Chapter 749: Seeking Truth in Dreams, Immortal Feeds Fists

Chapter 749: Seeking Truth in Dreams, Immortal Feeds Fists

(Let me say something, the physical book of "Sword Comes" has already been published and released, a set of seven volumes.)

Jiang Shangzhen leaned forward, his gaze bypassing Chen Ping'an in the middle, and smiled at the Academy disciple: "This scholar, you're from the Great Fu Academy? Do you have a noble title or not?"

The Confucian-robed youth immediately stood up, walked down a few steps, and respectfully bowed: "Great Fu Academy Confucian scholar Yang Pu, pays respects to Elder Patriarch Jiang."

"You're too polite, too polite. I'm not a scholar."

Jiang Shangzhen returned the salute while sitting, then said in sudden realization: "Yang Pu, a bit of an impression, you've got some guts. From now on, I'll consider us acquaintances."

Chen Ping'an couldn't help but tease: "Brother Zhou Fei, you've got a good reputation these days. Don't tell me the romantic tales of the mountains have spread all the way to the academies?"

Jiang Shangzhen laughed heartily: "There's been too many affairs in the mountains these years, delayed a lot of proper business."

Chen Ping'an asked: "Elder Patriarch?"

Jiang Shangzhen nodded, "Being in charge for three years makes even dogs annoyed. I've got thin skin, can't stand being cursed at every day, so I let Wei Ying take over."

Before going into seclusion, Jiang Shangzhen had formally resigned as Patriarch in that ancestral hall almost entirely filled with new faces. Now the new Patriarch of the Jade Gui Sect was Wei Ying, the former master of Nine Chess Peak and a Sword Immortal of the Immortal Realm. Wei Ying then took the opportunity to resign as Patriarch of the True Realm Sect, letting Liu Laocheng, a wild cultivator from Scroll Lake who had reached the Immortal Realm and was the chief offering of the lower sect, take over.

Hence why Academy scholar Yang Pu addressed him as "Elder Patriarch Jiang."

Of course, Jiang Shangzhen wasn't exactly young anymore.

Yang Pu straightened up, looking very embarrassed: "My scholarship is still shallow, I haven't even become a Worthy yet. I wouldn't dare claim to be familiar with Elder Patriarch Jiang."

Jiang Shangzhen teased: "Not even a Worthy yet? The Great Fu Academy is burying talent. In my opinion, giving you a noble title would be more than enough. I'll talk to Headmaster Cheng about it later. If my face isn't enough, I'll bring this Mountain Lord Chen beside me. He's an old friend of your Headmaster Cheng, both scholars, so his words will definitely carry weight."

Chen Ping'an didn't respond.

Yang Pu was a bit flustered, bowed again, and said: "Elder Patriarch Jiang, I, Yang Pu, am stationed here not to seek fame or build reputation. Moreover, in three years, I've achieved nothing. I earnestly beg the Elder Patriarch not to do this. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to leave immediately and ask the Academy to send someone else."

Jiang Shangzhen nodded: "Then take it as a joke, don't take it seriously. If they send someone else, they might not suit my and Mountain Lord Chen's tastes. You're truly foolish, kid, don't you know that if you leave now, all your previous efforts will be wasted? If the Jade Gui Sect's own bulletins aren't wrong, you rushed to Taiping Mountain on your own before the Academy even said anything, didn't you? Headmaster Cheng hadn't even settled into his position yet and had to personally come to support you, this reckless young man. If you withdraw from Taiping Mountain's gate now, you'll have been playing the fool for years, gained nothing, and ended up covered in filth. Just those three major mountain immortal sects will definitely remember the name Yang Pu. So take my advice, just stay put by us, drink your wine, and watch the show."

Yang Pu wanted to speak again.

Chen Ping'an took a sip of wine and said slowly: "From the vice-headmasters to the Confucian disciples, everyone in the Academy is watching you. Yang Pu, you may not care about your own future because you have a clear conscience, but many people who genuinely admire you will feel indignant for you. They'll think that good people indeed get no reward. Think about this principle for a while. Once you've thought it through, then decide whether to stay or leave. At the very least, Jiang Shangzhen and I will still regard you as a true scholar and welcome you to visit the Jade Gui Sect or the... True Realm Sect in the future."

Jiang Shangzhen smiled: "Since the Mountain Lord still has this much patience, I'm much more relieved."

Of the three battles, Jiang Shangzhen had only seen the last one. It had given him a bit of a scare, not just because of how high Chen Ping'an's sword techniques, fist techniques, and divine abilities had become, but because he was worried that the young mountain lord of the Fallen Mountain, whom he hadn't seen for about twenty years, had turned into a complete stranger—into the kind of mountain cultivator Jiang Shangzhen was very familiar with.

Chen Ping'an glanced at the Jade Pudding Realm female cultivator lying in the distance, cooling herself on the ground. His expression was indifferent, his gaze deep and quiet: "Whether I have patience or not depends on the person."

Jiang Shangzhen communicated with Chen Ping'an through heart voice: "The new headmaster of the Great Fu Academy is the former vice-headmaster of the Forest Deer Academy in Cloud-Laden Mountain, your hometown. However, because this is his first time serving as headmaster of a Seventy-Two Academy, he used his true demonic name for the first time, Cheng Longzhou. After all, Cheng Longzhou is descended from flood dragons and water spirits. His appointment as headmaster of a Confucian Academy has caused quite a bit of controversy among the mountains. The Great Li Emperor Song He used a lot of mountain incense-and-fire connections for this. This is also the result of the Central Earth Confucian Temple banning landscape bulletins for five years. Otherwise, the current situation in Haoran would just be everyone arguing, wasting a lot of golden opportunities and delaying many important matters."

Chen Ping'an thought for a moment and finally resolved a doubt he had—why the Confucian Temple had chosen to ban bulletins for five years.

Although Confucian scholar Yang Pu didn't know what these two mountain-top gods were discussing, he felt extremely uncomfortable. After all, right in front of him, lying on the ground, was a Jade Pudding Realm grand cultivator whose life or death was unknown!

Such a big deal, and you two seniors, even with your heaven-defying techniques and transcendent status, couldn't you show a little more concern?

Chen Ping'an lifted his chin, pointing at the woman on the ground: "What's her background?"

Jiang Shangzhen looked somewhat gleeful: "Before answering, allow me to ask a small question. How much effort did you put in? If it were me dealing with her, killing her completely, destroying her primordial spirit, would only take two or three swords. But to knock her unconscious in such a short time, and also imprison her soul and yin spirit one by one within her qi mansions, as if you've sent troops to block her gates—frankly, even I might not be able to do it, let alone other ordinary Jade Pudding or Immortal Realm cultivators. You should know, this woman's fighting ability is average, but her escape skills are considerable. Her Five Elements Evasion Technique is at its peak. As long as the world isn't sealed off from her, she can escape anywhere. Even a sword cultivator of the same realm couldn't kill her, let alone seriously wound her."

"It's hard to say how much effort."

