the city lord's seat, then there would be no choice. He would have to walk into that Ascension City Patriarch Hall.

But no matter what, Ascension City's rise was unstoppable.

Even if someone tried to block it, Chen Ji was still Chen Xi.

He was a sword cultivator who had carved characters on the wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall.

——

In the twilight, the shop was about to close. The temporary manager Zheng Dafeng, tired after a hard day's work, leisurely drank wine, one foot resting on a bench. He scanned the taverns on both sides of the street. If there were no women, he glanced past quickly; if there were women coming and going, he stared without blinking.

A young man poured a bowl of wine for the temporary manager and shook his head, saying, "Dafeng, you're not doing well. Today's Patriarch Hall meeting was such a big event, but you didn't even have the chance to squat at the door and listen in as a gate god. And you still have the face to teach people fists?"

Zheng Dafeng bent down and sniffed the wine's aroma, not in a hurry to drink. He looked up at Feng Kangle and smiled, "Is your Dafeng brother the kind of person to care about such vain fame? In that Patriarch Hall, how many girls could I see? Can it compare to sitting here?"

Nowadays, the wine shop, apart from Zheng Dafeng the outsider, was all old hands.

Two young employees: Qiu Long, Liu E.

Two young helpers: Feng Kangle, Taoban.

The wines were also the same: Bamboo Sea Cavern Heaven wine, Qingshen Mountain wine, Mute Lake wine, plus pickled vegetables and Yangchun noodles.

The bowls were as big as before.

Feng Kangle spat. This Zheng Dafeng, just by his smile and gaze—which no one else could imitate—had scared off countless women who used to regularly come to buy wine. If it weren't for the increase in old bachelors and gamblers, his good friend Taoban said he would rebel against Zheng Dafeng.

Taoban, who was wiping tables in the distance, couldn't help asking again, "Dafeng, do you think I'm the kind of martial arts genius that no one can spot?"

When this young man was still a child, he had actually asked the second manager a similar question, only changing "sword immortal seedling" to "martial arts genius."

Zheng Dafeng now also taught fists.

This manager, who loved drinking and especially liked to guard the wine for his own consumption, absolutely never drank before or after teaching fists.

Jiang Yun, Xu Gong of Mumo Alley, and Yuan Zaohua.

These three learned fists the fastest. Taking advantage of the new world's timing, Jiang Yun had received martial fortune twice, and Xu Gong and Yuan Zaohua had each received it once.

There was also a girl from Yuhu Street, Sun Qu. She had a younger sister named Sun Zao, who was a sword immortal seedling, taken away from the Sword Qi Great Wall by a female sword immortal years ago. She could also learn fists.

Actually, among the first batch of ten children, none had poor fist intent. The two later selected by Nian Xin also had good talent.

The subsequent batch of about forty children were somewhat inferior.

The so-called "strongest" was a horizontal comparison with martial artists of the same realm.

But the stronger one's foundation, the more martial fortune was given. If at the time of breaking through a realm, one reached a height "unprecedented," then when martial fortune descended, it would be even more spectacular.

Whether one could break through as the strongest also depended on luck. For example, if one happened to be in the same realm as Cao Ci or Chen Ping'an and broke through earlier than them, how could one contend for the strongest?

Before Cao Ci and Chen Ping'an, being in the same realm as Senior Brother Li Er or the vassal king Song Changjing was also a bleak prospect for other pure martial artists.

Zheng Dafeng took a sip of wine, leaned back, turned his head, and said, "Anyway, I can't tell. I can only see that your romantic luck isn't bad."

Taoban complained, "What use is romantic luck? Anyway, you're far worse than the second manager. When the second manager was here, there were lots and lots of female customers. As soon as you came, they all ran away."

Zheng Dafeng clicked his tongue and said, "Saying that is asking for a lightning strike."

A beautiful woman's gaze was like being made to wear an extra thick cotton coat in the dead of winter. And some devouring gazes could make a man feel like taking off his clothes in the middle of summer, with a cool body and a warm heart.

Unfortunately, the young man didn't understand matters between men and women.

Zheng Dafeng glanced elsewhere.

Liu E liked Qiu Long, but Qiu Long had long had an older sister in his heart. It was the real owner of the shop, the big manager Diedie.

Zheng Dafeng had that much discernment.

So privately, the man glanced at Liu E, who was attending to customers in the distance, and half-jokingly told the young man with a faint daily melancholy to cherish the person before him.

After all, no matter how good the unreachable sister was, she couldn't be seen or touched. Unfortunately, Qiu Long might understand this simple truth but couldn't act on it.

