Chapter 727: Five Supremes, Four Immortal Swords, One Bai Ye
At the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Heaven's Observatory.
After the sword-bearing young Daoist child had emerged, a woman deliberately veiled her face and figure with mist and haze, performed a deep curtsy at the base of the steps, and upon receiving the Grand Heavenly Master's command, she slowly ascended. As she stepped onto the platform, her concealment dispersed on its own, revealing her true appearance. Though clad in feathered Daoist robes, she was radiantly elegant and naturally enchanting, with a red mole between her brows.
She was not only the highest-realm skyfox in the Solar Radiance World, but also across several worlds. She had served as the mountain-protecting enshrinement of Dragon Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Mansion for a thousand years.
Within Dragon Tiger Mountain, she went by the alias Lianzhen.
In her early years, when the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain descended the mountain to wander, she secretly followed the young Daoist priest, then barely twenty, disguised as a village girl. The Grand Heavenly Master deliberately did not expose her identity, allowing her to follow at a distance and even tacitly permitting her to observe his methods of cultivation. Over the course of a full sixty-year cycle as the young Heavenly Master wandered, slaying demons and vanquishing monsters all the while, she relied on the Heavenly Master's merit and protection to survive several heavenly tribulations. Eventually, she voluntarily followed the Grand Heavenly Master into Dragon Tiger Mountain to cultivate. As a return gift, the Grand Heavenly Master personally imprinted a dharma seal, enabling her to withstand the tribulations.
Upon ascending the platform, it was so high that it seemed as though one could reach out and pluck stars and embrace the moon.
After Lianzhen ascended to Heaven's Observatory, she immediately halted and did not approach the youthful-looking Grand Heavenly Master. Her primary reason was her innate reverence for the sword-bearing Daoist child, who went by the alias Wulei.
As one of the four most troublesome types of mountain practitioners, sword cultivators—especially flying swords severing heads, a single sword breaking all dharmas—were not mere fabrications from strange tales and unofficial histories, whether in slaying enemies or exorcising demons.
And that young Daoist child was none other than the human incarnation of the immortal sword "Wanfa."
Suppressed by the prohibitions of Heaven's Observatory, Lianzhen revealed half of her true form: ten enormous snow-white tails sprawled across the ground, cascading down the steps, nearly covering the entire ascending path of Heaven's Observatory.
The young Daoist turned his head and smiled, nodding in greeting to the skyfox.
Lianzhen quickly returned the courtesy with a Daoist greeting. Below Heaven's Observatory, she regarded herself as a maidservant by the Grand Heavenly Master's side. But upon ascending the platform, beside the most aloof sword spirit Wulei, Lianzhen had to reluctantly regard herself as a fellow Daoist, so as not to provoke displeasure.
Lianzhen and Wulei almost never spoke, and their encounters were actually few.
The Grand Heavenly Master addressed both of them as fellow Daoists, treating them as equals, never as attendants or maidservants.
Lianzhen understood why the Grand Heavenly Master had gathered with Wulei here today—to gaze afar at Fuyao Continent, located in the southwest of the Solar Radiance World. However, now Fuyao Continent was part of the Barren Waste World's territory. She believed that even with the Grand Heavenly Master's dharma arts and ability to observe mountains and rivers, his vision would still be unclear.
The Grand Heavenly Master continued their previous topic. "I intend to carry the seal and make a trip to Tongye Continent. Stay here and guard the mountain gate."
Wulei was as expressionless as ever, her voice cold and clear. "Given the current situation in the world, it is indeed worth you taking risks. But don't die at the hands of Zhou Mi. Otherwise, I might have to be the one to cut you down."
Lianzhen was filled with worry. She wanted to offer advice but dared not interfere in such a major matter with her master.
As the master himself had once said, the mortal world is ever mysterious, everywhere suppressed. For cultivators, the higher the dharma, the fewer the paths beneath their feet, and the stronger the winds above the mountains.
Every forced circumstance, every involuntary decision, could lead to death and dao dissolution, like flowers scattered by wind and rain, joining the river of time in eternal solitude.
As for the cold demeanor and words of the young Daoist child, Lianzhen had grown accustomed to it. Though the sword spirit was nominally a servant, its dao was extremely pure, almost devoid of any distinction between good and evil in the later age.
The young Daoist lightly raised his hand, and a green bamboo flute materialized at his waist, inscribed with the opening lines of an archaic Feng-style inkstone: "The great mass exhales breath; its name is Wind."
The current Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Zhao Tianlai.
One of the Ten of Central Earth Divine Continent, ranked above even Fu Lu Yu Xuan. Even amidst the endlessly debated Ten of Solar Radiance, he was guaranteed a seat.
The Five Thunder True Method was hailed as the foremost among all dharmas. Throughout Dragon Tiger Mountain's successive Grand Heavenly Masters, they were unquestionably the world's foremost thunder dharma practitioners.
One sword breaking all dharmas.
And the immortal sword "Wanfa," one of the four, was held by Zhao Tianlai himself.
Zhao Tianlai was not only the longest-lived of Dragon Tiger Mountain's successive Heavenly Masters, but his current dharma was second only to the founding patriarch, who had traveled beyond the heavens and never returned. Moreover, Zhao Tianlai was regarded by the Solar Radiance World as one of the few most likely to ascend to the fourteenth realm.
Yet, ironically, the cultivator who possessed an immortal sword drew his blade far fewer times than an ordinary mountain sword cultivator.
Curious parties had calculated the appearances of the three immortal swords. Since Bai Ye had borrowed the immortal sword "Taibai" from Sun Daochang of the Grand Profound Observatory, he had drawn it no more than ten times.
In the Bluegreen Celestial World, the invincible one of the Jade Capital had, in his long cultivation career, drawn his sword at most a single handful of times. Moreover, when facing peak mountain experts, he never needed to bring the sword "Daozang." His most recent such action was when his sword fell upon the Grand Profound Observatory. The Dao Second, clad in a dharma robe, had challenged the Grand Profound Observatory, the so-called ancestral court of the Daoist sword immortal lineage. And when contending with A Liang, who had ascended to the outer heavens, they fought bare-handed—one without a suitable sword, the other discarding his immortal sword.
As for the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain on Heaven's Observatory, his sword-drawing frequency was higher than the previous two. After descending the mountain to wander, he would draw three to five swords in each realm.
Regarding the fourth immortal sword, even among the mountain-peak cultivators of the Solar Radiance World who knew the inside story, only a handful counted. Zhao Tianlai, possessing a sword spirit and being proficient in divination, happened to be one. He not only knew the sword was called "Tianzhen," but also knew it was neither in the Sword-Suppressing Tower of Southern Bodhi Continent nor the longsword held by the Dragon-Slayer of three thousand years ago. Instead, it had been left behind at the Sword Qi Great Wall for ten thousand years.
As for the Dragon-Slayer, who had emerged suddenly and fallen like a comet, his identity and name were considerable taboos. It was only known that he came from a high-grade blessed land still sealed and closed, yet had an inextricable dao connection with the First Patriarch of the Military Strategists. Regardless, during his dragon-slaying period, he had taught disciples like Sun Juzhong of White Emperor City. Such a man could be considered immortal in fame. Unofficial histories would likely devote much space and ink to him.