Chen Ping'an twitched the corner of his mouth and continued through heart voice: "But I did temporarily seal off a small world on the battlefield. Then, using a little trick, I wrote a few... Spring Couplet talismans on the gates of her sixteen qi mansions. If she dares to wake up, it'll be equivalent to sparring with my sword cultivator self or questioning fists with my martial artist self. So for now, she has no choice but to continue playing dead. But before that, I was quite reasonable. I let her use a secret technique to send a message to her ancestral hall, to call for reinforcements to come to Taiping Mountain and interrogate me."

Chen Ping'an smiled and reached his hand out of his sleeve, pinching a bright red coral hairpin between his thumb and index finger: "Of course, she's a bit naive. Whether it's traveling in the mortal world or fighting, she's very... Middle Five Realm level. I really don't know how she managed to reach the Upper Five Realm. Too much luck?"

Jiang Shangzhen rubbed his brow: "Poor sister Jiangshu, falling into your hands. Aside from keeping her virtue intact, there's nothing left. I reckon that when Sister Jiangshu adds it all up, she'll think it might have been better not to have guarded her virtue at all."

Chen Ping'an ignored him and continued using the Refining Art to carefully break the landscape restrictions on this token. When it was opened, he would learn the sect of this Upper Five Realm female cultivator, and more importantly, her true backing. Besides, this jade hairpin was a high-quality superior magic treasure, valuable—very valuable.

Jiang Shangzhen endured for a long time but couldn't hold back anymore. He burst out laughing, no longer using heart voice: "Her name is Han Jiangshu. Her sect is rather peculiar. They keep a low profile in Tongye Continent. To ordinary local cultivators, they look up at exiled immortal causing trouble. The cultivators of her sect are used to traveling the Haoran World, acting with impunity, throwing their weight around. When they cause trouble, they hide in some blessed land, and no one knows."

Chen Ping'an looked down at the coral hairpin and understood. He laughed: "She's from the Ten Thousand Jade Sect of the Three Mountains Blessed Land? No wonder her skills aren't great but her temper is considerable, and her courage is even more admirable."

In the archives of the Summer Retreat Palace, on a page of old records, there was an entry about this place. It was more secretive than the Observation Temple of the East Sea. The Three Mountains Blessed Land spanned ten thousand miles. Although it was called "Three Mountains," it was actually a single island in the sea. Legend had it that it was one of the three sacred mountains of antiquity, guarded by a high-ranking deity. There was also a phrase resembling a prophecy: "Ox hooves trample coral sounds." Chen Ping'an guessed it mostly concerned a dispute between the Three Mountains Blessed Land and the old temple master of the Lotus Flower Blessed Land, that "stinky Daoist." The Ten Thousand Jade Sect hadn't gained any advantage. Very normal. In ten thousand years, how many fourteenth-realm cultivators had there been in the world? Especially in peaceful times, they were even rarer. Only in chaotic times, like rushing floodwaters, would the waters rise and land sink, and maybe a few more would appear. For example, "Lu Fayan," Wenhai Zhoumi. Or A Liang, Cui Chan.

Jiang Shangzhen nodded: "This woman relies on being the legitimate daughter of the Immortal Realm Han Yushu. The Ten Thousand Jade Sect historically produced an Ascension Realm founding patriarch. Descendants can close their doors and rest on their laurels, living off their landscape registry. Those qualified to travel—the old man Han knows that the Observation Temple of Tongye is not to be trifled with. He's worried that our old temple master would find it annoying to look at. The Ten Thousand Jade Sect only sends two or three people out of the blessed land every hundred years or so, and they're usually not weak in cultivation, so they're used to being arrogant. Sister Jiangshu, being the legitimate daughter, was raised more sheltered. And before the old patriarch passed away through liberation, relying on accumulated merit, he made an agreement with the Central Earth Confucian Temple: no revealing information about the blessed land and the sect. So the Jade Gui Sect and the Tongye Sect both give them some face."

Chen Ping'an asked: "During this great war?"

Jiang Shangzhen said: "The Ten Thousand Jade Sect contributed a lot in the final stages. Real gold and silver—they probably dug out about half their family fortune. As for casualties among their cultivators, there weren't many."

Chen Ping'an smiled slightly: "Good judgment, great courage. No wonder they dared to set their sights on Taiping Mountain."

Jiang Shangzhen finished his wine, put the empty jug aside, clasped his hands behind his head, leaned back, and lay down on the steps, continuing through heart voice: "Exactly. This favor, not only does the Academy have to acknowledge it, but when Immortal Han of the Ten Thousand Jade Sect visited Divine Inscription Peak earlier, in my Jade Gui Sect, I hid away seeking peace. Wei Ying had to pinch his nose, smile, and personally thank the man. So, you see, the Ten Thousand Jade Sect wants to occupy a piece of territory outside the Three Mountains Blessed Land in Tongye Continent. They've set their sights on this Taiping Mountain. Even if the Great Fu Academy doesn't agree, they won't want to sour relations with the Ten Thousand Jade Sect."

But Chen Ping'an no longer communicated through heart voice. Instead, he had a sudden thought and opened half of the "Spring Couplet" restrictions on the gates of Han Jiangshu's key qi mansions. Then he sneered: "Good thing landscape bulletins are banned now. If just one bulletin got out, Ten Thousand Jade Sect? It'd be Ten Thousand Demon Sect instead. Maybe they're a leftover piece from the Sixty-Year Tally in Tongye, so they hate Taiping Mountain to the bone, set on seizing this place to completely cut off Taiping Mountain's incense. 'Maybe,' right? Patriarch Han can reason with anyone, and whoever's wrong just has to admit it and apologize in the bulletins. Specifically clarify one thing: the Ten Thousand Jade Sect has absolutely no connection or origin with the Barbaric World."

Elder Patriarch Jiang and this "Mountain Lord Chen's" conversations were all clearly heard by the Confucian scholar Yang Pu. Hearing these last words, sweat beaded on the scholar's forehead. He didn't know if it was from the wine or from fright.

Chen Ping'an turned his head and smiled: "Yang Pu, even if you knew this method would work and could easily protect the ruins of Taiping Mountain, you still wouldn't do it, would you?"

Yang Pu mustered his courage and said solemnly: "It's not the act of a noble man. I absolutely would not do such a thing."

The bright red coral hairpin between Chen Ping'an's fingers flashed once, and he quickly put it into his sleeve. Sure enough, Han Jiangshu had called for her father.

Immortal Han Yushu? Noted.

Chen Ping'an patted the shoulder of the Academy Confucian scholar, then snapped his fingers, "tearing off" half of the sword qi that remained on the Spring Couplets at the gates of her qi mansions. He looked at the female cultivator Han Jiangshu: "Hear that? You should thank scholars like him. Many things—you get an advantage and then act smug. It's not that others aren't as smart as you; it's that noble men have things they will do and things they won't. What they will do, you're unwilling to do, and you think they're fools. What they won't do, you still think they're fools, and you laugh secretly. Laughing secretly is fine, but don't laugh so loudly next time. What if you run into me? If I hadn't been worried about beating the wrong person, you'd be a portrait in the Ten Thousand Jade Sect's ancestral hall right now, enjoying incense offerings every year."