Liking someone wasn't too hard. Not liking someone you once liked deeply wasn't easy.

With a business style completely different from the young Hidden Official, Manager Zheng quickly gained a foothold in Ascension City. Although business was still not what it used to be, at least it was no longer desolate.

Moreover, Manager Zheng loved gambling. Most importantly, at first, all the bookmakers and gamblers regarded Zheng Dafeng as a kindred spirit of the second manager, each being extremely cautious. Unexpectedly, after a few times, they realized it was a false alarm. It turned out Manager Zheng had an excellent conscience, superb gambling ethics, and always lost when he gambled.

After a while, the drinkers all said that the character that the second manager dropped on the ground, which even dogs wouldn't touch, had all been picked up by Brother Zheng.

One by one, they called Manager Zheng "brother," saying that if the Haoran world had more heroes like Manager Zheng and fewer fellows like the second manager, the folk customs would truly be simple and honest.

Manager Zheng's catchphrase was to hold an empty wine bowl and say to everyone, "Let me first raise a toast."

He did raise a toast, but each time it was with the guests' wine.

Besides that, Zheng Dafeng's ranking of the top ten fairy maidens and the top ten beauty seedlings of maiden age was highly respected by all the bachelors and drunkards, who all gave thumbs up.

It was rumored that Guo Zhujiu had secretly paid some money, bought a few extra jugs of wine at the shop, and negotiated with Zheng Dafeng to raise the ranking of a certain old maiden so she wouldn't end up unmarried, as it looked quite worrying.

Besides Guo Zhujiu, the one who liked to hang around here the most was Gu Jianlong. One liked to listen to stories, the other liked to drink while listening to stories.

Of course, Zheng Dafeng told different stories to different people. Guo Zhujiu only liked stories about her master; the size of the story didn't matter. This inevitably left Dafeng brother feeling unfulfilled, as if he had eighteen martial arts skills with nowhere to use. So when he told Gu Jianlong stories about immortals fighting, that was the best accompaniment to wine.

The speaker had intention, the listener understood—it could be called half a master-disciple relationship.

Gu Jianlong preferred listening to stories about men and women fighting. Once, when Dafeng brother told a story about women fighting, he was dumbfounded. The next time they drank, even Wang Xinshui followed along, eagerly wanting to discuss knowledge with Brother Dafeng.

Zheng Dafeng drank a bowl of melancholy wine and sighed.

Those little bastards learning fists from him, especially the group led by the young Jiang Yun, would surround him during every break and start chattering endlessly. They were really asking for a beating.

Not only did they complain that he wasn't handsome enough, but they also said his punches were uglier.

He was far behind the young Hidden Official by at least eighteen streets.

Zheng Dafeng felt helpless.

Damn it, if he had the looks of Wei Bo or Jiang Shangzhen, would he still be a bachelor today? Wouldn't he have to hold the door every day to prevent girls from barging in to molest him?

But when had he become inferior to even Chen Ping'an?

Zheng Dafeng rubbed his chin. Compared to that mountain master, he was still more than qualified, right?

Take Cen Yuanji for example. Every time she passed the gate of Luopo Mountain, she would be shy and speechless with him. But when she saw the young mountain master, she never spoke and didn't even meet his eyes.

Feng Kangle and Taoban sat to one side, each eating a bowl of Yangchun noodles.

Feng Kangle asked curiously, "Dafeng, what does 'getting up and scratching one's head' mean? Why are so many drunkards now fond of spouting that phrase?"

Once, after returning from teaching fists dead drunk, Zheng Dafeng drank four bowls of wine in a row and began talking nonsense, starting with "Getting up and scratching one's head."

Zheng Dafeng changed to a cross-legged sitting posture and said casually, "It's a dish to coax people into drinking more—a side dish that costs nothing to sell or buy wine."

Getting up and scratching one's head! Look at the flowers blooming and falling outside the window, the green fat and red thin. Look again at the dimly lit place, the beautiful woman in a new skirt, her light steps unheard. Look again at the bright moonlit night, the beauty's delicate fingers, nails like crystal. Finally raise a toast to yourself, look at the solitary light shining on oneself, liver and lungs both clear as ice and snow!

Taoban said, "Some shameless bastards say our second manager is a scholar, so he runs the gambling and wine business with the blackest heart. You're not a scholar, Dafeng, yet you also have a way with words."