Zhao Tianlai turned and smiled. "Fellow Daoist Lianzhen, it seems there is someone in Tongye Continent who is a fellow traveler of yours."
Lianzhen gently nodded. "She shares the same path but not the same lineage as me. She shares a lineage with Qingying, who is by Mr. Bai's side."
This skyfox always kept her voice soft, afraid to speak loudly. Truly, the sword intent contained in Fellow Daoist Wulei was too astonishing.
As one of the four sword spirits, its killing power was equivalent to that of an ancient being at the Flying Ascension realm sword cultivator. And lacking human emotions, it imposed a natural dao suppression on beings like Lianzhen, who were of the spirit category.
In ancient times, the gods presided high above. Before the emergence of humanity, the beings they crushed and slew the most were the many demons on the earth.
Only the true dragons were slightly valued by the gods, gathered under the banner of one of the five supreme deities of the former heavenly court.
The Lord of the Heavenly Court.
The Sword Bearer, whose status was similar to later Executioners of the Sword Qi Great Wall or Law-Keepers of mountain ancestral halls.
The Armor Bearer, akin to the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, who perceived all things in heaven and earth.
The Fire God, who governed the ancient stars.
The Water God, who guarded the river of time.
Beyond these, there were twelve high-ranking gods, who could lift heaven and earth and drag stars. Among them, two managed the Ascension Platform, responsible for receiving terrestrial immortals, transforming human bodies into divine true spirits—what later generations called taking one's place among the immortals.
First came sword techniques and divine abilities descending upon the mortal world. Humanity rose continuously, and the number of beings who ascended through the Ascension Platform to become gods grew ever larger.
Then came the conflict between Water and Fire. This was what Old Man Yang once said to Ruan Xiu and Li Liu: "Your two sides bear the greatest blame."
Then the Sword Bearer was responsible for breaking the armor. It was rumored that both had fallen, and logically, that should have been the case. This was why Old Man Yang had always regarded her as a sword spirit that had continued for ten thousand years. And she herself deliberately existed in the form of a sword attendant.
Ultimately, the Three Teaching Founders and the Military Strategist Ancestor, four together, ascended to the highest heaven and shattered the old heavenly court.
Wulei showed rare hesitation.
Zhao Tianlai said, "It is indeed rather difficult to be acknowledged and ascend to the fourteenth realm."
The Old Scholar's dao integration with heaven and earth was achieved through the sage's merit merging with mountains and rivers, resonating with heaven and earth.
The Second Sage had long ago integrated with Central Earth Divine Continent in this way—a continent's mountains and rivers representing half of the Solar Radiance World.
Bai Ye's fourteenth realm, his dao perfectly aligned, came from the poems within Bai Ye's own heart. It was utterly breathtaking. In a sense, it was even more inimitable than integrating with a portion of heaven and earth. The only later literary giant considered to have talent comparable to Bai Ye, a romantic figure hailed as the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Ci Poems, had to lament, "When poetry reached Bai Ye, it was the fortune of the mortal world. When poetry reached me, it was a great calamity."
If even such a man mocked himself like this and was forced to turn from poetry to ci, how dare others and later generations attempt to integrate the dao through poetry and ci?
The pure Confucian Chen Chun'an, bearing the sun and moon on his shoulders with light in his heart, truly sought to integrate the dao with the sage's truth within his heart.
The Lotus Lake Abbot of the Barren Waste World, who had died on the battlefield, had painstakingly refined the moon's essence, hoping to enter the Solar Radiance World and continuously integrate with the bright moons of more blessed lands and cave heavens.
Fire Dragon True Man, a half-own member of the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain as an external-surname Grand Heavenly Master, was hailed by the Solar Radiance World's qi refiners as the supreme master of fire dharma, water dharma, and thunder dharma. Yet integrating the dao was not easy for him.
Fu Lu Yu Xuan wished to integrate with a thing that was half-real, half-false—the "Star River" within his wine gourd, a mental image.
In ancient Daoism, there was the Lou Guan school, which built bowers of grass and excelled at observing stars and qi, hence the name Lou Guan. Yu Xuan was deeply accomplished in this school's dharma arts. Moreover, the Lou Guan school had a close dao connection with Fire Dragon True Man. The two becoming close friends was not merely a matter of similar temperaments. Their mutual discussion of dharma arts and mutual encouragement certainly included the idea of walking the same dao path to achieve the fourteenth realm together.
Zhao Tianlai sighed softly. With a flick of his sleeve, he slightly loosened the prohibitions to avoid giving someone a reason to complain later.
Even the young Daoist child couldn't help rolling his eyes.
Lianzhen was the most slow to react, and she was also the most helpless.
She asked quietly, "Should I receive the guest?"
The Grand Heavenly Master said in exasperation, "Receive what guest? He is the host; I am the guest."
Three academies, Central Earth Rice Mountain, the White Marsh Tower, the thatched hall Bai Ye built in the Fifth World... Every time, this man turned guest into host, acting more like the master than the master himself, almost wanting to use the host's own resources to help receive guests.
The inner forbidden grounds of the Celestial Master Mansion of Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The restrictions here were even stricter than on Yu Xuan's ancestral mountain.
An Old Scholar, looking furtive, sneaked in. He didn't go to Heaven's Observatory first. Instead, he silently called out a few times in his heart. When the master didn't respond, he took it as permission and directly headed to the Grand Heavenly Master's private residence. He at least had the decency not to enter directly, stopping outside the front hall. Looking up, he saw a couplet hanging there, praising the current Grand Heavenly Master's immortal demeanor and moral purity. The Old Scholar clicked his tongue in amazement, thinking who in the world could have such a brilliant pen. The current Grand Heavenly Master also had good taste, having replaced the previous mediocre couplet with this one.
The content of the couplet was extremely bold.
"The dao venerable, virtue noble, dharma high reaching heaven, I am in this mountain. Feathered robes and prime ministers, leaning on sword in solemn sitting, immortal breeze matches coolness, I know if you don't know."
"Suppress demons, subdue monsters, heart bound to the mortal world, ten thousand evils retreat and disperse. Purple and yellow nobles, suspend seal and ride the wind, divine bones crush the five sacred peaks, who cultivates if I do not cultivate?"
The horizontal scroll read: "Heaven and Man United as One."
If one entered and went to the middle hall, that would be the skyfox's cultivation ground.
The rear hall was the current Grand Heavenly Master's place of questioning the dao.
Thinking back to those days, the gentleman and his disciples had drunk wine by the wall, fanning themselves to dispel the alcohol vapor. They discussed this skyfox of the Celestial Master Mansion, guessing whether she had nine or ten tails, or whether the fox immortal wished to become the Grand Heavenly Master's dao partner but couldn't obtain it. Finally, they asked the gentleman for the answer. At that time, the Old Scholar was not yet famous and had no money to travel to the Celestial Master Mansion. His knowledge came from unofficial histories and miscellaneous books, and even he wasn't sure of the truth. Not wanting to make things up for his disciples, he simply said, "The Master does not speak of strange powers and chaotic spirits," greatly disappointing a young man. Later, when the Old Scholar became famous, he no longer needed to spend money to travel; people paid to invite him. The Literary Saint was solemnly invited to various places to give lectures and spread teachings. He made a special trip to Dragon Tiger Mountain, choosing not to take the immortal bamboo raft ferry but to walk up the mountain with a green bamboo staff. At that time, the Celestial Master Mansion put on such a display that it was truly remarkable. The Old Scholar could say with a clear conscience that while it might not be without precedent, there were few before him.