Han Jiangshu silently sat up, her gaze lowered, her expression unreadable.

She didn't utter any harsh words, nor did she meet the eyes of that ruthless bastard. She didn't even try to flee.

Yang Pu looked at the miserable Upper Five Realm female immortal. This "Mountain Lord Chen" senior was worried about beating the wrong person?

This Han Jiangshu had been quite prominent in Tongye Continent in recent years. She had appeared at many mountaintop assemblies, including the one at the Great Fu Academy. For the past few years, Yang Pu had stubbornly guarded Taiping Mountain's gate, relying solely on his identity as an Academy Confucian scholar to avoid being killed. During that time, Han Jiangshu had come once, touring Taiping Mountain. She lingered for a long time near the ruins of the ancestral hall. Yang Pu followed her from a distance, but neither spoke a single word from start to finish.

It was hard to imagine that a female immortal who once seemed unattainable to Yang Pu could be dragged by the hair and casually thrown to the ground.

And when she finally came to, she was hit with "you'd be a portrait, enjoying incense." Yang Pu knew that Han Jiangshu was not someone he needed to pity, but he couldn't help feeling sorry for this Jade Pudding Realm female immortal.

And along with the pity, there was some satisfaction. It felt like all the resentment he had bottled up over the years had been cooled by the wine, cleansing most of it. He cautiously glanced at Han Jiangshu. Serves her right.

Thinking that way probably wasn't appropriate, but Yang Pu couldn't help it.

This senior with the surname Chen... was too good with words. Earlier, when dealing with a nobody like himself, the senior had no airs at all. He was friendly and even offered wine.

But strangely, the Confucian scholar Yang Pu felt at ease.

Like when studying and flipping through books at the Academy.

Chen Ping'an extended both hands from his sleeves, suspending two condensed balls of cultivator souls. The two bodies left behind had each been pasted with a Puppet Talisman earlier. Now they started flying toward the mountain gate on their own, their expressions wooden, like two walking corpses. They stood on either side of the gate like guardian spirits. Chen Ping'an casually tossed the two soul balls, but instead of letting them merge back into the bodies, he left them floating above the heads, gently drifting in the wind. He took two more talismans from his sleeve and, in a flash, stuck them onto the souls. The talismans vibrated violently, but the agonizing screams that should have come from the two souls didn't reach Yang Pu's ears at all.

Han Jiangshu completely ignored this.

Her entire mind was focused on that secretive "young" Daoist.

This bastard was definitely an Immortal Realm cultivator!

An Immortal who could casually take control of her coral hairpin. She'd have to endure him for now. When you cultivate in the mountains, suffering a loss isn't scary. There's always a day to get even. She, Han Jiangshu, was no rootless wild cultivator drifting like duckweed! Her Ten Thousand Jade Sect had rendered great service to Tongye Continent! She didn't believe this guy would dare to kill her outright. Since that was the case, what did it matter to bow her head for a while?

Today, she had capsized in a ditch. That bastard had good schemes and methods. Earlier, when he first made his move, he had simultaneously used two layers of misdirection. One layer was pretending to be a Sword Immortal, using what was likely a sword imitation of the Sword-Hating Mountain's immortal swords—and two of them in succession!

The other layer was using a formation to seal off the world, pretending to be a sage overseeing a small world, which made her Dao heart waver for an instant. But it turned out he was a Daoist high cultivator who also practiced talismans and formations. No wonder he deliberately didn't wear a Daoist crown or robe. It wasn't until after he used his talismans and formations and was provoked by one of her innate techniques that he was forced to reveal a Daoist robe that was definitely not a disguise. Its aura was vast. And a lotus crown, one of the three lineages of the Jade Capital, with an ethereal Daoist intent. Absolutely not fake. She still had enough discernment for that.

The most troublesome were the sword qi talismans suppressing her key qi mansions, which made it so that a Jade Pudding Realm cultivator like her could only obediently lie on the ground. Even lying at the gate, she didn't dare take an extra look or listen.

The only thing she doubted was that Daoist crown. That guy had moved very fast earlier, adjusting it with his hand, dispelling some of the rippling illusion that resembled a fish-tail crown. It was highly possible that the true form of the crown wasn't a token of the Jade Capital's Patriarch Lu's lineage. Was he worried that her sect would track him down for revenge? So he borrowed the lotus crown as a bluff? And at the same time, concealed his true Daoist lineage?

No! With this guy's temperament, he definitely wouldn't have shown any flaws in front of her. The fish-tail crown was a token of the Jade Capital's Second Patriarch's lineage. It was also meant to intimidate! A Daoist willing to go this far for Taiping Mountain—right, he must be from the same lineage as the Jade Capital's Grand Patriarch, like Taiping Mountain itself. An out-of-towner from Tongye Continent, from some lower sect of the Jade Capital's main lineage in another continent of Haoran World! Because she had heard her father say that the Jade Capital's Grand Patriarch had been missing for a long time, not even appearing when Taiping Mountain ascended to Heavenly Lord status. So this secretive "young" Daoist was not ordinary—full of twists and turns, deep and scheming!

Since the grudge was already this deep, before he left Tongye Continent, even if he could live, he'd have to leave half his life behind! She, Han Jiangshu, and the Ten Thousand Jade Sect had absolutely no reason to endure such humiliation!

Jiang Shangzhen looked at Han Jiangshu. Although he didn't know exactly how she and Chen Ping'an had "exchanged Dao techniques," he was certain of one thing: this Sister Jiangshu had no idea where the good-natured brother had led her.

Jiang Shangzhen sat up, shook his wine jug, and saw the mountain lord beside him wasn't reacting. So he had to pretend to look up, raise his arm, and vigorously shake the empty jug. Still no reaction from the good-natured brother. Jiang Shangzhen had no choice but to put the jug back by his feet.

Of course, Jiang Shangzhen recognized this Sister Jiangshu, but Han Jiangshu didn't recognize him. That was normal. During his early travels to the Three Mountains Blessed Land, Jiang Shangzhen had changed his name and appearance. Because of a small misunderstanding, she had relentlessly pursued him. Later, when Han Jiangshu accompanied her Immortal Realm father to visit the Jade Gui Sect, Jiang Shangzhen was no longer the Patriarch and had gone into "seclusion" to avoid trouble, so they never met. And in the early years, no landscape bulletin in Tongye Continent dared to casually talk about Jiang Shangzhen, because Jiang Shangzhen would personally visit to "thank" them.

The four most troublesome types in the mountains were generally considered to be sword cultivators, Legalist cultivators, Shi Dao Fang Daoists, and debt-collecting knife wielders.

But there were also four other troublesome types who had made their names known across continent bulletins. One was a bastard who liked to compose poems while riding the wind. Another was the old boatman who had ferried the Third Patriarch Lu Chen, unmatched in verbal battles. Another was Jiang Shangzhen, who raised flowers inside the wall but their fragrance spread outside—he did all sorts of mischief in North Jambudvipa Continent, which was full of sword cultivators, and still didn't die. He was unmatched in escape and even more unmatched in being annoying. And there was a female cultivator from White Emperor City who usually had a terrible temper but knew many unorthodox methods and occasionally had excellent patience.