Zheng Dafeng smiled and said, "I once saw a sentence in a book: 'When a scholar sees money, when he sees power, as soon as he sees them, he immediately becomes worse than a prostitute!' Our second manager is not that kind of scholar, and neither am I. I just can't stand it when beautiful girls pass before my eyes, shyly lowering their heads, walking too quickly. Of course, if it's the middle of summer, then walking quickly is fine."

Taoban didn't understand at all and just said, "I don't care whether someone is a scholar or not. I only know that when those women see you, it's definitely not shyness."

Zheng Dafeng slapped the table, turned his head, and shouted, "Liu E, what do you think of your Dafeng brother?!"

The young woman was startled. She squeezed out a smile at the manager and said softly and timidly, "The manager's eyes aren't quite right, but he's a good person at heart."

Taoban grinned, rolled up a bunch of noodles from his bowl, and said, "I'll also raise a toast." Feng Kangle laughed so hard he put down his chopsticks and slapped the table with both hands.

Zheng Dafeng straightened his waist slightly and raised his wine bowl high, "Getting up and scratching my head, I'll raise a toast myself!"

Taoban suddenly said, "I heard that once the gate closes, it'll be a hundred years. I'm not a sword cultivator, and I can't learn fists or martial arts. Will I never see the second manager again in this life?"

Feng Kangle also fell silent instantly.

Zheng Dafeng smiled and said, "No, you won't. Chen Ping'an can't bear to leave you all. Every time our second manager travels far, it's for the sake of reunion."

Taoban laughed and said, "If you can talk, drink more. I'll treat you to a jug of Mute Lake wine."

After drinking the wine, Zheng Dafeng gently shook the white bowl and said, "Wealthy but idle people, carefree little immortals. I never expected to live such a comfortable life here either."

Feng Kangle suddenly asked, "Dafeng, how old are you?"

Zheng Dafeng grinned lasciviously and said, "I'm still a young, sturdy lad who could cook pancakes on his butt. If you don't believe me, next time Dafeng brother will fry you some fried eggs."

Taoban rolled his eyes and said, "If you were a scholar, I'd let Feng Kangle take your surname."

Zheng Dafeng looked at the sky and said, "Pack up, everyone go home."

Zheng Dafeng had rented a small residence in Yanshi Lane, not far from the wine shop.

After closing the shop and heading to his residence, Zheng Dafeng opened the courtyard door and greeted with a smile, "Miss Nian Xin."

For some reason, Nian Xin, who had come on business, saw Zheng Dafeng's grinning and hand-rubbing demeanor and left directly.

Zheng Dafeng was annoyed at his poor hospitality. After sitting down alone in the main house, he lit a lamp and began flipping through a book of mountain immortals that he had borrowed from Zhu Lian with great difficulty. Some pages had colored illustrations.

Zheng Dafeng sat up straight, reading with relish. After closing the book, he hunched over and walked to the door, leaning against the door frame with his hands crossed over his chest, gazing at the night.

Many wanderers in the human world go to the farthest places their feet and hearts can reach. Looking back, mountains and rivers stretch far. They are not afraid of the long road home or the distant return journey; they only fear that when they return, it will already be a matter of old stories and old friends.

Today, when Feng Kangle asked him that question, Zheng Dafeng suddenly realized that by mortal reckoning, if he hadn't been a bachelor, he should have grandchildren by now.

A man remaining a bachelor, his eight-foot body in vain. How could this not make one melancholy?

Zheng Dafeng grabbed a handful of melon seeds from the table and a jug of Mute Lake wine. He sat on the threshold, drinking and cracking melon seeds.

But while cracking melon seeds and drinking, thinking of Luopo Mountain, Zheng Dafeng felt a bit relieved.

Back in the day, in the small town of Lizhu Cavern Heaven, Zheng Dafeng had seen all the children of the younger generation.

But now, they were no longer young, nor were they children anymore.

Even Li Huai had been capped for many years now.

Zheng Dafeng drank and thought. Indeed, it was "getting up and scratching one's head, the wine must not stop."

When Zheng Dafeng recalled that spectacular surge of martial fortune, he raised his jug and smiled, "Worth a drink."

Among the world's martial artists, fist techniques were most valued at Luopo Mountain.

Because soon, four people would stand side by side at the peak of martial arts, and two of them would surely be able to reach the Ultimate realm, while the other two would at least have the hope of reaching it.

Butler Zhu Lian was already at the Summit realm. The eldest disciple Pei Qian was about to reach Summit realm. The gatekeeper Zheng Dafeng could reach Summit realm at any time.

As for Mountain Master Chen Ping'an, he had broken into the Summit realm as the "unprecedented" strongest.