He saw that on both sides of the divine path were purple-and-yellow nobles and immortal cultivators from various palaces and Daoist nunneries. Everyone was both surprised and delighted. Surprised because the Literary Saint had never before set foot in immortal mansions outside Confucian academies and schools, so this was a special exception for Dragon Tiger Mountain. Moreover, it was said that the Literary Saint himself had submitted a letter to the Celestial Master Mansion. Even a Daoist sacred place like Dragon Tiger Mountain couldn't help but feel some joy. Delighted, of course, because the Literary Saint was visiting Dragon Tiger Mountain, and at a time when he had just won the Three Teachings Debate again, with two more shocking feats: one was going to the heavenly curtain, stretching his neck and saying, "Cut here, cut here," to the Dao Second; the other was, after the debate, inviting the founders of Buddhism and Daoism to take their seats.
The Old Scholar held the fourth divine seat in the Confucian Temple, having won two debates in a row. So when the Literary Saint unexpectedly arrived at Dragon Tiger Mountain, even the Grand Heavenly Master personally greeted him at the mountain gate for the first time.
Eventually, the Old Scholar and the current Grand Heavenly Master sat together in the front hall. The Old Scholar spoke heart-to-heart words with sincerity, but his gaze kept slanting toward the middle hall. Every time he took a sip of tea, he would chuckle.
In the end, the Old Scholar couldn't bring himself to step over the threshold and instead wandered off to other places.
He treated the ancestral mountain of Dragon Tiger Mountain like his own courtyard. He had his reasoning: being too polite to the host doesn't make a good guest.
The Old Scholar couldn't help glancing back at the couplet and horizontal scroll. It was worth him bringing the brush and paste up the mountain back then, sparing the Grand Heavenly Master the trouble of hanging them.
What is a guest? This is a distinguished guest!
He went to the Morality Hall, where the Celestial Master Mansion's ancestral hall was located. Hanging there were portraits of successive Heavenly Masters, along with twelve attendant Heavenly Lords. Aside from the first Grand Heavenly Master's two senior disciples, the rest were external-surname Grand Heavenly Masters from Dragon Tiger Mountain's history.
Coiled around the great pillars of the ancestral hall were eight talisman golden dragons. It was said that if an immortal helped dot their eyes and breathed white clouds upon them, dragons would emerge from the clouds and go out to suppress any evil that dared enter the mountain.
The Old Scholar sighed with emotion. The founding patriarch of Dragon Tiger Mountain was indeed a hero. Back then, when Li Sheng led the group on a distant campaign against the remnants of the gods, though the results were limited—the heavens beyond were unimaginably vast, with numerous prohibitions that were incredibly exaggerated—the fierce battles were quite a few. The first Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain fell on the return journey. His death and dao dissolution largely led to Dragon Tiger Mountain eventually losing its claim to being "foremost in talismans." But it was by no means a case of Yu Xun taking advantage of the situation; it was merely patching a gap in the dao.
The Old Scholar made a bow outside the door, as if paying distant respects to the ancient sage.
A well called the Demon-Suppressing Well, with a jade mirror hanging above its mouth. It imprisoned mountain spirits and water monsters that had been suppressed in various places by the Celestial Master Mansion and brought back to the mountain.
Around the well was a circle of white jade railings, carved with nine strange beasts, including a white flood dragon. These were the essence of lightning and thunder refined by successive generations of purple-and-yellow nobles of the Celestial Master Mansion.
A hall that was never opened. Affixed to its door was a talisman layered with the Heavenly Master's seal, a token used by successive Grand Heavenly Masters. It was said that countless fierce demons and evil spirits were suppressed inside.
Each successive Grand Heavenly Master would imprint the seal twice in his lifetime: once upon receiving the seal and once upon resigning it.
In the backyard of the Grand Heavenly Master's private residence, there was an ancient osmanthus tree, its shadow swaying. It stood much taller than the courtyard wall. The Old Scholar looked on the ground for a long time but couldn't find a single pebble.
This osmanthus tree was a genuine Moon Palace species that the Grand Heavenly Master had obtained by chance while traveling with his sword on a journey to Vase Bottle Continent. The osmanthus wine made from its seeds, buried in the Water Cloud Pavilion, was a first-rate delicacy for entertaining guests on the mountain.
As for that intercontinental journey, Zhao Tianlai was, of course, going to chop down the pink-robed guest, the master of the Glass Pavilion, who had been fleeing all the way. Even if he was the junior disciple of Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City, Brother Tianlai would still chop him down without hesitation.
A Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain descending the mountain with a sword on his back was itself a form of distant deterrence to White Emperor City. Of course, that Brother Huai Xian rarely bothered with sect brotherly fellowship.
The Old Scholar rarely admired anyone's courage, but this man, who now went by the alias Liu Chicheng, was quite something. He was a kindred spirit of the old boatman of Osmanthus Island, who was half of Lu Chen's chief disciple.
He had provoked the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, endured a tortoise-carried-stele talisman from Fu Lu Yu Xuan, barely escaped from Vase Bottle Continent, and then successively provoked Xiao Qi, Xiao Ping'an, and one of the Dao Ancestor's first disciples, the Water God Li Liu...
What a hero. What a talent.
Next time we meet, I'll first call Zheng Juzhong "younger brother," then call you Liu Chicheng "Brother Liu."
Either works.
After all, the relationship between White Emperor City and the Literary Saint lineage had always been good. But the Old Scholar couldn't help feeling a pang of sorrow. Having a good relationship with a demonic magnate...
The Imperial Edict Library.
It stored the plaques, couplets, and horizontal scrolls presented by the sages of the Central Earth Confucian Temple and various grand sect immortal mansions. It also housed the imperial decrees, edicts, letters, and prayers of various kingdoms.
The library treasured countless golden books, jade records, and blue scriptures. The literary fortune was so dense and the imperial qi so abundant that, in the Old Scholar's words, one glance would make you turn away—can't look, can't look, too much looking would make you envious.
Suddenly, the Old Scholar looked somewhat embarrassed. A beautiful female Daoist in charge of guarding this forbidden ground appeared at the door. She looked young but held a very high seniority in the Celestial Master Mansion. She personally presided over a small world and was at the immortal realm. She keenly detected a hint of the Old Scholar's aura and immediately appeared at the entrance, making a Daoist greeting. Instead of blaming the Old Scholar for trespassing, she asked softly through mental voice, "Master Literary Saint, may I ask if Mr. Zuo is well?"
The Old Scholar stamped his foot. "This disciple of mine has his heart blinded by lard and his eyes shut! How could he have been so merciless back then as to strike that young lady's direct descendant? Why couldn't he have brought that sword immortal embryo back to Dragon Tiger Mountain and discussed it properly with Miss Zhao?!"