It was said that now this female cultivator was extremely doting on a young man with no surname, only named "Canran," a new junior disciple of White Emperor City. She had even fought a major battle with a Central Earth sect for her junior disciple. Using her many astonishing methods, she and her junior disciple teamed up, spending five years challenging a whole sect. Even Zheng Juzhong had to send a flying sword message to White Emperor City. As for the content of that secret letter, opinions varied. Some said it was to dissuade her, telling her to quit while she was ahead. Some said it was to scold her for poor protection and even worse techniques. And some said it was Zheng Juzhong personally instructing his closed-door disciple "Canran" on how to make an immediate impact... Anyway, there weren't many people in the entire Haoran World who could guess Zheng Juzhong's thoughts.

Jiang Shangzhen opened his mouth and laughed: "Two Earth Immortals, one Golden Core and one Nascent Soul. I don't know the Golden Core expert, but I've had the honor of meeting this Nascent Soul big shot once. He started as a wild cultivator and became a guest minister of Little Dragon Pool just a few years ago. Can't be helped. These days, there are too few mountain immortals. Any old trash can run up the mountain, turn around, and become the pillar of our continent's landscape."

Chen Ping'an squinted at that "Nascent Soul big shot." The soul wailing above its own head, sensing a cold gaze, endured the heart-wrenching pain and immediately quieted down. Sure enough, having started as a wild cultivator, it could endure more hardship than registered immortal masters.

Little Dragon Pool was a lower sect of Great Dragon Pool in the Central Divine Continent. Its cultivators were mostly immortal mirror workers. The mirror treasures forged by Great Dragon Pool were very famous. Among the world's six lines of demon-reflecting mirrors, the Water Dragon Mirror, specifically designed to suppress water spirit creatures, was monopolized by Great Dragon Pool's mirror workers. As for the Little Dragon Pool cultivators of Tongye Continent, they had moved away quickly back then and come back just as quickly later. It wasn't strange that they had set their sights on Taiping Mountain's territory. One of the core treasures of Taiping Mountain's protective mountain formation was the old Heavenly Lord's handheld ancient mirror, once used to search for great demons. Obviously, both Great Dragon Pool and Little Dragon Pool hoped to use the residual Dao resonance of the ancient mirror to deduce and trace back, ultimately forging an imitation of Taiping Mountain's ancient mirror. And then, what else? Make big money, of course. Now they're all enthusiastically pursuing the remnants of the four continent's demon tribes that aren't worth mentioning, especially the registered immortal masters from Flowing Mist Continent and Radiant White Continent. They're more and more energetic, traveling across continents without complaint. Even "Xu Jun," the Sword Immortal guest minister of the Liu family at Mountain-Dispelling Ferry, was considered decent. Plus he was a sword cultivator who had genuinely fought on the Golden Armor Continent battlefield in the early days. For instance, when Wanyan Laojing had lost his mind back then, it was Xu Xie, hiding his name and cultivation, who stepped forward resolutely, drew his sword decisively, and helped Golden Armor Continent avoid a lot of losses. Jiang Shangzhen chose to turn a blind eye to that.

Han Jiangshu finally straightened her waist, raised her head, and sat cross-legged. She first wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand, then reached out to smooth the hair at her temples. Her expression was so calm that it made Confucian scholar Yang Pu feel a chill.

Yang Pu, even if he didn't pay attention to the outside world, knew that the more composed a mountain cultivator like this was, the more people would be wary of her.

And beside this Jade Pudding Realm female cultivator was the drawn narrow sword, Zhan Kan.

Chen Ping'an put his hands in his sleeves, made as if to stand up, and smiled: "Sister Jiangshu, such good composure. Truly a tough nut. Admirable, admirable. I look up to you."

Han Jiangshu subconsciously stood up, on high alert. A crimson Dharma robe on her body burst into brilliant light, its treasure light like layers of moon halos and overlapping rainbows, making her look like a goddess walking out of the Moon Palace.

Unexpectedly, Chen Ping'an had already sat back down. Then he slightly raised his head, just staring blankly at Han Jiangshu. He didn't speak, remaining silent for a long time before saying: "Looking at you hurts my eyes and makes my neck ache."

Han Jiangshu was about to withdraw her Dharma robe's manifestation, her heartstring taut. In an instant, Han Jiangshu was about to activate a lifebound object—the element of earth, a fallen kingdom's old mountain that her father had relocated from Tongye Continent to the Three Mountains Blessed Land in his early years. So her earth-escape technique was extremely subtle. But just as Han Jiangshu disappeared into the ground, the next moment, her whole body was "smashed" out of the earth. That talisman-and-formation master grabbed her head, pressed it down hard, and her back smashed the ground into a large spiderweb. His strength was just right—it suppressed Han Jiangshu's key qi mansions without burying her deep in a pit.

Yang Pu sat dumbfounded on the steps. He hadn't even seen Senior Chen make his move. What he did see was that azure-clad figure step down heavily, stepping squarely on the woman's face.

One foot on Han Jiangshu's face: "And you still have the face to look at Taiping Mountain in front of me?!"

He stomped again and again, stomping the entire head of a Jade Pudding Realm female cultivator into a depression. The senior whom Elder Patriarch Jiang addressed as "Mountain Lord" shouted angrily as he stomped: "Look! Look all you want! Open your eyes wide and take a good look!"

Jiang Shangzhen didn't see anything wrong. He looked perfectly at ease, as if enjoying the scenery. Too bad there was no wine left. That was the only flaw.

Brother Chen was truly a Mountain Peak Realm... bottleneck martial artist. Could be considered a tenth-realm martial artist of Tongye Continent.

Jiang Shangzhen glanced at the dumbfounded Academy scholar beside him, smiled. Still too young. The famous "Pitying Fragrance and Cherishing Jade Chen Ping'an" of Vase Continent must know that one, right? This young mountain lord in front of you is exactly that. Fits the name, doesn't it?

Jiang Shangzhen coughed lightly, covered his mouth with his fist, and squinted his eyes in laughter.

In those unbearable years, when death happened every single day, there were occasional things that made Jiang Shangzhen happy.

Like meeting a round-faced girl in cotton clothes. They had a good talk. Or like among the demons, there was a saying that spread widely—"south bestows subject, north hidden official"—so much so that on Tongye Continent, above and below the mountains, among those who survived, however they survived, they had all heard this weighty saying. And with the list of the Ten Young from several worlds, the eleventh place was exactly "Hidden Official." So the mountaintops of Tongye Continent now all regretted that this genius sword cultivator of the Sword Qi Great Wall, not even forty years old back then, had held a high position at a young age. Unfortunately, he had followed that "Ascension City" to the Fifth World. If he had stayed in Haoran World, even meeting up with just Qi Tingji and Lu Zhi, or simply starting his own lineage, then Haoran World would certainly have another young Sword Immortal Patriarch appearing out of nowhere and rising quickly. Most importantly, he was young, very young!

As for the mid-level Tongye Continent cultivators, they had almost no understanding of the Sword Qi Great Wall. They habitually treated the "North Hidden Official" as a demon cultivator of the Barbaric World.

If a young genius sword cultivator had too many accidents, he might die halfway up the mountain. But a Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall, one of the Ten Young blessed with fortune, would absolutely not die easily. Because many observant people had noticed that among the Ten Young or the alternate ten, no one had died clearly on the battlefield. At most, they had gone missing. For example, Fei Ran, the top of the Hundred Sword Immortals of the Moon-Supporting Mountain in the Barbaric World; Zhu Qie, who shone brilliantly on the South Pasa battlefield; Ma Kuxuan, who fought life-and-death battles in Vase Continent; Xu Bai, known as the "Young Jiang Taigong"; and Chun Qing from the Azure Deity Mountain—all were still alive. And every one of them truly had promising Dao paths.

As for Cao Ci, the cultivators and martial artists of Haoran World subconsciously no longer regarded him as one of the Ten Young.

Before the landscape bulletins were banned, there was a piece of minor news not concerning the world's grand trends that stood out among many bulletin secrets and was talked about with relish—because of Cao Ci's fists. A female martial artist named Zheng Qian, who seemed to have some connection with the Thunder God Temple of Radiant White Continent but wasn't a direct disciple of Pei Axiang, traveled through the Central Divine Continent. On the city wall of the Great Duan Dynasty's capital, she challenged Cao Ci to four fist fights. She lost all four. There weren't many witnesses besides the Great Duan Dynasty's national teacher, the female martial god Pei Bei, and the father-son money gods of Radiant White Continent, Liu Jubao and Liu Youzhou.

But happy things were still too few, and too many people had left. Jiang Shangzhen wasn't a sentimental person, but there were still many things he couldn't let go.

Today, he finally encountered three things worthy of joy and hearty drinking.

Reuniting with good friend Chen Ping'an, both of them still alive and well.

Seeing the young mountain lord of the Fallen Mountain take action, watching this young man be not so reasonable.

And the Hidden Official of the Sword Qi Great Wall... truly could fight.

But some things, it seemed, he, Jiang Shangzhen, couldn't say. Chen Ping'an would have to see and hear them for himself, come to know them on his own.

Jiang Shangzhen clenched one fist on his knee and lightly tapped his knee with the other hand, murmuring softly:

"Refine a chivalrous heart into an ancient mirror, clear light piercing through great emptiness, emitting great radiance. A chess game of rivers and mountains for ten thousand miles, so many heroes in one moment."

"Peering into the ancient mirror's extreme thinness, carrying books to examine plum blossoms, chewing plum blossoms carefully. A thousand years of romance are like a dream, one toast to the river moon."

Chen Ping'an stopped his actions, turned his head and smiled: "Doesn't fit the rhyme scheme, and the tonal pattern is beyond words. It's cringe-inducing."

Jiang Shangzhen raised his hand, made a fist, and gently waved it, laughing: "I'll read more books in the future and keep improving."

Chen Ping'an took a step back and sat back down on his original step. He asked a strange question: "Jiang Shangzhen?"

As for Han Jiangshu, she finally managed to pull her head out of the ground. Propping herself up with her hands, she vomited blood.

Yang Pu sighed. At this rate, the senior really would be locked in a fight to the death with the Ten Thousand Jade Sect.

If there hadn't been witnesses, maybe there would have been a sliver of room for negotiation after what Han Jiangshu had endured today.

Elder Patriarch Jiang had always been playful and irreverent, famous for his worldly cynicism, and he never judged friends by their cultivation level. So Yang Pu simply took whatever he said as jokes between friends—things like "offering Zhou Fei" or "paying respects to the Mountain Lord." Was there really a mountain stronghold in the world that could make Elder Patriarch Jiang willingly serve as an offering? But if it wasn't a joke, who could be qualified to say "Jiang Shangzhen is trash"? Elder Patriarch Jiang was universally recognized as the number one person to turn the tide in Tongye Continent. Even the Grand Heavenly Master of Dragon Tiger Mountain had specially crossed the sea from the battle site at Flood Dragon Ravine's ruins to return to Divine Inscription Peak after the war ended.

Jiang Shangzhen was confused. He turned to look at Chen Ping'an: "Otherwise, who am I? What do you mean?"

Chen Ping'an suddenly asked: "What year is it?"

Jiang Shangzhen became even more puzzled: "What's going on?"

Chen Ping'an hesitated for a moment and answered through heart voice: "It always feels like a big dream that I haven't woken up from yet."

Jiang Shangzhen thought for a moment and offered an explanation: "Over at Suijia City, they changed the era name in the seventeenth year of the Divine Dragon era. Now it's the ninth year of Yuanxi."

Chen Ping'an roughly calculated the time of his travels in North Jambudvipa Continent and frowned. Three dreams, each dream lasting nearly two years? From walking out of the landscape restriction in the Creation Cavern on Reed Flower Island—passing through the inverted landscapes of the Sword Qi Great Wall and Vase Continent, to when Cui Chan appeared on the city wall and met with him, then entering the dream and waking up—in reality, more than five years had passed in Haoran World? What exactly did Cui Chan want to do? Make him miss more time, return home later? What was the point?

Chen Ping'an looked at Jiang Shangzhen, his gaze complicated. Was the person in front of him really not one of Cui Chan's mind projections? A person's vision was, after all, limited. If he, Chen Ping'an, had Cui Chan's realm and skills, and also learned one or two related secret techniques and Dao formulas, Chen Ping'an thought he could also give it a try. Standing higher and seeing farther, when Chen Ping'an looked down at the world, the rivers and mountains for ten thousand miles below were just a line drawing, like dead things. No need for Cui Chan to be too distracted using his misdirection. But when Chen Ping'an looked up close, there were few people—very few. Cui Chan could paint those figures one by one, or put more effort into dotting their eyes, making them lifelike. Even if Chen Ping'an was in a bustling market, like on a Colorful Garment ferry or at Mountain-Dispelling Ferry in Yu Prefecture, with crowds of people coming and going, it was no big deal—Cui Chan could deliberately put himself in a part of the White Paper Blessed Land. And the reason Chen Ping'an suspected the Jiang Shangzhen in front of him was a bigger worry. Back in prison, the Ascension Realm external heavenly demon Frostfall, just by traveling through Chen Ping'an's state of mind once, could derive thousands of reasonable threads from it.

And Cui Chan clearly had deeper Dao skills than the Ascension Realm Frostfall. That meant every truth Chen Ping'an knew, with one thought, "Jiang Shangzhen" would know it too.

So the authenticity of this dream was nearly impossible to solve.