Having first scolded his disciple without regard for anything else, the Old Scholar then composed himself and whispered consolingly, "Zuo You, that fool, is still fine. Miss Zhao need not worry."
The female Daoist breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "That direct disciple of mine, though a purple-and-yellow noble, abused dharma arts and drew his sword unreasonably. If he had fallen into my hands, the punishment would have been even heavier."
The Old Scholar said cheerfully, "I'll just wander on my own. I won't disturb Miss Zhao's quiet cultivation."
The female Daoist nodded gently.
The Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain was her elder brother.
In fact, the vast majority of purple-and-yellow nobles in the Celestial Master Mansion were not true cultivators. So the matter of seniority was quite special. There were two systems: the clan genealogy and the Daoist registry seniority. The peculiarity was that the latter had to defer to the former, not the other way around. So it was extremely rare for her and Zhao Tianlai to share the same seniority in both systems within Dragon Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Mansion.
After the Old Scholar left, he still felt some heartache. If only Zuo You had shown a little bit of insight, then he, as the teacher, would have gained a minor benefit and could reluctantly consider himself half an elder of Zhao Tianlai. Then wouldn't Zuo You's junior disciple be half a peer to the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain? Furthermore, if Fallen Mountain and Dragon Tiger Mountain became half-joined by marriage, wouldn't Dragon Tiger Mountain be overjoyed?
A Hundred Flowers Garden. It was said that successive Grand Heavenly Masters had visited the Hundred Flowers Blessed Land, where the Flower Lord and the twelve Divine Lords had carefully cultivated each flower as gifts to honor the Celestial Master Mansion.
There was a Small Thunder Pond, located within a palm-sized inkstone pool, with the inscription "Third Thunder Pond" at the bottom. Though it appeared unremarkable, it was actually ranked third in quality, second only to the Sword-Washing Pond of Inverted Suspension Mountain and a certain Thunder Pond rumored to be somewhere in the Northern Juzhou Continent.
It was always placed on the Grand Heavenly Master's desk. Every year, the Celestial Master Mansion held an ink-brush ceremony. If the Grand Heavenly Master was in seclusion or traveling, the task fell to a purple-and-yellow noble or direct disciple of the Celestial Master Mansion, who would wield the brush to "dip ink" and write golden talismans. Aside for the mansion's own use, they were either given to dynasty monarchs or sent to mountain immortals. A Five Thunder True Method talisman, whether given by an emperor to a mountain shrine or water mansion to suppress the nation's fate, or bestowed by a sect's ancestral hall to a registered direct disciple as a defensive and offensive treasure, was extremely effective. It was no wonder it was revered as a supreme treasure.
Not to mention the multiple mountain-water formations connecting numerous dragon veins and peaks; the mere presence of two hundred immortal corpses in hanging coffins on the cliff, of unknown origin and purpose, was a formidable deterrent.
Let alone the three layers of cloud seas outside Heaven's Observatory, each at different heights and each with its own significance. Each was overseen by a Rain Master, Thunder General, or Lightning Lord, beings manifested in a certain sense from the dao itself.
Such was the profound heritage painstakingly cultivated over thousands of years by a mountain-peak immortal mansion.
At the height of Dragon Tiger Mountain's power in history, there were ten great Daoist palaces and eighty-one Daoist temples, in addition to fifty kingdoms across six continents of the Solar Radiance World, including the ten great dynasties of Central Earth Divine Continent, which all spent enormous sums to build Daoist cloisters and nunneries here, spreading the Daoist dharma and sending their finest cultivation seeds to train on this mountain.
Thus, in that era, Dragon Tiger Mountain not only earned the reputation of "Dao Capital of the World" but also nominally presided over the talismanic traditions of the Three Mountains and governed all Daoism in the world.
Talismans and cauldrons were inseparable; all were on Dragon Tiger Mountain.
The incense and dharma lineage stretched long, lasting eight thousand years.
In terms of the number of cliff carvings and inscribed steles, there were countless; Dragon Tiger Mountain only lost to Rice Mountain.
In terms of assets, compared to its closed-door disciple's Fallen Mountain, Dragon Tiger Mountain was indeed still slightly superior for now.
The problem was that Dragon Tiger Mountain stored so many good things that were hardly used—can't borrow them, can't move them either. Ultimately, it was because the number of visits was too few, and the accumulated goodwill was insufficient.
It was a pity that Zuo You wasn't by his side. Otherwise, the gentleman would certainly have something to say. The Old Scholar had reasons to speak. When a student has nothing to say, that's fine and good. But how does he act as a senior brother?
A ripple in the heart lake. The Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain asked, "Seen enough?"
The Old Scholar laughed heartily, stepping to the base of the Heaven's Observatory steps. He saw the beautiful scene of ten snow-white fox tails covering the ground. With a cry of "Oh my," he exclaimed loudly, "Miss Lianzhen, you've become even more lovely! A feast for the eyes! Ten scenic spots for Dragon Tiger Mountain are not enough. This scene of snow pressing on Heaven's Observatory is the eleventh scenic spot! No, no, the rank is too low..."
Lianzhen hastily activated her divine ability, retracting her ten tails. In an instant, she arrived at the base of the steps, made a Daoist salute, and, like the female immortal guarding the Imperial Edict Library, respectfully addressed the Old Scholar as Master Literary Saint.
The Old Scholar smiled and waved his hand. "We're not strangers. Why be so polite, Miss Lianzhen? You'll make me uneasy."
Zhao Tianlai came to stand on the first step, walking side by side with the Old Scholar as they slowly ascended.
The young Daoist child sat cross-legged at the edge of Heaven's Observatory, gazing at the sea of clouds, acting as if the Old Scholar didn't exist.
The Old Scholar asked softly, "Why did you reject Fire Dragon True Man's proposal back then? Why not let that young Daoist succeed as an external-surname Grand Heavenly Master? Dragon Tiger Mountain loses, and the Celestial Master Mansion loses even more. Given Fire Dragon True Man's temperament, even if he resigned from his position, he would only protect Dragon Tiger Mountain's dao even more than before."
Zhao Tianlai countered, "If I were to die and my dao dissipate, or fall to the immortal realm, a young external-surname Grand Heavenly Master of insufficient realm, holding an empty title, would have to bear many mountain enmities prematurely. It would be no good for either master or disciple. Rather than being swept along by the tide, it's better to let the young walk his own path. That way, Fire Dragon True Man won't feel guilty toward Dragon Tiger Mountain. Consider it a clean break, a good parting."
The world's dharma is a competition among peaks, each with its own height.
Zhao Tianlai held this view toward both Fu Lu Yu Xuan and Fire Dragon True Man.
Many of the purple-and-yellow nobles of the Celestial Master Mansion still couldn't let go of the title "Fu Lu" and couldn't see it clearly. That was understandable. But if the Grand Heavenly Master himself, Zhao Tianlai, were to cling stubbornly to it, then the real crisis for Dragon Tiger Mountain's lineage would be hidden. It wasn't about not contending at all, but about contending in the greater dao. Otherwise, if another family's peak rose from the flat ground, would Dragon Tiger Mountain have to cut off its summit with a sword? Or crush a beautiful tree with a seal? Or let Yu Xuan press a talisman on the peak, and Fire Dragon True Man move the mountain with a sleeve? If so, the several branches of native Daoist lineages in the Solar Radiance World might as well acknowledge the three lineages of the Jade Capital as their ancestors.