Before Jiang Shangzhen appeared, the natural suppression of Tongye Continent and the Demon-Suppressing Tower had already put Chen Ping'an a bit at ease. At this moment, he felt even more disoriented. Because he just remembered: all feelings, even soul vibrations and energy ripples, in the hands of someone skilled at understanding people's hearts and analyzing consciousness like Cui Chan, could also be some kind of illusion, some semblance of truth. This made Chen Ping'an a bit irritated. He couldn't help taking a big gulp of wine. Damn it. He shouldn't have acknowledged any senior/junior brother relationship. If he had kept his distance—one Hidden Official, one Great Li National Teacher—Cui Chan probably wouldn't have such "guardianship," right? They say experience is the best teacher. The Scroll Lake heart interrogation was still fresh in his memory, vivid before his eyes. And now, Cui Chan had put on another one that was even more ruthless? What was he aiming for? Why? Was there any reason for Cui Chan to be such a senior brother? Did he really have to go straight to the Central Earth Confucian Temple, see his teacher, see Li Sheng, see the Ultimate Sage, to solve the dream and verify its truth?

But if this was the fourth dream, why did Cui Chan let him doubt it so much? Or was this part of Cui Chan's calculations too?

Ever since Chen Ping'an could remember, he had never been so confused. When he couldn't read or recognize characters, he never lived in a muddle. After learning the fist, reading books, traveling far many times, he clenched his teeth and held onto a few principles. So even if things were rough and the world outside was stormy, deep down he was always grounded. But now, it seemed like all the principles he had believed in—things copied from books, things he thought of himself, as well as flying swords, fist techniques, talismans, many lifebound objects, and his small human world—had all become a slowly departing floating pavilion in the sky. Like the mirage he had encountered on the ferry earlier. Perhaps a thousand years ago, it was real, absolutely real. But what Chen Ping'an and the ferry passengers saw with their own eyes was fake, because everyone was already downstream of that river of time at some ferry crossing.

Jiang Shangzhen was extremely curious: "Chen Ping'an, what's going on? Seems like... you can't even trust me?"

Chen Ping'an said helplessly: "Everyone says what you hear may be false, but what you see is real. My situation is a bit awkward right now. I'm afraid that a leaf blocks the eye, and everything I see has been deliberately arranged by someone."

With Jiang Shangzhen, Chen Ping'an was still willing to treat him as Jiang Shangzhen. It was like no matter if it was a dream or not, when he heard about Taiping Mountain's situation, he had come without a second thought.

Jiang Shangzhen was even more helpless: "Don't tell me you've run into the White Emperor City Lord? Are you asking Dao of Zheng Juzhong? That doesn't make sense. This guy has been doing very well over at Soaring Continent these years. He's been playing the two military camps of the race in the palm of his hand. Now most of the race on the entire Soaring Continent has been turned against each other by him alone. Besides, Zheng Juzhong has no reason to fight you to the death. Honestly, no matter who you provoke, whether it's an Ascension Realm or not, I can help. But if it's Zheng Juzhong, I really don't have the strength."

Among all mountain cultivators, there weren't many that Jiang Shangzhen truly didn't dare provoke. Zheng Juzhong of White Emperor City was one of them, and he ranked very high.

Chen Ping'an shook his head: "It's not Zheng Juzhong."

Jiang Shangzhen thought for a moment and said solemnly: "Chen Ping'an, if you trust me, calm down for a moment. Try to gather all your thoughts into one. Then I'll write some old things on paper. When you see it, you'll know if I'm real or not. But let me say in advance: my realm isn't at its peak right now. One Han Yushu is nothing. If two Han Yushus come, you and I will have some real trouble."

Chen Ping'an shook his head: "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just that it's meaningless."

Jiang Shangzhen sighed: "Looks like the trouble is indeed not small."

Chen Ping'an shook his head again: "It's not entirely trouble. It's just that my heart feels empty. I can never get my feet on solid ground. I've never felt this way before."

Chen Ping'an was afraid. Afraid of that feeling from his youth—that no matter how hard he tried, it was all destined to be futile.

After he started practicing the fist, especially after becoming a sword cultivator, Chen Ping'an had thought that this terrible feeling, like drowning, had gone further and further away from him. He even thought he would never face it again in this life.

Jiang Shangzhen closed his eyes, pondered for a moment, then extended two joined fingers and gently rotated them. Outside the steps, not far away, spiritual energy gathered and condensed into an object. It looked like a millstone, about the size of a well opening, hovering motionless.

Jiang Shangzhen twisted his fingers casually, and more figures appeared. A blurry human figure, no more than an inch tall, seemed to assume a fist stance, as if about to challenge the millstone.

Jiang Shangzhen used his two fingers to condense more millstones, eventually forming a sphere made of overlapping millstones. Then, with a light stroke of his fingers, he added another small figure, also an inch tall.

Jiang Shangzhen snapped his fingers, and the first millstone began to turn, slowly moving, grinding against that pure martial artist. The martial artist responded, challenging the great Dao with his fists.

In another place, the qi refiner within the great millstone of heaven and earth moved accordingly, rotating together with the small world made of countless crisscrossing threads.

Jiang Shangzhen said slowly: "Looking at the world from a pure martial artist's perspective is different from looking at heaven and earth from a cultivator's perspective. Chen Ping'an, although you rebuilt the Bridge of Eternal Life and haven't slacked off in cultivation and heart training, in my opinion, the more you see yourself as a 'pure' martial artist, the less you can see yourself as a pure person who has entered the mountains to pursue the Dao. Because it seems you've never hoped to attain the Dao of eternal life. You've never considered it something you must accomplish. Not only that, but you've been consciously or unconsciously swimming against the current. Once you understand this state of mind and this principle, look back at things. Does real or fake still matter? Dream or waking—will it really leave your heart without support? Even if it's all a big dream, so what? Why be afraid?"

Chen Ping'an listened carefully to every word from Jiang Shangzhen, while fixing his gaze on those two scenes. After a long time, he finally relaxed, nodded, and said: "I understand."

Jiang Shangzhen raised his hand, made a fist, stuck up his thumb, and pointed at Taiping Mountain behind them. He smiled: "Forgot where this is?"

Jiang Shangzhen was saying something: Taiping Mountain cultivates the true self.

Chen Ping'an reached out and grabbed Jiang Shangzhen's arm. His eyes shining, he laughed loudly: "I've wronged Brother Zhou Fei. Jiang Shangzhen is not useless!"

Jiang Shangzhen smiled awkwardly: "Thank you so much."

One was that Mountain Lord Chen's kind words weren't pleasant to hear. Another was that Sister Jiangshu finally knew who he was. Look at her eyes, wide open. They were almost pushing her eyebrows to the back of her head. Damn it, seeing your Brother Jiang here really made her that happy?

"Han Yushu is probably already on his way. Good move. Using that hairpin to send a message was itself a kind of transmission. Otherwise, that secret letter wouldn't have been so concise that it didn't even mention Elder Patriarch Jiang."

Chen Ping'an took out a jug of wine, handed it to Jiang Shangzhen, and glanced sideways at Han Jiangshu. He said: "You're an offering. At least show some responsibility. Dealing with women, you're the expert. I'm not good at it. Absolutely not good at it."

Jiang Shangzhen took the wine and said with feigned grievance: "Not good, right? We see each other all the time. It would hurt feelings. Han Yushu is a very old Immortal Realm expert. If I were just your family's offering, alone, I'd fight him. I'd beat him half to death, then pretend to be half-dead myself and run away. But you just exposed my identity. One Jiang Shangzhen can escape, but the Divine Inscription Peak ancestral hall can't run. So I can't fight for free. I need two jugs of wine, and let me be the chief offering!"

Chen Ping'an threw another jug of wine to Jiang Shangzhen and laughed: "What's wrong with it? From fighting comes familiarity. Since Han Yushu knows you, sit here and drink your wine."

It meant: as for Han Jiangshu, she's handed over to Jiang Shangzhen. As for Han Yushu, let him come and "get familiar through fighting."

After speaking, Chen Ping'an stood up. A pair of Caozi daggers originally slid out from his sleeve, but for some reason, Chen Ping'an changed his mind. It seemed he had abandoned the "Cao Mo" identity.

He put the daggers back into his sleeve, then gently rolled up both sleeves. Chen Ping'an stretched lazily. In his small human world of mountains and rivers spanning countless miles, it was like a string of spring thunder exploding—bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. Heaven and earth welcomed spring.

In his heart-lake, ripples appeared, like a letter.

Sure enough, as Cui Chan had said, Chen Ping'an's brain wasn't good enough. So he had once again missed what was obvious.

It wasn't until he reached Taiping Mountain and met Jiang Shangzhen that he could "solve the dream."

That letter floated in Chen Ping'an's heart-lake for a moment before gradually fading away.

At the same time, in his state of mind, the sun and moon shone together in the sky, and many scrolls of time seemed to appear. But Chen Ping'an couldn't open them, couldn't even touch them.

But that letter—Chen Ping'an only opened it after many years.

"It's not just me locked in the attic reading books. It's not just you, lonely and miserable in Mud Vase Alley. In fact, all children, as they grow up, are trying to open their eyes wide, staring at the unfamiliar world outside. Maybe they'll gradually become familiar. Maybe it'll always remain unfamiliar.

Chen Ping'an, you've been looking for too long, and you've looked too carefully. So you inevitably get mentally exhausted without realizing it. Think back: In your life so far, how many years have you slept soundly? How many times have you had beautiful dreams? It's time to look at yourself, to make things easier for yourself. Just recognizing your own true heart isn't enough. All the good principles in the world, if they only make people carry a big basket like children, picking herbs on the mountain—how can that work? For us scholars, the sage principles and worldly beauty that we tirelessly pursue all our lives—how could they only bring exhaustion?

Chen Ping'an, you are young. You need to be a madman a few times in this life, and you must do it early. You have to be young, speak mad words to this heaven and earth, drop some harsh words, do a few magnificent deeds that you no longer deliberately conceal. And when you speak and act, when you throw your fist or your sword, you must raise your head high, be high-spirited and confident, look down on the world. In scholarship, learn from Qi Jingchun. In action, learn from Zuo You.

Persist in treating this world well, but also learn to treat yourself well. Let the children who follow behind you not only learn to be kind to others and get along harmoniously with this world, but also let them truly understand a principle: being a good person not only brings peace to one's own heart but also brings real, tangible rewards.

This is the true Great Dao you should walk.

This is the true first dream of the three dreams. So the previous three dreams were to let you realize a 'false' in true dreams. This dream is to let you seek a 'true' in false dreams. It wants you to see the truth in dreams. Recognizing your true self is not enough. You also need to recognize a true heaven and earth. There will be two more dreams after this, continuing to solve the dreams. Your senior brother has done his best in this guardianship. Consider it the last time I teach on behalf of the teacher.

I hope that in the future, there will come a day when the old have a place to rest, the strong have a purpose, and the young have something to grow toward. Please, little junior brother, take a look at that world for your senior brother. Today's heartfelt longing of Cui Chan, even if it echoes a hundred years or a thousand years later, Cui Chan will have no regrets, no shame, no sorrow. The Wen Sheng lineage: having me, Cui Chan, is not much. Having you, Chen Ping'an, is very good, could not be better. Practice your sword well. Qi Jingchun's ideas weren't enough. An eleventh-realm martial artist is nothing. Your senior brother wishes little junior brother one day... Eh? The closed-door disciple of the Wen Sheng lineage has become damn fifteenth-realm sword cultivator..."

Chen Ping'an took a light breath.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

Awake is like a dream, seek truth in dreams.

No wonder not long after leaving the Creation Cavern on Reed Flower Island, a Colorful Garment ferry happened to pass by, and it went to Mountain-Dispelling Ferry first instead of the Planchette Sect. Then it was certain that Chen Ping'an would first find the Jade Gui Sect's Jiang Shangzhen, and eventually definitely come to this Taiping Mountain. Whether Jiang Shangzhen pointed it out or not, Cui Chan felt that Chen Ping'an would think of "Taiping Mountain cultivates the true self." The premise, of course, was that Chen Ping'an wasn't too stupid. After all, on the city wall of the Sword Qi Great Wall, Cui Chan had personally explained the character "Qing Lang" to Chen Ping'an. That itself was a reminder. In the Embroidery Tiger's eyes, he had been cheating so much for Chen Ping'an, and if Chen Ping'an still couldn't figure it out when he reached Taiping Mountain, then he was truly beyond help.

But why another missed opportunity?

Chen Ping'an seemed half-asleep, half-awake, his mind immersed. Tenth realm brimming with energy, the person and scene in his heart transformed from a line drawing into a colorful, splendid painting.

Hometown town, Vase Continent, Sword Qi Great Wall, Tongye Continent, North Jambudvipa Continent.

In this peaceful early spring, the two connected worlds saw martial destiny converge on Tongye Continent's Taiping Mountain.

An azure-clad figure turned into a rainbow, martial destiny gathering around him. Chen Ping'an threw a fist at an Immortal.

Jiang Shangzhen watched for a while. He truly admired his mountain lord's thick skin. The posture earlier was clearly aimed at beating an Immortal to death with three punches. But when they actually exchanged blows, martial destiny was right there in front of everyone, and he still pretended to be a Mountain Peak Realm martial artist who had barely broken through as the strongest at the Far Wandering Realm? Was he making the Immortal feed him punches to stabilize his realm? Was Han Yushu really that stupid or something? Had he actually gotten addicted to fighting? One technique after another was dazzling. One divine ability after another was magnificent. Especially in talismans—he was elusive, at the peak of perfection. No wonder these days Tongye Continent was full of flattery, saying you were the number one in talismans under Yu Xuan. Han Yushu, you didn't actually believe that, did you? Because this now indisputable claim was originally coined by me, Jiang Shangzhen, and then it accidentally spread far and wide.

This Immortal Han probably rarely fought so freely, and his opponent was tough enough. Oh, I underestimated Immortal Han. Turns out he was quietly setting up a formation to construct a small world.