The Old Scholar nodded vigorously, like a pecking chicken. "Right, right, right. A hero discusses not gains and losses, only right and wrong in the heart. The great dao cannot just be spoken of with the mouth while the feet secretly trip others up."
Words like these from the Old Scholar were to be taken for what they were.
Zhao Tianlai asked directly, "Did you come for Bai Ye?"
The Old Scholar didn't hide anything. Playing any clever tricks with the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain would backfire. So he said bluntly, "You must have seen what the old man did at Rice Mountain. My disciple Zuo You is too constrained by Xiao Xun. And Lu Zhi, who left Southern Bodhi Continent, is ultimately no match for Liu Cha. So when it comes down to it, the battlefield on Fuyao Continent will ultimately be only Bai Ye and Yu Xuan facing seven throne seats of the Barren Waste World. Once Liu Cha unleashes his full sword, the continent's mountains and rivers will certainly change color."
Lianzhen, following behind them, hesitated to speak.
The Old Scholar said bitterly, "I'm not asking the Grand Heavenly Master to sacrifice his life. There's no such reasoning in the world. With a crooked mouth and an askew heart, the great righteousness is not true, and the words 'moral' and 'virtue' are not upright. I only hope that the Grand Heavenly Master will do his utmost. That is enough, more than enough. For example, even if you cannot save Bai Ye, at least save Yu Xuan. With this single act, Dragon Tiger Mountain will, in the future, within the Solar Radiance World—especially within the talisman sect of the Daoist school—prevent the arguments over the ownership of the word 'Fu Lu' from becoming so heated. Arguments can kill people. Over so many years, how many messy accounts have been created, both on and off the mountain? Of course, I'm just giving an example. Do whatever doesn't put the Grand Heavenly Master in a difficult position."
Zhao Tianlai was equally straightforward. "I intend to make a trip to Tongye Continent. That won't change."
The Old Scholar nodded. "Excellent. That lives up to the horizontal scroll. I believe that the Daoist lineage of Dragon Tiger Mountain will truly be, as the Dragon Tiger Mountain Annals say, 'The Mountain of the Dao Capital, ever more prosperous with time.'"
Zhao Tianlai smiled. "The Old Scholar is truly a busy man."
The Old Scholar bent down and sat beside the young Daoist child. "Busy and bustling, at least I'm not mediocre enough to accomplish nothing. Even if I only achieve one thing, that's good enough."
Zhao Tianlai sat cross-legged beside him.
The young Daoist child stood up, unwilling to sit with the Old Scholar.
The Old Scholar asked, "Want some wine?"
Zhao Tianlai said, "You're treating me?"
The Old Scholar said nothing.
Zhao Tianlai held the green bamboo flute. "Of that osmanthus wine brew, you can drink one jar. I'll consider it my treat. Please put the rest back where they were."
The Old Scholar was waiting for this. He raised his hand, and a flask immediately slid out of his sleeve. It wasn't that he coveted the spiritual energy of the landscape, but that he genuinely craved the taste.
The Old Scholar took a sip. "Actually, when Bai Ye's sword fell on a continent, I knew what the outcome would be. Now, my only aim is to make the worst situation a little better."
For example, if Yu Xuan could live, preferably still the Fu Lu Yu Xuan. Or if Bai Ye could avoid dying completely. Even if from now on the Solar Radiance World would lose its proudest sword immortal, even if Bai Ye were no longer in the Solar Radiance World, as long as "Bai Ye" still existed, then at least the Old Scholar himself wouldn't have to drink an extra jar of heartbreak wine. Wherever Bai Ye was, he was still Bai Ye, still the one who made all the plum blossoms under heaven bloom white.
Zhao Tianlai played the bamboo flute. It was truly heavenly music.
Yellow cranes circled above the peaks, green luan soared over the clouds. Like grains of green and yellow beads, they rolled and dotted a white pearl curtain.
The Old Scholar, drinking wine, responded with verses.
"Cut open the immortal land of wind and moon, cultivate a body undying in golden mist. Purple mansions and yellow robes registered in heaven, green peaches bloom the spring of the world."
"Three peaks with rain become dragons soaring, to Fuyao they go to pay homage to the Five Thunder Lord. A stream of glass, ten thousand piles of mist, the true man ascends the mountain and becomes an immortal."
The young Daoist child shook his head. "Doggerel and pedantic verses. Not as good as Tianlai's flute."
He added, "Far worse. Indeed, the sages of the Confucian Temple, when it comes to poetry and song, lose by far to the literary geniuses of the world."
Lianzhen, who had earlier performed a graceful curtsy, now sat beside the Grand Heavenly Master.
When Zhao Tianlai put away the bamboo flute, the Old Scholar also finished a jar of the Celestial Master Mansion's osmanthus brew.
The Old Scholar didn't discard the jar into the sea of clouds but put it into his sleeve. "Don't be a deity. Be the one and only divinity. A single character's difference makes a world of difference. That Wenhai Zhou Mi wants to solve everything with the simplest of strength distinctions, cutting off heaven and earth and all beings. So this trip of yours to Tongye Continent might be as dangerous as Bai Ye's garrison at Fuyao Continent. Be careful of that Jia Sheng. Be very, very careful."
Zhao Tianlai smiled and nodded.
His face was young, his dao aura ancient.
The mountain wind brushed his features, strikingly handsome and uncommon.
Lianzhen asked curiously, "Master Literary Saint, may I ask about the Ascension Platform?"
The Old Scholar laughed. "Why can't you ask? The ancient heavenly court is located in a distant star river. What is now called immortal wind-riding might not reach it in a lifetime. In the past, when the gods descended to the mortal realm, except for a very few with great divine powers who could completely ignore the river of time, most other gods also had to use the Ascension Platform to travel back and forth. So the Ascension Platform was not only used to receive terrestrial immortals for ascension. The Green Youth Heavenly Lord was in charge of one of them, because there were actually two."
As for the other one, it was the Moon-Holding Mountain of the Barren Waste World.
But it had long since lost its true function. When Chen Qingdu and Dragon Lord and Guan Zhao together challenged Moon-Holding Mountain with their swords, it was not a mere contest of pride.
But the Old Scholar wouldn't divulge the rest of these inside details.
Zhao Tianlai himself wouldn't tell Fellow Daoist Lianzhen. A jar of osmanthus wine couldn't buy a few pages of old history. Moreover, that Fellow Daoist Wulei, standing alone without fatigue, being one of the four ancient sword spirits, probably knew the truth better than the Grand Heavenly Master.
The Old Scholar stood up and said with a smile, "Though my wishes weren't fulfilled, I indeed relied on Miss Lianzhen's fortune. Last time I had a good pot of tea, and today I've had a good pot of wine here. This person, when he comes visiting, is an old scholar with an empty purse, but he is always one who values propriety. Last time I sent a couplet and horizontal scroll. Today I will give a seal to a certain young man who has been thatched-hut questioning the dao for several years on Dragon Tiger Mountain. I'll trouble the Grand Heavenly Master or Miss Lianzhen to deliver it to him later."