Han Jiangshu looked into the distance, growing anxious. She was about to secretly send a message to tell her father that the man was deep and treacherous. Besides being the great martial artist who had just revealed his identity, he was also a Daoist Immortal equally proficient in talismans and formations. She must not rely too much on their family's Three Mountains Secret Talisman Formation. But before she could send the secret message, a drop of blood seeped from between Han Jiangshu's brows. A willow leaf hovered at the spot between her eyebrows.

Jiang Shangzhen complained: "Sister Jiangshu is so heartless. Don't tell me you've forgotten Brother Jiang who picked up your embroidered shoe? With good intentions, I offered to return your shoe with both hands, but you got angry instead. You didn't give me a chance to explain. But when there was no one around, you shattered my Dharma robe. Sister Jiangshu, do you know that after suffering such injustice, when I returned to the Tongye Sect, I drank how many jugs of sorrowful wine? But every time I uncorked the wine jug, that fragrance..."

"It's you?! Shut up, you dog!"

Han Jiangshu's eyes widened: "I had people investigate. All the techniques you used back then were indeed the exclusive secret techniques of the Tongye Sect, not passed on to non-direct descendants..."

Saying that, Han Jiangshu realized she had stated the obvious. She bit her lip hard, not even noticing the blood seeping out. She just said hatefully: "Jiang Shangzhen! Jiang Shangzhen!"

Jiang Shangzhen's gaze was even more resentful than hers: "You kept saying you'd recognize me even if I were reduced to ashes. And what happened? Indeed, the words of you pretty sisters cannot be trusted."

Such "palace secret romance stories"—the scholar Yang Pu beside them didn't know whether to listen or not. So he kept drinking.

Jiang Shangzhen held a wine jug in one hand and covered his face with the other. Mountain Lord, you've gone too far this time.

A figure plummeted in a straight line, crashing into the ground a hundred zhang from the mountain gate, creating a sizable crater.

Jiang Shangzhen quickly looked toward the dust flying and asked with great concern: "Fellow Daoist, are you injured?"

That azure-clad figure jumped up, using fist strength to shake off the dust: "This guy is tough!"

Han Jiangshu's face turned ashen, but the willow leaf had already embedded itself slightly into her brow, preventing her from speaking.

In the sky, one person hovered, holding a dark purple gourd in one hand. He lightly exhaled a breath—it was the supreme divine ability of an Immortal blowing the True Samadhi Fire. Golden flames blotted out the sky, like a waterfall pouring down, surging toward the azure-clad figure. The Ten Thousand Jade Sect's Patriarch, Immortal Han Yushu, looked down at Taiping Mountain's gate and sneered: "Patriarch Jiang, are you and your friend playing tricks on a monkey? Not only did you just break through to the ninth-realm martial artist, you also used three thousand six hundred talismans to break my formation. Great Patriarch Jiang, this friend of yours is truly remarkable. Young and accomplished. Dare I ask which Daoist master from the Central Divine Continent he is? Could he be a direct disciple of the Talisman master Yu Xuan?"

Jiang Shangzhen put down his wine jug and slowly stood up, grinning: "If it weren't for the fact that you almost became my father-in-law, the Ten Thousand Jade Sect's ancestral hall on Three Mountains Blessed Land would already have a portrait up, burning incense to worship the ancestor. I've tolerated you for a long time. Do you really think that just because I fell from the Ascension Realm back to the Immortal Realm, we're on equal footing again?"

The Academy scholar sitting dumbly on the steps instinctively wanted to drink again, only to find his jug empty. Somehow, Yang Pu followed Elder Patriarch Jiang's lead and stood up. He figured there was no need to drink to calm his nerves anymore. Everything he had seen and heard today had already filled him up like wine. He was drunk and tipsy. A good feeling, no different from comprehending the sages' texts. It seemed that when he returned to the Academy, he could really try to drink more wine. Of course, the premise was that in this battle of gods and demons, he—someone not even a Worthy, let alone an Earth Immortal—could make it back alive to the Great Fu Academy.

Han Yushu was about to tell Jiang Shangzhen to release Han Jiangshu. He frowned slightly, shifting his gaze. He saw that azure-clad figure standing in place without a scratch, holding a tiny flickering spark between two fingers. Looking up at Han Yushu, he actually threw that spark-like True Samadhi Fire into his mouth, swallowed it, then shook his wrist and said with a smile: "Both times, I was just this close, and Immortal Han could have killed me."

Jiang Shangzhen immediately became agitated, stomping his foot: "Brother Good Man, you can't be so honest!"

Han Yushu remained high in the sky, ignoring the two on the ground performing a double act. This Immortal Realm Patriarch, his sleeves fluttering, had an ethereal presence, very immortal-like. But inwardly, Han Yushu was greatly shaken. This opponent was so troublesome! Did he really have to use those killing moves? For a Taiping Mountain that was already difficult to acquire, was it worth it? One Jiang Shangzhen, who loved holding grudges and was best at revenge, was already trouble enough. Plus this inexplicable martial artist? A direct descendant of an old patriarch from some Central Earth grand sect, cultivated with all resources? A cultivator who combined both techniques and martial arts was not common. Those who followed this path as a shortcut in cultivation and could be called masters were even rarer. Breaking through from the Golden Body Realm to the "Covering the Earth" Far Wandering Realm was extremely difficult. Once one took this path, greed was unsatisfied, and the Dao would suppress them. Breaking through the Nascent Soul bottleneck was as hard as reaching the heavens. So besides being wary of the opponent's martial artist physique and talisman skills, Han Yushu was more worried about the young man's background.

It seemed that the person saw through Han Yushu's thoughts and said bluntly: "Don't worry about my background. I won't change my name when I sit or stand. I am Cao Mo, a second-class guest minister of the Jade Gui Sect. The Immortal Cong Qian stationed at the Rain Dragon Sect, the Sword Immortal Xu Jun of Mountain-Dispelling Ferry, and the Colorful Garment Ferry manager Huang Lin can all vouch for me."

Han Yushu sneered: "Talking nonsense all day long. Is it fun? Young man, do you really think you can't die?"

This Immortal shook his head on his own: "The only one qualified to speak a few words for Taiping Mountain is, at most, the female Daoist Huang Ting, who can only return to Tongye Continent after a hundred years. As for you, what are you worth?"

Jiang Shangzhen sighed. Here we go. A real fight was about to break out. There's no stopping it now. Of course, Jiang Shangzhen had no intention of stopping it. As the future chief offering of the Fallen Mountain, could he let his elbow turn outward?

Chen Ping'an looked at this Immortal Realm cultivator of the Three Mountains Talisman lineage, pulled out the white jade hairpin that still contained the children, and stored it in a lifebound acupoint, lest the fighting get out of hand and the small world shake, disturbing the children's sword practice. Once the hairpin was gone, Chen Ping'an's hair instantly fell loose. He reached around his shoulder, grabbed his hair with both hands, tied it with a golden ring formed from condensed qi, bent his knees slightly, and hunched his posture. Fist intent flowed through his body. One hand behind his back, the other pinching a talisman. His movements were fluid and seamless. Finally, he smiled: "I like Immortals like you—paper-thin but hard-headed."