Zhao Tianlai stood up. "In the end, you're still saying that good fortune shouldn't flow to outsiders."
That young man Zhao Yao, who years ago rode an ox-drawn carriage out of Li Zhu Cave Heaven, was one of Qi Jingchun's direct disciples.
Later, while traveling Central Earth Divine Continent, he spent some time cultivating at a Daoist palace on Dragon Tiger Mountain. He wasn't even a nominal disciple; his identity remained that of a Confucian student. Eventually, Zhao Yao went to the Fifth World.
It seemed there was someone he deeply cared about in that Ascension City.
From certain clues and the divinations of the Daoist palace's true man, Zhao Yao actually had a significant connection with Bai Ye.
Zhao Tianlai simply held the flute in both hands, smiling without speaking.
Lianzhen knew her master didn't want to get entangled in too many mundane romantic ties, so she had to act on his behalf. She accepted the white jade seal from the Literary Saint's hands. In fact, she was no stranger to that young man Zhao Yao.
The Old Scholar chuckled. "It's nothing to hide from the light. Miss Lianzhen, feel free to look at the inscription. There's no rush to deliver it to Zhao Yao anyway. You'll need to keep it safe for about ninety years."
Lianzhen didn't stand on ceremony. She pinched the seal with two fingers and looked at it.
Four-character inscription.
"The Heart Lamp Never Sleeps."
Zhao Tianlai glanced at it and smiled knowingly. "Hill-and-stream spirit, cloud-and-water old man. The heart lamp never sleeps, the dao tree forever spring."
The Old Scholar laughed heartily. "Brother Tianlai, you've almost read all the books in the world!"
Zhao Tianlai actually had another good line ready, praising the carving knife's brushwork, how out of the common world arose an immortal-buddha aura. But with the Old Scholar saying that, he let it drop.
The Old Scholar asked tentatively, "Don't tell me I've patted the horse's hoof? I can change it. I can even take the words back."
Lianzhen put away the seal and couldn't help smiling at this. A scholar like the Literary Saint was rare in the world.
Zhao Tianlai asked, "Where will you be busy next?"
The Old Scholar, still unwilling to give up, continued, "On the way back, I'll have my closed-door disciple specially engrave a seal for you, writing 'Accidentally, I Read Through the Books of the World.' How about that? Do you like it? Think there's too much white space with too many characters? No problem, we can just carve four characters: 'I Have Read All Books.'"
Zhao Tianlai still didn't answer.
The Old Scholar's skill at saving face was also first-rate—smooth as flowing water, turning at will. He was already stroking his beard and smiling. "Two second-generation disciples, one found by Xiao Qi, one found by my closed-door disciple, so they become of the same generation. The two children just happened to meet up. Naturally, I have to go see them."
After the Old Scholar secretly gave a wink, the Grand Heavenly Master had no choice but to use his divine ability to shrink the earth and move the Old Scholar far away.
The young Daoist child asked, "Why did the Old Scholar have to do that?"
Zhao Tianlai smiled. "The tree that stands out in the forest will be destroyed by the wind. When a disciple is too outstanding, the teacher will be worried too. But this kind of heartache has its own flavor; ordinary people can't seek it even if they want to."
The young Daoist child suddenly frowned.
That Old Scholar hadn't returned the wine jar!
Zhao Tianlai laughed. "So I accidentally did something too."
The Old Scholar landed in a very distant place, plunging straight into a river.
After swimming ashore, the Old Scholar sighed for some reason and once again rode the wind on a distant journey.
He found Little Vase and Pei Qian meeting at a dynasty academy.
But the Old Scholar didn't appear immediately. He just watched from afar the little girl from the past, now grown, standing tall and graceful.
They were their little master and master.
They had carefully traversed mountains and rivers, saved many people, many. They had never actively harmed anyone—not a single one.
Countless green mountains and clear waters, an innocent young man without evil thoughts.
There were some good words that the Old Scholar truly cared about in his heart, but the old man was reluctant to speak them to outsiders.
Afraid people would know. And sometimes afraid they wouldn't.
The Old Scholar suddenly turned his head and looked toward the southwest of the Solar Radiance World.
---
In the Fifth World, Ascension City had just opened a new enclave mountain, very far from the city, but for now it was only a city framework.
Ascension City had many sword cultivators, but even after absorbing a good number of wandering qi refiners from Fuyao Continent who had attached themselves to Ascension City, they were still short on manpower in every aspect. In this process, Deng Liang, a cultivator from White-Snow Continent who served as an enshrinement, had indeed made significant contributions. He shouldered a large part of the responsibility for winning over cultivators from Fuyao Continent, handling relationships with far more finesse than either the Executioner or Hidden Official branches.
Not only that, but Deng Liang also helped improve parts of Ascension City's Treasury Bureau. The current atmosphere of the Treasury Bureau, led by Gao Yiehou, was well known throughout the city—they were utterly obsessed with money to the point of insanity. Sayings like "When the Treasury Bureau cultivators arrive, the sky rises three feet and the earth thins one foot," "They leave nothing behind, taking all they see," and countless other catchphrases were everywhere.
And Deng Liang, being a sword cultivator from the Hidden Official lineage, had naturally inherited some of the former Hidden Official's true skills. So among the Treasury Bureau cultivators, who were all clamoring and scouring mountains and rivers for loot, Deng Liang was a solidly seated honored guest.
Because this mountain, which had inadvertently circled a vast territory, was almost exactly midway between Ascension City and the southern part of the world, conflicts had arisen several times with the Tongye Continent cultivators who were pushing northward and seizing territory.
This enclave carefully selected by Ascension City was truly an undeniable feng shui treasure land. Besides a great river ten thousand miles long, it could also be shaped into the momentum of the Five Sacred Peaks, with mountains and water interdependent. If placed in Tongye Continent, it might well be the dragon-rising land of a dynasty.
The other three enclaves used to help Ascension City expand its territory on a large scale were not as domineering as this southern one; they were relatively closer to Ascension City at the center of the world.
After a certain female Great Sword Immortal, the acting Hidden Official, had a sword duel and left, she threw down a line: "We're bullying exactly you Tongye Continent cultivators."
Qi Shou and Gao Yiehou, as the leaders of the Executioner and Treasury Bureau branches, had no choice in the matter. Moreover, the Sword Qi Great Wall's impression of Tongye Continent was indeed extremely poor.
In the end, following the established procedures of the second Ancestral Hall meeting, a stele was erected at the highest point of the mountain, engraved with a single character: "Qi."
Additionally, steles were erected in the east engraved with "Sword," in the west with "Long," and in the north with "Wall."
The biggest surprise was on the "Sword" stele territory. A young Daoist with the Dao name Shanqing not only split the stele with his sword but also drove all Ascension City sword cultivators out of the territory.
At the ruins of the "Sword" character, Ning Yao arrived at the mountain peak on her flying sword. She then flew directly off to find Shanqing. Once within the Bluegreen Celestial World's territory, Ning Yao engaged in a sword duel without a word. In the end, she cut down the seal that had once been the Mountain Character Seal of Inverted Suspension Mountain and sent it to the ground. Not only that, but she also picked up the seal and carried it back to the "Sword" stele mountain. Before leaving with the seal, she threw another line at the pale-faced Shanqing: "If you want a sword duel in the future, let me know. Swords decide life and death."
That Dao Ancestor's closed-door disciple, whose sword had shattered the "Sword" character, accepted this without comment and had to temporarily enter seclusion to heal his wounds.
After this battle, there was no doubt that Ning Yao was the number one person in the New World, despite some minor previous objections.
On her way back to the "Sword" stele, Ning Yao received a flying sword message from Ascension City about a conflict in the south, on the "Qi" stele territory, with a large group of Tongye Continent cultivators.
Because of the previous tense Ancestral Hall meeting, the Hidden Official branch had mentioned how to deal with outsiders, which had made many sword cultivators hesitant and reluctant to go all out and kill their opponents.
So Ning Yao had no choice but to fly south on her sword and fight again.
From then on, the entire Ascension City—including the sword cultivators building the southern city—understood that there was no need to be overly polite to Tongye Continent cultivators. As long as they were in the right, they could "anger" those registered immortal masters from Tongye Continent to death without paying for it.
Deng Liang had a longer view than Qi Shou and Gao Yiehou. Privately, he went to drink with them, roughly saying that Ning Yao's action was not only satisfying but also cost-effective. She might have made enemies with all of Tongye Continent's cultivators, but it would also invisibly bring Ascension City closer to the cultivators from Fuyao Continent, making them feel more at ease and developing a natural affinity for Ascension City. That was the human heart in the Solar Radiance World, and it could be leveraged. As for those registered immortal masters from Tongye Continent, although they were now indignant, if Ascension City opened a crack for external registration later, they would only be more eager to throw money at it.
After returning to Ascension City, Ning Yao was in a somewhat bad mood.
In the twilight today, Ning Yao made a rare visit to a wine shop. The former gatekeeper of Li Zhu Cave Heaven's little town was now the acting shopkeeper of this wine shop, doing very well for himself. The shop had a large crowd of drunkards and gamblers every day.
Holding a wine bowl, Ning Yao looked at the wish plaques on the wall inside the shop.
Zheng Dafeng just smiled and greeted Ning Yao before continuing in a low voice, wine bowl in hand, squatting on the street and chatting with the customers. He was specifically talking about how he had had a wonderful dream that night, with twenty-four lotus fairy maidens, each one beautiful beyond compare. He finally lamented, "We old men, every one of us keeps a woman locked in our hearts. There's no such thing as a bachelor in this world. Especially after drinking the wine from my shop, you're even less of a bachelor."
In fact, when Ning Yao appeared, the atmosphere in the wine shop had suddenly changed.
Only when Ning Yao entered the shop did things return somewhat to normal.
There was no helping it. Ning Yao's sword techniques were getting higher, and her prestige was growing heavier. So naturally, Ascension City regarded her as their second senior Great Sword Immortal.
Above the executioners, hidden officials, and treasury bureau—there was Ning Yao, unique in her own right. It was only natural.
Fortunately, Ning Yao went into the shop; otherwise, drinking would have been awkward.
A young man didn't quite understand the implications of Zheng Dafeng's words, just grinning foolishly. He asked Shopkeeper Zheng what he meant by "locking a woman in his heart." Was it a unique technique from the Solar Radiance World? Could it be learned?
Zheng Dafeng raised his wine bowl, and someone immediately refilled it. He took a large gulp, then glanced at a nearby table where a female sword cultivator from the old Jade Scepter Street wealthy family was sitting. She often came to drink with several female sword cultivators, spending generously. After Zheng Dafeng deliberately stared at her stool a few times, the drunkards beside him followed his gaze and nodded in unison, getting the hint. No wonder the benches in the wine shop seemed to be getting narrower. Shopkeeper Zheng was indeed a learned man!
Just as the woman turned her head, Zheng Dafeng immediately averted his gaze, wiped his mouth lightly, and turned to the young man, saying, "Brother, your thoughts are base, truly base. What technique or divine power? When a man cherishes a certain woman in his heart, they become a pair of lovers making their own pledges. And that woman, whether she's a mountain fairy or a mortal woman, will always appear as a teenager in her teens or a young woman in her twenties. Beautiful? Naturally, it's a beautiful thing."
Everyone suddenly understood. Damn, there was some truth to that.
Zheng Dafeng scratched his head with one hand, raised his wine bowl with the other, and poured wine for others. He said, "Brothers, let's all stand up and make a fuss."
Zheng Dafeng drank, his smile still on his face, but occasionally when he lowered his head to drink, there was a faint, unspeakable something in his eyes—not seeing the wine, but seeing someone far away.
After drinking, Ning Yao took the initiative to find the second-in-command of the Executioners, the Sewing Man Nian Xin.
Perhaps any sword cultivator of the Hidden Official lineage would consider it taboo to come see this person. Ning Yao was, of course, an exception.
Nian Xin's residence was in a quiet, secluded alley, very simple.
In the night, Ning Yao entered the house and sat down. She got straight to the point. "Senior Nian Xin, did he leave a letter here?"
Wearing a wide dharma robe, Nian Xin nodded. "There is indeed a letter. But according to my agreement with Chen Ping'an, I cannot hand it to you yet. In fact, Miss Ning, it's best if you never open this confidential letter."
As Nian Xin spoke, she gently twisted the wick of a lamp on the table with two fingers.
Ning Yao nodded. She just glanced at the strange lamp and didn't ask Nian Xin for the letter.
Unexpectedly, Nian Xin took the letter from her sleeve and smiled. "But I think it's better to open it sooner rather than later. Maybe it'll bring good luck."
Ning Yao hesitated.
Nian Xin placed the letter on the table and muttered to herself, "I kept my promise. I treasured this letter."
In fact, Chen Ping'an had left three letters in total. Besides this one to Nian Xin, one was given to the direct disciple of the Flowing Radiance Peak of the Grand Emblem Sword Sect, sword cultivator Bai Shou.
At the time, Chen Ping'an had privately told the young man to give it to his teacher only when his teacher was very sad and would drink alone.
On that letter, Chen Ping'an merely asked about something concerning Liu Jinglong—to reason with the married woman ghost. Chen Ping'an felt that Liu Jinglong would do a better job than himself.
Another letter was given to Wei Wenlong at the Spring Bunting Shop. Actually, it was an envelope containing two letters, both considered family letters. One was to be forwarded to Zhu Lian; the other to Liu Xianyang.
That Fallen Mountain family letter was detailed, covering many matters. One item was to appoint Cao Qinglang as the next mountain master and to ensure Pei Qian was well taken care of.
The letter in Ning Yao's hand, the one entrusted to Nian Xin, was the one the young Hidden Official had started writing the earliest but finished the latest.
Ning Yao opened the envelope and saw the first sentence. She immediately turned her back.
Nian Xin let out a faint sigh. That young Hidden Official—wonder what nonsense he wrote that could make a woman like Ning Yao turn away.
Nian Xin silently rose, took the lamp from the table, and left the room to Ning Yao alone.
Ning Yao still had her back turned. She read the first sentence of the confidential letter again.
"Ning Yao, rest assured. I have always been thinking of you. Even in the last moment of my life, it will be so."
Later, there were some parts of the letter that Ning Yao would read fewer times, and some that she would read many.
"I'm sorry. Though the tide is overwhelming, I insisted on being willful. My situation is like when I was young, gathering herbs on the mountain. I was beside a stream. Back then, I crossed over, and I was fortunate to meet you. This time, I couldn't make it, and I've made you sad. If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have come to the Sword Qi Great Wall to find you. But how could I not have come? How could I not come to find you? Give me ten thousand chances, and I would come ten thousand times."
"There's no help for it. Chen Ping'an cannot forever be the orphan of Mud Vase Alley. He cannot forever be the kiln apprentice who learns everything slowly. He cannot forever be the mountain master of Fallen Mountain in Longquan Commandery, Great Li Dynasty. And naturally, he cannot forever be the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall. The only thing he can do is to be Chen Ping'an, who loves Ning Yao. Actually, after growing up, in these years of travel, or of rest, I never felt particularly uncomfortable. I never felt I was suffering much. I was inevitably disappointed sometimes, but I had even more hope."
"But some heartfelt words, whenever you hear them, you get upset. So I had to save them up, one sentence at a time. You once asked me, 'Is liking someone such a big deal?' I have always wanted to say to you: Chen Ping'an likes Ning Yao; Ning Yao likes Chen Ping'an. Of course, that is the greatest thing under heaven. In the ten thousand ten thousand years of this world, only we like each other."
Meeting Ning Yao was the happiest thing for Chen Ping'an since he was four years old.
Hello, Miss Ning. My father's surname is Chen; my mother's surname is Chen. So I am called Chen Ping'an.
Ning Yao, you must be safe and sound.
Ning Yao put away the letter, closed her eyes, and was silent for a long time. Finally, she rose and walked to the door. She pressed her hand again to the center of her brow.
Nian Xin came out from the side room. She asked telepathically, "Is this the reason you can't break through the immortal realm bottleneck?"
Ning Yao nodded.
This immortally nurtured sword "Tianzhen" actually wanted to make Ning Yao its sword attendant, to have her—who should be the sword spirit—become the sword master.
So after entering the immortal realm, Ning Yao had twice nearly directly imprisoned it in her mind. Over these years, "Tianzhen" had been like a naughty girl, constantly fleeing. Even Ning Yao found it difficult to trace. As for the earlier anomaly, it was because the immortal sword "Taibai," also a sword spirit, had some mysterious resonance with Tianzhen. The other two immortal swords—Dragon Tiger Mountain's "Wanfa" and the Jade Capital's "Daozang"—were likely in a similar state.
Nian Xin said, "Take it slow."
Ning Yao said nothing.
Nian Xin looked at Ning Yao and suddenly smiled. "You don't seem as heartbroken as I imagined."
Ning Yao said, "Because I believe in him."
---
The Old Scholar still only revealed himself before his own people, chuckling. "Little girl has become a big girl."
Pei Qian instinctively cupped her fists, then felt it wasn't quite right. Seeing Vase Sister make a bow, she immediately imitated her, bowing to the Master Literary Saint.
Pei Qian had recently returned to Central Earth Divine Continent with Yu Juanfu. Hearing about this academy near the Yu clan, she had shouldered her bamboo case and, wielding a walking staff, traveled alone until she reached it. As for that mute child, A Man, he stubbornly refused to move and stayed with the Yu clan, continuing to be mute. Pei Qian could only remind him not to forget to practice boxing. The child remained silent, neither agreeing nor refusing.
This academy was not among the seventy-two Confucian academies. If it were, Pei Qian would not have come.
But Pei Qian hadn't expected to run into Vase Sister here.
The Old Scholar waved at them, puzzled. "What, been arguing with people again?"
Li Bao vase nodded.
The academy's headmaster was one of those who commented on what it meant to be a "pure Confucian." Not only that, but he had written many articles, impassioned and fierce, commenting on current affairs. This headmaster, from the Second Sage lineage, specialized in cursing his own sages, earning him countless praise from the mortal world. But it was said that some returning cultivators and scholars from Fuyao Continent and Southern Bodhi Continent wanted to come debate with him, but were turned away. As a result, the headmaster wrote another article lamenting the declining morals of the age.
Li Baoping had debated with a certain direct disciple of that headmaster. She first acknowledged the strengths of the headmaster's arguments, saying that the Solar Radiance World and the Central Earth Confucian Temple could certainly accommodate everyone speaking their minds. But as soon as she raised the first point worthy of discussion—for instance, whether the headmaster's heartfelt words, so-called truths, were necessarily the truth. When a scholar reaches the position of an academy headmaster, should he examine himself, be a bit more patient, and listen to whether young people with different opinions are right or wrong?—the other party immediately sneered, shook his sleeves, and left.
Li Baoping just sighed. It was the same again.
Throughout, Pei Qian had stood expressionless beside Li Baoping. She immediately cursed at the departing figure: "Go to hell."
That academy headmaster's direct disciple, who was both deaf and sharp-eared, immediately turned back and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again if you dare."
So Pei Qian said it again: "Go to hell."
Perhaps unwilling to be disgraced by literary disgrace, the scholar laughed loudly, turned to Li Baoping, and said, "Look, this is the attitude of your dissidents. Is it worth my headmaster listening to even half a word?"
The Old Scholar listened to Li Baoping's concise but detailed account, nodded with a smile, "Li Baoping reasoned well, Pei Qian cursed well. Both good, both good."
In the Literary Saint lineage, besides the closed-door disciple, direct disciples were meant to be scolded. But for second-generation disciples, the Old Scholar certainly couldn't praise them enough.
Pei Qian blushed slightly, habitually scratching her head. She had been worried the Literary Saint might scold her a few words. She could take being scolded, but she didn't want to implicate her master.
The Old Scholar told them to wait. He went to find the academy headmaster who cursed heaven, earth, sages, and worried about the country and the people.
It turned out the headmaster didn't recognize the Old Scholar at first. After some argument, the disciple muttered, "Who do you think you are?"
The Old Scholar immediately retorted, "I'm the fourth!"
The headmaster was stunned for a moment, then seemed to understand. But he became even more spirited in his scholar's demeanor, full of righteousness, and demanded of the Old Scholar, who was no longer a sage, "Are you trying to silence me with your former sage status?"
The Old Scholar didn't want to say more. He went back to Li Baoping and Pei Qian, and together they went to the Yu clan. That old Yu was indeed a terrible chess player.
Suddenly, the Old Scholar looked up sharply.
Magnificent!
One sword left Dragon Tiger Mountain's Celestial Master Mansion first, heading straight for Fuyao Continent.
Then another sword broke through the "border" heavenly curtain between the Bluegreen Celestial World and the Solar Radiance World.
Then a third immortal sword similarly broke through the heavenly curtain of the Fifth World, heading for Fuyao Continent.
They successively broke through three layers of heavenly prohibitions over Fuyao Continent.
Together with the immortal sword held by Bai Ye, the four immortal swords gathered for the first time in the Solar Radiance World.
Bai Ye, Taibai.
Dao Second of the Jade Capital, Daozang.
Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain, Wanfa.
Sword Qi Great Wall, the fourth immortal sword, Tianzhen.
By one person's side, the immortal swords gathered.